NFL 2013 Preseason: When it almost counts

[awesome possum]

I dislike streaming from websites.

Why? If it had to do with quality of the broadcast, I can understand but I feel no pain streaming Bears games that aren't on television (well except the pain of the stream freezing right in the middle of big plays, which seems to consistently happen).

Anyone else a bit skeptical about the Pats this year?

It's not that I don't have faith in Brady and Hoody, and they've overcome as much in the past, but Hernandez, Tebow, Gronk's injuries, and WW's departure is a lot.

The me of 6 years ago would love nothing more than to see them fail miserably but I don't know. It all depends on what Brady does without his security blanket and if that defense steps up. As we've seen in the past, Brady being just average with a good defense is more than enough to get them to the playoffs and since those days Brady has been anything but average, so the defense doesn't even need to be that good. Unless the Dolphins suddenly come alive, I see them taking that division easily and maybe even taking it to the Wildcard team in the playoffs before getting smacked down by the Broncos or Bengals.

the WRs like Sanzenbacher

You think Sanzenbacher has a chance to make the squad? If he hadn't had a couple crucial drops, making Cutler lose faith in him - or been a better ST contributor - I think he'd still be a decent part of the Bears offense.

[DanteGabriel]

Anyone else a bit skeptical about the Pats this year?

It's not that I don't have faith in Brady and Hoody, and they've overcome as much in the past, but Hernandez, Tebow, Gronk's injuries, and WW's departure is a lot.

I am trying to put a silver lining on the fact that the receivers who caught 80% of Brady's passes last year are either gone (it's not like Brandon Lloyd is deeply lamented) or stuck in an injury vortex. But I really would like to see the Pats return to being a team that was led by the defense. I think an extra year of development for Jones and Hightower (plus Tommy Kelly seems to be doing well as an interior pocket-collapser) will lead to improvements for the defense, but it seems like a lot rests on Dennard's legal status and how much Adrian Wilson has left in the tank (early indications say: running on fumes). I'm hoping an increased emphasis on the running game will take some of the offensive pressure off Brady. I'm hoping Amendola can stay healthy, because I think he's a little faster than Welker. I'm hoping Dobson and Boyce can develop and become reliable sooner rather than later, and am encouraged somewhat by the competence of Thompkins and Sudfeld -- though I recognize it'd be too much to ask to have found TWO undrafted free agents who become productive, starting-level talents in the offense.

So I'm a little nervous about how much I have to rely on hope this year. But I am still pretty sure they can win the division, and who knows what kind of shit can happen in the playoffs. It'd be funny if the Pats became one of those teams who got hot at the end of the year.

[Mexal]

You think Sanzenbacher has a chance to make the squad? If he hadn't had a couple crucial drops, making Cutler lose faith in him - or been a better ST contributor - I think he'd still be a decent part of the Bears offense.

I think he has a legitimate shot, mostly due to special teams. He has already returned a punt for a TD and returned a kickoff last week for 50 yards. He is one of the players who's roster spot will be determined by the 4th preseason game on Thursday. Bengals fans really like him and hope he makes it but I'm not sure he will. We'll carry 6 WRs this year and right now, you have Green, Jones, Sanu, Tate, Hawkins (he'll be put on IR-recall but can't until the 53 is set) and 3 guys (Sanzenbacher, 6th round pick Hamilton and Whalen) fighting for one or two spots depending on what they do after Hawkins hits IR.

[Nictarion]

I like Hard Knocks. I think it's a great show and I love watching it as a Bengals fan. However, I sometimes hate the tendency to focus on guys that I know for a fact are going to get cut.

I completely agree. My favorite part of the show is consistently about the guys we know are going to be on the team. I've especially liked the parts with Margnus Hunt, he's pretty funny, and is also going to make the best d line in NFL even better.

[Mexal]

I completely agree. My favorite part of the show is consistently about the guys we know are going to be on the team. I've especially liked the parts with Margnus Hunt, he's pretty funny, and is also going to make the best d in the line in NFL even better.

Margus Hunt is the man. I loved loved loved this exchange.

Herron: "So, what do you eat in Estonia?"

Hunt: "Plutonium"

Herron: "so what's that like?"

Hunt: "Straight up human growth hormone"

Or something like that. Dude says everything completely deadpan and seems to enjoy taking the piss out of the players who clearly haven't spent much time outside of the US.

On a side note, I hate having to put in all this html shit just to make a coherent post with paragraphs. I don't know what the fuck is going on with the board but it's pissing me off.

[Maithanet]

You have the AFC going 128-128 while the NFC goes 146-110, might could be an issue.

Well the NFC has an 18 game crossover with the CFL this year, and I think they could go 16-2 in those games.

