Those of you who are looking to learn more about American Football the following simplistic definitions may help.
Offense:
Above is a basic I formation which covers each of the most well known positions… There are countless different formations used offensively. Ones with 2 TEs, 4 WRs, 2 RBs, no FB, no RB, no TE etc…
Quarterback[QB] – Directs the offense. Throws the ball on passing plays and hands off to his running back[RB] on rushing plays. Occasionally[Depending on athleticism] may run himself but this is a rare quality.
Running Back[RB] – Takes the ball from the QB and runs with it on running plays. May also become a receiver in the passing game or block blitzing defenders.
Fullback[FB] – Paves the way for the running back on rushing plays and blocks blitzers on passing plays
Tight End[TE] – Blocks oncoming defenders to make holes for the running back to run through. May also become a receiver in the passing game or block blitzing defenders.
Wide Receiver[WR] – The main receivers of throws on passing plays. Block off their markers on running plays.
Offensive Line:
These guys make holes for the running back to run through and make sure they protect their quarterback from defenders.
Right Tackle[RT] – Protects the right edge of the Offensive Line. Protects the blind side of a left handed QB.
Left Tackle[LT] - Protects the left edge of the Offensive Line. Protects the blind side of a right handed QB.
Right Guard[RG] – Protects the right centre of the Offensive Line.
Left Guard[LG] – Protects the left centre of the Offensive Line…
Center[C] – Snaps the ball to the QB. Protects the centre of the Offensive Line.
Defense:
The Defense above is a standard 4-3 Defense. i.e. 4 on the Defensive Line and 3 Linebackers.
Some teams play a 3-4 Defense, which is 3 Defensive Linemen and 4 Linebackers. In that situation the guy at the centre of the Defensive Line is known as a nose tackle. And they have 2 ILBs.
Defensive Line:
These guys attempt to stop a running back as quickly as they can on rushing plays. On passing plays they attempt to get to the QB to disrupt, tackle or maim him.
Defensive End[DE]
Defensive Tackle[DT]
Linebackers:
These guys need to be hybrids of a Defensive Lineman and members of the secondary. They need to know when to cover the pass and when to move up to stop the run.
Outside Linebacker[OLB]
Inside Linebacker[ILB]
Secondary:
Cornerback[CB] – Mark an opposing WR. Stop him from catching the ball and ideally intercept the ball themselves.
Free Safety[FS] – Smaller and Faster than a SS. Keeps distance from the line. Assists the cornerback on passing plays. Occasionally blitz the QB.
Strong Safety[SS] – Covers the “strong side” of the field. i.e. where the opposing TE lines up. Larger and stronger than an FS. Tends to stay closer to the line. Helps on rushing plays. Similar to a linebacker.
AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
EAST
New York Jets 12-4 [#1 Seed]
I have to say, I like many have fallen in love with the Jets somewhat during Hard Knocks. Rex Ryan asking the Offense for leadership is one of the greatest scenes I have watched on TV.
Superb television.
With Revis back they remain by a distance the best defense going. They are a matchup nightmare for their opponents, particularly the Patriots. Can’t throw against Revis, can’t run against Jenkins. If they can get their offense motoring they will be genuine contenders. If they can get through their early difficult schedule[They have games against Baltimore, New England, @Miami, Minnesota in the first 5] and get Santonio Holmes into the mix they could run the AFC table.
New England Patriots 10-6 [#5 Seed]
Patriots are still full of offensive weapons but are still minus a real running game. So in that sense I don’t see them moving on much from last year. They seem to be pretty much the same team. When they face the Jets twice and Revis and friends stifle their passing game, where is the plan b? I see them making the playoffs but as a wildcard and being some and done. Their pass rush last year was relatively non-existent with the exception of Tully Banta-Cain. Expect him to be double teamed up the ying yang this year. Their secondary is too light and inexperienced. They will miss Leigh Bodden and Brandon McGowan who are both gone for the year through injury. They picked up Jarrad Page from Kansas as a result. They need a number of their young players to step up and I expect it to be a stretch this year.
