Your team...This Year?

[PantherDave]

The Panthers had a great off-season-the best in franchise history. We addressed the depth issues and the holes we had to fill. We come into 2005 very solid in all aspects of the game( OT, DT, ST ). This is a little forecast from me to you-just a feeling, but I'm going with it. I beleive Shelton to be the MAN, and is close to sighning a deal. He will get more snaps in TC than SD will, and never forget Fosters very seldom addressed "fumble problems". I look for Shelton to be the starting RB by..say week 6-8. The Panthers have a chance for a fast start, and it could bloom into a big season. I think the Cat's fill all the holes and get certain "gangsta" monkey QB's off there back, leading to a 2-3 cushion division win and at least one "bye" in the PO. There is no way any team in the NFC can say they're head and shoulders above the Cat's. My gut feeling is another SB run, with the hardware coming home this time. So, how about your team-NO BASHING aloud!!!-Let's hear from you about your team( other Panther Homers feel free to disagree or agree). Man oh man am I ready for some football!!! Peace PD.

[PantherDave]

BUMP-Come on!!!! Let's hear it?????? The soapbox is open......

[Menudo]

BUMP-Come on!!!! Let's hear it?????? The soapbox is open......

 

900089[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Steelers 11-5

 

Super Bowl Champions

[Chief Dick]

The Chiefs will be better this year because:

 

1. They will have a chip on their shoulder.

 

2. They did what was necessary to improve the talent on defense. Gunther will get this group to play hard.

 

3. One of the better offenses in the league.

 

This is it. The window is closing on this offense. The fans know it, the Chiefs know it, and they realize they better get down to business this year. I see a 10-6 record, which will be good enough to win the West this year.

[PantherDave]

Steelers  11-5

 

Super Bowl Champions

 

900100[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

Simple and sweet-I like it....

[Sigalf03]

The Chiefs will be better this year because:

 

1. They will have a chip on their shoulder.

 

2. They did what was necessary to improve the talent on defense. Gunther will get this group to play hard.

 

3. One of the better offenses in the league.

 

This is it. The window is closing on this offense. The fans know it, the Chiefs know it, and they realize they better get down to business this year. I see a 10-6 record, which will be good enough to win the West this year.

 

900103[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

My only concern is that this isnt the first year they have brought on a bunch of free agents and "revamped" the defense and just have not been able to produce a defense that works well together. I want to believe you Chief, I really do, but its so hard. Every bone in my body wants to get excited about this years defense like I have the last couple of years but its tough.

 

All said and done I hope you prove me wrong and we can celebrate together in the post season. I would love a rematch with the Colts at Arrowhead!

[Dirty Weasel]

Diehard Chargers fan since the days of Air Coryell in the 80's. I am hoping for a 10-6 season and a playoff berth. But my hopes may have went down the drain with the loss of Jesse "The Body" Chatman. He was the glue that held the team together. OK, so he wasn't. Bye bye, fatass!

[PantherRage]

 

wow pantherdave , I can finally post

[PantherDave]

Welcome aboard Rage-Fellow Huddlers this is my Beast Freind...and he has finally decided to join us here at football central.

 

P.S. Read Seahawks 37 post to learn nit what to do do...bring the knowledge my freind...enjoy.

[Jimmy Neutron]

Broncos 10-6, maybe 11-5. They could be great of Jake pulls his head out, but I'm not counting on that at this stage in his career.

 

The inetesting thing to me is how the AFC West will shake out. Denver, KC, OAK and SD are all playoff-caliber teams on paper. Should be fun to watch.

[TitansFan]

I think the Titans will surprise some people this year. I'm not saying they will make the playoffs, but I think they can reasonably go 8-8. I'll try to break them down.

 

OFFENSE:

 

At QB, McNair is healthy again, and should do well under Chow. He has said he will give McNair more freedom to call the plays, which should suit him just fine. Of course, Volek is waiting in the wings in case McNair goes down. RB is, well, going to be a committee. Unless something drastic occurs, both Brown and Henry will split carries, with Payton/Nash possibly thrown in occasionally. Losing Holcombe at FB hurts, but Fleming should be able to fill in nicely. At WR, Bennett is the #1, with Calico the #2. Calico is still recovering from injury, but should be back sometime in preseason. At the most he will miss the first game or two, in which case the three rookies will rotate in. They have been impressive so far (or so I hear), and will provide needed depth. At this point, Kinney is the starter at TE, but Troupe could unseat him once he recovers from his foot injury. That might not be for awhile, though, most likely into the beginning of the season. The O-line is in good shape. Hopkins, Piller, Hartwig, and Olson are all solid. The only question is who will play at RT. I'm thinking it will be the rookie Roos, but really there are a number of options right now.

