JFLANland NFL Preview: AFC

We've already looked at the NFC, so now it is time to preview the AFC.


AFC EAST

1.  New England Patriots
2.  Buffalo Bills
3.  Miami Dolphins
4.  New York Jets

The Patriots are the class of the division, as they have been every year of this Millenium.  However, the Buffalo Bills are quietly catching up with them.  Meanwhile, the Dolphins have a rookie QB and no receivers, and the Jets have two QBs and an angry receiver.  We'll leave them at the bottom.  (Actual sentence said by one of my best friends, who is a Jets fan: I wish the Jets would be contracted so that I didn't have to root for them anymore."  I think a lot of people in NY feel that way.)

Star to Watch:  Mario Williams.  Can he earn the big contract with the Bills?  Can he stay healthy?

Rookie to Watch:  Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Patriots.  He will help their pass rush a ton.  And no, I am not picking him just because he went to my alma mater, Syracuse.  He is that good.


AFC NORTH

1.  Baltimore Ravens
2.  Pittsburgh Steelers
3.  Cincinnati Benglas
4.  Cleveland Browns

Poor Cleveland.  They just don't stand a chance.  I like the Ravens in this division because they still have the best offensive player in Ray Rice, and the best defensive leader in Ray Lewis.  Couple that with the Steelers' transition to a new offensive scheme and O-Line issues in a division packed with good defenses, and Baltimore gets the nod.  Cincinnati could surprise us all and win the division, but I am not ready to pick them yet.  Need to see a 2nd year of success with Andy Dalton and AJ Green at the helm.

Star to Watch:  Ed Reed and Ray Lewis.  Is this their last season?  How long will Reed's beard get?  How many amazing speeches will Lewis give?

Rookie to Watch:  Mohamed Sanu, WR, Bengals.  The former Rutgers star can catch anything, and should see a lot of single coverage with AJ Green occupying the double teams.


AFC SOUTH

1.  Houston Texans
2.  Tennessee Titans
3.  Indianapolis Colts
4.  Jacksonville Jaguars

This seems to be a cake walk for the Texans.  The rest of the division is in rebuilding mode or complete wreck mode (thanks Jags).  If they stay healthy, the Texans will clinch the division by Week 12.  Jake Locker is taking over the team in Nashville, but he has an extremely difficult out of division schedule for a first year starter, featuring the AFC EAST and the NFC North.  They could start out 0-4 after facing the Patriots, Chargers, Lions and Texans.  Andrew Luck will do just fine, and will make sure the Colts win at least 3 games.  The Jaguars will probably be the worst team in football, so let the Matt Barkley countdown begin!

Star to Watch:  Dwight Freeney.  The Colts new 3-4 scheme moves the All-Pro defensive end to outside linebacker.  Will he be asked to cover and not just rush the QB?  Will it hurt his game?

Rookie to Watch:  Justin Blackmon, WR, Jaguars.  I have never liked taking Big XII wideouts because they don't become superstars (Michael Crabtree isn't that good, Dez Bryant has character/injury issues, for example).  Blackmon already has two DUI arrests, and now has no real QB to throw to him.


AFC WEST

1.  Denver Broncos
2.  San Diego Chargers
3.  Kansas City Chiefs
4.  Oakland Raiders

This division race is based entirely on the performance of Peyton Manning.  I think he will be great.  Maybe not 5 time MVP great, but certainly Top 5 or 10 QB great, which is enough to win this division.  He has good receivers, a solid running game, and a talented defense to back him up.  San Diego needs to show it can shrug off the early season struggles they have had under Norv Turner.  KC and Oakland enter with a ton of questions at almost every position.

Star to Watch:  Peyton Manning.  The biggest star in the NFL is back, but is he the same?

Rookie to Watch:  Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, Chargers.  I actually have a beer bet going with Baltimore blogger I Hate JJ Redick on who will have a better season, Ingram (from his alma mater of South Carolina) or Chandler Jones (from my alma mater, Syracuse).  They both should do well, but will Ingram be able to get to Peyton Manning before he gets rid of the ball?


My AFC Playoff Picks (ranked 1-6, 1 being the best record, 5 and 6 being the Wild Cards):

1.  Houston Texans
2.  New England Patriots
3.  Denver Broncos
4.  Baltimore Ravens
5.  Pittsburgh Steelers
6.  Buffalo Bills

Just missed: Chargers, Bengals, Titans

My Super Bowl picks are in my next post.

