Fbkid's Super Bowl Predictions

Unfortunately, there is only one game left in the NFL season and it is the one we have all been waiting for. Coming into the season, the Steelers were a preseason favorite in the AFC as they have one of the league's best quarterbacks in Ben Roethlisberger and a very strong defense. For some time now the Cardinals have always been a trendy pick to make the playoffs. Now that they finally got there, they are making the most of the opportunity. Here is my Super Bowl prediction along with my key to victory and x-factor for each team.

Cardinals:

Key to victory: Edgerrin James RB: When James left the Colts after a seven year stint with the team, the Colts went on to win the Super Bowl. Now James finally gets to the big game and can have his time to shine. The Steelers defense is ferocious and will blitz Kurt Warner on every play. If James can make an impact on the touches he gets, it will throw the Steelers defense off guard opening up the passing game for Warner to get the ball to his all pro receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin.

X-Factor: Adrian Wilson S: Wilson is one of the best safeties in the entire league and doesn't quite get his due. In fact, you probably wouldn't even be able to tell that there is another Pro Bowl safety in this game other then Troy Polamalu but Wilson fits the bill. Wilson is a ball hawk and should have a huge impact on a Cardinals defense that has really risen to the occasion this postseason.

Steelers:

Key to Victory: The offensive line: I said it last year and I will say it again; the Steelers still need to improve on the offensive line. Roethlisberger does a great job of moving around in the pocket but he has taken a lot of shots over the years. The Cardinals have really gotten pressure on opposing quarterbacks and the offensive line has to play well for them to win this game.

X-Factor: LaMarr Woodley LB: It's hard to go under the radar playing across from the defensive player of the year on one of the most popular teams in the league, but Woodley manages to do it. While Harrison faces constant double teams, Woodley should have favorable matchups on the edge and has shown that he is fully capable of making teams pay.

Prediction: While the Steelers have been here before and the Cardinals don't have much veteran experience, they have players and coaches who have been here before. Unless the Steelers offensive line comes to play, the Cardinals defense could have a very big game and if it turns into a shootout, the Steelers don't have the fire power that the Cardinals do. My prediction is Cardinals 24 Steelers 20.

ESPN Or NFL Network?

Recently ESPN's Chris Mortensen and NFL Network's Adam Schefter had conflicting reports on Mike Shanahan becoming the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. While Mortensen said that Shanahan would become the new coach, Schefter said "Unless people I have known for years are blatantly lying to me, Mike Shanahan is not going to be the head coach of Kansas City Chiefs." This brings up a question: Where do you go for your NFL news? ESPN or NFL Network? Here I will compare and contrast both networks to see which one is the best to get the latest news on the league.

ESPN: When people think of ESPN's NFL coverage, the first thing that comes to mind is the names that they have. With names like Mike Ditka, Steve Young, Cris Carter and Emmitt Smith you are hearing some of the best to ever play the game talking about the league. But that doesn't necessarily mean that they are good. Smith was one of the greatest running backs of all time but when he says things like "Steve Slaton is the type of running back who makes plays with his legs" you can't help but laugh. ESPN is smart to get former stars to talk about the league since people will watch, but people will go elsewhere to learn about the happenings in the league. The game coverage is very good as both Mike Tirico and Ron Jaworski are both very good. Tony Kornheiser on the other hand, doesn't seem to know about what's going on in the game and only focuses on how much "Star Power" and the sup plots of the game like earlier this year when he talked about Vince Young the entire time the Titans were on. The draft coverage is very good though as both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay are among the best in the business. Many people don't like Kiper as they find him annoying but if it wasn't for him, the draft is nowhere what it is today. Even though they only highlight the top players on shows like NFL Live and Sportscenter, when the draft comes along, both of these guys know their stuff. With everything being said, ESPN used to be most people's go to source for league coverage, but it is starting to become more and more like a tabloid.

