2006 NFL Discussion Thread (2 Viewers)

Alright guys, training camps have started and the time is now for everyone to think they have a chance. Hell, even I think the Lions have a chance at the division title this year.

If some of my Bengals are allowed to play on some sort of prison-work-release-program, we might have a chance this year. But in all seriousness, I think a lot will depend on how soon Palmer is able to play. I know the Bengals are confident that Palmer will be able to play opening day, but the question will be how well will he play?

It's gonna be an interesting year. Good luck to everyone's teams, and have an injury free year.

PS - If there is any Philly fans out there, perhaps you could tell me what you have heard about Hank Baskett making the team. I am from Albuquerque, and enjoyed watching him play at UNM. I know that the chances of an undrafted rookie making the team are not that great, but I would like to see him do well.

tyler payne

Already beaten to the punch on a Bengals joke

Living in DC, I am now suffering the annual "who can beat us!?!" Redskins fan lunacy, though they are finally one of the better teams in the conference. But some of them are looking rather warily at the rest of the East, figuring out that it got harder. That, and Brunell is about one good hit away from ending their hopes.

As for my Cowboys, I fully expect Bledsoe to get hurt, miss time, and doom the team. He and Brunell are too old, in too brutal a division, to make it through the year, and neither team has a backup worth a damn.

The Titans are cooked, though they'll be better this year (I hope).

I think Arizona will surprise, but won't make the playoffs. Too much inexperience, but they remind me of the Bengals a few years back. Lots of talent.

Looking forward to the season,
Chuck

Brandon, the Lions will definitely be competitive if Martz can get the WRs to play up to their potential. It might take a couple of years, though, before the O is familiar enough with the new scheme to really blossom.

If AZ can field a decent defense, they'll surprise a lot of people. Their D is pretty good in yards allowed, but allows waaaaaaaay too many points (ranked 28th in the league last year).

Lastly, I'm stoked about my Bears. They have an actual NFL QB in the backup slot for the first time in ages, the WRs look to be coming around, and Mike Brown is fully healthy and ready to wreak havoc. Oh, and the rookie FS they drafted is, by all accounts, looking VERY sharp in camp...

Willie Roaf retiring really hurts the Chiefs. He is kind of the key to our offense. The fact that our scumbag GM hid this from the public since May in order to sell season tickets is typical business operations for this franchise.

At least my negativity is already in mid-season form.

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5361

Pretty good story about Ahmad Brooks. Looks as if he understands that he needs to make some changes in his life. Hopefully he does not add to the laundry list of problems some Bengal players seem to have.

Some of you might have seen this before, but look at this sack he made in college. Absolutely amazing.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=aErFwwUf9...ahmad%20brooks


tyler payne

With Kitna named as the starting QB, they definitely have a chance, but only if any good comes of the WRs.

Man, I am really gonna miss Kitna this year. He was a great security blanket for Palmer. He was one of the premiere back-ups in the league, and I will miss him in Cincy. But at the same time, I am glad he is getting a shot to be a number 1, he deserves it.

Kitna doesn't have the biggest cannon in the wolrd, but he is accurate, and he is a smart QB. Plus Martz has a system that QB's do well in. If the recievers in Detroit can step it up, they will be in a situation to win every game they play.

tyler payne

If the QB stays healthy this season, the Bears have good chance of going deep again, with it's defense pretty much intact from last season. As for now, the speed guys at the wideout position are healthy again but time will tell if they also got their speed back...

It's real risky but Bledsoe isn't exactly injury prone either.

someone should've shut off Harry Carson's mic, the HOF induction is NOT the the place to get political

:rolleyes

*double post*


please delete

I scanned the transcript of the speech, I seriously can not see what problems you would have with it.

It was a good heart felt speech.

I just returned from a 9 day vacation, only to read this:


Tsk, tsk, Brandon. You really need to stop drinking the kool-aid.

Actually, before I left, I made my first Lions bet of the season -- with a good friend who is a season ticket holder. The over under on wins for the bet was 6, with 6 being a push. I took the under.

I just do not see how Detroit improved its talent at all this offseason. They replaced a bust #3 overall draft pick QB with two journeymen backups, did virtually nothing to improve a bad offensive line, have two soon-to-be bust first round draft pick WR's (Rogers and Mike Williams), used their first round draft pick on an undersized, concusion-prone LB (to add to their sizable list of recently-drafted injury-prone LB's), and did nothing to improve an already poor outside pass rush on the DL. Plus, they lost half their only strength on defense (interior DL) -- DT Dan Wilkerson. Shaun Rogers will have to go it alone on the inside this season.

People are putting too much faith in a new coaching staff turning around a team with a severe lack of talent on both sides of the ball. Coaching is important, but a team still needs talent to win games. The Lions have not had a 7 win season since Matt Millen arrived to start assembling this mess, so I feel pretty confident with my bet.

BTW, the NFC North is my preseason pick as the absolute worst division in the league this year. The Bears win the division by default. Minnesota has very little talent at the offensive skills positions, the Packers look like a disaster on offense (an over the hill Favre and nothing else), and I outlined the Lions sizable deficiencies above.

Ditto.

For the first time in...forever...I'll be keeping one eye on the Bengals due to former A&M QB Reggie McNeal on the team. Last I checked he's been primed for a WR position? He's fast as heck, but has been kind of fragile too. Hope he can make an impact.

As for the Cowboys, I'm betting TO makes a negative impact moreso than Bledsoe getting hurt Hope I'm wrong.

I don't know how old you are Scott, but I am guessing a bit older than me. The amount of pessimism is awfully high there. I contend on the offensive side of the ball that other than Joey, the talent was fine. The problem was with the scheme and the lack of motivation by the poor coaching staff. I will take your bet as well. I think they win 7 games by default of such a poor division and a easy schedule. I think they only play something like 4 or 5 teams that made the playoffs last year.

I just do not see the talent on offense. Scotty Vines is their second best receiver -- that says a lot for that position. Roy Williams is the only player at the skills positions that will scare a defense, and defenses can take away any single offensive player with the proper scheme (see Steve Smith for Carolina in last year's playoffs). The offensive line is terrible -- only Backus and Woody belong in the league, and Woody's been a disappointment since coming from New England -- and no viable starters were added in the offseason to help there. Center Dominic Raiola may be the worst returning starter at any position in the entire NFL. Kitna is a better backup QB than they've had since Millen arrived, but the problem is that he has to start. Unless Martz can throw, catch and block as well as coach the offense, I do not see much happening on that side of the ball.

I hope you are right and the team will be improved. I just do not see it with this collection of players.

Scott,
If anything the Detroit Tigers should give you an amount of hope to atleast believe your team is going to get better. Everyone counted them out and they are looking like a team that could win the WS.

Seattle all the way!