Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
After what seemed like about 15 straight seasons heading into the year as the trendy "sleeper" pick of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals finally realized their potential, winning a home playoff game for the first time in the life of many football fans (myself included) and heading to the first-ever Super Bowl. Now, all of a sudden, expectations are at an all-time high. Can the team thrive, or will they disappoint?
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. " We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
The last time the Steelers won a Super Bowl, in 2006, they limped through the encore season as Bill Cowher headed towards retirement, Ben Roethlisberger battled a motorcycle wreck, two concussions and appendicitis, and the offensive line fell apart. Now after winning another Super Bowl, Pittsburgh's offensive line is still shaky and Roethlisberger has already endured an Achilles injury and a civil suit, but Pittsburgh believes it has built a team that can make a much better defense of its "sticky Lombardi."
It's July, the slowest month of the year for the NFL, and it's driving you nuts. You need a fix. A hit. Anything NFL to pull you through the dog days. FanHouse is here to help with an in-depth look at each division that should have you plenty prepared for training camp. We're calling it Summer Scramble, and this afternoon we look at some Burning Questions in the NFC West and offer a ridiculously early prediction.
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all.
Meet the ... Defending NFC champions. A few inches either way, and we could say the Super Bowl champions. Soak that up. The Arizona Cardinals almost took home a title. It was like a bizarro world Super Bowl -- if you only looked at the NFC side, that is. Regardless, the Cardinals did it with a prolific passing attack, and you know we love that in fantasy football.
They've lost their offensive coordinator and replaced Edgerrin James' aging legs with some fresh ones. Other than that, they look pretty similar in fantasy land. And that's a good thing.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
The Steelers are never big players in free agency, so the draft is of vital importance to the Steelers ability to contend year in and year out. With two Lombardi trophies and another AFC Championship appearance in the past five years, it's clear that Kevin Colbert and the Steelers' scouting department have done their job well.
The Steelers rarely draft players to start right away. Even 2003 first-round pick Troy Polamalu played only sporadically as a rookie and last year's top two picks, Rashard Mendenhall and Limas Sweed, will be asked to play much bigger roles in 2009 than they did in 2008.
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call The Perfect Draft.
After a Cinderella run to the Super Bowl -- and nearly winning the thing -- the Cardinals will look to continue building momentum as a franchise. They have a gaping hole in the backfield, because there is no true every-down back on the team anymore. Also, Anquan Boldin's situation really needs to be resolved, and the team could struggle to replace dearly departed offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
I'm not sure if this is good news for Anquan Boldin, the Cardinals wide receiver who's been clamoring for a contract extension for almost a year now, but his agent Drew Rosenhaus wants to make it clear that he and Boldin are on good terms with the organization even though previous comments from the wide receiver suggested otherwise.
After a week of hoping that Bryant McFadden would decide to stay in Pittsburgh, the Steelers lost him to the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, as Ryan Wilson reported.
It's a disappointment for the Steelers, but one they can easily survive. When McFadden was hurt last year, the Steelers secondary didn't miss a beat. William Gay, the starter when McFadden was hurt, will replace McFadden as a starter, Deshea Townsend will be the nickel back and the Steelers will likely draft a cornerback to eventually replace Townsend and give Gay competition.
According to the Football Outsiders' game charters, Gay was the best cornerback in the league last year in yards allowed per attempt thrown his way, so he's not likely to be in over his head.
Heading into free agency, most people assumed that former Steeler Bryant McFadden would be in demand, perhaps even the first cornerback to ink a big-money deal. Ten days and a handful of defensive back signings later, McFadden finally got a new contract. And it has to be a lot less than what he was expecting: he's headed to Arizona for two years and $10 million.
Last offseason, the Steelers slapped Max Starks with the transition tag, and at the time, most people didn't know what to make of the move. Starks, the team's starting right tackle during the 2005 Super Bowl season, had lost his job to Willie Colon, and paying a backup more than $6 million to ride the pine didn't make much sense.
Training camps have wrapped up, the NFL season is right around the corner, and it's still hot as sin outside. But instead of cooling you off with a warm island song, FanHouse break out ye old heat check for our 2009 NFL Season Previews. We'll rate each club in 5 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.
Training camps have wrapped up, the 
With Fantasy Football season ready to kick in high gear, FanHouse is here to preview each and every team -- one per day until we've done them all. 
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call 
With the draft approaching, we ignore projections and identify the dream scenario for each team in a series we call 
I'm not sure if this is good news for 
After a week of hoping that 
Last offseason, the Steelers slapped 
