PHILADELPHIA- We here at "Bitterness" think Philly is the team to beat in the East. But the big question is Donovan McNabb's health. Well McNabb and the Eagles' offense
have looked fine and dandy in the preseason, so there should be no worries for now. Brian Westbrook is like the NFC's Ladanian Tomlinson, he does it all, and Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis look ready to go. But, as the Iggles look for their 6th division titel in seven seasons, the defense has become a question mark. They've added Takeo Spikes, but they've lost Darwin Walker, Dhani Jones, Roderick Hood, Michael Lewis, and Jeremiah Trotter, so the defense may not be as good as past years. But as long as McNabb eats his Chucky soup and stays healthy, the Eagles will go far once again. Our Prediction: 11-5DALLAS- Much like last year, all the pundits are talking up the 'Boys, but I am not completely sold on "Big D". I just feel Wade Phillips isn't the one who will guide them to the promised land. Playoffs? Sure. Super Bowl? I don't think so. Granted, the defense should be pretty solid, with the addition of Ken Hamlin and a 3-4 base. I don't see teams putting up a lot of points on them this season and well, defense wins championships. With a solid defense, Tony Romo needs to only be as good as Rex Grossman to propel this team to the playoffs. Well, that, and get #81 his rightful share of balls. Our prediction: 10-6
NEW YORK- Michael Strahan is finally back. If you think that makes the Giants any less iffy in '07, then you couldn't be more wrong. The Giants make the Bluth family look functional, for crying out loud! They have more quaetion marks than a Matthew Lesko suit! Let's see there are questions about the secondary, defensive line, receiving corps, quarterback
, running game and trusting their head coach. Yep, just another season in gotham, er, Jersey. The Giants are nowhere near as strong as the past few seasons, and even with a new QB coach, we wouldn't go relying on Eli to guide them to the playoffs. Sure, they may tease people and the media a bit, by clinging to life, but if you want a definition of inconsistency, look no further than the '07 Giants, a .500 team wating to happen. Our prediction: 8-8WASHINGTON- It seems that Dan Snyder is the anti-Midas, as everything he touches turns to fecal matter. He seems to spend, spend, spend, and still lose, lose, lose. But hey 'Skins fans, at least there's an untested QB starting this year to help the process. The defense in Washington should be good this year, but then again it should have been good for several years. If Clinton Portis actually plays the entire season and plays well, it will take some pressure off of Jason Campbell. Which is good, since we still don't know if he's the next Doug Williams or the next Heath Shuler? Or even some wacky hybrid of the two? Our Prediction: 5-11
NFC NORTH: CHIGAGO- The Bears defense should be just as good as last season,
which is bad news for the rest of the NFC. It also helps that "Da Bears" play in what is considered to be the worst division in football. Obviously a lot of pressure falls on Rex Grossman. T-Rex was about as up an down as they come, but still managed to be playing on Super Bowl Sunday. With a defense this good, his only job is really, just to not screw up, which as Rex demonstrated, is sometimes not as easy as it sounds. Meanwhile in the backfield, Cedric Benson will be handling the full workload at running back, and his success could be as crucial as Grossman's. In fact they are intertwined in symbiotic fashion. If one of them ain't playing well, they probably both won't be playing well. Our prediction: PAIN! and 12-4GREEN BAY- The Packers defense is pretty darned solid. Not as good as the Bears maybe, but pretty darned strong. The biggest problem the Packers will face is the running game, which features no running back that has more than 150 career carries. Vernand Morency has been hobbled by an injury, and rookie Brandon Jackson did not impress in the preseason. This has left the backfield a big mystery for the Pack, which is not good. If they can get the running game in gear, they could be a playoff contender. There, I said it. With a gunslinger like Brett Favre at the helm, the sky is the limit in Wisconsin. This Packers team is very underrated in our minds, and we feel they can put together a pretty solid season. Our prediction: 9-7
DETROIT- Kitna predicted a ten win season this year in Detroit. While we're sure Kitna and the Lions will be plenty exciting to watch, it's hard to see them winning 10 games. But s
tranger things have happened, and JK does do a lot of praying so who knows, maybe some divine intervention will take place here. Mike Martz is definitely looking to make this "The Greatest Show on Turf: Part Deux" and the pieces are slowly falling into place. In a surprise move, the Lions used their #1 pick to take a wide receiver (note the sarcasm). Everyone says Calvin Johnson is the real deal, unlike the past four first-round receivers the Lions have selected, I guess? The offensive line is the unit that will have the biggest impact for the Lions. Kitna was sacked 847 times last season! That's not true, it was 63 times, we used hyperbole for dramatic effect. But 63 is a lot too! Just give Kitna time and wait for the magic to happen! Our prediction: 7-9MINNESOTA- Offensively last season, the Vikes were, well, not good. But Adrian Peterson looks to help with that. The Vikes #1 pick is ready to run wild in the NFL this year and we look for some big numbers from him. But the biggest question remains behind center, where Tavaris Jackson will be taking the snaps. We know very little about Tav, but, well, okay I guess there is no "but", we just know very little about him. What we do know is that he will have receivers to throw to, who may or may not be able to hold onto the ball. Let's just say it was probably not a bad idea to acquire Kelly Holcomb from the Eagles. Peterson should run wild in the dome, but unless Jackson is like the next Steve Young, it will be another long season in Minneapolis. Our prediction: 6-10
