Can you Taste It?

Ahhh finally. Its here. The day we have all been waiting for... Or at least the day I have been waiting for! The Super Bowl was a mere 7 months ago, but it has seemed like an eternity. Now its time to get my act together and start writing again. I've decided to scrap any hope of covering anything else, and just sticking to what I love to write about most, the NFL. As you can see, the blog has a new title, Geezer's Gridiron, and an all new background, the MAN Chris Johnson. He will be the poster boy of the blog for now, but that could change down the road. Hope you all enjoy the changes, and are looking forward to the season as much as I look forward to writing about it.

You know the drill. A complete division by division breakdown of how I expect the NFL season to play out (and of course, I will be wrong!) complete with team records, division winners, wild card spots, playoff match-ups and your eventual Super Bowl Champion!

And on that note, let's get on with the show!

AFC East

I start with, in my opinion, the most hotly contested division in football. The Patriots are no longer a dynasty, and are coming back down to the pack in their division. As this is happening, the Jets and Dolphins are getting better. New York has the league's best defense, especially now that Revis is signed. However, they also have one of the league's most absolutely God-Awful offenses. Can this team win with Mark Sanchez at the helm? Well they looked good in the playoffs, but had they not received two gifts in the last two weeks, they wouldn't have even made them. It will be very interesting to watch a team like the Patriots, who are the exact opposite with their high powered offense and lackluster defense battle these Jets. Who comes out on top?

But don't sleep on those Miami Dolphins. A good young Quarterback in Henne who now has a legitimate weapon to throw to in Brandon Marshall, a system under Tony Sparano that just works, an above average defense and a solid running game, this team will be as good as the other two in the division, and are certainly the most well rounded. They have every bit the chance the Jets and Patriots do of winning.

And well, the Bills.... they might just be the worst team in football this year. Better luck next year, and good luck in the draft!

Overall, I think this division comes down to the last week of the season, and eventually might even come down to some crazy tie-break scenarios, with the Jets taking it in the end:

New York Jets 10-6
New England Patriots 9-7
Miami Dolphins 9-7
Buffalo Bills 2-14

AFC North

Lots of interesting topics in this division, not the least of which being the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers. Even with his suspension reduced from 6 games to 4, it is still a major blow. On top of that, 3 of the 4 games he will miss are going to be very tough. Despite that opening stretch, I still think this team has enough to stay afloat and fight for a playoff spot down the final stretch.

Another off-season storyline out of the AFC North comes from Cincinnati: the acquisition of T.O. Well, I'm here to tell you that this is going to be a disaster. Not only because he is a major distraction, but mainly, because he has severely diminished skills. He is just too old at this point to have any kind of real impact on this team. That means it remains a running football team, and can Cedric Benson put up numbers like he did last year? I highly doubt it. He is bound to break down, along with the rest of the Bengals.

The Baltimore Ravens are the talk of the offseason, with their acquisition of Anquan Boldin, emerging superstar Joe Flacco now has a true number one to throw to, to go along with sure-handed Derrick Mason and ex-Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh, many have this team taking the leap to the next level, and count me among them. I love this team (and if you looked at any of my fantasy teams, you'd know how much). They are a complete football team. They really don't have a weakness. Ray Rice is elite already, and we will all be saying that about Flacco at season's end. This could be the best team in football, and I think they are the team to beat in the AFC.

And then there are the Cleveland Browns... like the Bills in the East, someone has to finish last. Jake Delhomme is NOT the answer, Cleveland fans.

