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FanHouse NFL Season Preview: San Diego Chargers -- Take Your Marmalard and Shove It

Posted: Aug 29th 2008 6:00AM by Will Brinson (author feed)
Filed under: Chargers

Training camps are underway, the NFL season is right around the corner, and to get you ready for 2008, FanHouse previews all 32 teams, "heat index" style. We'll rate each club in 10 categories on a scale of 1 to 10, high score wins.

Quarterback: Bear in mind, I'm a tremendous Philip Rivers fan. So despite the hilarity of Ape's Marmalard skits, I don't laugh (much). And the fact that everyone focuses on Rivers poor throws amuses me some, since Norv Turner consistently put him in horrible situations for most of the season. I won't mention that he has the stones to go toe-to-toe with Tom Brady sans ACL. Anyway, two years ago he was prepared to take his game to the next level and somehow regressed in 2007. Won't happen this season, providing his coach is smart. Crap. Heat Index: 8

Running Back: Am I allowed to give a heat index of 11? Because, like Nigel's amps, LaDanian Tomlinson is a little bit louder/better than anyone else. The loss of Michael Turner hurts a little, but the poor man's lightning-thunder backup combo of Darren Sproles and Jacob Hester is going to be a pretty devastating change of pace factor for opposing defenses. Heat Index: 11

Wide Receiver: Vincent Jackson was supposed to rise up and become a legit number one last year. Whoops. Fortunately, Chris Chambers and his potentially record breaking low catch rate (based on target % anyway) are in town now. Craig Davis will blossom decently this year and Malcolm Floyd is a pretty nasty, athletic freak, red zone target type. Oh yes, and Antonio Gates counts here too, so there's that. Heat Index: 9

Continue Reading FanHouse NFL Season Preview: San Diego Chargers -- Take Your Marmalard and Shove It

Fanhouse's NFL 2007 Season Predictions

Posted: Sep 6th 2007 8:00AM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: NFL Fans, NFL Power Rankings

17 COMMENTS

The bloggers here at the NFL portion of Fanhouse recently huddled up in a basement, put together our heads and came up with our predictions for the 2007 NFL season.

We don't just have our Super Bowl predictions [go after the jump to see our picks], but the entire NFL. We picked each division how we saw fit. Below is how the voting went, along with the links to our writers previews of each team.

Wildcard teams:

AFC: Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos
NFC: Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys

	AFC EAST		NFC EAST
1	New England Patriots	1	Philadelphia Eagles
2	New York Jets	2	Dallas Cowboys
3	Buffalo Bills	3	Washington Redskins
4	Miami Dolphins	4	New York Giants
	AFC SOUTH		NFC SOUTH
1	Indianapolis Colts	1	New Orleans Saints
2	Jacksonville Jaguars	2	Carolina Panthers
3	Tennessee Titans	3	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4	Houston Texans	4	Atlanta Falcons
	AFC NORTH		NFC NORTH
1	Baltimore Ravens	1	Chicago Bears
2	Pittsburgh Steelers	2	Green Bay Packers
3	Cincinnati Bengals	3	Detroit Lions
4	Cleveland Browns	4	Minnesota Vikings
	AFC WEST		NFC WEST
1	San Diego Chargers	1	Seattle Seahawks
2	Denver Broncos	2	St Louis Rams
3	Kansas City Chiefs	3	San Francisco 49ers
4	Oakland Raiders	4	Arizona Cardinals

Continue Reading Fanhouse's NFL 2007 Season Predictions

Chiefs 2007 Preview: The Brodie Croyle Watch Starts ... Now

Posted: Sep 5th 2007 3:00PM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Chiefs, AFC West, Kansas City

3 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for the Chiefs.

2006 record: 9-7

2006 Offense: The Chiefs lost quarterback Trent Green for the first half of the season, but were 5-3 behind Damon Huard. Running back Larry Johnson was the bigger story, rushing for 1,789 yards on 416 carries. Everybody -- including head coach Herm Edwards -- seems a little worried about the long-term effects of such a heavy workload, and the prospects aren't good. Tight end Tony Gonzalez turned in another Pro Bowl effort -- he had 73 receptions for 900 yards and five touchdowns -- but the club lacked another legit pass-catching threat after him.

2006 Defense: The Chiefs' defense was decidedly mediocre, ranking 20th against the pass and 18th against the run, according to Football Outsiders. Interestingly, Kansas City was 4th in the league against opposing teams' No. 1 wide receiver, but 25th against Nos. 2, and dead last against all other wideouts. The defensive line was solid in short-yardage situations, but the unit ranked 28th in Adjusted Sack Rate, just behind the Browns.

