OFFICIAL 2012-2013 NFL Thread

[YoungJRNY]

Since the draft is within 3 weeks (April 26th) and with the FA period still lingering on, I'm going to stick within my teams division and go out on a limb for pre-draft 2012 season predictions.

AFC NORTH:

With the Ravens making very strong push's from 2008-2011 & with Ray Lewis on his last legs (the ultimate team backbone for Baltimore) and now Ray Rice, Ed Reed & Joe Flacco hitting walls with their contract signings (and losing some key depth positions on defense) I feel they will now take a slight step back from an AFC Conference Title run in '11 to being in the WC hunt at best in '12 (only if it is for one season, ala Steelers in 2009.) The Steelers & Bengals (with Cincy having a solid off-season thus far) will contend for the North as they are both rebuilding quietly & nicely, as the Steelers will lock up their own (looks like Wallace will stay in Pittsburgh) and have a strong April (as always.) Cleveland is still some time away to claw out of the AFC North basement.

As we stand pre-draft/end of FA (looking at opponents only as the official schedule will be coming out maybe next week):

1. Pittsburgh (10-6)
2. Cincinnati (9-7)
3. Baltimore (9-7)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

As for surprise teams around the NFL, I have my eye on the Oakland Raiders & Seattle Seahawks (having Flynn and Jackson compete in camp as starting QB is a nice direction for the franchise as well as re-signing the most hardest working back in football, Marshawn Lynch) to make strong rebounds for 2012.

What do you guys got within your teams division pre-draft?

[mikemarrs]

Well the Titans are in the AFC South so here are my thoughts....


AFC SOUTH:

Now that Peyton Manning and most of the players of the last decade were let go the Indy Colts got a new head coach also and will probably draft Andrew Luck to be the franchise QB there and start rebuilding so i see a losing year there and for the Colts to be near the bottom of the division.The Jax Jaguars will also more than likely be near the bottom also with Blaine Gabbert not being the answer at all at QB so i see Chad Henne more than likely being the starter there.As far as fighting for the division that will be between Tennessee and Houston with the Texans most likely winning the division with all the talent they have.I see the Texans drafting a receiver early which will make their offense even more potent and they also have a pretty good defense too.If Schaub stays healthy at QB the Texans will be one of the favorites in the AFC.I do think Jake Locker will get playing time in Tennessee and i see another 9-7 season again this year there in Tennessee although this year i think they snag a wild card out of it.


1. Houston 11-5
2. Tennessee 9-7
3. Indianapolis 7-9
4. Jacksonville 6-10



Now as far as surprising teams i think the Carolina Panthers will break out this year and have a 10-6 or 11-5 record and be fighting for the NFC South division.So definitely Carolina in the NFC.As far as the AFC goes i think the team to watch out for there will be Oakland i do see them improving since they cleaned house and got some new leadership there.

[Jonny B]

The Bills upgraded their linebacker core signing Mario Williams, so their defense will be better. But Ryan Fitzpatrick is too inconsistent at QB. The Dolphins failed miserably in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. They think David Garrard is an upgrade at QB (it is, but not by much) and they've done nothing to become better. The Jets? Sure, their defense will be strong as always, but the whole signing of Tim Tebow after signing Sanchez to an extension doesn't make any sense. Big QB controversy is gonna be a brewin'. Sometimes I think the ownership wants the team to fail.

Long story short, Unless the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins get some big steals in the draft, I don't see Brady giving up the division anytime soon. I'd even trust Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer to win the division for the Pats.

My AFC East Predictions:

Patriots: 14 - 2
Jets: 9 - 7
Bills: 7 - 9
Dolphins: 4 - 12

[mikemarrs]

I'm very curious to see how Peyton Manning will play out there in Denver and will his game still be top notch and i think he will still have what it takes or he would not have came back.However all it will take is one rough or one good hit in the right place and his career will be in tatters.I'm thinking the Broncos were already a playoff team last year so i think that if Peyton stays healthy they will win that division and be right there in the playoff mix come January but thats where Peyton always struggled was in postseason.His teams always had double digit regular season victories every year but playoff time certain teams like the Chargers had his number and its funny because now he will play them twice a year.It will be a treat to see Rivers/Manning when those two teams play so that rivalry might heat up quite a bit.Two teams i think i would really watch for in that conference will be the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos i do think both of those teams have the potential to go quite far this upcoming season.

