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Last Word On Sports

Sports News Since 2011. Honestly.

Last Word On Sports Logo

Sports. Honestly. Since 2011

Month: September 2011

NHL 2011-2012 Western Standings Prediction

Posted on by ScottyJ

The Sharks will rule the rink!

The Western Conference is, in my opinion, the stronger of the two. If not stronger then it is at least more competitive when it comes to getting the last spot for the post-season. Last year only five points separated a 4th place ducks team from the 10th place Calgary Flames. The Flames finished with a whopping 94 points and were still sent golfing in the spring. My point is that anything can happen when you think about it. For example had Los Angeles lost to Dallas last year on April 2nd, the two teams would have switched places in the standings, L.A missing the playoffs in 9th while Dallas took 7th spot.

It’s a funny sport so don’t count anyone out. There are always a few games that could change a team’s fortune in the end. That being said here are my thoughts on where the Western teams should lie come playoff time.

1. San Jose – Havlat and Burns will make a great fit in San Jose. Havlat being a RW should see plenty of ice time with superstars like Thornton and Marleau. Last year Niemi started slow in a sophomore slump but brought it in the end, as did the rest of the team. Still no cup in my books but I predict a great regular season from the Sharks.

2. Vancouver – Kesler being injured to start the year and the loss of Christian Ehrhoff cause me to believe the Canucks lose out to the Sharks this year. Edler missed 31 games lat year and Vancouver will need him healthy without Ehrhoff in the lineup. I expect that Kevin Bieksa will also pick up some of the extra minutes.

3. Detroit – Of course I have my Red Wings winning the very competitive central division. Brian Rafalski will be sorely missed but Ian White should prove a competent replacement. Jimmy Howard experienced a below par season and should improve his stats this year for the Wings

4. Chicago – When I say competitive I mean it. The Blackhawks, Detroit, St. Louis and Nashville may all place within 7-8 points of each other leaving little room for error in divisional games. Chicago still looks solid adding plenty of physical toughness over the last few months and I believe goaltender Corey Crawford is the real deal.

5. Los Angeles – I know a few people who think the Kings could win it all this year. I’m not so sure but Mike Richards and Simon Gagne will definitely improve L.A.’s chances. Couple that with their blooming defence and goaltending and the Kings could get a little deeper in the post-season in this campaign.

6. St. Louis – Lookout for the Blues. This is my most improved team for sure (up from11th in the conference). Halak is way better than the way he played last year. They also added Arnott and Langenbrunner to an already deep offence for some extra leadership. St. Louis has a long list of young up and coming stars, making three solid lines with a great keeper.

7. Nashville – What can I say really? The Predators got Shea Weber to stick around for another year and their goalie is one of the best. Pekka Rinne should stun his opponents yet again. They don’t really have much else to brag about but keeping the puck out of the net is something that Nashville has always done well.

8. Anaheim – Hello Bobby Ryan. Hello Getzlaf and Perry, Visnovsky and Hiller. There are Plenty of exciting players to watch if you’re a ducks fan, and don’t forget sophomore Cam Fowler. The addition of Kurtis Foster will help on the blue line as well, but the Ducks are hanging onto 8th by a thread.

9. Columbus – Unfortunately for the Blue Jackets the central division will steal some of the thunder from them. Signing James Wisniewski and Jeff Carter is a huge boost for the team but that doesn’t make up for a lack of good goaltending. Close but no cigar in Columbus.

10. Dallas – Mike Ribeiro will once again step into a 1st line center role for Dallas in Brad Richards absence. Jamie Benn should improve yet again. Picking up Sheldon Souray may or may not help the Stars but they certainly aren’t a deep enough team to live up to the name, especially when the brightest “star” is in the big apple now.

11. Colorado – Things went terrible for the Avalanche last season. A huge decrease in scoring and some shaky goaltending translated into an off year. Peter Mueller is returning to the team but J. M. Liles was sent packing to Toronto. We’ll see if Gabriel Landeskog gets a shot on the shallow LW in Colorado.

12. Edmonton – Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle should be dynamite, improving on their rookie totals. I like the signing of Ryan Smyth and Cam Barker as well as others, so I think the Oilers will improve. There is just one big problem in Edmonton now and for down the road…. Who will stop the pucks?

13. Calgary – The Flames are pretty much the same team they were last season. It’s hard to believe that Jarome Iginla and Mikka Kiprusoff can keep doing it year in and year out. Iginla is coming off an amazing season that will be hard to duplicate. Calgary is just another Canadian team (6 out of 7) that I think needs more depth to reach playoff status.