NFL Network: Unlike ESPN, many households don't have NFL Network, but it is quickly gaining momentum. NFL Network airs things like the NFL Combine, Thursday Night Football and most recently the Under Armour Senior Bowl. They also have exclusive NFL programming such as America's Game which is a very well done piece on all of the Super Bowl winning teams along with some of the greatest games from all the different decades. For breaking news NFL Network is the best option as on many occasions Schefter, their lead reporter, sometimes breaks stories straight out of the league office. Regarding the Shanahan case, Schefter is very trust worthy considering before he joined the Network he was a beat writer in Denver where he formed relationships with Shanahan along with many other prominent Broncos. Analyists on shows such as "Total Access" are solid as Rod Woodson knows what he is talking about and while some may dislke Deion Sanders, but he The draft coverage is solid as well as both Mike Mayock and Charles Davis know what they are talking about. Mayock is very high on lesser known players and often has very different opinions then other draft analysts. For instance, while most experts had Darren McFadden as the number one running back in the draft, Mayock had Rashard Mendenhall. Even this year, Mayock has Andre Smith as the number three tackle on his board while many others have him as a top 5 pick.

Final Verdict: When it comes to watching highlights I will most likely watch ESPN as I like some of the Sportscenter guys and think they are funny. But when it comes to everything else NFL, I will lean towards the NFL Network as their reports are very accurate and it's NFL football 24/7 what beats that?

So now the decision is yours, where channel do you watch for your NFL news and why: ESPN or NFL Network?

Recapping My 10 Shocking Predictions

As some of you may remember, this preseason I put together a list of ten shocking predictions I had for the NFL season. With two weeks of down time until the Super Bowl, it's a good time to look back on how I did. Some of them were right on the money while others were the farthest thing from the truth.

1. Troy Smith will be the starting quarterback for the Ravens week one:

What I said: Many people would expect Kyle Boller or possibly Joe Flacco to be starting for the Ravens, but they may have forgotten about Smith. The former Heisman trophy winner last year looked good in limited playing time and so far the team is really impressed with what they have seen in mini camp. Flacco could be the long term answer for the Ravens, but don't be surprised if Smith starts for the next year or two.

Now: If Smith didn't have a Tonsil Infection in the preseason where he lost over 20 pounds, this prediction would have come true. Instead the door opened for rookie Joe Flacco and it never closed. Flacco led the team to the AFC championship game as a rookie while Smith came in for the occasional trick play and got some relief work. Smith is a solid backup who can be effective as a starter but as long as Flacco is at the helm, the Ravens are a contender in the AFC.

2. The Cowboys won't be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl:

What I said: For the last two years, many people have been saying that the Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFC. But come playoff time, they don't beat anyone. This team has loads of talent but for this team to succeed ego's can't be colliding in the locker room and the odds of that happening aren't very good.

Now: I also took some heat for this prediction but it ended up coming true. Not only did the Cowboys not make the Super Bowl, but they didn't make the playoffs either. With a dysfunctional locker room being one of the main problems look for Terrell Owens to join Adam "Pacman" Jones as players who coming in had character concerns to not join the team next year. But if we learned anything out of this it's that the scariest thing in the NFL isn't Ed Reed or Adrian Peterson in the open field, its Ed Werder reporting from Valley Ranch.

3. The Pittsburgh Steelers won't make the playoffs:

What I said: Many people think the Steelers are going to win the AFC North again but if you look inside the numbers, the odds aren't very good. The Steelers have the highest strength of schedule in the league and their offensive line had lots of issues last year and the loss of Alan Faneca won't help. Looking at that, the Browns are the best bet to win this division.

Now: This prediction was way off. Looking back at it the Steelers had a very tough schedule, a weak offensive line and I was on the Browns bandwagon. While the offensive line is still areas of concern, the Steelers had the best defense in the league and are now two weeks away from winning an NFL record 6 Super Bowls.

4. The Buffalo Bills will make the playoffs:

What I said: The Bills had a solid year last year at 7-9 but this year, they can be even better. They now have a clear choice at quarterback in Trent Edwards as well as an every down back in Marshawn Lynch. The receiving corps also improved as the team drafted 6'6 James Hardy in the second round. The defense is also improving as Paul Posluszny will be healthy and Leodis McKelvin should improve the secondary and the return game. Plus they don't have the strongest division. Other than the Patriots, they play the Dolphins and Jets a combined 4 times. If they play .500 football the rest of the year, the Bills would have a 10-6 record which should be good for a wildcard birth in the AFC.

Now: For the first month or so, this prediction was looking really good. Then after Trent Edwards suffered a concussion in week five against the Cardinals, everything went downhill. After that hit, the Bills went 3-8 the rest of the way including losing four of their last 5 games. This team is still very young and if they continue to build through the draft, they should make the playoffs in the next year or two.

