BigRedArk
ASFN Lifer
http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=123258
This guy thinks Cards are all offense and no defense this year. Claims he is from St Louis. He needs to learn how to spell Bidwill. Thought it might interest some here.
Iyer's SportingBlog
Seahawks will be the only birds roosting in playoffs
September 1, 2006
Eight out of 10 members of the National Audubon Society agree: The Seahawks will be the only avian-monikered NFL team to make the playoffs to 2006, no matter what hype you may have heard about the league's other fine feathered friends.
I'll save you some trouble of racking your birdbrain to figure out those other teams -- and save you the trouble of thinking they'll be playing into January.
Ravens. Watching ESPN lately, I've learned of the miracles of Steve McNair. He can walk on water. He can heal the sick. He can solve global warming. He can't, however, carry this team into the postseason.
Here's something lost on why the Ravens' offense was punchless last season, and it wasn't sorely on Kyle Boller. Their line was shaky, and their running game struggled. That same running game has Jamal Lewis ailing again, backup Mike Anderson also hampered, leaving another player trying to get all the way back from a big injury, Musa Smith, as maybe the best option.
Wait, how about that defense? It's not the same up front or next to Ray Lewis at linebacker, and Ed Reed is trying to bounce back after last season was thrown off by injuries. They're still fielding a good unit -- they just aren't anywhere near to the level of 2000.
One more thing: Improved teams don't play in a vacuum. Remember that the Ravens play in with the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers and everyone's favorite young offensive darlings, the defending division champion Bengals. And the Browns should be better defensively in Romeo Crennel's second year. The Ravens' record will be .500, at best.
Falcons. I don't get this one, either. First, let's get that division thing out of the way. They're stuck with the consensus NFC favorites, the Panthers, and a well-Jon Gruden-coached 2005 playoff team, the Buccaneers. And the Saints should be better offensively post-Katrina with Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and Devery Henderson all playing key roles.
The pros for Atlanta are the league's top rushing offense and a good passing defense, starting up front with speed rushers Patrick Kerney and John Abraham, and ending in the secondary with the ultimate speedster, DeAngelo Hall.
Here's the problem with those pros: The cons are the exact opposite. The team, until it proves otherwise with its flock of talented but enigmatic wide receivers, has a bad passing offense. And to have that speed and aggressiveness on defense, the Falcons have had to sacrifice strength against the run.
You need to be able to adjust and win games in different ways in the NFL, and the Falcons can win only in one way: They must jump on opponents early -- which often requires the big pass plays that they have lacked -- so they can work them over later with the ground game and all-out pass rush against one-dimensional offenses. The Panthers and Bucs know this, and they have built their defensive personnel to contain the biggest of all Falcons threats, Michael Vick.
One more thing: In addition to NFC South play, the schedule is brutal with NFC East and AFC North foes in the mix. I see the Falcons as a sub-.500 team in '06.
Cardinals. Pop quiz: Has anyone mentioned the Cards' defense in their reasons for pumping them up as this year's sexy sleeper wild-card team? Didn't think so.
I love fantasy football more than the next guy, but I think it tends to hurt the perception of some teams that have big-name offensive skill players and not much else. Yes, having both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and having a two-time NFL MVP and one-time Heisman winner as their potential quarterbacks sounds awesome, as well as the much-anticipated unveiling of Edgerrin James.
Quick: Name one of the Cards' defensive studs. If you said anyone, you might say linebacker Karlos Dansby, but he's struggled to put it all together. They will be able to put up 30-plus points in some games, but I can see them allowing 30 more than a few times, too, especially in a division with the Seahawks and Rams. It's obvious Seattle, barring injuries, is a near lock to win the NFC West; so the Cards would need to be better the teams in the loaded East and South to earn a wild card.
I like this team's future with Dennis Green, a new stadium, those nice new uniforms and a new hope unheard of in Bidwellville. I just don't like the present so much.
Eagles. Philadelphia is a different case in point than the three teams above. For a team that went to four consecutive NFC championship games before last season's injury and Terrell Owens meltdowns, they aren't getting any love in preseason playoff predictions, including, I'll admit, my own.
I think they are the best team in this group of left-out four to be, but unfortunately, the Eagles' own run of great success in the East is what will prompt their absence from the playoffs for the second straight year. Why? Well, consider the fact the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants all made it a point to improve themselves significantly to end Philly's dominance, hiring coaches with very successful pasts and being aggressive in acquiring players through the draft and free-agent market.
The problems are there on the field: Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook need help offensively. The defense gave up way too many big plays last season, and is trying to break in different linebackers. These are concerns that the other three East teams don't really have.
As Philadelphia remains a class organization, however, you can't rule the team out completely from the playoff picture because of its track record and the combined winning experience of McNabb and Andy Reid. But I just think Dallas, New York and Washington all are better equipped to survive and advance this season.
