NFL 2006 - 2007 Season

[Brian Baldwin]

It's getting to be that time of the year again and I will once again write my prognostications about each week's games. I will limit that during the preseason games to just commentary of which games I think will be worth watching due to changes made during the offseason. This is because you never know exactly how the head coach will line up his team or what it is he personally wishes to check out in each position. So scores aren't really the important aspect of a preseason game but rather the performance of their acquistions.

Look for my first article soon.

[falcon]

Looking forward to seeing all those good prognostications of the games.

Thanks
Brain

[Brian Baldwin]

Do Off-Season Transactions Make Sense? Yes and No.

by Brian L. Baldwin
August 1st, 2006

Today I want to discuss the off-season transactions of a few teams. The bad and the good. Whenever you make predictions on any game between teams you need to look at several variables. These off-season acquisitions, and trimmings make for good indicators of where a team is heading in terms of their goals. Now it’s easy to say that every team has the goal of reaching the Super Bowl, and from a fan’s perspective that is indeed true. But from a franchise viewpoint it may not be the case currently in their ledgers. You’ve likely heard the term of this team is rebuilding or that team is restructuring and like most people have ignored what it means. You know what you like and what you want and that’s basically that.

Well, unfortunately that is a far cry from how organized professional sports work. Teams are investments and the Super Bowl trophy is the end goal only to keep seats filled. Couple that with the NFL’s salary cap that allow all teams to compete pretty much on par with each other and you’ll begin to see how this all begins to shape up. As with any system of vast turnover that you see in the NFL you’re going to see “rebuilding” and “restructuring” teams each year. It’s an absolute must to remain competitive. We’ll start off this lesson with a good example of such… The Cleveland Browns.


Cleveland, since becoming a franchise once again has been, arguably, the worst team in the NFL. They won’t deny it and neither will their fans. But over the last few seasons you can see that they haven’t just sat back and allowed it to continue as “Business as usual”. At the end of this season they had a whopping fifty million in cap room on their books. That means they had fifty million dollars to spend on whichever players they wished to. And boy did they. Their acquisitions this off-season were impressive to say the least and the fact that they didn’t fire their coach as did eight other bottom tier teams shows they’re planning long range. The most notable acquisition they made was in signing Joe Juravicius from the Seahawks. Here is a guy that can make the big plays down field and is always professional on and off the field. A dream player if you will and his advancing age has done little to curb his talent. If anything he seems to age better than most expensive wines. Add into that Cleveland’s addressing their Offensive Line needs and I truly believe that we’re going to see Cleveland make the 50% win mark this year and perhaps a playoff spot within two years.


The AFC North division is already one of the toughest with the New and Improved Cincinnati Bengals taking the division for the first time in over a decade and the Pittsburgh Steelers barely getting into the playoffs as the 6^th seed making one of the most incredible runs to a Super Bowl victory. Cleveland is going to make this division even tougher this year. Throw into it that the Ravens finally made a great choice in picking up a veteran Quarterback in Steve McNair and the AFC North may be the division most teams will want to avoid this season in their conference.


Now earlier I mentioned that eight teams fired their head coach at the end of the season last year. To me that was the height of stupidity and only proved that most Owners are only bright in investment opportunities and know less about football than just about everyone that watches the games. The lack of loyalty in today’s football is disturbing at best. When you don’t give a coach more than couple of years at the helm and then fire them for not bringing home the Lombardy; well, you’re a few bricks shy obviously. You expect fans to shout for a player or coach’s head when a season goes badly; fan after all is short for fanatic. But a business leader should know better. It really makes you wonder how they’re handling your investments in their various companies.

The most successful teams in the NFL are almost every one without exception the ones that stick to a game plan and seek out personnel and players of good character and loyalty. The Detroit lions are a good example of this. Milner should have been fired and not their Head Coach. Or at the very least both should have been handed their walking papers together. It was wrong-headed and will cost them. I don’t see the Lions being more than they have ever been so long as they conduct business in this manner.


The Saints were another team I have to question about their sanity… Jim Haslett did the best he or any other coach could have done after Katrina uprooted them last summer. Yet even though they made a good effort the head coach was let go. Dumb, dumb, and very damned dumb.