 

DEFENSE:

 

Let's start with the line. Haynesworth is great, and Starks showed signs of greatness at the end of last year. With Long as a solid backup, this is one of the bright spots for the Titans. The ends are a bunch of young, promising players. Odom and Schobel, rookies from last year, should be able to produce along with Vanden Bosch. The only concern is Laboy and his injury. It's apparently going fairly slowly, but the others should do fine. Linebackers are probably the brightest spot on the team. Bullock is a stud, Sirmon is coming off an injury but is normally solid. Kassell is the starter in the middle, but Calmus will compete with him for the spot. Thompson stepped up last year when Schulters got injured, and will be the starter at Free Safety. Tank Williams is dinged up a bit, but will be the starter at Strong Safetywhen he comes back. I'm not worried about the safeties, it's the cornerbacks I'm worried about. Woolfolk is solid as the #1, while there will be a battle for the #2 spot between quite a few players, with Jones as the projected starter. This is one position to watch during training camp and preseason.

 

Overall, I'm not expecting miracles from them. I'm expecting something like 6 wins, but wouldn't be surprised if they get 8 or 9 wins (but that may just be homerism talking ).

[jjpro11]

Steelers  11-5

 

Super Bowl Champions

 

900100[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

 

oh hell yeah! one for the thumb.. btw, i think they can do better then 11-5 regular season.. people dont realize their defense has improved! kendrell bell played in i think a game or two.. not close to full strength, so his loss wont mean much of anything because he wasnt a factor on the #1 defense last season.. casey hampton, one of the best in the league, is back at NT after going out injured against dallas.. there is some youth in the secondary.. sure, a cause for concern, but i have faith in colclough to step up. willie williams will be a backup and chad scott (also not a factor last season) was cut. watch out for james harrison, backup LB.. he could very well take over at ILB this season over foote.. he was a monster when he got to play.. in the qbs face every other play.. i hope to god the steelers try him out at ILB because he has great size and rushing ability. he played OLB when haggans went down and did superb.

 

they lost two guys on their oline.. ross and vincent.. vincent was to be a backup all season and ross was by far the weakest part of the line.. that has imo improved with simmons and starks.. depth is a bit iffy though.

 

plax left, probably the most eye-catching reason for failure, but think again.. plax was good for stretching the field, but that was pretty much it. he was out for the last 5 games i think and we still won. we now have 3 speedy and tough receivers that could very well cause chaos for dbs.. none of them are afraid to go over the middle and all are well-capable of blocking. fred gibson (6'4") was drafted to be most likely the 4th receiver this year.. a nice tall burner who is capable of stretching the field.. while i dont expect much from him this season, he could very well surprise.. knocks on him were he needed to bulk up a bit and didnt like going over the middle.. well he probably wont have to and will be used to stretch the field..

 

theres still much more to touch but im not going to try.. ben has matured both mentally and physically.. he should be able to handle a 16 NFL game season this year.. something he couldnt do last year as a rookie.. heath miller will stretch the field as well.. a nice pass-catching TE the steelers could really use. the duce is back and we have great depth at rb. after the bus there is some great young talent. the list goes on....

 

btw.. dont let anyone kid ya.. ward will sign and play in his 5th straight pro bowl this year.. you can count on it.

[Retrograde assault]

Based on absolutely no research, I'm thinking the Pokes go 10-6.

[Jolly Rodgers]

Bucs 9-7 making the 6th playoff spot

[Goopster24]

Broncos 10-6, maybe 11-5.  They could be great of Jake pulls his head out, but I'm not counting on that at this stage in his career. 

 

The inetesting thing to me is how the AFC West will shake out.  Denver, KC, OAK and SD are all playoff-caliber teams on paper.  Should be fun to watch.   

 

900181[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

This is so very true. AFC West will be very fun to watch. I think KC should be improved as well.

 

I think that the Eagles will again win the NFC simply because they play in a weak division and will be able to secure the 1 spot with relative ease. Other than that, the Eagles are so darn experienced that they don't even flinch.

