Mike Krenek's Blog of the Future: September 2010

Ah yes folks, its that time of year again. Time for all of the experts and pundits to come out from their hibernation and write up elaborate blogs which amount to really nothing more than intelligently worded guess work. Before we begin our peek into my sure to be 100% accurate predictions, let's traverse through last year's various previews from around the sports media world and laugh at some of the more egregiously incorrect "expert opinions".

"the defense is far from complete."
-One expert's take on the New York Jets, who proceeded to ride the best defense in the NFL to the AFC Title game and scads of 2010 Super Bowl hype.

"The defensive line is a consistent disappointment and the secondary isn't much better...Their offense will be pretty good, but their defense will struggle."
-One expert opining on the Bengals, a team who's record he predicted to be 6-10. The Bengals won the AFC North on the strength of a great defense, highlighted by wonderful secondary play.

"Bust warning on the running game (Potential sophomore slump for Johnson)"
-One moron's thoughts on 2,000 yard rusher/Offensive Player of the Year Chris Johnson.

"Broncos: 3-13. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. What can be said about this team?"
-The Broncos went 8-8 and looked like a playoff team for a while. Good call.

"They may not have the best record, but this is the best team in the NFL."
-One pundit describing the New York Giants. He was half right.

"The looming presence of Mike Vick"
-Seriously?

"Jay Cutler's got a big mouth, but a bigger arm...he's going to help this offense immensely."
-This is incorrect.

"I don't buy (the Saints) defense as a Super Bowl contender."
-The Saints won the Super Bowl.

SUPER BOWL: "Giants OVER Patriots"
-The Patriots were embarrassed in the first round by the Ravens and the Giants didn't qualify for the playoffs.

WOW! Those experts are morons! What's that? Those are all from ONE expert?!? SHEESH! I'd like to meet this guy and slap in the teeth for thinking his opinions merit any kind of public consumption. Here's a link to his blog, let's rally together and leave hateful comments:

Dumbass.

Ahem. Without any further adieu, I roll out...MIKE KRENEK'S 2010 NFL PREVIEW!!!! aka Where to Turn When You've Read ESPN, SI, Fox Sports, and The Shore Sports Scoop and Decided They Just Weren't Inaccurate Enough"

AFC East:
1. New York Jets
2. New England Patriots
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: The Jets have a Rex-sized amount of hype on them, and a lot of it is justifiable. With Darelle "Rico" Revis back in the fold, this team has the most complete defense in the NFL. If Mark Sanchez can take the leap, they are capable of 12 wins. New England's offense will be even better than it was last year. Everyone is sleeping on Tom Brady, but lest we forget the man threw for 4,000 yards last season IN HIS FIRST SEASON OFF OF MAJOR KNEE SURGERY. Add Welker back into the mix along with Moss and a new young group of TEs, and you've got a nasty passing attack. Unfortunately, a lot of the NFL has nasty passing attacks and their weak D will keep them from a return to glory. The Phins are an interesting group. I love the additions they made (Marshall and Dansby, specifically) and if Henne puts it all together, they are a dark horse Super Bowl contender. I just don't like Henne enough to have them anywhere but (once again) the cusp of the playoffs. As for Buffalo? Oh man do they suck. Like, best case scenario 3 wins suck. They disgust me.

