|
MVP
OVR: 14
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: New York
|
ACQB: Super's Season Preview
Super’s Season Preview
I have decided to post this earlier than I said I would because there are no longer any offseason moves that will change these picks. Anyway, the 3rd season of the ACQB League is upon us and this is who I see being winners and who I see being the laugh out loud funny losers. I’ll breakdown each division with projected records and who I think will make the playoffs and reach the Super Bowl.
Note: This is for your reading pleasure, some of this was written before FA and the draft but what happened last year was weighed pretty heavily into these picks, whether you agree with that or not. Anything can happen any given year
AFC
The AFC is more of the top-heavy conference than the NFC is. You got your top teams: Broncos, Steelers, Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs. The other teams are all pretty average with the Jaguars and Patriots being the cream of the crop among the average joes.
AFC East
1.New England Patriots (10-6) *
The Patriots won their division by a single game and with a mediocre 8-8 record. They brought back their playmakers: Brady, Welker and Moss, so they should be set on offense. Their defense is an unknown variable to me, so I’ll be interested to see how well they play. The competition that the Pats face is much weaker than the other divisions so if they don’t win the division, they should feel embarrassed. The new Patriots owner has a talented enough team to make his first year a successful one.
2.New York Jets (7-9)
The team’s play last year was pretty average and that’s a level of play I expect this year. The talent level on this team is great, but I just have a gut feeling that something will go wrong. Mark Sanchez should continue to evolve into a top flight quarterback. Despite the departure of Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene and Leon Washington should be able to carry the load. The defense led by Prince Justin should still stay near the top of the rankings overall. This team could go beyond my own expectations or sink to level of mediocrity that will get them thrown out of New Jersey.
3.Miami Dolphins (7-9)
The Dolphins fought hard last year but lost a lot which is something I don’t think will change. Cassel was okay at keeping the team afloat but will need Brandon Marshall to continue to play well. If the defense plays well, than the team can compete more. They added LeRoy Hill and Terrell Owens to improve their roster. That’s not a lot for me to say about this team, so we’ll have to see how this one plays out.
4.Buffalo Bills (5-11)
The Bills will probably stay right where they were last year, near the bottom of the division. Now that Cyros is the new owner of the Bills, his plans should be to recycle team with young players using his two first round picks and four second round picks (two of them being mine). Those picks got him LT Adrian Grant, and WR’s Sexton Copeland and Michael Audrada which should improve the offense even more. The play at the Quarterback position is what will make or break this team, because the running game and defense are both solid. Despite of all of this optimism for the Bills, they won’t be making the playoffs.
AFC North
1.Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3) *
CK sets the bar high for his team and plays up to that level. They arguably have the best all-around team; this team has talent everywhere: Ben Roethlisberger, Santiono Holmes, James Harrison, Troy Polamalu. This team should be able to sweep the Browns but the Bengals and Ravens will pose as a challenge to Pittsburgh with those head-to-head matchups being critical to the team’s success. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Steelers reach the Super Bowl and win it.
2.Baltimore Ravens (11-5) *
The Ravens are just a notch below the Steelers. They have a top 5 defense and a young quarterback, Joe Flacco, continuing his maturation process. They have some great wide receivers in Antiono Bryant and TJ Howsyourmomma; I should know, because I traded both of them to LB. They did make to the Super Bowl and were able to hang in there with the high flying Lions and lost by only seven; this may be the year where they put it all together by taking the AFC North division and winning the Super Bowl.
3.Cincinnati Bengals (11-5)*
This team overall is very solid. Patrick Willis leads a very good defense that has kept the team afloat. The offense is starting to come around; the acquisition of Kurt Warner will really give this offense a spark, for only one year. The Bengals also play in a very tough and competitive division with the exception to the Browns which could keep them out of the playoffs. A few lucky bounces of the ball could vault the Bengals into the playoffs.