[mikemarrs]

The Bills upgraded their linebacker core signing Mario Williams, so their defense will be better. But Ryan Fitzpatrick is too inconsistent at QB. The Dolphins failed miserably in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. They think David Garrard is an upgrade at QB (it is, but not by much) and they've done nothing to become better. The Jets? Sure, their defense will be strong as always, but the whole signing of Tim Tebow after signing Sanchez to an extension doesn't make any sense. Big QB controversy is gonna be a brewin'. Sometimes I think the ownership wants the team to fail.

Long story short, Unless the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins get some big steals in the draft, I don't see Brady giving up the division anytime soon. I'd even trust Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer to win the division for the Pats.

My AFC East Predictions:

Patriots: 14 - 2
Jets: 9 - 7
Bills: 7 - 9
Dolphins: 4 - 12

I think the Patriots will be very dangerous since they added Brandon Lloyd and Hernandez on the offense as targets for Brady to throw to but i am thinking they just might cut Ocho Cinco(Chad Johnson) because he hasn't done much at all since arriving there in New England.I do think Belichick needs to work on trying to at least beef up his defense and get that improved enough to not be looking over his shoulder at the scoreboard every game and expecting Brady to keep them one step ahead because the defense is giving up too many points because that will kill them come playoff time.It might just be me but i don't think the Jets will have a winning record in the upcoming season although i am most likely wrong.I think the chemistry in the locker room will be bad news for the Jets and they will struggle.I do think that Buffalo will surprise people and it will be Buffalo not NY that will be in second place in the division behind New England.I think Buffalo could have a 10-6 or 9-7 type season and possible wild card.Of course Miami will have problems once again and end up 7-9 or 6-10 but they will be a better team because of Philbin and as time passes he could have them respectable once again.

[mikemarrs]

Since the draft is within 3 weeks (April 26th) and with the FA period still lingering on, I'm going to stick within my teams division and go out on a limb for pre-draft 2012 season predictions.

AFC NORTH:

With the Ravens making very strong push's from 2008-2011 & with Ray Lewis on his last legs (the ultimate team backbone for Baltimore) and now Ray Rice, Ed Reed & Joe Flacco hitting walls with their contract signings (and losing some key depth positions on defense) I feel they will now take a slight step back from an AFC Conference Title run in '11 to being in the WC hunt at best in '12 (only if it is for one season, ala Steelers in 2009.) The Steelers & Bengals (with Cincy having a solid off-season thus far) will contend for the North as they are both rebuilding quietly & nicely, as the Steelers will lock up their own (looks like Wallace will stay in Pittsburgh) and have a strong April (as always.) Cleveland is still some time away to claw out of the AFC North basement.

As we stand pre-draft/end of FA (looking at opponents only as the official schedule will be coming out maybe next week):

1. Pittsburgh (10-6)
2. Cincinnati (9-7)
3. Baltimore (9-7)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

As for surprise teams around the NFL, I have my eye on the Oakland Raiders & Seattle Seahawks (having Flynn and Jackson compete in camp as starting QB is a nice direction for the franchise as well as re-signing the most hardest working back in football, Marshawn Lynch) to make strong rebounds for 2012.

What do you guys got within your teams division pre-draft?

I agree with a lot of what you said.I think Pittsburgh will win the division and Cincy will be the runner up and be a wild card team just like last season.I do think the Ravens are showing their age and along with losing some players on the defense i think they will struggle and barely make it above .500 and be around the 9-7 mark.It is a fact that both Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting quite old and that and injuries are really catching up to them.Flacco will be motivated to play well due to this being a contract season for him.As far as Cincy goes i think Andy Dalton has shown he is the real deal there and he will only get better with more weapons added on offense.Watch out if Cincy drafts a speedy WR early because they are already getting quite good on offense.The AFC North in my opinion is the best division in the AFC with three quality teams all wild card worthy or better.

[Liam]

Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Iggles hopefully 0-16 (lol) but 9-7
Skins 7-9

Obviously, I'm hopeful for Da Boys since we upgraded our secondary. I see splits with the Skins, Giants and the Eagles, losing to Baltimore (in their house), and one other random loss. We WILL get into the playoffs this year...and maybe win. lol

And anyone who says "Lose Romo"....SHUT UP. He was the problem in 2 games last year. Look to the defense for some other sloppy losses. Ware was our only consistent player on D. Wish I could say Sean Lee was too, but he was injured for a few games with a broken wrist. Hard to be consistent with a huge cast on your hand.

I'd MUCH rather go 14-2 for the first time.

