2013 Playoff Predictions

With the NFL season kicking off next week, I thought I'd throw out (or up depending on your opinion of my picks) some predictions on the playoff qualifiers come January. Every year, there are several new teams in the fold, and usually a worst-to-first Cinderella story ... I bet you have some idea of who I'll pick for that. 

Anyway, here we go. Shoot holes in these if you think you know better. 

AFC

• North: Bengals

• South: Texans

• East: Patriots

• West: Broncos

• Wildcards: Steelers, Chiefs

Comment: Really weak conference this year. I didn't intend on picking KC for this until I went through every team. Homer pick, yes. Totally blind, no. 

NFC

• North: Packers

• South: Falcons

• East: Cowboys

• West: 49ers

• Wildcards: Seahawks, Rams

Comment: The top four teams in the entire league appear to be in the NFC. Brutal really. Rams would be division winners in any other spot. 

Super Bowl Pick -- Falcons over Bengals. Crazy uniforms galore. Finally, a ring for Tony G. and SJ39. 

Thanks for reading. 

Steve

Previewing the Chiefs’ and Rams’ seasons

A few days ago in this space, I shared predictions for the winners in each division across the NFL. So you know generally what I think the Chiefs and Rams are going to do this season. But since many of you (as well as me) are big fans of one or both teams, I decided to dedicate an additional blog this week to break down some details for each team’s season.

 

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS

Finished 7-9 last season, last in AFC West

Key Additions: NT Dontari Poe (R), RB Peyton Hillis, RT Eric Winston, TE Kevin Boss, CB Stanford Routt, QB Brady Quinn, OC Brian Daboll

Recipe for Success: The Chiefs finished last in the AFC West last season with a record of 7-9, just one win away from repeating as division champions despite losing three key players – RB Jamaal Charles, S Eric Berry and TE Tony Moeaki – to season-ending knee injuries. All three members of the ACL Crew are back and with other key additions at positions of need, there are many calling for Kansas City to win the much-improved but still mediocre division. The running game should be solid with Charles and Hillis, and the defense is expected to be in the upper half of the league; the key to the Chiefs return to the playoffs will be the play of QB Matt Cassel in a make-or-break season for him.

Schedule Breakdown: In addition home-and-home series within the AFC West, the division plays the NFC South and the AFC North as part of the normal NFL schedule rotation. The Chiefs host the Falcons, Ravens, Bengals, Panthers and Colts, and have to travel to Buffalo, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and Cleveland for road games.

Prediction: I have been saying for weeks now that I’m trying my best to temper my optimism for the upcoming season. Key additions at several spots have solidified the roster. Based on the schedule and the fact that the Chiefs have one of the deepest and youngest rosters in the league, I’m predicting a record of 10-6 and an AFC West crown.

 

ST. LOUIS RAMS

Finished 2-14 last season, last in NFC West

Key Additions: DT Michael Brockers (R), CB Janoris Jenkins (R), CB Courtland Finnegan, RB Isaiah Pead, WR Brian Quick (R), WR Steve Smith, LB Jo-Lonn Dunbar, Head Coach Jeff Fisher

 Recipe for Success: The Rams will be more competitive in 2012 for one simple reason … Jeff Fisher. He is one of only a handful of NFL head coaches that have proven over time that he can take a less than stellar lineup and get it to perform its abilities. Plus Fisher and new General Manager Les Snead turned the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft into a number of building blocks the team needed to lay a foundation for the future. Steven Jackson will have a big year, and Sam Bradford will bounce back. Also look for LB James Laurinaitis, DE Chris Long and S Quintin Mikell to excel on defense.

Schedule Breakdown: In addition home-and-home series within the NFC West, the division plays the NFC North and the AFC East as part of the normal NFL schedule rotation. The Rams host the Redskins, Packers, Patriots (London), Jets and Vikings at the Ed (Jones Dome); and have to travel to Detroit, Chicago, Miami, Buffalo and Tampa Bay.

Prediction: The Rams showed signs of life in the pre-season, but then again, the team went undefeated in the pre-season last year. Fisher’s expertise and presence will equal at least two wins. The NFC West is improving but is still weak, and the Rams will take a step forward. I’m calling for a 6-10 season.

As always, I’d love to hear from you. How do you think our Missouri teams will do? Am I being to realistic, too pessimistic? Come on, sound off.

