Hill 364's Word Cloud

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Week 1 Game Notes

Packers over Saints

• What a great way to start the season.  There wasn’t much defense to go around, but both offenses moved the ball up and down the field all night.
• New Orleans didn’t have any answers for Aaron Rodgers who threw 3 first quarter touchdown passes.  Rodgers made things look pretty easy out there, compiling a 132.1 passer rating.
• In his last two games against the best the NFC South has to offer (this game and last year’s Divisional Round game versus Atlanta), Rodgers has gone 58/71—an 82% completion percentage—for 678 yards, 6 touchdowns, and zero interceptions.  A word to Green Bay’s Week 2 opponent, the Carolina Panthers: you better watch out.
• One of Green Bay’s many casualties to injury last year, Morgan Burnett had a very strong game, recording 14 total tackles, including a stop on the game’s final play in which he denied Saints rookie Mark Ingram the end zone on a goal line dive.
• Darren Sproles looked like everything Reggie Bush wasn’t.  A straight-ahead runner who knows his role as a scatback/return man, Sproles caught 7 passes for 75 yards and even returned a punt for a score.

Ravens over Steelers

• An old-fashioned whuppin’, the Baltimore Ravens made their fierce rival and defending AFC Champion Steelers look pretty silly.
• Baltimore forced seven turnovers, and Ray Rice became the first rusher since Ray Rice in Week 16 of 2009 to rush for 100 yards against the Steeler defense.

Bears over Falcons

• Chicago struck quickly and Atlanta could never catch up.  Playing from behind is not the Falcons’ specialty; they want to get a lead, then pound Michael Turner and drain clock.
• It was a pretty defensive game as Atlanta’s only touchdown came on a Kroy Biermann interception return.  The Bears got a defensive touchdown as well when Julius Peppers forced a Matt Ryan fumble that Brian Urlacher picked up and ran in for the score.

Bengals over Browns

• Andy Dalton’s rookie debut was cut short by injury, but that led to Bruce Gradkowski’s entrance and his manufacturing the win.  Cleveland was ahead for most of the contest, but with four and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter the Browns were late coming out of the defensive huddle, leaving rookie AJ Green wide open down the sideline for Gradkowski to hit for the go-ahead/game-winning score.
• Whenever he saw time in Oakland, Gradkowski made the Raiders competitive, which really should mean he’s a good quarterback.

Texans over Colts

• If there was ever a game that validated Peyton Manning’s four MVP awards, it was this one.  The first game without Manning since December 21, 1997, the Colts get thrashed 34-7 by the now de facto division favorite Houston Texans.
• Even down one of their main offensive weapons, Arian Foster, Houston still dominated the Colts in all facets: offense (Foster’s replacement Ben Tate going for 116), defense (holding Indianapolis to just seven points), and special teams (Jacoby Jones’ punt return for a touchdown).

Bills over Chiefs

• A stunning upset in which the previously 4-12 Bills knock off the defending AFC West champs at the seemingly impenetrable Arrowhead Stadium, not only did the Bills beat the Chiefs, they blew them out of the water 41-7.  Hill 364 had high hopes for the Chiefs, but only the Pittsburgh Steelers were more disappointing in their opener.
• After losing Tony Moeaki in the final preseason game for the year, the Chiefs were dealt another blow as potential Pro Bowl safety Eric Berry tore his ACL versus the Bills and will miss the rest of the season as well.
• Ryan Fitzpatrick had a whale of a game, throwing for 4 touchdowns.  The preceding note may have had something to do with that as two of those touchdowns went to tight end Scott Chandler over the middle of the field.

Jaguars over Titans

• As long as they keep winning, I cannot blame Jacksonville for cutting ties with David Garrard, but I do consider Garrard as perhaps the most under-appreciated quarterback in football.  He has a career passer rating of about 86 and always made a talent-deprived Jaguar team a tough out, even a playoff threat last year.
• I liked Garrard a lot as a place holder/mentor for first-round selection Blaine Gabbert, but now those duties go to journeyman third stringer Luke McCown, who has only marginally more NFL experience than Gabbert.
• The Jaguars held Chris Johnson to just 24 yards rushing, but wideout Kenny Britt went off for 136 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.

