youknowlarry said:
phony_stark said:.
An impact pick a solid few rounds in the draft could, sadly, (I'm a Raiders fan) fix that.What do you think just happened?
Are you talking about the all the kids you guys got on defense in the draft?
Yeah, that's a start.
The receiving corps is deeper, the tight end position is healthy and deeper than it has been in three years, and the offensive line has been shored up. The only glaring weakness is the running back position, but with a couple of additions in free agency that's been taken care of.
Defense is a whole different subject and those changes won't be apparent for a couple weeks because they're system-wide.
How is the receiving corp deeper?
Robert Meachem won't replicate Jackson's statistics, let alone his presence on the field. IMO both him and Malcolm Floyd will have sub-par years (relative to expectations), especially if the running game can't find any traction.
You've never watched a Chargers game have you?
Remember that one season where Jackson held out for 75% of the season and Rivers still threw for 4,000 yards? Plus Vincent Jackson had a decent history of giving up on plays.
I like how you mention Robert Meachem as VJ's replacement because the receiver I was thinking about was Vincent Brown...the guy that has the speed, hops, and strength to finally make an impact...and he doesn't stop his runs mid-route. He's been quietly doing very impressive things as the WR3/4 behind Floyd. Is Jackson going to be missed? Sure. He's a physical freak. But you're going to soon find out how overrated he is when Rivers isn't throwing him the ball.
Plus, with a healthy Gates...good luck, secondary.
I don't, only when they play the Raiders or they're on Primetime.
That season when Jackson held out, and Rivers still threw for 4,000 yards, you guys still had Sproles as Rivers' check down man. I think Sproles was top 3 on the Chargers' receiving yards that season, and Gates was still in his prime. Now you've lost Sproles, and while Gates is still a good TE, there is no way he is the impact player he once was.
I'll take your word on it and see if Brown can step up into VJ's shoes, but regardless, the loss of VJ's presence on the field where defenses have to account for him with double coverages and shifting their schemes is going to have an impact on the passing game this year. You guys don't have that home run threat VJ always imposed on the defense.
But Rivers is a vastly underrated QB, we'll see if he can compensate for the loss of Jackson.
Gates was hurt for all of that season. Randy McMichael played a lot of snaps. Ryan Mathews was also a rookie.
At this point everything is just speculation. We don't even know who the starters are yet. Things aren't as bad as ESPN might want you to believe, though. The Chargers are easily the second best team in the division...behind the Chiefs.
I still gotta go with Peyton to win the west. Just have that gut instinct that he will do JUST that, and basically end all doubts that he couldn't do it anymore. I also think the Colts made one of the biggest mistakes by letting him go. Of course I haven't looked in on all the contracts and money situations, but I believe that they could have handled that situation better.
The Colts are in full rebuild mode. They're not concerned about this season or even next season. Letting Peyton go and picking up the best QB prospect in a decade was the right choice. Had they kept Peyton and not drafted a QB for a few years, there's no telling what position they'd be in.
Let's say Manning has 2-3 years left in him. For those 2-3 years, he'd realistically give the Colts at least 8 wins, which would keep them out of the playoffs but they would have to draft in the middle of the first round. That means they would be in line to grab maybe the 3rd or 4th best QB prospect of any given year. That's not good...
They had to make a strategic decision. What they've done is realize Peyton Manning was the ONLY good thing about that football team. Andrew Luck was staring them in the face and they decided to bank their future on the closest prospect to a "sure thing" since Manning was drafted.
They absolutely made the right decision. Throwing money at Manning and losing the opportunity to get a player like Luck would have been potentially crippling for the future.
As for the AFC West, the Chiefs have the deepest and most talented roster in perhaps the entire league. The Broncos do not. They got Peyton Manning. But when James Harrison kills him in Week 1 that won't matter anymore.
I don't understand why everyone thinks that he's gonna be out early on. The doctors have cleared it, which in the case of a neck injury, would have to be back to 100% regardless. It's not an ankle injury or something like that where they may clear it at 75% with little worries. If the neck wasn't back at 100%, my guess is he would have retired. Second, the doctors said the neck is supposed to be STRONGER after fusion (which is what they did). Finally, the only issues I see now is regaining the arm strength which is almost back to 100%, and a possible nerve issue. People listen to these writers and reporters too much.
