Tag Archives: sports

2015 NFL Team Preview: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers always seem to put together a team worthy of preseason hype. ‘Experts’ pick them to either win the AFC North or make the playoffs year after year. I guess when you have the same leaders on the field, it’s hard to pick against them.

The Steelers lost some of their leaders on defense this offseason. Troy Polamalu, Brett Keisel and Ike Taylor are no longer wearing black and yellow this season. It’s not a rebuilding year, they are just retooling on defense.

The Bengals and Ravens both look like contenders in the AFC North. Can the Steelers win another division title under Mike Tomlin?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Philadelphia Eagles

NFL purists hate Eagles head coach Chip Kelly. They have said the up-tempo offense he ran at Oregon would never work in the National Football League. Kelly is now in his third year and he keeps proving his naysayers wrong.

The Eagles made some bold moves this offseason. They traded their starting quarterback and starting running back and let most of the veterans on the offensive line walk. Kelly uses the ‘next man up’ ideology often used in college. NFL players have a limited shelf-life, so he kicks them to the curb, albeit a little early.

Philly has went 10-6 in both seasons under Kelly. Can they hit or better than mark in 2015?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Philadelphia Eagles.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Oakland Raiders

The Raiders have been really bad for a decade. They have went through head coaches like Taylor Swift has went through boyfriends. Unfortunately for Oakland, they can’t profit off them by writing a song (although Tom Cable rhymes with some adorable words).

Quarterback Derek Carr had a nice rookie season. His receiving corps got an influx of talent this offseason. They drafted Alabama’s Amari Cooper and signed Michael Crabtree. Carr didn’t have much talent to throw to last year, so I expect a lot from him this season.

The AFC West has been dominated off and on by everyone in the division BUT the Raiders. Can they surprise everyone and keep the division race close?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Oakland Raiders.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: New York Jets

Rex Ryan got the boot this offseason and the Jets hired another defense-first head coach. Todd Bowles improved the Arizona Cardinals defense and turned them into one of the best in the league. Defense isn’t the problem in New York…it’s their piss-poor offense that will cause their downfall in 2015.

Quarterback Geno Smith will start the season on bench with a broken jaw. A linebacker teammate punched him during training camp after Smith refused to reimburse the teammate for travel expenses to an event Smith never showed up for. Here’s some advice, kids…don’t piss off someone whose job is to hit people for a living.

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the New York Jets.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: New York Giants

The only big news from the New York Giants this offseason came from a freak, stupid accident. Jason Pierre-Paul rented a U-Haul van and filled it full of fireworks. He then somehow nearly blew off his hand during the process of lighting said fireworks. I saw pictures of his hand and it looked a lot like this (don’t worry, it’s not the actual picture).

Even thought JPP will miss some time this season, I still like the Giants a lot. Trust me, I would have loved to put a ‘Manning Face’ picture in this post, but since I expect them to take a big leap forward this season, it sadly didn’t fit the narrative.

Why do we love the Giants this season?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the New York Giants.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: New Orleans Saints

The NFC South was a joke last season. The Carolina Panther won the division and made it into the playoffs with a sub-.500 record. The Saints were expected to win the division, but they uncharacteristically failed at home. The Superdome was not kind to them.

The Saints are once again favored to finish near the top of the division, but it won’t be easy. They are without Pro Bowl tight end Jimmy Graham who soured on the franchise after they failed to grant him wide receiver money when they franchise tagged him last season. Which receiver/running back will benefit from increased targets?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the New Orleans Saints.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: New England Patriots

The New England Patriots held off the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl 49. They have since had an interesting offseason. They’ve had to defend their success after rumors of cheating was brought to light by the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC Championship Game. A lot is still unknown about the situation. Tom Brady is still battling the league to get his suspension reduced or thrown out completely.

The Patriots lost some key players on defense this offseason. Brandon Browner, Darrelle Revis and long-term veteran Vince Wilfork left Belichickville. Can the Patriots repeat as champs with only an average defense?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the New England Patriots.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Minnesota Vikings

All within the span of four months, the Vikings went from the high of drafting one of the best quarterbacks in the 2014 NFL Draft to the low of having their star running back indefinitely suspended. They rebounded and won seven games after many wrote them off immediately after Adrian Peterson’s suspension.

The Vikings have all their main stars back from suspension and injury this season. The experience many of their young players earned last season is priceless. Both Jerick McKinnon and Jarius Wright showed they can step in if needed.

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Minnesota Vikings…also, I have no idea who the Vikings guy in the picture is, but he screams ‘I live in Minnesota’, right?

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Miami Dolphins

A lot was made of the $96 million contract extension Ryan Tannehill signed this offseason. He is only 23-27 as the starter and the ridicule is somewhat warranted. Those people fail to look at the free agent quarterback pool and realize it was smarter to just dish out $45 million guaranteed to Tannehill over signing Ryan Fitzpatrick or Josh McCown.

The Dolphins have been mediocre for most of the last decade. Other than New England, the rest of the AFC East hasn’t exactly been the model of NFL efficiency. The Patriots have run amok and the rest of the division has been stuck running in place.

Can Miami knock the mighty Patriots off their pedestal?

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Miami Dolphins.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs went the entire 2014 season without throwing a touchdown pass to a wide receiver. Yes, that actually happened in a year in which the NFL saw an increase in passing yards across the board. Alex Smith threw 18 touchdowns, but they were all to tight ends, running backs and fullbacks. I doubt that feat will ever be duplicated again.

The Chiefs have looked great under head coach Andy Reid. He put in his West Coast offense and Alex Smith is the perfect quarterback for it. He runs well and doesn’t have to throw the ball 25 yards ever time he drops back. It also helps to have Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles lining up behind you.

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Kansas City Chiefs.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars have been the butt of many jokes over the years. They haven’t been good for years, get high draft picks and blow those draft picks on quarterbacks that sound more like female stars on The CW (Blaine and Blake). See, it’s so easy to make fun of them.

The Jags do have one thing going for them. They play in a division that is one of the worst in the NFL. Well, one of the reasons it is the worst is because Jacksonville plays in it.

I do believe Jacksonville has improved on both sides of the ball. The improvements aren’t night and day, but their younger players have gained experience the last few years. They will be better…but not good.

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

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2015 NFL Team Preview: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts made some splashy signings this offseason. They cut loose some dead weight (i.e. Trent Richardson) and signed hungry veterans like Frank Gore and Andre Johnson, who would love to win a ring before they call it quits. The Colts made it clear with their signings that their goal is the Super Bowl. Anything less would be considered a failure.

The AFC South has improved across the board this season, because it couldn’t get much worse. The Colts are still favored to win the division and possibly be in contention for home-field advantage in the postseason.

Here is the 2015 NFL team preview for the Indianapolis Colts.

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