14. Phoenix – My pick for the biggest loser is Phoenix, dropping them from 6th to 14th in the conference. Why you ask? Well I guess it tells you how I feel about Ilya Bryzgalov. Phoenix’s goals +\- was only +5 last year. Now without Ilya to steal the one goal games Phoenix is doomed.

15. Minnesota – I know they picked up Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi but it’s what they lost that cripples the Wild. Minnesota’s biggest problem is that the teams they beat last year (Columbus, Edmonton, Colorado) improved while the Wild lost depth from an already shallow team. At least the Senators will be there with them.

Sunday Football with Kids

Posted on by Michael Kovacs, ADMIN

As I feverishly tried to assemble my son’s 1000+ piece train table (by the way, I might quit my day job and take up instructional book-writing), the kickoff to the NFL football season loomed near.

Only 60 minutes …30 minutes, sweat starting to accumulate on my shaved head. ….15 minutes …10 minutes… uh oh, nope, not gonna make it.

When the Bills vs. Chiefs game began I had barely assembled the legs and drawers on the table. Still ahead of me was putting together all the little plastic parts. Oh, and this was while my two and a half year old son was watching my every move, himself counting down the time in his own way.

As I heard the roar of the crowd, disappointed by their beloved Chiefs’ performance, I really didn’t care. I didn’t turn my head on every down. Before being blessed with my kids, I never imagined this is the way it would be.

As the first quarter turned into the second, I finally finished the table. The joy on my son’s face was worth all the frustrated choice words I uttered under my breath, and the occasional one I let slip. I realized that this was going to be my Sunday until he and his four-month old brother are old enough to join me. But, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Champions League Season 2011-2012 – Match Day 1

Posted on by Frank Giuliano

After another weekend of soccer excitement, Match Day 1 of the most prestigious European club competition, the Champions League, comes underway on the 13th and 14th of September, with a few mouth-watering match-ups kicking it all off. This year’s edition blasts off with a BANG as all eyes will be on the biggest game of the day in which seven-time Champions League winners, AC Milan, takes on defending European champions, Barcelona FC, at the Camp Nou. Both teams are coming from ties in their domestic league this weekend. The rossoneri stormed back from a 2-0 deficit to spoil the show for SS Lazio; whereas the blaugrana surrendered a 2-0 lead to Real Sociedad on the road. It should be a match full of outstanding technical ability as both teams possess players of great quality capable of making this fixture the game of the year. It will be an intriguing battle for the Milanisti as it is difficult to defend against a very well-coached Barcelona with extremely talented attacking players such as Lionel Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, and David Villa in the line-up. Group A, aka ‘group of death’, opens up with an interesting encounter as newcomers Manchester City will be up against a stubborn SSC Napoli, who are making their first appearance since their glory days with Diego Maradona back in the early ‘90s. Both teams have bolstered their rosters for the up-coming season, with Manchester City making the most notable signing in Sergio ‘Kun’ Aguëro who has scored 6 goals in 4 league games thus far in England. The other group A fixture is Villarreal of Spain taking on Bayern Munich of Germany. In group C, Benfica will take on Manchester United FC who is currently showing a great run of form in the Premier League winning 4 games out of 4 with Wayne Rooney scoring a hat trick at the weekend, which puts him on top of the goal-scorers standings with 8 goals.  The other big match-up of the day comes from group F where German champions Borussia Dortmund welcome a weakened Arsenal team. Both sides are currently displaying poor performances in their respective leagues.

Prediction for group winners and runners up

Group A

Comments
  1. FC Bayern Munich
  2. Manchester City FC
  3. SSC Napoli
  4. Villareal FC
 Do not count out SSC Napoli and Villareal FC. They should both provide stiff competition for Manchester City FC and FC Bayern Munich.

 

Group B

Comments
  1. FC Internazionale
  2. Lille
  3. CSKA Moskow
  4. AS Trabzonspor
 FC Internazionale should be able to claim first place easily. Turkish side AS Trabzonspor are included in this year’s Champions League due to the match scandal in Turkey which eliminated Fenerbahce.

 

Group C

Comments
  1. Manchester United FC
  2. SL Benfica
  3. FC Basel
  4. FC Otelul Galati
 With the exception of surprises, Manchester United FC and SL Benfica should both qualify first and second respectively.

