The NFL playoffs are set to begin in a few hours and I am back after some time to share my predictions with you all. Tonight sees the Colts host the Chiefs and the Eagles entertain the Saints with Sunday's lineup including the Chargers vs Bengals and a high profile matchup in the last game of the weekend when the 49ers travel to take on the Packers.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Indianapolis Colts
Both teams finished the season 11-5 and a week ago I had all my predictions set for this matchup including this one. After finally finding some time to blog and grabbing a decent nights rest yesterday I had a dream and for some reason it was about the Colts losing this game although for some reason the Chiefs QB had long hair and a weird beard so maybe Alex Smith will wear a wig tonight?
On paper this is a tough one to call because the Chiefs have been questioned a lot this year despite starting the season 9-0. At that point I told a very good friend of mine they would lose at least 4 games before the regular season ended and as we all know they have lost 5 of their last 7 including their last two; the defeat to the Chargers did see them rest their key players though. Andy Reid has revitalised the Chiefs by taking them to the postseason with the team looking to secure their first victory in the playoffs since Joe Montana was the quarterback which was now two decades ago yes back in 1994!
It may not have been as long as that since the Colts last won a playoff game but the last time they did win in the postseason they were also being led by a great quarterback; none other than Peyton Manning. They haven't won a playoff game since the 2009 season which ended in Super Bowl defeat to the New Orleans Saints. 2010 saw them lose to the Jets and 2010 was an off year for Indianapolis due to Manning's season ending shoulder injury but they got lucky with timing and drafted Andrew Luck who took them back to the postseason in his rookie year as well as helped guide the Colts to their first division title since Manning left this season.
Quarterback Andrew Luck is something special and despite losing star receiver Reggie Wayne he has had a brilliant second season throwing 23 touchdowns again but has reduced his interceptions from 18 in 2012 to just 9 this year. The Colts turnovers are always very low and so are the Chiefs which means any turnovers tonight will pretty much count as double especially in a playoff game. The more I write the more I want to plummet for the Colts but I just feel that after they defeated the Chiefs 23-7 on the road a couple of weeks ago it all seems too simple to go for them and in the playoffs nothing is ever simple or as it seems.
The Chiefs will get back to winning ways tonight for the following three reasons: 1. Jamaal Charles. 2. A defense that ranks 5th in the league and 3. Due to the fact that they won't turn it over 4 times again like they did when they played the Colts last time. Jamaal Charles will get more touches tonight than in the last encounter; he has 12 rushing touchdowns and 9 receiving ones. Alex Smith has 23 touchdowns and just 7 picks to his name and with his trusty sidekicks Charles and Dwayne Bowe the Chiefs will progress to the divisional round next week albeit in a close one.
Prediction: Colts 25-27 Chiefs
New Orleans Saints vs Philadelphia Eagles
The 11-5 Saints are back in the playoffs thanks to head coach Sean Payton working his magic. New Orleans have been effective on both sides of the ball and despite missing out on the NFC South title to the Panthers it may come as a blessing in disguise as they could build momentum with a win tonight to take them deep in to the postseason. The Eagles finished 10-6 after defeating the Dallas Cowboys last week in the winner takes all match for the NFC East.
Both teams have advantages at certain positions but the quarterback matchup will be key tonight when Drew Brees goes up against the red hot Nick Foles. Foles started 13 of the Eagles' 16 games throwing a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just 2 interceptions but will the pressure of the playoffs be too much for the young QB? His opposite number Brees finished the regular season ranked second in the league in both touchdown passes, 39, and passing yards with 5,162 so with him going up against NFL's worst ranked defense in passing yardage per game this could prove to be problematic for Philadelphia.
Despite New Orleans not being the best road team at times I feel like the Eagles are poised to be give their fans another let down. With all due respect to Chip Kelly he has been a breath of fresh air to the league and his fast pace offense will give Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan problems especially when you consider that Philadelphia have one of the best running backs in the league in the shape of LeSean McCoy.