[Rick]

Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Iggles hopefully 0-16 (lol) but 9-7
Skins 7-9

Obviously, I'm hopeful for Da Boys since we upgraded our secondary. I see splits with the Skins, Giants and the Eagles, losing to Baltimore (in their house), and one other random loss. We WILL get into the playoffs this year...and maybe win. lol

And anyone who says "Lose Romo"....SHUT UP. He was the problem in 2 games last year. Look to the defense for some other sloppy losses. Ware was our only consistent player on D. Wish I could say Sean Lee was too, but he was injured for a few games with a broken wrist. Hard to be consistent with a huge cast on your hand.

I'd MUCH rather go 14-2 for the first time.

The Cowboys have so many haters it's unreal. A friend at work was doing the numbers on Romo, and he's a top 5 QB, by the numbers. He's just coughed up the ball at the worst time, too many times. If he had Aikman's team to play behind, he would be looking pretty elite.

[Jonny B]

The Bills upgraded their linebacker core signing Mario Williams, so their defense will be better. But Ryan Fitzpatrick is too inconsistent at QB. The Dolphins failed miserably in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes. They think David Garrard is an upgrade at QB (it is, but not by much) and they've done nothing to become better. The Jets? Sure, their defense will be strong as always, but the whole signing of Tim Tebow after signing Sanchez to an extension doesn't make any sense. Big QB controversy is gonna be a brewin'. Sometimes I think the ownership wants the team to fail.

Long story short, Unless the Jets, Bills, and Dolphins get some big steals in the draft, I don't see Brady giving up the division anytime soon. I'd even trust Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer to win the division for the Pats.

My AFC East Predictions:

Patriots: 14 - 2
Jets: 9 - 7
Bills: 7 - 9
Dolphins: 4 - 12

I think the Patriots will be very dangerous since they added Brandon Lloyd and Hernandez on the offense as targets for Brady to throw to but i am thinking they just might cut Ocho Cinco(Chad Johnson) because he hasn't done much at all since arriving there in New England.I do think Belichick needs to work on trying to at least beef up his defense and get that improved enough to not be looking over his shoulder at the scoreboard every game and expecting Brady to keep them one step ahead because the defense is giving up too many points because that will kill them come playoff time.It might just be me but i don't think the Jets will have a winning record in the upcoming season although i am most likely wrong.I think the chemistry in the locker room will be bad news for the Jets and they will struggle.I do think that Buffalo will surprise people and it will be Buffalo not NY that will be in second place in the division behind New England.I think Buffalo could have a 10-6 or 9-7 type season and possible wild card.Of course Miami will have problems once again and end up 7-9 or 6-10 but they will be a better team because of Philbin and as time passes he could have them respectable once again.

It's always been the same story for Buffalo though. They will surprise next year. They'll be better than given credit for. And what happens every year? A suprising winning streak, then a bad losing streak, or vice versa. They beat the Pats and led the division last year, and suddenly they were praised as contenders. How did that end? The...exact...same...way. At or Below .500 and looking for answers. Perennial heart-breakers. Perennial playoff pretenders....Adding Mario Williams will give them some much needed leadership and give them a weapon to rush the QB. Offensively, they look good on paper, but as a starter, Fitzpatrick has not been elite. Good? Yes. Great? At times. But, not elite. You need to be elite if you want to beat Brady. No upgrade at QB = No better than last year...or the year before...or the past decade.

[Liam]

Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Iggles hopefully 0-16 (lol) but 9-7
Skins 7-9

Obviously, I'm hopeful for Da Boys since we upgraded our secondary. I see splits with the Skins, Giants and the Eagles, losing to Baltimore (in their house), and one other random loss. We WILL get into the playoffs this year...and maybe win. lol

And anyone who says "Lose Romo"....SHUT UP. He was the problem in 2 games last year. Look to the defense for some other sloppy losses. Ware was our only consistent player on D. Wish I could say Sean Lee was too, but he was injured for a few games with a broken wrist. Hard to be consistent with a huge cast on your hand.

I'd MUCH rather go 14-2 for the first time.

The Cowboys have so many haters it's unreal. A friend at work was doing the numbers on Romo, and he's a top 5 QB, by the numbers. He's just coughed up the ball at the worst time, too many times. If he had Aikman's team to play behind, he would be looking pretty elite.

Oh yea...Aikman didn't have virtually all rookies guarding his ass like Romo had last year, and the Cowboys were the #1 D in the league in '92, so ya had that to fall back on after a bad offensive series.

Romo IS a top 5 QB. 31 TDs/10int. QB Rating 102.5 right behind Rodgers, Brees, and Brady (Stafford was #5). BUT...people focus on the QBs downfall in Dallas. Always been that way. When ya follow Staubach and Aikman...yea..that's a toughie. lol. If Romo were on, let's say, the Browns...he WOULD be elite. Breaking franchise records there too.

