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http://www.turfshowtimes.com/2015/7/26/9041093/nfl-weekend-the-2015-shocker-teams-will-be
NFL Weekend: The 2015 Shocker Teams Will Be...
By Douglas M @thenovelroad on Jul 26, 2015
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Training Camp started with Cleveland on the 22nd, followed by Pittsburgh and Minnesota on July 25th. The rest of the NFL's teams will follow suit over the next few days. You can see the full line up of team Camp dates and locations here.
What can we expect as NFL fans? Well, the Summer sun will do its job beating and gnashing rosters. The unfortunate injuries will make an appearance, and cause teams to scramble to fill voids. There will be rust o' plenty as training camps open, and coaches will bemoan the 2011 CBA at every turn. To be honest, I can't really blame them. Two weeks after getting their players in camp, teams will start the preseason game schedule. On August 9th, Pittsburgh and Minnesota hit the field for the Hall of Fame game...
This is also the time of year when teams - and players - the media have dubbed to be on some mysterious winner/loser bubble emerge. Prognostications are - by rule - just so much stuff, but I'm going to give it a go anyway. But first, let's get a few things out of the way...
The starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins is...
Let's get this one out of the way, shall we? RGIII, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line, I have little doubt young Mr. Griffin has all the talent in the world, but the NFL is the NFL. Egos get crushed. The bigger the ego, the harder the fall from the heights of expectations. A great rookie year is all Griffin will have to remember, as Kirk Cousins gets the starting nod...
Tom Brady will...
... Not get his suspension shortened. "Deflate-gate" will finally end. Tom will speak - with the slightest Gisselle-esk accent - and say for "the good of the team" he'll sit and watch a guy named Garoppolo play for a while... The Gronk unhappy... Then Gronk is happy again...
Darren McFadden finds...
... Life is good when people block for you. He'll enjoy a stellar 5 game season for Dallas, then... Yes, injury calls once again to hamper what could have been a remarkable year. He'll be done before the Cowboys travel to "The Big Apple" in Week 7. It won't be a bad injury, just one of those nagging things. But it will be enough for the Dallas Jones' to move on...
The Top 5 Defenses in the NFL for 2015 will be...
#1 - Denver Broncos: They are going to get after quarterbacks in a huge way. The Broncos ranked #3 overall in 2014, and a draft-embarrassed Shane Ray is seething to prove himself. With a potent offense giving their defense a cushion, they'll have their ears pinned back every game.
#2 - Seattle Seahawks: This defense is down right ridiculous at times. Give a little, but don't break, these guys operate as a solid unit. The best secondary in the league will have in front of them a "provin'-it" Bruce Irvin, and Bobby Wagner having career years.
#3 - Buffalo Bills: This defense has the ability to break records - on paper. They will too, but it won't be enough to offset an offense that feeds them bad field position just too often. Look for at least two Bills to be in the Top 5 in quarterback sacks by season's end. "The Rex" will do his thing for Buffalo...
#4 - Tie! St. Louis Rams/New York Jets: Yes, the odds of two defenses finishing with the same - exact - stats line is impossible. But these two defense are ripe to break out. "Wild Man" Williams will let loose his crazed dogs-o-war for St. Louis, and new head coach Todd Bowles will bring his swarming mentality to a star studded New York Jets defense.
#5 - Houston Texans: Many would think Carolina would be here, but I'm going with the long-shot to breakout. It's a Clowney thing, and if he's healthy this defense is going to do great things in 2015. Health at linebacker will be key, but I kind of like how their secondary is shaping out at the moment.
The team with the best record in the NFL for 2015 will be...
The Green Bay Packer... Going out on a limb here? Naw! Aaron Rodgersis just that good, and the "Pack's" defense could be the best they've had in a decade. Questions at tight end could stymie the offense down the stretch, but a solid running game will seal the deal for Green Bay and take them to at least the NFC title game.
The worst record in the NFL for 2015 will be owned by...
Tie! That's right, there will be two bottom dwellers at the end of 2015 vying for the first draft pick overall in 2016. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins are... Well, I'll just say it: They're bad now, and by the end of the year they'll be gooey messes. I like Blake Bortles, but there's just so much he can do. The Jags have improved defensively, but their offense is without a shred of consistent threat. Washington is going to be a swirling Snyder-pile, even though I think their defense could shock a few teams. Offense is where this team dives hard into the ground. Both teams win two games, and slink off into the sunset to regroup...
The "Shocker" teams for the NFC and AFC are...
