Brett Favre is without a doubt my all-time favorite quarterback. The way he approached each and every game was awe-inspiring. You never knew what you were gonna get when you saw Brett Favre play. He has been a staple on my fantasy football teams for the last 3 years, which totals the amount of time I’ve actually been playing fantasy football. But Brett Favre is retired. He retired after giving a very emotional speech which left him teary eyed. He retired after what seemed to be his best season in a long time, taking his Packers all the way to the NFC Championship game and losing in a heartbreaking overtime finish to the New York Giants, the eventual Superbowl Champions. He retired after breaking basically every Quarterback record of meaning, finishing the 2007 season with 442 touchdown passes, 61,655 passing yards, and 160 career wins and he also started 253 consecutive regular season games, the most by any quarterback in the history of the league. Yes indeed, Brett Favre is one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, but after a 17 year career, his time is over.
Manny "Shock" Saez's NFL Football fan blog archive for 07/2008
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July 2008
July 04, 2008
July 06, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
Manny Pacquiao, the current #1 pound for pound fighter in the world, had changed the entire landscape of the lightweight division with his recent move up and total domination of David Diaz. Pacquiao is now the WBC Lightweight Champion. It is a belt that means very little, but his presence alone has made things very interesting in a division that is already loaded with talent. It may in facer be the second deepest division in boxing, second only to the great Welterweight Division. Clearing this division will not be an easy task for boxing’s best fighter in the world.
During his Lightweight campaign, Pacquiao will have to deal with current 3 belt champion Nate Campbell. Campbell is a veteran who has returned to relevance after becoming champion. There is also the threat of the man Campbell beat to win the belts, “The Baby Bull” Juan Diaz. Jaun Diaz is a two-fisted come forward body puncher that could prove to be too naturally big for Pacquiao. Joan Guzman, who challenged Nate Campbell for his belts in September, also posses a great threat to Pacquiao’s dominance. Michael Katsidis, the Australian Brawler, could give Pacquiao tons of problems. Yes indeed, Pacquiao has entered a division loaded with talent and they will not all be as easy as David Diaz was.
During his Lightweight campaign, Pacquiao will have to deal with current 3 belt champion Nate Campbell. Campbell is a veteran who has returned to relevance after becoming champion. There is also the threat of the man Campbell beat to win the belts, “The Baby Bull” Juan Diaz. Jaun Diaz is a two-fisted come forward body puncher that could prove to be too naturally big for Pacquiao. Joan Guzman, who challenged Nate Campbell for his belts in September, also posses a great threat to Pacquiao’s dominance. Michael Katsidis, the Australian Brawler, could give Pacquiao tons of problems. Yes indeed, Pacquiao has entered a division loaded with talent and they will not all be as easy as David Diaz was.
Continue reading "Manny Pacquiao & The Lightweight Division"
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July 10, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
18-1. It’s a great record. To have won 18 games and to have only lost once in today’s NFL is quite an accomplishment. Its just a shame that the 1 happened at the only game that matters, the Superbowl. The New England Patriots are coming back looking for vengeance, looking for meaning, looking to get back to that place where they could have mattered. Spygate is behind them now, but is the sting from the Superbowl loss behind them too? The Patriots will come into this season ready to answer all the questions they need to answer.
So what’s changed? Well, superstar Cornerback Asante Samuel is no longer a member of the New England Patriots. The Pats have had changes to their defense at multiple positions. With their number one draft pick the Patriots selected Jerod Mayo, showing that they are looking to get past their old linebackers and bring in some fresh blood. Everyone is a year older, a little bit slower, a little bit weaker, but also a little bit wiser. The Patriots defense has always been good, but this year they will need to step their games up to a new level because even though the Giants won the Superbowl, everyone in the league will be gunning for the Patriots.