Yeah, I'll try and keep the win/losses right. It's tough because with a few exceptions it is always easier to see a team adding a couple of wins rather than losing a few more games. For everyone but Jets and Raiders fans, the offseason is a time of hope.

AFC East (-6, weakest division in football)

Patriots 10-6

Dolphins 7-9

Bills 5-11

Jets 3-13

AFC North (+1, toughest division in AFC)

Bengals 11-5

Ravens 9-7

Steelers 7-9

Browns 6-10

AFC West (-3)

Broncos 12-4

Chiefs 8-8

Raiders 5-11

Chargers 4-12

AFC South (-1)

Texans 12-4

Titans 9-7

Colts 8-8

Jags 2-14

NFC East (+1)

Giants 10-6

Redskins 10-6

Cowboys 8-8

Eagles 5-11

NFC North (+3)

Packers 12-4

Bears 11-5

Lions 6-10

Vikings 6-10

NFC West (+2)

Niners 11-5

Cardinals 9-7

Seahawks 8-8

Rams 6-10

NFC South (+3)

Saints 11-5

Panthers 10-6

Falcons 8-8

Bucs 6-10

Wild Cards Titans, Ravens, Bears and Panthers

Overall, I think that the NFC is the far superior conference, with all four NFC divisions posting a winning record. The Patriots are weaker this year, but their record is still fine by virtue of their favorable division. I'm not picking the Redskins to make the playoffs; that just seems like asking for trouble. Picking in the AFC looks actually pretty boring. I feel like you can virtually pencil in the Bengals, Patriots, Broncos and Texans now. It's possible that one of them slips up, but I will be VERY surprised if it weren't at least 3 of those 4 in the playoffs. It feels lame to have 5 of the 6 AFC teams make the playoffs again from last year, but I really don't see a lot of challengers there. In the NFC, the superior competition makes predictions a lot crazier, which is why I have 4 of my 6 picks be new playoff teams (although the Giants and Saints are hardly "new" to the playoffs, in spite of missing out in 2012).

[DanteGabriel]

On a side note, I hate having to put in all this html shit just to make a coherent post with paragraphs. I don't know what the fuck is going on with the board but it's pissing me off.

Eh? Are you on a funky browser or something? To make paragraphs, I just have to hit Enter and start a new line.

[Mexal]

Eh? Are you on a funky browser or something? To make paragraphs, I just have to hit Enter and start a new line.

I'm using firefox. It's not allowing me to multiquote or quick reply at the moment and every time I do hit quote, it shows all the background html making my enters useless.

[Jaxom 1974]

I'm not strolling through this whole thread right now.

AP, are you on the bandwagon for ten plus wins from the Bears? I'm really impressed with Trestman, but I still don't see more than eight wins.

[DanteGabriel]

I'm using firefox. It's not allowing me to multiquote or quick reply at the moment and every time I do hit quote, it shows all the background html making my enters useless.

Weird man. To be honest, I gave up on Firefox a while ago. Too many crashes.

To keep this NFL-related:

Maith, I get what you're saying about how unsatisfying it is to slot in AFC winners. I'd say, to liven things up, the Chiefs have a decent chance to unseat the Broncos.

[Mexal]

Weird man. To be honest, I gave up on Firefox a while ago. Too many crashes.

To keep this NFL-related:

Maith, I get what you're saying about how unsatisfying it is to slot in AFC winners. I'd say, to liven things up, the Chiefs have a decent chance to unseat the Broncos.

It really is pretty bad. Oh well. I'll download something else like Chrome later.As for the AFC, I agree with everyone. The QBs are aging and outside of maybe Luck, there isn't a new and exciting QB upcoming. I'll just have to hope that Bridgewater goes to an AFC team because if he ends up in the NFC, might as well count out the AFC from any real relevance for the next 5 years. That being said, I still think that a team from the AFC can win the SB as the Ravens did last year if the right circumstances break but the NFC is infinitely tougher from a conference stand point and will be for the foreseeable future.

[awesome possum]

AP, are you on the bandwagon for ten plus wins from the Bears? I'm really impressed with Trestman, but I still don't see more than eight wins.

I think they can pull it off. The defense is going to be almost just as good as last year and the offense is already much improved. I really think Alshon Jeffrey is going to be a star after this season if he stays healthy and Matt Forte will be competing for the most all-purpose yards among RBs - if he stays healthy.

Matt Long is just the type of mean bruiser the line has needed and hopefully his attitude is infectious; one of the highlights of the Raiders game was a Raiders DE pushing around one of our backup TEs when Long came out of nowhere and got right in his face, that's the type of ferocity the line has been missing since Olin Kreutz left. He's also graded out as the best Guard in the entire league throughout the preseason with something ridiculous like a +8 according to PFF though that could be because he's played the majority of his snaps against 2nd and 3rd stringers.