2006 Special teams: Dante Hall is now in St. Louis and the Kansas City spent much of the preseason trying to find his replacement. Rookie free agent Ean Randolph didn't do enough to win the job, so the club signed Eddie Drummond. Dustin Colquitt averaged 44 yards a pop and is a good directional punter, but kicker Lawrence Tynes did just enough to get sent packing in the off-season.

Continue Reading Chiefs 2007 Preview: The Brodie Croyle Watch Starts ... Now

Ravens 2007 Preview: It's All About McNair and the O-Line

Posted: Sep 5th 2007 10:00AM by Ryan Wilson (author feed)
Filed under: Ravens, AFC North, Baltimore

0 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for the defending AFC North champion Ravens.

2006 record: 13-3

2006 Offense: After years of trying to groom a quarterback, the Ravens finally went out and acquired an established one. Steve McNair has lost a step (and a few miles off his fastball) since his co-MVP days, but Baltimore doesn't need a hero; they just need someone to -- wait for it -- manage the game. Mark Clayton emerged as the No. 1 receiver, and rookie Demetrius Williams showed enough promise that the team didn't scramble to acquire another wideout this off-season. The running game was a different story, however.

2006 Defense: Historically, the Ravens' defense has carried this team, but in 2006, the two units were well balanced. First-round nose tackle Haloti Ngata drew double-teams all season, which allowed Ray Lewis to make plays closer to the line of scrimmage. Bart Scott, a former undrafted free agent, continued to make a case for the best linebacker on the roster, while Adalius Thomas played his way into an nice payday with the Patriots. And Terrell Suggs, Chris McAlister and Ed Reed played exactly as expected; Samari Rolle, not so much. But rookie safety Dawan Landry was a pleasant late-round surprise, snagging five interceptions.

Continue Reading Ravens 2007 Preview: It's All About McNair and the O-Line

2007 Seahawks Preview: Running with Shaun

Posted: Sep 4th 2007 7:28AM by Enrico Campitelli (author feed)
Filed under: Seahawks, NFC West, Seattle

1 COMMENT

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for the Seahawks.

Shaun Alexander may not run it with the ladies but he'll be ready to run all over the NFC in 2007. Don't count out any team with a back of Alexander's caliber.

2006 record: 9-7

2006 Offense: They missed Shaun Alexander for much of the season with a broken foot. When it comes to runningbacks, people tend to focus on LaDainian Tomlinson, but let's not forget about Seattle's Alexander just yet. Also hampered by injuries in '06 was Boston College alum Matt Hasselbeck. A healthy Hasselbeck and Alexander combo in 2007 will be the key to getting back to the postseason.

2006 Defense: The 'Hawks defense was less than stellar in 2006 ranking 22nd against the run and 19th in scoring. They drafted CB Josh Wilson in the 2nd round and brought in two safeties to help bolster the unit. The Seahawks may have the best linebacking trio in all of football.

2006 Special teams: Nate Burleson showed some skill in 2006 and was one of the leagues more exciting kick returners. Rookie CB Wilson will also help out in the return game. He's got sub 4.4 speed and can fly.

Continue Reading 2007 Seahawks Preview: Running with Shaun

Eagles 2007 Preview: Donovan McNabb's Stretch Run

Posted: Sep 3rd 2007 4:24PM by Enrico Campitelli (author feed)
Filed under: Eagles, NFC East, Philadelphia

4 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for the Eagles.

With the recent departure of veteran linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, the Eagles have made it clear they aren't afraid to cut big name players. You'd think at his age, Donovan McNabb would have a handful of years left. Heck, look at Brett Favre and the Packers. But the way the Eagles have shown no loyalty to veterans, coupled with the steady growth of rookie Kevin Kolb, Philly fans need to realize Donovan's days as an Eagle are growing shorter.

But this is 2007 and the Birds have a healthy Donovan McNabb who is still at the top of his game. With McNabb at the helm, there is no limit on how far the Eagles can go.

2006 record: 10-6

2006 Offense: Gone are Jeff Garcia and Donte Stallworth. In are Donovan McNabb and Kevin Curtis. The Eagles offense in recent years has not had any trouble putting up points.

Continue Reading Eagles 2007 Preview: Donovan McNabb's Stretch Run

2007 Colts Preview: Put the Rings Away, Boys

Posted: Sep 2nd 2007 2:00PM by David J. Warner (author feed)
Filed under: Colts, AFC South, Indianapolis

3 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for the defending champion Colts.