4.Cleveland Browns (1-15)
The only reason I give Cleveland a chance to win a game is with the acquisition of Adrian Peterson. His presence not only boosts their chances of winning, but keeps ticket sales at an acceptable level. There is not a lot of hope for this franchise; a college team could probably beat this team. On the bright side though, the only direction to go coming off of a 0-16 record is to good up, but not by much.
AFC South
1.Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) *
All of the teams in this division suck, but the Jaguars will play the best of these no bodies. Trojan Man is now the owner of the Jags and is his 4th different team, so the community should be fearful that he may leave at any moment. If TM does stick around, he has good pieces like MJD and a solid defense to work with. If Jake Scott can step up his game, Jacksonville should have no problem going to the playoffs. However, there departure from the playoffs will be faster than Taylor Mays’ controversial 4.24 40 time.
2.Houston Texans (6-10)
Slowly but surely, the Texans have improved under the “leadership” of trash talking expert, Andromada. Houston can guarantee that when they do throw, it will go to Andre Johnson. He will prove to be more useful by getting double coverage his way to help out the other receivers. Houston uses a two man rotation at quarterback with Pat White and Matt Schaub. However as some wise football expert said once, “when you have two quarterbacks you really have none.” This is something that will keep Houston out of contention for the playoffs.
3.Indianapolis Colts (5-11)
The Colts should be playing better, but Catcatch can’t seem to get the Colts to play well. I’ve said this before, how do you not win when you have players like Peyton Manning, Dwight Freeney, Reggie Wayne and Bob Sanders. There’s not a lot I can say about this team, nor will there being a lot of winning this season for the Colts.
4.Tennessee Titans (3-13)
Shiz talks a lot of **** and plays like ****. The Titans have a solid running game but have an old and average quarterback in Jake Delhomme and signed Alex Smith. On defense, they have a great tandem of safeties those being Michael Griffin and Chris Hope. Beyond that, I don’t think there’s anything else worth mentioning. This team will be picking in the Top 5 for the 2nd straight season assuming that he doesn’t trade the pick away again.
AFC West
1.Denver Broncos (13-3)*
The Broncos have a young, fast and deadly offense that is a force to contend with. The trade last season with the Titans for Chris Johnson makes this offense more balanced and powerful. Dane Morrow should improve upon his impressive stats last year and has great receivers to throw to: Eddie Royal, Ted Ginn, Nate Washington and even Chris Johnson. The defense isn’t half bad either, giving the Broncos a complete team that should go far in the playoffs, possibly to the big show with a little luck.
2.Kansas City Chiefs (11-5)
The Chiefs had the first pick in the draft after the first year, but King came in and turned the team into a playoff team the year after and should have won the GM of the year award. This process will continue and push the team closer to playoff glory. His top pick Jack English should improve upon his successful rookie campaign and lead the dominant offense of the Chiefs including running back Ronnie Brown and wide receiver Dwayne Bowe. The line backers must improve in order for the Chiefs to make it past the first round, if not, they just might miss the playoffs.
3.San Diego Chargers (5-11)
The Chargers were a big disappointment last season by missing the playoffs when they had reached the Super Bowl the year before. I think the team will regress despite having Phillip Rivers, Bubba Trammell and Shawne Merriman as playmakers, because they have lost a key player in Jamal Williams. I still don’t know who the Chargers owner is and his ghost like powers won’t help the team either; another losing season is in their future.
4.Oakland Raiders (1-15)
First thing I would like to say about this team is that they suck, I will take a miracle to get this team back to respectability. JaMarcus Russell is a joke, but their running is actually pretty solid with the backfield committee of McFadden, Fargas and Bush (Michael , not Reggie). The defense features Nnamdi Asmougha, not sure that is the right spelling, but he’s the only playmaker for the defense so it’s not a big deal. This team is destined to have losing seasons for years to come.
NFC
The NFC is much more balanced in comparison to the AFC. Last season there were three 10-6 teams that didn’t make the playoffs, so that proves that our conference is a force to be reckon with. This conference is up for grabs, anyone from a dozen teams are in the running for the NFC crown.