JFLANland NFL Preview: NFC

Hello and welcome to the JFLANland NFL Preview for the 2012-2013 season.  Football starts tomorrow with the Cowboys taking on the defending Super Bowl champion New York Football Giants.  This weekend is like Christmas for those of us who love football, and I figured it would be wise of me to make my predictions for the year.  We start in the NFC.


NFC EAST

1.  New York Giants
2.  Dallas Cowboys
3.  Philadelphia Eagles
4.  Washington Redskins

I think that the Giants will be able to ride their win through this season and take the NFC East crown.  Every team in the division has problems, so a team that knows how to win and can not only throw the ball but also get to the other teams' QBs like the Giants do can do well.  I think the Cowboys will be in the running for a Wild Card spot, and the Eagles will be hurt when Vick gets hurt.  However, I think Nick Foles will perform very well as a substitute, which means the Eagles will have a decision to make about Vick's contract in the offseason.  The Redskins are rebuilding.  I'll give them anywhere from 6-8 wins, but more likely 6.  RG3 will do fine, but it may not be enough to let Mike Shanahan get another season as the Skins' head coach.

Star to Watch: Tony Romo.  Does he have to win a division title to justify still being the starting QB in Dallas?

Rookie to Watch: Alfred Morris, RB, Redskins.  Mike Shanahan can make almost anyone into a 1,000-yard back.  It could be Morris' turn.


NFC NORTH

1.  Green Bay Packers
2.  Chicago Bears
3.  Detroit Lions
4.  Minnesota Vikings

I think this is the 2nd easiest call for who will be the best and worst teams in a division in the NFC.  We know the Packers are amazing, led by the amazing Aaron Rodgers and their powerful offense.  We know the Vikings just don't have the talent to compete in one of the hardest divisions in football.  The question is how well the Bears and Lions will do.  I love that Jay Cutler finally has real receivers in Chicago in the form of Brandon Marshall and rookie Alshon Jeffery.  However, their defense is another year older, and we don't know Brian Urlacher's health situation.  The Lions, meanwhile, won the offseason award for most run-ins with the law.  Will they be able to concentrate on football now that the season has started? 

Star to Watch: Adrian Peterson.  How does he bounce back from his knee injury?

Rookie to Watch: Alshon Jeffery, WR, Bears.  He is big, strong, and quick for is massive frame.  Think a faster Antonio Gates.  He could be huge for Jay Cutler.


NFC SOUTH

1.  Atlanta Falcons
2.  New Orleans Saints
3.  Carolina Panthers
4.  Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I don't think any of these teams will be terrible.  This is a very difficult division to pick.  I am going with the Falcons because the Saints suspensions have to hurt them at some point, even though they still have Drew Brees and that offense.  Atlanta has weapons that are almost as good (better at WR with Roddy White and Julio Jones), and it is time for Matt Ryan to take the next step.  Cam Newton and Josh Freeman will look to have their teams back in contention for many games, but defensive issues and O-line questions may haunt both teams.

Star to Watch: The 3-headed RB in Carolina.  DeAngelo Williams, Johnathan Stewart and now Mike Tolbert.  Will they be able to create 1 solid rushing attack for the Panthers?

Rookie to Watch: Doug Martin, RB, Buccaneers.  He has taken the starting job from LaGarrette Blount, and is a better all around back.  He is one of my big projected fantasy players as well.


NFC WEST

1.  San Francisco 49ers
2.  Seattle Seahawks
3.  Arizona Cardinals
4.  St. Louis Rams

This is the easiest 1st and 4th place pick in the NFC.  The 49ers owned the division last year, and only added offensive talent to their roster that is stacked with Patrick Willis and that defense.  The Rams are in the first year under a new coach, and while I love Jeff Fisher, I don't think he will turn them around in one year.  Seattle and Arizona need to sort out their QB issues if they want to compete with 49ers.

Star to Watch: Randy Moss.  What does one of the all-time greats have left in the tank for the 49ers?

Rookie to Watch:  Russell Wilson, QB, Seahawks.  Pete Carrol is giving the kid a chance to begin the season.  How long can he hold on, knowing that the high priced Matt Flynn is ready to go behind him?


