NFL 2011 Half Time Report

With Every Team having played at least 8 games here is our view of the first half and how we rank the teams.

1 Green Bay Packers 8-0 – What can you say 14 wins in a row now and not against easy teams either. They have beaten the Bears Falcons & Saints and look a certainty for the Playoffs at least.

2 Baltimore Ravens 6-2 – Two wins over the Steelers sort of makes up for their two poor road losses to the Jags and Titans.

3 New York Giants 6-2 – Eli Manning looks back to his best and only the shocking home defeat to Seattle stops us ranking them No .

4 New Orleans Saints 6-3 The Saints have had one bad defeat against the Rams but otherwise look solid and consistent in a tough NFC South

5 Steelers 6-3 – The AFC North is one tough division and although those losses to the Ravens will have hurt they look well placed for a run at the Superbowl again probably from the Wild cards.

6 San Fransisco 49ers 7-1 – Well we never saw this one coming 7-1 all be it in the otherwise abysmal NFC West. We may be being a little harsh on them at 6, however we are not quite convinced yet despite some good wins (Eagles, Bengals, Lions). If they Beat The Giants on Sunday then we will have to seriously reconsider their ranking.

7 Detroit Lions 6-2 – They are doing rather well this year and neither loss was totally unexpected. If they can win at Soldier Field this week then they are for real.

8 Chicago Bears 5-3 – The Bears are hanging in there in the ultra tough NFC North and they have the head to head over a number of potential Wild Card rivals, meaning there is a big chance that they will make the playoffs again. Cutler needs to control the 4th quarter better and they could use a Wide Receiver, however the ground game is improving and they are a team to watch.

9 New England Patriots 5-3 – Never write the Patriots off and although they have lost two in a row now those have been against the Steelers and Giants with the giants loss coming in the last 15 seconds. They have a tough game against the Jets this week and then things look a lot easier.

10 New York Jets 5-3 – The Jets had a little stumble but got back on track and although we are not convinced by their offense the defense looks solid and it could easily carry them deep into the playoffs again. They face The Pats at Foxborough this weekend but then it gets a whole lot easier.

11 Houston Texans 6-3 – Finally the Texans look like making the playoffs. Their running game is good and the defense looks like a revelation compared to previous seasons.

12 Falcons 5-3 – The Falcons have not had an easy start having played 5 playoff contenders (if you count the currently disappointing Eagles). They gambled big to grab Julio Jones and he is starting to look like he is worth it. The Falcons still look likely to grab a wild card.

13 Bengals 6-2 – Well this is a turn up rookie QB and rookies Wide Receiver and here they are 6-2. and top of the AFC North. Ok they have had a pretty easy schedule so far but all they can do is win. We will know more about their prospects after the next two game when they face the Steelers & Ravens. If they are 8-2 after that then we will have to take them serious.

14 Chargers 4-4 – The best 50% team we have seen in a while but a tough schedule and a penchant for self destructing could cost them again this season.

15 Buccaneers 4-4 – Another team who have suffered from a tough division and schedule with 6 of their 8 games so far being against potential playoff teams. The defense has been uncharacteristically generous too.

16 Bills 5-3 – started well with some nice come from behind wins, however they seem to be on the slide and probably flattered to deceive.

17 Cowboys 4-4 – About where we expected unlikely to make the playoffs but on their day a handful for anyone.

18 Eagles 3-5 – Oh dear what has befallen the Eagles a host of star names added and now 3-5! Its too early to write them off but they really cant afford another loss if they are to make the post season.

19 Chiefs 4-4 – Doing OK given their injury list, and in the AFC West anything is possible made the playoffs last season and still might make it two in a row.

20 Titans 4-4 – Benefiting from the Colts demise and an easy schedule. Matt Hasselbeck has been a great signing and Chris Johnson continues to impress,  even if they are 32nd in rushing,  but its hard to see them making the post season from here

21 Raiders 4-4 – Not sure what to make of the Raiders this season one week they look good and the next no so. In the AFC West anything is possible so they are still in contention.

22 Vikings 2-6 – The Best 2-6 team we have seen in a while and with a little more composure and luck they could be a lot better. They can run the ball and stop the run, however they cant hold onto a lead and this has cost them Five of their defeats have been by a TD or less.

23 Redskins 3-5 – Until the Skins get a QB they are going to struggle. Sorry but neither John Beck or Rex Grossman are good enough.

24 Broncos 3-5 – Denver are actually doing OK considering they are rebuilding. If things go their way they could yet figure in the inconsistent AFC West.

25 Panthers 2-6 – Carolina or Cam Newton to be more precise have played pretty well so far this season and although a winning season look out of the question they could be one to watch in the next couple of seasons.

26 Browns 3-5 – Worse than their record would suggest. Still they are in a tough division and they have a whole load of draft picks to play with going forward. In time they will be back but this season 6-10 would be good.

27 Jaguars 2-6 – Jack Del Rio remains under pressure as the Jags still cant seem to play attractive football or get many wins on the board.

28 Seahawks 2-6 - Not a hope of them repeating last seasons play off place and in desperate need of a quality QB and some sensible decision makers. Dumping Matt Hasselbeck and replacing him with Travaris Jackson speaks volumes here.

29 Cardinals 2-6 - Its not a vintage year for the NFC West – again. We never rated Kevin Kolb that highly however the Cards gave awat one of the best corners in the league and a draft pick for him.

30 Rams 1-7 – A big disappointment given their comparatively good showing last season. They have the QB and a good running back but there are too many holes elsewhere on the pitch.

