1. New Orleans Saints
2. New York Jets
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Green Bay Packers
6. Dallas Cowboys
7. San Diego Chargers
8. New England Patriots
9. New York Giants
10. Pittsburgh Steelers
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Atlanta Falcons
13. Philadelphia Eagles
14. Minnesota Vikings
15. Cincinnati Bengals
16. Houston Texans
17. San Francisco 49ers
18. Carolina Panthers
19. Tennessee Titans
20. Washington Redskins
21. Arizona Cardinals
22. Detroit Lions
23. Cleveland Browns
24. Kansas City Chiefs
25. Denver Broncos
26. Chicago Bears
27. Oakland Raiders
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
29. Seattle Seahawks
30. Buffalo Bills
31. St. Louis Rams
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
AFC:
Wild Card Round:
New York Jets over Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots over San Diego Chargers
Divisional Round:
Baltimore Ravens over New York Jets
New England Patriots over Indianapolis Colts
AFC Championship:
Baltimore Ravens over New England Patriots
NFC:
Wild Card Round:
Carolina Panthers over Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints over San Francisco 49ers
Divisional Round:
Green Bay Packers over New Orleans Saints
Dallas Cowboys over Carolina Panthers
NFC Championship:
Dallas Cowboys over Green Bay Packers
Super Bowl:
Baltimore Ravens over Dallas Cowboys
AFC Surprise Team: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC Disappointing Team: Tennessee Titans
NFC Surprise Team: Carolina Panthers
NFC Disappointing Team: Minnesota Vikings
AFC MVP: Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens
NFC MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
AFC Surprise Player: Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
NFC Surprise Player: Michael Turner, Atlanta Falcons
AFC Disappointing Player: Chris Johnson, Tennessee Titans
NFC Disappointing Player: Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears
Best Offensive Rookie: Ryan Mathews, San Diego Chargers
Best Defensive Rookie: Rolando McClain, Oakland Raiders
Best Coach: John Fox, Carolina
First coach fired: Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville
Headlines
Ben Roethlisberger
Ben Roethlisberger began his career as one of the most successful quarterbacks in the NFL. He is only 28 years old and already holds two Super Bowl rings. However, as most players that achieve success at an early age, Roethlisberger had plenty of off-the-field problems.
On June 12, 2006, Roethlisberger was involved in a motorcycle accident that nearly took his life. He didn’t wear a helmet, nor have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license at the time of the accident. Roethlisberger flew off of his motorcycle, flying into the windshield of a car, shattering the windshield with his head. Witnesses reported Roethlisberger bleeding from his head, and that paramedics arrived just in a nick of time to avoid Roethlisberger from bleeding too much in his throat, which could have killed him. Roethlisberger ended up with a fractured upper and lower jaw, broken nose, nine-inch laceration to the back of his head, and the loss of two teeth. Although the seriousness of the accident was severe, Roethlisberger was healthy enough to participate in the preseason and played throughout the entire season. On the dangerous side, Roethlisberger has been reported still driving his motorcycle without a helmet, but has avoided any accidents since.
On July 17, 2009, Roethlisberger was accused in Lake Tahoe of sexually assaulting a woman in his hotel room during a celebrity golf tournament. Roethlisberger is accused of calling the woman, who was the host of the casino, to fix his television’s sound, however she found the television’s sound was working properly before Roethlisberger blocked her from exiting the room and began kissing her. However, due to a lack of physical evidence, the lawsuit will remain only civil. On August 8, 2009, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published reports the woman had bragged about hooking up with Roethlisberger, and after consensual sex, she hoped that she would become pregnant from him.
The final straw for the NFL was on March 5, 2010, when Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault with a Georgia State college student. An interview with the victim say that she wanted to party with Roethlisberger and that she was encouraged to do several shots of alcohol. After consuming alcohol, Roethlisberger’s bodyguard allegedly approached her and led her down a hallway, where Roethlisberger talked to her and ended up exposing himself and attempted to have sex with her in the bathroom. On April 20, the police announced that Roethlisberger would not be charged with sexual assault but during this time, the Pittsburgh Steelers organization expressed their concern for Roethlisberger and his way for trouble to find him.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell must have felt the same way as the Steelers and suspended Roethlisberger for six games (later reduced to four for good behavior) for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Roethlisberger became the first NFL player to be suspended for off-the-field conduct without being charged for a crime.
Since being suspended, Roethlisberger has acted as a better leader than he has ever before. Teammates and fans have spoken glowingly about Roethlisberger and his new attitude towards football and the team. I expect Roethlisberger to turn his life around and he should be able to help the Steelers more than ever before. However, if Roethlisberger has another off-the-field problem, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Goodell suspend him for a year.
Darrelle Revis
It is the consensus that Revis is among the top-three cornerbacks in the league behind Nnamdi Asomugha and Charles Woodson. However, Revis is in the headlines the most by playing in New York and the fact that outspoken coach Rex Ryan will never stop talking about him. However it’s understandable as he held every opposing team’s best wide receiver, especially Chad Ochocinco in Week 17 and the wild-card round playoff game the next week. This led to the offseason, where Revis asked for a new contract, and the New York Jets assured Revis that he would get one.
