At last (!), the 2012 NFL season (or pre-season) has begun as players report to training camp and fans emerge from hibernation. This is an open thread on all things NFL, as we work our way to Super Bowl XLVII in the Big Easy. It's going to be quite a season: - The Super Bowl champion NY Giants, who caught fire at the end of the season behind the steady hand of QB Eli Manning, look to defend their title in an increasingly competitive NFC East. - Peyton Manning has moved to Denver and Andrew Luck is stepping into the future Hall of Famer's shoes in Indy. Can Peyton's neck hold up? Will Luck lift the woeful Colts? - In Washington, the long wait for a franchise quarterback has ended as the RGIII Era begins. Can he get the Skins' awful offense rolling as he runs for his life behind a porous O-Line? - Last season's greatest underachievers, the Philadelphia Eagles, look to turn things around and start playing up to their Super Bowl potential. Can Mike Vick stay in one piece? - In Green Bay, the Pack looks to get over their shocking loss to the Giants in the playoffs and return to the top of the NFL mountain. - After a spectacular rookie campaign, Cam Newton leads a resurgent Carolina Panthers as All-Pro O-lineman Ryan Kalil boldly predicts a Super Bowl win. - Out West, the SF 49ers and their awesome defense are set to improve upon last year's success. - Carson Palmer returns for his second season in Oakland as the mutants in the Black Hole pray that Darren McFadden stays healthy this year. - Back in the Big Apple, questions continue to swirl around Mark Sanchez as the Tebowmania circus comes to town. - Questions surround a bunch of teams: How will the erratic Dallas Cowboys do this year? Have the Dolphins found their franchise QB? Will the Bengals continue to improve? How will the loss of Terrell Suggs effect the Ravens' title propsects? Can the Bills regain the magic as DE Mario Williams joins the team? Is this the year the Texans finally get it all together? ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
Here in Redskins Country, I think we can officially declare that Skins fans have completely lost it after the signing of QB phenom Robert Griffin III who has yet to take a snap in the NFL. Exhibit A: LOL - Talk about sky-high expectations! How 'bout we shoot for something a little more realistic, like climbing out of the NFC East cellar?
Training camp schedules: http://www.fftoolbox.com/football/2012/nfl-training-camps.cfm 10 hot NFL training camp storylines From zebras to Eagles to Lions, here's what's worth keeping an eye on July 26, 2012 http://espn.go.com/nfl/trainingcamp...0726/nfl-ten-hot-nfl-training-camp-storylines
I'm curious to see what Peyton Manning will do with the Broncos. The Rams...well let's just say, winning 5 games is considered a great expectation.
I would be surprised if Manning gets thru the season. At that point, Elway is gonna get some heat for trading Tebow b/c who is their backup now that Tebow and Quinn are gone? I never understood the Tebow trade. Elway just didnt like him I guess. Bad move b/c under the tutelage of Manning Tebow could have really upped his game. RG3 I agree. Just shoot for this year, getting off the bottom, if playoff contention comes about, then run with that. Just don't expect it this year, but be prepared for it if it comes. Cowboys will choke. Raiders will choke. Indy, meh. Hangover year from Manning trade. .500 season. Pats & Pack will run the league again. Ravens. They are getting older, need new flesh on defense. Eagles. Vick will get hurt and they will underperform again. Falcons? Pay close attention, sleeper. One of those few teams who will be in it all year but under the radar. Saints. Playoff team. That is about it. 49ers. We will see if that was just a fluke year or not.
The Rams' Stephen Jackson might be my favorite running back - I love watching that dude run over people. I realize the Rams have no where else to go but up, but I think the future looks pretty bright. You've got a proven head coach in Jeff Fisher, a promising young franchise QB and you're going to cash in on all the #1 picks the Redskins traded to you to draft RGIII. Give 'em a couple more years...
I pretty much agree with everything you've said here, Hat. I'm still amazed Manning is even playing. The Denver O-Line is really on the spot this year - if Manning goes down the Broncos are totally screwed. I was just looking at their roster and they've got Caleb Hanie, Brock Osweiler and Adam Weber backing him up. Some of these teams with up and coming young QBs - the Bengals, Panthers, Redskins, Seahawks and perhaps the Titans and Jags - are really intriguing. Then you've got the established young guns in Detroit, Atlanta, Chicago, Buffalo and KC. There's a lot of quality young QB talent in the league right now...
I forgot about the Panthers. I think they need to focus on defense at this point. I think Newton will put up numbers but if your scoring 35 and losing......it's time to shore up the leaky defense. Jaguars...meh. I don't like them to do much. Too many holes on both sides of the ball. Jones-Drew is it but if I were him I would be looking to get out of there. He would fit in at Denver right about now. A versatile back with a legit QB and a shotty running game???? Shoot, that is what Manning needs. Moreno is hurt too much and Mcgahee isn't it.
Cam Newton was much worse over the last 8 games than he was over the first 8. I am not saying they figured him out, because he is too talented to figure out completely, but defenses just found ways to make him look like the rookie he was. I think expectations are much too high for him this year. I think in 2 more years he will be a pro bowl level QB, but he isn't there yet in my opinion. And then more importantly, My Bears!! Now with Brandon Marshall giving Cutler the first real weapon he has had since being at the Bears, I think they have a chance to be very very good. The NFC North will be great this year, so they will have to prove their worth in the division, but if they come through this I think there offense will finally be good enough to reward the perennially excellent defense!!