So what’s changed? Well, superstar Cornerback Asante Samuel is no longer a member of the New England Patriots. The Pats have had changes to their defense at multiple positions. With their number one draft pick the Patriots selected Jerod Mayo, showing that they are looking to get past their old linebackers and bring in some fresh blood. Everyone is a year older, a little bit slower, a little bit weaker, but also a little bit wiser. The Patriots defense has always been good, but this year they will need to step their games up to a new level because even though the Giants won the Superbowl, everyone in the league will be gunning for the Patriots.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #1: The New England Patriots"
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July 11, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
1-15. The worst team in the league last season. The Miami Dolphins are looking to get back to relevance and what a chore that is for them competing in the same division with Tom Brady and the Patriots and also having Ladainian Tomlinson and the Chargers on their schedule. The Dolphins are going to have to dig deep and put in the work that is needed to make any sort of impact this season. However, perhaps the point of this season is not to make an impact. Perhaps the point of this season is just to get some wins to their record and rebuild a franchise that was once great.
The Dolphins were forced to make changes for this season after such a horrible year last season. First and foremost, the front office has been completely re-tooled. The Dolphins have brought in the “Big Tuna” Bill Parcells, one of the greatest coaches of all-time. However, he’s not there as a coach. He’s there as the vice president of football operations for the franchise. Parcells quickly made a splash by firing coach Cam Cameron and hiring a new head coach in Tony Sparano. He’s made several roster changes. Gone is former pro-bowl wide receiver Marty Booker, in is veteran Ernest Wilford. Parcells even jumped out of the starting gate of this year’s NFL Draft by signing T Jake Long out of Michigan as the number one overall pick days before the draft even started. Parcells knows what he wants and knows what he needs to turn this franchise around.
The Dolphins were forced to make changes for this season after such a horrible year last season. First and foremost, the front office has been completely re-tooled. The Dolphins have brought in the “Big Tuna” Bill Parcells, one of the greatest coaches of all-time. However, he’s not there as a coach. He’s there as the vice president of football operations for the franchise. Parcells quickly made a splash by firing coach Cam Cameron and hiring a new head coach in Tony Sparano. He’s made several roster changes. Gone is former pro-bowl wide receiver Marty Booker, in is veteran Ernest Wilford. Parcells even jumped out of the starting gate of this year’s NFL Draft by signing T Jake Long out of Michigan as the number one overall pick days before the draft even started. Parcells knows what he wants and knows what he needs to turn this franchise around.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #2: The Miami Dolphins"
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July 12, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
J-E-T-S! JETS! JETS! JETS! Yes the New York Jets are coming into another year of football with hopes of winning it all!... or at least of making it back to the playoffs in a division where they are forced to play Tom Brady and the Patriots twice in the regular season and by all intents and purposes would most likely have to beat them in the playoffs to get to the big game. But lets be real for a minute, the Jets aren’t making it to the Superbowl and if they by some miracle make the playoffs it will be by the skin of their teeth. The AFC is too hard of a conference and there are so few spots in the post-season.
So what should we expect from the Jets this season? Their defense is undersized. It’s a small defense that is going to have trouble rushing the passer. They can’t get around the bigger offensive linemen in the league and that is going to hurt the Jets in the long run. If they can’t get sacks, they can’t win games. Defense wins championships. Perhaps rookie Linebacker Vernon Gholston can make an impact for the defense, but the thought of Gholston leading the Jets to the playoffs is just wishful thinking... at least for now.
So what should we expect from the Jets this season? Their defense is undersized. It’s a small defense that is going to have trouble rushing the passer. They can’t get around the bigger offensive linemen in the league and that is going to hurt the Jets in the long run. If they can’t get sacks, they can’t win games. Defense wins championships. Perhaps rookie Linebacker Vernon Gholston can make an impact for the defense, but the thought of Gholston leading the Jets to the playoffs is just wishful thinking... at least for now.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #3: The New York Jets"
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July 13, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Buffalo Bills. The only New York team that actually plays in New York, but they want to play in Toronto and to be honest, I want them to go there too. The franchise has had very little success in its entire history. Yes its true they do have 4 conference championships, but in its entire history, the Bills have never been able to win the big one. It’s never happened and by the looks of the team that took that field last year, it doesn’t look like its going to happen this year either. They will play some of their games in Toronto and I do believe eventually the Bills will move their franchise there. It’s a good place for the franchise to start fresh in a new home. I think they could use it.