Miami Dolphins 9-7
Kind of a so-so year in store here. They have some nice enough weapons on offense. They certainly have a dynamic running tandem in Williams and Brown. Brandon Marshall should be a significant upgrade at receiver. They have a good slot receiver in Davone Bess who had more than 70 catches last year. He is turning into a mini-Welker. Chad Henne is a good if unspectacular Quarterback and his growth in the position is expected to continue apace. However they are in a tough division with the Jets and the Patriots. Those games will be key to their progression. They feel like the worst of those three and will be squeezed out of the playoff picture as a result. If their new defensive recruits of ILB Karlos Dansby[from Arizona] and rookies Misi[OLB] and Odrick[DE] can gel together they have a chance of beating out the Patriots for the Wildcard or better.
Buffalo Bills 2-14
Unless C.J. Spiller is the second coming of Walter Peyton I can only see a horribly difficult struggle for the Bills.
They have:
- A Mediocre quarterback
- A terrible offensive line
- No wide receivers of note
NORTH
Baltimore Ravens 11-5 [#3 Seed]
Baltimore have all the tools to be serious contenders. They have an elite rushing game fronted by Ray Rice. Joe Flacco now has a number of more weapons in the passing game with Boldin, Houshmandzadeh, Mason, Heap and Stallworth to throw the ball to. Not to mention Rice who had 78 catches last season.
Their star FS Ed Reed is gone for at least the first 6 games which is a serious blow. If that 6 games goes longer they could have trouble making it out of a very competitive division.
Cincinnati Bengals 9-7
A new season with new weapons for Carson Palmer. Terrell Owens, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley join the self-proclaimed “Black Mexican” Chad Ochocinco in the Cincinnati back field. Together with the rejuvenated Cedric Benson they have a shot at retaining the divisional title. Losing SS Gibril Wilson for the season was a blow to their chances. Their other SSs Roy Williams and Chinedum Ndukwe will have to be on top of his game for them to progress. Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph are one of the best cornerback units going. This team is certainly not short on characters. Between the aforementioned Owens, Ochocinco, Adam ”Pacman” Jones, Tank Johnson, TV Presenter Dhani Jones and entrepreneur Jordan Palmer[brother of Carson], they seem one insult away from civil war. Will they win the division? Child please, not with the Ravens around. Should be in with a shot at the Wildcard though.
Pittsburgh Steelers 8-8
Starting the first 4 games of the season with the talented but erratic Dennis Dixon under center spells disaster for the Steelers. Those 4 games [Atlanta, @Tennessee, @Tampa, Baltimore] will really set the tone for their season. Tampa is the only obvious gimme out of those games. If they start 1-3 or worse they are already in deep trouble. If they start 2-2 they should have a chance at the playoffs. Remaining injury free is massively important for the Steelers particularly for their sublimely talented SS Troy Polamalu. He is somewhat of a human highlight reel . I think they have too much work to do to make the playoffs and they will miss out.
Cleveland Browns 4-12
Dear Eric Mangini. Just give Josh Cribbs the fucking ball. Reasons to be hopeful for Browns fans: An elite offensive line.
They are much like the Bills.
A Mediocre quarterback – Jake Delhomme, eek.
A superb offensive line
No wide receivers of note.
So the difference there is Offensive Line. They may be able to make space for Jerome Harrison to do damage. Losing the superbly named Montario Harderty for the year is a big blow for their chances of making any progress.
SOUTH
Indianapolis Colts 12-4 [Seed #2]
Much like former player Johnny Unitas, the Colts are the kind of team you can set your watch to. As things stand they have a large number of peripheral players injured. The more astonishing thing is that their SS Bob Sanders isn’t one of them. Having him fit of r the season would be a rarity. Injuries aside expect them to win their customary 12 games and make the playoffs with ease. What happens after that is anyone’s guess. They had a scare when their Linebacker Gary Brackett was injured in their preseason game against Green Bay but he is expected to be fine for the start of the season. Expect Peyton Manning to be in the running for MVP and for all their receivers to have productive years.
Houston Texans 9-7 (Seed #6)
Is this the year? Is this the season that the perennial underachievers finally make it to the playoffs? I think so. They have unearthed a rough diamond in Arian Foster at running back. After Gary Kubiak lost patience with Steve Slaton for continually coughing up the ball and their rookie RB Ben Tate was injured for the year the backfield responsibility fell to Foster. The expectations on him have mushroomed overnight after the preseason game against Dallas when he ran for 110 yards. He is expected to be the missing piece on a dynamic offense puzzle which includes elite WR Andre Johnson and QB Matt Schaub. On the other side of the ball DE Mario Williams is their real star. Their pass rushing prowess runs through him. They also have a pro bowl ILB in DeMeco Ryans. With so many stars they are surely going to do it this year, right?… RIGHT!?!