Group D

Comments
  1. Real Madrid FC
  2. Olympique Lyonnais
  3. AFC Ajax
  4. Dinamo Zagreb
 Spanish giants Real Madrid FC and French outfit Olympique Lyonnais are expected to claim qualification but keep an eye out for AFC Ajax as the former Dutch Champions can be dangerous.

 

Group E

Comments
  1. Chelsea FC
  2. Valencia CF
  3. Bayer 04 Leverkusen
  4. KRC Genk
 It is expected that the Blues from Chelsea take top spot. Tight race for second between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and Valencia CF.

 

Group F

Comments
  1. Olympique de Marseille
  2. Arsenal FC
  3. Borussia Dortmund
  4. Olympiacos FC
 The outcome of Group F is difficult to predict due to the poor form displayed by these clubs in their respective championships.

 

Group G

Comments
  1. FC Porto
  2. FC Shakhtar Donetsk
  3. FC Zenit St. Petersburg
  4. APOEL FC
 Portuguese league and Europa League champions, Porto FC, could have an easy time here. But watch out for FC Shakhtar Donetsk and FC Zenit St. Petersburg as both clubs are capable of providing a battle for the Portuguese.

 

Group H

Comments
  1. FC Barcelona
  2. AC Milan
  3. FC Viktoria Plezn
  4. FC Bate Borisov
 Without a doubt, FC Barcelona and AC Milan will claim the qualifying spots in this group.

Thats the last word on soccer

Frank Luciano Giuliano

Under the Lights, One For The Ages, Michigan and Notre Dame

Posted on by Lindsay Higgins

It didn’t have to be a barnburner to go down in the books. The first-ever night game in the Big House, in front of better than 110,000 fans, would have become part of Big Ten lore regardless of the winner, the box score, or the events of the fourth quarter. However, what transpired ensured that the commemorative DVDs will sell themselves.

The first quarter was all Notre Dame. Michigan gained a total of 27 yards on two three-and-outs, ending their last drive with an interception as the quarter expired. Notre Dame had 51 yards rushing, 94 yards passing, and led 14-0 as Cierre Wood ran roughshod over a hapless Michigan defense. The Denard Robinson of 2010 was nowhere to be seen, rushing for just 17 yards, 13 of them on one play.

Initially, Michigan’s first drive of the second quarter showed promise as Robinson scrambled for 18 yards and the Wolverines’ second first down of the game. But after two incompletions and a gain of only three yards, Notre Dame got the ball back. At first it looked like more of the same: 21 yards to Michael Floyd for a first down. But after a short rush and an incomplete pass, Tommy Rees threw his first interception of the game at his own 45 yard line. Two plays later Robinson connected with Junior Hemingway, who made an incredible effort to stretch out and knock the pylon over with the football. The call on the field was a touchdown and after review it was upheld.

Notre Dame’s next drive went for nine plays and 58 yards in just under five minutes. It also went for three penalties on the Irish (as well as one on Michigan), including a 15-yard call for unnecessary roughness. They managed three first downs and were deep in Michigan territory when Rees threw his second interception of the night. Fortunately for Notre Dame, the Wolverines went three-and-out and gave the ball back with good field position. After three first downs, Rees threw three straight incompletions and David Ruffer kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Irish up 17-7. Michigan went three-and-out to end the half.

Notre Dame received the kickoff, and the teams traded punts to start the second half. The Irish were in Michigan territory when Cierre Wood fumbled and the Wolverines recovered. Michigan converted on third down, but on the ensuing first down Robinson threw his second pick of the game. Seven plays later, Rees hit TJ Jones for a 15-yard touchdown pass to make it 24-17 Notre Dame.

If you saw the play from Super Bowl XLII where Eli Manning completed a pass as he was being dragged down by the Patriots defense- and everyone has seen that play, since it resulted in the David Tyree helmet-catch- you probably thought of it on the Wolverines’ first play from scrimmage. With a Notre Dame defender hanging from the back of his leg, Robinson heaved the ball downfield where Junior Hemingway snagged it around the Michigan 30 and took off. He was pushed out of bounds at the Irish 5 yard line and the quarter ended two plays later.

If you thought the pass to Hemingway was a weird play, you haven’t seen anything yet. The fourth quarter started with Michigan in 3rd-and-goal from the Notre Dame 1. Robinson handed the ball off and the defense forced a fumble. The ball squirted free and bounced in Robinson’s direction; he scooped it up and darted in, untouched, for the touchdown.