Lions over Buccaneers

• Despite the scoreboard reading 27-20 as time expired, the Lions’ win over Tampa Bay was not nearly as close as the score indicated.  Quite frankly, the Detroit defense was dominant.  Only against a lax prevent defense could the Bucs generate an offensive touchdown.
• Matthew Stafford came out to play as well, throwing for 305 yards and 3 touchdowns, two of which went to Calvin Johnson.  With the chemistry those two have, look out world.

Eagles over Rams

• I have two nitpicks about the Eagles in their 31-13 victory over St. Louis: Mike Vick was not sharp passing, and Philly’s run defense, like it could be all season, did not look very good.
• Vick completed just 44% of his passes and threw for only 187 yards, but Philadelphia’s other playmakers were the real difference.  LeSean McCoy totaled 137 yards of offense and 2 scores on just 17 touches.  DeSean Jackson accounted for 102 of Vick’s 187 passing yards.  Vick did make up for some of aerial yardage though by going for 97 yards on the ground.
• The Eagles gave up 56 yards on two carries to Steven Jackson before he had to leave with a bum quad.  Then Cadillac Williams came in and rushed for 91 more yards.

Redskins over Giants

• With seemingly half their defense missing in action, the Giants could be playing from behind a lot this season, and for a team that wants to hand the ball off to Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs thirty times a game, that could mean a long road lies ahead.
• Rex Grossman took advantage of the depleted Giants as he threw for over 300 yards and 2 scores.
• Eli Manning’s only scoring play was an interception returned for a touchdown by Redskins rookie Ryan Kerrigan.

Cardinals over Panthers

• Even though Carolina lost, the story of this one undoubtedly is Cam Newton and his record 422 passing yards, the most in a rookie debut ever.  Newton also threw for 2 scores, ran one in as well, and only threw one interception.
• If Newton keeps this up, he’s going to make my 1-15 prediction look really awful.
• As good as Newton was, Cardinals first-round pick Patrick Peterson was nearly as bad.  Given the task to cover Steve Smith, Peterson was completely overmatched as Smith caught 8 balls for 178 yards and two touchdowns.  I only said “nearly as bad” though because Peterson made up for his mistakes by returning a punt for the game-winning touchdown.
• After the Saints lost Thursday and the Falcons and Buccaneers both lost in early matchups, Carolina's late loss meant NFC South went 0-4 for the first time in its existence.

Chargers over Vikings

• How does one pass for only 39 yards in an entire game?  How is that even possible?
• Counting sacks, the Vikings only had 28 yards through the air.

49ers over Seahawks

• Player of the game honors go to Ted Ginn Jr. for his consecutive kick return touchdowns.  Within the span of 59 seconds, Ginn took back a kickoff return, the Niners kicked off to Seattle and forced a 3-and-out, and Ginn took back the following punt return.
• Though Alex Smith passed for only 124 yards, he did not commit any turnovers and he did rush for a touchdown.
• With David Akers converting four field goals, the longest of which was from 31 yards out, San Francisco must improve its red zone efficiency if they want to beat a team that doesn’t start Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback.

Jets over Cowboys

• Neither team seemed like it wanted to win this game, but the Cowboys wanted it less.  Jason Witten should have scored on his long reception to put the game out of reach, Dez Bryant shouldn’t have played down the stretch if he was not at 100%, and Tony Romo threw a pass only Darelle Revis could have caught, which he did, and it set up the game-winning field goal for New York.

Patriots over Dolphins

• Tom Brady had the 4th-most passing yards ever in a game in NFL history by throwing for 517 yards against the Dolphins.  This was also the first time there’s ever been a 500-yard passer and a 400-yard passer in the same game as Chad Henne threw for 416.
• Also in this game Brady saw his interception-less streak snapped at 358 regular season passes without a pick as defensive end Jared Odrick gathered in a tipped ball for the Dolphins.