When I look at the schedule here's what I see:

1) Bengals - L

2) Vikings - W

3) @Steelers - W

4) @Lions - W

5) Saints - W/L (depends on that defense)

6) Giants - W (I've been waiting 4 years for this payback game, fear for Eli)

7) @Washington - W/L (depends on if RGIII is back up to speed and if that defense stays healthy)

8) @Packers -L

9) Lions - W

10) Ravens - W

11) @Rams - W

12) @Vikings - L

13) Cowboys - W/L (who knows what Cowboys team is going to show up, but I'm leaning towards W)

14) @Browns - W

15) @Eagles -W

16) Packers - L

I'm up in the air on the Saints, Redskins, and Cowboys games, so I can see the team going 8-8 or up to 11-5. It really just depends on how well the offense meshes. If they play like they did against the Raiders (though they're not really going to see a defense as bad as the Raiders D against this year) then the sky is the limit.

As a fanboy I really freaking hope they pull it all off because the defense will be drastically different next year with all the contracts expiring.

[Mexal]

Anyone read Rolling Stone's article on Aaron Hernandez? Lots of information in here if interested.

http://www.rollingstone.com/feature/the-gangster-in-the-huddle

[White Walker Texas Ranger]

Anyone read Rolling Stone's article on Aaron Hernandez? Lots of information in here if interested.

http://www.rollingst...r-in-the-huddle

It was an interesting article, but this laughable paragraph demonstrates my issue with most of Rolling Stones' "serious" pieces

Time was, the Pats were the Tiffany franchise, a team of such sterling moral repute that they cut a player right after they drafted him, having learned he had a history of assaulting women. But Beli-chick, the winner of three Super Bowl titles and grand wizard of the greatest show on turf, had decided long before he got to New England that such niceties were beneath him. Over a decade, he’d been aggregating power unto himself, becoming the Chief Decider on personnel matters. He signed so many players bearing red flags they could have marched in Moscow’s May Day parade (Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, et al.), and began drafting kids with hectic pasts, assuming the team’s vets would police them. Some of this was arrogance, some of it need: When you’re picking from the bottom of the deck each spring, you’re apt to shave some corners to land talent.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Grand Wizard of the greatest show on Earth? He's mike martz?

[Jaime L]

What's nuts to me when I think about it is that there are 16 AFC teams but since the new millenium basically only 4 of them hogging all the Superbowl appearances (with the one exception being that Raiders Superbowl appearance which years later I'm not wholly convinced I didn't just imagine it). Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Ravens, that's it. They just take turns deciding who gets to go the Superbowl in a given year. That said, this might finally be the year to break that cartel considering the two best AFC teams look to be outside that quartet.

Compare that to the NFC where only 5 teams haven't made the Superbowl in that span (Cowboys, Redskins, Vikings, Lions, Falcons). Just interesting how different the conferences have been and look to continue to be even as the power dynamics shift. NFC's anyone's game where the AFC still looks to, again, have the extreme dichotomy of haves/have nots.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

The drought of not winning a SB for the AFC West could finally end with Denver, who is also the last AFC West team to win it. I'm pretty sure that division has the longest drought, followed by the NFC West.

[White Walker Texas Ranger]

What's nuts to me when I think about it is that there are 16 AFC teams but since the new millenium basically only 4 of them hogging all the Superbowl appearances (with the one exception being that Raiders Superbowl appearance which years later I'm not wholly convinced I didn't just imagine it). Patriots, Colts, Steelers, Ravens, that's it. They just take turns deciding who gets to go the Superbowl in a given year. That said, this might finally be the year to break that cartel considering the two best AFC teams look to be outside that quartet.

Compare that to the NFC where only 5 teams haven't made the Superbowl in that span (Cowboys, Redskins, Vikings, Lions, Falcons). Just interesting how different the conferences have been and look to continue to be even as the power dynamics shift. NFC's anyone's game where the AFC still looks to, again, have the extreme dichotomy of haves/have nots.

Who are you calling the two best AFC teams? The Broncos and ... Bengals? Texans?

[Jaime L]

Who are you calling the two best AFC teams? The Broncos and ... Bengals? Texans?

Right now I think Broncos and Bengals are the two most loaded teams in the AFC. Giving the Bengals a slight nod over the Patriots just based on how the teams are looking. It wouldn't shock me at all if the Patriots pull another 13 win season out of their asses but I think it's more likely we see a good not world-beating Patriots team like a 2008-2009 version. Got the Texans #4.

[DanteGabriel]

It was an interesting article, but this laughable paragraph demonstrates my issue with most of Rolling Stones' "serious" pieces

Yeah, that article overstates the "sterling" previous teams and overstates how red-flaggy the latter teams have been. Seems about right for a journalist striving for maximum drama. The Tiffany franchise! Who still uses that term? Is the writer 70 years old?