NFL 2018 Regular Season Thread

[worstblogever]

I fully expect them to bring someone in as a veteran . Maybe kick the tires on Jamaal Charles .

They already have Alfred Morris on their roster, too. That's... not exactly the best option.

[HowitzerJoe]

I'm a Seahawks fan, so I'm having trouble dealing with the fact that our 5-6 run as a powerhouse is probably over. I don't want to relive the 90's again!

You still have Russell Wilson in his prime. Games will at least be entertaining to watch at the very least. Don't know if he can carry the team to the playoffs though.

[HowitzerJoe]

They may have just lost Jerick McKinnon for the season with an ACL injury. MRI pending.

I already wondered how San Francisco would fare with McKinnon as a downgrade from Carlos Hyde. Now, it's a downgrade to Matt Breida.

Alfred Morris at least looked really good in the preseason in one game. Although it was against the Colts. Still, he's had big success in the past in Shanahan's offense. The thing that sucks is that he doesn't really bring much value to the table as a receiving option. Shanahan signed McKinnon for the very purpose. I thought he had a chance to be the next Charlie Garner for us. Now we have to wait another year to see what he can do.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Nothing has been made official, but now it's looking like Nick Foles will start the Eagles' season opener at home on Thursday.

[worstblogever]

Time for WBE's annual irrelevant NFL predictions, 2018 edition:

AFC East
New England Patriots (12-4) : I have the Patriots winning twelve games again in 2018, and it’s not because I think they’re better, just that the AFC East is theirs to lose, and they’ll likely win 5 or 6 games against their rivals alone. They’ve lost Nate Solder and some key members of the receiver corps, but Brady’s still got Edelman, Gronk, and a couple of RBs like Burkhead and James White to drive fantasy owners trying to figure out who’s getting the TDs on this squad crazy. The secondary lost Malcolm Butler, and Eric Rowe (famous for getting torched all through the Super Bowl) takes over for him. The Front Seven still has Danny Shelton on pass rush, and Donta Hightower. Much as I’m loathe to say it, the Patriots don’t seem to ever need Pro Bowl names on its defense, and Darth Hoodie schemes them to win this division.

Miami Dolphins (5-11) : Somehow, Ryan Tannehill is again the QB of this team, even though the reports are he throws tantrums at the practice squad for making him look bad. Miami picked up Danny Amendola from the Pats, and it’s going to be interesting to see if he reverts to the level of talent he had when he was on Jeff Fisher’s Rams, or plays like he has in Foxboro. At #1 receiver, Devante Parker puts up some decent numbers, while Kenny Stills continues to underwhelm. Still, that’s not a bad three WR tandem, in theory. If only they had a QB worth his salt throwing to them. Kenyan Drake now has to run the ball without Pouncey up front at the point of attack. The real problem is… Miami’s defense is not looking so hot, after losing Suh up front, teams ran the ball down their throat all preseason. And yeah, that’s the preseason… but who’s going to fill that void, at all? Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn, and Kiko Alonso can rush the passer until the cows come home, but the edge won’t be a concern if opposing offenses can just bust this defense right down the middle.

New York Jets (5-11) : I never like to pick teams starting rookie QBs to make the playoffs, and the Jets are still lacking the kinds of weapons you’d want Sam Darnold to have in order to do anything. Like… Robby Anderson is the best receiver on this squad? Do I have that right? Bilal Powell is a serviceable back, but with a rookie signal caller, teams are going to put 8 in the box and dare him to throw… especially given the number of turnovers Darnold had as a senior at USC. To the Jets’ credit, their defense has a decent back end, but the days of Muhammed Wilkerson up from are gone. Todd Bowles can put together a solid defensive plan, at least, in his 3-4 scheme, and make the most of Jamal Adams’ talents. The Jets are definitely not gonna challenge New England.

Buffalo Bills (2-14) : The Bills finally ended their playoff drought last year, through a miracle of the entire AFC being top heavy, and having a so-so middle. And now, they let Tyrod Taylor leave in free agency after leading them there, and they reached and took Josh Allen to be their future franchise QB. But wait, he’s not starting for the Bills… they’re starting Nathan Peterman. I repeat… NATHAN PETERMAN, the guy who through 5 INTs in a half in his one appearance last year. Damn, they’re boned. LeSean McCoy is a year older and facing a hell of a lot of scrutiny for off-the-field problems, so how much support the running game gives their two green QBs remains a question mark. The receivers are castoffs from other teams in Kelvin Benjamin and Corey Coleman (nevermind, he got cut), with Zay Jones being the guy they drafted who has yet to develop. Realistically, TE Charles Clay is the only reliable target outside McCoy, assuming he's healthy. Buffalo’s front seven is good, but a hoss like Star Lotulelei is gonna get real tired real fast if they can’t get the offense to move the chains and get them a breather. Simply put… they’re about to start a new playoff drought.