Also, all this hype that Luck is the next Manning before he's taken a snap in a meaningful game is ridiculous. I read to day somewhere saying Luck is going to be the next LEGEND. It's the preseason, and better yet, he's played one game against the RAMS (sorry for those who like the Rams). The one thing I find funny with the comparisons is that they both were claimed the most NFL ready QB prospects since the big one before (In Manning's case, Elway; Luck's - Manning) and they both threw TDs on their first pass in the preseason. Now if we want to go into more specifics, when Peyton came in the league, guess who one one of his 2 superbowls for the Denver Broncos :O
And if the situation plays out, it is a very similar look.
But....
We will just have to wait and see. However, if I had to put money on anyone to get the job done today at the QB position, I would still have to go with Peyton.
Sorry, I'm just rambling.
Peyton Manning's value is as a QB on a team that is ready to make a playoff push. The Colts aren't that. They're not even close. Which is why they're rebuilding around the best young prospects they can get. Stop thinking about this season; it's irrelevant.
youknowlarry said: They're gonna take the NFC West this year.
meh.
They're easily the toughest divisional opponent, but I don't think they've done enough to overtake the Niners this year.
Niners forsure to win NFC west. Alex Smith is gonna surprise people this year and I think have an even better season than last year. Defense will still be solid, and their special teams is also just fine. I also don't see anyone in that division competing with them. I mean the Rams are a joke, Seattle I just don't see at the same level as the 49ers, and Arizona has a whole bunch of question marks especially at that QB position.
NFC South, I just don't see Drew Brees carrying that entire team in New Orleans. I'm going with the Falcons. I think Newton has a sophomore slump (probably still a good season but nowhere near as many rushing TDs). Tampa still has a long way to go in my mind to do anything.
NFC East I gotta go with the Giants. Defense I think will be better (if healthy) and watch for JPP and Eli to both have monster seasons. Also gonna pick Bradshaw to be more of an impact since I'm guessing that he will have increased carries this season. RG3 isn't gonna turn the Redskins around (at least this year), the Eagles will underachieve once again, and the Cowboys i'm guessing have an 8-8/7-9 type year.
NFC North, would love to see the Lions win that division but I feel the Packers are just too explosive. But anything can happen as it is a long season. Bears are also gonna be in the mix forsure, but forget Minnesota.
NFC Wild card picks will be the Saints and Lions. Bears will be another close pick as will the Panthers.
As for the AFC:
AFC West I'm going with the Broncos. Peyton comes back and still has enough gas in the tank to take his team to the playoffs. I think with that hurry up offense he runs in that high altitude will leave opposing defenses exhausted. Broncos win 6-7 games at home this year. Chiefs I'm going with second in the division with Oakland and San Diego trailing. I hate Philip Rivers, so I guess it's kinda a bit biased, and the Raiders just commit too many penalties.
AFC South is easily the Texans. Colts are a mess, as is Jacksonville, and Tennessee has a lot of holes to fill too.
AFC East is gonna be the Pats. Easiest schedule in the league IMO but because of it I see an early playoff exit.
AFC North is gonna be the Ravens. Cincinnati is in trouble already with injuries, Pittsburgh is aging too much all around, and the Browns are not strong enough to win that division.
AFC Wild Card Picks are Chiefs and Steelers.
It's a LONG season so anything can happen. But those are my predictions.
I agree. We'll have to see what he can do once defenses gameplan for him, but he looked smart in his debut. Plus he gives the Colts something they never had with Manning -- a QB that can run.
Are you doing another EL Fantasy league this year or are any of you looking to join a league? I lost a couple of people this year and kicked a couple out for lack of participation in my league and I'm looking to fill the spots. $20 buy in via Paypal, 1st and 2nd place payout (amount depends on size of the league, looking to keep it at 10-12 teams), live draft. If you're interested send me your email address via PM and I'll send you an invite.
Edit: mcbain was in the league for the last two seasons but left for a higher stakes league. I'm sure he can vouch the I ran it legit and he got his payout when he won at the end of last season.
jbburton-18 said: Niners forsure to win NFC west. Alex Smith is gonna surprise people this year and I think have an even better season than last year. Defense will still be solid, and their special teams is also just fine. I also don't see anyone in that division competing with them. I mean the Rams are a joke, Seattle I just don't see at the same level as the 49ers, and Arizona has a whole bunch of question marks especially at that QB position.
NFC South, I just don't see Drew Brees carrying that entire team in New Orleans. I'm going with the Falcons. I think Newton has a sophomore slump (probably still a good season but nowhere near as many rushing TDs). Tampa still has a long way to go in my mind to do anything.