NFC East
1.Washington Redskins (11-5)*
The Redskins barely missed out on the playoffs last year, but I have a feeling that they will come back strong this season. They play in a strong division, with the Giants being the exception. Their two games against Dallas and the play of quarterback Colt Brennan will determine if the Skins can make it far this year. They have a lot of talent on both sides of the ball: Portis, Moss, Cooley, Peppers, Fat Albert, Landry. Baslisk Baby has the best stick skills I have ever seen (haven’t played Weeman yet). I think that the Skins have to play the AFC East this year, so there’s four guaranteed wins right there.
2.Dallas Cowboys (10-6)
It’s very important that they win the division or take the chance of not making the playoffs with ten plus wins, which happened to three teams last year. Well Well had a minor collapse late in the season with some losses and an abrupt exit in the playoffs, so momentum is not on their side. They still have their marquee players and will always be a tough and competitive team, but they might miss the playoffs, barely.
3.Philadelphia Eagles (9-7)
This team is good, but they have to play the Cowboys and Redskins twice each year which will keep them out of the playoff hunt. Their offense is as explosive as any in the league, but the defense must step up to improve upon last year. However, the NFC is so competitive that the Eagles can somehow find a way into the playoffs, they can be a thorn in someone’s side.
4.New York Giants (4-12)
This record is inflated a little bit because they face the AFC East and they suck. This Giants team has some talented players, but they are not worth writing home about. This will be another long year for the Giants because they’ll probably lose all six games to their divisional foes and are not good enough to beat half of the other teams on their schedule. I don’t see the Giants being competitive for a long time, unless there is some sort of divine intervention.
NFC North
1.Detroit Lions (15-1)*
Detroit went undefeated last year and won their 2nd straight Super Bowl, matching the real life the 1972 Dolphins’ feat of being undefeated. Weeman relies on the speed of his offensive players and hitting power of his defensive players; he’s a very good scout when he’s looking for those attributes. Matt Stafford is turning into a franchise player and a top flight quarterback, and Weeman has the reputation of having the best stick skills out of everyone else in the league. All of these ingredients make for a Super Bowl contender this year, next year, and seasons to come.
2.Green Bay Packers (12-4)*
The Packers missed the playoffs after being as high as number two on Pappy’s Big Board. Free Mason will be coming back with a vengeance and could possibly give Weeman a run for his money. The Packers have a strong offense, led by Aaron Rodgers and a good defense, so when the playoffs come around, it could be the Packers making the most noise.
3.Chicago Bears (9-7)
The Bears made it to the playoffs after starting their season 0-4 by winning the next 11 of their last 12 games (that loss came to the Seahawks, BTW). Anyway, the Bears should be able to get out of the gate faster than last year, and they better because the NFC North is one of the top divisions in this league. Someone out of all of the contending teams has to miss out on the playoffs, and I think the Bears will be one of them.
4.Minnesota Vikings (8-8)
The Vikings played below their potential last year after going 15-1 the previous season. However, Coldwarmachine is making moves I think will improve his team and their record; adding Fitzgerald, Campbell, and Stephen Jackson will make this offense better. Coldwar was competitive in the games he was in last year, so he should be in good shape. If the Vikings were in the AFC, I would pick them to win half of the divisions, but they play in the uber competitive NFC so their efforts wouldn’t result in a playoff berth.
NFC South
1.Carolina Panthers (12-4)*
The Panther’s season ended thanks to the Lions and will be looking for redemption this season. The Panthers have arguably the strongest running attack in the league with Williams and Stewart running behind a very strong offensive line. Kelly James brought balance to the offense with his accurate passes and should be able to match his rookie year with another good season this year. The Panthers for the 2nd straight season were able to trade up to the top 5 and got explosive wide receiver Dion Grimes with that pick. The Panthers will play well this season and make the playoffs, but it may not be enough in this conference.