[AR]

Since the draft is within 3 weeks (April 26th) and with the FA period still lingering on, I'm going to stick within my teams division and go out on a limb for pre-draft 2012 season predictions.

AFC NORTH:

With the Ravens making very strong push's from 2008-2011 & with Ray Lewis on his last legs (the ultimate team backbone for Baltimore) and now Ray Rice, Ed Reed & Joe Flacco hitting walls with their contract signings (and losing some key depth positions on defense) I feel they will now take a slight step back from an AFC Conference Title run in '11 to being in the WC hunt at best in '12 (only if it is for one season, ala Steelers in 2009.) The Steelers & Bengals (with Cincy having a solid off-season thus far) will contend for the North as they are both rebuilding quietly & nicely, as the Steelers will lock up their own (looks like Wallace will stay in Pittsburgh) and have a strong April (as always.) Cleveland is still some time away to claw out of the AFC North basement.

As we stand pre-draft/end of FA (looking at opponents only as the official schedule will be coming out maybe next week):

1. Pittsburgh (10-6)
2. Cincinnati (9-7)
3. Baltimore (9-7)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

As for surprise teams around the NFL, I have my eye on the Oakland Raiders & Seattle Seahawks (having Flynn and Jackson compete in camp as starting QB is a nice direction for the franchise as well as re-signing the most hardest working back in football, Marshawn Lynch) to make strong rebounds for 2012.

What do you guys got within your teams division pre-draft?

The Steelers are in cap hell. No way!

[YoungJRNY]

Since the draft is within 3 weeks (April 26th) and with the FA period still lingering on, I'm going to stick within my teams division and go out on a limb for pre-draft 2012 season predictions.

AFC NORTH:

With the Ravens making very strong push's from 2008-2011 & with Ray Lewis on his last legs (the ultimate team backbone for Baltimore) and now Ray Rice, Ed Reed & Joe Flacco hitting walls with their contract signings (and losing some key depth positions on defense) I feel they will now take a slight step back from an AFC Conference Title run in '11 to being in the WC hunt at best in '12 (only if it is for one season, ala Steelers in 2009.) The Steelers & Bengals (with Cincy having a solid off-season thus far) will contend for the North as they are both rebuilding quietly & nicely, as the Steelers will lock up their own (looks like Wallace will stay in Pittsburgh) and have a strong April (as always.) Cleveland is still some time away to claw out of the AFC North basement.

As we stand pre-draft/end of FA (looking at opponents only as the official schedule will be coming out maybe next week):

1. Pittsburgh (10-6)
2. Cincinnati (9-7)
3. Baltimore (9-7)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

As for surprise teams around the NFL, I have my eye on the Oakland Raiders & Seattle Seahawks (having Flynn and Jackson compete in camp as starting QB is a nice direction for the franchise as well as re-signing the most hardest working back in football, Marshawn Lynch) to make strong rebounds for 2012.

What do you guys got within your teams division pre-draft?

The Steelers are in cap hell. No way!

It's already takin' care of my friend Their top dogs restructured, we are looking to sign some key unrestricted FA's (Wallace, Cotchery) and then it's all about the draft. The Steelers way, never going to change. Stay quiet in February, make noise in January.

[Ehwmatt]

Since the draft is within 3 weeks (April 26th) and with the FA period still lingering on, I'm going to stick within my teams division and go out on a limb for pre-draft 2012 season predictions.

AFC NORTH:

With the Ravens making very strong push's from 2008-2011 & with Ray Lewis on his last legs (the ultimate team backbone for Baltimore) and now Ray Rice, Ed Reed & Joe Flacco hitting walls with their contract signings (and losing some key depth positions on defense) I feel they will now take a slight step back from an AFC Conference Title run in '11 to being in the WC hunt at best in '12 (only if it is for one season, ala Steelers in 2009.) The Steelers & Bengals (with Cincy having a solid off-season thus far) will contend for the North as they are both rebuilding quietly & nicely, as the Steelers will lock up their own (looks like Wallace will stay in Pittsburgh) and have a strong April (as always.) Cleveland is still some time away to claw out of the AFC North basement.

As we stand pre-draft/end of FA (looking at opponents only as the official schedule will be coming out maybe next week):

1. Pittsburgh (10-6)
2. Cincinnati (9-7)
3. Baltimore (9-7)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

As for surprise teams around the NFL, I have my eye on the Oakland Raiders & Seattle Seahawks (having Flynn and Jackson compete in camp as starting QB is a nice direction for the franchise as well as re-signing the most hardest working back in football, Marshawn Lynch) to make strong rebounds for 2012.