NFC East I gotta go with the Giants. Defense I think will be better (if healthy) and watch for JPP and Eli to both have monster seasons. Also gonna pick Bradshaw to be more of an impact since I'm guessing that he will have increased carries this season. RG3 isn't gonna turn the Redskins around (at least this year), the Eagles will underachieve once again, and the Cowboys i'm guessing have an 8-8/7-9 type year.
NFC North, would love to see the Lions win that division but I feel the Packers are just too explosive. But anything can happen as it is a long season. Bears are also gonna be in the mix forsure, but forget Minnesota.
NFC Wild card picks will be the Saints and Lions. Bears will be another close pick as will the Panthers.
As for the AFC:
AFC West I'm going with the Broncos. Peyton comes back and still has enough gas in the tank to take his team to the playoffs. I think with that hurry up offense he runs in that high altitude will leave opposing defenses exhausted. Broncos win 6-7 games at home this year. Chiefs I'm going with second in the division with Oakland and San Diego trailing. I hate Philip Rivers, so I guess it's kinda a bit biased, and the Raiders just commit too many penalties.
AFC South is easily the Texans. Colts are a mess, as is Jacksonville, and Tennessee has a lot of holes to fill too.
AFC East is gonna be the Pats. Easiest schedule in the league IMO but because of it I see an early playoff exit.
AFC North is gonna be the Ravens. Cincinnati is in trouble already with injuries, Pittsburgh is aging too much all around, and the Browns are not strong enough to win that division.
AFC Wild Card Picks are Chiefs and Steelers.
It's a LONG season so anything can happen. But those are my predictions.
Agreed with most of your predictions.
The NFC West is the Niners division to lose this year. Seahawks will surprise a lot of people this year, especially if they can get solid play for whoever starts at QB (although that's a whole other debate). Arizona is laughable, Whiz is on the hot seat, and he'll be gone next year IMO. He's overlooked the offensive line for basically his entire tenure, and they are the epitome of Swiss cheese. Levi Brown and Adam Snyder on the right side? Good luck. Plus, the entire QB controversy with Kolb/Skelton isn't doing them any favors. Rams are in rebuild mode, and I think they'll compete from 2013 on due to the bounty of picks they stockpiled.
NFC East, you gotta go with the Giants, even though I hate them. I actually think the Eagles will rebound this year, and actually have a decent season after last years debacle. Cowboys are overhyped as always, and they have holes in their defense and passing game. Curious to see how the new cornerbacks play though. RG3 is a vast improvement over any Redskins QB in recent memory, but I don't think the addition of him puts them over the hump and into the playoffs. They paid a lot for him too, so they're going to need to reload via free agency, but that's Dan Snyder's MO anyway...
NFC South, I love Brees even though that team should wallow in mediocrity for the rest of their tenure in the NFL. Their fans are as bad, if not worse than Seahawks fans. The loss of one of the best play callers in the league, and all the other drama that went on this offseason, is in my opinion, too much for even Brees to overcome. They may compete for a wildcard spot if things go right, but I think ATL takes this division. Matt Ryan needs to step up in the playoffs though. Tampa may surprise some people, they did add a bunch of high value free agents this year (Nicks, Jackson), but that doesn't mean they're instantly better ie. 2011 Eagles. I agree that Newton will have a slight sophomore slump just due to teams game planning a bit more for him, and I don't think he can reach the stats he had last year.
NFC North, Still the Packers division to lose IMO. Chicago has reason to be excited, they were a playoff team until their franchise QB and RB went down, and the fact that they added Brandon Marshall only helps boosts their chances. Detroit has holes in their secondary and running game, due to all the injuries and cuts they made. They may sneak into the playoffs in the wildcard, but Aaron Rodgers and Co. will take the division. Minnesota is just...Minnesota. Hopefully Ponder can take the next step and become an NFL QB, otherwise AP's career is being wasted.
Niners, Packers, Falcons, Giants with wildcards being Detroit and either Chicago/Seattle
AFC West - This is the most up-for-grabs division in football. 3 teams at 8-8 and one at 7-9 last year makes any prediction speculation at best. I'm going to go with Denver, just because they won the division last year, and they did add Manning which should help the offense greatly. The Chargers, Raiders, and Chiefs all got better during the offseason, and a key injury to any of those teams could knock them out of the playoff picture.
AFC South - Texans, by far. Probably the most complete team in the AFC. Colts are rebuilding this year, Jacksonville is LOL, and Tennessee isn't as complete a team as Houston is.