So we’ve established the fact that not all transactions within the NFL are done out of intelligence. But what about those transactions that fans are heartbroken over that were done out of intelligence? Here I’m talking about San Diego first and foremost. On the surface many fans probably see the release of Drew Brees as one of Marty’s worst decisions. But lets take a look at that decision from the within the checkbook. Drew was to a point where he was commanding big money right? No problem… Any team worth their salt will pay for the right Quarterback. Here’s the rub though, Philip Rivers also was commanding big money just for being the first round draft pick that he was. Now as a team constrained by cap issues you cannot keep both players unless your water boy is going to play all the other key positions. Only in the movies. In real life you must look at the pros and cons of both players and cut the one that hasn’t as many checkmarks in the pro column. This turns out to be Brees. As good as he has proven himself to be, Rivers has much more potential in the long run. And remember, a good team looks at the long run. I don’t foresee much difference overall in the Charger’s record by year’s end this season but watch out next season.


Drew Brees on the other hand would never remain homeless for long so he’s off to the Saints who manage to redeem their earlier numbskull move of firing their head coach for little to no reason. The Saints need Brees as bad as a team can need a quarterback. And here at least they made a great decision. Just as Miami did when the Vikings mistakenly let go of Culpepper. Everyone thought that Culpepper was nothing without Moss but I think it had more to do with the Vikings’ head coach being more interested in his future as a ticket scalper. So Minnesota’s ultimate release of their head coach turned out to be a great move even though they stupidly shoot their foot with Culpepper’s release. Miami is grateful to them though.


Normally I’d bring up the whole weird thing going on in Green bay right now but to be honest it would drag this article into a novel with all the gripes and kudos I could send their way, so suffice it to say I am left scratching my head on several fronts with them and a few other teams like Jacksonville. Perhaps we’ll see a method to their madness by mid season. I sure hope so anyway.


Now for my favorite move of the off-season… Philly saying get lost to T.O. Frankly it proves God does exist and he doesn’t like T.O. any more than the rest of us do. Don’t get me wrong here; T.O. is extremely talented and could have been the best maybe. But his ego was larger than his stats and we all know that Marvin Harrison, Hines Ward and Jimmy Smith are all better yet somehow forgot their egos. T.O. showed the world the worst side of organized sports and the Cowboys’ owner Jones proved the Universe is consistent when he jumped at the chance to bring this over-rated ball catcher into his camp. I remember thinking to myself that the only team now that would take T.O. after his antics in Philly would be the Cowboys. Wow was I ever not disappointed. Mr. Owens is the kind of player the NFL should avoid like the plague yet there is always some bonehead who seems to think the win is worth more than their own integrity. The only good thing I can see happening in the whole transaction is that he is going to go head to head with Parcells and find out his talent doesn’t impress everyone. At least we can all name thirty-one NFL teams happy they didn’t take him.


And finally I’d like to discuss Washington. I must say that they probably played their hearts out to a greater extent than most of the other teams. But in the end they were just too tired and worn out to finish up. By acquiring A.R.E. from Pittsburgh and making some healthy additions in the free agency and the draft I’d say they may just surprise us all again this season. Now I’m not a huge fan of their owner and I think he sometimes get a bit creative with his cap management. Maybe to the point where one wonders how he’s doing it and whether it falls within NFL guidelines. But it could just be my suspicious nature since the Redskins always seem to balance their sheets when the reckoning comes.


So there you have it… My basic summary of the off-season. I’m sure that most of you have your own transactions you’re as angry as wet hens over or even pleased as little girls with a new tea set. I want to hear about them too so let’s get the discussion started. Even if it begins with your thoughts on my article being that I must indeed be retarded. It’s football season, and it’s time for friendly arguments and unyielding faith in our favorite teams.

[SAdams]

I would like to know what you think of the Packers if you don't mind taking the time to post your thoughts.

[Brian Baldwin]

I would like to know what you think of the Packers if you don't mind taking the time to post your thoughts.

First off, I really like the Packers. They're an old school northern team and understand smash mouth Football. But I'm totally unimpressed with the release of their head coach just because he stuck with Favre throughout the season rather than dumping him for a young untested QB. Miami, before Saban, is a perfect example of why you don't go switching out players everytime something isn't just perfect. How quickly they forgot that Favre did get them to the playoffs the year before and everything else he's done for the franchise including fill their stadium to capacity year after year.