Who's under the most pressure this season? Here are some candidates(in no particular order): Michael Vick - Two 100 mil contracts, one playoff win, can't stay healthy & now "dynasty" yapping? Don't tell me...show me. Andy Reid - The window be closin'? On you as well as the team? Rob Ryan - Not much in the way of excuses this year. Norv Turner - Dude, you got pictures on someone? Mark Sanchez - Image in mirror may be closer than you think! Tim Tebow - Love ya guy, but if/when you get a shot as Jet QB, you will find out that NY ain't Denver...you best be improved from last year. Joe Flacco - I think last years playoff performance should have bought you some slack, but the Ravens window may be on its way down. Managing on your part probably won't be good enough to get this team to the SB. May need to be a star this year. Alex Smith - Doubters abound. The rest of the team looks ready for the SB - Are you? The Broncos offensive line - We all know why. Every other QB in the league who's name isn't Manning, Brady, Rodgers, Brees, Roethlisberger and maybe rookies Luck & RG3. Chris Johnson - You need to earn that money this year. Adrian Petersen - Are your best days behind you? Many think they are. Am I missing anybody?
The Bears are one of my B-Teams, and I'm looking forward to the Cutler-Marshall reunion in Chicago. It's about time they brought in a top-flight receiver. What has always mystified me is why Devin Hester hasn't developed as a WR. Is it that he's not physical enough, or what? I don't get it...
I'm going with the two Eagles on your list, arjay. Not that I'm complaining, but Philly was far and away the greatest disappointment of last season. Andy Reid is out of excuses and Vick should have shaken off the rust and fit in with Reid's scheme by now (although I think the West Coast offense doesn't truly fit his skill and talent sets - he'd be better off in a Norv Turner-type offense, IMO). The Eagles' defense has to improve, too. I can't believe they let their coordinator keep his job after last year's debacles. After that, I gotta think Norv Turner and Joe Flacco have the most pressure on them this season. Chris Johnson needs to return to form, too...
He got hurt a lot in college, too. I bet Viking fans are worried he's going to completely fall apart. Did you hear what Jared Allen said about Peterson? "He is a manimal...This guy's got 2% body fat, shredded. I'm leaving my shirt on at the pool."
Forgot somebody - Rex Ryan. When you win, go to two consecutive conference finals & do a lot of talking, you are deemed "colorful". When you fail to make the playoffs & do a lot of talking, the perception changes & you become a big mouth who's just annoying. I'd say he's teetering at the moment.
I agree - he is teetering, and New York is the last place you want to teeter (look at the nonsense Tom Coughlin has had to put up with). I just don't see the mediocre Jets offense delivering on all of Ryan's Super Bowl bluster...
It'll be interesting to see how Carson Palmer is going to do this year. With Peyton Manning rolling into Denver, the AFC West got a lot tougher...
I think it's hard to say Norv Turner is on the hot seat. Think about it. How many years has he screwed up with the Chargers? If he hasn't been cut already, I'd say his job is pretty safe.
You got a point there. I'm not a fan of dumping coaches too quickly, I believe leadership stability is a good thing to have, but this guy has been a head coaching failure as long as he's been one. Some coaches should just be coordinators & Norv Turner is one of those guys, IMO.
BREAKING: The Bengals have signed head coach Marvin Lewis to an extension through 2014. Good move - the Bengals have got a promising young team. They're going to give the Steelers and Ravens all they can handle this year. Ya gotta like how Andy Dalton played in his rookie season - so far he's proved his critics wrong...
Congrats to Marvin Lewis. It goes back to what I was saying in the previous post. The Bengals have stood by ML & he's done a good job for them. The great organizations tend to have stability & the team on the field benefits. Although there are times when a coach has been there too long & it's time to make that change. It could be a pivotal year for Andy Reid.
There's no question that stability and continuity are beneficial for a team. Compare the Steelers to the Redskins (ugh). You're also right that some teams hang on to their coaches too long - the Jags immediately come to mind. Anyway, it's fun to see a young, up and coming team like the Bengals taking off. I'm gettin' kinda sick of watching the same old teams slugging it out in the playoffs...
I always knew Hester was never going to be a great receiver!! What makes him the greatest return man ever, is that he has world class explosive speed, mixed with extraordinary vision in the return game. He sees lanes before they are there. However, he isn't particularly elusive in the usual sense of the word. Meaning he will not juke people, and make them miss. He just explodes through lanes and runs past people in the return game. On top of that, he doesn't have great hands, doesn't have natural receiving skills, and doesn't run good routes. I have confidence in the Bears receivers now. I always thought Earl Bennet was a fabulous slot receiver, and now with Marshall drawing coverage, I expect him to have a great season. If Ashlon Jeffery can be anything like what he was as a sophomore in college, as opposed to a junior, I think the Bears will be set at receiver. If only they weren't so stupid as to think Jamarcus Webb would do an acceptable job protecting Jay Cutler's blind side. I cannot watch another season of Cutler getting destroyed whenever we play a team with any pass rush!! The game agains the giants in 2010, when Cutler was sacked 9 times and pressured pretty much every time he dropped back, still gives me nightmares!! It is an especially great problem, seeing as how the Bears passed on some very good offensive line prospects to take a 3-4 outside linebacker, even though they play a 4-3!! I was quite upset when that happened.
Curious to see what game plan Rex & Co. have for the Sanchez/Tebow deal. When they will be playing Tebow, how etc... preseason should be interesting although I doubt they will show us everything.
Really? Don't we already know? I know for sure. Sanchez will start and play most of the game, and Tebow will come in to run the wildcat whenever and most of the time in goal-line situations. That is what Tebow is best at really. He is quite fantastic as a goal-line running back. That is where his value is, and it seems a 4th round pick for that skill-set is about right.