AFC East - Another easy one, Pats. One of the easiest schedules and they reloaded the defense while adding some more playmakers on offense, not like they needed them. Rex Ryan will be fired after the season, and the Dolphins are rebuilding as well under Philbin. Curious to see what Buffalo does this year, they could be a dark horse team if Fitzpatrick can play all season like he did in the first 5 games in 2011. You still have to give the division to Brady, Belichik, and Co. though.
AFC North - I think the loss of Suggs hurts the Ravens chances a lot, DPOY and a team leader gone for the season? With Ray Lewis and Ed Reed aging, I think the Ravens take a step back this year. Pittsburgh is good, but I want to see how Rapelessburger plays with Haley as his new OC before I say anything. Browns are improving, but still the red headed step child of the division. I say Cincinnati takes it this year. Dalton and Green played extremely well last year as rookies, and the addition of more playmakers and the defense, I think they surprise the division this year.
Bengals, Texans, Pats, Broncos wildcards: Pittsburgh and Buffalo
Super Bowl: Niners-Texans
I'll go full homer here and attack this part of your post.jbburton-18 said:
AFC West I'm going with the Broncos. Peyton comes back and still has enough gas in the tank to take his team to the playoffs. I think with that hurry up offense he runs in that high altitude will leave opposing defenses exhausted. Broncos win 6-7 games at home this year. Chiefs I'm going with second in the division with Oakland and San Diego trailing. I hate Philip Rivers, so I guess it's kinda a bit biased, and the Raiders just commit too many penalties.
There isn't a single position that the Broncos can claim to be the best in the division at (except for QB, based on reputation alone). In fact, I'd say they're dead last. But, of course, being a team is greater than the sum of the parts.
QB: Chargers and Broncos have the best QBs. Palmer has the potential if he cuts down turnovers (he probably has the best deep ball in the division), and Cassel has some work to do coming off injury.
RB: Chiefs by far. Darren McFadden can't stay healthy, neither can Ryan Mathews, and I don't even know who the fuck the Broncos running backs are.
OL: Chiefs, again, by far. Then Chargers, Raiders, and Broncos.
WRs: The Raiders have the most raw talent, but this is kind of a grab bag. The Broncos are the weakest at this position by a pretty long way.
TE: A healthy Antonio Gates, along with FIVE other reliable TE options makes this position one of great strength for San Diego. Denver's WR and TE situation is embarrassing. The Chiefs has good potential with some young receivers and Tony Moeaki coming back.
DL: Raiders. Duh. Those guys are brutal. The Chargers and Chiefs will have to fight for #2 at this position during the season. The Broncos have Dumervil, who is good, but he's only one player.
LB: Chiefs. Tamba Hali is a scary human being. Denver has more talent in Von Miller, bu the Chargers have more depth. The Raiders have issues at this position.
CB/Safeties: Chiefs, again. Young, fast, strong ball hawks everywhere. The Chargers have the best safety in the division, but the CB position is fairly average. The Broncos have Champ Bailey who just celebrated his 98th birthday.
There are obviously other things to consider, but people who are high on the Broncos as the preseason division darlings are...well...high. It's clear the Chiefs tout the most talent in the division, they seem to love playing for their head coach, and they're really young.
Keep in mind that a lot of people are saying that Peyton Manning came into to take an 8-8 team into the playoffs (basically suggesting that he's at least good for 2-3 wins). But the Broncos weren't an 8-8 team last season. They were a 4-12 team with a speckle of divine intervention. The Chiefs were a 7-9 team with four of their superstars sidelined for the entire season.
Oh, I forgot the most important rating metric!
No huddle offense in high altitude: I guess Denver can have this one....
mcbain said: What about coaching? You can't say Norv Turner is the best at getting max performance out of his team.
YouKnowLarry said: There are obviously other things to consider
YouKnowLarry said: It's clear the Chiefs ... seem to love playing for their head coach
i want to get a JPP jersey (#90), but i want the NIKE Limited jersey ($135, mid-level), not the Game jersey ($99, cheapest option).
thing is, NIKE doesn't even have it on their website, nor does the online NFL store.
hoping they even make one in the Limited version. might end up going with a Tuck jresey (#91), which is also fine with me.
Well, there goes your Vincent Jackson replacement.
Brown is out for 8 weeks with a broken ankle.
Thanks for the update.
edit: I'm no expert, but I don't think ankles are supposed to do this.
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foxpuppet:
wheres the vids?...
jessschlenk:
so much pow in that vid...someday i'll make boobcon...stuck right coast for now....
Stealth:
*mauled...
sohegirl:
sohegirl said: Knew here guys and my first post!
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