Now a good question would be; When is the time to switch QB's during a season gone bad? The answer is pretty simple... When the QB is the main one messing up. This wasn't the case with Favre as you already know if you watched many of their games. The number of sacks he sustained from a collapsing O-Line wasn't pretty in the least. And yes, Favre made mistakes... Hell, Joe Montana made more than his share of them too. The main thing it all came down to was that the GM was pissed that the head coach wouldn't replace Favre when the GM suggested it. And that forces me to wonder whom is in control of that team? Does the coach do the coaching or the GM?

Now even with that all aside I look at this young man they currently have in their head coaching position and while I like McCarthy, I'm not sure he's going to get the Packs into the playoffs within the next two years. He's new to this position and you can bet the GM had a lot of say in his being picked which means he wants someone who will only lead when the GM nods. Not good in my opinion. But McCarthy could surprise everyone. He's from that neck of the woods and he may just tell them who really is the boss. That's how they're raised up along those lakes. We can hope so. As for Farve? I'm not sure I'd come back considering how little they had confidence in him. After all, they got rid of his favorite coach just so they could bench him should they choose to do so at a whim.

Ugly is how I sum up the Packers as a franchise right now. But their team can still overcome all that non-sense and make everyone eat their words. It just likely won't be this year. Its a shame really because the Pack is one of the teams that quickly come to mind when talking about "old school" football.

[Brykovian]

I'm a Wisconsinite (and therefore, required to be a Packers fan), but I've been living in Minnesota for the past 12 years, so I can't help but follow the Vikings closely as well.

Culpepper was already mentally gone by the off-season. Between the injury and the "love boat" incident, he no longer wanted to be here. The first meetings with the new coaching staff went quite poorly, and they were very unimpressed with how he had been rehabbing himself down in Florida ... they descibed the health facility he was using as a "strip mall work-out place". He wanted to be gone ... back home, if possible ... and they made that work out for him. They didn't get enough for him, imo, but a new coaching staff might have been happy to just offload a pouty QB, no matter how valuable he will prove to be.

As for the Packers ... I thought they had a great draft, but I wasn't impressed by their lack of free agent pickups. Grabbing both Hawk and Hodge in the first 3 rounds will have an immediate impact on their defense, which showed some improvement last year, but still needs even more. The big question again will be the offensive line, followed by the receiving core. I don't care *who's* QB'ing a team with those 2 problems ... it'll be a long, hard season unless some surprises emerge.

My biggest Packer/Viking totally-emotionally-based dislike of the off-season has been the move of Ryan Longwell to the wrong side of the Cheddar Curtain. He's such an automatic ... it'll add unneeded drama to the Pack's kicking game, while making the Vike's a non-issue for the first time in a few years.

That's my pair of cents anyway ...

-Bryk

[Brian Baldwin]

My whole problem with GB is that they addressed defensive needs and basically ignored the O-Line. And you're exactly right that they could have anyone at QB and they're gonna taste dirt.

As for the Vikes... They really made a mess of the franchise in short order with some very stupid moves. And I personally think they should have held on to Culpepper regardless of his sulking and told him to grow up and lead the team if he wants to be seriously traded. That way the Vikes could have demanded premium goods in exchange for him. But again you're correct in that it was an expedient way to lose a bit more of that black eye they had that year.

Now anyone that really knows me well knows that I don't have much love for the Jacksonville coaching staff. And the fact that they picked up Tice just cements that dislike even more. I see major problems in their franchise in the near future while the Vikes may just climb out of theirs. The Pack on the other hand... Well we'll see.

[SAdams]

First off, I really like the Packers. They're an old school northern team and understand smash mouth Football. But I'm totally unimpressed with the release of their head coach just because he stuck with Favre throughout the season rather than dumping him for a young untested QB. Miami, before Saban, is a perfect example of why you don't go switching out players everytime something isn't just perfect. How quickly they forgot that Favre did get them to the playoffs the year before and everything else he's done for the franchise including fill their stadium to capacity year after year.