What do you guys got within your teams division pre-draft?

Is there any other division on the board where each team is represented by 4 outspoken regulars on this thread?

Pitt - Trav; Cinci - FF; Balti - AR; and Cleveland - me. Makes for fun discussions. Of course, it'd be more fun for me if the Browns were worth discussing. But I'll bite anyway:

Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh resoundingly rebuffed critics who charged that they were getting too old with a pretty dominant 12-4 season. But then they went out with a whimper against the Denver Tebroncows. Denver should be sending the Browns some compensatory picks for handing them that victory after the Browns depleted the Steelers by destroying Ben's ankle, knocking Rashard the Muslim out, among others. The Steelers made some key cuts this year, but Ben & Co. will be returning hungry for one last season before some of the mainstays like Polamalu and Harrison are no longer effective. Questions linger about how good guys like Polamalu and Harrison can be on the other half of their careers, but until proven otherwise, the Steelers are the class of the division. 11-5.

Baltimore: Baltimore has lost several key players and has gotten older at several other key positions. If questions lingered about the Steelers' age this past year, then even more serious questions should be asked about Baltimore's advancing age on the defensive side of things. Ray Rice, Torrie Smith, and Anquan Boldin could make the year pretty exciting for Baltimore fans, but that's all contingent on Joe Flaccid proving he's more than a just-barely-mediocre QB in this league. He showed some promise in the playoffs, particularly against the suspect Patriots secondary. But I think he will be under more scrutiny than ever this year because of his impending contract extension, Ed Reed's remarks about Flacco's effectiveness last year, and Flacco's own recent big-mouthed remarks. I get the sense that the Flacco situation is a lot like the Sanchez situation on the merits; the only difference is that Baltimore's coaches and locker room leaders instill way too much discipline to let things spiral out of control on a personal level. But make no mistake: Baltimore does not trust Flacco, and frankly, I wouldn't either. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this might be a transitional year for these guys. They lost or should have lost to some crappy teams last year. They won't luck out this time around. 8-8.

Cincinnati: As Andy Dalton goes, so will the Bengals. If Dalton can build on a solid rookie year throwing to the stellar AJ Green and get better this year, I really like the Bengals's chances to duplicate their solid 2011 season. They lost some decent role players, so they'll need to draft well. That's not something that's been the Bengals traditional strong suit. But last year's draft was pretty good. And I just love AJ Green. 9-7.

Cleveland: It's now or never for my Brownies as far as getting this version of the rebuild right. Right now, we have 13 picks in the 2012 draft, including the 4th and 22nd pick (from the Falcons for Julio Jones last year). This is year 3.5 of the Holmgren and Heckert regime, and their 3rd draft. The results have been underwhelming so far. The fans are beyond frustrated with Holmgren & Heckert's philosophy of sticking to the draft and not going after free agents or even resigning our own solid players (e.g., Eric Steinbach, Peyton Hillis). Last year, we had one of the most miserable offenses I've ever seen in the NFL. We showed some promise on defense, but we are still missing the elite defensive playmaker ala a Polamalu, a Revis, or an Ed Reed. Maybe Joe Haden or Jabaal Sheard can become that elite playmaker; maybe we'll draft one this year. Whatever the case may be, they absolutely NEED to address the offense this draft. I'm not sold on Heckert's drafting ability based on his tenure here so far, or Holmgren's leadership (just look at the botched trade for the RG3 pick). And I think they are going to regret not making a run at some reasonable free agents to address the unsexier parts of the team, like the much-maligned right side of our OL. Finally, Pat Shurmur will need to get WORLDS better as the head coach. Last year, he had one of the worst seasons I've ever seen from an NFL head coach. In the end, we were a team filled with holes heading into this offseason, and by virtue of letting guys like Peyton Hillis and Eric Steinbach go and not addressing those positions through free agency, we created more holes. For all these reasons, it's hard to see even a spectacular draft translating into a better record or a better product. We Cleveland fans can only hope for a more watchable product. Adding a couple bona fide playmakers with those first two picks will be a good start. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to go with 3-13.

[YoungJRNY]

Since the draft is within 3 weeks (April 26th) and with the FA period still lingering on, I'm going to stick within my teams division and go out on a limb for pre-draft 2012 season predictions.