Tennessee Titans 8-8
The Chris Johnson Show or so it seems. What a topsy-turvy season last year was for the Titans. It is amazing to think that they started last year 0-6. Then went 8-2 for the rest of the season. News of them re-acquiring nose tackle Albert Haynesworth from the Washington Redskins. The chances of him going back there and immediately regaining the form that made him and All-Pro in 2007 and 2008 are pretty unlikely. Kenny Britt has lots of potential at WR but he has been greatly frustrating management by dropping balls and giving away stupid penalties. There was talk of him being benched for the opening game but that does not seem to be happening. They will need him to step up as Vince Young has very few passing targets of note. They are bit of a lopsided and too run-centric. While Chris Johnson is elite they’ll need more than him to make the playoffs. An injury to him would be catastrophic for them.
Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10
Offensively the Jaguars are almost a carbon of Tennessee. For Chris Johnson read Maurice Jones-Drew. For Vince Young read David Garrard. Mike Sims-Walker is a better option than Kenny Britt, but again they are far too run-centric and it is questionable as to whether they are able to beat a team in air, or have enough of an aerial threat that would make room for Mojo. On the other side of the ball they continue to have huge problems on generating a pass rush on the opposing QB. Dead last in sacks. Middle of the road with interceptions. Barring a massive turn around on defense they will be last again in the south.
WEST
San Diego Chargers 11-5 [Seed #4]
A more advanced version of the Houston Texans. Choked full of talented players but never make it the big show. I’m of the opinion that the best of this teams has passed. Shawne Merriman has been a shadow of his former self in the past two seasons. They have two pro bowl calibre players basically on strike looking for improved contracts. Luckily for the Chargers they are in a relatively easy[but improving] division and an easy enough schedule. They have players to fill in for Vincent Jackson. Making up for the loss of Marcus MacNeill may prove more difficult. The Chargers still have enough class players toi put up big scores. In Philip Rivers and Antonio Gates they have one of the best QB/TE tandems going. They expect big things from Malcolm Floyd and Legedu Naanee. While rookie RB Ryan Mathews is expected to fill the breach left by LaDainian Tomlinson. They are more than good enough to make the playoffs but that, as usual, will be where there challenge ends. The main reason being they are one of the poorest sides at rushing the opposing QB.
Oakland Raiders 6-10
Welcome to the post JaMarcus Russell era. Oakland looked like a new team in preseason. Getting over the removal of their disastrous #1 draft pick seemed to take no time at all. Jason Campbell has taken up the mantle as their QB and there is a small amount of hope in Oakland. They made some astute signings during the offseason, including Campbell and Kamerion Wimbley an OLB from Cleveland. Wimbley had 4 sacks in a preseason game against Chicago, so there is hope for him to be a defensive difference maker. In Nnamdi Asomugha they have arguable the best CB in the NFL.
They also have some good players waiting to break out. Darren McFadden and Michael Bush both have lots of potential at RB. TE Zach Miller could have a career year with a steady QB behind him. I expect some progress from them this year. They’d be a very dark horse for a wildcard spot.
Kansas City Chiefs 6-10
Much like the Raiders there is much to be hopeful for in the Chiefs camp. They have stability at QB with Matt Cassel, 2 good RBs in Thomas Jones and Jamaal Charles. With rookies such as FS Eric Berry and RB/WR Dexter McCluster looking to make a difference and WRs Dwayne Bowe and Chris Chambers ready to break out the Chiefs prospects seem to be looking up but they will be small steps. 4-12 last year, a move nearer 8-8 would be serious progress. I expect 6-10 to be more their level but they could take a few scalps along the way. They will expect Eric Berry to shore up the passing defense. However they are short of stars elsewhere on the defense.
Denver Broncos 5-11
Although they finished on the same record, Tennessee and Denver made the opposite starts to 2009. Denver started 6-0 and failed to make the playoffs. Denver have a poor enough team and have been hurt by injuries. They lost their star WR Brandon Marshall to Miami. Denver’s elite pass rusher Elvis Dumervil, who had 17 sacks in 2009 is gone for the season with a torn boob. He is a massive loss to Denver. They have essentially failed to replace Marshall. They spent a first round draft pick on Tim Tebow who continues to divide opinion on whether he will ever be able to be a productive NFL QB. CB Champ Bailey and FS Brian Dawkins are two excellent pros but their best days are behind them. It looks like a tough year ahead for the Broncos. I expect them to finish last in the West.
NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE
EAST
Dallas Cowboys 11-5 [Seed #3]
Will the pressure of expectation get to the Cowboys? The prospect of being the first team to play at home in the Superbowl is a large prize for them to chase. Just getting to the Superbowl would be a large jump for an undoubtedly excellent team. Minnesota totally manhandled the Cowboys in the playoffs last year. It must have been a crushing defeat for Dallas. 34-3 is a huge beating and a damning indictment of the Dallas offense. There is no doubting the Cowboys defensive prowess. In DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer they have 2 of the league’s best pass rushers. Although Spencer need to prove his consistency. Dez Bryant is the star rookie on the Cowboys roster. He is expected to challenge Roy Williams for one of the WR starting spots. They have massive hope for him to be a top WR in short time. Outside of the 2 pass rushers, Mike Jenkins and Terrence Newman is the main man in the Dallas secondary. With all the stars [Romo, Jones, Austin, Witten, Bryant and Barber] on offense they have plenty to get them to the playoffs. Not enough to make it all the way though.
New York Giants 9-7 [Seed #6]
Who really knows who the real New York Giants are? Are they the team that started 5-0 last year or the team that whimpered out of the playoff picture at 8-8, while managing to be beaten by a combined 85-16 in the last 2 games? Erratic is the only word for them. There is no doubting that they have some excellent players. Their depth in the defensive lineman positions is something to behold. Canty, Tuck, Umenyiora, Kiwanuka and rookie Pierre-Paul all have top class credentials. If all these guys were to produce they could give any team serious problems. Last year they shipped a huge amount of points, most of which came through the air. They conceded 31 touchdowns through the air[second only to Detroit]. They need to fix that to have any chance of making the playoffs. They acquired FS Antrel Rolle from Arizona. That together with 2008 #1 Draft pick SS Kenny Phillips returning from injury means there is hope for them.
Philadelphia Eagles 8-8
The Eagles season will begin and end with their new quarterback Kevin Kolb. They are a very young team after ditching veterans like Brian Dawkins, Brian Wetbrook and Donovan McNabb in the last couple of years. 3rd year WR DeSean Jackson is close to being an offensive leader. Kolb, RB LeSean McCoy, Jackson, 4th Year TE Brent Celek and 2nd Year WR Jeremy Maclin form the nucleus of their scoring threat. It’s a lot to ask such a young group of players. Their defense is highlighted in the secondary by two former Patriots in Ellis Hobbs and perennial Pro Bowler Asante Samuel. I think this is a year too soon for the Eagles. However if Kolb is as good as they expect him to be the Eagle could be a contending force for a number of years.
Washington Redskins 6-10
With so much money tied up in the walking disaster that is Albert Haynesworth it would be a minor miracle for the Redskins to turn things around this quickly. I expect this year to be a year of transition for them. Mike Shanahan will use it to weed out the junk from their squad. He will hope that Donovan McNabb can give the Redskins a few years to find their QB of the future but that is a gamble in itself on a player who has a long history of injury problems. McNabb will need to carve out some receiving options for himself. Santana Moss, Anthony Armstrong, Devin Thomas and Joey Galloway will all be looking for targets but none of them seem to have the ability to get to an elite level. Moss and Galloway’s best years are behind them. Chris Cooley will hope to increase his production with McNabb under center. On the other side of the ball they are expecting big things from #1 draft pick Trent Williams after taking him at #4 overall. They will be better than last year [4-12] but not by much.
NORTH
Green Bay Packers 13-3 [Seed #1]
Last preseason Green Bay demolished all in front of them and were hailed as probable Super Bowl contenders. 16 games and 51 sacks later Green Bay snuck in to the playoffs and lost to Arizona in a game for the ages. There is no doubting the offensive power of this side but with that comes some glaring problems that need to be resolved for them to become the real deal. The sacks problem was curtailed midseason by resigning Mark Tauscher and Green Bay were delighted to see OT Bryan Bulaga fall to them in the first round of the draft. They lost Aaron Kampman in free agency to the Jaguars but Kampman had failed to adapt to the Packers new 3-4 formation and was not seen as a big loss. DE Johnny Jolly is suspended for the year pending jail time for drug possession. Green Bay will need to get Atari Bigby and Al Harris back fit if they are to challenge. CB Charles Woodson is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. This Green Bay team is coming of age. They have rebuilt the team through the draft in the past few years and it is time for them to deliver. If QB Aaron Rodgers can produce as heavily as he did last year while being chased for his life, what could he do with a pocket to take his time in. There are huge expectations also on TE Jermichael Finley but he has all the size and skill to create matchup disasters for the opposing side. This team is stacked with talent and could go all the way.