[worstblogever]

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) : I personally loathe Big Ben for his off-the-field issues in years past, but honestly, he’s always been goddamned selfish with this franchise. He was willing to risk riding a motorcycle around town without a helmet in his first few years, and now as a veteran, he’s throwing a fit because the team drafts future potential replacements AFTER Ben threatens to retire. Just… Anyway, Ben’s fat and brain damaged. That aside, the Steelers are loaded with talent. Antonio Brown is likely the best receiver in the league to day, and Leveon Bell, even disgruntled, might be its top running back. The question marks for Pittsburgh is the void left in the defense by Ryan Shazier’s injury, and if the secondary will hold up against passing offenses from outside their division. The Steelers clearly remain the class of the AFC North, though.

Baltimore Ravens (7-9) : Joe Flacco is not elite, and Lamar Jackson might see some time by the end of the year if he doesn’t get it together. The WRs are Michael Crabtree, John “Questionable to Start” Brown, and Willie Snead. That’s not too shabby, but this team has not had a RB establish themselves and still seems content to have Alex Collins and Javorius Allen play hot potato for who actually wants the job. The defense has up-and-comer C.J. Mosely, the rotting corpse of Terrell Suggs, whatever is left of Eric Weddle at safety, and the leftover adrenaline from Ray Lewis. That sure ain’t enough to stop Pittsburgh in one-on-one games, but this team will still get to seven wins because they get to play four against Cincinnatti and Cleveland, as well as a down AFC West this year.

Cincinnatti Bengals (7-9) : All right, let’s talk defense first and get it out of the way. Pacman Jones is finally gone, and Vontaze Burfict is still a moron who’s going to miss a bunch of games for using PEDS, instead of just being a psychotic looking to rip the limbs of people off in lieu of just tackling them. Geno Atkins and Carlos Dunlap are solid up front, and Dre Kirkpatrick can shut down most receviers on the back end. Still, there isn’t enough there to stop elite teams in the passing game. Meanwhile, on offense, the Bengals are content to waste the career of A.J. Green by insisting Andy Dalton is a franchise QB. He’s mediocre at best, even in his best years in the league. At least Jeremy Hill is gone, and won’t be fumbling away any and all hopes for this team, but it’s hard to get excited about Gio Bernard and Joe Mixon, the latter of whom still seems like a ticking time bomb for the NFL’s conduct policy, and y’know, being a player in Marvin Lewis’ system. Seriously, think about it, is there ever a guy with character issues who you could say became “better” under that coach? Vontaze Burfict is gonna end up on the FBI’s Most Wanted List by the time his career is over, and Mixon is likely to make someone like Greg Hardy look like a boy scout.

Cleveland Browns (2-14) : Oh, the Browns. They lost one of their best free agent signings on defense to… insider trading? That… that’s a new one. They also lost the one player worth a damn on their roster for the past decade in LT Joe Thomas, so… let’s start Tyrod Taylor and/or rookie Baker Mayfield behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL! Or see how well Carlos Hyde does with that (based on his years with the 49ers, don’t expect a ton). Duke Johnson remains more of a receiver than a RB, and for whatever reason, those guys are going to get all the touches over Nick Chubb. The one upgrade Cleveland really made was at receiver, signing Jarvis Landry and getting Josh Gordon back until the next time someone passes him a doob. Still, the thing about good WRs? You need TIME to throw to them. On defense, Danny Shelton got the HELL up out of Cleveland (good for you, dude), and they’re left to try and build on a unit with young talent like Jabril Peppers and Myles Garrett. I should note coaching for a moment. The Browns area already looking to have a coup in place on Hue Jackson, which after going 1-31 the past two years, OBVIOUSLY. Both former HC Todd Haley, the OC, and Gregg Williams, the man behind Bountygate are undermining Jackson going into the regular season. Every team in the league got to see how this team’s gonna operate thanks to them being on Hard Knocks. Are the Browns going to win this year, though? Law of averages says they HAVE to. And, I mean, their schedule starts out with the Steelers and Saints, but then features beatable opponents like the Jets, the Mack-less Raiders, the Bucs, and division matchups against the Ravens or Bengals, teams that they KNOW. The thing working against the Browns is… no team wants to be known as the ones that let them break their losing streak, which has now gone on since, and this is true, the Obama administration.