AFC NORTH:

With the Ravens making very strong push's from 2008-2011 & with Ray Lewis on his last legs (the ultimate team backbone for Baltimore) and now Ray Rice, Ed Reed & Joe Flacco hitting walls with their contract signings (and losing some key depth positions on defense) I feel they will now take a slight step back from an AFC Conference Title run in '11 to being in the WC hunt at best in '12 (only if it is for one season, ala Steelers in 2009.) The Steelers & Bengals (with Cincy having a solid off-season thus far) will contend for the North as they are both rebuilding quietly & nicely, as the Steelers will lock up their own (looks like Wallace will stay in Pittsburgh) and have a strong April (as always.) Cleveland is still some time away to claw out of the AFC North basement.

As we stand pre-draft/end of FA (looking at opponents only as the official schedule will be coming out maybe next week):

1. Pittsburgh (10-6)
2. Cincinnati (9-7)
3. Baltimore (9-7)
4. Cleveland (5-11)

As for surprise teams around the NFL, I have my eye on the Oakland Raiders & Seattle Seahawks (having Flynn and Jackson compete in camp as starting QB is a nice direction for the franchise as well as re-signing the most hardest working back in football, Marshawn Lynch) to make strong rebounds for 2012.

What do you guys got within your teams division pre-draft?

Is there any other division on the board where each team is represented by 4 outspoken regulars on this thread?

Pitt - Trav; Cinci - FF; Balti - AR; and Cleveland - me. Makes for fun discussions. Of course, it'd be more fun for me if the Browns were worth discussing. But I'll bite anyway:

Pittsburgh: Pittsburgh resoundingly rebuffed critics who charged that they were getting too old with a pretty dominant 12-4 season. But then they went out with a whimper against the Denver Tebroncows. Denver should be sending the Browns some compensatory picks for handing them that victory after the Browns depleted the Steelers by destroying Ben's ankle, knocking Rashard the Muslim out, among others. The Steelers made some key cuts this year, but Ben & Co. will be returning hungry for one last season before some of the mainstays like Polamalu and Harrison are no longer effective. Questions linger about how good guys like Polamalu and Harrison can be on the other half of their careers, but until proven otherwise, the Steelers are the class of the division. 11-5.

Baltimore: Baltimore has lost several key players and has gotten older at several other key positions. If questions lingered about the Steelers' age this past year, then even more serious questions should be asked about Baltimore's advancing age on the defensive side of things. Ray Rice, Torrie Smith, and Anquan Boldin could make the year pretty exciting for Baltimore fans, but that's all contingent on Joe Flaccid proving he's more than a just-barely-mediocre QB in this league. He showed some promise in the playoffs, particularly against the suspect Patriots secondary. But I think he will be under more scrutiny than ever this year because of his impending contract extension, Ed Reed's remarks about Flacco's effectiveness last year, and Flacco's own recent big-mouthed remarks. I get the sense that the Flacco situation is a lot like the Sanchez situation on the merits; the only difference is that Baltimore's coaches and locker room leaders instill way too much discipline to let things spiral out of control on a personal level. But make no mistake: Baltimore does not trust Flacco, and frankly, I wouldn't either. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this might be a transitional year for these guys. They lost or should have lost to some crappy teams last year. They won't luck out this time around. 8-8.

Cincinnati: As Andy Dalton goes, so will the Bengals. If Dalton can build on a solid rookie year throwing to the stellar AJ Green and get better this year, I really like the Bengals's chances to duplicate their solid 2011 season. They lost some decent role players, so they'll need to draft well. That's not something that's been the Bengals traditional strong suit. But last year's draft was pretty good. And I just love AJ Green. 9-7.

Cleveland: It's now or never for my Brownies as far as getting this version of the rebuild right. Right now, we have 13 picks in the 2012 draft, including the 4th and 22nd pick (from the Falcons for Julio Jones last year). This is year 3.5 of the Holmgren and Heckert regime, and their 3rd draft. The results have been underwhelming so far. The fans are beyond frustrated with Holmgren & Heckert's philosophy of sticking to the draft and not going after free agents or even resigning our own solid players (e.g., Eric Steinbach, Peyton Hillis). Last year, we had one of the most miserable offenses I've ever seen in the NFL. We showed some promise on defense, but we are still missing the elite defensive playmaker ala a Polamalu, a Revis, or an Ed Reed. Maybe Joe Haden or Jabaal Sheard can become that elite playmaker; maybe we'll draft one this year. Whatever the case may be, they absolutely NEED to address the offense this draft. I'm not sold on Heckert's drafting ability based on his tenure here so far, or Holmgren's leadership (just look at the botched trade for the RG3 pick). And I think they are going to regret not making a run at some reasonable free agents to address the unsexier parts of the team, like the much-maligned right side of our OL. Finally, Pat Shurmur will need to get WORLDS better as the head coach. Last year, he had one of the worst seasons I've ever seen from an NFL head coach. In the end, we were a team filled with holes heading into this offseason, and by virtue of letting guys like Peyton Hillis and Eric Steinbach go and not addressing those positions through free agency, we created more holes. For all these reasons, it's hard to see even a spectacular draft translating into a better record or a better product. We Cleveland fans can only hope for a more watchable product. Adding a couple bona fide playmakers with those first two picks will be a good start. Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to go with 3-13.