Now a good question would be; When is the time to switch QB's during a season gone bad? The answer is pretty simple... When the QB is the main one messing up. This wasn't the case with Favre as you already know if you watched many of their games. The number of sacks he sustained from a collapsing O-Line wasn't pretty in the least. And yes, Favre made mistakes... Hell, Joe Montana made more than his share of them too. The main thing it all came down to was that the GM was pissed that the head coach wouldn't replace Favre when the GM suggested it. And that forces me to wonder whom is in control of that team? Does the coach do the coaching or the GM?

Now even with that all aside I look at this young man they currently have in their head coaching position and while I like McCarthy, I'm not sure he's going to get the Packs into the playoffs within the next two years. He's new to this position and you can bet the GM had a lot of say in his being picked which means he wants someone who will only lead when the GM nods. Not good in my opinion. But McCarthy could surprise everyone. He's from that neck of the woods and he may just tell them who really is the boss. That's how they're raised up along those lakes. We can hope so. As for Farve? I'm not sure I'd come back considering how little they had confidence in him. After all, they got rid of his favorite coach just so they could bench him should they choose to do so at a whim.

Ugly is how I sum up the Packers as a franchise right now. But their team can still overcome all that non-sense and make everyone eat their words. It just likely won't be this year. Its a shame really because the Pack is one of the teams that quickly come to mind when talking about "old school" football.

Thanks for the breakdown. I have to agree with you too. I think last year they did some really dumb things. I have no idea why they got rid of their o-line like they did. That's what held the offense together. The year before they had a great offense, but the defense sucked. Then last year they got a decent defense, but they trade away the o-line.

It was no surprise that they were losing RB's left and right with no blocking up front. I hope that McCarthy does a good job and stands his ground to the GM. So far I'm not to impressd with the new GM. He did squat as far as free agency goes. There were some good players they could have picked up.

As for Sherman, I personally didn't really like him. He just seemed to come across as "soft" to me. That and picking BJ Sanders in the 3rd round.

It was a shame that Favre didn't have more to work with last year. I just hope that he's able to have one last decent year. It would be nice to see him break the all time TD record too.

[Brian Baldwin]

Well we have a full week of Preseason football begining this Sunday. It's about time. LMAO I'll detail a few of the games I intend to watch and the reasons why. Basically I watch preseason not as a football fix after the offseason but rather to see how the regular season may shape up. After keeping an eye on the changes made over the offseason; preseason games become increasingly important to watch if you want to get that feel for how your favorite team will do during it's schedule.

Now normally I likely wouldn't even mention the Oakland Philadelphia game this Sunday since neither team has made any significant changes in the offseason to pique my interest. But, this is the Hall of Fame game and I recommend watching it because of the tradition behind Canton and the HoF inductees. Mostly this is a side note game.

Now Thursday the 10th, I'd suggest you watch both games if possible. Seeing how the absense of Edgerin James has affected the Colts when they meet the Rams in St. Louis. And whether or not Cleveland's fifty million in cap room and the insuing spending spree helped their end as they face off at Philadelphia. A win doesn't mean much in a preseason game especially the first one... But If Cleveland holds it's own I'll be well impressed.

Friday the 11th, has several games but only two I'm mostly interested in. Denver at Detroit is a given of course... Denver missed going to the Super Bowl by just a hair and in the offseason lost a few players and a coach. Detroit on the other hand is severely handicapped with a GM that thinks he himself is the key position on the team. I really want to see what the offseason did to these two teams as it will outline both of their divisions. That's because Detroit comes from one of the weakest divisions in the league and Denver comes from one of the strongest. Should either team be improved or hampered then it's quite easy to see where their division mates could move up or down based on their future approach. The second game that day will be the Giants at Baltimore. And to be honest I'm mostly interested to see if the acquistion of McNair is going to make the difference in the aging Ravens' lines. I'm pretty sure the Giants are on par with where they should be after the last couple of seasons and they are in for a rough schedule this year just in their own division.