I feel that despite the pros for an Eagles win that going with them is more of a heart over head decision. When you break it down the Saints should win this one despite the fact that they have their leading rusher out Pierre Thomas. Darren Sproles will see more of the ball and can get out of the backfield to make a play and tight end Jimmy Graham is a matchup nightmare; Graham finished the season ranked first in the NFL with 16 receiving touchdowns. The Saints receiving core will give the Eagles secondary problems and New Orleans also have the second-ranked pass defense in the league. they only allow 194.1 yards passing per game in 2013 and in three of their last four game they have manage to keep the opposition for under 200 yards passing so this will limit Foles' aerial attack and plus they have Keenan Lewis at corner who could give Eagles wideout DeSean Jackson some problems.
Prediction: Saints 34-27 Eagles
Showing posts with label Sean Payton. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sean Payton. Show all posts
Saturday, 4 January 2014
Wednesday, 4 September 2013
NFC South Preview
The NFC South will be an interesting division this year as the New Orleans Saints look to challenge the Atlanta Falcons for the division title. Tampa Bay and Carolina are still rebuilding but have good pieces in place to put up a fight in the 2013 season. The NFC South is the only division to have each of its four teams make a conference championship game and funnily enough all four on each occasion won that particular game to go the Super Bowl with the Saints and the Buccaneers winning theirs in Super Bowl's XLIV and XXXVII respectively whilst the Falcons and Panthers lost in their lone Super Bowl appearances.
With the 2013 season underway shortly let's now look at how each of these four NFC South teams will fair this year:
Carolina Panthers
For the Panthers it is pretty short and sweet: Despite a losing season in 2012 they finished second in the NFC South as opposed to 3rd in 2011 and their 7-9 record last year was a one win improvement on their 6-10 campaign from the previous season. Head coach Ron Rivera will be looking for further development from his Panthers team as he looks to mould this team so more in his third year in charge. Despite not enduring as much hype as 2011 due to the influx of young QB's in the league last year third year QB Cam Newton may feel he has a bit of a point to prove in 2013 as he looks to get back in to the spotlight.
His sophomore season saw him put up just as good numbers as his rookie year with the best sign being that the interceptions decreased from 17 in 2011 down to 12 last year. Newton rushed for more yards than the previous year but threw marginally less than 2011 and had 2 less touchdowns and 6 less rushing TD's but his raw talent is something that will keep him in the league for years to come. He may not be able to pass as good as the likes of Luck, Wilson and RGIII but his ability to be so dynamic is what makes Newton quite unique
So it is clear that the Panthers had a productive 2012 season especially after winning 5 of their last 6 games which included wins over division rivals Atlanta and New Orleans. If they are to improve in 2013 they need their defense to catch up with the offense so that they can have a chance of reaching the playoffs. The Carolina defense ranked 23rd in total yardage but they have good discipline and the ability to force turnover opportunities so if the likes of Luke Kuechly, Chase Blackburn and other members of this defense step up to the challenge they could help this Panthers team succeed.
Season prediction: 6-10. 4th in NFC South
Atlanta Falcons:
Despite going 13-3 last season and even being 8-0 and one point in the year the Atlanta Falcons didn't receive a lot of love from many for their 2012 season. Their wins may not have been convincing but the main thing is they did get that W in the column for 13/16 games as well as an appearance in the NFC championship game. The main thing for the Falcons is that they have progressed especially since Mike Smith came in as head coach back in 2008; they got back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and that year as a rookie head coach Smith and Matt Ryan who was a rookie too at the time became the first rookie quarterback and rookie coach tandem to take their team to the playoffs.