[worstblogever]

AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6) : Full disclosure: I was wrong about this defense last year, and other than Dante Fowler being a bust, every free agent signing and rookie they plugged in on it worked out for them. The Jags are LOADED on that side of the ball, and having either Marcel Darius or Calais Campbell eat up two blockers on a lot of plays, and getting all the sacks has made this team ridonkulous on D. Jalen Ramsey talks a lot of s***, but backs EVERY BIT of that up. And I like this team’s offensive line, and LOVE Leonard Fournette at RB. However, Blake Bortles will be the reason why Sacksonville is going to be, at best, the winner of one playoff game. He’s too inconsistent, and was still glaringly a hindrance to this team in what was statistically his best year in the league yet. And don’t expect that to get better as both Allen Robinson and Alan Hurns left town. Keelan Cole, Dede Westbrook, and rookie D.J. Chark are the talents needed to pull Bortles passes in without letting them hit the turf. In other words… expect a LOT of Fournette and T.J. Yeldon if the Jags are going to repeat atop the AFC South.

Houston Texans (9-7, Wild Card) : I’m not going to pretend that J.J. Watt is still the Defensive Player of the Year. He’s still a damned fine player, but he’s undergone more surgeries at this point that the Six Million Dollar Man. The Texans still have him with Mercilus and Clowney in the front 7 as well, and with two solid corners, they added safety Tyrann Mathieu from Arizona after he got cut in a salary-cap crunch. Again, I’ll point out that a couple years ago, Mathieu was an elite defender, but don’t act like this signing makes the Texans defense go next-level… Mathieu’s getting by with his smarts now. He was targeted a lot in Arizona last year. Meanwhile, on the other side of the ball… we saw a little bit of Deshaun Watson turned loose with Deandre Hopkins and Will Fuller last year, and it seemed like the first time in ages the Texans had a QB worth a damn. The Texans’ offensive line will need to keep him healthy, because it’s a big step down to Brandon friggin’ Weeden if he gets hurt. And if that happens, you’ll see a lot of checkdowns to Lamar Miller and not much else.

Tennessee Titans (8-8) : Marcus Mariota will always be the guy who fumbled away the national championship in college, but will flash and impress with a big run outside the pocket if he dares to not be a pocket passer. The line is solid, and that’s why you would hope to see a lot of Derek Henry this year. Delanie Walker remains one of the most reliable TEs in the league. The defense is solid at corner with Logan Ryan and Malcom Butler and… wait. Who’s coaching this team this year? Mike Vrabel? As in that special teams linebacker the Patriots would use to catch goal line passes? The hell? No wonder they’ve started scavenging things off of Belichek’s scrap heap. If anything is the limiting factor to Tennessee this year, it’s going to be Vrabel’s lack of coaching experience, and being a part of the Belichek coaching tree that has ALWAYS failed when people leave the Patriots.

Indianapolis Colts (7-9) : Andrew Luck… is finally back. I’m excited about that. He sadly, though… still has no real offensive line in front of him (Quenton Nelson is a nice start, but he’s probably gonna need time), an average-at-best RB in Marlon Mack, and his top targets now look to be limited to T.Y. Hilton in double-coverage and TE Jack Doyle. The defense is best summarized as Malik Hooker and ten tackling dummies. The only positive is going to be fantasy owners that draft Colts players will get more out of them this year compared to last, and that Luck is a shoe-in for Comeback Player of the Year.

[worstblogever]

AFC West

Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) : Let’s be real… it’s harder to like the Chargers compared to a couple years ago, what with their owner, Dean Spanos, moving the team to L.A. from San Diego. And yeah, they play in front of the smallest crowd in the league at a half-full soccer stadium. Which is a shame, because Melvin Gordon is GOOOOD. The Chargers also return much of their offensive line, veteran QB Philip Rivers, WR Keenan Allen, and they managed to bring back 38 year old Antonio Gates for one last hurrah. The defense has a great front four in Liuget, Bosa, Mebane, and Melvin Ingram… but past that, they’re weak at LB and in the secondary. Look for a lot of shootout games where the offense makes fantasy owners happy, and the Chargers to win a division that is rife with turnover elsewhere.

