A response to Cutler, Broncos shred hapless Raiders

Well folks, as promised I am here to take my licks. I think it is safe to say that at this point my optimism for the Raiders is a little misguided. I don't even know where to begin, but I will try.

Let's start with the good: The offense did NOT look helpless. The run game looked good and the O-line looked solid. The rush defense looked very much improved, though you couldn't tell late in the game once the defense had worn down. Denver had a hard time running in the first half, though. Higgins showed some promise as a kick returner and our special teams looked decent in general.

Now on to the bad, which is unfortunately the majority of this discussion. Kiffin did not try to get creative with the offense as often as I would have liked. The botched reverse was an attempt to throw Denver off, as was lining up McFadden at QB. However, I wanted to see Mcfadden lined up as a WR with Fargas AND Bush in the backfield. Russell showed many signs of being a young and inexperienced QB but he also showed some promise. Unfortunately the coaching staff didn't want to open up the offense until they were down by 17. At that point it's too late.

Our pass defense, which is supposed to be one of this team's biggest strengths, was horrendous! There was absolutely no sign of a pass rush. Even with the talent in the Raiders secondary Cutler was able to go through all his progressions and find every open receiver. Our D-Line and blitzers practically gave him enough time between the snap and release of the ball to monitor his insulin levels!  Rob Ryan needs to get more creative with his blitz packages and the LBs need to be included more often. With all the money and talent in the secondary we should be able to leave all the corners and safeties in man coverage on ANY play while rushing the house at the opposition.

Denver fans: I have to give it to you! I would knick-name this game the "Beat Down in Oaktown"! Cutler looked fantastic, as did the receiving corps. The running game looked a little slow, but that's never anything to worry about in a Shanahan offense. Your run defense still looks questionable, but it doesn't look like Cutler and company will have a hard time keeping you in any games this season! I really liked (hated, but I'm trying not to be biased) Shanahan's creativity in the playcalling. He really used Royal to his full potential and the trick plays kept Oakland defensively off balance all night.

 Spurs10 and Calirado21: MAN! You guys were right about Eddie Royal! This kid looks like the real deal. I saw him quite a bit at Virginia Tech, but was skeptical about his talents transferring to the next level. Boy was I wrong! I bet Denver fans are salivating just thinking about him and Marshall being lined up opposite of one another.

Congrats Denver fans. You deserve to hear that from a Raiders fan because you gave us an old fashioned beat down. I knew we would suffer some growing pains this year, but I didn't think they would hurt this bad!

AFC

New England Patriots

Pittsburgh Steelers                                          

San Diego Chargers                                          

Indianapolis Colts                                             

Jacksonville Jaguars (Wild Card)                         

NY Jets (Wild Card)                                             

NFC   

Dallas Cowboys

Minnesota Vikings

Seattle Seahawks

New Orleans Saints

Philadelphia Eagles (Wild Card)

Carolina Panthers (Wild Card) 

AFC Champ: Indianapolis Colts

NFC Champ: New Orleans Saints

Super Bowl Winner: Indianapolis Colts

Will  Manning and company be able to pull out another Super Bowl victory and send Tony Dungy into retirement with another ring? Well, that's MY prediction. What's yours?

Here's to another great NFL season! I'll be back to gloat or admit my errors in February! Until then, I'll be hanging out with all my rowdy friends...  

Thanks to the recent string of injuries to the NY Giants defense I have updated my NFC predictions. The North and West remain unaffected, but the following changes have been made to the East and South.

NFC East

1.Dallas

2.Philadelphia (*)

3.NY Giants

4.Washington

The Giants have lost so much talent on the defensive side of the ball that they will have a hard time keeping pace with the rest of the division. I predict all these personnel losses will knock them out of playoff contention, allowing the Eagles to take second in the division and freeing up a Wild card spot for another NFC team. That team being...

NFC South

1.New Orleans

2.Carolina (*)

3.Tampa Bay

4.Atlanta

While I still believe Carolina's D-line and secondary are questionable, their running game has looked fantastic in the preseason. The O-line is playing well together and Delhomme is showing no signs of lingering elbow issues.  A Giants squad decimated by injuries, a favorable schedule and a coach who knows his job is on the line should be enough to allow the Panthers to sneak into the playoffs.

As promised, here is my NFC preview. Every season I post my picks and hold myself accountable for them! If I end up being wrong (which has happened many times) I will be the first to admit it!

 Note: teams with an asterisk beside them are Wild Card teams

Note: These predictions are being made as of 8/21. If any major injuries occur BEFORE the start of the season I will be updating these.