Fast-forward to training camp, and the Jets had plenty of players that felt that they needed to be paid more. Yet, it was Revis that was the only player that decided to hold out of training camp for a new deal. It was a seven-month nasty debacle that finally led to Revis getting a new deal on September 5th. Revis signed a four-year deal worth $46 million including $32 million guaranteed. Revis committed to the new contract after Rex Ryan and owner Woody Johnson took a trip to South Florida to meet with Revis on an off day.
I understand people saying that the Jets should have just paid Revis in the beginning because he is the best player on their defense and gives them the best chance of winning the Super Bowl. However, I have to take the Jets’ management point of view, with Revis having three years left on his current deal, one that he previously held out for. Previously, Revis was due to make $21 million over the next three years, which is good money, but my reasoning is that a good season doesn’t necessarily mean a new contract. Although with a new collective bargaining agreement coming soon, players are dashing for new contracts. However, when you see the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning not worrying about it, others shouldn’t either. Revis is an elite player, but I will never be a fan of his.
My Fantasy Team
Week One starting lineup:
QB- Joe Flacco vs. New York Jets
RB- Michael Turner vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
RB- DeAngelo Williams vs. New York Giants
WR- Steve Smith vs. New York Giants
WR- Hakeem Nicks vs. Carolina Panthers
WR- Dez Bryant vs. Washington Redskins
TE- Zach Miller vs. Tennessee Titans
K- Nate Kaeding vs. Kansas City Chiefs
DEF- San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks
Bench:
QB- Matt Stafford
RB- LaDainian Tomlinson
RB- Brandon Jacobs
WR- Anquan Boldin
WR- Legedu Naanee
Injured Reserve:
QB- Ben Roethlisberger (suspended but eligible for IR)
Comments:
I’m expecting Joe Flacco to have a decent week against the Jets but with Darrelle Revis back in the starting lineup, I’m more worried than before. Revis returning led to my benching of Anquan Boldin, who I didn’t want to risk being held to three or fewer catches. However, if Boldin can exploit Revis, then I will still get the benefit of starting Flacco, which led to the benching of Matt Stafford. I expect a decent week from Michael Turner, but that Steelers defense with Troy Polamulu is dominant, and I can’t foresee Turner dominating unless he gets lucky with one long run. DeAngelo Williams should explode versus the Giants. My only concern is that Matt Moore won’t be effective enough passing, which will put more people in the box and if Williams has a couple of bad runs, then Jonathan Stewart could steal some of his carries. After reports of Ahmad Bradshaw getting the bulk of the carries for the Giants, I’m going to have to sit Brandon Jacobs for a week, and wait and see how the Giants balance the running game. Hopefully Jacobs can score in short-yardage situations to get more opportunities in the future. Hopefully LaDainian Tomlinson can restart his career, but he is behind Shonn Greene and I wouldn’t start him against the vicious Ravens defense even if he were going to start. Steve Smith is my sleeper pick of the season, and after seeing the connection he had with Matt Moore last season, I expect him to have a great season and return to top-10 receiver status. Hakeem Nicks and Dez Bryant are my sleeper picks for this fantasy season. I have higher expectations for Nicks as he played pretty well last season with a broken toe, and should be explosive this year. Bryant interests me because of the early comparisons to Randy Moss, and the fact of how dominant he was in college. Jerry Jones loves Bryant and I expect him to get his share of the touches on offense. I added Legedu Naanee after drafting Montario Hardesty in the second to last round of the draft, however Hardesty tore his ACL in the last preseason game. Naanee is on my roster due to the fact that Vincent Jackson could be out of San Diego, and that Naanee could step up as the #2 receiver in that offense, and any top two receivers with Philip Rivers should accumulate a good amount of points. Ben Roethlisberger is still a great quarterback, and although he will be out four games, I love the Flacco-Roethlisberger potential for the end of the season and playoff time.
Week One Opponent (vs. JVought):
QB- Peyton Manning
RB- Steven Jackson
RB- CJ Spiller
WR- Reggie Wayne
WR- Greg Camarillo
WR- Percy Harvin
TE- Chris Cooley
K- Lawrence Tynes
DEF- Dallas Cowboys
Will I win?
It’s a tough week for me. I have a lot of matchup problems but I’m expecting a touchdown for Michael Turner and DeAngelo Williams, and Joe Flacco should have a decent week with at least one passing touchdown in a highly contested game against the Jets. However, Peyton Manning scares me as the Colts always beat the Texans. CJ Spiller could surprise a lot of people after he gained the starting role in the Bills’ offense due to a Fred Jackson injury. I don’t like Steven Jackson this year, I had him last year, and the inability of Rams’ offense is the most frustrating thing in the world. Reggie Wayne should pair up nicely with Manning, and Chris Cooley could become McNabb’s best target. It should be an interesting week, I got lucky with the Minnesota receivers laying an egg, but hopefully I can overcome the matchups and start the season off undefeated.