Lady Luck appears to approve of night games at the Big House. After a Notre Dame three-and-out, a terrible punt gave the Wolverines the ball at the Irish 40. A sack for a loss of five yards was quickly negated by two first downs, and on 2nd and 7 from the Irish 14, Jeremy Gallon caught a pass for a touchdown. 24-21 Notre Dame.

At this point, I could really just start copying and pasting earlier paragraphs. Driving in Michigan territory, Notre Dame turned the ball over on a fumble by quarterback Rees, that was promptly recovered by the Wolverines. But just as Michigan looked like they could punch it in again, Robinson threw an interception. (See what I mean about copy and paste?) Irish went three-and-out, and a much better punt was nonetheless returned 21 yards to the Michigan 42. Five plays later, on first down from the Notre Dame 21, Robinson found Vincent Smith in the end zone. Michigan takes their first lead of the game to make it 28-24 with 1:12 remaining after the kickoff.

Notre Dame got a good return on the kickoff, bringing it out to their own 39. A huge pass-interference call on Michigan brought them to the Wolverines’ 46. For some reason the Irish immediately went to the air, electing not to run the ball and take more time off the clock. (Given their earlier fumbles, I suppose this was understandable). Rees completed passes of 12 and five yards, threw an incompletion, and on 3rd-and-five hit Theo Riddick for a 29-yard touchdown. 31-28, Irish win… right?

To quote Lee Corso, “Not so fast, my friend!” Still :30 on the clock. First-and-10, incomplete pass. 23 seconds left. HUGE catch-and-run by a wide-open Gallon at midfield. He’s finally pushed out of bounds at the Notre Dame 16. (Does anyone else hear Chris Berman doing the “tiiiiiick, tick tiiiiiick” thing as they read this?) 8 seconds left, 1st down. Robinson drops back, and heaves the ball toward a double-covered Roy Roundtree, who hauls it in for the score. 35-31 Wolverines. With :02 remaining, the Notre Dame kick returned is taken down for a loss and another crazy ending in this rivalry is in the books. It’s Notre Dame-Michigan… did you really expect anything less?

The Nick Diaz Affair

Posted on by Mark Modeski

One of the more recent ongoings within the MMA world lately is the drama surrounding Nick Diaz. Nick has been building up an impressive win list in the Welterweight Division within Strikeforce organization (and Elite XC, DREAM, Pride FC) using a well-rounded skill set that many have seen as the answer to defeating GSP. Unfortunately, usually where Nick goes, drama follows.

For those of you who don’t know really know Nick Diaz, he was once of the more exciting fighters in the UFC – a couple of losses, and a fight in the hospital with Joe Riggs, and Nick found himself unemployed. Since that time he has been nearly flawless.

The UFC’s acquisition of Strikeforce heralded an interesting time for those fans of the WW division, as the prospect of a fight between Diaz and GSP seemed inevitable. Recently, Dana White answered our prayers. Dana announced that the fight between GSP and Diaz would take place this October at UFC 137.

Unfortunately, the drama has recently continued. Nick decided that he would go MIA in the build-up to the fight in October, so an infuriated Dana White kicked Diaz off the main event and put Carlos Condit in his place – which in my opinion was an inevitable match-up regardless, and still an interesting one to watch. BUT, at the end of the day – it’s not Diaz. Condit does not have the same tool box, and will likely be dominated by the superior St. Pierre. The good news is that Dana did have a change of heart, and rewarded with Diaz  v. Penn – which should be a fantastic fight.

The question is – why Nick Diaz always surrounded by drama? Some people say it’s because he fights for money and not glory; Diaz has stated on numerous occasions as such. Others suggest it’s his background – growing up on the streets. Others say he is a true fighter, and this spills over into his personality all too often.

My opinion? I honestly believe he just doesn’t care about the glory, or the belt. I think he has a hard time dealing with the lights and cameras, and just wants nothing to do with it.  I think the problem with this reality is that it will make for another untimely exit for him from the UFC, and there is a good chance we never will see GSP/Diaz fight. I do honestly hope I am wrong, but who knows. Nick’s volatility will be his undoing… and I truthfully don’t think he cares.

…And that is the last word.

Fantasy Watch List – NFL

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The Draft is over.  Now the season begins.  And as with every season it is the waiver pick-ups that often determine the league.  If any of these players begin to produce it may be more than just a one week spike.

A. Been and D. Briscoe – WR – Tampa – Count these as Josh Freeman picks.  If he takes the next step then one of his secodary receivers could make the leap.

D. Carter – RB – Indy – With no Manning the Colt’s may have to resort to pounding the run game.  If Addai is not up to the task Carter may be.

