1. For Kansas City’s defense to improve, the noticeable difference had to come from the defensive line. In four preseason games so far, the team has a total of five sacks with the defensive line only accounting for four of them. The personnel everywhere outside of the line has improved but if the front four do no play at a higher level the enhancements will go unnoticed.
2. There have been many questions regarding the Tennessee Titans offensive line and their ability to protect, particularly with guard Zach Piller returning from a season-ending biceps injury but they have held up very well so far. They allowed only four sacks in 170 pass attempts in the preseason (one every 42.5 attempts) which is a very impressive number. If they can protect Steve McNair, their offense may take off under Norm Chow.
3. Washington Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey has always been brimming with athletic ability and has flashed a strong arm but he has not been able to avoid interceptions. In the preseason he threw two touchdowns and four interceptions so it looks like he’s still plagued by the same problem.
4. How’s the Atlanta Falcons improved passing game you ask? Michael Vick was 11/20, 127 yards, TD, INT in the preseason. Not exactly overwhelming statistics even if you are an optimist. This is still a run-first team.
5. You have to be careful what you derive from the NFL preseason. The games are for the most part meaningless and the bulk of the players are not exerting their full effort. If someone plays good in the preseason, it doesn’t mean that will translate into regular season success but if someone struggles, that is generally an ominous sign.
Four Picks:
Philadelphia Eagles @ Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons still can not throw the ball successfully and their ability to move the ball through the air will be hindered even more with tight-end Alge Crumpler not at full strength. Whether the Falcons score or not depends on if they can run the ball. The Eagles know how to contain Vick but it is unclear whether the Falcons can contain Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens. Keep in mind, Owens did not play in the NFC Championship game.
Eagles -1
Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers
There’s no Jerome Bettis and even if Duce Staley can play he will obviously be limited. That puts the burden on Willie Parker (5-10, 209 lbs) who is fast but its unlikely he can handle the 25-30 carries that Bill Cowher will want from him. The Steelers are not a team who blows opponents out of the water on the scoreboard and if Ben Roethlisberger and the passing games struggle like they did in the preseason they could be in trouble. The Tennessee Titans are capable on offense and talented but young on defense.
Titans +7
Dallas Cowboys @ San Diego Chargers
The Chargers are without Pro Bowl tight-end Antonio Gates for week one which will really limit them in the passing game. If that is the case, they become too predictable on offense and Bill Parcells should be able to take advantage of that. The other key is that the Chargers don’t excel at pass-rushing (Rookie Shawne Merriman not expected to play) which means Drew Bledsoe should have ample time to throw. I like the Cowboys in a close game.
Cowboys +4.5
Chicago Bears @ Washington Redskins
A rookie quarterback going into a hostile environment to face a defense that is licking their chops is not exactly ideal, but the Chicago Bears have a stout defense of their own for backup. Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey is mistake prone which should keep the Bears in the game. Both teams will struggle in the red zone so points should be hard to come by. In a low scoring battle the 5.5 points could come in handy.
Now I know what it feels like not to be presented with a rose.
Jesse Palmer aka The Bachelor
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VD,
Have you seen Underclassmen yet?
Maurice Clarrett
-from Jay in Calgary
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Dave,
Me and Peyton Manning didn’t talk for a year and it didn’t affect our ability to perform.
Mike Vanderjagt
--- Two Games to Watch:
Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens
The Colts are tabbed as a soft team so we’ll see how strong they really when they face the feisty Ravens. Can Manning have success against a 46 defense?
New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
The Saints seem to play the Panthers fairly tight and they will try to stay focused on football in Carolina. Can they win one for their city?
Golokhov Power Ranking: The rating for each team combines: strength of schedule, offensive and defensive productiveness, turnover ratio and special teams all relative to the rest of the league’s performance. Official statistics that are used to calculate the ratings are provided by NFL.com.