 

Some sleeper NFC teams: Lions, Bears, Redskins.

 

The AFC: I love the Ravens. Boller is gonna improve so much this year and that defense is just amazing. Ravens should be able to get to the playoffs with relative ease and then use their thunder to go on.

 

Sleeper AFC team: Oakland

[Menudo]

oh hell yeah!  one for the thumb..  btw, i think they can do better then 11-5 regular season..  people dont realize their defense has improved!  kendrell bell played in i think a game or two..  not close to full strength, so his loss wont mean much of anything because he wasnt a factor on the #1 defense last season..  casey hampton, one of the best in the league, is back at NT after going out injured against dallas..  there is some youth in the secondary..  sure, a cause for concern, but i have faith in colclough to step up.  willie williams will be a backup and chad scott (also not a factor last season) was cut.  watch out for james harrison, backup LB..  he could very well take over at ILB this season over foote..  he was a monster when he got to play..  in the qbs face every other play..  i hope to god the steelers try him out at ILB because he has great size and rushing ability.  he played OLB when haggans went down and did superb.

 

they lost two guys on their oline..  ross and vincent..  vincent was to be a backup all season and ross was by far the weakest part of the line..  that has imo improved with simmons and starks..  depth is a bit iffy though.

 

plax left, probably the most eye-catching reason for failure, but think again..  plax was good for stretching the field, but that was pretty much it.  he was out for the last 5 games i think and we still won.  we now have 3 speedy and tough receivers that could very well cause chaos for dbs..  none of them are afraid to go over the middle and all are well-capable of blocking.  fred gibson (6'4") was drafted to be most likely the 4th receiver this year..  a nice tall burner who is capable of stretching the field..  while i dont expect much from him this season, he could very well surprise..  knocks on him were he needed to bulk up a bit and didnt like going over the middle..  well he probably wont have to and will be used to stretch the field..

 

theres still much more to touch but im not going to try..  ben has matured both mentally and physically..  he should be able to handle a 16 NFL game season this year..  something he couldnt do last year as a rookie..  heath miller will stretch the field as well..  a nice pass-catching TE the steelers could really use.  the duce is back and we have great depth at rb.  after the bus there is some great young talent.  the list goes on....

 

btw..  dont let anyone kid ya..  ward will sign and play in his 5th straight pro bowl this year..  you can count on it. 

 

900226[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Very well written Welcome aboard. It is nice to have another Steeler fan here. You will learn that the Steeler fans on this board are by far the most intelligent, funniest, best looking posters on this board..... Be sure to check out my Poems in my signature, they were put up on the Steelers official page last year.

[T-Scorp]

In my best Seahawks37 voice...

 

The Vikings will win the Superbowl because they wear purple helmets with horns that look scary and they are the best team and every other team is really bad!!

 

Seriously...

 

The Vikings SHOULD be a better team this year even without Moss. The offense gets an immediate upgrade from the return of OT Rosenthal (who was injured early last year) and TE/HB Kleinsasser (who is one of the best blocking TE's in the league and was also injured early last year). The line will be asked to run block a little more this year and a healthy Matt Birk © will be the key. I will be watching rookie Marcus Johnson (G) 6'6" 320 to see how much time he gets in the preseason. He could actually become a starter.

 

The big question for the offense will be how Daunte will perform with out Moss. They key is not Burleson as most people might suspect, but actually Travis Taylor. If C-Pep and Taylor can develop some chemistry, especially on the out routes, defenses can not just double team Burleson, who is great across the middle. Also, if the Rookie Williamson can show that he can use his speed to separate from a defender and catch a deep ball at least once a game, Burleson will have the room underneath to do what he did last year (namely catch a 10 yard crossing route and turn it into a 40yard TD. Look for C-Pep to continue to use Wiggins over the middle like last year.

 

Word from the Vikings is that they want to run the ball this year. However, that means Bennett has to stay healthy. With the "Whiz" on a 1 year suspension, the Vikings do not possess a true 25 carry back. Moore needs to get out of Tice's doghouse and Rookie Fason is an unknown quantity but could be the starting RB if Bennett goes down again. Moe Williams is getting older and while he is a great blocking back does not have that break away speed. IF (and that is a big IF) Bennett can stay healthy and can carry the ball 20 times a game, he could have a Tiki type year.