2006 Record: 12-4

2006 Offense: Even with Edgerrin James leaving for Arizona, the Indianapolis Colts' offense remained a well-oiled machine in 2006, finishing third in total yardage (379.4 YPG), second in passing yardage (269.2 YPG), and tied for second in scoring (26.7 PPG) in 2006. It's hard to argue there's a more valuable player in the NFL than Peyton Manning, who runs this offense to near-perfection.

2006 Defense: Despite giving up 332.2 yards per game and getting run over by Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew late in the season. the Colts' defense improved dramatically with the return of safety Bob Sanders. Having one of the best pass rushers in the game in Dwight Freeney, however, didn't help the Colts manage more than 25 sacks and a mere 26 turnovers.

2006 Special Teams: Adam Vinatieri may have been the best free agent signing of the 2006 offseason, as he made 25 of 28 field goals in the regular season and 14 of 15 in the postseason. Hunter Smith did an adequate job punting (44.4 yards per punt), and the Colts did okay on kick returns with 26.1 yards per return, though punt returns (7.5 YPR) could have been better.

Continue Reading 2007 Colts Preview: Put the Rings Away, Boys

Broncos' 2007 Preview: Can Denver Shake The Bad Luck?

Posted: Sep 2nd 2007 3:00AM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Broncos, AFC West, Denver

2 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for Denver.

2006 record: 9-7

2006 Offense: Denver decided that the Jake Plummer Era has run its course. The team went ahead and plugged in Jay Cutler. Cutler has the same arm that Plummer has ... but handles pressure a bit better. Also, the team decided against the Tatum Bell/Mike Bell system and is going with former Titan Travis Henry. Hopefully Henry can take some of the heat off the young QB.

2006 Defense: This was a top notch defense last year ... and it only will get better. Dre Bly was added to form [along with Champ Bailey] a scary CB combo. The Broncos also added Jim Bates to run the offense. Bates has the perfect personnel to run his aggressive 4-3 defense. So, expect blitzes coming from everywhere while those lockdown corners do their job.

2006 Special teams: Jason Elam is still one of the best kickers in the league ... and troublesome Todd Sauerbrun resurrected his punting career in Colorado. An issue is at the return position, where there are no clear dominant force.

Continue Reading Broncos' 2007 Preview: Can Denver Shake The Bad Luck?

Saints 2007 Preview: The Real Miracle Season

Posted: Sep 1st 2007 5:55PM by Tom Mantzouranis (author feed)
Filed under: Saints, NFC South, New Orleans

2 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's New Orleans' outlook.

2006 record: 10-6

2006 Offense: The #1 offense in the league. Drew Brees. Reggie Bush. Deuce McAllister. Marques Colston. Devery Henderson. All led by Sean Payton, who has proved to be one of the most innovative offensive coaches in the NFL after but one year. Yeah, it was pretty good.

2006 Defense: The Saints ran an unusual defense last year -- the break but don't bend variety (yes, you read that correctly). Their job primarily was just to get the ball back to the offense, either by forcing an early three-and-out or by quickly giving up the big score. And they succeeded one way or the other. They still finished with the 11th overall defense, but causing turnovers was a major problem.

2006 Special Teams: Between Lance Moore, Michael Lewis, and Bush, the team did well enough returning the ball. Kickoffs were a problem though, so much so that the team had to waste a roster spot on Billy Cundiff, a kickoff specialist who still couldn't boom touchbacks into the endzone. John Carney retained his accuracy, but lost even more distance on his field goals. From the blocked punt that sparked the Superdome reopening, to Bush's first NFL touchdown (a game-winning punt return against Tampa), this unit produced some of the most memorable plays of the season.

Continue Reading Saints 2007 Preview: The Real Miracle Season

Chargers' 2007 Preview: It's All About The Playoffs, Norv

Posted: Sep 1st 2007 3:00PM by Sportz Assassin (author feed)
Filed under: Chargers, AFC West, San Diego

3 COMMENTS

To get you ready for the season, FanHouse is previewing all 32 NFL teams. Here's the outlook for San Diego.

2006 Record: 14-2

2006 Offense: Let's see. LaDainian Tomlinson set NFL records for TDs and points and won the league's MVP award. Philip Rivers turned in a very productive season ... which says something since the team let Drew Brees walk. Antonio Gates is still the best TE in the NFL, and the Chargers found themselves a probable to-to receiver in Vincent Jackson.

2006 Defense: The Chargers led the NFL in sacks and had one of the NFL's most destructive defenses. And that was with Shawne Merriman missing four games due to violating the league's substance abuse policy.

2006 Special Teams: Nick Kaeding was a Pro Bowler. So was long snapper David Binn. Punter Mike Scifres had the stats to warrant a selection.

Continue Reading Chargers' 2007 Preview: It's All About The Playoffs, Norv