Baltimore Ravens Team Preview:
As a die-hard Baltimore Ravens fan, I had to end my preview by breaking down the 2011 Super Bowl Champions (hopefully).
Offense:
QB- Joe Flacco
RB- Ray Rice
FB- Le’Ron McClain
WR- Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh
TE- Todd Heap/Ed Dickson
LT- Michael Oher
LG- Ben Grubbs
C- Matt Birk
RG- Marshal Yanda
RT- Oniel Cousins/Jared Gaither
BREAKDOWN: Joe Flacco is becoming an elite quarterback in the league, as he was held back his rookie season, but offensive coordinator Cam Cameron unleashed him last year, as he started the season with eight touchdowns and three interceptions in the first four weeks. Flacco has progressed beautifully since his rookie season where he was forced from injuries into the starting spot. Ray Rice is one of the most complete running backs in the NFL. Rice had four games over 100 yards rushing as well as one game with one 100-yard receiving game. Rice has tremendous speed, harder to bring down than most backs in the league, and can catch any pass thrown his way. He should have a breakout year this year, as he pushes for the elite level of running backs. Le’Ron McClain is a good fullback, but I expect him to receive more carries this season as he attempts to return to his successes in 2008. McClain in 2008, rumbled to 902 yards on 232 attempts (3.9 yards per carry) for ten touchdowns. McClain wants the ball more often this year, and I expect the Ravens to oblige. The most improved position on the Ravens this offseason is wide receivers. Leading the group is Anquan Boldin, who has been masked by Larry Fitzgerald’s shadow. Boldin is capable of 100 receptions and double-digit touchdowns, and with becoming the number one option; Boldin will open up single coverage for Derrick Mason. Mason, in my opinion, is a top-five possession receiver in the game. He has been the Ravens top receiver since 2005, and although he faced double teams, Mason is capable of making the best catches. TJ Houshmandzadeh and Donte Stallworth should also be good receivers to complement Boldin and Mason. The “Blind Side” star Michael Oher should improve with a year under his belt, although the right tackle position will be interesting with Oniel Cousins and Jared Gaither facing injuries as of late. This should be the best Ravens’ offense in the past decade, and expectations are higher than ever for them to propel the Ravens to the Super Bowl.
Defense (3-4):
LE- Cory Redding
NT- Kelly Gregg
RE- Haloti Ngata
LOLB- Jarret Johnson
LILB- Ray Lewis
RILB- Dannell Ellerbe
ROLB- Terrell Suggs
CB- Chris Carr, Fabian Washington, Lardarius Webb
FS- Tom Zbikowski
SS- Dawan Landry
BREAKDOWN: Kelly Gregg is the force inside that helps paves the road for the linebackers to use their athleticism to make plays. Gregg has a great push inside, and handles double-teams well, which has to make Raven linebackers’ ecstatic. Haloti Ngata may be the most underrated player in the NFL. I remember in 2006, when Ray Lewis was pumped up by the Ravens’ first round draft selection, as he is extremely versatile and athletic. He isn’t the greatest pass-rusher but he can handle any blocks, and usually is in the backfield on running plays. Jarret Johnson is a good fill for Bart Scott last season, and shines in the strong linebacking corps. Ray Lewis, in my opinion, the second greatest middle linebacker to ever play in the NFL (behind Lawrence Taylor), doesn’t seem to age. He may have lost a step but he is still quick sideline-to-sideline and is the game’s best pure tackler. Lewis is the motivational leader and will keep the Ravens defense going. Terrell Suggs played overweight last year, but expects to play much better this year. Suggs is extremely quick off the edge, and get to any quarterback. Also, Suggs is very good in coverage, and is the key to the Ravens this year. The Baltimore secondary is the Achilles heel to the team. Ed Reed is out for at least six weeks, and the main cornerbacks are injury prone. The Baltimore defense should be a strong suit of the team, but the main flaw will be if team’s can get the play-action game going and optimize their passing games against the weak secondary.
Special Teams:
K- Billy Cundiff
P- Sam Koch
KR- Jalen Parmele
PR- Chris Carr
BREAKDOWN: Billy Cundiff beat out Shayne Graham for the starting kicker role and should be reliable, however, kicking hasn’t been a Baltimore strong suit since the absence of Matt Stover. Sam Koch is a very reliable punter, and one of the best in the league with his booming punts inside of the 20-yard line. The Ravens return game hasn’t been strong since Yamon Figurs left last year, although Chris Carr has some agility that could lead to some strong returns.
Monday Night, the Baltimore Ravens open the season against the New York Jets, in what should be one of the most physical games of the season. The Ravens and Jets’ smash-mouth styles should provide a great game and one definitely worth watching. I expect the Ravens to pull out the victory in a close game thanks to the inability of Mark Sanchez to lead an offense if the running game isn’t strong.
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