5. Jonathan Stewart will win offensive rookie of the year:

What I said: Most people say that Darren McFadden will be the clear choice for rookie of the year honors. But Lane Kiffin already came out and said that he will be using him in a Reggie Bush type role. Stewart is most likely going to be the feature back in Carolina as DeAngelo Williams hasn't proved he's able to carry the ball 20 times a game. Stewart has fresh legs as he wasn't used that much in college so he should see lots of carries this season and could bring a ground game the Panthers haven't had in a while. Speaking of the Panthers...

Now: Usually a rookie season where you run for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns is good enough for rookie of the year honors that was far from the case this year. With two rookie quarterbacks leading their teams to the playoffs and three rookie running backs among the top ten in the league in rushing yards, it's going to be hard to win regardless of the numbers you put up. Stewart has a very bright future though as he showed tons of potential this year that will have Panthers and his fantasy owners next year screaming for more.

6. The Carolina Panthers will make the playoffs:

What I said: The NFC South is a weird division. Every single year, a different team wins it. This year could be the Panthers turn. Jake Delhomme was having a great season until it got cut short by Tommy John Surgery. If his great play carries over, the Panthers are in good shape. Plus they have one of the best receivers in the league in Steve Smith for Delhomme to throw to. If Julius Peppers and the rest of the defense improves, this team could be dangerous in the NFC.

Now: At the time, this is the prediction I took the most heat for but it ended up being spot on. Up until the divisional playoff game where he threw 5 interceptions, Jake Delhomme was doing a good job of getting the ball to his playmakers and managing the game. Part of the team's spark came from the running back tandem of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. It also helps that Williams went from 3rd down back to Superstar in a year running for over 1500 yards with 20 total touchdowns. The defense also looked reminiscent of the Super Bowl year as a rejuvenated Julius Peppers led the team with 14.5 sacks. As long as they have a solid running game and a good defense, the Panthers should be contenders in the NFC.

7. The Oakland Raiders will be a playoff spoiler come December:

What I said: This offseason, the Raiders did a very good job of getting talent through free agency and the draft. JaMarcus Russell now has a full year of the offense under his belt and the defense is much improved with the additions of DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson. The Raiders may not start off that great as they have lots of new players adjusting, but by the end of the year, they can stop some teams from making the playoffs and possibly be a 7 or 8 win team.

Now: It's hard to believe but this prediction was actually right. If it wasn't for their loss to the Raiders in the final week of the season, the Buccaneers would have made the playoffs and Jon Gruden would still be their head coach. The Raiders also had a big win on the road in Denver where they beat the then division leading Broncos 31-10. JaMarcus Russell played very well the last couple of games and if he develops along with young receivers Johnnie Lee Higgins and Chaz Schilens, the Raiders can do even more next year.

8. Keith Rivers will win defensive rookie of the year:

What I said: Like Patrick Willis last year, Rivers has the chance to step in right away and be the leader of a defense. The Bengals have gotten some young defensive talent in the draft the last couple of years and now with the addition of Rivers, they are headed in the right direction.

Now: This prediction didn't fully get to play out as Rivers' season was cut short by a broken jaw courtesy of Steelers receiver Hines Ward. In the 7 games he did play in though, Rivers had 37 tackles and an interception. Even if he was healthy though, Rivers most likely wouldn't have won the award as Patriots linebacker Jerod Mayo had an excellent rookie season. Rivers is a player to watch for in the future and could even breakout in 2009.

9. Drew Stanton will be the starting quarterback for the Lions by the end of the year:

What I said: If Stanton didn't have a season ending knee injury in preseason last year, there was a good chance he could have been starting as a rookie. But Jon Kitna is now 35 and isn't the long term answer. The only problem with Stanton is Mike Martz was spending the preseason last year changing Stanton's mechanics. Now he's gone and he will now have two different offensive coordinators in two years. But if the Lions are going to struggle, there isn't a better time to start the Stanton to Calvin Johnson connection.