AFC North:
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Cleveland Browns

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: We have officially entered bizarro world in Baltimore. The Ravens have long been heralded for their stingy defense and Dilfery offense. In one feld swoop, they have become a rack 'em up gunning offensive team. This baffles me, but in a pleasant way. I think Flacco is legit (he needs to play better in the postseason before we anoint him as "special", however)...Ozzie Newsome did a good-ass job (Can I get a confirmation on that drop date, BY THE WAY?) getting his quarterback a ton of offensive weapons to play around with. Add that to Ray Rice (who could very well be this year's Chris Johnson) and you have a spectacular offense. Their defensive secondary however leaves A LOT to be desired, especially in this pass happy NFL. Pittsburgh is a total enigma...Their offensive line is shaky (again) and for the first four weeks of the season, Dennis Dixon will be under center. That said, I think Big Ben (who Joe and I have decided is the type of guy who watches pornography every evening on his HDTV.) will return will a vengeance and rescue this team from a 1-3 start en route to being the sexy pick come playoff time. But not TOO sexy...Big Ben might think they're asking for it. For absolutely no good reason, I don't think the Bengals will get the bounces they did last year and fall just short of the playoffs, but they are certainly dangerous with TOcho and the White Boy at WR. The Browns are in a state of flux. Let's talk about them next year when Mike Holmgren is the coach and Colt McCoy is the QB. This Mangini/Delhomme regime will be tough.

AFC South:
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: Picking against the Colts is like sleeping with your best friend's ex. Sure the Texans are hot, sure the Titans seem like the type of gal who knows what she's doing, but RESIST THE URGE. As long as Peyton Manning is upright and breathing, pencil them in for 11-12 wins every single year. The Titans are a team that I could see making some noise this year. If Vince Young (who I NEED to finally put it all together because I LOVE the phrase "Victory begins and ends with VY) gives them a full season and CJ doesn't suffer from the post 2,000 hangover, they can hang. And as for Houston? Houston needs to beat the Colts before anyone should take them seriously. Matt Schaub has a very good arm and Andre Johnson is one of the top 2 receivers in all of the land, but a suspect run game (Color me skeptical about Arian Foster), a (once again) suspect line, and a suspect defense, I suspect this team will fall just short once again. As for the Jags, I figure I should probably just keep picking them to crash and burn because it HAS to happen eventually. They should be picking in the top portion of the 2011 Draft and Jack Del Rio should be printing copies of resume for faxing.

AFC West:
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Oakland Raiders
4. Denver Broncos

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: Look, I want to pick someone other than the Chargers just as much as the next guy. No Marcus McNeill, no Vincent Jackson, and still Norv Turner. But the fact of the matter is that the division just does not have a singular challenger to them. I have a total football crush on the direction of the Chiefs, but they lack a lot of necessary pieces (i.e. defensive players) to present a real threat to San Diego. Oakland is certainly not a team who should be viewed as a laughing stock anymore but they too lack certain aspects (i.e. a competent head coach.) The Broncos? Well its a process. Josh McDaniels certainly seems to have ideas. Are they good ideas? Time will tell, I suppose. Unless he strings together two bad seasons and is given the axe, leaving a very confused new coach wondering "What the f***k was this guy thinking?"

NFC East:
1. Dallas Cowboys
2. New York Giants
3. Washington Redskins
4. Philadelphia Eagles

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: No division the NFL is more consistently entertaining than the NFC East. This year should be no different. The theme here (besides generally obnoxious fan bases, with few exceptions) is offensive line play. All four teams have dodgy lines. All four teams have an intense pass rush. This, like so many of my weekends in college, will not end well. The team that gels the fastest in the trenches will be the division champions. I do believe Dallas has the most talent, and if Doug Free can be the bookend they picture, they should take the crown. Solid defense, balanced run game, and plenty of offensive toys for Romo to play with make them a definite contender to win the whole kit n' caboodle. The Giants are always an interesting team to follow. They are the polar opposites of the team they share their yet to be named stadium with...Silent, stoic, and (last year at least) swiss cheesy on the defensive side of the ball. Can Perry Fewell's new energy bleed through to the players? Will their tenured but creaky offensive line stay healthy all season? Can Eli Manning have another (yes I said ANOTHER) 4,000 yard season and finally cement himself as the elite QB I believe him to be? Short Version: Yes. No. Yes. Their OL depth is surprisingly solid (Will Beatty and the Big Kid are fine reserves), so that "no" is season ending. The defense will be good enough, Eli will be a serious MVP candidate, and the G-Men will be in the postseason. The other two teams' fates are intertwined like Romeo and Juliet. Wilma McNabb's baby boy will be suiting up for an NFC team OTHER than the Birds this season...still haven't wrapped my mind around that. If (and that's a Haynesworth sized if), everything goes well for Washington (McNabb's health, Haynesworth's presence, the line coming together, and a WR emerging) they are a viable playoff contender. Zorn to Shanny is probably the most drastic coaching change in the history of coaching changes and no one can argue that Washington is better for it. Philly seems to be in a retooling phase ("rebuilding" should be added to George Carlin's famed list) and I think we're a year or two of from seeing it all come together. Philadelphia fans are known for their patience and understanding, so I see no way that the upcoming season of sub-.500 football will be received anything but positively.

