UTTQ 2011 NFL Predictions: NFC East

The 2011 season may have not begun, but our 2011 NFL Regular Season predictions have. Here's a brief summary of each NFC East team, in no particular order, starting with the defending division champion Philadelphia Eagles:

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
The Dream Team certainly looks that way on paper. Among the most prized addition to this team includes Nnamdi Asomugha, perhaps the purest shutdown corner in the NFL. Michael Vick is as dangerous as ever; only questions about durability and blitz/coverage reads remain. Questions on the offensive line remain, but the receiving core of Jackson, Maclin, Avant, and Smith looks strong. Celek, McCoy, and Brown should also apply offensive support. The defense also looks studly, particularly the backfield group.

DALLAS COWBOYS
The boys in blue sucked last season, to put it bluntly. After a switch to a new coach in Jason Garrett, the Cowboys look to improve with a revamped offensive line, a stable core of receivers, and a familiar defense. Oh, and Tony's back too. As shown last season, Romo is vital to this team's success (or failure), and it is key that the o-line work together and stay healthy.

NEW YORK GIANTS
The Giants are an interesting team. After tough losses through free agency (Steve Smith, Shaun O'Hara, Kevin Boss) and a recent rash of injuries (Prince Amukamara, Terrell Thomas), this Giants team may end up on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Eli Manning...is he a top quarterback? He has his ups and downs...but if this team is to win, he'd better look start looking more like one.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS
This once proud franchise has had fleeting moments of excellence, but recently, they have struggled. Coach Mike Shanahan hopes that will change this season. Of course, this depends on who plays under center. Will the tenured Rex Grossman start? Or the perennial backup John Beck? Either way, the Redskins have little shot at taking the division crown unless they can shore up their quarterback battle. Perhaps newcomer Tim Hightower can take pressure off this situation, for a while at least.


NFC EAST TITLE: Philadelphia Eagles

• Yes, I'm a victim to the hype. But with arguably the most favorable schedule (save for the Redskins) in the division, I believe Philadelphia has all the ingredients necessary to steal the division.

WILD CARD TEAMS: Dallas Cowboys

• The Cowboys may be this year's dark horse team. After an underwhelming season last year, look for the Boys to bounce back with a vengeance. The Skins have a favorable schedule, but too many questions are left to be answered (particularly at quarterback). The Giants are too inconsistent.

UTTQ 2011 NFL Predictions: NFC South

The 2011 season may have not begun, but our 2011 NFL Regular Season predictions have. Here's a brief summary of each NFC South team, in no particular order, starting with the defending division champion Atlanta Falcons:

ATLANTA FALCONS
The Matt Ryan era in Atlanta has been everything Mike Smith and company has hoped for, except a playoff win. With three winning seasons in a row, the Falcons are hoping Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez, Roddy White, and new offensive weapon Julio Jones can finally lead them to the promised land. The defense will place emphasis on the corner/safety group, with John Abraham and company commanding the defense up front. Smart linebacker Sean Weatherspoon will hope to improve the linebacking core as the Falcons try to navigate a difficult schedule and division.

CAROLINA PANTHERS
There's a new regime in Carolina. Coach Ron Rivera and first overall pick quarterback Cam Newton will try to instill back winning ways in the Panthers organization. The offense still features the familiar running attack in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, along with receiving threat Steve Smith. The defense will still be led by defensive stalwart Jon Beason, flanked by Thomas Davis and James Anderson. Big play from last season also earned defensive end Charles Johnson a big contract. On paper, this team shouldn't be as bad as it was last year. However, this team's success will be a reflection of Newton's play: an average performance at best.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
America's darlings of a few years ago. The Saints are still led by the impeccable duo of Sean Payton and Drew Brees. With Reggie Bush gone to Miami, the Saints lose a dynamic of their offense. Mark Ingram comes in to take the top running back spot. Offensive line will need to collectively become a unit. On defense, the addition of Aubrayo Franklin should hopefully allow the defensive line to step up. Mike linebacker Jonathan Vilma is still the heart of this D, with the secondary of Roman Harper, Malcolm Jenkins, Jabari Greer, and Tracy Porter hoping to provide shutdown support. Overall, a very balanced team, but they could also suffer from the new additions.