Ok, ok. I know that my intro was a little on the negative side. But there are some good things to say about the Buffalo Bills team. They improved their defense via the draft. It’s going to be fun to see what Leodis McKelvin out of Troy can do at Cornerback. And what Chris Ellis out of Virginia Tech can add to the line at Defensive End. They also signed former Giants pass rusher Kawika Mitchell. Their defense should be much improved this year, but you never know with the Bills. One week they are picking off Tony Romo 6 times, the next week they are getting slammed by Tom Brady. It’s a coin toss on which Bills defense is going to show up. They need to be motivated for one. If they are not motivated, they don’t stand a chance.
Ok, ok. I know that my intro was a little on the negative side. But there are some good things to say about the Buffalo Bills team. They improved their defense via the draft. It’s going to be fun to see what Leodis McKelvin out of Troy can do at Cornerback. And what Chris Ellis out of Virginia Tech can add to the line at Defensive End. They also signed former Giants pass rusher Kawika Mitchell. Their defense should be much improved this year, but you never know with the Bills. One week they are picking off Tony Romo 6 times, the next week they are getting slammed by Tom Brady. It’s a coin toss on which Bills defense is going to show up. They need to be motivated for one. If they are not motivated, they don’t stand a chance.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #4: The Buffalo Bills"
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July 14, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Super Bowl Champs. They are returning to the gridiron this year with thoughts of repeating. They want to defend their title and prove to the world that beating the 18-0 New England Patriots was no fluke. The New York Giants shocked the world when they pulled off that miraculous upset. It seemed as though in one game, Eli Manning grew up, jumped out of the shadow of older brother Peyton, and suddenly became a great Quarterback. You have got to be kidding me. Yeah they were good last year at the right time, but the New York Giants in no way earn my respect. They are a team that got lucky. End of story.
The Giants defense, the best thing they have is going to be without their inspirational leader and their leading pass rusher. Michael Strahan has finally hung up the cleats and is in retirement. I don’t think we will see Strahan pull a Brett Favre either. Also in the off-season, they lost another pass rusher in Kawika Mitchell. The Giants will have to suffice with the breakout star Osi Umenyiora and 2005 Draft pick, Justin Tuck. Their pass rushing will not be the beast that it was last year. If Aaron Ross and Sam Madison can stay healthy, I believe that they can cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks. They are two talented cornerbacks that can hang in there with the best in the league. The defense will be good this year, but I don’t think we will see the same stoutness as we did last year.
The Giants defense, the best thing they have is going to be without their inspirational leader and their leading pass rusher. Michael Strahan has finally hung up the cleats and is in retirement. I don’t think we will see Strahan pull a Brett Favre either. Also in the off-season, they lost another pass rusher in Kawika Mitchell. The Giants will have to suffice with the breakout star Osi Umenyiora and 2005 Draft pick, Justin Tuck. Their pass rushing will not be the beast that it was last year. If Aaron Ross and Sam Madison can stay healthy, I believe that they can cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks. They are two talented cornerbacks that can hang in there with the best in the league. The defense will be good this year, but I don’t think we will see the same stoutness as we did last year.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #5: The New York Giants"
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July 15, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Washington Redskins are quite the team. No matter how bad they do people always want to watch them. They get very good national television ratings despite what their record may be. They struggle to make things happen, but when they do the crowd erupts as if they just won the Superbowl. I must admit I too enjoy watching the Redskins. Its odd that a team with as many playmakers as they have can’t win more games. They did make the playoffs last year, but lost to the Seahawks in the first round. They will be looking to make it back to the playoffs this year, but there are things they need to work on.