Kansas City Chiefs (9-7, Wild Card) : I never believed K.C. would go anywhere with Alex Smith under center. Hell, they had an entire season with him at QB without a passing touchdown. But through the past few seasons, the Chiefs offense still became multi-faceted and loaded with talent, with Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Sammy Watkins, and Travis Kelce being their current offerings at the skill positions. That, and a solid offensive line give Patrick Mahomes everything he should need to succeed. The Chief’s defense, however, took a step back in free agency this year, losing starters from the defensive line that could limit their ability to stop opposing offenses, especially in the run game. We’re still thinking that Andy Reid is always good to eke out 8-10 wins in a top-heavy AFC and get a Wild Card, even if they don’t win the division. We shudder at the thought of him managing the clock late in a playoff game.

Denver Broncos (6-10) : Von Miller is always scary, but now with rookie DE Bradley Chubb coming off the other edge? Denver is a bit weaker in the defensive backfield, with the departure of serial chain-snatcher Aqib Talib, so Miller and Chubb had better get to opposing QBs fast. Meanwhile, the Broncos are still a mess on offense, turning to Case Keenum after his one good year in Minnesota, and running rookie QB Chad Kelly as their backup. Their receivers of note are Demaryius Thomas and 2nd year TE Jake Butt (off a major knee injury in his final college game). Their running game will see Royce Freeman and DeVontae Booker trading carries… that doesn’t look to be enough to change a stagnant unit that couldn’t move the chains in 2017. Not seeing them take this division, by any stretch.

Oakland Raiders (5-11) : John Gruden is here! And he comes with a plan to do things that stopped working in the NFL a decade ago! And he keeps wasting draft picks to take a look at 2nd and 3rd string QBs! And somehow, he ran Khalil Mack out of town for more draft picks he’ll waste, leaving this defense devoid of ANY talent! (That shaved 2-3 wins off what we thought Oakland would do, right there.) The offense will depend on if QB David Carr can return to the success from his first 2 years in the league with Amari Cooper, and maybe the addition of Jordy Nelson means Cooper won’t be double-teamed every down. What’s Oakland’s running game like? Uh… they still have Marshawn Lynch, who wasn’t exactly an impact player last season, either. In other words… we think Oakland is returning to the dark times of their Decade of Disfunction, and the distractions from Gruden and the front office are about to make this team too embarrassing for its fanbase to follow them to Vegas.

[worstblogever]

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles (12-4) : Even without Carson Wentz for the first few games, we’re still talking about an Eagles team that won the Super Bowl last year. Nick Foles will start off the first few tilts with plenty of talent on the O-Line and skill positions, including RBs Jay Ajayi and Darren Sproles, as well as Mike Wallace and Alshon Jeffrey at WR. Philly’s defense remained mostly intact after the Super Bowl last year, with Fletcher Cox and Haloti Ngata getting things started up front, and a good back end with Ronald Darby.

New York Giants (9-7) : The Giants were bad enough last year to end up with the #2 pick in the draft, and spend it on thoroughbred RB Saquon Barkley. And everyone thought they were going to move on from Eli Manning, because he got benched last year for Geno Smith of all people. AND YET… Eli Manning was struggling because most of the Giants’ receivers were on IR by that point. So now, he’s got Barkley to keep defenses honest, and OBJ, Sterling Shepard, and Even Engram to throw to. AND they added Nate Solder at Left Tackle? Huh. How about the G-Men’s defense? Eh… they still have Eli Apple, who’s thought of as a draft bust at this point, and past him, there’s a lot of wear on the tires on them. The Giants will at least be a fun team to watch, and they could sneak into the playoffs as a 6-seed, which somehow is where they’re most dangerous.

Dallas Cowboys (8-8) : There’s something you have to realize when you look at the big picture… the Dallas Cowboys are CONSISTENT. They’ve virtually been a .500 franchise since the last time they won a playoff game 22 years ago, and there’s always something missing from this team that keeps them from doing much else but snag a division title every few years accompanied by a first round exit. Don’t get us wrong, we LOVE that Dallas finally invested several drafts in building the best offensive line in the league. But that bunch of road-graders is starting out 2018 dinged up. Getting Ezekiel Elliott to run behind it, and a promising young QB in Dak Prescott was also a hell of a coup. Thing is… Jason Witten retired, Dez Bryant got cut, and now, the Cowboys are expecting Allen Hurns to be their #1 receiver. Allen Hurns was a #3 WR in Jacksonville of all places. How’s their defense? Still not fixed, and its best player is Sean Lee, who is on the injured list for half this team’s games. Depending on Dallas’ medical status, they could have a down year.