After leading that NFC title game by 10 points at halftime the Falcons failed to score in the second half which ultimately caused them to lose to the 49ers and miss out on a trip to the Super Bowl but it was progress as Matt Ryan got over the one blemish that was on his record which was not having a playoff win with victory in the divisional round. Despite arguments regarding his playoff success I'm prepared to give Ryan and the Falcons the benefit of the doubt as his first defeat was Ryan's rookie season, the second was to Green Bay who went on to win the Super Bowl that year and the year after in 2011 despite the on the field collapse the defeat to the Giants was to again the eventual Super Bowl winner. Last year's loss to the Niners was another learning experience which should spur this Falcons team on for the 2013 season especially as legendary tight-end Tony Gonzalez has decided to join the team for one last ride as he enters his 17th season in the league; 5th as a Falcon. With Gonzalez and other top offensive weapons Julio Jones and Roddy White, 17 touchdowns between the two in 2012, as well as new running back Steven Jackson the Falcons offense can cause opposing defenses lots of trouble this year especially as Matt Ryan has grown in to one of the best and most reliable quarterbacks in the league.
His touchdown numbers have increased every year since he entered the league with the QB throwing over 30 touchdown passes for the first time in his career in 2012. His interception rate has always been low and that is proven by his career touchdown to interception ratio of 127:60. Although there are many positives this Atlanta offense needs to move on to an even higher level of play because on defense they don't have too much to be excited about and ranked 20th in total yardage last season. Now that may not be much to complain about but in this league your luck can easily turn and those close wins can start to become close losses so they need to improve from a defensive perspective and start to play to their strengths by attempting to dictate games on offense by putting up more points. They may have some hard games against the Patriots and Seahawks this year but Atlanta's three defeats last year only came against division rivals but regardless of their record this team should reach the playoffs which are where the wins really matter so until then they'll hope for a productive regular season and will be aiming for consecutive division titles.
Season prediction: 10-6. 2nd in NFC South.
New Orleans Saints:
The New Orleans Saints will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2012 season which saw them fall from division champions to 7-9 and a 3rd place finish in the NFC South. The Saints defense was shredded up for 7,042 yards of offense which was 440.1 yards per game marking the most yards allowed by any defense in NFL history. The knight in shining armour for New Orleans will be head coach Sean Payton who returns as the team's head coach following his one year suspension for his involvement in the bounty scandal.
So how does New Orleans bounce back? Many people have had their opinion on how much of an impact Payton will have in reviving the Saints' fortunes in 2013 and personally I think he will guide them to a good season. Like the Patriots tore teams apart after the whole spygate inquiry you just get that feel that Payton's 2013 Saints will defy the odds in a sense and prove themselves once again. Although the difference between spygate and the bountygate is despite the severe punishment you can't disagree with the fact that the Saints were wrong for rewarding their players in the form of a slush fund. In a way and although controversial to say you could say that after having a more than dreadful season on defense last year that this Saints team needs to get back to playing nasty on that side of the ball but obviously within the rules. Now that they have Rob Ryan it is safe to say he will help steady the ship and if they can at least make them average instead of looking like they're not even on the field then yes that would help.
If the defense can improve it will take some pressure off the offense and then they have a chance to make it back to the postseason especially as they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league leading their team. QB Drew Brees has been consistent for the Saints ever since he joined them in 2006 and since the Super Bowl win in 2009 he has really taken his game to another level; in the past two seasons he has thrown for over 5000 yards and in 2011 he set the record for most passing yards in a season with 5,476 yards. There are so many stats that show how great Brees is with one being that his passer rating has only been below 90.0 once in his 7 years as the team's QB and that was 89.4; his best ever passer rating was 110.6 in 2011. The past two years have seen him throw 89 touchdown passes to just 33 interceptions which is phenomenal; he has 244 touchdowns as a Saint to 112 interceptions. Brees has improved and established himself in the top bracket of quarterbacks especially when you consider he has a postseason passer rating of 103.9 ranking him 1st among active players and 2nd all-time he has a solid regular season rating of 94.3, 7th all-time. So with Brees under centre, Sean Payton back as head coach along with one of the most dynamic players in the game in the shape of running back Darren Sproles plus Jimmy Graham who is no slouch at tight-end the Saints will be quietly hoping they bounce back in style this season and personally although it is obviously a long season I feel that if the Saints defeat Atlanta in their week 1 matchup I feel if they will end up winning the division.