Damn dude, that was a very nice and fun read. I really enjoyed that. Spot on & nicely done. I can't find one thing I disagree on down to the last period. Oh yeah, even though Cleveland took Ben's ankle (and the Steelers 2011 season with them) on that Thursday Night, they also fucked up Pouncey's ankle (and the Steelers 2011 season with them) but not one player and/or players took Mendenhall's ACL. Your home turf did, so dammit, fix that damn turd-pile before it claims another Steelers season +1 dudes.

[mikemarrs]

The 2012 NFL schedule will be released on Tuesday, April 17.

Perhaps more significantly, the TVGuide.com listings for Tuesday, April 17, continue to show a “SportsCenter Special: NFL Schedule Release” at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.


Can't wait!!

[Eyeof]

As a Steeler fan, I hope Romo stays in Dallas for a long, long, long time!

[YoungJRNY]

As a Steeler fan, I hope Romo stays in Dallas for a long, long, long time!

Eyeof, chalk another one up for Steelers Nation Together, you, Stu (RossValoryRocks) and myself will battle the evil empires of:

JohnFromBoston (Patriots)
S2M (Patriots)
Seven Wishes (Patriots)
Ehwmatt (Browns)
AR (Ravens)
FactFinder(Bengals)
Liam (Cowboys)
Rick (Cowboys)
mikemarrs (Titans)
Jonny B (Bills?)

for 2012 bragging rights Welcome to the discussion, very informative, well rounded & educated fans of various teams reside here. Looking forward to you putting your hand in the pile this upcoming season

[Liam]

As a Steeler fan, I hope Romo stays in Dallas for a long, long, long time!

As a Cowboys fan...so do I. He'll get a ring before he's done. Maybe not STARTING.

[mikemarrs]

Leonard Pope,a tight end who started 10 games for Kansas City last season, has signed with Pittsburgh.

The Steelers announced that Pope signed a one-year contract today.

Pope is coming off a 2011 season in which he caught a career-high 24 passes for 247 yards. Pope is a longtime favorite of new Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, and he’ll head into training camp with the advantage of already knowing Haley’s offense. Pope has played for Haley in all of his NFL seasons except his rookie year: Haley was offensive coordinator of the Cardinals in 2007 and 2008, when Pope was their top tight end, and then Pope followed Haley to the Chiefs in 2009 when Haley became the head coach in Kansas City.

The 6-foot-8, 264-pound Pope was a third-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2006 NFL draft.

[YoungJRNY]

Leonard Pope,a tight end who started 10 games for Kansas City last season, has signed with Pittsburgh.

The Steelers announced that Pope signed a one-year contract today.

Pope is coming off a 2011 season in which he caught a career-high 24 passes for 247 yards. Pope is a longtime favorite of new Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley, and he’ll head into training camp with the advantage of already knowing Haley’s offense. Pope has played for Haley in all of his NFL seasons except his rookie year: Haley was offensive coordinator of the Cardinals in 2007 and 2008, when Pope was their top tight end, and then Pope followed Haley to the Chiefs in 2009 when Haley became the head coach in Kansas City.

The 6-foot-8, 264-pound Pope was a third-round pick of the Cardinals in the 2006 NFL draft.

6'8 tight end in the redzone. Heath Miller is going to benefit from having a big body to compliment his style. Haley NEEDS to take advantage of Heath's abilities. It's fuckin' time now.

[Jonny B]

As a Steeler fan, I hope Romo stays in Dallas for a long, long, long time!

Eyeof, chalk another one up for Steelers Nation Together, you, Stu (RossValoryRocks) and myself will battle the evil empires of:

JohnFromBoston (Patriots)
S2M (Patriots)
Seven Wishes (Patriots)
Ehwmatt (Browns)
AR (Ravens)
FactFinder(Bengals)
Liam (Cowboys)
Rick (Cowboys)
mikemarrs (Titans)
Jonny B (Bills?)

for 2012 bragging rights Welcome to the discussion, very informative, well rounded & educated fans of various teams reside here. Looking forward to you putting your hand in the pile this upcoming season

When you mean battles, you mean vs. favorite teams, or just the ones we argue the most over? For the record, I'm a Jets fan, but it doesn't take a lot of detail or debates to know the potential Sanchez/Tebow QB controversy may only split the locker room even more so and make them worse. I merely typed so much about the Bills just because I've had this conversation with a lot of people, in forums or in real life. And every year, the story ends the same, regardless of what they do to retool the team.