First of all, these players have got to stay healthy. Santana Moss missed a lot of games last year and that did not help the Skins at all. I believe they were the team with the least amount of touchdowns by Wide Recievers. The only pass catcher that was able to make an impact for them last year was Tight End Chris Cooley. This year, once again we will see Santana Moss on one side and Antwaan Randle El on the other side. Chris Cooley will line up at tight end and try to make things happen. The Redskins, who had no first round draft picks this year drafted 2 wide recievers in the second round. Devin Thomas out of Michigan State and Malcolm Kelly out of Oklahoma. Perhaps these two additions can help the Skins produce more points by Wide Recievers. They really need to make plays in the air. Chris Cooley can not be the only threat in the passing game.
First of all, these players have got to stay healthy. Santana Moss missed a lot of games last year and that did not help the Skins at all. I believe they were the team with the least amount of touchdowns by Wide Recievers. The only pass catcher that was able to make an impact for them last year was Tight End Chris Cooley. This year, once again we will see Santana Moss on one side and Antwaan Randle El on the other side. Chris Cooley will line up at tight end and try to make things happen. The Redskins, who had no first round draft picks this year drafted 2 wide recievers in the second round. Devin Thomas out of Michigan State and Malcolm Kelly out of Oklahoma. Perhaps these two additions can help the Skins produce more points by Wide Recievers. They really need to make plays in the air. Chris Cooley can not be the only threat in the passing game.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days. Team #6: The Washington Redskins"
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July 16, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Eagles ended the 2007 season with a 8-8 record and did not make the playoffs. Considering they play in the toughest division in the NFC probably has something to do with that. However, there is so much more that bothers me about the Eagles. Their offense plays well one week and then struggles the next. Donovan McNabb plays like an elite quarterback one game and then the next game people start talking about him being traded or that year being the his last in Philly. What bothers me the most about the Philadelphia Eagles is the lack of loyalty from its fans. They have been booing Donovan McNabb since he was drafted. They are the toughest fans to please. They call it passion. But to be honest, I think even the best teams would struggle to please these fans. With fans like them who needs enemies?
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #7: The Philadelphia Eagles"
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July 17, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
America’s Team. They have had their rough years, they have had their great years, but through it all they always remain on the hearts and minds of America. The Dallas Cowboys. Since their reign of dominance in the early 1990's, the Cowboys have not looked like a sure fire Superbowl contender until last year. Lat year, they dominated the NFC en route to winning their division and leading their conference. But then as if written out of a storybook, the Dallas Cowboys choked in their first playoff game to the eventual Superbowl Champion New York Giants. And once again Tony Romo ended the season with a sour taste in his mouth. Few can forget, Tony Romo’s botched field goal hold in the 2006 season during the playoffs. He fumbled the snap and because of that, the Dallas Cowboys lost that game. In the 2007 season, the Cowboys looked dominate and it seemed that they were going to be in the Superbowl, but they couldn’t even make it past their first game. The Cowboys come into the 2008 season with everything to prove. They are looking for relevance. Looking to get to the Superbowl. Looking to silence all the critics who say they choke. And with a team like their’s, who’s to say they can’t do just that?
