Category Archives: 2012 NFL Team Preview

2012 NFL Team Preview: Chicago Bears

Before I go into the Chicago Bears 2012 team preview, let’s breakdown the two biggest stars’ girlfriends. Jay Cutler is still with Kristin Cavallari and now Brian Urlacher is dating Jenny McCarthy. Should I be worried that these guys will be a bit distracted this season? Jim Carray didn’t exactly put out his best work while dating McCarthy. Urlacher may put out a “Fun With Dick and Jane”-type of performance. Yikes!

I may need to dig deeper into both of these relationships later, but I have a lot of team previews to knock out before the NFL season begins.

Now that I got that off my chest, we can get into the Bears preview.

Chicago was one of the best teams in the NFC before Cutler and Forte went down with injuries. They missed the playoffs and realized Mike Martz wasn’t working as their offensive coordinator, so he’s gone.

How will Brandon Marshall perform when he is reunited with Cutler? Will Michael Bush be the complement to Forte they were missing last season?

Here’s our 2012 team preview for the Chicago Bears.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 8-8

Key Additions: WR Brandon Marshall, RB Michael Bush, QB Jason Campbell, CB Kelvin Hayden, LB Blake Costanzo, LB Geno Hayes, DT DeMario Pressley, OG Chilo Rachal, WR Devin Thomas, WR Eric Weems, CB Jonathan Wilhite, RB Lorenzo Booker, TE Evan Rodriguez, LB Shea McClellin, WR Alshon Jeffery and S Brandon Hardin.

Key Losses: S Brandon Meriweather, WR Roy Williams, DT Amobi Okoye, OT Frank Omiyale, QB Caleb Hanie, CB Zack Bowman, DT Anthony Adams, CB Corey Graham and RB Marion Barber.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC South and NFC West

Fantasy Sleeper: TE Evan Rodriguez – Mike Tice is the new offensive coordinator in Chicago and he will not ignore the tight end position like Martz. Kellen Davis will be the starter, but expect plenty two-TE sets. Cutler checked down to tight ends in Denver and Chicago’s tight ends will be more productive in 2012. Alshon Jeffery will be an interesting sleeper as well. Johnny Knox may start out the season on the PUP list and Cutler will need a big target other than Marshall and his tight ends.

Team Analysis: The NFC North will be the toughest division in the NFL. Detroit and Green Bay will be fighting Chicago for the division crown. The division will all see an easier non-divisional schedule by facing the AFC South and NFC West in 2012. Cutler will be more horizontal this year with quicker plays that won’t take long to develop. He will be thanking God that Martz is no longer calling plays and Marshall is back receiving his passes. Forte and new addition Michael Bush both have great hands. Chicago will have a very good rushing attack. Lance Briggs and Urlacher are another year older and they are still producing like Pro Bowlers. Their defense looked old at times last season, but they added a few younger pieces to help this squad regain their past dominance. You will see Chicago in the playoffs this season, but they may not get in as a divisional winner. The NFC North will be a fun division to watch play out this season.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 9 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 12-4

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL Team Preview: Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton added the firepower needed to put a spark back in Carolina Panthers’ fans. They spent the last few years without an identity and tore through three bad quarterbacks the year before his arrival. Expectations are now at an all-time high for the franchise, but can they deliver?

Fans need to take a step back from Newton’s hype and remember they were the worst team in the NFL as recently as 2010. If they can slowly improve their team each year, they are building a foundation to be a yearly contender…but they are not there yet.

Carolina was 6-10 in 2011 and Newton won the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award. He broke a handful of rookie records and teams will now be building defensive plans to stifle him. Can he still produce with the entire team’s defensive game plan focused on only shutting him down?

Here’s our 2012 NFL team preview for the Carolina Panthers.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 6-10

Key Additions: RB Mike Tolbert, LB Luke Kuechly, WR Joe Adams, S Haruki Nakamura, S Reggie Smith, OG Mike Pollack, OG Amini Silatolu, DE Frank Alexander and LB Kenny Onatolu.

Key Losses: LB Dan Connor, WR Legedu Naanee, OG Mackenzy Bernadeau, DT DeMario Pressley and OG Geoff Schwartz.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC West and NFC East

Fantasy Sleeper: WR David Gettis – Gettis is a very interesting sleeper this year. He suffered an ACL tear last season and never had the opportunity to experience the regular season with Cam Newton. He had 500+ yards in 2010 with a hodgepodge of quarterbacks throwing to him (Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen and Tony Pike). Steve Smith had a Pro Bowl year in 2011 and Brandon LaFell had a promising season with 613 receiving yards. Gettis should win the #3 WR spot over Armanti Edwards and Joe Adams. Adams is someone to keep your eye on as a very deep sleeper. He is an impressive talent and could impress Carolina’s coaching staff in training camp.