Until next time, thanks for reading.

Steve

The NFL’s Top 10 RBs for 2012

As the first installment in a series of blogs I’ll be doing over the next two weeks leading up to NFL Kickoff Weekend … here are my thoughts on the best running backs in the NFL, right now. Not what they’ve done in the past, but rather what we can expect from them this season.

1. Arian Foster – Two-time defending rushing champion. Hard to argue with that.
2. Ray Rice – The bowling ball from Rutgers. Who wants to tackle that thing.
3. LeSean McCoy – Has been called the nearest thing we’ve seen to Barry Sanders.
4. Chris Johnson – CJ2K had a down year last year, but looks electric in the pre-season.
5. Maurice Jones-Drew – Now the man in Jax, he’s holding out. That hurts his ranking.
6. Adrian Peterson – Would be No. 1 except for that December knee injury.
7. Matt Forte – Mr. Do It All with no fanfare. Forte is solid in all phases.
8. Jamaal Charles – He’s a virtual carbon copy of Johnson, but with less baggage.
9. Steven Jackson – Rams all-time leading rusher. Five straight 1,000-yard seasons.
10. Michael Turner – He’s carried the ball a ton. May be set for a down year.

Best of the Rest – (listed alphabetically) Ahmad Bradshaw, Frank Gore, Fred Jackson, Ryan Mathews, Darren McFadden. These guys are all great backs, but each of them have yet to put in all together on a consistent basis either due to injury, opportunity or production.

Who am I missing? And how would you list them?

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Ending the Drought … with NFL Power Rankings

It’s been a very long, extremely dry summer for lots of folks all across the Midwest and much of the United States. And much like that moisture drought, it’s been a long time since this blog has seen any kind of significant activity. That’s my fault. We’re here to fix that.

I’m cranking it back up starting today as the NFL season is close enough that us diehard fans can begin to taste it. All team training camps are in full swing, and the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton takes place this Sunday. That’s right football junkies … the best time of the year is almost here.

With that, I thought I’d kick it all off with a pre-season ranking of all 32 NFL teams. Some of this is based on other experts so-called opinion, some research and some gut. Let me know where you think I’ve got it right but especially where you think I really dropped the ball (pun intended).

1. Green Bay – Top to bottom, still the best talent.
2. New England – Brady and Gronk hard to stop.
3. NY Giants – Defending champs have to be near the top.
4. Baltimore – Always play tough defense. Can Flacco and the O deliver?
5. Pittsburgh – Big Ben is hurt. Wallace holding out. Haley’s a wild card.
6. San Francisco – Not sure they can repeat 13-3 with Alex Smith.
7. Houston – Texans lost key pieces, but play in a weak division.
8. New Orleans – Despite everything, they’re still dangerous.
9. Detroit – Lots of firepower and off-field issues.
10.  Atlanta – Good team still trying to prove it is great.
11.  Philadelphia – Vick says dynasty. Let’s see it on the field.
12.  Chicago – Cutler. Forte. Marshall. And a good D.
13.  Dallas – Sooner or later, they have to live up to the hype … right?
14.  Kansas City – The ACL trio returns. Solid D. It’s all on Cassel.
15.  Buffalo – Great offseason, but can they compete in AFC East.
16.  Denver – Everybody love Peyton, but he needs more tools.
17.  Cincinnati – Great young core. Insanely tough division.
18. San Diego – Promise big every year. It’s do-or-get-fired time.
19. Carolina – Big dreams in PantherLand after Cam’s rookie year.
20.  NY Jets – Their mouths outpace their talent this year.
21.  Tennessee – Steady team. Big decision on the QB.
22.  Seattle – Pete believes. No one else is sure. Pick a QB, please.
23.  Washington – RGIII has the town by the tail. But can he win?
24.  Arizona – Solid by not spectacular anywhere.
25.  Tampa Bay – Lots of moves to improve the roster. And a new coach.
26.  St. Louis – Fisher is the new sheriff in town. Sam has to rebound.
27.  Oakland – Reggie has some work to do in the post-Al era.
28.  Miami – Philbin takes over. Still need a QB.
29.  Jacksonville – MJD and Blackmon holding out. Khan can’t like that.
30.  Cleveland – New owner. New QB. New RB. Big hill to climb.
31.  Indianapolis – His name is Luck, and he’ll need it this season.
32.  Minnesota – AP is still recovering. Is Ponder the guy?