2.Atlanta Falcons (11-5)
This is the scariest offense I’ve have ever seen in this league first hand and their defense isn’t half bad either. Matt Ryan, Roddy White and LeRon James really make this offense go and it’s very difficult to slow them down. However, some role players like Cameron Jackson and Chris Houston are no longer in the mix; there is some doubt about the future of this team. They also play in a very strong division, even the Bucs are competitive. This team is way too talented to not make it far this year, lifting up the Lombardi trophy could be in their future.
3.New Orleans Saints (9-7)
This offense is just or more explosive than Atlanta. Drew Brees is unbelievably accurate and has many targets to throw to, even though I don’t know who they are. They have a loaded backfield with rookie Markus Brooks and Reggie Bush. If the Saints defense can play decently, the Saints have a shot to make it to the playoffs, I don’t see it though.
4.Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13)
Tampa Bay had higher hopes for this season but failed to meet their expectations, they did acquire Walter Jones who could retire at any moment and some crappy picks from me while giving away his top ten pick, we’ll have to see who gets the better end of that trade. Josh Freeman is developing into a solid player, but hasn’t performed well so far in his career. The team around him still isn’t very good, so another losing season is on the horizon.
NFC West
1.Seattle Seahawks (11-5)*
Since I am bias, I will place my team above many other teams that may be at a similar level of talent. My team has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The Pass defense needs to improve to take my team to the next level. Hightower should continue to play well like he did last year despite not playing the first two games; we also added Scooter Chapman to be the lightning to Hightower’s thunder. We also traded away Hasslebeck, Owens and Hill to free up a lot of cap space, but Trent Edwards should be able to ride the ship. The Hawks were in the top 3 in rush defense and look to stay up there in the rankings. I feel that my team will make a strong push for a championship. It won’t be easy because the NFC West is a very tough division to play in, so we’ll have to see if the Hawks play up to my expectations.
2.St. Louis Rams (11-5)*
Last year the Rams under the guidance of Jooler won 10 games last year despite picking high in the draft the year before that, but I see a different fate for the Rams, 11 wins and a spot in the playoffs. The Rams traded Stephen Jackson, then Adrian Peterson so they could draft their franchise quarterback. At first, I thought this was a stupid idea, but they got a guy in Ace Garrison at QB who will scare teams more than Bulger could and some extra picks to improve other areas of his team. When he joined the Rams in the middle of the season, the team was barely above .500, but he only twice during his time with the Rams, losing to the Cardinals and Seahawks I think. I played him, he is very good and I can’t wait to see what he does with a full season.
3.San Francisco 49ers (7-9)
Boxboy had the worst luck I have ever seen last year, losing an endless amount of close games which gave him the dubious honor of being called the best 1-15 team ever. His team as about as scary as a box full of new born kittens; however, with the premiere talent he added from the draft (beast FS Taurice Brown), the players he has on his team, and his overall skill level, I see him bouncing back in a big way and scratching the eyes out of the other owners that won’t see him coming.
4.Arizona Cardinals (6-10)
This team had a disappointing finish last season after starting off hot when they lost Kurt Warner for a big chunk of the season. They don’t have him this season and traded away Fitzgerald so I have a feeling that this team will continue to decline despite getting Cortland Finnegan to team up with DRC at cornerback and getting speedy wide receiver Bernard Berrian. This team’s success will be decided by the play of Matt Hasslebeck, he needs to play at a high level to keep this team in the playoff race, I don’t see this happening, so they’ll being golfing early this year just like last year.
Playoffs
Wildcard:
Ravens beat Jags
Bengals beat Pats
Redskins beat Packers
Seahawks beat Rams
Divisional:
Steelers beat Bengals
Ravens beat Broncos
Lions beat Skins
Seahawks beat Panthers
Conference:
Steelers beat Ravens
Lions beat Seahawks
Super Bowl:
Steelers beat Lions
I’m picking the Pittsburgh Steelers to be the Super Bowl champions.
Last edited by SuperSeahawks; 03-05-2010 at 08:21 PM.
|
03-03-2010, 07:27 PM