On Saturday the 12th, we will see Pittsburgh face off against the Cardinals in Arizona. An unfair matchup any other time of the year maybe but you're not going to be watching the Super Bowl XL Champions take apart a subpar team but rather we're going to see what the additions of Edgerin James and Steve Leinheart will do for Arizona. Steeler fans will get to see some of their new rookies play and that's all fun and everything but really this game is about what Arizona did and may be able to do in the coming months. Then we have the Chiefs at Houston... This is actually one of the more important games in the first week of the Preseason since each has a new head coach and plenty of talent on their respective teams. I'm excited about this game just for that reason. I'm more interested in their coaches than I am in their players. But make no mistakes here... Their players are just as key this game day. And finally I like the looks of the Dallas, Seattle game this Saturday. Seattle lost some good talent and Dallas of course picked up T.O. It will be interesting to see the effects on these two top notch teams.

The following Sunday there is only one game on at all and that's Washington at Cincinnati. What a great seasonal matchup! But then this isn't the regular season. lol Still I think this game is well worth watching just because both teams come from strong divisions and either one could have made it to the Super Bowl last year if a couple of things had just gone their way. Washington did a great offseason job of addressing several needs and Cincinnati had no real needs to address other than something that can be coached. This game will be hard to watch objectively because of how evenly matched they are. I know I'm going to have to be careful not to cheer one way or another and just try to get stats and info for next week's article.

The final game of this preseason week is Monday the 14th; Oakland at the Vikings. To be honest I'm not sure there is much here to see but I could be surprised. Art Shell's return to Oakland and the Vikings' new head coach will provide some insight into what to expect this season from either of these teams. But unless those changes make a huge difference I imagine it being one of those games that you nap through mostly. For fans of these teams of course it's a must watch game. But then that can be said of any team for their respective fans.

I'm hoping we see a huge improvement on the teams that were at the bottom last season and a steady hand on the teams that were at the top. Healthy competition is what makes football games exciting and I don't know of too many fans that just like to watch a team take apart another team when the matchup was unfair to begin with statistically speaking... Nor do I know of any fan who wants to see their team continuiously at the bottom of the pile. So what we look for during preseason is for all the teams to close the gap between each other and make the games exciting enough to pay those ticket prices.

[Brian Baldwin]

btw... Ignore all the errors in the above article. lol I wrote it on the fly as I have family visiting and my attention is slightly elsewhere.

[Brian Baldwin]

Let me be the first to say I was wrong.... I was wrong. There. I said it and my tongue didn't fall off. Today's game between Oakland and Philly was indeed much more informative than I had orginally thought it might be. Oakland forced 5 turnovers with a much improved defense and Art Shell proved he still has some coach left in him. Philly didn't have a bad turnout either. Even though Philly lost the game they showed that McNabb was still a top QB and didn't need T.O. to make plays. Scariest part of the game was when Eagles RB Bruce Perry was taken off the field in a stretcher with his neck immobilized. He did give a thumbs up to players and fans alike though which shows promise. And can I just say how impressed I was with the class shown by players on both sides of the field when many knelt or stood quietly praying for this RB? No finger pointing or blame issued... Just concern for a fallen player.

A side note here worth mentioning is that David Akers kicked an amazing 55 yard FG to break an early tie. It was beautiful and hopefully many of you got a chance to see it. If not see if you can watch a repeat of it on the NFL Network when they replay the preseason games this week.

[Ryan Ruck]

Chalk up a Bengals win last night!

I know it's the pre-season but, I thought it was a great game even without much of the big time starters playing!

The O-Line started out kind of weak but, I suppose that could be explained as them feeling their oats with a new and perhaps unknown QB (Anthony Wright). By the end of the first quarter they seemed to have their rhythm down. I was plenty impressed with Wright and think that he'll make a good #2. Also, Doug Johnson looked pretty good when he was put in for the second half and will make a good #3.

Defense did very well throughout the game. I was very happy with the 3 interceptions! Keiwan Ratliff and the newbie Domata Peko both shined. Peko with 6 tackles and a half sack and Ratliff with 5 tackles and one interception.

I also noticed that the Bengals managed to keep free of "stupid" penalties (i.e. false start, offsides, etc.). That was a problem with them last year and if this first game is any indication of the rest of the season, it looks like they have made improvements in that area.