31 Dolphins 1-7 – need a QB enough said

32 Colts 0-9 – Please hurry back Peyton. The Colts are a mediocre team with a great QB and without him the results say it all.

 

Well there you have it our opinion of the first half.

Rex Grossman Predicts NFC East Win For Redskins – Does He Have A Point

Every NFL player will say their team is in with a chance of doing well coming into a new season, however given that the NFC East looks like being very strong again in 2011 and the fact that he is by no means certain to start this seems a bold statement to make; or is it?

Two seasons ago no one would really gave the Cincinnati Bengals a prayer in the AFC North and last season most (yourselves included gave the Chiefs no chance of taking the AFC West, so are the Redskins this seasons surprise team or has Rex had one too many blows to the head! 

Currently most pundits have the Skins finishing 4th in the NFC East and many expect them to struggle to match last seasons 6-10 record. However a quick look at their results last season shows that six of those defeats came by 4 points or less and their schedule was pretty ugly with their non divisional games including games against Superbowl Champions Green Bay, NFL Championship runners up Chicago, Indianapolis and Tampa Bay. A line up many teams would have struggled with. The problem is that 2011 doesn’t look any easier with their opening 5 games all being against genuine playoff contenders plus they have the Jets & Patriots in December.

The Redskins have made some big changes in the off-season, disposing of Donovan McNabb, Albert Haynesworth and Clinton Portis, but have added extra firepower in the shape of Donte’ Stallworth and Jabar Gaffney both competent receivers. With Santana Moss re-signing  they finally have  a decent threat out wide and adding Tim Hightower at Running Back will take some of the pressure off Ryan Torain as well as offering cover if he ends up hurt again. Torain missed 4 games in 2010 and that hurt the Skins especially given they had little to offer other than Moss in offense. They were a bit short on draft picks in 2010 but adding Trent Williams to the offensive line is an upgrade and he should suit the zone blocking scheme so loved by Mike Shanahan.

 

Their defense was hamstrung by Haynesworth’s reluctance to play out of position, however they should be more settled this time having added NY Giant DT Barry Cofield who is well suited to playing Nose Tackle and in our opinion a much under rated player. is an upgrade at nose tackle, the position Haynesworth refused to play. The Redskins also added talent at defensive end snapping up ex Dallas Cowboys starter Stephen Bowen and their secondary looks a little stronger with the addition of corner Josh Wilson and safety O.J. Atogwe.

 

Overall we think the Redskins are a better team than in 2010 at all positions except QB, and we are not convinced by Rex Grossman despite his 2006 Superbowl appearance with The Bears, and John Beck doesn’t look the answer to us either.

 

Overall the big problem Washington have is the fact that all their divisional rivals have gotten better too for 2011 and The Eagles in particular have got a whole lot better. Drop the Skins in the NFC West and they would probably win it, but with the best will in the world we cant see them taking the NFC East, however they could do a lot better than many expect and a winning season is not out of the question, despite their schedule.

The Eagles Shore up their Corners going into 2011

The Free Agency is now if full swing thanks to the end of the lockout and in what looks like one of the best moves so far the Philadelphia Eagles have snapped up Pro Bowl cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the Cardinals, and Nnamdi Asomugha from the raiders. This decisive action by Andy reid probably stems from the 34 Touch Downs the Eagles gave up last year (including in the playoffs) and they are now the team to beat in the NFC east and will fancy theiur chances of a trip to the Super Bowl. Asomugha’s contract is worth $60 million, $25 million of which is guaranteed.

 

The big losers here are the New York Jets, who seemed convinced that Asomugha would be joining them, and now they will have to try and resign current free agent Antonio Cromarti or go into the season with a gaping hole at Corner, given Kyle Wilson doesn’t look ready to take center stage yet.

 

The Eagles have been on a bit of a spending spree and also signed ex Tennesee Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin to a five-year contract, wide receiver Johnnie Lee Higgins, also from Oakland and and tight end Donald Lee from the Packers on one-year deals.

Washington Redskins 2011 Draft

Where should the skins go in the 2011 draft. I’m not sure they know themselves given they have so many imponderablesespecially at QB. McNabb looks like he will be gone as soon as there is a free agency and is Rex Grossman really the answer under centre? Sure he reached a Superbowl with the Bears, but that was more down their defense than anything he achieved.

So is QB an option? We think not, unless by some miracle either Gabbert or Newton falls to 10, and given the teams before them this is inconceivable. They could trade down and maybe pick up Jake Locker in the late teens, however this would be a gamble and there should still be some QB talent left in round 2.

Overall we think the Skins will go Wide Receiver, and the obvious choice would be A.J Green. Santana Moss was their leading receiver last year with 6 td’s and no one else managed more than 3 which is probably why they are picking at 10. Who knows with someone to throw to Grosman might surprise us all.

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More Top Players get the Franchise Tag

The uncertainty surrounding the current NFL collective bargaining agreement seems to be having a major effect on the decision making of the teams, with several high profile players being tagged this week.

The latest additions to what is fast becoming a who’s who of top talent includes Baltimores DT Haloti Ngata, Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick, and most surprisingly Colts Star QB Peyton Manning. Admittedly both Vick and Manning have received the “exclusive” designation preventing them from entering talks with other teams, however if the Collective Bargaining agreement does end in a lock out then a free for all could erupt in the NFL and deep pocketed franchises such as Washington could make a move.

Our view is that none of the franchise tagged players mentioned will be allowed to go and they will all be in their respective teams in 2011, still its a funny game football especially where money is involved.

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