You Can't Avoid Boyd - 2012 NFC Preview

You Can't Avoid Boyd

2012 NFC Preview

Last week, I gave you my picks for the AFC. This week, I hit up the NFC and make my Super Bowl prediction. Let’s get right into it.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, they were the favorites and even called themselves “The Dream Team”. Well, that dream turned into a nightmare. QB Michael Vick couldn’t stay healthy, WR Desean Jackson let a holdout affect his play (he even admitted he didn’t give it his all in 2011…..what a stand up guy), and CB Nnamdi Asomugha struggled in a new defensive system. The biggest chink in Philly’s armor last season was letting former OL coach, Juan Castillo, coach the defense. The defense struggled early and Castillo dealt with rumors that he’d be canned. Head coach Andy Reid stuck with him and it paid off nicely as the defense rebounded towards the end of the season. The 2012 defense should be better early on, already familiar with Castillo’s system, and the addition of LB Demeco Ryans shouldn’t hurt. I believe last year’s disappointment will fuel this year’s squad.

*New York Giants. My prediction looked stupid when they won Super Bowl XLVI and I celebrated when I showed up to a job interview Monday morning smelling of success and whiskey. However, if not for WR Victor Cruz turning a 10-yard reception into a 99-yard touchdown in a key Week 16 victory over the Jets, I may have been spot on. The Giants became the typical “hot team” that rides their streak to a championship. Can they do it again? Absolutely. Will they? We shall see. They will only go as far as their defensive line and QB Eli Manning will take them.

Dallas Cowboys. As last season’s collapse down the stretch, the Cowboys addressed their biggest weakness by signing CB Brandon Carr and drafting CB Morris Claiborne. They are hoping WR Miles Austin and TE Jason Witten can recover from preseason injuries and WR Dez Bryant’s babysitters do their job. If those three can play up to expectations, this team is completely in the hands of QB Tony Romo and head coach Jason Garrett. I think those hands are as dependable as Romo holding onto a 2007 field goal snap in Seattle (www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVuQ5aw0HAQ).

Washington Redskins. I’d like to point out I believe this division is the only one where each team can win it. Not that I give the Skins much of a chance, but I can’t give say that about any other division. This team gave up a lot of draft picks to get Robert Griffin III, but it was a move they had to make. You need a top QB to win in this league unless you are completely dominant in another facet (rushing or defense) of the game. The Redskins don’t dominate in either and were hoping guys like Rex Grossman or John Beck can get it done. They couldn’t and that’s why DC’s future is tied to RGIII. He should excite in his rookie year, but I wouldn’t expect a Cam Newton-type of season. On the bright side, they can still have a winning record in the division because this team has a knack for showing up in divisional games, only to lose to non-divisional slapdick teams.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers. This team relied on its track-like offense and sieve of a defense all of last year. It might explain why they lost their only playoff game to the Giants, a team who could play defense, in frigid conditions. While Green Bay attempts to fix their defense, their offense should be as powerful as ever. While this gets fantasy football owners wet in their panties, it should also allow the Pack to top the division once again.

Chicago Bears. QB Jay Cutler gets his favorite target back, WR Brandon Marshall, back. If Marshall doesn’t go crazy this year, this could be a pretty sweet combo. If Marshall does go crazy, we might see the sourest of sourpuss faces on Cutler. This team finally canned OC Mike Martz and replaced him with Mike Tice. That is like replacing herpes with dumber herpes. This team needs its defense to step up in order to make the playoffs, and LB Brian Urlacher is already hurt and still has the stink of Jenny McCarthy on him. Not a good sign for their indispensable leader.

Detroit Lions. The Lions made the playoffs last year due to QB Matt Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson tearing shit up. It also got 16 starts out of Stafford, which seemed to be impossible based on his career thus far. If it can get another 16 starts from Stafford in 2012, they may make the playoffs. I don’t think he’ll start every game. Despite Megatron’s ridiculousness, it’ll be hard for the Lions to make the playoffs again with no running game and a roster full of Correctional Facility All-Stars and cheap shot punks.

Minnesota Vikings. Their quarterback, Christian Ponder, blows. Their stud running back, Adrian Peterson, is attempting to play this year after tearing his ACL/MCL on a vicious hit 9 months ago. Their stud wide receiver, Percy Harvin, has more headaches than a middle-aged housewife just before her husband tries to plow her. Their defense is mehhhh. Other than that, they are a great team. On the bright side, Prince is from Minnesota.