Washington R******s (4-12) : Alright, replacing Kirk Cousins with Alex Smith… there goes any hope you could have for a deep passing game. They drafted Darius Guice to be the new top RB, but he had a year-ending injury in the preseason. Instead, they’re counting on Adrian Peterson to carry the ball. AP is not the guy who could beat 8 men in the box in Minnesota anymore. If he was, he’d have rushed for 100 yards more than one last year in Arizona. Washington also starts the year with both Jamison Crowder & Jordan Reed on the injured list. On the defensive side of the ball, they still have Josh Norman as a candidate to be the loneliest man in the NFL and not get thrown towards, and Ryan Kerrigan rushing the passer. In other words, we’re looking at this team to finish fourth in the NFC East, and we couldn’t be happier for Chainsaw Dan getting that honor again.

[worstblogever]

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings (12-4) : Assuming the commitment to Kirk Cousins pays off, and it should, Minnesota is also loaded with talent throughout its O-Line, and all its skill positions. At WR, they have Diggs and Thielen stretching the field, plus Kyle Rudolph as a reliable TE. Dalvin Cook has finally recovered from last year’s season-ending injury, and looks to be an upgrade over Jerrick McKinnon. Oh, and the defense? It’s still loaded with Pro-Bowlers, and looks to be one of the best in the NFL this year. Free advice? Tune in for both Vikings/Packers games this year. Gonna be can’t miss action.

Green Bay Packers (11-5, Wild Card) : Aaron Rodgers puts this team on his back every year, and gets paid like he’s the best QB in the NFL, because he is. Jordy Nelson just left town, but Rodgers still has Davante Adams and Randall Cobb at WR, and now TE Jimmy Graham to sling the ball to. Graham was a matchup nightmare in New Orleans, but in Seattle, he was a wasted asset by the Seahawks. Look for him to have a resurgence in Green Bay. The Pack’s defense improved quite a bit over past efforts in 2017, and this offseason, they only added Pro-Bowl DT Muhammed Wilkerson up front and brought back CB Tramon Williams in the secondary. The Packers finished second in this division last year after starting Brett Hundley down the stretch… expect them to challenge the Vikings for the top spot if they can avoid the injury bug this year, especially to Rodgers.

Detroit Lions (6-10) : Fun stat, Detroit has not had a 100 yard rusher since Reggie Bush had one on Thanksgiving of 2013. In the NFC North, a division renowned for cold-weather games in Chicago, and Green Bay, they’re that ineffective in the run game. Their solution to this problem was to sign an aging LeGarrette Blount to carry the rock… and while he’s a bruiser, he’s hardly a threat to crack the century mark and/or take a long run to the house. The Lions offensive line remains average, at best, which is bad news for Matt Stafford. He’ll have to hurry to get the ball out to Golden Tate and Marvin Jones, as well as new TE Luke Willson (formerly of Seattle). Somehow, Stafford will still nearly throw for around 4,000 yards, don’t ask me how. The Detroit defense has Ziggy Ansah as their best pass rusher, lost Deandre Levy at LB, and remains thin in the secondary. The NFC is just too loaded this year for a team with flaring holes on defense and a lack of a running game to make it into the playoffs.

Chicago Bears (6-10) : Our opinion of Chicago just drastically improved with the trade for Khalil Mack on the Bears’ defense, which now has someone other than just Danny Trevathan in its front 7. Their secondary is, again, not up to snuff, however, to stop passing attacks in a division with three scary-ass QBs for six division games, unless Mack is in the backfield on every play putting opposing QBs on their back FAST. On offense, the Bears added Allen Robinson from the Jags, which means he’s going to get the honorary duty of being a Pro-Bowl caliber WR forced to try to put up numbers while being double-teamed in the hardest stadium to catch passes in for 8 games. Oh, and Mitch f’n Trubisky is the QB throwing to him… so nice knowing you, Allen. For Chicago to succeed, they’re going to need to feed the ball to Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen and get big results. We don’t expect Chicago to do more than potentially ruin Minnesota or Green Bay’s chances via injuries, at best this year. And their ability to improve going forward is going to be severely challenged by having given up two years’ worth of first round picks for Mack. So you’d better enjoy whatever pain he inflicts, Bears fans.