This guy thinks Cards are all offense and no defense this year. Claims he is from St Louis. He needs to learn how to spell Bidwill. Thought it might interest some here.
Iyer's SportingBlog
Seahawks will be the only birds roosting in playoffs
September 1, 2006
Eight out of 10 members of the National Audubon Society agree: The Seahawks will be the only avian-monikered NFL team to make the playoffs to 2006, no matter what hype you may have heard about the league's other fine feathered friends.
I'll save you some trouble of racking your birdbrain to figure out those other teams -- and save you the trouble of thinking they'll be playing into January.
Ravens. Watching ESPN lately, I've learned of the miracles of Steve McNair. He can walk on water. He can heal the sick. He can solve global warming. He can't, however, carry this team into the postseason.
Here's something lost on why the Ravens' offense was punchless last season, and it wasn't sorely on Kyle Boller. Their line was shaky, and their running game struggled. That same running game has Jamal Lewis ailing again, backup Mike Anderson also hampered, leaving another player trying to get all the way back from a big injury, Musa Smith, as maybe the best option.
Wait, how about that defense? It's not the same up front or next to Ray Lewis at linebacker, and Ed Reed is trying to bounce back after last season was thrown off by injuries. They're still fielding a good unit -- they just aren't anywhere near to the level of 2000.
One more thing: Improved teams don't play in a vacuum. Remember that the Ravens play in with the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers and everyone's favorite young offensive darlings, the defending division champion Bengals. And the Browns should be better defensively in Romeo Crennel's second year. The Ravens' record will be .500, at best.
Falcons. I don't get this one, either. First, let's get that division thing out of the way. They're stuck with the consensus NFC favorites, the Panthers, and a well-Jon Gruden-coached 2005 playoff team, the Buccaneers. And the Saints should be better offensively post-Katrina with Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and Devery Henderson all playing key roles.
The pros for Atlanta are the league's top rushing offense and a good passing defense, starting up front with speed rushers Patrick Kerney and John Abraham, and ending in the secondary with the ultimate speedster, DeAngelo Hall.
Here's the problem with those pros: The cons are the exact opposite. The team, until it proves otherwise with its flock of talented but enigmatic wide receivers, has a bad passing offense. And to have that speed and aggressiveness on defense, the Falcons have had to sacrifice strength against the run.
You need to be able to adjust and win games in different ways in the NFL, and the Falcons can win only in one way: They must jump on opponents early -- which often requires the big pass plays that they have lacked -- so they can work them over later with the ground game and all-out pass rush against one-dimensional offenses. The Panthers and Bucs know this, and they have built their defensive personnel to contain the biggest of all Falcons threats, Michael Vick.
One more thing: In addition to NFC South play, the schedule is brutal with NFC East and AFC North foes in the mix. I see the Falcons as a sub-.500 team in '06.
Cardinals. Pop quiz: Has anyone mentioned the Cards' defense in their reasons for pumping them up as this year's sexy sleeper wild-card team? Didn't think so.
I love fantasy football more than the next guy, but I think it tends to hurt the perception of some teams that have big-name offensive skill players and not much else. Yes, having both Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin and having a two-time NFL MVP and one-time Heisman winner as their potential quarterbacks sounds awesome, as well as the much-anticipated unveiling of Edgerrin James.
Quick: Name one of the Cards' defensive studs. If you said anyone, you might say linebacker Karlos Dansby, but he's struggled to put it all together. They will be able to put up 30-plus points in some games, but I can see them allowing 30 more than a few times, too, especially in a division with the Seahawks and Rams. It's obvious Seattle, barring injuries, is a near lock to win the NFC West; so the Cards would need to be better the teams in the loaded East and South to earn a wild card.
I like this team's future with Dennis Green, a new stadium, those nice new uniforms and a new hope unheard of in Bidwellville. I just don't like the present so much.
Eagles. Philadelphia is a different case in point than the three teams above. For a team that went to four consecutive NFC championship games before last season's injury and Terrell Owens meltdowns, they aren't getting any love in preseason playoff predictions, including, I'll admit, my own.
I think they are the best team in this group of left-out four to be, but unfortunately, the Eagles' own run of great success in the East is what will prompt their absence from the playoffs for the second straight year. Why? Well, consider the fact the Cowboys, Redskins and Giants all made it a point to improve themselves significantly to end Philly's dominance, hiring coaches with very successful pasts and being aggressive in acquiring players through the draft and free-agent market.
The problems are there on the field: Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook need help offensively. The defense gave up way too many big plays last season, and is trying to break in different linebackers. These are concerns that the other three East teams don't really have.
As Philadelphia remains a class organization, however, you can't rule the team out completely from the playoff picture because of its track record and the combined winning experience of McNabb and Andy Reid. But I just think Dallas, New York and Washington all are better equipped to survive and advance this season.