AFC South

Atlanta Falcons. Conventional wisdom says it won’t be the Saints as no team has repeated as champs since its inception in 2002. Superstition aside, I think the Falcons will win it. Matt Ryan has an aerial attack that would make most quarterbacks jealous (WRs Roddy White and Julio Jones, TE Tony Gonzalez) and a good, young defense. It remains to been seen if Ryan can make the jump from good to great, but with a steady rushing attack behind him, he should have what it takes to top the South.

*New Orleans Saints. They seemed to have a very quiet offseason. Between Bountygate and QB Drew Brees’ contract negotiations, I am sure the Saints are glad football has started back up again. Sean Peyton is not allowed any near the team this year, but the offense should not suffer. They have had the same system in place for years and most of the personnel returns. If there is one player that stands out on this eventual playoff team, it’s OG Jahri Evans. He should win MVP. If you think that’s the Bloomsburg bias talking, then write your own god damn football preview. Please note: This prediction is null and void if God takes out NOLA with Hurricane Isaac.

Carolina Panthers. This team will be fun to watch, thanks to QB Cam Newton. It’ll be competitive, but it’s hard to imagine a finish higher than third in this tough division. They seem to have 93 running backs on their roster, but their offensive line is below average. Their defense, once a strength, is now a weakness. Newton was a revelation last year, but he needs to improve on his second half numbers in order for this team to overachieve.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Many expected this team to breakout last year. Unfortunately, QB Josh Freeman, RB LeGarrette Blount, and WR Mike Williams all regressed in their second year and everybody’s favorite sleeper pooped the bed. They replaced head coach Raheem Morris with disciplinarian Greg Schiano. It speaks volumes that the team had to settle on Schiano, coach of the powerhouse known as Rutgers University, after Oregon’s Chip Kelly turned down the job so he could coach the Ducks and their 9,238 uniform combinations. On the bright side, they had the feel good story of the off-season when they signed Eric LeGrand, a former Rutgers player who was paralyzed in 2010, to their 90-man roster.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers. I don’t think there is any way this team wins 13 games again. However, they should still win the West as the rest of the teams aren’t exactly Super Bowl contenders. The 49ers brought in WRs Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to open up the passing. Manningham should help, but take it as a Giants fan who saw him play for a few years, he will make some plays that are ridiculous, but he will also run bad routes and drop some passes. Moss is a wild card. We haven’t seen him since 2010, when he played for three different teams. We’ll see if QB Alex Smith can bring out the best in him and vice versa, but if not, they can still run the ball and D it up.

Seattle Seahawks. I applaud Pete Carroll. Even though his team dropped some good cash on QB Matt Flynn, they went with rookie QB Russell Wilson as the Week 1 starter. The best man should play, regardless of financial obligations. With Marshawn Lynch going all Beast Mode (if he avoids a suspension for a DUI) and a solid defense, this team could make a run at the 49ers if anything goes right. I see a QB controversy in Seattle’s future, which leads me to believe second place is their ceiling.

Arizona Cardinals. WR Larry Fitzgerald is a stud. However, QBs John Skelton and Kevin Kolb are muff cabbage. I don’t even think they’d start in the Sunday backyard football game I play in. Their running game is sporadic and their offense line suffered a huge blow when OT Levi Brown tore his tricep. I want Notre Dame WR Michael Floyd to step in and be a difference maker, but all indications out of training camp is he looks horrific. Until the figure out the QB position though, this team blows dogs for quarters.

St. Louis Rams. You didn’t deserve this Steven Jackson. The Cowboys could have drafted you in 2004 and you would have been the running back for America’s Team. Instead, they trade down, you play for the Rams and you dominate on a shitty team. New head coach Jeff Fischer should inject some new life into this team and hopefully resurrect QB Sam Bradford, but this team shouldn’t do much. The fact that it can finish second in this division indicates how bad the West is. On the bright side, they have no defensive coordinator after Gregg Williams was suspended indefinitely for Bountygate.

Coaches That’ll Hit the Bricks

Jason Garrett- I can’t see Jerry Jones sticking with him if they don’t make the playoffs. Especially with big name coaches like Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher available.

Ken Whisenhunt- It seems like decades ago when the Cardinals were two minutes away from winning the Super Bowl

Boyd’s Super Awesome Super Bowl Prediction

New England Patriots over Green Bay Packers

-Written by Marcus Boyd