My NFC Playoff Picks (ranked 1-6, 1 being the best record, 5 and 6 being the Wild Cards):

1.  Green Bay Packers
2.  San Francisco 49ers
3.  New York Giants
4.  Atlanta Falcons
5.  Chicago Bears
6.  New Orleans Saints

Just missed:  Lions, Cowboys, Panthers.

The JFLANland Fantasy Football Post!

Its the most wonderful time of the year.  Football is back!  In a little over a week, the season will kick off, and that means that your fantasy roster has to be set by then.  Here is a look at the players I love for fantasy, and those that I am not so hot on.  (Note: I am not revealing all of my secrets, since I haven't drafted my team yet...)

Thumbs Up

- The top tier QBs.  Rodgers, Brady, and Brees are all going to be amazing as they are every year.  I also think that both Mannings, Cam Newton and Matt Stafford (if healthy) will be just fine.

- Ray Rice is always a good choice, especially in PPR leagues.  Same goes for Foster and McCoy.  Everyone knows this.  Megatron is the man for WRs, but that's no surprise either.  Roddy White and Larry Fitzgerald are with him every year.

- Some mid-level guys that can have huge years?  First, the receivers.  Pierre Garcon, first of all.  He already has great chemistry with RG3.  Julio Jones may be the #2 wideout on Atlanta, but he has #1 ability, especially with Roddy White taking the best cornerbacks each game.  Hakeem Nicks may not have the game-breaking speed of Victor Cruz, but he can catch anything and will be Eli's best friend if he can stay healthy.  Eric Decker could be the fantasy steal of the season, especially if everything Peyton Manning says about him is true.  Another one is Brandon LaFell, who has all but locked up a starting receiver spot in Carolina.

- The running backs are important in every league, PPR or not.  Darren Sproles, Doug Martin, Steve Ridley, David Wilson, Donald Brown, Willis McGahee and Cedric Benson are good picks for a 2nd RB.

- Never underestimate chemistry.  Coby Fleener could end up being Andrew Luck's best friend in the NFL, just like he was at Stanford.  He is the biggest tight end sleeper in the league.

- 5 rookie QBs will be starting the season this year.  Everyone knows RG3 and Andrew Luck's pedigree and talent, but Russel Wilson could surprise some people in Seattle.  He is a proven winner with athletic ability to make plays with his feet and arm.  I wouldn't start him, but he is a good choice at backup.


Thumbs Down

- Anyone who has held out this season, especially Maurice Jones-Drew and Mike Wallace, simply because they may not play or be ready for the year.

- Mike Vick.  He gets hurt too often and too easily.  I expect Nick Foles to start at least 3 games for the Eagles this season.

- Ryan Matthews.  He is already hurt, as he has been every year in his career.

- Any Jets offensive player.  Have you seen their offense?  And Tebow won't help it at all.

- Any Lions running back.  They are all hurt, it seems.  I have no idea who the starter is supposed to be.  Kevin Smith, Mike LeShoure, you, me- I have no clue.

- Ryan Tannehill may have the talent to be a good QB down the road for the Dolphins.  He is even in the same system as he was at Texas A&M.  But aside from Reggie Bush, he has no weapons around him.  The same can be said of Brandon Weeden.  Try not to get in a position where you need one of these two to start a game for you.

- Big XII Receivers have always underwhelmed me, Wes Welker being the exception.  I'd stay clear of Dez Bryant, Michael Crabtree and Justin Blackmon.  They were great in college, but their attitude and immaturity just doesn't translate to NFL Stardom in today's environment.


Enjoy your draft.

Ten New Rules for Baseball Fans

I go to a ton of baseball games.  The more I go, the more I realize that there are things that just annoy me about some fans.  Sure, there are the things that spread across every ballpark, like people walking in the aisles during gameplay which should be outlawed.  But I have come up with a list of things that are fairly specific to particular fanbases, or at least deal with particular fans.  So, without further adieu, here is my list of Ten New Rules for Baseball Fans:

1.  If you are not a Cubs fan seeing a game at Wrigley Field, you do not get to "throw the ball back".  I have never caught a foul ball, much less a home run.  This is a Chicago thing that some other fans have tried to adopt as their own.  Even TV commercials now have an ad where a Dodgers fan throws a ball back.  Not so fast my friend!  The Cubs own this one, and they should be the only ones allowed to do it, as long as it happens at their own park.  If they are on the road?  Suck it up, your pitcher just gave up a dinger.  Give the ball to a kid.