A couple other notables…

- I was very impressed with how well that first Flea Flicker was pulled off by the Bengals O! Totally caught the Redskins by surprise!
- I was also surprised how three of the Redskins players left the game with injuries and especially Clinton Portis. Sucks for the Redskins…
- And of course, Chad Johnson with his blonde Mohawk! Biggest laugh I got out of him was when the game came back from commercial break and there he was standing with the Chain Gang holding the place marker! LOOL! Damn the NFL brass and their "Chad" celebration ban! GRRR!!

Better watch out NFL… The Bengals are Super Bowl bound this year!

[Brian Baldwin]

The Bengals had a great game and I'd say they'll do alright. They have some issues with depth but they're basically a new team right now. Anthony Wright did well for the ravens last year when called upon and as you stated above Ryan, should make a good back-up QB.

Some attitudes among the staff and players need addressed still but I think that will fall into place by mid-season. The Bengals are maturing rapidly and should give the Steelers another run for the division title again this year.

I'm not so quick to believe they're SB bound though... I have a feeling Indy and Denver may well have something to say about that. I predict another playoff spot from what I saw during this last preseason game but we still have three more weeks before we see what the team congeals into.

[Brian Baldwin]

I watched the Jags beat Miami last night on the NFL Network... Here are some thoughts on where I see both teams going.

Miami has made amazing progress and will for certain challenge New England for the division crown this season. Their QB issues are settled and they have increased their depth quite a bit. On the negative side of that coin they still have weakness in their O-line and their secondary let some huge plays of 40+ yards come into being. That's not good since if they are unable to address that weakness they'll face deep throwing games every week. But Saban was obviously the right choice for Miami and I believe he'll get that patched up before opening day.

The Jags have amazing depth and talent on their team this year. Many of their position issues have been addressed and fixed. Like Miami however they have a weakness in their O-Line also and will find themselves blitzed beyond belief if they don't get it controlled. I have noticed this same weakness in half the NFL teams though. Really good Right and Left tackles are getting more and more rare these days. I suppose most colleges are intent on creating blocking tight-ends and guards rather than tackles. The occasional rookie picked up in the draft for these teams don't have time to mature and learn before they're pushed into the line up. I think the NFL needs to coordinate a bit with the colleges and universities around the nation and get these discrepencies addressed.

The Jags overall main problem though is three individuals... Fred Taylor, Byron Leftiwych, and Coach Del Rio. Fred Taylor is an outside running back and is forced to the breaking point to go through the middle. They used him up and ruined him basically. I hate to see that ever. Byron isn't a bright QB and doesn't read defenses well at all. Both of his back-ups are better QBs in my opinion. And Del Rio is a fantastic Defensive Coordinator but a crap head coach. He proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt during last season's playoff appearance when he started an injured QB rather than sticking with what works. It cost them that game and should have cost him his job. He's an idiot in my opinion. But then the owners can't be too bright anyway as they turned right around and extended his contract and brought in Mike Tice to help him. I see the Jags sinking a slot and missing the playoffs at this point unless Del Rio somehow finds a clue.

[Brian Baldwin]

The Steelers and Cardinals faced off in a brand new Phoenix Dome. (Looks like a bottle cap) Arizona played its first string during most of the first half while Pittsburgh did a single series with theirs. However... Pittsburgh did mix their vets in with the other groups throughout the game. I wasn't surprised by Pittsburgh's well trained players and top notch coaching and really shouldn't be since they were the SB champs early this year. I was however extremely impressed with Arizona. Wow, Never thought I'd see myself write that down.

Arizona has some very nice depth and in a couple of seasons, if they don't choke, could be in the SB against the Bengals. Two teams rebuilding the right way. It takes time and patience. Something most owners are not willing to lend out. And I'm not saying they'll make an appearance in SB XLII or XLIII I'm saying those two teams, if they don't choke and stick to their game plan of rebuilding, will make a couple or more appearances within a decade.

As good looking as the Steelers were they still lost to Arizona. Doesn't mean much since it is still Preseason and game plans don't really exist since coaches are busy trying to see what their people look like in certain situations. Somehow I don't see Pittsburgh repeating the SB this season but stranger things have happened. If I were to guess right this instance I'd put my money on Denver and the Giants. But as I have said before... We still have three more weeks to see what these teams congeal into.

[Brykovian]

I wrote earlier, regarding the Packers ...

... it'll be a long, hard season unless some surprises emerge.