Baltimore Ravens 13-3
Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6
Cincinnati Bengals 6-10
Cleveland Browns 3-13

AFC West

Oh the AFC West. I made the bold statement last season that if the Chargers didn't win the division, I would never make another NFL prediction again. And despite Denver jumping out to a 6-0 start, they still won. And, with the weaknesses all around the division, the Chargers should take the division again, but I'm not willing to make that bold statement again this year. There are some definite question marks with the San Diego team, but I'm not too worried. The division is still the weakest in the AFC, and the schedule is friendly. Even without Vincent Jackson, with Antonio Gates, Malcolm Floyd and Legadu Nanee (just a great name!) I still think Phillip Rivers will have plenty of weapons to spread the ball around to. He is still an elite talent, he will find the open man. On top of that, I love the draft pick of Ryan Mathews. This kid is the real deal, and you will see why right away, as he is slated to get the bulk of this year's carries for the Chargers. He is going to make Charger fans forget about the loss of the once great LT very soon.


As for the other teams in the division, they have graduated, from flaming turds, to mediocrity. I think the Chiefs will finish second in the division. They need to give Jamaal Charles the rock, because this kid is a stud. Forget about Thomas Jones, you can not continue to keep Charles down. With a full workload he could be a top 5 back. Matt Cassel has paired with old Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weiss seems like a good fit, at least on paper, and I think he will have a bounce back year in year two under this system. The defense remains questionable, but they will be better.

I think Denver remains about the same as last year. There are just too many questions left unanswered. Will Moreno bounce back from injury? Can Orton lead a team to a winning season? How will the team use Tim Tebow? Can they recover from last year's collapse. I think they have a good future ahead, but its just not in the cards this season for them.

The Oakland Raiders seem to be a dark horse pick to win some games this season now that JeMarcus Russell is out at quarterback, but my question is, "What did Jason Campbell ever win in Washington?" So yes, it is an upgrade, and they will get a couple extra wins, but they are not taking a leap out of the bottom of this division. They still have a long way to go. They need Michael Bush to get over his thumb injury fast, because he is the class of this team, and Darren McFadden is just terrible.

San Diego Chargers 12-4
Kansas City Chiefs 8-8
Denver Broncos 7-9
Oakland Raiders 4-12

AFC South

The division that houses my Tennessee Titans also houses the defending AFC Champion Indianapolis Colts. If you want to win the AFC, it runs through them, and it will be no easy task. Peyton Manning isn't getting worse any time soon, and he just has all new toys to play with in WRs Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie, the return of Anthony Gonzalez, and oh yeah, two guys named Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark. They couldn't run last year, but they didn't have to (well, not until the Super Bowl) and they will win games the same way this year. Expect another successful season from them, but one that may just be a disappointment considering...

The Titans are going to win the division. It will be close. It will be a battle. It will come down to the final game of the season. It will come down to a tiebreak of head to head matchups, and I believe the Titans take that tiebreak by beating the Colts TWICE. Yes, I am biased. But yes, this can definitely happen. There is a reason Chris Johnson is the Geezer's Gridiron poster boy, he is going to get 2500 yards this season. Barring injury, he is going to set records. The man is like lightning, and there is no catching him when he breaks away. I know the common theme is to state that the NFL is a passing game, and it is, but it is so because there are not very many Chris Johnson's in the league. Good luck stopping him. With a full season of Vince Young (who led this team to an 8-2 record last year, he is just a WINNER) along with a better defense, and a throwing game that will take a leap forward, this team is going to win the division and de-thrown the defending champs.

As for the rest of the division, I think the Texans are a clear third. High powered offense with a decent defense, but a difficult schedule makes for another nice 9-7 season. They haven't shown me any reason to believe they can make it to the playoffs, and I'm done believing that they can do it. Prove it, then I'll bite, Houston.

And the Jaguars are the distant fourth choice, and I think they will struggle and ultimately wind up finishing with another underwhelming season. Beyond MJD, this team doesn't have much of an offense, and the defense isn't all that great either.