 

Culpepper is now in his first year AM (after Moss). He says it has always been his team, well now he must prove it. He had an MVP season last year except some guy name Manning had a better one. Can he take a step forward in 2005 or will he revert back to his "can't hold on to the ball" form from 2003. He wants to prove he is one of the elite passers in the NFL, yet he has a suspect receiving corps. This is C-Peps year to prove he belongs with the Manning', Bradys, and McNabbs of the NFL.

 

The Vkings Defense SHOULD be improved. The D-line could be the second coming of the Purple People Eaters. K Williams is one of the best young DT in the league, the addition of Fat Pat Williams is Hugh (no pun intended) as teams will not be able to double team K Williams as much. The kid is going to be fun to watch this year. The Vikings may be tough to run on this year. Udeze is in his second year and fully healed from a nagging shoulder injury. Teamed with Rookie E James the Vikings have two sack happy ends with great speed. In addition, 2nd year DE Darrion Scott and Spencer Johnson will be pushing both for playing time giving the Vikings some depth.

 

The linebacking corps as been the Achilles heel of the defense for the past few years. This may be the year they actually pull their own weight. The key is former Jet, Sam Cower. He was hurt early last year and never got his job back from Vilma. His veteran leadership may be exactly what the Vikings young LB's need. EJ Henderson and Raonall Smith are both in their 3rd year and both have shown promise (when healthy), this is the year that makes or breaks them. They both have great speed but both have issues with being in the right place. Nap Harris is a wild card. The former 1st round draft choice of the Raiders has the talent to be a great LB, but has had 2 bad years in a row. Hopefully the change of teams and someone like Cower "dropping Policy like knowledge" can help him perform up to his talent. Finally D Thomas showed signs last year that he could be a great LB, he too should benefit from Cowers veteran influence and if the 2nd year LB can improve on his rookie performance the Vikings could have a nice young LB group.

 

The major off season signings were on the defense and the addition of Fred Smoot and Darrin Sharper to the Vikings secondary is an instant boost to a team that only had 11 interceptions last year. Winfield and Smoot should be one of the best tandems in the NFL this year. Cory Chavous and Brian Williams will need to quit pouting and play better this year, as Willie Offord got most of the reps with the first string defense this spring and is looking good. Sharper adds instant leadership to this group and I for one am looking forward to his first visit back to Lambeau field. With the WR talent in the NFC North, the secondary is going to be tested this year. I think they will be much better as QB's will not have all day to find receivers (like last year) as the D-line will be putting much more pressure on them.

 

New owner Ziggy Wilf has said he will evaluate Tice's contract after the season. I think Tice needs to take the Vikings deep into the playoffs (NFC Title Game) to retain his job. Tice needs to prove he isn't the dufus everyone thinks he is or he is gone.

 

The Vikings should win the NFC North this year and should contend with Philly, and Atlanta for a trip to Superbowl XL. I predict an 11-5 record. Another year of “Purple Pride”!!

[REZ]

Pain. That's what's in store this year.

 

49ers:

Smith better be fast because the 49ers front is still not good.

Eric Johnson will probably be their leading receiver because the front won't keep the rush out very long and their wr's just aren't very good either.

Barlow misses Hearst because he actually has to get on the field now and earn his keep. Gore is going to get quite a bit of time back there I think.

 

The defense actually isn't bad, they just spend way too much time on the field.

 

Prediction: 1-15 (we'll play Arizona twice again right??)

[Menudo]

Pain. That's what's in store this year.

 

49ers:

Smith better be fast because the 49ers front is still not good.

Eric Johnson will probably be their leading receiver because the front won't keep the rush out very long and their wr's just aren't very good either.

Barlow misses Hearst because he actually has to get on the field now and earn his keep. Gore is going to get quite a bit of time back there I think.

 

The defense actually isn't bad, they just spend way too much time on the field.

 

Prediction: 1-15 (we'll play Arizona twice again right??)

 

901201[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Funny, we don't see very many 49'er fans around Pennsylvania anymore. As a matter of fact, we don't see many Cowboys, Broncos, or Packers fans anymore either. We used to see them quite a bit. I wonder what happened. There have been a lot of New England Patriots fans showing up in PA lately....