After watching the game against the Bengals last night, I don't see any change in that prediction. They looked fugly on both sides of the ball!

-Bryk

[Brian Baldwin]

While preseason gives a decent enough look at rookies and new plays it does little else. The Colts last year won a total of 0 games in preseason and then turned around and won their first 13 games in the regular season. I know for a fan the wins mean most everything but its best to lay aside preseason for what it is (major practice session), and concentrate on how they do in the main season. If going by preseason were an indicator of a team's chances then the Colts would have had first draft pick this last spring and Oakland has the next superbowl ring this season. It also means that as of now.... Huston will win it's divison. (LMAO). And Green Bay is a better set up team than either the Redskins or the Steelers who have won 0 games combined this preseason.

Preseason means nothing. Its a chance for some free dollars for the owners and for rookies to try their best to get a slot on an NFL team. So what I'm saying is don't count out your Packers yet. I don't see a Super Bowl for them this season by any means, but there should be some improvement over last year. Some.

[Brykovian]

I don't care about the win/loss ... or even the final score ... I was referring to how the 1st-team-versus-1st-team match-ups looked. I was watching the actual "operations" of each of the plays, not the overall outcome. They looked very bad -- very much looked like most of last year.

I'm not an alarmist, and I realize that in a dramatic rebuild, most teams go backwards before they go forwards. All I'm saying is that at least the first part of the season looks to be a painful thing to watch.

-Bryk

[Ryan Ruck]

I don't care about the win/loss ... or even the final score ... I was referring to how the 1st-team-versus-1st-team match-ups looked. I was watching the actual "operations" of each of the plays, not the overall outcome. They looked very bad -- very much looked like most of last year.

I just finished watching the second half of the game last night (had to help someone move and I taped it) and, I have to agree. The Packers didn't look all that good. But, contrary to what some say, I don't think the blame lies with Favre. He did a passable job. What was the problem were his receivers. They just could not hold onto the ball! As a result, they ended up with 3 interceptions in the first half which the Bengals took full advantage of. Heck, they managed to score on every possession in the first half!

And speaking of the Bengals, I too realize that since it is pre-season, it should be taken for a grain of salt and a gallon of water but…

I must say the Bengals looked like they had their act together and everything flowed extremely well.

Had I not known about Carson Palmer's injury last year or seen his brace, I would not have known that there had been anything wrong with him. He was, as Peyton Manning put in his recent commercial, "rocket laser" accurate ( ), focused, and just as agile and capable as ever.

I was also impressed by a couple second string guys. Namely Anthony Wright the 2nd string QB and DeDe Dorsey the rookie RB. Wright was not as strong as he appeared in his first pre-season game but, he definitely looked as though he has his act together and the potential to be an excellent backup QB. Dorsey made a good showing as well always coming across as a hard charging runner. In fact, if I didn't know any better, I'd say he's modeling himself off of Rudi Johnson!

One other thing to keep in mind, for anyone who has observed him, you must realize Marvin Lewis takes every aspect of the game very seriously. I suspect that a lot of this is because he knows that the Bengals are a quality team and has something to prove. So, I think that seriousness extends to include the pre-season action. I don't think he would allow anything less than 100% from his players no matter what.

[Brian Baldwin]

Palmer looked great in his return. It just bugs me no end that the Bengals try to put all their eggs in his basket though. They're a very good team without him also. Yet they often feel that without Palmer they don't stand a chance. Someone on that team other than Palmer or Lewis needs to step up and be a leader and say... Ok... We lost Palmer for a bit. That sucks but lets win this Mother******!!! Because they can and should be able to play without him. Palmer would be a crap QB in many eyes if the other members weren't doing their job also so obviously talent isn't lacking. That tells me Palmer is integral but shouldn't be key.

The Bengals have some so-so depth that is increasing with each season. I just do not see them winning the big game at the end until they realise they got there as a team. In other words there is one weakness keeping the Bengals from domination of the AFC this season. Can Lewis address it in time? We'll see.

The Packers didn't do well in some instances but I think they're still much improved over last season. I think they'll win about half their games give or take one. Not bad considering. Packer fans won't be entirely happy true. But it's better than some teams like the 49ers who are just now recovering from a decade long rebuild.