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Thursday TIME: US | UK WEATHER: US | UK THE AMERICAN MAGAZINE ONLINE Back Issues WHAT'S ON Diary Dates SPORTS Features & Blogs FEATURES Politics blog THE NEIGHBORHOOD "Life in the UK" American Groups Essential Contacts Money Education Driving Property |
PREVIOUS SPORTS Football Predictions: A Second Slice August 27, 2008 Clint Dempsey Interview August 1, 2008 NFL Draft Review April 30, 2008, 2008 |
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SPORTS Football Predictions: A Second Slice AFC NORTH 8 Predictions For 2008 If You're A Fan Of The... Cleveland Browns 1. QB Derek Anderson will continue to hold off Brady Quinn. What the Browns organization does about this, I'm not sure, but they won't be complaining because Anderson will prove he's not a one–year wonder. 2. DT Shaun Rogers is a good one. The Browns had one of the worst rush defenses in the league last year. This time, they move into the upper half, and Rogers will be part of that. 3. Mind you, part of that improved rush defense will be because the pass defense remains iffy. Don't be surprised if the Browns end up in a lot of shoot–outs. If anything can stop the Browns from making the playoffs this year, it will be that. 4. Donte Stallworth is not the long term answer. It seems like he never is; New Orleans had four years out him, and he managed a 70 catch, 945 yard season in 2005, but the next year he was with Philadelphia, and last year he was with New England. Stallworth will be a worthy stop–gap at around 65 catches, but he's here to keep the heat off Braylon Edwards more than he's a part of lasting plans. 5. Kellen Winslow hits 100 catches this season to lead the team. 6. Offensive coordinator Rod Chudzinski starts becoming the hot outsider for vacant head coaching jobs. 7. The Steelers–Browns rivalry is officially meaningful for the first time since the Art Modell era. There was that flicker in 2002 when the Browns lucked into the playoffs, but this time it's the real thing and it will last. 8. And I'll say it through gritted teeth: the Browns will win the division. Pittsburgh Steelers 1. Roethlisberger is the most consistent passer in the NFL, posting his second straight 100+ QB rating. This year he fumbles the ball more than he is intercepted. 2. The offensive line is beginning to look like a problem, and without much depth, if anybody gets hurt, the effective offense could stall big–time, and even put Roethlisberger in jeopardy Byron Leftwich and Dennis Dixon are the backups to Roethlisberger while Charlie Batch is injured, and both are new in town. 3. There could be a general injury theme on defense too. The defensive linemen average over 31 years in age, and safety Troy Polamalu has been fighting a toe injury. Polamalu has gone from 16 to 13 to 11 starts the past three years, with a seeming–endless series of niggles. 4. Willie Parker may surrender a little time to Rashard Mendenhall, but he will still be the main weapon out of the backfield, because of his breakaway potential. Mendenhall is a 2008 rookie RB who won't be making a massive splash, unless Parker gets injured. 5. Even as mere relief for Parker, Mendenhall is still going to be more useful year one than Limas Sweed, the other Pittsburgh steal from the draft. Sweed may be a 6–4 body receiver, but with Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes and the dependable Nate Washington around, he may have to bide his time. 6. Linebacker LaMarr Woodley had 14 tackles in his debut season, though a promising 4 sacks/ He could explode this season. 7. The Steelers will land a 10–6 season, not enough to claim the division. 8. If the Browns slip, the Steelers will be on them. Either way, the loser still makes it as a wildcard, possibly matching up for a third time in the playoffs. Baltimore Ravens 1. The name Harbaugh will be the name on everybody's lips this year. Unfortunately, that's Jim Harbaugh of Stanford, not brother John. The new head coach of the Ravens knows he's not going to have an easy time of it. Jim will end up with more wins than John. 2. Cam Cameron will be a lot happier as offensive coordinator of the Ravens than as coach of the Dolphins. He will turn help Joe Flacco become a solid NFL quarterback... 3. ... but not straight away. Flacco was expected to sit behind Kyle Boller for a while, but has been thrust into the start job because of Boller's injury. It could be ugly for a while. 4. Rookie running backs again: Ray Rice will be solid part of the offense this season. Willis McGahee may never been the star running back he would have been before his college injury, and the Ravens will be moving on. That may mean a lot more Rice. 5. The depth chart has LeRon McClain at fullback, but the acquisition of Lorenzo Neal is the bigger factor. He has been a definitive blocking back throughout his career. If McClain has a role here, it is as the third ball carrier, and that could be a bruising combination. 6. Derrick Mason has had over 1000 yards receiving six of the past seven seasons. With Flacco learning the ropes, Mason will fall short this year. 7. People will stop talking about the Ravens defense in hallowed terms — the 2nd–ranked rush defense from 2007 could drop outside the top 10 this year — but defensive coordinator Rex Ryan will be elsewhere in 2009, becoming a head coach. 8. When I suggested six wins in the print edition of The American, that was with the more experienced Boller. Flacco has more talent, but is unready. Five wins maximum. Cincinnati Bengals 1. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer came from the 2007 Falcons to here? He first became an NFL assistant when Barry Switzer took over from Jimmy Johnson in Dallas. This is clearly a man who can coach in a crisis, so the Bengals should climb out the defensive funk they've been in, even if the roster needs a revamp. 2. The offense will have it's own revamp coming soon enough. This will be the last year with Houshmanzadeh, Johnson/OchoCinco, and Henry. 3. Chad Ocho Cinco (né Johnson) is doing a neat little trick with the name change: aside from getting the starched collars of NFL headquarters in a big hissy–fit, it has distracted everybody from some niggling injuries. Those could manifest in some lower statistics this year. 4. They 'Ocho Cinco' story will continue. As the NFL is effectively making Chad continue to use a name he has legally abandoned, this could end up in the hands of the Players Association. There's an issue here about the player's right to market himself under his own legal name, and I can't see this particular player letting that go. 5. Chris Perry is back as the starting running back after injury kept him out of most of 2006 and all of 2007. He's never played a full season. They'll wish they'd kept Rudi Johnson. 6. It's hard to see the offense putting up better numbers than in the last three years, when the Bengals thoroughly failed to make it to the big time. So which way direction does that lead them? Down. 7. It's going to be a bad year. The defense will be a little better, and the offense will have a slump. I see no reasons to expect more than five wins, and three is more likely. 8. Six seasons is enough with Marvin Lewis. This season will take back into the red as regards wins and losses. If offense can't get you there, it's time for defense — which was supposed to be his forte. They'll try that again, but in 2009, it could be with Rex Ryan in control. |