Season prediction: 10-6. 1st in NFC South. *Saints win title on best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Although they finished bottom of the division to finish 7-9 last season was a decent achievement for Tampa Bay especially as it was Greg Schiano's first year as the Buccaneers head coach. The NFC South is a tougher division than some make out especially when you consider that Tampa Bay, Carolina and New Orleans all finished on 7-9 last season and that division winners Atlanta's three losses all came against those three division rivals.
There is a mixed feeling to how the Bucs will fair in 2013 especially as the like of 5th year quarterback Josh Freeman have come under criticism. He helped guide the team to 6-4 in 2012 before they lost 5 of their last 6 games and that has put some pressure on this young man's shoulders. Personally from looking at his 2012 tape yes the pass completion rate went down by 8% but he set franchise records for most touchdown passes with 27 and most passing yards with 4,065 so I would say that Freeman deserves all of 2013 to quarterback this team. The team wasn't good enough to sneak by in to wildcard contention last year and I'm not saying they are this year but the Bucs front office has helped Greg Schiano improve his roster with good draft picks like Akeem Spence and William Gholston. As well as that and most importantly was that Tampa Bay made a big move in free agency when they acquired Darrelle Revis who is one of if not the best cornerback in the league. He will automatically improve the Bucs defense and even better for Tampa Bay is the fact that Revis can tutor 2013 second round draft out of Mississippi State pick Johnthan Banks which can only be beneficial to the franchise.
Overall for the Bucs to have a successful 2013 and any chance of pulling off a surprise in the NFC South they will need the likes of sophomore Doug Martin and wide receiver Vincent Jackson to perform at the top of their game along with the likes of Freeman as well as hoping Revis has a big impact on defense. Doug Martin had a great 2012 with the running back setting a franchise rushing record of 1,454 yards in his rookie year; he also was tied for 4th among running backs in terms of touchdowns with 11. As for Vincent Jackson well he hauled in just below 1,400 receiving yards and caught 8 touchdowns so he will look to have another good year this season. Personally I feel the Bucs will record at least 6 wins and to be honest sometimes there isn't much difference between 6-10 teams to 10-6 teams so for Tampa Bay it will come down to whether they are victors in the close games this season and how they fair against their division rivals throughout the year
Season prediction: 7-9. 3rd in NFC South
With the 2013 season underway shortly let's now look at how each of these four NFC South teams will fair this year:
Carolina Panthers
For the Panthers it is pretty short and sweet: Despite a losing season in 2012 they finished second in the NFC South as opposed to 3rd in 2011 and their 7-9 record last year was a one win improvement on their 6-10 campaign from the previous season. Head coach Ron Rivera will be looking for further development from his Panthers team as he looks to mould this team so more in his third year in charge. Despite not enduring as much hype as 2011 due to the influx of young QB's in the league last year third year QB Cam Newton may feel he has a bit of a point to prove in 2013 as he looks to get back in to the spotlight.
His sophomore season saw him put up just as good numbers as his rookie year with the best sign being that the interceptions decreased from 17 in 2011 down to 12 last year. Newton rushed for more yards than the previous year but threw marginally less than 2011 and had 2 less touchdowns and 6 less rushing TD's but his raw talent is something that will keep him in the league for years to come. He may not be able to pass as good as the likes of Luck, Wilson and RGIII but his ability to be so dynamic is what makes Newton quite unique
 |
| How will Newton & co fair in 2013? |
So it is clear that the Panthers had a productive 2012 season especially after winning 5 of their last 6 games which included wins over division rivals Atlanta and New Orleans. If they are to improve in 2013 they need their defense to catch up with the offense so that they can have a chance of reaching the playoffs. The Carolina defense ranked 23rd in total yardage but they have good discipline and the ability to force turnover opportunities so if the likes of Luke Kuechly, Chase Blackburn and other members of this defense step up to the challenge they could help this Panthers team succeed.
