There's a chance some of you may be new here, or at least new to BTPOOT. So you're probably wondering what all this is about.
I started doing these weekly roundups over at the Stratusfaction board back in 2001, and they've evolved considerably since then. Here's what you can expect:
- I'm an Eagles fan, first and foremost. They're gonna get the most ink 'cause I see them the most. That's just the way it is.
- I don't do pregame shows.
- I'll generally hit the games in order from early to late. The games I see and the important games of the day will have the most said about them most of the time.
- I tend to not do intros, and will usually jump right into a big blurb to start off. Though I will mention someone early so you'll know which game I'm referring to.
- Subcategories: "This Week's Game That Shouldn't Have Been This Close" and "This Week It Sucks To Be..." will be back in full force. These are self-explanatory. "Really, Who Gives A Rat's Ass?" is used when there's a game that just doesn't deserve a mention.
- Nicknames: Ben Roethlisberger is just "Ben" 'cause I'm not typing that out any more times than I have to. "Chad" is Cincinnati's Chad Johnson, while Chad Pennington gets "Pennington." LaDanian Tomlinson is "LDT" because "LT" is taken.
- If I've got a question and you've got an answer, feel free to chime in.
- Linemen running with the football never gets old.
- Rankings: I only do top three and bottom three. Why? Parity. I don't think I'll be starting them until Week 3 this year, though.
Now to the nitty and the gritty.
NFC EAST
(1) Philadelphia - Forget the T.O. issues, the Simon situation and everything else. No one will score on them. They're still the best team in the division and it's not even close. Anyone who believes otherwise is either brain damaged or Merrill Hoge.
Dallas - I'm not sure, y'know? On one hand, they'll play D, Jones is a stud, and even the static Drew Bledsoe is an upgrade over the rogues' gallery they had behind center last year, but I don't think they can keep Bledsoe upright, and other than TE Jason Witten, their receiving corps is nothing special. Watch Week 11 vs. Detroit; the winner likely gets the last playoff spot.
N.Y. Giants - It's Eli's show now. Plaxico gives him a big target, but he's still got some lumps to take. And the defense isn't all that great.
Washington - This wouldn't be happening if Joe Gibbs was still alive. They've got a starting QB they don't believe in, a running back they don't know how to use and they lost their two best defensive players. You tell me.
NFC NORTH
(2) Minnesota - The force of nature that is Randy Moss, good and bad, is gone. They've got new ownership. Most importantly, they spent a lot of money to upgrade their defense. This team (and specifically head coach Mike Tice) is officially out of excuses.
(6) Detroit - Two years ago I told you Kelly Holcomb would flop in Cleveland. Last year I said the Redskins were making a mistake going with Mark Brunell over Patrick Ramsey. This year I'm telling you that Joey Harrington will be just fine. And if he is, I'm not sure there are six NFC teams better than the Lions.
Green Bay - Brett Favre will immediately regret this decision. His offensive line's been picked apart, Ahman Green still has costly fumbles, and that defense isn't stopping a high school team.
Chicago - There's just not a whole lot to get excited about, although Kyle Orton is probably a better quarterback than Rex Grossman would've been anyway.
NFC SOUTH
(3) Atlanta - I know, I know, history's not on their side. The Falcons have never had back-to-back winning seasons. Ever. But with an improving defense, a healthy Michael Vick, and lessons learned from last year, expect that trend to end. Plus, they know how to beat...
(5) Carolina - The Panthers rebounded from a 1-7 start and losing arguably their four best players to make a late charge at a playoff spot. Julius Peppers may not be human.
Saints - It seems wrong to refer to them as "New Orleans", and the combination of Katrina and long-standing issues over the Superdome likely means they're never going back. If this team had a coach and some brains, it'd be dangerous.
Tampa Bay - The Bucs have regressed badly since their Super Bowl triumph, so going young was a good move. But, really... Brian Griese?
NFC WEST
(4) St. Louis - Winning this division will be hard because nobody really stands out. The Rams seem best equipped - you could argue Marc Bulger has more weapons than Kurt Warner had - but Mike Martz is still their coach and therefore still able to screw everything up.
Seattle - The Seahawks solved their road woes last year, but also lost to the Rams three times. Can they catch the ball? Is their defense any good? Whichever of these two teams doesn't win the division will a) not make the playoffs, and b) be looking for a new coach.