2.  Braves fans are no longer aloud to do "The Chop".  I am sure you are aware of what this is, a fun (and fairly offensive/ politically incorrect) cheer where you pretend you are a Native American, do a war chant and move your arm like it is a tomahawk.  Not only is it annoying, but it isn't even your gimmick!  It belongs to Florida State and no one else.  The only reason the Braves started doing The Chop was because they signed FSU alum Deion Sanders to play with them, and he brought the cheer with him.  Sorry Atlanta, but you are no longer allowed to use it.

3.  Baltimore Orioles fans are only allowed to scream "O!" during the National Anthem at Camden Yards.  I am not a big fan of screaming anything during the anthem.  I don't like when Caps fans scream "Red" in the Verizon Center.  I think it is disrespectful to our country and our song.  But, since you feel like you have to do that instead of singing along in honor of our great land, keep it to yourselves at home games.  This is an especially bad problem for me, a Nationals fan and season ticket holder, because most of us grew up a fan of the Orioles.  Still, at every game, some drunk fool screams "O" even though they are 40 miles south of the Inner Harbor.

4.  No more cheering injuries.  You can faciciously call for an injury while an outfielder is making an eay play, but to revel in someone else getting hurt is not a good thing.  I know I am guilty of this, and I am trying to change.  I also know that Phillies fans love cheering the demise of anyone else, but I won't limit it to them.  We are better than this, sports fans.

5.  No one should do The Wave.  Ever.  Especially not if your team is losing, but that falls under "EVER".

6.  There should no longer be cheering about how a third team sucks in a game between two other teams.  For example, If you are at Fenway Park, seeing the Red Soxs play the Tigers, the chant of "Yankees Suck" should not be resonating off the Green Monster.  Concentrate on the game at hand.  Especially if you are a Soxs fan this year, because you are probably losing.

7.  A guest submission from my friend Robbie- "Mets fans shouldn't be allowed to get their hopes up."  I'm sorry, but it is funny.  By the way, here is a nice rant by Mike Francesa about those Mets.

8.  One closer to home for me- Nationals fans have to stop putting up with Teddy losing the Presidents' Race.  It has gone on way too long, it isn't funny anymore, and it is COMPLETELY HISTORICALLY INNACURATE!  I don't know if there is a perennial loser in the Periogi or Sausage races, but they have no basis in history.  They are racing food.

9.  No more streaking or running on the field.  Again, we are better than that... At least I think we should be better than that.

10.  Finally, a two-parter: First, remove your cap and sing the National Anthem.  It shows pride in our country.  Second, if at some point during the game, your team honors the military or troops that have come home, or those who have been wounded, or something like that, stand up and applaud.  These men and women have given their time, their devotion, and in many cases their lives so that we can sit in a ballpark and watch grown men play a boy's sport.  The very least we can do is show them our appreciation and support.

Silly Steroids

Today, Bartolo Colon was suspended 50 games for Performance Enhancing Drugs, commonly known as PEDs.  This is just another announcement in baseball's war against steroids.  Last week, Melky Cabrera was suspended 50 games for testing positive for high levels of testosterone, which is of course a side effect of PEDs, just like Colon.  Last offseason, Ryan Braun failed a PED test, but was able to get out of his suspension due to a technicality.  Bonds, McGwire, Sosa, Canseco, Palmiero, Clemens, ARod, Pettite, Big Papi- All roided up, all on PEDs.

While I know that not every person suspended for PEDs is a superstar (Marlon Byrd and Guillermo Mota, for example), it seems like a good deal of them are.  Sure, Colon is way past his prime, but won a Cy Young back in the day.  Melky was a solid player who had a huge comeback year last year without failing a test, so why did he have to illegal enhancements to push his performance higher?  That big list of past players and superstars, all on some kind of substance that did more to hurt their legacy than help their performance.  What is the point?

I give you Ryan Braun.  Braun won the NL MVP last season, then the news came out that he failed a drug test.  They said he should get stripped of the award.  He was facing a 50 games suspension.  His name was being besmirched.  He appealed, and managed to get his suspension overturned because the sample collection agents failed to follow protocol, apparently.  Clearly, he is playing clean this year because he can't risk a 2nd offense, knowing he couldn't pull the wool over MLB's eyes again.  And what is he doing this year?  He is having an amazing season.  Entering today's game, he was batting .305 with 33 home runs and 85 RBI.  He made the All Star Team, and should be in discussion for the NL MVP again.  All of this without the PEDs.  He has the talent to be great without drugs.