Raiders over Broncos

• Sebastian Janikowski’s NFL record-tying 63-yard field goal just before half time turned out to be the game-winning margin.
• Contrary to the fans at Mile High Stadium, I don’t think it’s panic time (Tebow time) just yet, but the Broncos sure looked off Week 1.

--from @jeuneski

Week 1 Pick-Down

It's that time of year again, time when Adam and Eric put their prognosticating prowess to the test.  We'll use the same rules as last year where a regular season win is worth one point.  Then we raise the stakes in the playoffs where a correct first- or second-round pick is worth two points, a correct Conference Champion pick is worth four, and the Super Bowl winner's worth eight.  Also in the playoffs we have the underdog bonus where picking an upset is worth double the points if you're correct, but you subtract the points if you're wrong.  Underdog status goes by seeding in-conference and by Vegas once we get to Super Bowl XLVI.

It took us all the way to the Super Bowl to decide who would win the Pick-Down last year, so let's hope it's just as exciting this year.  Now without further ado, our picks for the opening week of the 2011-2012 NFL season...

Matchup	Adam's Pick	Eric's Pick
Saints at Packers	Packers	Packers
Steelers at Ravens	Ravens	Ravens
Falcons at Bears	Falcons	Falcons
Bengals at Browns	Browns	Browns
Colts at Texans	Texans	Texans
Bills at Chiefs	Chiefs	Chiefs
Titans at Jaguars	Titans	Jaguars
Lions at Buccaneers	Lions	Lions
Eagles at Rams	Eagles	Rams
Giants at Redskins	Giants	Giants
Panthers at Cardinals	Panthers	Cardinals
Vikings at Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Seahawks at 49ers	49ers	49ers
Cowboys at Jets	Cowboys	Jets
Patriots at Dolphins	Patriots	Patriots
Raiders at Broncos	Broncos	Broncos

To see how the "Experts" stack up: http://espn.go.com/nfl/picks

The predictions here come from Adam and correspond to his picks.

New Orleans Saints at Green Bay Packers

The last two Super Bowl Champions meet at the venue from which the Lombardi Trophy originates.  In other words, it doesn’t get any better than this.  Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers are two of the best four quarterbacks in all of football, and both command stunningly powerful offenses, each with an endless array of weapons from which to pick.  Both teams have the ability to run the ball when they want to as well.  The Saints’ defense should be the best it’s been in years with big boys Abruayo Franklin and Shaun Rogers adding a mammoth presence to their defensive line.  Still, the Packers may boast the best defense in all of football with a stout front three, one of the best pure pass rushers in the game in Clay Matthews, and a ballhawking secondary that may be the league’s best.  This should be a great game with as much talent on the field as we will see in any matchup this year, but I gotta go with the champs at home.  Rodgers puts on the championship belt and defends his crown.

Prediction: Packers 27 – Saints 23

Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens should be eager to avenge last year’s playoff loss to the Steelers while Pittsburgh needs to lick its wounds from a Super Bowl defeat.  I think Baltimore is tired of being the little brother to Pittsburgh, and though a Week One victory won’t prove anything, I’ll give the nod to the Ravens in what should be a brutal matchup.

Prediction: Ravens 16 – Steelers 13

Atlanta Falcons at Chicago Bears

The Bears were a fluke last year, and they will come crashing back to earth this year. Cutler is never going to be a star; he’s just always going to be that guy with a huge arm that makes too many crucial mistakes.  The Falcons, meanwhile, are perhaps the most balanced offense in the league with a punishing rushing attack, rock solid quarterback, and two beasts on the outside in Roddy White and Julio Jones.  The Falcon defense should be a notch better as well with the addition of pass rusher Ray Edwards.  I’ll take the Dirty Birds.

Prediction: Falcons 24 – Bears 16

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

Just as the Saints and Packers should be a thing of beauty, this one should get ugly.  Colt McCoy has looked good in the preseason and is probably ready to be at least a proficient starter in the league.  The Browns are just a more stable organization and team, so I will take them at home over the painfully young and chaotic Bengals.