With the NFL, that’s the end of the dry spell. Poet and didn’t know it. Let me know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Miller Mock Draft 2.0

This is the week. T-minus four days and counting until the first round of the NFL Draft on Thursday night. I’ll be heading to Kansas City with my buddy, Forrest Gossett, to watch at the Chiefs Official Draft Party. It’s an event for Season Ticket Holders only. Yeah, that’s right. Can’t wait …

I’ve made a few tweaks to my picks from last week. Well, actually … more than a few tweaks. More than half of the 32 teams’ picks have changed (shown in red). 

Take a look, and let me know what you think. 

  

1.       Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB Stanford

2.       Washington Redskins (from Rams) – Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor
3.       Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT USC
4.       Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB Alabama
5.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB LSU
6.       St. Louis Rams (from Redskins) – Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State
7.       Jacksonville Jaguars – Melvin Ingram, DE S. Carolina
8.       Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M
9.       Carolina Panthers – Fletcher Cox, DL Mississippi State
10.   Buffalo Bills – Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College
11.   Kansas City Chiefs – David DeCastro, OG Stanford
12.   Seattle Seahawks – Quinton Coples, DE N. Carolina
13.   Arizona Cardinals – Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame
14.   Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron, S Alabama
15.   Philadelphia Eagles – Dontari Poe, NT Memphis
16.   New York Jets – Courtney Upshaw, LB Alabama
17.   Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders) – Stephon Gilmore, CB S. Carolina
18.   San Diego – Cordy Glenn, OT Georgia
19.   Chicago Bears – Riley Reiff, OT Iowa
20.   Tennessee Titans – Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama
21.   Cincinnati Bengals – Kendall Wright, WR Baylor
22.   Cleveland Browns (from Falcons) – Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech
23.   Detroit Lions – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama
24.   Pittsburgh Steelers – Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford
25.   Denver Broncos – Michael Brockers, DT LSU
26.   Houston Texans – Nick Perry, DE USC
27.   New England Patriots (from Saints) – Whitney Mercilius, DE Illinois
28.   Green Bay Packers – Shea McClellin, LB Boise State
29.   Baltimore Ravens – Peter Konz, C Wisconsin
30.   San Francisco 49ers – Harrison Smith, S Notre Dame
31.   New England Patriots – Mike Adams, OT Ohio State
32.   New York Giants – Coby Fleener, TE Stanford

How does your mock look different from this?

Thanks for reading.

Steve

Chiefs, Rams Uniform Surveys

With the NFL's long-anticipated release of the Nike uniforms last week, I've put together a couple brief surveys for fans of the Missouri franchises ... Chiefs and Rams.

If you would, take a couple minutes and let your opinion be heard. Just a few short questions about the uniforms, favorite players, etc. 

Rams Uniform Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/VY6TZPM


Chiefs Uniform Survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q8CFK7C

Thanks.

Miller Mock Draft 1.0

Wow. Welcome back to me. It’s been a while since I’ve blogged, but with NFL pre-season activity starting to heat up with the scouting combine, the draft and OTAs, I’m getting the fever.

With the NFL Draft now less than two weeks away, every expert and his two brothers are putting together mock drafts. Well, I’m no expert but I love football an awful lot, so I decided to throw something together. Cannot wait to see how it all unfolds starting April 26.

1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck, QB Stanford

There is no way Jim Irsay passes on the next great pocket passer. 

2. Washington Redskins (from Rams) – Robert Griffin III, QB Baylor

RG3 could end up being more successful than Luck. Shanahan hopes so.

3. Minnesota Vikings – Matt Kalil, OT USC

Protecting Christian Ponder has to be the top priority. Kalil has the bloodlines and the talent.

4. Cleveland Browns – Trent Richardson, RB Alabama

Colt McCoy needs offensive weapons. Cleveland desperately needs running back help. TRich is the most complete RB prospect since Adrian Peterson.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Morris Claiborne, CB LSU

Ronde Barber can’t play corner forever. Claiborne is an elite talent. When need meets BPA (best player available), it’s a beautiful thing.