NFC NORTH:
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: The Pack is back, baby. This team is getting a heaping helping of hype this preseason and this time, they've earned it. Dom Capers (an underrated fellow) has fully integrated his 3-4 scheme, Aaron Rodgers is another year wiser, and the offensive line looked like a different unit during the last 8 games of the regular season. Their games are going to be entertaining shoot-outs reminiscent of those great Old Westerns, complete with the handsome leading man in Rodgers, the type of guy who you can't help but root for, the type of guy you would love to get a beer with, the type of guy you feel like you could really trust, you know? Like really, really trust. *Sigh*. He's grand. However, those who say I have a "man-crush" on him don't know what they're talking about. I see plenty of publications picking Minnesota to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl but I just do not see it. The schedule is BRUTAL. Favre is already creakin' and crackin', Sidney Rice is out for a good chunk of the season, Percy Harvin could migraine up at any point, and there was serious talk of Javon Walker making the team. Needless to say, the offense will be neutered. I'd say they have the best RB in football to help soothe the sting a bit, but that would require them having a coach who knew how to use the guy. LORD KNOWS they don't have that. As for the Bears? They have the look, feel, and stench of a 7-9 team. Nothing about them is tragic. Nothing about them is good. Nothing about them is compelling. BEARS FEVER: CATCH IT! The Lions are most certainly on the upswing, but the upswing for them is 4 wins, which makes it tough to get REAL EXCITED in the Motor City (a common thread in Detroit.)

NFC South:
1. Atlanta Falcons
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: I am HIGH on the Falcons this year. Like Meth and Red high. I love their offseason additions (namely Sean Weatherspoon and Dunta Robinson) and adding those two (plus a returning Peria Jerry) to their defense will improve it by leaps and bounds. I've always viewed Matty Ice as Matt Hasselbeck 2.0 with a few upgrades (like hair) and I think he's perfect for this offense. If Ryan and Turner can stay healthy and 3rd receiving option can emerge behind White and Gonzalez, this team is going DEEP (How deep? FIND OUT IN A FEW MINUTES!) The Saints are an interesting brood. They proved all the naysayers (myself included) wrong last year with the first championship in team history. The offense will be just as, if not MORE potent this season, but its the defense that concerns me. Darren Sharper, of the 9 INTs and 3 Defensive TDS, will not be around for the start of the season and who knows what shape he'll be in when he gets back. Will the defense be as opportunistic as they were last season? Can't be too sure. I AM sure of the fact that Drew Brees is just too good for this team to be outside of the postseason. The Panthers? Wake me up in Week 13 when Jimmy Claussen is starting. The have a dynamite running game in D-Will and J-Stewz, but that's liking saying I have an AWESOME VCR in my home. Running is Draconian at this point. I don't buy Matt Moore, I don't buy their defense...In short, I don't buy the Panthers. The Bucs are building a winner in Tampa. Don't laugh. They are. Seriously. Josh Freeman is growing on me (like a fungus), they have a group of receivers itching to bust out (Pick Mike Williams up off the waiver wire RIGHT NOW), and they seem to play hard for the adorably overwhelmed Raheem Morris. Sure they'll only win 4 games this year, but dammit, I'm rooting for them.