NFC SOUTH: NEW ORLEANS- What a ride the Saints had last year. Finding their way into the NFC Championship game, one step shy of the Super Bowl. Some media folks thi
nk the Saints can end up in Arizona this year representing the NFC on the big stage, and who are we to argue? They are one of the more balanced teams in the league, and let's face it the NFC is up for grabs. Sure the Cowboys and Eagles look good, and you obviously can't dismiss the Bears, but the Saints now have that playoff experience on their side. Plus with Reggie Bush, the Saints have one of the more dangerous players in the league. The Saints should show no signs of slowing down and should easily win the division and possibly the NFC. Our prediction: 10-6CAROLINA- There have been high expectations for the Panthers the past few seasons, and the cats have just not been able to live up to the hype. We think this year will be different. Sure, the expectations are there, but with a healthy Steve Smith and a fairly easy schedule, the cats should be able to sneak on into the playoffs. The race for the final playoff spot in the NFC should be wide open and we feel the Panthers have what it takes to snag it. Expect even more touches for DeAngelo Williams, who should thrive with the new zone blocking scheme that is beng implemented. Look for the Panthers to return to the 'Offs this season. Our prediction: 9-7
ATLANTA- Go figure, without Michael Vick the NFC South should be les
s of a dogfight. To be honest we didn't see the Falcons making the playoffs even with Vick behind center. Sure he would have been good for 2-3 more wins but we still think they weren't playoff material. Nothing against Joey "Piano Man" Harrington, he could be a solid performer, but the fact remains the receiving corps is weak and there are just far too many droppers. It's like a bunch of Chandler Bings running routes out there! Sure they added Joe Horn, but he is not the game changer he once was. Success in Hotlanta will rely on Jeroius Norwood and Alge Crumpler, bottom line. But the good news is they should be able to procure a good draft pick in '08. Our prediction: 5-11TAMPA BAY- The Bucs presumably strengthened their offense with the signing of Jeff Garcia (and almost every other available QB) in the offseason. Garcia's resurgence last
year has given the Bay fans a glimmer of hope. But, alas, that glimmer fades quickly, when they realize that quarterback was not the only trouble spot for the '06 Buccaneers. The only legitimate receiver at the moment appears to be Joey Galloway, and the running game last year was a joke. The Bucs did sure-up the O-line in hopes that Carnell "Yugo" Williams will be able to break free a bit more this season, which wouldn't be hard. In 14 starts last season, "Yugo" didn't manage to even break 50 yards in 9 of them. Yes, nine! That's freakin' ridiculous! Our prediction: 2-14NFC WEST: SEATTLE- The Seahawks managed to win thier division and make the playoffs last year despite a slew of key injuries, so what's to stop this healthy squad from doing the same this year? Um, nothing. Although the Seahawks will have to stay healthy as the rest of the division is slowly catching up to them. Shaun Alexander is healthy and confident. So much so, he's predicting he'll break LT's touchdown record and Dickerson's rushing record! Them's some pretty lofty goals, and while he probably won't get there, Alexander does have a lot to prove this year. Lots of people seem to think he's lost a step and his on the start of a downward slide, and Shaun will be out to prove the doubters wrong. Our prediction: 10-6
ST. LOUIS- The Rams are still as offensive as ever. No, they don't offend people, they put a lot of points on the board. Scott Linehan focused on the runing game last year and made Stephen Jackson a star. Jackson is possibly the best RB in the NFC and should have another huge season for the Rammers. And what with Marc Bulger slinging the ball around to a talented corps of receivers led by Tory "Big Game" Holt and "The Reverend" Isaac Bruce, the offense should have no trouble getting into the end zone. The addition of Drew Bennett didn't hurt either. But of course the big question lies with the defense, which remains the one thing that'll keep the Rams out of the playoffs. Although 1st Round pick Adam Carriker is a start in the right direction. Our prediction: 8-8
SAN FRANCISCO- The 49ers are the up and coming team now in the NFC.
With the offensive corps of Alex Smith, Frank Gore and Vernon Davis and a defense that, unbeknownst to many, was extremely tough last year, the 49ers are on their way. Now, it's not Montana, Craig, Rice or anything, but the 49ers should scare more than a few teams this year. Their #1 pick Patrick Willis, should only make the defense better, which is probably why they drafted him. The tools and talent are there, and it may only be a year or two before the 49ers are back in the thick of things in the NFC. Look for the Niners to be in the playoff hunt most of the way, if their young guys can stay helathy. Our prediction 8-8ARIZONA- New head coach, revamped offensive line, young QB, talented receivers. Sounds like a recipe for success to us. We thought last year would be the Cardinals year to make some noise in the NFC, and that didn't happen. Well, we're not gonna be so bold this year. Yes, the Cardinals did adress some major issues and yes, they should be fiesty and fun to watch, but we dont' see a big improvement record wise. You gotta love what's happening out in the desert (no ont Iraq) right now, though, as Ken Whisenehut is moving things in the right direction. Our prediction: 5-11
Well there's your '07 NFC Preview and now, as promised.....cheese!
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