Prediction: Browns 20 – Bengals 9

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

I’ve said it in years past, but I think the Texans are ready to take the AFC South crown from the Colts this year.  It’s not because of their high-powered offense, but because of their improved defense.  JJ Watt is going to be a stud, and he joins Demeco Ryans, Brian Cushing, and Mario Williams in what should be a tenacious front seven. The uncertain status of Peyton Manning is much more of a concern to me than the lame hamstring of Arian Foster, and I’ll give the Texans the win at home.

Prediction: Texans 31 – Colts 20

Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs

The Bills are in full rebuild mode and lost two of their defensive leaders in Paul Posluszny and Donte Whitner.  You could do worse at quarterback than Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he’s not good enough to make a bad roster into a winner.  The Chiefs will ride their powerful rushing attack and short passing game, which includes a great diversity of weapons (now weakened by the ACL injury of talented young tight end Tony Moeaki) to a win at home.  Matt Cassel says he will play despite a broken rib.

Prediction: Chiefs 17 – Bills 13

Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars

After cutting their starting quarterback, David Garrard, just five days before the season opener, it appears the Jags are in flux just as the Titans have been all offseason.  I'll take Chris Johnson, Kenny Britt, and Matt Hasselbeck to outscore Luke McCown and company.

Prediction: Titans 21 – Jaguars 13

Detroit Lions at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a great matchup for Week One: two teams indisputably on the rise with young talent all over both rosters.  For some reason I’m drinking the Lions Kool-Aid, and I think they are ready to come out and make a statement win.  Matthew Stafford goes wild and the Lions win.

Prediction: Lions 28 – Buccaneers 27

Philadelphia Eagles at St. Louis Rams

The “Dream Team” will be on the field and should be in full effect in a dome environment, though I think all the new Philly additions will take some time to gel.  Gelling may be a tough assignment against second year rising star Sam Bradford and his workhorse running back Stephen Jackson.  The Rams will be better this year and have a blue collar defense that plays better than the names on the jerseys would lead you to believe.  Bradford is adjusting to his second offensive coordinator in as many years, but he’s a very sharp player and should be ready to roll right away.  Containing Michael Vick and company however might be too tall a task for the much improved Rams.  I will give the nod to Andy Reid’s crew based purely on the dominant presence of Vick.

Prediction: Eagles 31 – Rams 24

New York Giants at Washington Redskins

Rex Grossman is going to be the starter opening day.  That’s all you need to know.

Prediction: Giants 20 – Redskins 13

Carolina Panthers at Arizona Cardinals

Two quarterbacks with plenty to prove matchup here, the highly touted but untested Kevin Kolb and the hugely talented rookie Cam Newton.  For whatever reason, I like Newton and his flair for the dramatic.  I think he’ll pull out a win in his first game as a starter even against a team that is more talented than his own.  Look for Carolina to pound the ball behind a big offensive line and two very good backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and utilize play action to Steve Smith and tight end Greg Olsen.  Newton is a lock to do something crazy.  Perhaps he’ll just run his way to a victory in his first NFL start.

Prediction: Panthers 24 – Cardinals 20

Minnesota Vikings at San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers is simply going to be too much for a sub-par Vikings secondary, and that will be the story of the game.  Adrian Peterson will get his yards, but not enough of them.

Prediction: Chargers 31 – Vikings 17

Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

This is a battle between what many expect to be two of the worst teams in football, but when it comes the 49ers, I just can’t help myself.  I love Jim Harbaugh, I like the talent on offense, and I’m going to pretend again that it’s possible Alex Smith can have a breakout year.

Prediction: 49ers 17 – Seahawks 13

Dallas Cowboys at New York Jets

I think the Jets have taken a bigger step back then people realize in losing Brad Smith, Jericho Cotchery, and Braylon Edwards.  Mark Sanchez still has a ton to prove, and the defense is probably a little overrated.  I like Dallas to get back on a winning track with new head man Jason Garrett and Tony Romo back in the saddle.