Arizona - The Cardinals have gotten a lot of hype from people who clearly haven't looked at their schedule. The front of their defense has potential, but I think they waited a year too late to grab Warner. They'll be lucky to go 7-9.
San Francisco - No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith is riding the pine for now. If Kevan Barlow isn't motivated, there's no one on offense that concerns you. Julian Peterson will lead the defense that will probably make sure this isn't the league's worst team this season.
AFC EAST
(2) New England - They've lost both coordinators and arguably their two best defensive players. But oh yeah, they still have Tom Brady. Quite frankly... all right, I'll stop. But you see my point.
(5) N.Y. Jets - Chad Pennington's shoulder is fine, and he has Lavernaeus Coles back and a real offensive coordinator. Ty Law gives the defense a lift, but they're still not quite on the Pats' level.
Buffalo - The Bills are hoping Willis McGahee is the Jerome Bettis to J.P. Losman's Ben Roethlisberger, as that's probably the best way this will work.
Miami - Hey, Ricky Williams is back... in Week 6 after that drug suspension deal. And they could easily be 0-4 by then. Really, we're just starting the Matt Leinart watch at this point.
AFC SOUTH
(1) Indianapolis - Is Peyton Manning going to throw 49 touchdown passes again? No. But that won't slow this offense down, and Corey Simon and rookie Marlin Jackson make this defense better. Really, it's all about Nov. 7 at New England. They finally win there, and they probably won't have to go back.
Jacksonville - Their defense, particularly the front and the back, is a strength. QB Byron Leftwich is in a new system that plays to his strengths. But theh AFC is so strong that it might not be enough.
Houston - See above, sort of. QB David Carr is the AFC's Harrington - a guy who needs to take a big step forward. If they're still around late in the year, they've got a cake schedule at the end of the season.
Tennessee - Cap problems forced the Titans to finally gut the team, further wounding an already shaky defense. Still, Steve McNair can make life miserable for some teams just by himself.
AFC NORTH
(4) Pittsburgh - Ben won't go 13-0 again. The Steelers won't go 15-1 again. And they'll miss Plaxico more than they think. But the defense and the running game are too good, and you gotta think Ben's got confidence that he can go out and win games if he has to.
(6) Baltimore - Bringing in WR Derrick Mason may actually be the biggest free-agent signing of the offseason if Kyle Boller can get the ball to him. In an almost unprecedented set of circumstances, Jamal Lewis just got out of the clink (What does prison do to a man?) And of course, the Ravens still have one of the baddest defenses in the league.
Cincinnati - Carson & Co. will score points, but more importantly, this team believes in itself more than a Bengals team has in a long time. If they can actually get off to a decent start this year and figure out how to stop the run, they might have the best chance of sneaking into the playoffs.
Cleveland - Romeo Crennel, what a fine mess you've gotten yourself into. Years of terrible drafts and equally bad free-agent signings have left the Browns as the worst team in the league. This will take a long time to fix.
AFC WEST
(3) San Diego - I think this Tomlinson kid's got a future in this league. Drew Brees has breakout star TE Antonio Gates and WR Keenan McCardell for a full season, so the offense shouldn't drop off. The Bolts' defense, the best of a mediocre lot in this division, should give them the edge.
Kansas City - The window's closing on the Chiefs - Trent Green and Priest Holmes are older than people realize. So they spent big bucks to upgrade a horrid defense. But I don't like their wideouts, and God help them if anything happens to Green.
Denver - Somebody's gonna rush for 1,200 yards or so. That's a given. But can a revamped D-line full of guys who flopped in Cleveland give the defense any kind of push? And Mike Shanahan still hasn't won anything since Elway retired.
Oakland - Somehow "Oakland Raider Randy Moss" just sounds right. If I'm remembering my trends correctly, Kerry Collins should have a good year this year. But there's very little to like on the defensive side of the ball.
WILD CARD:
Atlanta over Detroit; Carolina over St. Louis
Baltimore over San Diego; Pittsburgh over N.Y. Jets
DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS:
Philadelphia over Atlanta; Minnesota over Carolina
Indianapolis over Baltimore; New England over Pittsburgh
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Philadelphia over Minnesota
Indianapolis over New England
SUPER BOWL EXTRA LARGE:
Philadelphia over Indianapolis
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