Team Analysis: I am in the minority with my opinion of Carolina in 2012. I foresee teams going all-in on stopping Newton and causing a sophomore slump. If teams can keep him in the pocket and double-team Steve Smith, he’ll have a tough season. He will have to rely on Greg Olsen and Lafell heavily. Another reason for a regression in Newton’s numbers is the acquisition of Mike Goodson. He was a touchdown vulture in San Diego and Rob Chudzinski, Carolina’s offensive coordinator, was his coach there. Newton will not get the goal line carries he received in 2011. Carolina did add a nice young defensive piece by drafting Kuechly, but they need to fill a few more gaps on defense to stop New Orleans and Atlanta. Charles Johnson had a great season last year, but he needs more helping rushing the passer. I don’t see Carolina doing much this year, but keep an eye on them in 2013 and beyond. They need more playmakers on defense and another receiver to become a dependable option before they are playoff contender.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 7.5 (Prediction: UNDER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 6-10

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL Team Preview: Buffalo Bills

At one point in 2011, the Bills were 5-2 and looked like a surprise playoff team. They finished the season by dropping eight of their last nine games. A 6-10 record was beside their name at the end of the year. What happened?

During the last nine games of the season, quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick had a TD/INT ratio of 10/16. They couldn’t keep the ball and their defense gave up 32 points per game. The loss of Fred Jackson due to injury made their offense look even worse.

Is Jackson and C.J. Spiller ready to be a top-tier rushing attack? Can Fitzpatrick rebound from a poor second-half?

Here’s our 2012 NFL team preview for the Buffalo Bills.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 6-10

Key Additions: DE Mario Williams, DE Mark Anderson, QB Vince Young, WR Stephon Gilmore, OT Cordy Glenn and WR T.J. Graham.

Key Losses: WR Roscoe Parrish, CB Drayton Florence, OT Demetress Bell, CB Reggie Corner and K Brandon Coutu.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC South and NFC West

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Naaman Roosevelt – Buffalo’s wide receiver corps is an improved group. Stevie Johnson and David Nelson are the leaders, but after them it is unknown who the #3 or #4 receivers will be when the season begins. Naaman Roosevelt, Brad Smith, Stephon Gilmore and Ruvell Martin will battle for those two spots. Roosevelt is a local fan favorite since he was born in Buffalo and went to college there. Fitzpatrick has the green light to air it out and he will spread the ball around.

Team Analysis: Fitzpatrick has an entire off-season to work with his receiving corps (something he didn’t have last season), it will make a difference. He had some new faces last year and when the defenses started to catch up to their passing attack, they didn’t have any answers. Jackson and Spiller will be a dynamic rushing attack this year. Both running backs have excellent hands, so Fitzpatrick will have two safety nets during his check-downs. Buffalo’s Mario Williams signing was the biggest surprise this off-season. They struggled getting to the quarterback last year and with Williams and Mark Anderson coming in, that facet will improve drastically. They lost Parrish on special teams, but rookie Gilmore could be a punt/kickoff return star. The Bills learned a lot last season from the ups and downs. They will flip their 6-10 record and be a playoff contender in 2012.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 7.5 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 10-6

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2012 NFL Team Previews

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL Team Preview: Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens were one scoreboard operator error away from making the Super Bowl last season. If you think they have a chip on their shoulder this season, that is an understatement.

Baltimore is a favorite to win the AFC, but out of all the contenders, they are getting the least amount of media attention. Their biggest news this off-season was Ray Rice signing a new contract.

They do have a few injury issues that will hurt them this season. Terrell Suggs is due to miss most of the season because of an Achilles injury. Can they pressure the quarterback enough for their defense to be effective?

It’s a ‘put up or shut up’ year for Joe Flacco. Is this the year he surpasses 4,000 passing yards and 30 touchdowns?

Here’s our 2012 NFL team preview for the Baltimore Ravens.

2011 Win/Loss Record: 12-4

Key Additions: WR Jacoby Jones, OG Bobbie Williams, QB Curtis Painter, DE Courtney Upshaw, WR Tommy Streeter, S Sean Considine, CB Corey Graham, DT Ryan McBean, OG Tony Wragge, OG Kelechi Osemele and RB Bernard Pierce.

Key Losses: WR Derrick Mason, CB Dominique Foxworth, S Tom Zbikowski, DT Cory Redding, DT Brandon McKinney, S Haruki Nakamura, LB Jarret Johnson, OG Ben Grubbs and LB Jameel McClain.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC West and NFC East

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Tommy Streeter – After after the NFL Draft, I had Jacoby Jones listed as the Ravens’ fantasy sleeper as Jacoby Jones. Well, the Ravens have been vocal about their fear of Jones’ hands and his past fumbling issues. Streeter’s mentor is Ray Lewis and writers have taken notice of his abilities. He’s 6’5 and ran a 4.40 40-time, so he has the skills to be a deep threat. They currently have Torrey Smith in that role, but Streeter is a nice hand-cuff in a deep league.