Prediction: Cowboys 27 – Jets 20

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins

Two teams at opposite ends of the NFL universe matchup here.  The perennially powerful Patriots should have little trouble dealing with an underwhelming Dolphins squad that now boasts Reggie Bush as its feature back.  Miami’s defense is solid and could keep things close, but the Patriots just have too much firepower to lose this game.

Prediction: Patriots 24 – Dolphins 17

Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos

I don’t have much of an inkling about what either of these teams will be except that neither will be very good.  Combined with the pass rush of Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil, I’ll take the solid Kyle Orton at home to win the game.

Prediction: Broncos 20 – Raiders 17

The "Other" 2011 NFL Predictions

Chad Ochocinco gets MTV on board for a reality show this season, “The Real World: New England Patriots.”  Cameras capture Tom Brady standing at the mirror for hours on end combing his hair, Bill Belichick drunkenly going down a Slip ‘n Slide naked, and after a tough loss Albert Haynesworth drowning his sorrows in mayonnaise.

Just when Peyton Manning’s neck injury appears fully healed, he tweaks it again filming a commercial for the Oreo Racing League.  Peyton’s done for the year after just his third lick.

Every single player in the league will make Jon Gruden’s All-Pro team.

Ben Roethlisberger gets accused of sexually assaulting Maurkice Pouncey during the center-quarterback exchange.

In the Bears-Packers Christmas day matchup, Clay Matthews Jr. snaps Jay Cutler’s leg in half LT-style and ends his career.  Players from around the league tweet that Cutler should have stayed in the game.

Taking a cue from Carson Palmer, rookie Andy Dalton decides to retire rather than play for the Bengals.

Rex Ryan gets another tattoo, this one in a more private area.  It says, “Suck This Belichick.”

Ron Jaworksi will be limited to saying the word “explosive” 37 times per MNF telecast.  Ratings plummet.

To better his chances at getting on the field, Terrelle Pryor decides to make the position change.  Pryor becomes the first streaker with a 4.4 40 in NFL history.

The Ravens-49ers Week 12 matchup is postponed after the two Harbaugh brothers get into a wrestling match at midfield just before kickoff.

Tiki Barber makes a successful comeback attempt.  He tricks the cornerback-deprived Giants into re-signing him by pretending he’s his twin brother Ronde.  When the deception is revealed, Tom Coughlin’s facial expression doesn’t change.

The Jets are their own worst enemy this season as Plaxico Burress teaches them how to shoot themselves in the foot.

Brett Favre unretires solely to ensure that when he texts pictures of his penis to various women he gets his due publicity.

Al Davis’ contributions guarantee the Raiders lead the league in terms of early bird specials eaten by one organization.

--from @AdamHocking and @jeuneski

AFC West: 2011 Division Preview

Kansas City Chiefs

Since the Kansas City Chiefs start Matt Cassel at quarterback it’s easy to identify the whole team as vanilla.  However, the cast of playmakers Scott Pioli has assembled is one of the more dynamic groups in the league.  Look no further than the 26-year-old Dwayne Bowe, who cemented his status as a Pro Bowl number one receiver last year with over 1,100 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Bowe is now joined by perhaps an even more physical presence opposite him in rookie Jonathan Baldwin.  Many were surprised when Kansas City drafted Baldwin in the first round, but the 6’4”, 230-pound mountain of a receiver with an impressive 4.5 40 is a great deep threat and incredibly skilled at snatching jump balls away from defenders.  Baldwin should become a terror in the red zone as well.  Though it may take Baldwin some time to catch on, considering the rest of the Chief offense, it won’t hurt if Baldwin isn’t 1998 Randy Moss.

With agility reminiscent of another former Chief, “The Human Joystick” Dante Hall, jitterbug Dexter McCluster is a threat to do something electric whenever he touches the ball.  McCluster can return punts, play a little running back, and work out of the slot as well.

Coming over from Todd Haley’s former stomping grounds in Arizona, Steve Breaston rounds out a versatile, talented, and exciting receiving corps.

