And Now, The NFL

With the obsession that No Owens has with college football (and now Sarah Palin), it's tough to really get fired up about the world's biggest league, the NFL. What's interesting is there is actually a lot to get fired up about in the NFL.

First, lets start with the New Orleans Saints. As most teams in the NFC continue to struggle to find themselves, the under achieving Saints from last year have added yet another offensive weapon in Jeremy Shockey at tight end. Not to mention, Robert Meachem has decided he wants to show up. So, if Reggie Bush can figure out how to be an NFL back, the Saints will have the best offense in the NFL. Yes, that's right, the NFL. They will be more balanced than the Patriots should the Saints find a consistent running game. Now, you have a hurricane in Louisiana, that tends to bode well for the Saints. Can their defense stop anyone? Probably enough to keep it under 28 points per game, because I get the Saints score more than that per game.

After insulting the Patriots, we might as well get to them. It's going to be interesting to see just how smart their coaching staff is. Why? First, it's hard to have the kind of success they had offensively two years in a row in the NFL, especially running their style of offense. Ask the Rams. Keep in mind that the Pats and Colts run two very different types of offenses. The Colts are much more balanced, making them better suited for the long term, which is why their 11+ win consistency hasn't been met by the Patriots. Not to mention their defense isn't a bunch of hungry rent-a-players. They are players built to stay/last. That being said, of the two super powers in the AFC, I like the Colts to have the better year, assuming they can stay healthy. They are going to need to find an alternative to Marvin Harrison going forward. Personally, I can't believe they let Early Doucet get away from them. He would have been a perfect fit to be the next Marvin. But what do I know?

What I do know is that I think this is the year for the Jaguars in the AFC. Assuming the Patriots are going to be down a little this year, and assuming the Colts are going to have issues with their health, look for the Jaguars to take a Wild Card birth to the Super Bowl. They aren't built to win their division, but they are built to win a Super Bowl. Stingy defense and a solid running game to go with a great quarterback that will be recognized as one of the league's best at year's end. Maybe not in your fantasy league, but overall. This guy is a player. And as much as I hate to want a Gator to succeed, I think Fred Taylor is one of the best running backs of all time never to get any credit. I think a ring would do a lot for his creds, and potentially get him into the Hall.

And of course, I can't get out of this without talking about the Packers. I hate to draw comparisons to the college game, and it is ironic, but look at LSU last year. LSU went into the year with all the talent in the world coming back, but sans their quarterback. And Matt Flynn (now Packer clipboard holder) had to keep it simple and not turn the ball over. That's what he did and they won a title. I think what we've seen from Rodgers, as I've said before, is that he just needs to be an expert in this offense and facilitate. He's not flashy and he doesn't have to be. Leave that to Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and James Jones. One thing to watch for is this...Ryan Grant will be the biggest bust of all fantasy drafts. Figure it out for yourself, but he's not the best running back on that team, and won't be the starter come week three.

Going into the season, if I was forced to pick a Super Bowl match up, it would be New Orleans and Jacksonville. Apparently, the Panthers are going to be back this year as are the Eagles. I'll buy into the Panthers, but I'll believe the Eagles when I see it. What I do see is an interesting year in the NFL. You should too.