It seems nonsensical that people would do it when they are healthy and talented.  Barry Bonds was already a Hall of Fame player by the time he signed with the Giants.  Same with ARod.  Same with Clemens.  These guys obviously have the talent to be great without PEDs, yet something about their ego or their delusional self-image made them turn to steroids.  Bonds couldn't handle that McGwire and Sosa were getting all the attention in their big Home Run Derby Summer.  ARod claimed that it was the culture of baseball that made him do it, instead of relying on his own ability.  The more I think about it all, the less sense it makes. 

Sure, not everyone can be a Hall of Fame player like they may want to be.  But if you are really good and have a solid 20 year career in baseball, why do you want to jeopardize your legacy just for a few extra dingers each year, or faster return from injury?  It isn't like steroids only have a positive effect.  They are terrible for the heart and longterm abuse can have horrible consequences.  I simply don't understand why anyone would still use steroids if they have the talent to stay in the majors without them.  Colon hasn't been amazing the past few years, but has still found a team to take a chance on him, and still collects big paychecks.  He didn't need PEDs to help him.  He just needed to go out and pitch.

RIP Laptop

A quick reason for my lack of updates this week- My laptop, which I have had since my freshman year at Syracuse in 2004, has pretty much decided to kick the bucket this past weekend.  I turned it off to give it a rest, and it decided it didn't want to load Windows anymore.  So, until I get my new one (thinking Mac), my blog updates might not come as frequently.  However, I will still be tweeting all the time, so follow me @JFLANland.  Hope you are enjoying the Olympics, baseball entering the home stretch, and preseason NFL action.

- JFLAN

Ladies' Fortnight

It has been Ladies' Week at the Summer Olympics.  The women of Team USA are completely owning the games.  Swimming, gymnastics, cycling, volleyball, basketball, synchronized diving, shooting; It has been amazing.  Truly stunning.

First, the swimmers have been on another planet.  Missy Franklin is the new breakout star and America's sweetheart.  Dana Vollmer set a world record.  Allison Schmitt has owned the freestyle and guided the US to a relay win.  Gold is the color of choice for these young women, and they are wearing a lot of it.  There are even more events on the way, and new stars can be made in the span of minutes.  Who will be the next swimmer to step up?

The darlings of the Olympics so far could very well be the Fab Five- The US Women's Gymastics team.  To say women's is almost unfair, because these young ladies aren't adults yet.  However, they were able to dominate the Team competition and win gold for the first time since Kerri Strugg, Shannon Miller, Dominique Dawes and the Magnificent 7 in 1996.  Then Gaby Douglas aka The Flying Squirrel went out and won the All-Around. All this and they still have the individual events left.

Kristin Armstrong came out of retirement to defend her Gold in the Women's Individual Time Trial cycling, and won in front of her husband and son.  Kim Rhode set a world record for shooting, and became the first US competitor to medal in 5 straight Olympics.  The syncho-dive team of Kelci Bryant and Abigail Johnston won silver in the 3m springboard, which is just as good as gold in a sport dominated by the Chinese.

And it doesn't stop there.  The women's 8 won gold in rowing.  Kayla Harrison became the first American to win Gold in Judo.  Misty May-Treanor and Kerry Walsh Jennings lost their first set of their Olympic careers, but nevertheless are still undefeated heading into the elimination round.  The US soccer team (which qualified for the Games, unlike their male counterparts) remains undefeated, as does the women's basketball squad.  All of this even before track and field begins!

Meanwhile, the stars on the men's side have, at times, been underwhelming.  Phelps has his record 19th medal (and counting) right now, but he was out-touched in the 200 fly and didn't medal in the 400 IM.  Lochte has hardly been the Phelps 2.0 that he was hyped to be.  The most successful male swimmers are the lesser known guys who are winning upset Golds, like Nathan Adrian and Matt Grevers.  The male gymnasts?  Aside from All Around bronze medalist Danell Leyva, choking dogs!  Basketball is still cruising, as they should, but soccer didn't make the Olympics.

The male US athletes should feel lucky that this is an athletic battle between countries and not a battle of the sexes.

If it was, the women would be close to knocking the men out.