But when I think about it, the Jets and Bills are almost mirror-images of each other. Average QBs. Average offenses. Inconsistent play. The only difference has been the Jets defense which has allowed them to at least compete for a playoff spot each year. The Bills just never put it together for a full season.

[Seven Wishes2]

Boy, Bobby Petrino is a douchebag, huh? It's pretty funny that people are all in an uproar now that it's been revealed they shared over 4,000 texts in the past seven months. Really?

Unfortunately, when you are screwing a girl, you have to talk to her, too. They're funny that way.

[Ehwmatt]

Boy, Bobby Petrino is a douchebag, huh? It's pretty funny that people are all in an uproar now that it's been revealed they shared over 4,000 texts in the past seven months. Really?

Unfortunately, when you are screwing a girl, you have to talk to her, too. They're funny that way.

I still had to laugh at some of the stats I saw--something like 84 text messages in an hour or 5 hours. It's just funny to think of a 51-year-old man buried in his iMessage like a love-struck teenager long enough to send THAT many in that timeframe.

Hope his wife cut his balls off

[SF-Dano]

Niners fan here (obviously). But I will only boast when I have something to boast about. Last year was a bit of a nice surprise. Other than that, it has been a long, long time. Looks like the team made a few nice free agent signings for this season. We should have the division (although one of the weakest) again this season.

[YoungJRNY]

Niners fan here (obviously). But I will only boast when I have something to boast about. Last year was a bit of a nice surprise. Other than that, it has been a long, long time. Looks like the team made a few nice free agent signings for this season. We should have the division (although one of the weakest) again this season.

Seattle is going to give you fits. I think San Francisco wins atleast 2-4 less than they did last season. I like the Seahawks as a dark-hoarse favorite in the WEST. Actually, the NFC WEST may make a huge turnaround and be a really competitive division next season. San Francisco's dominance last season had to of awoken that division as far as competitive nature.

[Liam]

NFC East becomes the wreckin' machine it used to be this year.

[mikemarrs]

Niners fan here (obviously). But I will only boast when I have something to boast about. Last year was a bit of a nice surprise. Other than that, it has been a long, long time. Looks like the team made a few nice free agent signings for this season. We should have the division (although one of the weakest) again this season.

Seattle is going to give you fits. I think San Francisco wins atleast 2-4 less than they did last season. I like the Seahawks as a dark-hoarse favorite in the WEST. Actually, the NFC WEST may make a huge turnaround and be a really competitive division next season. San Francisco's dominance last season had to of awoken that division as far as competitive nature.

It will also be interesting to see if Jeff Fisher can turn the Rams around.One thing he always has is a very solid defense.Fisher's weakest area happens to be centered on offense because he is very conservative and he will kick field goals all day long and his Titans team back in 2008 holds the record with eight field goals made in one game a 38-36 last second win against Houston which was won with one second left on of course a field goal.Brian Schottenheimer the O coordinator will mesh nicely with Fisher but Fisher will do without Gregg Williams as D coordinator and Fish has yet to bring in a replacement.Steven Jackson will get plenty of carries in that offense though.With many draft picks the Rams will be another team to watch out for in the NFC West but maybe not this season just yet but definitely in the next few seasons.

[Liam]

All I can say is FUCK YOU, MARA

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8 ... line_stack

[slucero]

All I can say is FUCK YOU, MARA

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/09000d5d8 ... line_stack

Then I guess you mean yer ok with "the concussions that come from everywhere -- from the wedge, from the crossing blocks where a guy goes from one side of the field to another, from a full speed collision between a return guy and a tackler."

Mara said t he committee's had lots of discussions about it.. so it's not just him...

The writing is on the wall and its inevitable that the owners and league will have to do something, or at least give the appearance they are doing something.. because all its gonna take is the loss of one lawsuit regarding concussions (like the one filed BY THE PLAYERS), and the league will be shelling out millions...

So if you don't like it.. Put on some big boy pants... amass a billion dollar fortune, buy a team and then get on the committee that decides these things... until then stop yer fucking whining.

[Liam]

YES. I do. It's a violent sport. And if you want no injuries...DON'T FUCKING PLAY.