Season prediction: 6-10. 4th in NFC South
Atlanta Falcons:
Despite going 13-3 last season and even being 8-0 and one point in the year the Atlanta Falcons didn't receive a lot of love from many for their 2012 season. Their wins may not have been convincing but the main thing is they did get that W in the column for 13/16 games as well as an appearance in the NFC championship game. The main thing for the Falcons is that they have progressed especially since Mike Smith came in as head coach back in 2008; they got back to the playoffs for the first time since 2004 and that year as a rookie head coach Smith and Matt Ryan who was a rookie too at the time became the first rookie quarterback and rookie coach tandem to take their team to the playoffs.
After leading that NFC title game by 10 points at halftime the Falcons failed to score in the second half which ultimately caused them to lose to the 49ers and miss out on a trip to the Super Bowl but it was progress as Matt Ryan got over the one blemish that was on his record which was not having a playoff win with victory in the divisional round. Despite arguments regarding his playoff success I'm prepared to give Ryan and the Falcons the benefit of the doubt as his first defeat was Ryan's rookie season, the second was to Green Bay who went on to win the Super Bowl that year and the year after in 2011 despite the on the field collapse the defeat to the Giants was to again the eventual Super Bowl winner. Last year's loss to the Niners was another learning experience which should spur this Falcons team on for the 2013 season especially as legendary tight-end Tony Gonzalez has decided to join the team for one last ride as he enters his 17th season in the league; 5th as a Falcon. With Gonzalez and other top offensive weapons Julio Jones and Roddy White, 17 touchdowns between the two in 2012, as well as new running back Steven Jackson the Falcons offense can cause opposing defenses lots of trouble this year especially as Matt Ryan has grown in to one of the best and most reliable quarterbacks in the league.
 |
| As cool as ice! |
His touchdown numbers have increased every year since he entered the league with the QB throwing over 30 touchdown passes for the first time in his career in 2012. His interception rate has always been low and that is proven by his career touchdown to interception ratio of 127:60. Although there are many positives this Atlanta offense needs to move on to an even higher level of play because on defense they don't have too much to be excited about and ranked 20th in total yardage last season. Now that may not be much to complain about but in this league your luck can easily turn and those close wins can start to become close losses so they need to improve from a defensive perspective and start to play to their strengths by attempting to dictate games on offense by putting up more points. They may have some hard games against the Patriots and Seahawks this year but Atlanta's three defeats last year only came against division rivals but regardless of their record this team should reach the playoffs which are where the wins really matter so until then they'll hope for a productive regular season and will be aiming for consecutive division titles.
Season prediction: 10-6. 2nd in NFC South.
New Orleans Saints:
The New Orleans Saints will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2012 season which saw them fall from division champions to 7-9 and a 3rd place finish in the NFC South. The Saints defense was shredded up for 7,042 yards of offense which was 440.1 yards per game marking the most yards allowed by any defense in NFL history. The knight in shining armour for New Orleans will be head coach Sean Payton who returns as the team's head coach following his one year suspension for his involvement in the bounty scandal.