J. Harrison – RB – Detroit – J. Best is not a number 1 running back.  Harrison has produced everywhere he has played. If he gets enough touches expect results.

A. Hernandez – TE – New England – Not available in all leagues and for good reason.  Hernandez will be the Pats main deep threat and could surpass 800 yards and 6 TD’s.

L. Kendricks – TE – St. Louis – The new Rams offense will feature the TE.  Bradford will be fantasy freiendly. It is just a matter of figuring out who his favorite targets will be.

A. Brown – WR – Pittsburgh – Ward is no longer a #2 WR.  E. Sanders is supposed to step into the role but Brown flashed mega speed in the preseason.  If he gets the nob instead expect results.

T. Young – WR – Detroit – Much like Freeman, loading up on Staffords targets could be a good idea.

Big Time Game – NFL season underway!

Posted on by Ben Kerr

It doesn’t get much better than the game Thursday night.  Two Big-Time QB’s showing up and putting on a dominating display showing that when two QB’s are on their game they are nearly unstoppable. The game ended up coming down to an early Saints turnover but more than that their inability to convert in short yardage situations.  What else did we learn?

How are the teams without All-Star QB’s supposed to compete when you have to face offences like that?

Grant or Starks?  Grant opened the game with most the carriers but as the game wore on it looked like Starks was the feature back.  He displayed good power after first contract and was trusted by the coaching staff in passing situations.  Starks has the early edge.

Are the Saints really tougher?  They switched their Center this offseason an added two massive Defensive Tackles.  What did it all mean?  The Saints lost in the short yardage battles.  Twice unable to convert on offense in situations where they needed only 1 yard.  On defense the Packers had no issues with grinding out positive gains by running up the gut and it even produced a short yardage TD.

Big Time Injury – The Saints top WR Colston is reportedly lost for 4 weeks with a broken collarbone.  A huge loss or someting the Saints can overcome? While the Saints may be better than any team at spreading the ball around they can’t afford to slip up at all in what will be a tight division race with Atlanta, especially since they are already 0 and One.

NFC Preview

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The balance of power in the NFL is shifting.  Maybe more than just an injury, Peyton Manning’s absence from this opening weekend’s games signifies the official end of the dominance of the AFC over the NFC.  The NFC has now won the last two Superbowls, before that they have won just two of the previous nine.  Michael Lombardi of NFL.com recently wrote on excellent article on NFL division power rankings.  His rankings put three NFC divisions in the top four (Ranking: North, East, AFC East, South).  Only the lowly NFC West is dragging the conference down coming up last.

Should this be a surprise?  Look at the list of QB’s: Rodgers, Brees, Vick, Ryan, Romo, Freeman.  Follow the QB’s and you see why the NFC is so dangerous this year, and this is before factoring in Sam Bradford and Matt Stafford, the two most dangerous up and coming players.

Sure the AFC still has more dangerous Super Bowl contenders, but top to bottom the NFC reigns supreme.  What does all this mean?  Well it means that predicting the NFC division winners this year is no easy task.  With so many good teams the winners will come down to one thing: division games.  The good teams will win and lose their fair share with few pulling away from the pack.  That means it all comes down to how you did against your biggest division foes.  This is how the NFC breaks down for me.

NFC EAST

  1. Philly 10-6 – The offense has questions with an unsorted offensive line and three less than 100% Wide Receivers.  But the defense holds it together while they get it sorted out.
  2. Dallas 9-7 – Dangerous on offense.  Makes up for a shaky secondary.
  3. Washington 8-8 – Mike Shannahan has installed his offense and his run game will look a lot more like his Denver days.  This will take a lot of pressure off of Rex Grossman, but can he play well all season?
  4. New York Giants – 7-9 – An offseason with few additions has ended with several injuries to the defense. How will they make it through the season?

NFC North

  1. Green Bay 12-4 – Rodgers is too good and the roster too deep to look elsewhere in the division.
  2. Detroit 9-7 (WC)– The offense is explosive and the D-Line has the ability to dominate which is becoming the only thing that matters against the leagues top QB’s.  Should be a strong home team.
  3. Minnesota 8-8 – Still that big, tough, veteran team from two years back.  Now they will have decent QB’ing to go with it.
  4. Chicago 8-8 – How many games can this O-line win in a division with three strong D-lines?