NFC West:
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. St. Louis Rams

Quick N' Dirty Analysis: Do I really have to do this? Seriously? Ugh. As much as it pains me to admit, this is the 49ers division to lose for the first time in a long, long time. I happen to like most everything about this club, save for two: Their QB and the fact that they're the 49ers. Other than that, we're solid. They have a damn good defense, captained by the best defensive player in football, they've got a nasty young offensive line (loved the choices of Iupati and Davis in the 1st round), an exciting corps of playmakers and the most underrated player in all of football, Frank Gore. But then there's Alex! Smith (remember the Smith/Rodgers debate? Hmmm) is the sole reason I'm not picking this team to win the Super Bowl. That said, he put up relatively impressive numbers after his return to the lineup in Week 7 and if he can play just a passable version of the QB role, they have a serious shot. This is another division with a theme...Questionable QBs! Which brings me to the Arizona Cardinals. The Whisenhunt Cards have made a living off of proving doubters wrong, but they've got quite the tall order this season. With the Leinart drama over, it appears Derek Anderson is just warming the seat for the rookie out of BYU Max Hall. Cards brass say they "see Kurt Warner" in Hall, but is that real? Or is it a mirage due to the dehydration that comes from watching AWFUL quarterbacks practice all day? The defense still features stalwarts Darnell Dockett (my favorite person to follow on Twitter) and Adrian Wilson, but needs production out of potential has-beens like Joey Porter and potential never-wases like Greg Toler. "Win Forever." "Always Compete." These words have been heard ringing throughout the Emerald City all offseason long. As a diehard Seahawk fan, I have to amend them a little..."Win 6 or 7" "Compete in 12". If that's the case, the Carroll regime is off to a good start. The Seahawks are more or less an expansion team at this point, with so much roster movement in the past few weeks, so the most important thing to assess is how do professional players relate to the "wiser than before" Petey? We should have a good feel for how the Carroll era will play out at the end of the season. As for now...well I'm not expecting too much. "The Greatest Show on Turf" seems about as long ago as Joe Namath's days with the Rams and things don't appear to be getting much better. Sam Bradford certainly appears to have the accuracy to be a big time QB, but the beating he is going to take combined with the lack of a WR worth a damn on the roster will lead to many, many bruises, many, many losses, and many, many soft tears shed by Steven Jackson as his prime is wasted on a kingdom of failure.

AFC PLAYOFFS
Byes
1. Colts
2. Jets

Wildcard Round
3. Ravens over 6. Steelers
5. Patriots over 5. Chargers

Divisional Round
1. Colts over 5. Patriots
3. Ravens over 2. Jets

AFC Championship Game
1. Colts over 3. Ravens

AFC CHAMPIONS: COLTS

NFC PLAYOFFS
Byes
1. Packers
2. Falcons

Wildcard Round
6. Giants over 3. 49ers
5. Saints over 4. Cowboys

Divisional Round
6. Giants over 1. Packers
2. Falcons over 5. Saints

NFC Title Game
2. Falcons over 6. Giants

NFC CHAMPIONS: FALCONS

SUPER BOWL XLV:
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS OVER ATLANTA FALCONS

Awards:
MVP: Peyton Manning, QB, Colts
OPotY: Frank Gore, RB, 49ers
DPotY: Patrick Willis, LB, 49ers
ORotY: Mike Williams, WR, Bucs
DRotY: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, Falcons
Coach of the Year: Mike Singletary, 49ers

95% of what I said is probably wrong, but what the hell...I had fun writing, you hopefully had fun reading and one thing's for damn sure...we'll all have fun watching.

Mike Krenek's Blog of the Future

Friday, September 17, 2010

Week 2 Picks: Always Compete

Friday, September 10, 2010

Week 1 Picks: Win Forever.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

NFL PREVIEW 2010!!! HOLY $#!@!

About Me

Blog Archive