Tight end Tony Moeaki had a superb rookie year last season and displayed excellent hands and a knack for getting open.  Moeaki’s no Tony Gonzalez, but he is a very good player who should continue to improve.

All this and we still haven’t gotten to last season’s number one rush offense.  The definition of a playmaker, Jamaal Charles compiled nearly 1,500 rushing yards last year and averaged a staggering 6.4 yards per carry.  Again this season Thomas Jones will be the thunder to Charles’ lightning.  Jones showed he has enough left in the tank last year racking up 896 rushing yards.

Casey Wiegmann still holds down the center spot pretty well at age 38, and Ryan Lilja is solid at guard.  Former Raven Jared Gaither brings a mammoth presence to the right tackle position and should provide great push in an already potent running attack.  If Brandon Albert can maximize his big-time talent, this should be a very good offensive line.

Cassel isn’t great, but with his supporting cast he doesn’t need to be.  “Get rid of the ball and let my many playmakers do their thing” is all Cassel should be thinking.  As long as Cassel stays out of the way, this could be one of the best offenses in football.

The Chiefs need a return on the huge investment they poured into top draft picks Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson.  I believe both are improving, but I also believe neither will ever prove worthy of their lofty draft statuses.  Out of Miami, rookie Allen Bailey may push both Jackson and Dorsey for time.

The real question up front is who will man the nose.  It could be twelve-year veteran Kelly Gregg who is perennially solid at occupying blocks.

Tamba Hali emerged as a star at rush linebacker last year compiling 14.5 sacks, and I expect him to continue to produce 10+ sack seasons.  With tremendous range, power, and a nose for the football, Derrick Johnson has also settled in as a near Pro Bowl-level linebacker after nearly becoming a bust his first few years in the league.  Georgia rookie Justin Houston may see some time in pass rush situations as well.

At cornerback Brandon Flowers is one of the better cover men in the league, and Brandon Carr is a guy who won’t make the big mistake.  Javier Arenas could develop into a starting-level corner as well.  Eric Berry is going to be a superstar at safety; it’s as simple as that.

With talent, youth, and a good mix of veteran leadership all over its roster, the Chiefs should prove that winning last year’s AFC West title was no fluke.

Biggest Strengths: Playmakers abound on both sides of the ball—Dwayne Bowe, Jamaal Charles, Tamba Hali, Eric Berry, and more.

Biggest Weaknesses: The defensive front hasn’t lived up to expectations.

Adam’s Prediction: 11-5, First in AFC West

Eric’s Prediction: 7-9, Second in AFC West

San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have certainly wasted a lot of time and early season games the past few years trying to get their act together when they should have been dominating a once weak AFC West.  Now LaDanian Tomlinson is long gone, Antonio Gates is great but aging, and Shawne Merriman’s days as “Lights Out” are a distant memory as he sits at the bottom of the Bills’ depth chart.

Even though there’s still talent on the roster, it’s not the type that has people saying, “If they fulfill their potential, they should compete for the Super Bowl.”  If the Chargers live up to their full potential they should win 10 games and compete with the Chiefs for the AFC West, a far cry from Super Bowl aspirations.

Phillip Rivers is great, and there’s no two ways about that.  Rivers puts up huge numbers no matter who his receivers are.  Throwing to practice squad players last year he still produced with the best of them.  Rivers has posted three-straight seasons with a 100 passer rating and has started all sixteen games in five consecutive years.

First-round choice Ryan Mathews showed flashes of speed, power, and elusiveness last year when he wasn’t dinged up, which wasn’t very often in his rookie campaign.

Gates, as mentioned, is still a star, and if he’s fully healthy this year the Charger offense could again be a top-5 unit.  Vincent Jackson has huge ability as a receiver, deep threat, and red zone monster, but I question where his head is at and if he will he stay healthy.  Patrick Crayton and Malcolm Floyd provide solid support but are strictly second and third options.  They can be positives if Jackson and Gates are healthy and drawing double teams.