NFC South

  1.  New Orleans 11-5 – Injuries simply cannot be as bad as last year. A renewed run game lets Brees rip it up again.
  2. Atlanta10-6 (WC)– Had some nice breaks last year that led to their dominant record. Still like them.
  3. Tampa Bay 8-8 – Played tough against good teams last year but too many wins came against the scrubs.
  4. Carolina 5-11 – Don’t see them as a pushover with strong run game and defense, but who do they beat?

NFC West

  1. St Louis 9-7 – I have no idea so let’s go with the divisions best Quarterback.
  2. Arizona 8-8 – Kolb-Fitz, Kolb-Fitz, Kolb-Fitz, Kolb-Fitz, Kolb-Fitz and Kolb-Fitz
  3. Seattle 4-12 – TavarisJackson. Is that how you spell his name? I’m not looking it up.
  4. San Fran 2-14 – How pumped up can the players get for a game with Alex Smith?

Playoffs:

Wild Card Round: Atlanta over St. Louis, Detroit over Philly

Divisional Round: Detroit over Green Bay, Atlanta over New Orleans

Conference Championship: Atlanta over Detroit

AFC Preview

Posted on by Ben Kerr

The AFC is considerably less interesting than the NFC, at least as far as the top of each division goes.  While it might be tempting to pick Baltimore to rise up and conquer the Steelers or to think the Jets are ready to make the next step and win the AFC East it probably won’t happen.  This is a QB league and to go against the likes of Tom Brady or Ben Roethlisberger is nothing short of foolish.  I’m not saying it can’t happen; it’s just not very likely to happen.

So what about the other two divisions?  There is a little more drama here with Manning out for an indefinite amount of time and Kansas City coming off a division title in the West.  Let’s settle the West first.  KC is not winning again.  Last year was a product of an improving team meeting the right schedule, specifically the easiest one in the league.  This turns the West into another automatic. Philip Rivers is the king of the West and looks to assert his dominance again this season.

So that leaves us with one wild card division:  The South.  Indy still has a handful of superstars; their pride and surely a huge chip on their shoulder after watching everyone write them off at the drop of a hat this past week.  Houston, the perennial pre-season contender has everything they need on offense. But they have been nothing if not soft over these past few years; can they ever turn it around and play kick-ass football?  The Titans have a new coach, new QB and same O-Line / RB combo.  Is it enough to turn their fortunes? Jacksonville is last with a newly anointed starting QB and a barley improved defensive secondary that got chewed up last year.  Let’s see how it all shakes out:

AFC EAST

  1. New England 13-3 – One of the most loaded rosters in the league can seemingly play any style of ball.  Will the new D-Line be a force that takes them to the next level?
  2. New York Jets 12-4 – A solid team that fights for every yard.  But they can’t best the Pats of a 16 game schedule without better Quarterback play.
  3. Miami 5-11 – Tough team returns but is the organization in shambles?
  4. Buffalo 5-11 – Ryan Fitzpatrick is who they choose to be their QB.

AFC NORTH

  1. Pittsburgh 13-3 – One of the easiest schedules in the league for one of the best teams.
  2. Baltimore10 -6 – With speed issues and O-line problems if any contender slips it could be the Ravens.
  3. Cleveland 9-7 – Ride easy schedule to dominating start before falling with four of last five games against the Steelers and Ravens.  How does that happen?
  4. Cincy 1-15 – I don’t even think they are that bad, but how do you start a rookie second round pick at QB?

AFC SOUTH

  1. Houston 12-4 – Count me in as a Wade Phillips believer.  For one regular season at least.
  2. Tennessee 10-6 – Hasselbeck + dominant O-line = Easy Completions
  3. Jacksonville 4-12 – Tell me how they improved, then explain how they managed to win 8 last season.
  4. Indy 3-13 – Might be a few weeks of tough play before they realize they can never score more than 17 points.  Are we sure Caldwell is an NFL calibre coach?

AFC WEST

  1.  San Diego 13-3 – Don’t go against Rivers.  Most explosive passing attack in football could be in San Diego.
  2. Denver 8-8 – I like Fox to come in and give these guys an attitude.  Additions of Dumervil (injury) and Von Miller (draft) will make this a ferocious pass rush.
  3. KC 6-10 – This is about how good they were last year.  Count me out as a Haley believer.
  4. Oakland 4-12 – Any time you change your well liked coach and you are also the Oakland Raiders I am predicting you for 4 wins max the next season.

PLAYOFFS

Wild Card Round: Pittsburgh over Baltimore, Jets over Houston

Divisional Round: Pittsburgh over San Diego, New England over Jets

Conference Championship: New England over Pittsburgh

SUPER BOWL

New England over Atlanta