Minnesota Vikings 10-6 [Seed #5]
Another year, another Brett Favre retirement fiasco. With reports already appearing that this will genuinely[I know, I know] be his last year, and that he is already taking painkiller shots in his surgically repaired ankle it would be reckless to expect Favre to repeat his astonishing form from last year. Couple that with Favre losing his favourite target from last year WR Sidney Rice for at least the first 6 games of the season after needing hip surgery then things look less than rosy in the Twin cities. They still have a top class RB in Adrian Peterson and a serious defense. Jared Allen has done well to come out of the shadow of taking Brock Lesnar’s jersey. Seriously though, he is averaging 15 sacks a season in the past 3 years which in invaluable to the team. Together with Kevin and Pat Williams they form the most formidable defensive front in football. I see the Vikings being good enough to get to the playoffs and rumble a division winner but that should be their lot.
Detroit Lions 7-9
The Lions are putting together a very nice young team. With QB Matt Stafford, Rookie RB Jahvid Best, WR Calvin “Megatron” Johnson, WR Nate Burleson[acquired from Seattle in the offseason] and TE Brandon Pettigrew they have the basis of a good your offense. On defense they drafted Ndamukong Suh with their first draft pick. He has the potential to be a dominant defensive force. Together with starlet FS Louis Delmas and Pro Bowl veteran Kyle Vanden Bosch [who was acquired in the offseason from the Titans] the Lions are building something good for the future. They need a better secondary and they remain behind the Packers and the Vikings though but should no longer be a gimme of a game and they are certainly a team to watch in the coming years.
Chicago Bears 6-10
I expect this to be the end of the Lovie Smith era. New offensive co-ordinator Mike Martz is looking to recycle his greatest show in turf offense in Chicago. It is a strange role reversal as Lovie Smith was defensive co-ordinator when Mike Martz was head coach in St. Louis 10 years ago. With RB Matt Forte struggling with unreported injury last season there could be hope for Martz assuming he is now healthy. QB Jay Cutler needs to cut down on interceptions if Chicago are to get anywhere. If he could half the 26 interceptions and improve on the 27 TDs he threw then he could go a long way to helping the Bears out of their slump. They are a bit short on WRs. Johnny Knox will start the year as their #1 WR. They have the potential in their team to put something together, I just don’t believe they will. Their defensive leaders are moving on age wise. C Olin Kreutz is 33 and LB Brian Urlacher is 32. The new leaders are DT Tommie Harris [27] and LB Lance Briggs [29]. The newly acquired DE Julius Peppers [from the Panthers], who himself is 30, has a reputation of being undoubtedly talented but annoyingly lazy and not playing hard for the whole game. Sounds like a poor investment.
SOUTH
New Orleans Saints 12-4 [Seed #2]
The reigning defending Super Bowl champions have done well not to be completely decimated through free agency. They managed to re-sign Darren Sharper who would have been a massive loss. He will miss the start of the season though. RB Mike Bell[Eagles] and LB Scott Fujita[Browns] were the only real major losses from last year. The had effectively a full draft to replenish the side. Their #1 pick was CB Patrick Robinson. They are essentially the same team from last year. Whether the hunger will be there a second year is tough to know. The Super Bowl has only been retained 3 times in 20 years so history is somewhat against them but with Drew Brees they always have a chance. Gregg Williams will need to maintain the aggressive and productive defense if New Orleans are to repeat. I see them certainly making the playoffs but I expect them to come unstuck at that point.
Atlanta Falcons 9-7
There seems to be a lot of feeling out there that the Falcons are ready for a return to the playoffs as Divisional champions. Given their problems in the secondary last year I don’t see it that way. They signed CB Dunta Robinson from the Texans for $57 over 6 years. It seems like an awfully high price for a player not at the level of many other CBs in the league. They will need QB Matt Ryan, WR Roddy White, RB Michael Turner and TE Tony Gonzalez to all be on top of their game if they hope to take the divisional title from the Super Bowl champions. They do have a shot at the wildcard though.
