The coming season

With the first week of preseason done with, we can begin to think about the upcoming NFL season. There will be a lot of analysis trying to evaluate new players, team strategies, etc etc, most of which will come to naught. Still, there are some useful tidbits:

The Steelers didn't play Ben Roethlisberger at all in pre-week 1. Ben has been suspended for 6 regualr season games, so it makes that much more sense to play him in the preseason, almost as if he were the backup QB. Instead Tomlin played the other three QBs (one of whom I suppose will be cut). Things don't bode well for Pittsburgh.

The big news was the opening game of the new Jets/Giants stadium. I saw a bit of that game, and the stadum is very nice. I'm glad whoever it was who decides such things opted for an open stadium. Cold weather teams should not forego the cold weather advantage (ask the Vikings). We'll see how things go for the New Jersey teams.

I was going to make a poll on who you think will win the Superbowl, but there are too many choices.

This year I like the Colts, again, and the Giants. I don't think the Saints will repeat, in fact I think they'll crash and burn this year. But that's mostly wishful thinking. Nothing against the Saints (though it's a ridiculous nickname for a football team), but no team can be so bad for so long and then gain dominance in the league. A flash in the pan is more their style, like the Browns/Ravens or the Falcons.

The Pats are through. They had a great run over the past ten years, but it's over. The Vikings may or may not be a contender, largely depending on hos the Favre Soap, part III, plays itself out. The Dolphins proved it takes more than reviving the wildcat in order to win consistently. The Raiders won't improve until Al Davies retires. The Broncos might surprise the hell out fo everyone, as they did last year, or they might disappoint everyone, as they also did last year.

Of course, this could be the year the Lions remember they are a football team. You never can tell.

There will be a nationwide airline strike that lasts the entire season, and as a result, every team will go 0-16 due to a series of double forfeits.

Remember, you heard it here first.

Typical Cowboys fan.

Quote: mkl654321

There will be a nationwide airline strike that lasts the entire season, and as a result, every team will go 0-16 due to a series of double forfeits.

Remember, you heard it here first.

Imagine how much action would be on the Oakland/San Fran game in week 6! :-)

Quote: rdw4potus

Imagine how much action would be on the Oakland/San Fran game in week 6! :-)

There's plenty of games were you could drive it if needed. John Madden must have done a fair amount of miles in his cruiser :)

Anyways, I predict the Lions lose less 11 games this season. They'll still be defensively suspect, as their linebacker corp is possibly the worst in the league right now, and that will cause the Tampa 2 to fall down. However, CJ and Stafford will do well, and their may be a Lion or two make the pro-bowl for once.

Favre will finally retire. Or at least not come back. I think the Saints are set to do well again, and not be a flash in the pan. The Cowboys won't be hosting their own superbowl. I think the Colts will struggle as they give Peyton too much to do to win games, but they'll be back again. The Pats are out yet, but the Jets/Pats game should be interesting, as I think the Jets are making the right moves.

Quote: thecesspit

There's plenty of games were you could drive it if needed. John Madden must have done a fair amount of miles in his cruiser :)

Yes, especially with a week off between games, you'd think they could drive just about anywhere. It's kind of interesting how the schedule sets up...physically close teams don't play each other as much as I'd have thought. There's no 'Skins/Ravens game, no Jets/Giants game, etc.

I would think that Indy/Cincy, Carolina/Atlanta, Cleveland/Pittsburgh, Philly/Washington, Philly/NY, Chicago/any-other-NFC-North-Team would all be very manageable drives.

Quote: rdw4potus

Yes, especially with a week off between games, you'd think they could drive just about anywhere. It's kind of interesting how the schedule sets up...physically close teams don't play each other as much as I'd have thought. There's no 'Skins/Ravens game, no Jets/Giants game, etc.

I recently learned how NFL schedules are set up. here goes:

First there are six games against divisional rivals.
Next four games against the teams in a division within the team's Conference.
Then four games against the teams in a division in the other Conference
Finally the other two games are set up according to last season's record, ie you go against teams with similar records not included in the 14 games above.

Naturally divisional rivalries are alive and well, and most were preserved through realignment. Other rivalries are more ephemeral.

If anyone has ESPN Insider, this is an interesting take on which teams actually have the highest SoS, based on Vegas over/under lines.

http://insider.espn.go.com/insider/blog?id=5470517&name=millman_chad&sort=oldest

Quote: Nareed

Finally the other two games are set up according to last season's record, ie you go against teams with similar records not included in the 14 games above.

Actually it's the two teams in your conference who finished in the same position in their division as you did. This means an 0-16 team could play the 8-8 team from another division if that was the worst record.

The schedule means every conference team plays each other at least once every three years guaranteed, and every non-conference team every four years. Otherwise then only other place you get inter-conference games? The Superbowl.

Quote: thecesspit

Actually it's the two teams in your conference who finished in the same position in their division as you did. This means an 0-16 team could play the 8-8 team from another division if that was the worst record.

My bad.

Of course I did assume similar meant "closest to your record." Otherwise the Lions would consistently play 14 games (of course that might actually benefit them...)

And to think I used to tease the New Orleans "Ain'ts" this way when they fired Jim Mora ("PLAYOFFS!?? Are you kidding me?... PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!??? I just hope we can win a game, another game.")

Quote:

The schedule means every conference team plays each other at least once every three years guaranteed, and every non-conference team every four years. Otherwise then only other place you get inter-conference games? The Superbowl.

I recall there always being interconference games, but my football memory goes back only to 1974 or so. I assumed such games were instituted when the NFL merged with the AFL.