Tennessee Titans 13-3
Indianapolis Colts 13-3
Houston Texans 9-7
Jacksonville 5-11

NFC East

The NFC East houses another sexy Super Bowl pick, the host of Super Bowl XLV themselves, the Dallas Cowboys. Again, its easy to see why. They are loaded on both sides of the ball. I think they will have a fantastic regular season, as they usually do. The questions come, once again, once they reach the post season. They managed to win a game last year, and I just don't know if they can go any further this year. Do I trust Tony Romo, no, not really, and the NFC is pretty well loaded at the top this year. I don't think they get to host their own home Super Bowl, but I do think they win the division.

Their biggest competition, I believe, will come from the Philadelphia Eagles. Now I don't think the Eagles will be great, but they could be a sleeper. It all comes down to the play of Kevin Kolb. I'm sure he will have some games which will make you go "wow" and some where he just completely blows, and that should make for a very interesting season. There is a lot of young offensive talent on this team, they just might be a year or two away before they rise back to the top of the NFC.

The other two teams, well you know I'm no fan of the Giants, and although I think they have a great passing attack, the running game is awful and the defense is over-rated. They proved last year that they couldn't beat good teams, and they didn't do anything to impress me to make themselves better. Another mediocre performance.

And as for the Redskins... well... yes, they added Donovan McNabb, but what good will that be? They have a bevy of old, washed up running backs, an old, borderline washed up QB, not a very good defense, a tough division and non-divisional schedule. They will have another lost season, good luck in the draft.

Dallas Cowboys 12-4
Philadelphia Eagles 9-7
New York Giants 7-9
Washington Redskins 5-11

NFC North

Remember last season, when I picked Green Bay to win it all? Yeah that didn't quite go as planned. Those pesky Minnesota Vikings got in the way, as well as the Arizona Cardinals (although that last play was a blatant facemask, but I digress). Well of those three teams, I believe only one is left standing this season, and it is the Green Bay Packers. They are just a complete football team, and healthy, they will be incredible again. Aaron Rodgers is ELITE in every sense of the word. They are only getting better with maturity and experience. They are going to dominate this division.

The team that gave them headaches last season is due for a huge fall. With the lack of Sidney Rice for half the season, an aging Brett Favre on a bad ankle that teams will be attacking all year and Percy Harvin dealing with migraine issues, they are not even a playoff team. I think Brett's streak of consecutive games started comes to an end this year. I wouldn't be surprised if he even gets knocked out of the season for good. Adrian Peterson can only carry an offense so far, and in a division with the Packers, they stand no chance.

As for the other two teams, I believe it will actually be a fight for third, rather than just penciling in the Lions for last again. Detroit is doing everything right to rebuild their team, and although I think they are at least 2 years away from competing, I think they are going to win some games this year. I love Stafford, love Jahvid Best, LOVE Calvin Johnson, and LOVE Ndamukong Suh. they are young, talented, and a couple of years away from being really good.

The Bears are this team that is just set up to perennially disappoint. They have Jay Cutler, the perennial disappointment quarterback. He is so much potential, but he has never been able to put it together. Matt Forte had a fantastic rookie year, then a MASSIVE disappointment in his second year (especially for fantasy purposes). The defense isn't what it used to be. I don't know what to make of them. They could go 2-14, or they could go 8-8, but I do think that is about their ceiling.

Green Bay Packers 13-3
Minnesota Vikings 7-9
Chicago Bears 6-10
Detroit Lions 5-11

NFC West

Oooh the NFC West... or the NFC Worst as I often call it.... yeah I know, that was bad, but so is this division! However, they do always seem to have one team that does well. Seattle and Arizona went to Super Bowls fairly recently, and this year, there is another team that has that kind of potential. That team is the San Francisco 49ers.

I had no faith in them going into last year. I thought they had no pass game, no Quarterback, a mediocre defense, and that Frank Gore couldn't put an entire team on his back. Well, Alex Smith, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis made me a true BELIEVER in this team. Couple that with the easiest schedule in football, and this team is a shoe in for the playoffs, and could be an absolute challenge to any team in the playoffs. Expect a huge leap in the level of this team. And the defense is anything but mediocre. I fully admit that I was completely wrong about this team.