[Duchess Jack]

Miami 8-8

[Trots]

Welcome aboard.  It is nice to have another Steeler fan here.  You will learn that the Steeler fans on this board are by far the funniest looking posters on this board.....   

900427[/snapback]

 

 

 

[Menudo]

 

901291[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

Enjoy 3rd Place.....

[Egret]

Speed. The Lions have a lot more speed on the field compared with the pre-Millen days. Millen is a doofus, but the team has a lot of potential.

 

Of course in Detroit it all starts with the QB. This is Joey's make or break season. Last year was his first year over 3000 yards. He also threw 19 TDs with only 12 INTs. It was his first year with more TDs than INTs. It was a step in the right direction. He made a lot of fans hopeful after the Minnesota game. He just needs to be consistent this year and stop throwing to the checkdown.

 

RB

Kevin Jones, Kevin Jones, Kevin Jones. Jones had 1133 rushing yards last year. Most of them were in the second half of the year. He will have even more running room this year as the Lions have more talent on the outside. The Lions have a pretty good o-line to block for Jones. They lost McDougle, but they gained DeMulling from Indy.

 

WR/TE

Money, money, money. There's a lot of coin tied up in WR now. Roy Williams is a beast. Mike Williams looks like a similar player. He will score many TDs in the red zone. Roy Williams said he only ran two routes last year, the hitch and the slant. With more experience, Roy should get open more often this year. Charles Rogers is said to be healthy. Both injuries were "freak" injuries and he should be able to play this year. His injuries haven't impacted his biggest attribute, his speed. Just for good measure, the Lions brought in Marcus Pollard to catch a few balls in the middle of the field. That's a nice pickup.

 

D-Line

Big baby, Shaun Rogers is the real deal. He gets alot of tackles and causes pressure. James Hall's 11.5 sacks last year were helped by Roger's pressure. The Lions drafted Shaun Cody to help out an already great d-line.

 

LBs

If Boss Bailey can stay healthy, the linebackers can go from a weakness to a strength. Teddy Lehman turned in a good year last year. He should be even better this year. Earl Holmes has done a good job holding down the middle. James Davis and Donte Curry provide speed in the reserves.

 

DBs

Dre Bly has been fantastic in Detroit. He has been worth every penny of his over-priced free agent contract. He may not be the tallest, but he can make plays. He has a nose for the ball. Fernando Bryant is good, but not great. He's better than the other options, but he won't hurt the Lions. Safeties are where the Lions have a weak spot. Terry Holt needs to step up and be a play maker. He needs to show that he's more than Torry's brother. Kennoy Kennedy was a great signing for the Lions. He'll help with the run support.

 

Special Teams

Eddie Drummond looks like the second coming of Mel Gray. He strikes fear into the opponents kick teams. Nick Harris is a good punter. Jason Hanson will be his usual consistent self.

 

The Lions can match up with any team in the NFC. When they play up to their ability, they can be a great team. Other times they can look flat. The Lions will need something to rally around. They need to believe that they can win. Once they learn how to win, they'll have a super season... Super Bowl XL champs.

[kraftykraft]

Raiders---hmmm.....

 

Offensively, pretty good. I like Lamont Jordan. I like Jerry Porter. I can't say that I like Randy Moss, but there's no doubt that he's a football phenomenom, and I expect that the Raiders famous ability to take problem players from elsewhere and turn them around is going to work here. I like the offensive line.

 

Kerry Collins is the big issue with the offense. Frankly, while I think his arm strength and accuracy is good, he doesn't see the field well. Watching him from up in the stands last year, you could see him forcing balls into coverage when he had other, better options elsewhere on the field. He makes bad decisions, that lead to interceptions.

 

Defensively, hmmm. Pretty mediocre talent. However, this being the AFC West, nobody else has anything better.

 

Realistically, I think the Chargers are the best bet to repeat the division. They have a good offense and I think a decent defense. The Raiders will only challenge if Kerry Collins works much better in the system than he did last year (somewhat possible) or if the defense jells now that some of the bickering among secondary members is gone (pretty unlikely). Other than that, I expect the team will be competitive with KC and Denver.

[sundaynfl]

The Broncos have been consistent for the last few years.. Start out quick, get our hopes up then crash back down to earth.... There have been a lot of changes by the Rat this year so this year brings a lot of uncertainty. It will be interesting to see it unfold! Just like opening day in baseball everyone has hope... unless you are the 9er's or Lions...