So how does New Orleans bounce back? Many people have had their opinion on how much of an impact Payton will have in reviving the Saints' fortunes in 2013 and personally I think he will guide them to a good season. Like the Patriots tore teams apart after the whole spygate inquiry you just get that feel that Payton's 2013 Saints will defy the odds in a sense and prove themselves once again. Although the difference between spygate and the bountygate is despite the severe punishment you can't disagree with the fact that the Saints were wrong for rewarding their players in the form of a slush fund. In a way and although controversial to say you could say that after having a more than dreadful season on defense last year that this Saints team needs to get back to playing nasty on that side of the ball but obviously within the rules. Now that they have Rob Ryan it is safe to say he will help steady the ship and if they can at least make them average instead of looking like they're not even on the field then yes that would help.
 |
| Here to lend a helping hand |
If the defense can improve it will take some pressure off the offense and then they have a chance to make it back to the postseason especially as they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league leading their team. QB Drew Brees has been consistent for the Saints ever since he joined them in 2006 and since the Super Bowl win in 2009 he has really taken his game to another level; in the past two seasons he has thrown for over 5000 yards and in 2011 he set the record for most passing yards in a season with 5,476 yards. There are so many stats that show how great Brees is with one being that his passer rating has only been below 90.0 once in his 7 years as the team's QB and that was 89.4; his best ever passer rating was 110.6 in 2011. The past two years have seen him throw 89 touchdown passes to just 33 interceptions which is phenomenal; he has 244 touchdowns as a Saint to 112 interceptions. Brees has improved and established himself in the top bracket of quarterbacks especially when you consider he has a postseason passer rating of 103.9 ranking him 1st among active players and 2nd all-time he has a solid regular season rating of 94.3, 7th all-time. So with Brees under centre, Sean Payton back as head coach along with one of the most dynamic players in the game in the shape of running back Darren Sproles plus Jimmy Graham who is no slouch at tight-end the Saints will be quietly hoping they bounce back in style this season and personally although it is obviously a long season I feel that if the Saints defeat Atlanta in their week 1 matchup I feel if they will end up winning the division.
Season prediction: 10-6. 1st in NFC South. *Saints win title on best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division*
Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Although they finished bottom of the division to finish 7-9 last season was a decent achievement for Tampa Bay especially as it was Greg Schiano's first year as the Buccaneers head coach. The NFC South is a tougher division than some make out especially when you consider that Tampa Bay, Carolina and New Orleans all finished on 7-9 last season and that division winners Atlanta's three losses all came against those three division rivals.
There is a mixed feeling to how the Bucs will fair in 2013 especially as the like of 5th year quarterback Josh Freeman have come under criticism. He helped guide the team to 6-4 in 2012 before they lost 5 of their last 6 games and that has put some pressure on this young man's shoulders. Personally from looking at his 2012 tape yes the pass completion rate went down by 8% but he set franchise records for most touchdown passes with 27 and most passing yards with 4,065 so I would say that Freeman deserves all of 2013 to quarterback this team. The team wasn't good enough to sneak by in to wildcard contention last year and I'm not saying they are this year but the Bucs front office has helped Greg Schiano improve his roster with good draft picks like Akeem Spence and William Gholston. As well as that and most importantly was that Tampa Bay made a big move in free agency when they acquired Darrelle Revis who is one of if not the best cornerback in the league. He will automatically improve the Bucs defense and even better for Tampa Bay is the fact that Revis can tutor 2013 second round draft out of Mississippi State pick Johnthan Banks which can only be beneficial to the franchise.
 |
| Is this the start of a new era in Tampa? |
Overall for the Bucs to have a successful 2013 and any chance of pulling off a surprise in the NFC South they will need the likes of sophomore Doug Martin and wide receiver Vincent Jackson to perform at the top of their game along with the likes of Freeman as well as hoping Revis has a big impact on defense. Doug Martin had a great 2012 with the running back setting a franchise rushing record of 1,454 yards in his rookie year; he also was tied for 4th among running backs in terms of touchdowns with 11. As for Vincent Jackson well he hauled in just below 1,400 receiving yards and caught 8 touchdowns so he will look to have another good year this season. Personally I feel the Bucs will record at least 6 wins and to be honest sometimes there isn't much difference between 6-10 teams to 10-6 teams so for Tampa Bay it will come down to whether they are victors in the close games this season and how they fair against their division rivals throughout the year
Season prediction: 7-9. 3rd in NFC South
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)