As for the rest of the division, good luck is all I have to say. The Cardinals are the two time defending champs of the division, but they are now without their MVP QB Kurt Warner who retired, and it is up to Derek Anderson to lead the way. Forgive me if I'm not shuttering in fear. No Anquan Boldin is another massive blow to this team, and if it weren't for a fairly easy schedule, the fall could be DRASTIC. Hell it still might be. I'm not a Beanie Believer, and with only one offensive star (Larry Fitzgerald), I just don't know how they are going to win football games.

And its not like things get much better the deeper we go into this division... they get worse. Seattle has done nothing to say that they will be better than last year, if anything they are trying to get young in a hurry, which generally means a big drop off in immediate wins. Its going to be a rough start to the Pete Carroll Era.

As for the Rams... I'm going to say they win one more game this year. Maybe by 2016 they will be a .500 team. A rookie QB that could be good in the future, but now just has no one to throw to and I'm definitely not yet a believer. A star running back that can't stay healthy. A swiss cheese defense. The league's worst team, for the second straight year.

San Francisco 49ers 13-3
Arizona Cardinals 5-11
Seattle Seahawks 4-12
St. Louis Rams 2-14

NFC South

Home of your defending Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, and how sweet that victory was for New Orleans! Now the pattern has it that one team that makes the Super Bowl always fails to make the playoffs the next year. It is like clockwork. Never fails. So you know I picked the Colts to get one of the AFC Wild Card spots, so does that mean I am picking the Saints to miss the playoffs? Of course not!!! This is a Saints team that bucks the trend! Come on, they ruined the New Orleans history of sucking, why go back to that now? Drew Brees is too good a quarterback for this team to not make the playoffs. Plain and simple. Just having him on your team assures a spot. They should rule the roost in the NFC South once again.

The next two teams in this division intrigue me. Atlanta and Carolina both have young QBs looking to make a leap, they both have OUTSTANDING running games, they both have a stud Wide Receiver and they both have solid defenses. They will both be successful this season, and I think they will be fighting for the final NFC playoff spot when its all said and done. Who do I like more? Atlanta, but only slightly.

And then there is Tampa Bay. A team that can't run the ball, can't throw the ball, and can't stop anyone. Why am I wasting my breath on this team again? they were bad last year, and they might be even worse this year. I don't trust Josh Freeman, and I doubt I ever will.

New Orleans 13-3
Atlanta 9-7
Carolina 8-8
Tampa Bay 3-13


So there you have it, my NFL division by division breakdown! But now for the good stuff! The predictions sure to go wrong!

AFC Round 1

Byes: Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens

Indianapolis Colts over New York Jets
San Diego Chargers over Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC Round 1

Byes: Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints

San Fransisco 49ers over Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys over Atlanta Falcons

AFC Round 2

Tennessee Titans over San Diego Chargers
Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts

NFC Round 2

Green Bay Packers over Dallas Cowboys
San Fransisco 49ers over New Orleans Saints

AFC Championship

Baltimore Ravens over Tennessee Titans

NFC Championship

Green Bay Packers over San Fransisco 49ers

And for your Super Bowl Champion.......



The Green Bay Packers

Yes, I know I picked them last year, and they let me down, but I am convinced that I was simply a year too early on them. It was going out on a bit of a limb last year, now its a "bandwagon" pick, but I have to stick with my guns. I love the Ravens almost as much, but I just don't think any team in football is as good in every aspect of the game as this Packers team. So for the second straight year, they are my pick.

So there you have it, my big, fat, Albert Haynesworth sized NFL preview and return to the blog. But before I go, one more thing.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-5) over Minnesota Vikings

Get the year started on a good Gambling note folks! Hope you enjoyed my preview, and I hope to bring you plenty more where this came from. Good luck in week one, whether it be your team, your fantasy team, or your gambling habits! Until next time!

-Geezer