[worstblogever]

NFC South
New Orleans Saints (12-4) : DREW BREES! Okay, okay, New Orleans isn’t just about Brees putting up over 4,000 yards (usually more like 5,000) to get in the playoff hunt. Now they have the top running game in the NFL, with Ingram and Kamara working all the magic, and in the passing game, they still have Michael Thomas, Ted Ginn, and Ben Watson for Brees to throw to. While the Saints’ hang up for several years was its defense, they improved their pass rush and secondary enough to actually hold leads the offense gives them. We’re giving them the nod over Atlanta this year only slightly, but this division will come down to the wire. Similar to our comment about Packers/Vikings match ups this year… Saints/Falcons games are going to be GOOOOOOOD.

Atlanta Falcons (11-5, Wild Card) : Atlanta lost OC Kyle Shanahan after their Super Bowl meltdown two years ago, and last season, Matt Ryan had a so-so year without him at QB. The Falcons still have Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu for him to throw to, and added rookie WR Calvin Ridley, arguably the best at his position in this year’s NFL Draft. Don’t get too hyped for Ridley, as rookie receivers tend to take a year before their impact is truly felt as they adjust to the pro game, of course. Atlanta still has a great 2-headed monster at RB with Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman. Their defense, though… it’s kinda Vic Beasley and a bunch of guys.

Carolina Panthers (9-7) : You had better hope that injuries to the offensive line in the preseason don’t mean that Cam Newton gets hurt… because if he does, your backup QB is someone named Taylor Heinicke, who sounds like a guy I just made up. Cam’s best target is still Greg Olsen, and his best WR is Devin Funchess, who guess what… is also technically a tight end. Carolina cannot stretch the field, in other words, and defenses will keep 8 in the box, with a spy on Cam, put money on that. Expect a lot of carries for the McCaffrey/Anderson combo just to try to prevent Cam from dying behind the patched together line this team will have. The Panthers defense is still Top 10 in the NFL, provided Luke Kuechly doesn’t end up retiring from concussions, and that they can survive without DE Thomas Davis for four games. Kawann Short anchors the line up front, in any event, and that’s nice… but the back half of Carolina’s defense leaves much to be desired.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-11) : Jameis Winston is a crab burglar and sex pest. Thus, he sits for this team’s first 3 games against New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia. Then they get a BYE week, and Jameis can come out and “eat a W” potentially in Week 5 against the Bears, assuming Khalil Mack doesn’t put a smile on my face by removing his spleen at mid-field. The team will try Peyton Barber this year at RB, but at least has solid options in its receiving corps with DeSean Jackson, Mike Evans, Cameron Brate, and O.J. Howard. Their O-Line… isn’t so hot, though, so this offense is going to struggle all year. On defense, the Bucs are hoping Brent Grimes wife Miko doesn’t do anything too embarrassing off the field, and their best free agent signing of this year is Jason Pierre Paul, as in the guy who can’t count higher than eight with his fingers. They might want to plug Vita Vea in more often to stop some of the running attacks of their division rivals, because obviously. What I’m getting at is, Dirk Koetter could be on the coaching hot seat REAL fast this year, and if he isn’t, it’s because he’ll be able to use Jameis’ suspension as an excuse for any slow start.

[worstblogever]

NFC West

Los Angeles Rams (12-4) : Credit to the Rams’ players for not declaring themselves a “Dream Team” after L.A. won the off-season free agency period. The Rams won the NFC West going away last year, and added names like WR Brandin Cooks, DT Ndamukong Suh, and CBs Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters to an already impressive unit while signing Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald to long-term deals. The question with the Rams would be… Jared Goff. He improved a lot in his second year in the league, and many attribute that to upgrading the coach from Jeff “QB Killer” Fisher with Sean McVay. McVay was using every-last second he could in the ear of Goff’s wireless headset in his helmet to give him he know-how to make changes at the line to succeed. At some point, if Goff is a liability that isn’t learning, he could cost this team in a big game. However, the Rams are way, way too loaded right now and are built to win. Unless the volatile personalities they added this offseason start dissent in the locker room, there’s nothing stopping them from winning this division.