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #8: The Dallas Cowboys"
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July 18, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
They are a great team. One of the best teams every year in the NFL. They have one of the top 3 Quarterbacks in the league every year. And 2 seasons ago, they won the Superbowl. They are the Indianapolis Colts lead by the poster boy of the NFL, Peyton Manning. Last season ended in misery for the Colts as they lost in a shocker to the San Diego Chargers. A Chargers team that did not have star running back Ladainian Tomlinson and starting quarterback Phillip Rivers playing at the time. The Colts are looking to not let that happen this year. Peyton Manning and his team are determined to once again win the championship and add another piece of jewelry to their fingers. However, they will not have it as easy as it has been over the last few years. The Colts will now have to battle to earn their spot in the playoffs. The AFC South as emerged as the toughest division in the AFC. With the breakout team in Jacksonville, the team that is missing only a few playmakers in Tennessee, and the up and coming team in Houston, the AFC South has become a division that can go any way. I love it.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #9: The Indianapolis Colts"
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July 19, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Jacksonville Jaguars emerged last year as a tough team to beat. They with help from the Tennessee Titans have made the AFC South Division the toughest division in the AFC. No longer will the Colts steam role their division on their way to the playoffs. The Colts will now have to fight to win their division and they will have to get through the Jacksonville Jaguars to do just that. The Jaguars made the playoffs last year with the combination of a hard hitting defense, a superb ground game, and a quarterback that although does not throw the ball a lot, does not make mistakes when he does. That is a formula for a team that can make a lot of noise for the upcoming season.
First lets talk about the defense. They hit hard. When you play against the Jaguars you know that you have been in the toughest game of your life. They may not be able to stop you, but they can and will hit you and you will feel the effects of that. With Reggie Hayward at defensive end, Rasheen Mathis and Drayton Florence at cornerback, and Mike Peterson at linebacker it is a defense that has the stars to be successful. They once again come into this year looking to shut down every team they play, especially Peyton Manning and the Colts. What I am most looking forward to though is to see how well Derrick Harvey out of Florida will do when he gets to chance to play at defensive end. He was the Jaguars’ first round draft pick and I personally think he will fit in very nicely with this defense. Time will tell, but I think the Jaguars have improved their already impressive defense tremendously with this draft pick. We must also be on the look out for what Quentin Groves can bring to this team as well.
First lets talk about the defense. They hit hard. When you play against the Jaguars you know that you have been in the toughest game of your life. They may not be able to stop you, but they can and will hit you and you will feel the effects of that. With Reggie Hayward at defensive end, Rasheen Mathis and Drayton Florence at cornerback, and Mike Peterson at linebacker it is a defense that has the stars to be successful. They once again come into this year looking to shut down every team they play, especially Peyton Manning and the Colts. What I am most looking forward to though is to see how well Derrick Harvey out of Florida will do when he gets to chance to play at defensive end. He was the Jaguars’ first round draft pick and I personally think he will fit in very nicely with this defense. Time will tell, but I think the Jaguars have improved their already impressive defense tremendously with this draft pick. We must also be on the look out for what Quentin Groves can bring to this team as well.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #10: The Jacksonville Jaguars"
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July 20, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
#10 can’t do it by himself. Vince Young is a very talented football player that wins football games. The only problem that this winner of a National Championship has is that he can’t win the football games that he needs to win by himself. There aren’t a lot of playmakers in the Titan offense to help Vince Young get it done and until the Titans address this problem, they will only be good enough to lose in the playoffs. This is the NFL. As fun as it is to watch Vince Young run all over the field, its not enough to get the job done. I am disapointed that the Titans organization did not draft a wide receiver in the first round, a round in which no wide receivers where drafted. Even when wide outs started to go in the second round, the Titans still did not bite. They missed out on a lot of playmakers. They should be ashamed.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #11: The Tennessee Titans"
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July 21, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Houston Texans were a much improved team last season, even without star wide receiver Andre Johnson playing in most of those games. They played well enough to garner their first .500 season. An accomplishment for a struggling franchise. They have helped to make the AFC South the toughest division in the AFC and although they will most likely lose all of their division games this season, they will at least put up a valiant fight. I think we are going to see an even better team then last year with the possibility of a 10-6 season. That will not be easy, but as long as they don’t do worse then .500 they will have had a good season. Lets take a look at some of the weapons the Texans will bring with them into this season.