6. St. Louis Rams (from Redskins) – Justin Blackmon, WR Oklahoma State

Every expert in the known world has Blackmon going to the Rams. It makes sense, but who knows what Fisher and Co. will do. Lots of needs to meet.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars – Michael Floyd, WR Notre Dame

Blaine Gabbert looked terrible last season. He needs help. Floyd will be a significant upgrade at WR.

8. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill, QB Texas A&M

The kid is raw and inexperienced, but experts say his ceiling is high. Philbin and Sherman better hope so.

9. Carolina Panthers – Fletcher Cox, DL Mississippi State

Cox fits a team need on the D line, and he’s the best available.

10. Buffalo Bills – Riley Reiff, OT Iowa

Reiff is a solid lineman and will step into the starting lineup right away, probably at LT.

11. Kansas City Chiefs – Luke Kuechly, LB Boston College

KC comes into the draft with few gaping holes. Kuechly is a tackling machine, and will quickly be starting on the inside opposite Derrick Johnson.

12. Seattle Seahawks – David DeCastro, OG Stanford

DeCastro is ready to start right now, and Seattle is glad to see he’s still available. Matt Flynn says thank you.

13. Arizona Cardinals – Melvin Ingram, DE S. Carolina

They have needs at WR and OL but with the best prospects already taken, the Cards shift to D line concerns. Ingram is long and lean, and should make an impact in the pass rush game.

14. Dallas Cowboys – Mark Barron, S Alabama

Barron is a LB/Safety hybrid, and the Boys will plug him into situational defenses right away.

15. Philadelphia Eagles – Dontari Poe, NT Memphis

This kid impressed at the Scouting Combine, but his tape showed inconsistency against sub-par competition at Memphis. Needs time to develop.

16. New York Jets – Quinton Coples, DE N. Carolina

Rex loves the D line, and Coples has big talent. His potential to bust is higher than most due to his inconsistent motor.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Raiders) – Stephon Gilmore, CB S. Carolina

One of the team’s top needs is at corner, and Gilmore is rated as one of the best in this year’s class. Seems like a fit.

18. San Diego Chargers – Cordy Glenn, OT Georgia

The Chargers lost quite a bit this off-season, and I don’t see Gaither as a long-term fix at LT. This mammoth dude from Georgia is highly regarded.

19. Chicago Bears – Dre Kirkpatrick, CB Alabama

The Bears still have need at WR and on the O line, but I think they’ll go with this versatile athletic corner. He’s an upgrade and will start.

20. Tennessee Titans – Dont’a Hightower, LB Alabama

Tennessee is getting older on defense, particularly in the linebacking corps. Hightower is a hybrid LB/Safety and will make an impact in the middle.

21. Cincinnati Bengals – Kendall Wright, WR Baylor

Andy Dalton needs more weapons to complement A.J. Green. A running back could work here, but I think they’ll go WR here and get the RB later. Wright plays fast in pads.

22. Cleveland Browns (from Falcons) – Michael Brockers, DT LSU

23. Detroit Lions – Courtney Upshaw, LB Alabama

24. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jonathan Martin, OT Stanford

25. Denver Broncos – Janoris Jenkins, CB N. Alabama

26. Houston Texans – Stephen Hill, WR Georgia Tech

27. New England Patriots (from Saints) – Nick Perry, DE USC

28. Green Bay Packers – Chandler Jones, DE Syracuse

29. Baltimore Ravens – Kevin Zeitler, OG Wisconsin

30. San Francisco 49ers – Harrison Smith, S Notre Dame

31. New England Patriots – Andre Branch, DE Clemson

32. New York Giants – Mike Adams, OT Ohio State

NFL Week 7: Games to Watch

Our internet service at home has been down all week, and we just got it restored within the past hour. So this week's preview blog post is going to be less detailed than normal ... (yeah, ha ha, real funny. You can thank me later, smart aleck).

My record in last week's four preview games was 2-2, taking my season record to 17-7 (.708).

Here are this week's four games to watch ... 

CHARGERS (4-1) @ JETS (3-3)

The Jets have been horrible on offense, being saved by their tough defense. And the Chargers haven't really beaten anybody yet. On top of all that, Rex Ryan insulted Norv Turner on the radio this week. Should be interesting.

San Diego 28, New York 17

BEARS (3-3) @ BUCCANEERS (4-2)
The Bears and Bucs travel to London to play the NFL's annual game in the UK. Not sure why the league keeps doing this; it hurts everybody involved, except the NFL's expansion dreams.