Now: With the way things went for the Lions this year, for a while this prediction was looking good. The Lions must not have that much faith in Stanton though as Dan Orlovsky, Drew Henson and Daunte Culpepper fresh off coaching his son's Pop Warner team all started over Stanton. So far Stanton has been plagued by injuries and is slow to learn the offense and with the Lions holding the first pick eying Matt Stafford and Mark Sanchez, Stanton most likely won't be the quarterback of the future anymore in Detroit. The only bright spot for Stanton this year was that his first career pass went for a touchdown and even if he doesn't get his time to shine, he can always tell that to his grand kids.

10. Matt Forte will run for 1,000 yards as a rookie:

What I said: With the release of Cedric Benson, the Bears think they have found the bruising back they were looking for in Forte. Forte should be the feature back for the Bears and with the weak passing game will be the focal point of opposing defenses. His running style is perfect for the cold games in December.

Now: This one was right on the money as Forte ran for 1238 yards along with 8 touchdowns. In the process, he also proved to be a good receiver out of the backfield as he caught 63 passes. Forte is the Bears number one offensive weapon and if they get more talent around him, he will be even more effective.

Fbkid's Championship Game Predictions

This is the weekend that we have been waiting for all season as the Super Bowl matchup will finally be determined. The final four teams all have unique styles as the Ravens and Steelers have excellent defenses with solid offenses while the Eagles and Cardinals both have explosive offenses with both defenses improving every week. Here are my championship game picks in which should be two great games.

Last week: 2-2
Playoffs: 4-4

Eagles 21 Cardinals 26
Ravens 13 Steelers 20

Who To Watch For In The East-West Shrine Game

While the Senior Bowl gets most of the attention from scouts looking for players in the draft, the East-West Shrine Bowl has had their share of big names as well. Pro Bowlers such as Marques Colston, Greg Jennings, Jay Ratliff, Wes Welker and Jared Allen have all played in the game. This is also a time where some players from smaller schools get their chance to shine and attract attention. Some examples include Tarvaris Jackson, Jacoby Jones and most recently the Buccaneers 5th round draft pick quarterback Josh Johnson. Here are some players to watch in the game today.

Chase Daniel QB Missouri: Daniel was one of the most productive quarterbacks in all of college football for the last two years. Scouts didn't think he had much pro potential though as they thought he was undersized. Daniel then measured in at 6 feet and with a good showing in the game and at the combine; he could possibly get picked in the 4th or 5th round in an overall weak class of quarterbacks.

Hunter Cantwell QB Louisville: Coming into the year, scouts were in love with Cantwell's prototypical size and arm and was once considered a top 10 pick. After an average senior season, Cantwell's stock declined but could get back in the good graces of scout's with a good showing in the game and the combine. Considering the weak quarterback class, Cantwell could move up into the 3rd or 4th round with a few impressive showings.

Gartrell Johnson RB Colorado State: Johnson had a very productive senior year and started to get some attention after a huge bowl game against Fresno State where he ran for 285 yards with 2 touchdowns. Unlike many backs at 6'0 225 pounds Johnson can handle 20 carries a game at the next level. Johnson isn't very explosive and probably won't blow anyone away with his speed but he's a very productive back who could be a steal for somebody on day 2.

Javarris Williams RB Tennessee State: Like Johnson, Williams has put up solid numbers in his 4 year career and coming from a small school he hasn't gotten the attention he deserves. He is also a bruising back who has prototypical NFL size at 5'11 215 pounds. Williams doesn't have great timed speed either but with his frame can take the pounding at the next level. Tennessee State hasn't produced many NFL players but if Williams plays as well as Cardinals 1st round pick cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, he certainly won't be the last player drafted from the school.

Jarett Dillard WR Rice: Over the last three years Dillard has been the most productive receiver in all of college football. Over that time he has accumulated 55 touchdowns and over 255 catches. So why isn't Dillard being considered one of the top receiver prospects in this year's draft? That's because while Michael Crabtree and Jeremy Maclin play against teams like Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12, Dillard is going against the likes of UAB and Tulane in Conference USA. As guys like Roddy White, Chris Johnson, Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall have proved the last few years though that Conference USA players can adjust to the NFL. He is an excellent route runner with great hands and is built very similar to another East-West Shrine alum Greg Jennings. Dillard could be a huge steal for someone on the second day of the draft.