Their defense is lead by defensive end Mario Williams. Many people were shocked when the Texans picked Williams over Reggie Bush in the 2006 draft, but those skeptics have been quickly silenced as Williams has had two miraculous years and Reggie Bush... well, we’ll get to him in a different blog. Other then Williams, their defense is lacking in star power, but what they lack in that area they make up for in grit and determination. They can and will get sacks and if you’re not careful they will sneak up on you and beat you. It’s a solid defense that with a couple more star players could be one of the more feared defenses in the league.
Their defense is lead by defensive end Mario Williams. Many people were shocked when the Texans picked Williams over Reggie Bush in the 2006 draft, but those skeptics have been quickly silenced as Williams has had two miraculous years and Reggie Bush... well, we’ll get to him in a different blog. Other then Williams, their defense is lacking in star power, but what they lack in that area they make up for in grit and determination. They can and will get sacks and if you’re not careful they will sneak up on you and beat you. It’s a solid defense that with a couple more star players could be one of the more feared defenses in the league.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #12: The Houston Texans"
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July 22, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
“With the 3rd pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Atlanta Falcons select Matt Ryan, Quarterback, Boston College.” The stain of Michael Vick has finally been dissolved. With the drafting of Matt Ryan, the Atlanta Falcons are finally ready to move on. They have drafted a worthy franchise Quarterback and the re-building has finally begun to take place. Does this mean the Falcons will be successful in the 2008 season? Of course not, but this is a giant step in the right direction. No more Michael Vick. Welcome to Atlanta, Matt Ryan.
The Falcons defense isn’t great. It isn’t good. Lets face it, its going to take a couple years before this team will be completely rebuilt. There are some pretty good players on the defense, but it takes 11 men to make a defense great. They are short by about 9. Lawyer Milloy is a very talented strong safety, but he’s getting up there in age. He can’t play football forever. The Falcons will need to start looking other places for their production. I’m very interested in seeing the development of Curtis Loften out of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a great football program, so hopefully his time there will have prepared him for the NFL game. Maybe Loften can be the next playmaker for this team.
The Falcons defense isn’t great. It isn’t good. Lets face it, its going to take a couple years before this team will be completely rebuilt. There are some pretty good players on the defense, but it takes 11 men to make a defense great. They are short by about 9. Lawyer Milloy is a very talented strong safety, but he’s getting up there in age. He can’t play football forever. The Falcons will need to start looking other places for their production. I’m very interested in seeing the development of Curtis Loften out of Oklahoma. Oklahoma has a great football program, so hopefully his time there will have prepared him for the NFL game. Maybe Loften can be the next playmaker for this team.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #13: The Atlanta Falcons"
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July 24, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Saints were the surprise story of the 2006 NFL season. They exploded onto the scene with new superstar Reggie Bush in their offense. They managed to make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game before falling to the Chicago Bears. 2006, was a great year for every New Orleans’ fan. However, 2007 was not so great. The Saints lost their first 4 games. In what seemed to be a meltdown, The Saints did everything they could to get back into the season. They finally were able to win a game. Not only that, they strung 4 wins together. They then lost 2. This pattern would continue until the Saints would finish the season with a 7-9 record and they would end up missing the playoffs as well. It wasn’t the year they were expecting and this year they must do everything they can to get back to being a contender.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #14: The New Orleans Saints"
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July 25, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
a 7-9 record was not good enough to get the Panthers into the playoffs last year. Most of that can be blamed on their quarterback problems last season. Jake Delhomme was having a fantastic year until the injury bug hit him hard and ended his season. This forced the Panthers to play the under-achieving David Carr, a man I feel should not even be playing in the NFL, let alone starting for any franchise. Things got so bad in Carolina, that they even went out and got the older-then-God Vinny Testaverde. Testaverde played ok, but it wasn’t what this team needed to have success. Lets face it, the season was over when Delhomme went down. The offensive line played terribly last season. Delhomme may not have been able to avoid the injury, but Carr was getting killed back there when he played. The Panthers needed to fix that offensive line coming into this year. They did pick up a couple of good draft picks. Jeff Otah from Pittsburgh will be a great addition to the line. I don’t think its going to be enough, but lets hope for the Panther’s sake that the offensive line can come through.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #15: The Carolina Panthers"