Tampa Bay 24, Chicago 16

FALCONS (3-3) @ LIONS (5-1)
Atlanta continues to be confused, and confuse all of us, about who and what they are. A trip to Detroit to take on the ticked-off Lions won't help. 
Detroit 31, Atlanta 27

TEXANS (3-3) @ TITANS (3-2)
Houston has not taken advantage of the Colts' stumble, and Tennessee is better than expected. The winner of this AFC South showdown will have the upper hand on the division title.

Tennessee 24, Houston 21

Missouri Round-up

The Missouri Tigers hosted the No. 4 nationally-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys at Faurot Field in Columbia today. Unfortunately, I was there in person to see the dismantling of the Tigers. Mizzou is now 1-3 in Big XII Conference play, and a down season is well underway. Not sure we are ready for the SEC.

The Rams and Chiefs both go on the road for tough away games this week -- KC @ Oakland and STL @ Dallas. It doesn't look good for either squad. It looks like an 0-3 weekend for Missouri's teams.

Thanks for reading.

Steve

NFL Week 6: Games to Watch

We are five weeks into the 2011 NFL Regular Season and if there’s one thing for sure, this year is turning out to be the season of surprise – surprises positive and surprises negative. On the plus side, we have great unexpected success stories in Buffalo, Detroit, San Francisco and Washington. And on the down end, we have teams laying eggs like Indianapolis, Minnesota, Philadelphia and St. Louis.

 

Two months ago, who would have thought the 49ers at Lions game would one of the biggest ones on the Week 6 schedule. Well, it is. And the records for the teams in the Eagles-Skins game are backwards from what everyone expected. That’s why they play the games.

Last week I went 3-1 on these preview games; overall I'm 15-5.

Here are four of this week’s best games.

49ERS (4-1) @ LIONS (5-0)

These two teams are the talk of the NFL football world, going a combined 9-1 through five weeks of games. Detroit was somewhat expected; San Francisco was not. The 49ers were terrible last year, they have a rookie head coach and the lockout kept them from installing a new system this summer. None of it seems to have mattered. And the Lions are rolling, winning in every conceivable fashion. The edge goes to the Lions playing at home.

Detroit 31, San Francisco 24

BILLS (4-1) @ GIANTS (3-2)

This is a hard game to figure. Buffalo is one the real surprises of the season so far; the team’s only loss so far is a road loss to the Bengals. The Bills have beaten New England, Oakland and Philadelphia, and certainly look like a team that is for real. The Giants are, again this year, one of those tough teams that just seem to find a way to win. Their defense has been hit hard by injuries, but they find a way to put players on the field and gut out hard-fought victories. The G-Men do it again this week, but just barely.

New York 24, Buffalo 23

EAGLES (1-4) @ REDSKINS (3-1)

It’s hard to say which of these teams is a bigger surprise – Philly on the down side or Washington on the plus side. Everyone has heard all about the Eagles’ talent and how they were supposed to be winning. And everyone has grown accustomed to doubting the Redskins’ talent and Mike Shanahan’s coaching. Well, maybe Washington is finally putting it together. The team is leading the NFC East and hosts the reeling Eagles. They keep on surprising and the Eagles keep on falling.

Washington 27, Philadelphia 24

TEXANS (3-2) @ RAVENS (3-1)

At the beginning of the year, most folks probably looked at this match-up and just marked is as an easy win for the Ravens. And maybe it will be anyway. But when you look closer at this game, it gets more and more interesting. The Texans are balanced on offense, and Wade Phillips finally has the team playing some defense. The Ravens are a hard team to figure, going hot and cold from week to week. Flacco is still inconsistent, but Ray Rice is the offensive engine. He’ll deliver again.

Baltimore 23, Houston 21

Missouri Round-up

The Missouri Tigers celebrate the centennial of the Homecoming where homecomings all began. Mizzou welcomes the Iowa State Cyclones to town for the big party, and everybody remotely associated with the university hopes they don’t spoil it. The Tigers are 2-3 and already 0-2 in conference play; I don’t see how they can lose this one at home. The Chiefs are off on their BYE this weekend, and the Rams will probably wish they were by the time they leave Green Bay. I fully expect the Packers to destroy St. Louis’ undermanned Rams. Run for cover, fellas.

As always, thanks for reading.

Steve