Carolina Panthers 6-10
This time last year nobody had heard of new Panthers starting QB Matt Moore. Jake Delhomme is gone after a disastrous $42.5 5 year contract extension signed only last year.
Moore did well when he started a few games at the end of last season, certainly when compared with Delhomme and his fantabulous pneumatic turnover machine.
Losing Julius Pepper, such as he is, remains a loss. The Panthers did themselves little favours for this season in the draft. Their 1st pick was traded away, 2nd pick was QB Jimmy Clausen and the 3rd and 4th picks were WRs who have made little impression so far. Hopefully they make a bigger impression as the season progresses. I can only see a falloff from 2009[8-8]. Their running game is still excellent but the passing game has question marks all over it.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-12
Tampa are another team in transition. They got DT Gerald McCoy in the draft who is expected to have a serious impact on their defense. They have also picked up a couple of WRs in Arrelious Benn and Mike Williams. Mike Williams got in trouble in college when he was involved in a car crash. He eventually left the college team which severely affected his draft value. The Bucs finally got him in the 4th round and are have been delighted with him in training camp. They remain a poor enough side in a tough division. They should do better than last year [3-13] but not by much. They will continue to build but with Josh Freeman progressing slowly at QB they have a long road ahead.
WEST
San Francisco 49ers 10-6 [Seed #4]
I very much like what the 49ers did in their draft. With their 2 first round picks they upgraded they offensive line with OT Anthony Davis and G Mike Iupati. With both players expected to start, there is a genuine hope that this upgrade could make this Frank Gore’s most productive year yet while giving QB Alex Smith extra time to pick his passes in the pocket. Rookie RB Anthony Dixon has also stepped up after Glen Coffee decided he’s rather be one of God’s special people than a football player. In ILB Patrick Willis they have probably the best LB in the league. Expect him to feature when the decide on the Defensive Player of the Year. With other teams weakening around them San Francisco should take the West with ease and should be a tough out in the playoffs.
Arizona Cardinals 6-10
No Warner, no party. With last year’s QB Kurt Warner retiring to spent more time with his extended family former Cleveland QB Derek Anderson is the new man in charge of the Arizona offense. Arizona also lose WR Anquan Boldin[to the Ravens], FS Antrel Rolle[to the Giants] and ILB Karlos Dansby[to the Dolphins]. Expect a sharp decline in the Cardinals on both sides of the ball. It is hard to know how far they could fall. After being 10-6 in 2009 I expect those numbers to reverse themselves but it could be worse.
Don’t be surprised if a guy called Max Hall is their QB by Halloween.
St. Louis Rams 6-10
Welcome to the Sam Bradford era. The Rams had what seemed to be an ideal draft taking their QB of the future and an OT [Rodger Saffold] in the second round to protect him. They took highly rated WR Mardy Gilyard in round 4. Their 5th round pick Michael Hoomanawanui caught 2 touchdowns from Bradford in their preseason win over the Patriots. ILB James Laurinaitis is already the team leader in tackles after his rookie year. RB Steven Jackson continues to be an elite back. The Rams should be much better than last year when they were the league worst 1-15.
Seattle Seahawks 5-11
Pete Carroll is already putting his stamp on the Seattle squad. The Seahawks lost elite LT Walter Jones and DE Patrick Kerney through retirement. Nate Burleson was traded to the Lions, Backup QB Senaca Wallace was traded to the Browns and TJ Houshmandzadeh was released. San Diego QB Charlie Whitehurst was acquired as was RB Leon Washington from the Jets. Mike Williams was signed from the scrap heap to reunite with his college coach Carroll. This is another team in transition. The losses of Jones, Kerney and Houshmandzadeh outweigh the signings. I expect them to end up roughly on par with last year’s 5-11.
Once all that is done and dusted we are left with superbly symmetrical playoffs that look like this:
NFL Awards:
MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Packers [8/1 with Powers]
OPOY: Frank Gore, 49ers
DPOY: Patrick Willis, 49ers
Offensive Rookie: Sam Bradford, Rams
Defensive Rookie: Ndamukong Suh, Lions – He nearly snapped Jake Delhomme in two during the preseason.
Interesting Bets: Most rushing yards: Frank Gore 14/1, Arian Foster 66/1.
Back to Lay: 49ers to win the SuperBowl[Trading @30 on Betfair]