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Manny "Shock" Saez
I don’t consider a 9-7 team playoff worthy, but in the crazy industry that is the NFL, a division winner automatically makes the playoffs. Despite their lackluster win-loss record last year, the Tampa Bay Buccs did win their horrible division and made the playoffs. They rested their players in the last week of the season and were then defeated in the first round by the New York Giants, the eventual Super Bowl Champions. To me, they aren’t a great team at all. They play in a bad division and really any one team from the NFC South can win that division. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Atlanta Falcons win the NFC South this year. Ok, lets be real. The Buccs made the playoffs last year, so it wasn’t all bad. There were aspects of their team that were really good and some that were not so good.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #16: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers"
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July 27, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Oakland Raiders opted to not improve their horrendous defense in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Instead they went with another offensive playmaker in Arkansas running back Darren McFadden. Was McFadden so desirable that a team with a defense as bad as Oaklands really couldn’t pass him up? I guess so. Still their defense needs work and without a strong defense their hopes of making it to the playoffs will be shot down. For Oakland is too easy to run on and they are even easier to pass on. They play in a division that is praised for their respective running games and if Oakland can’t stop them, they don’t stand a chance. They finished last season with a 4-12 record. Last season, was a horrible display of both offense and defense, but I think that they’re offense was better then they were given credit for. Their running game was fantastic. 3 running backs from Oakland had 100 yard games last season and I don’t see that changing much this year. Their offense will be much improved and maybe that can make some noise, but it takes a whole lot more to make the playoffs.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #17: The Oakland Raiders"
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July 28, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Denver Broncos ended last season with a 7-9 record and missed the playoffs. Despite that, there were many aspects of the team they fielded last year that were encouraging. They have always had a great running game ,but the passing game picked up under young quarterback Jay Cutler. The talent is there on their defense, however they struggled against the run and that was very detrimental to their effectiveness on the defensive side of the ball. Not being able to stop the run took the Broncos off balance and made them weaker against the pass. This year they look to stop the bleeding and be far more competitive in the AFC West.
The defensive line struggled last year to stop the run. It seemed like every week, running backs were giving Denver a taste of their own medicine. It was sad. This year, The Broncos are looking to fix the problems up front on their defense. They went out and got linebacker Boss Bailey, the brother of their star shut down cornerback Champ Bailey. With the brothers united and combined with the other star cornerback Dre’ Bly and superstar free safety John Lynch, the Bronco defense is going to be far more fierce then it has been in the past. With these stars in place, I believe the Denver Broncos will be a much better defensive team.
The defensive line struggled last year to stop the run. It seemed like every week, running backs were giving Denver a taste of their own medicine. It was sad. This year, The Broncos are looking to fix the problems up front on their defense. They went out and got linebacker Boss Bailey, the brother of their star shut down cornerback Champ Bailey. With the brothers united and combined with the other star cornerback Dre’ Bly and superstar free safety John Lynch, the Bronco defense is going to be far more fierce then it has been in the past. With these stars in place, I believe the Denver Broncos will be a much better defensive team.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #18: The Denver Broncos"
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July 29, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
A 4-12 record showed us how bad the Kansas City Chiefs can be. They have issues all over their team. Its unfortunate for Coach Herm Edwards. He is a terrific coach, but he’s got a team that just doesn’t get the job done. The Chiefs may have improved aspects of their team in the draft, but they are still a long way from being a team that matters. My biggest concern with the Chiefs is their terrible offensive line. The line could not produce the holes for stud running back Larry Johnson, while he was playing, and they also couldn’t protect their quarterback, whoever it was. The Chiefs addressed this problem by drafting Guard Brandon Albert out of Virginia and Tackle Barry Richardson out of Clemson, but I still think the line is far from improved.