Team Analysis: You look at who the Ravens added and who they’ve lost, they seem to have improved their team by making it younger. Smith, Streeter, and Jones will fill-in for the retired Mason, even though Flacco still needs a dependable possession receiver. Boldin will play that role, but will often be the target of double coverage. Ray Rice is due to have another amazing fantasy and real-life season. They will have to rely on Pernell McPhee and rookie Upshaw to replace Suggs for most of the season. That could be a problem, but their defense is good enough that Haloti Ngata and Lewis will help with the pass rush. I am really, really looking for Week 3, when they play the New England Patriots at home…that will be an amazing game!

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 10 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 12-4

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL Team Preview: Atlanta Falcons

After mortgaging their entire 2011 draft to acquire Julio Jones, Atlanta went 10-6. They lost to the eventual Super Bowl winner, New York Giants, and looked bad doing it. You never want a ‘2’ next to your name, unless the final score is 2-0.

In 2011, Atlanta won the games they were supposed to win and lost the games they were supposed to lose. They were a bit vanilla and didn’t have too many memorable moments that I can recall.

Can Michael Turner rebound from a horrible second-half in 2011? Does a new offensive coordinator translate into better passing numbers for Matt Ryan?

Here’s our 2012 NFL team preview for the Atlanta Falcons.

(Yes, that is Playboy’s Jaime Edmondson in an Atlanta Falcons shirt…expect a lot more of her in our NFL team preview posts.)

2011 Win/Loss Record: 10-6

Key Additions: CB Asante Samuel, LB Mike Peterson, C Peter Konz, OT Lamar Holmes, Bradie Ewing and Jonathan Massaquoi.

Key Losses: CB Kelvin Hayden, WR Eric Weems, S James Sanders and LB Curtis Lofton.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC West and NFC East

Fantasy Sleeper: WR Harry Douglas – I did think Jason Snelling would be the best fantasy sleeper on the Falcons, but Harry Douglas is a better deep sleeper. The new offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter is rumored to be implementing a pass-happy offense. Matt Ryan looks good early in camp and is said to already have a good feel for the new offense. Julio Jones, Roddy White, and Tony Gonzalez can’t catch all the balls and if Douglas can stay healthy, he’ll get some targets.

Team Analysis: Ryan will be better under the new offensive coordinator. They won’t have to rely on Michael Turner as much, which is a bonus for the team. His heavy workload seems to be taking a toll on him and Snelling could find more carries by the end of the season. Asante Samuel will help them a lot in the secondary. They were 20th in opposing passing yards and facing the NFC South is difficult a difficult task. They catch a break in the scheduling by playing four games against the AFC West, but then face the upgraded NFC East. They will have a better season in 2012, especially since Ryan will have a full training camp with Jones and the rest of his wide receivers.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 9 (Prediction: OVER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 11-5

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2012 NFL Team Previews

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2012 NFL Team Preview: Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals finished the 2011 season very strong. In their last nine games, they went 7-2 with four overtime wins. Expectations are much higher this season, but did Arizona just get lucky by winning four overtime games?

Arizona has more question marks than sure things in 2012. The quarterback situation is a mess and the running game will be unpredictable.

San Francisco stepped up and took control of the NFC West last season. With Seattle and St. Louis predicted to have down seasons, can Arizona keep winning close games and become a surprise playoff team?

Here’s our 2012 NFL team preview for the Arizona Cardinals. (I’m sorry the photo I used for this is of a shirtless Larry Fitzgerald, but it’s kind of a running joke on this site)

2011 Win/Loss Record: 8-8

Key Additions: CB William Gay, WR Malcolm Floyd, LB Quentin Groves, S James Sanders, C Adam Snyder, RB Javarris James, OT Bobby Massie and CB Jamell Fleming.

Key Losses: RB Chester Taylor, WR Chansi Stuckey, CB Richard Marshall, OG Deuce Lutui and S Sean Considine.

Non-Division Schedule: AFC East and NFC North

Fantasy Sleeper: RB Ryan Williams – Williams is coming off major knee surgery and will miss at least two games to start the season. I don’t trust Beanie Wells as the starting running back and the Cardinals backup options are a mixed bunch. LaRod Stephens-Howling is small and won’t be getting goal line carries. Williams is a guy you need to circle and keep an eye on his progress.

Team Analysis: Head coach Ken Whisenhunt hasn’t decided who will be the starting quarterback. Kevin Kolb and John Skelton have shared the snaps in camp so far. I don’t trust Wells to stay healthy or Stephens-Howling to be a big factor. The offensive line is improved and should keep the starting quarterback off his back, whoever ends up with the job. Calais Campbell, Adrian Wilson, Daryl Washington and Patrick Peterson will be tested by facing the AFC East and NFC North this year. The schedule is more difficult this year and I don’t see them improving on their 8-8 record last season.

2012 Wins Over/Under Line: 6 1/2 (Prediction: UNDER)

2012 Projected Win/Loss Record: 5-11

CLICK HERE to read the rest of our 2012 NFL Team Previews

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.