Arizona Cardinals (9-7) : Don’t sleep on Arizona. I know, I know, they lost Carson Palmer. But did they really? Carson Palmer missed half this team’s games last year, and they still finished 8-8 with Blaine Gabbert and Drew Stanton starting. Behind an offensive line that was DECIMATED by injuries. Oh, and they didn’t have David Johnson, save for one half in their first game. And so… they’ve changed coaches, and philosophies. Gone are Bruce Arians’ “bomb and bash” ways that get QBs killed. It’s time to pound the rock behind an O-Line built with running first on their mind (Sadly, they’re starting a rookie at Center, and that’s gonna be a trial by fire for young Mason Cole). That’s great, considering their new QB is Sam Bradford, whose body is made of peanut brittle. At least they drafted Josh Rosen to back him up, but Rosen missed two preseason games with a thumb injury. Anyway, Arizona’s offense is hurting at receiver this year more than most, with Larry Fitzgerald likely facing double-teams and hoping either Chad Williams develops into a quality #2 threat, or rookie Christian Kirk delivers far ahead of schedule. On defense… yes, Arizona lost Tyrann Matthieu, but he was a shadow of the player he was three years ago. This unit was a Top 10 defense each of the past 4 seasons… however, HC Steve Wilks is switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3… so all bets are off. It looks more like the Cardinals’ defensive philosophy will resemble past incarnations of the Carolina defense, where Wilks was, living or dying by its ability to force turnovers. There’s a lot of uncertainty… but Arizona could be the surprise team in 2018.

San Francisco 49ers (6-10) : Okay, I get it. They traded for Jimmy G. Great. He won five straight games after getting plugged in. Great. Are you guys aware that those wins were against some of the worst teams in the league? The 49ers still don’t have anyone for him to throw to in this offense (his top target is Pierre Garcon, who would be a #2 receiver at best on 31 other teams), the line still hasn’t improved a lot, and they had already downgraded at RB from Carlos Hyde to Jerrick McKinnon… who just tore his ACL in practice on Saturday. Great, your starting RB is now either Matt Breida or Alfred Morris. Good luck with that. The 49ers defense is only bolstered that they didn’t lose Reuben Foster to suspension because he was oily enough to pay the woman accusing him of assault to drop the charges. San Francisco did add Richard Sherman to the secondary… but that’s more of a “screw you” to the Seahawks than anything else. He’s the best player they’re gonna have back there, but that means he’s not getting targeted, and will remain mostly unheard of. This team isn’t going to the playoffs, and with their lack of skill players on offense, will be lucky to get to .500 this year.

Seattle Seahawks (6-10) : When the 12s are referring to the defense as “The Legion of WHOM”, you know you’re f***ed. Earl Thomas is the last member of that secondary remaining, and he’s malcontented and wants to get shipped out of town. On opening day, Bobby Wagner will be the only healthy name you’re gonna recognize from this team, as even K.J. Wright and Frank Clark are dinged up. And THAT was the team’s strength the past few years. On offense… they never fixed the offensive line that was the highest paid when they were winning the division and Marshawn Lynch was bowling over people, and speaking of RBs, the rookie, Rashaad Penny, that they spent a high draft pick on is out for the first few games with a hand injury. So it’s more of Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise for two yards a carry out there. And that’s when Russell Wilson isn’t running for his life, trying to scramble and desperately pull a long pass out of his arse to Doug Baldwin or Tyler Lockett. Factor in that players in Seattle are outright saying they’re ignoring Pete Carroll at this point, and that crazy, conspiracy theory dips*** actually brought in a goddamn Incel to give the team a motivational speech this offseason? I can’t think of a better coach to end up on the hot-seat, and the Seahawks’ front office had better have the guts to can him if things go south, because Carroll has also stated he has no desire to ever retire. Even though his players are publicly trashing him and saying no one is listening to him… What we’re getting at is that Seattle has all the makings of imploding at any point. This could be that year.

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

Not much longer till the nfl regular season starts.

Falcons Eagles likely a exciting close decent or great game.

[Raiders]

I’m glad to see a lot of people are underestimating Oakland.
I think they’ll finished 10-6

[Ghost Rider TheHellfireDemon]

Nothing has been made official, but now it's looking like Nick Foles will start the Eagles' season opener at home on Thursday.

Also Peterman that had a NFL Worst 1st half vs the Chargers last season that looked like the 1985 Bears and the 2007 Patriots for the offense will be the Bills starter. After the embarrassment of the mismanagement with Trent Edwards along with the whole pathetic loline can't say I'm amazed that they are using Peterman and not the rookie QB Allen.