The offensive line has talent but has played inconsistently at times, however Rivers is so sound, tough, and adept at getting rid of the ball that he makes their job look easier.  Nick Hardwick is a very good center and Marcus McNeill is a big talent at left tackle.  The guard tandem of Louis Vasquez and Kris Dielman is good when healthy.

The whole question about this offense is health.  If healthy, Rivers, Matthews, Jackson, Gates, Floyd, and a talented offensive line could make this a great offense.  But if the line breaks down, Jackson starts pouting, or Gates gets injured, it could be Rivers against the world yet again.

San Diego found an absolute diamond in the rough in nose tackle Antonio Garay.  Immoveable at the point of attack, Garay can really disrupt in the backfield, unusual for a 3-4 nose.  Luis Castillo is a very good 3-4 end as well: sound in his assignments and athletic enough to provide a little pass rush.  Second-year behemoth Cam Thomas and this year’s first-round pick Corey Liuget will join veteran Jacques Cesaire in rounding out the defensive line rotation.

Larry English, the supposed heir apparent to Shawne Merriman, has been a huge disappointment after being taken in the first round three years ago.  With just 5 sacks in two years, English has to step up to better balance sack artist Shaun Phillips, who posted 11 sacks last year.

At inside linebacker, Takeo Spikes still has something left in the tank.  He’s an excellent tackler, but he lacks range.  Stephen Cooper is a thumper inside as well and he, Spikes, Donald Butler, and rookie Jonas Mouton should all see action inside.

The corner spot is dicey where 32-year-old Quentin Jammer’s the best of an unspectacular bunch.  Antoine Cason must live up to his status as a high draft pick or the Chargers could have huge trouble covering.  Eric Weddle was a good re-sign at safety, and if by some miracle Bob Sanders can stay on the field, the Chargers could have a nice tandem.

The pressure is most on English and Cason, because if they don’t step up, opposing teams will have time to throw and open men to throw to.

Biggest Strengths: Philip Rivers to Antonio Gates and Vincent Jackson.

Biggest Weaknesses: The Chargers’ pass defense looks weak without a very strong pass rush or talented cover men.

Adam’s Prediction: 8-8, Second in AFC West

Eric’s Prediction: 10-6, First in AFC West

Oakland Raiders

Given the talent on the Oakland Raiders’ roster and the strides they made last year, generally this would be a team I would regard as on the rise.  Yet, as long as Al Davis plays the part of Kim Jong-il in the front office, it’s hard to envision real progress.

Heading into last year I was a pretty big Jason Campbell advocate.  I always felt he got a pretty raw deal considering his career passer rating of 82.5 and all-around solid numbers.  He even put up an 84.5 rating last season.  Now I’m not sure what to think.  Campbell still has a really nice arm and is a smart guy, but he’s never really taken that next step toward elite status.  It could just be that Oakland and Washington are about the most dysfunctional environments for a quarterback to develop.  Still, if Campbell’s not a plus, he certainly is not a negative for his team; he won’t lose the game.

It's the least surprising move in the history of transactions that the Raiders picked up Terrelle Pryor in the supplemental draft.  A sick athlete with nothing but raw potential and no discernible skills or mental awareness for his given position, he should fit in perfectly with Al Davis' crew.  I'm not sure Pryor will ever see the field as a starting quarterback except through injury or Oakland's curiosity to see what he can do in a game.  But hell, he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash, so he has to wear the silver and black.

Darren McFadden, though still dogged a bit by injuries, finally made good on the huge ability that made him a top-5 pick, rushing for 1,157 yards last season.

Davis has all the speed he could ever ask for in wide receivers Jacoby Ford and Darrius Heyward-Bey.  Though Heyward-Bey was the higher pick in his draft and has been in the league a year longer, he hasn’t shown the potential of Ford.  Perhaps in his third season he can really dig in and make some progress.  Another receiving option, Louis Murphy is a physical and fast wideout that is only 24, and I like his chances of becoming the number one wideout more than I do the former first rounder Heyward-Bey’s.

Losing talented tight end Zach Miller to Seattle really hurts this offense’s development.  Miller was their best route runner and had the best hands on the team.  New York Giant import Kevin Boss is a decent replacement, but he’s not as talented as Miller.