NFC North

1. Minnesota

2. Detroit

3.Green Bay

4. Chicago

This is definitely the hardest division to predict! I really didn't want to put Minnesota on top because everyone seems to be buying into the hype, but they made so many improvements it is hard to deny them. Their defense somehow got even better this off season and Tarvaris Jackson is actually UNDER rated. Watch out for him and Berrian to have a good start to the season as most teams will be loading the box with 8 or 9 defenders in order to stop Peterson and Taylor. I have the Lions listed 2nd, but I don't expect them to get more than 7 wins.  They had a great draft and really improved their secondary but their running game and D-line are both still suspect. The O-line is improving and Kitna has some real weapons at WR, but if  the run game doesn't improve fast then the reults will be the same as last year in the win column. Green Bay, while talented, will struggle under Rodgers. He is a good QB and will develop into a franchise player, but the first time he has a rough game at home he is going to HEAR it from the fans. I expect his confidence to get shaken early. Ryan Grant played great in the last half of the season but the GB running game was non-existent before that. Now that he has gotten his big payday will he run with the same passion? Either way, expect teams to load the box on him too and force Rodgers to beat them. However, by the end of the season most of the fans who were calling for Ted Thompson's head will be cheering his name. Chicago is just a train wreck. While I like them naming Orton as the starter they are still anemic on offense. The defense and special teams will keep them in a lot of games, but they have a tough road schedule and no game busters on the offensive side of the ball. They also failed to address the glaring need for an overhaul on the offensive line.

 NFC East

 1. Dallas

 2. NY Giants (*)

 3.Philadelphia (*)

 4.Washington

 Dallas is again the team to beat in the East. They are LOADED on paper and all of last year's pro bowlers are back. They will have to get over their playoff losing streak to really please Cowboy fans, however. Romo and company should be just as successful this year through the air and the running game was given an instant upgrade with the addition of Felix Jones and the departure of Julius Jones. The defense looks solid and with Adam Jones returning kicks they look dangerous in every department. The defending Super Bowl champs, meanwhile, will miss Strahan for sure. The offense will be dependable as long as Eli doesn't regress. The receivers look sharp and the O-line is as good as ever. One of their running backs needs to emerge as a true number one guy, however. The defense is always solid, but they lost some key players this offseason. While the pass rush will still be formidable with Umenyiora and Tuck, the linebackers and secondary will be depending on replacement players. Philadelphia gave Westbrook his much deserved big paycheck and then gave an even bigger paycheck to Asante Samuel. The defense looks great and a healthy McNabb/Westbrook combo is always dangerous. LJ Smith is back and healthy and they drafted someone who may finally become a big time WR in DeSean Jackson. They also have the benefit of a favorable schedule working for them. The Redskins are going to feel the growing pains of a completely retooled coaching staff and a total lack of any off season moves. The only area they addressed in free agency was special teams. They had a good draft, but this team got into the playoffs last year by riding the emotional high of playing in honor or Sean Taylor's death. His absence from the secondary will REALLY be missed this season as the roster is essentially the same on both sides of the bll with the exception of Jason Taylor. Personally, I don't think Taylor's presence will immensely improve their pass rush. Campbell needs to develop FAST if this team is going to have a fighting chance in what is arguably the NFL's toughest division.

 NFC South

 1. New Orleans

 2. Carolina

 3. Tampa Bay

 4. Atlanta

 New Orleans made HUGE improvements on both sides of the ball. Adding Randall Gay, Jonathan Vilma and Sedrick Ellis to the defense will have immediate impacts and the addition of Shockey will be hugely beneficial to both Brees and Colston. Bush and McCallister should both be healthy and they have a nice group of RBs behind them. Carolina, while improved, should suffer  some setbacks again due to Steve Smith's suspension and a lack of depth in the secondary. Both lines have been retooled but are still questionable. The running game looks to be much improved, but someone needs to prove that Steve Smith isn't the only player on the team who can catch a pass. Julius Peppers also needs to show the world that he is still capable of changing a game, especially considering this is a contract year for him. I expect John Fox to be looking for a new job in February. Tampa Bay's defense is another year older and slower. They have some young speedsters in June and Buchannon as well as solid play from Gaines Adams but Barber and Brooks are getting older. The secondary needs to be overhauled  as well, and they hope rookie Aqib Talib can lead that mission. The O-line is great, but they will be without Cadillac Williams at the beginning of the season so Earnest Graham will have to repeat last year's performance when he was six games fresher than all the other players on the field. John Gruden's QB collection continues to grow and he will be depending on an aging Garcia to stay injury free which has been a challenge for the mobile QB throughout the years. Atlanta has just begun a long rebuilding process. Ryan may be the QB of the future,  but the position is still unsettled and if that O-line does not improve from last year the QBs will be spending a lot of time on their backs this season. The addition of Michael Turner MAY payoff, but many career backups have fallen flat when trying to become the franchise RB. The WRs played very well last season, but they lost Crumpler to the Titans and he would be an excellent safety valve for Ryan. The defense will miss De'Angelo Hall, but they do have a good safety tandem. The linebackers are young and the D-line is questionable. It will be a long season for Falcons fans, but a year of experience and another good draft will put them back on the right track.

 NFC West

 1. Seattle

 2. Arizona

 3. San Francisco

 4. St. Louis

 This is the second hardest division for me to pick! The division is without a doubt Seattle's to lose They have an aging defense, an injured group of WRs and the O-line that has been the strength of the team for years has declined in production over the last two seasons. The three running backs would all be second stringers on any other team in the league, but Hasselbeck is dependable enough to open up the running game. Holmgren will need to conjure up that "Win one last big game for the old skipper" mentality, however, if the Seahawks want to make the Super Bowl. It will again be very hard to throw the ball aginst a very good Seahawk secondary. I like what Whisenhunt is doing in Arizona. His