The defense was improved via the draft and the improvements are terrific. The Chiefs drafted Glenn Dorsey out of LSU in the first round. Dorsey shouldn’t have even been available by the time it got to the Chiefs, but he was and they bit. Dorsey is an incredible defensive tackle that can stop both the run and rush the passer. He is a stand out and will bring a lot of credibility to the defense. They also drafted Brandon Flowers out of Virginia Tech to the cornerback position. I am normally very critical of rookie cornerbacks, but I think Flowers has all the talent to be great at the cornerback position. Just don’t expect it to be this year. It wasn’t a great defense last year, but it was probably the best aspect of their team. It will be better this year, but I still think the Chiefs are a year or two away from being a viable contender.
The defense was improved via the draft and the improvements are terrific. The Chiefs drafted Glenn Dorsey out of LSU in the first round. Dorsey shouldn’t have even been available by the time it got to the Chiefs, but he was and they bit. Dorsey is an incredible defensive tackle that can stop both the run and rush the passer. He is a stand out and will bring a lot of credibility to the defense. They also drafted Brandon Flowers out of Virginia Tech to the cornerback position. I am normally very critical of rookie cornerbacks, but I think Flowers has all the talent to be great at the cornerback position. Just don’t expect it to be this year. It wasn’t a great defense last year, but it was probably the best aspect of their team. It will be better this year, but I still think the Chiefs are a year or two away from being a viable contender.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #19: The Kansas Cirty Chiefs"
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July 30, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The San Diego Chargers are without a shadow of a doubt my favorite football team. However, in the spirit of writing, I will write this as unbiased as I possibly can. The Chargers ended last year’s regular season with an 11-5 record and a trip to the playoffs. They were able to dispose of the Titans and then pulled off a major upset against the Indianapolis Colts, beating them and making it to the AFC Championship Game. The Chargers defeated Indy with both their starting quarterback Phillip Rivers and their star running back Ladainian Tomlinson on the bench. This amazing role would end in a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. The Chargers were again without Ladainian Tomlinson and also had to deal with an injured Phillip Rivers. Maybe that game would have ended differently with both of the Charger’s stars healthy. Despite that, the fact is that they lost and there is no getting around that.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #20: The San Diego Chargers"
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July 31, 2008
Manny "Shock" Saez
The Seattle Seahawks ended last season with a 10-6 record and a loss in the second round of the playoffs to the Green Bay Packers. There were good aspects of the team and of course there were bad aspects of the team. Losing fullback Mack Strong to injury and eventually retirement hurt this team a lot. He paved a lot of holes for running backs in Seattle. Star running back Shaun Alexander seemed to lose his game last season, he just never seemed to do something great. We’ll get back to the running game a little bit later on, but lets us first see what we can expect this year.
The Seattle defense is good, not great. There are stars on the defense and thats always an important thing. Having playmakers can only be good for a playoff contending team. Patrick Kerney, Marcus Trufant, Lofa Tatupu, & Julian Peterson all make big time plays for this team. Seattle also looked to improve upon their defense by drafting Lawrence Jackson out of USC & Red Bryant out of Texas A&M. I wouldn’t say that they are stand outs, but if developed probably, they could be a force to be reckoned with.
The Seattle defense is good, not great. There are stars on the defense and thats always an important thing. Having playmakers can only be good for a playoff contending team. Patrick Kerney, Marcus Trufant, Lofa Tatupu, & Julian Peterson all make big time plays for this team. Seattle also looked to improve upon their defense by drafting Lawrence Jackson out of USC & Red Bryant out of Texas A&M. I wouldn’t say that they are stand outs, but if developed probably, they could be a force to be reckoned with.
Continue reading "32 Teams in 32 Days, Team #21: The Seattle Seahawks"
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