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
The Bucs were a surprise team last season, thanks in large part to the play of quarterback Josh Freeman. Look for him to improve this year, despite a menacing schedule. The Bucs hope that Arrelious Benn can progress as much as Mike Williams. On defense, rookie middle linebacker Mason Foster hopes to lead this defense for years to come. Gerald McCoy and Adrian Clayborn will try to command the line, while troubled but talented corner Aqib Talib hopes to rack up picks in coverage. This Bucs team has plenty to be happy about, and could possibly sneak in at the wild card spot.


NFC SOUTH TITLE: New Orleans Saints

• If the Saints can get the newcomers up and running they will have a dangerous team. Drew Brees also returns with a relatively intact receiving core.

WILD CARD TEAMS: Atlanta Falcons

• The Falcons have the weapons to survive the season, but another early exit in the playoffs looks likely. The Bucs have the talent, but the talent must first jell. Carolina has little chance at the playoffs with too many changes up front, particularly at quarterback.

UTTQ 2011 NFL Predictions: NFC North

The 2011 season may have not begun, but our 2011 NFL Regular Season predictions have. Here's a brief summary of each NFC North team, in no particular order, starting with the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers:


GREEN BAY PACKERS
The Packers have lost key elements of their Super Bowl run but have also managed to keep several vital parts. Of course, Aaron Rodgers is still the star of the offense, with a healthy Jermichael Finley returning to further deepen the receiving weapons for Rodgers. Charles Woodson and Clay Matthews will lead the defense. With most of the coaching staff returning, including head coach Mike McCarthy, this team seems destined to retake the NFC North title with a relatively easy schedule.


CHICAGO BEARS
This Bears team seems to have made little improvement over the team that made it to the NFC Championship last year. The offensive line is still in shambles, the receiving core is still lacking weapons (Roy Williams has not had a strong camp), and Jay Cutler still hears his critics. The veteran defense, led by Brian Urlacher and Julius Peppers, can still carry the load, but may suffer from a difficult offensive schedule in the first half of the season.

DETROIT LIONS
Seems to be the team everyone is picking to get over the hump. With Matthew Stafford, this offense could be pretty potent (but of course, the real star here is Calvin Johnson). The defense, particularly the line, has seemingly been revitalized with the addition of Ndamakong Suh, a tackle who commands respect and thus opens opportunities for other linemen (like first round pick Nick Fairley) or even the linebackers. The Lions face a schedule that is evenly balanced, and they could easily sneak into the playoffs.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The Vikings are facing a new post-Favre look, with Donovan McNabb coming in to man the ship. The always powerful Adrian Peterson continues to command the backfield, and other offensive pieces are still in place. The defense looks familiar, with Jared Allen, the Henderson brothers, and Chad Greenway being the core of the group. The Vikings and coach Leslie Frazier may be up and coming, but probably not this year.


NFC NORTH TITLE: Green Bay Packers

• The Packers have everything they need to make a return run. A mostly intact coaching staff, a stellar defense, a high-flying offense, and most importantly, a stud of a quarterback

WILD CARD TEAMS: None

• The Lions may be everyone's pick, but I don't see them playing consistently the whole season. The Vikings are rebuilding, and the Bears need to get it together.

50 NFL News and Notes While You Were Gone

Photo credit: philadelphiaeagles.com

It's been a long few months since the lockout started. The NFL has gone on virtual shutdown since the dreaded expiration of the previous CBA. With the recent good news of the NFL going back to business, a lot has happened in the past month or so. Here's a quick rundown of things (mostly off the top of my head) you may have missed:

1. After about 130 days of no football, the lockout finally ended!
2. Deion Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Shannon Sharpe, Richard Dent, Ed Sabol, and Les Richter were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
3. Most memorable line from the induction ceremony was provided by Shannon Sharpe: "I'm the only pro football player that's in the Hall of Fame, and the second best player in my own family."
4. Most memorable moment: A tie between Ed Sabol's last film and Deion Sanders' bust do-rag.
5. The Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams was cancelled, the only repercussion of the NFL lockout.
6. The NFL schedule was released featuring numerous intriguing matchups (Sept. 11 games, Lions first Monday Night game in a long time, the Harbaugh and Ryan Bowls, etc).
7. The Philadelphia Eagles went crazy in the abbreviated free agency period, picking up prized cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, jilted Titan Vince Young, veteran end Jason Babin, Super Bowl champ Cullen Jenkins, and Wildcat quarterback Ronnie Brown, among others.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison made some inflammatory comments against Commissioner Goodell, as well as his own quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. Typically, Harrison said the comments were "taken out of context".
9. Steelers receiver Hines Ward was arrested on drunk driving charges.
10. Several Steelers participated in filming for the newest upcoming Batman movie, posing as the Gotham Rogues.
11. Numerous players suffered torn tendons or broken bones during the first few days of practice.
12. Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning has still not taken the field.
13. The New England Patriots made several interesting free agency moves, picking up wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, among others.
14. In quarterback moves, Donovan McNabb went to Minnesota, Kevin Kolb went to Arizona, and Matt Hasselbeck went to Tennessee.
15. Kyle Orton, on the other hand, did not move anywhere, in a continuing chess match between Orton, the Broncos, the Dolphins, and anyone else (and backup quarterback Tim Tebow is stuck in the middle of it all).
16. Runningback Tiki Barber has not signed with any teams yet.
17. The Buffalo Bills unveiled new uniforms that salute the retro "standing buffalo" unis of the 60s.
18. Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan wants to "beat the asses" of the "all-hype team" (presumably the Eagles).
19. Rob's brother Rex got a new tattoo on his calf.
20. Brett Favre might have retired.
21. Carson Palmer might have retired (but still technically remains in Cincy).
22. Qwest Field is now CenturyLink Field (zzzz...).
23. Hey, at least CenturyLink is better than O.co Coliseum....
24. The NFLPA has re-certified.
25. Cleveland runningback Peyton Hillis is on the cover of Madden.
26. The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers got their rings.
27. Terrelle Pryor has been prepping himself for the supplemental draft.
28. A memorable moment from the post-lockout press conference: Colts center and NFLPA representative Jeff Saturday hugs Patriots owner Robert Kraft, mere days after Kraft's wife Myra passed away.
29. Cam Newton wears the number 1 during camp (typically, NFL quarterbacks aren't allowed to wear the number by their coach due to the tendency for it to get to their heads).
30. Randy Moss has retired.
31. Plaxico Burress "returns" to New York after being incarcerated for the last few years.
32. Braylon Edwards goes from East Coast to West Coast.
33. Vincent Jackson is denied $10 million.
34. It's Grossman vs. Beck in D.C.
35. The UFL continues to barely survive.
36. Mark Herzlich, the Boston College star whose cancer story inspired us all, finally gets a chance in the NFL (along with the hundreds of other undrafted rookies).
37. HGH testing...yeah....
38. Several veteran centers shift around (Shaun O'Hara, Olin Kreutz, etc).
39. The Broncos are switching their home jerseys from blue to orange.
40. Speaking of unis, next season Nike will replace Reebok as the official supplier of NFL equipment.
41. The Seahawks steal some Raiders (TE Zach Miller and OL Robert Gallery) and Vikings (QB Tarvaris Jackson and WR Sidney Rice).
42. Los Angeles?
43. Breaking news: the Eagles snagged Steve Smith from the Giants...wow.
44. Ochocinco is gonna live with a fan?
45. Speaking of Ocho, what ever happened to that alligator wrangling?
46. Apparently Bears don't like natural grass.
47. Cam Newton, the 1st overall pick in April's draft, takes a massive paycut (compared to last year's number 1 pick Sam Bradford) in his rookie contract.
48. The Reggie Bush project is over (in New Orleans).
49. Speaking of Reggie's new home in Miami, the atmosphere at Dolphins camp is simply chants of this: "We want Orton!"
50. Did we mention that the lockout is over?

Undoubtedly I missed a few things, but it doesn't matter...football is back, baby!