Mike Thomas WR Arizona: Not many people have noticed but Thomas was one of the most productive receivers in Pac 10 history. He doesn't have the size teams look for at 5'8 195 pounds but at a time in the league where the passing game is so important, Thomas could develop into a great slot receiver. At his size he doesn't have the timed speed somebody would expect but he is a very good route runner who is quick in the open field. Thomas could be a very solid player for a team who is willing to take a chance on him in the later part of day 2.

Fbkid's Divisional Weekend Predictions

Wild Card weekend was a very good one as many teams had strong showings. Going in many people including myself doubted the Cardinals chances against a hot Falcons team. They ended up playing very well on both sides of the ball and won in convincing fashion. The Ravens also impressed as the defense was fantastic as always and Joe Flacco did a good job of managing the game. Here are my divisional weekend picks and hopefully they are better then last week.

Playoffs: 2-2
Season: 159-97-1

Ravens 16 Titans 13
Cardinals 21 Panthers 27
Eagles 17 Giants 23
Chargers 13 Steelers 17

Fbkid's Wild Card Weekend Predictions

Last week was one of my best weeks ever as I went 15-1 on my picks. The playoffs should be very interesting this weekend as we should be in for some high scoring games. The only problem with wild card weekend is most of the road teams are favored. That is because some of the wild card teams have better records then the division winners. My solution to fix that is to still have each division winner in the playoffs but seed the teams buy who has the best record. Then the best teams can deservingly host a home playoff game. Here are my wild card weekend picks.

Last week: 15-1
Season: 159-97-1

Falcons 26 Cardinals 23
Colts 27 Chargers 20
Ravens 24 Dolphins 13
Eagles 23 Vikings 17

CJ Shouldn't Have Gone Kanye

It is now being said that Titans rookie running back Chris Johnson thinks that the voting for the offensive rookie of the year is "bogus" because the people voting for it aren't on the playing field with them. Johnson has a case, but this was not a very good move. Before I go any furthur, some of you may know that I am one of the biggest Chris Johnson fans out there and have been hyping him up as a player. This is one scenerio where I will not be at his defense.

Johnson had an excellent rookie season with 1228 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. The only problem is, two rookie running backs arguably had better years in Steve Slaton and Matt Forte. Both Forte and Slaton had more rushing yards then Johnson and Forte also had more touchdowns. Slaton had as many touchdowns as Johnson and led all rookies with 1282 yards. If the Texans used him more at the beginning of the season, Slaton would probably have challenged Adrian Peterson for the rushing title.

In an era where fans also tend to dislike self centered players, this will turn some people off towards Johnson. When asked about how he felt about not winning Johnson went on to say “I’m disappointed. I did all I could to win it. I feel I did the best. I feel I did all I could do to win it; it just didn’t come my way." Even though Johnson doesn't have much to say and doesn't really talk to the media, people will now think of him as a Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens. Johnson will also be compared to Kanye West who has a past of saying things when not winning awards.
West has been quoted as saying the MTV Awards are "fixed" and also has made scenes after losing out on awards on numerous occasions.

The other problem for Johnson is that out of all the positions, running backs transition the easiest to the pro level. Quarterback is one of the hardest and Ryan overcame every challenge in his way. He not only turned one of the worst teams in the NFL into a playoff team in one year, but he also handled everything like a 10 year veteran. Ryan has also brought back hope to all Falcons fans in Atlanta after a year which included head coach Bobby Petrino leaving in the middle of the season and the Michael Vick saga. Ryan wasn't the only rookie quarterback to succeed this year though, you could also throw Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco into the mix as well as he along with the Ravens incredible defense made the transition from last place in the AFC North to a wildcard birth overnight.

As deserving as Ryan is, he also clearly had a better supporting cast then Johnson. While Johnson constantly had to matchup against 8 man fronts, Ryan had the league's second leading rusher in Michael Turner and a receiver in Roddy White who is 4th in the league with 1382 yards. The leading receiver on Johnson's team was Justin Gage with 651 yards. The only real offensive threat other then Johnson that the Titans have is LenDale White who with Johnson forms "Smash and Dash" which is arguably the best running back tandem in the league.

Johnson did have a very good year, but in a rookie class where players at all positions are having a big impact, he doesn't have a very valid case. With both the Titans and Falcons in the playoffs, the battle for offensive rookie of the year award could be settled on in one of the world's biggest stages: The Super Bowl. I'm sure Ryan and Johnson wouldn't have it any other way.