Robert Gallery had become a solid guard in the league, but Seattle stole him too, so Oakland lost two big components of their offense to Pete Carroll’s crew.  Oakland invested three draft choices in the offensive line this year, so that group is a serious work in progress.

Though losing Nnamdi Asomugha hurts in the short-term, paying $15 million a year for a 30-year-old corner isn’t smart for a team unless they are on the cusp of winning a championship, which the Raiders certainly aren’t.

Richard Seymour is still a stud as a 3-4 end, and Matt Shaughnessy is developing into a really nice player with pass rush ability.  Tommy Kelly might not be worth all the money Oakland pays him, but he’s a very good player and completes an excellent defensive front that gets to the quarterback surprisingly often.  Veteran John Henderson and youngster Lamarr Houston provide solid depth.

Rolando McClain had a decent rookie year, but he wasn’t spectacular.  He has major ability, and if he takes a big step in development this could be a very good front seven.  Kameron Wimbley provides consistent pressure off the edge and makes a nice pair with McClain.  The rest of the linebackers are unremarkable.

Michael Huff is probably the best player in a secondary that features a lot of unproven players and four rookies.

Biggest Strengths: Darren McFadden is an electric playmaker, and the defensive line has much promise.

Biggest Weaknesses: Al Davis, and for now, the Nnamdi Asomugha-less secondary.

Adam’s Prediction: 7-9, Third in AFC West

Eric’s Prediction: 7-9, Third in AFC West

Denver Broncos

Enough people are shouting, “I told you so” about Tim Tebow, now third on the Denver Broncos’ depth chart behind the supposed-to-have-been-traded Kyle Orton and the ever milquetoast Brady Quinn, that I feel no need to take a shot at him.  For new coach John Fox, Tebow is simply not his guy, and that probably spells long-term trouble for his prospects as a starter in Denver.

Looking at the real QB1, Orton is probably the best “game manager” in football.  Of all the passers that neither win or lose the game for a team, Orton is at the top of that heap.  Accurate, smart, and competitive, Orton doesn’t have a big arm, but he gets the ball out and limits turnovers.  In thirteen games last year Orton threw for 3,653 yards, 20 scores, and compiled an 87.5 passer rating.  Plenty of teams would kill for those numbers.

Running back Knowshon Moreno has been mostly a disappointment so far, especially considering he went in the first-round a couple years back.  In a John Fox offense he should get more carries than in the past, more opportunities to prove his worth.

Brandon Lloyd had a huge season last year, but now 30 years old, you have to wonder if his breakout was just a flash in the pan.  Last year’s other first round pick, Demaryius Thomas, did very little in his rookie campaign, and though he has big talent, I’m sure Denver wishes they could go back and pick Dez Bryant, who went two slots after Thomas to the Cowboys.

Tight end is a logjam of unproven players, and losing right tackle Ryan Harris to the Eagles breaks up what was this team’s strong point, their bookend tackles Ryan Clady and Harris.  Clady is the only proven player that remains up front, and though he’s a truly outstanding left tackle, he can’t block three guys by himself.

Elvis Dumervil’s return to health and the addition of top pick Von Miller could make Denver’s pass rush one of the NFL’s most dangerous.  Veterans Ty Warren and Broderick Bunkley provide some talent and experience to the defensive front, though the defensive line still has a long way to go to be a top flight group.

29-year-old linebacker DJ Williams is still a playmaker, and he should form an exceptional, athletic trio with Dumervil and Miller covering ground and making plays.

Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins are now both eligible for AARP benefits, though both are still above-average-to-good players for their respective positions.

Biggest Strengths: Elvis Dumervil and Von Miller will punish quarterbacks off the edge.

Biggest Weaknesses: Denver lacks offensive weapons and punch on the defensive line.  Overall there’s just not a whole lot of talent.

Adam’s Prediction: 4-12, Fourth in AFC West

Eric’s Prediction: 5-11, Fourth in AFC West

--from @AdamHocking