The Greatest Teams: 1972 Miami Dolphins

It speaks wonders when a football team is the measure of excellence within the ever changing NFL. As the years go by, the last NFL team to lose a game ensures that the quest for one team to match the perfect season of the 1972 Miami Dolphins will have to wait another year. Yes, to this day, the Miami Dolphins remain the NFL's only perfect team; the only team to go the regular season without a loss and win a Super Bowl. As the 2007 Patriots can attest, going undefeated is no easy task (but we'll get to that later). Yet, this Dolphins team, albeit an abbreviated season by today's standards, managed to go all the way.

In Week 5, starting quarterback Bob Griese broke his ankle in a sack, resulting in the veteran (and former Baltimore Colts Super Bowl-winning quarterback) Earl Morrall to replace Griese for the rest of the season. The backfield consisted of an impeccable duo of 1,000 yard runners, Mercury Morris and fullback Larry Csonka, who became the first teammates to rush for 1,000 yards each. Receivers Howard Twilley, Paul Warfield, and tight end Marv Fleming helped secure the passing attack for whichever quarterback was starting. The offensive line was highlighted by right guard Larry Little, and All-Pro Pro Bowler.

The famed No-Name Defense of the 1972 Miami Dolphins featured just that: a bunch of players who performed as more of a unit rather than individual stars. The defensive line featured Pro-Bowler Bill Stanfill, a former 1st rounder from the 1969 Draft. The linebacking core consisted of Doug Swift (aptly named for his defensive mobility), Nick Buoiconti (a future Hall of Famer and multiple Pro Bowler), and Mike Kolen. The secondary was particularly impressive, which each player recording 3 picks during the season (safeties Jake Scott and Dick Anderson recorded a combined 8 interceptions and 7 fumble recoveries). On special teams, kicker Garo Yepremian and punter Larry Seiple performed admirably, whilst kick returner Mercury Morris managed to get a 23.9 yard average on kick returns.

With the famed Don Shula entering his 3rd year as Miami's head coach, the Dolphins were looking to continue their success in going to the playoffs. After playing what some consider a particularly "soft" regular season schedule, the Dolphins sneaked past the Cleveland Browns in the Divisional playoff, and managed to defeat a tough Steelers team in Pittsburgh for the AFC Conference Championship. The Dolphins then faced the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII, narrowly defeating the 'Skins 14-7. The Super Bowl win undoubtedly cemented the 1972 Dolphins as the greatest team in franchise history, and possibly the greatest team in NFL history (although the next team in our series could make a strong argument against that).

The Greatest Teams: 1990 Buffalo Bills

Had things turned out differently, the Buffalo Bills may be one of the greatest franchises to have ever played in the NFL. From 1990 to 1993, the Bills made it to 4 straight Super Bowl appearances, while dominating the AFC competition. And yet, none of those 4 teams won the most important game of the season, making the Bills 0-4 in Super Bowls all time. Their best chance probably came during the 1990 season, when the Bills had secured a foothold as one of the league's top teams, with star players on both offense and defense. Led by the legendary coach Marv Levy, let us introduce this squad:

At quarterback, the Bills were led by the perennial Pro Bowler Jim Kelly. Kelly, selected in the famed Quarterback Class of 1983, tossed the ball nearly 3,000 yards in the air, with 24 touchdowns compared to 9 interceptions to boot. In the backfield, the tremendous weapon of Thurman Thomas helped to keep defenders at bay. Thomas rushed for 1,297 yards on the ground and caught 532 yards through the air, for a combined 13 touchdowns. At receiver, the Bills boasted the duo of James Lofton and Andre Reed, who added 12 touchdowns. The offensive line, led by center Kent Hull, allowed only 27 sacks, one of the lowest totals in the league.

Defensively, the Bills were led by Hall of Famer Bruce Smith, a fifth year defensive end who came in second in the year with sacks (19) and vaulted Buffalo's defense to seventh in the league. A Pro Bowl studded linebacking core of Cornelius Bennett, Shane Conlan, and Darryl Talley combined for 9 sacks and  5 takeaways, while the frequently rotating secondary managed to record an average of 2 picks per player. On special teams, the duo of kicker Scott Norwood and punter Rick Tuten consistently performed well against the opposition.

The Bills led the league in scoring on their way to a 13-3 season. After easily drubbing the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Raiders in the playoffs, the Bills faced an in-state rival in the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXV. Although the Bills led 12-3 at one point, the Giants came roaring back, with New York kicker Matt Bahr making a 21 yard field goal in the middle of the fourth quarter. Down by 1, with 2:16 left on the clock, the Bills offense impressively drove downfield to the Giants' 29 yard line. With only seconds to go, kicker Scott Norwood came on to try a 47 yard field goal. During the season, Norwood had gone only 1 of 5 for 40+ yard field goals on grass, with most of his kicks coming up short. In a play that went down forever into NFL lore, Norwood's kick had plenty of distance, but sailed "wide right" of the goalpost, ending Buffalo's season and crowning New York as Super Bowl champions, 20-19. In the following years, Buffalo would go on to make it to the Super Bowl a 3 more consecutive times, losing to Washington, and twice to Dallas. The Bills serve as a stark reminder to every franchise of a team reaching its peak multiple times before being buried under the blankets of ineptitude, a fate that could also be compared to the Minnesota Vikings. Nevertheless, in their heyday, the Bills were a proud team with a proud following, turning a small market franchise into one of the greatest teams of the early 90s.

The Greatest Teams: 1961 Houston Oilers

"Houston has the Oilers, the greatest football team;
We take the ball from goal to goal like no one's ever seen.
We're in the air, we're on the ground...always in control;
And when you say 'the Oilers', you're talking Super Bowl."

The Tennessee Titans have a long and storied history, particularly because they used to be another franchise completely: the Houston Oilers. Although the Oilers never did quite make it to the Super Bowl as "Luv Ya Blue" attests, their legacy still lives on in NFL lore. Several recent Titans franchises certainly deserved consideration here, including the 1999 Tennessee team that made it to Super Bowl XXXIV(where they lost to the St. Louis Rams, 23-16). However, the early Oilers teams of the American Football League were very dominant in their own right, especially the 1961 team. And, just for clarification purposes, the Oilers of the AFL are still a part of NFL history, since AFL history and records have been incorporated into the NFL after the merger.

At quarterback, the Oilers boasted the "Grand Old Man" in George Blanda, who was 34 and still exhibiting Pro Bowl seasons. Blanda, who previously played in Chicago before starting in Houston in 1960, was both the team's quarterback and kicker, and feat not unusual for the day. As quarterback, he led the young AFL in passing yardage, passing touchdowns, and passer rating during the 1961 season. These numbers were supported by Houston's All-Pro halfback Billy Cannon, who led the league in rushing yardage. Cannon, the 1959 Heisman winner, was fiercely recruited by both the NFL and AFL (he was selected by the NFL's Los Angeles Rams with the first pick in the 1960 Draft), which resulted in a court decision that ultimately ruled in the AFL's favor. Cannon looked like he was certainly on his way to being the star he was in college at LSU. At receiver, both Bill Groman and Charley Hennigan had 1,000 yard seasons, with Groman scoring 18 touchdowns and Hennigan scoring 12. Left tackle Al Jamison and center Bob Schmidt merited Pro Bowl seasons, 2 out of 13 players on the team to do so.

On defense, veteran Ed Husmann anchored the four man defensive front, powered by a linebacking core of Doug Cline, Dennit Morris, and Mike Dukes. The secondary helped vault the Oilers to second in the league in pass defense, with star corner Tony Banfield recording 8 picks, fourth best in the league. Safety Jim Norton did one better, recording 9 interceptions, but unfortunately did not get All-Pro consideration.

The Oilers started off the season by creaming the Oakland Raiders 55-0 before losing their next three games and tying one to the Boston Patriots. The Oilers would quickly rebound after that, destroying the Dallas Texans in their next game, 38-7, before going on a 9 game win streak en route to their second straight AFL Championship Game appearance. A George Blanda to Billy Cannon touchdown pass would be all this difference in a somewhat sloppy 10-3 win against the San Diego Chargers. The Oilers quickly established themselves in the early AFL as a dominant powerhouse, a feat that could only be matched by the Oilers in the late 70s, early 90s, and the Titans of the early 2000s. Although the Oilers are now but a fun look back into football's past, the 1961 team shall live on as one of the best Oilers/Titans teams ever to grace the gridiron.