In the NFC, it's the St. Louis Rams or Arizona Cardinals. In St. Louis, EVERYTHING hinges on how they come out of the gate at the start of the season, and their offensive line. These two items will tell the tale of the 2015 Rams. Arizona has a very solid roster, but coaching losses could hit their defense harder than some may think. Ray Horton and Todd Bowles made this defense what it is today: A swarming, aggressive, unrelenting unit. If Carson Palmer stays healthy, look for Arizona's offense to rank high in passing numbers. The run game for the Cardinals is another matter entirely...
In the AFC, the New York Jets finally displace the New England Patriots atop the AFC East. Brandon Marshall was a HUGE add for the Jets at wide receiver. He can make even Geno Smith look good, and so can a currently underrated running back group. A long-shot sleeper at the position, former St. Louis Ram Zac Stacy may be in the perfect place, at the perfect time...
The teams who'll be playing in Super Bowl L(50)?
Green Bay Packer vs. San Diego Chargers
OK, it's not like I don't have you groaning already, but hear me out... Green Bay as a participant isn't even close to a tough choice. They'll be right there at the end of the 2015 season. But San Diego? OK, stop with the: "This guy must be snorting Cheetos" stuff. For one thing, it's rough on the sinuses. Though it's kind of cool to have orange dust come out when you sneeze, the orange Hitler mustache you get from... Well, you get the idea...
Anyway, back to why I think San Diego has a chance to be in the Super Bowl. Chisel the name Melvin Gordon into your heads. The rookie is going to make a name for himself in 2015, and he'll be just enough of an addition to send this Phillip Rivers steered offense over the top. The defense is sound, and the AFC West is up for grabs...
There you have it! 2015 predictions I wouldn't even bet YOUR money on, let alone my own. But it's fun to do, isn't it?
NFL Weekend: The 2015 Shocker Teams Will Be...
By Douglas M @thenovelroad on Jul 26, 2015
Training Camp started with Cleveland on the 22nd, followed by Pittsburgh and Minnesota on July 25th. The rest of the NFL's teams will follow suit over the next few days. You can see the full line up of team Camp dates and locations here.
What can we expect as NFL fans? Well, the Summer sun will do its job beating and gnashing rosters. The unfortunate injuries will make an appearance, and cause teams to scramble to fill voids. There will be rust o' plenty as training camps open, and coaches will bemoan the 2011 CBA at every turn. To be honest, I can't really blame them. Two weeks after getting their players in camp, teams will start the preseason game schedule. On August 9th, Pittsburgh and Minnesota hit the field for the Hall of Fame game...
This is also the time of year when teams - and players - the media have dubbed to be on some mysterious winner/loser bubble emerge. Prognostications are - by rule - just so much stuff, but I'm going to give it a go anyway. But first, let's get a few things out of the way...
The starting quarterback for the Washington Redskins is...
Let's get this one out of the way, shall we? RGIII, blah, blah, blah. Bottom line, I have little doubt young Mr. Griffin has all the talent in the world, but the NFL is the NFL. Egos get crushed. The bigger the ego, the harder the fall from the heights of expectations. A great rookie year is all Griffin will have to remember, as Kirk Cousins gets the starting nod...
Tom Brady will...
... Not get his suspension shortened. "Deflate-gate" will finally end. Tom will speak - with the slightest Gisselle-esk accent - and say for "the good of the team" he'll sit and watch a guy named Garoppolo play for a while... The Gronk unhappy... Then Gronk is happy again...
Darren McFadden finds...
... Life is good when people block for you. He'll enjoy a stellar 5 game season for Dallas, then... Yes, injury calls once again to hamper what could have been a remarkable year. He'll be done before the Cowboys travel to "The Big Apple" in Week 7. It won't be a bad injury, just one of those nagging things. But it will be enough for the Dallas Jones' to move on...
The Top 5 Defenses in the NFL for 2015 will be...
#1 - Denver Broncos: They are going to get after quarterbacks in a huge way. The Broncos ranked #3 overall in 2014, and a draft-embarrassed Shane Ray is seething to prove himself. With a potent offense giving their defense a cushion, they'll have their ears pinned back every game.
#2 - Seattle Seahawks: This defense is down right ridiculous at times. Give a little, but don't break, these guys operate as a solid unit. The best secondary in the league will have in front of them a "provin'-it" Bruce Irvin, and Bobby Wagner having career years.
#3 - Buffalo Bills: This defense has the ability to break records - on paper. They will too, but it won't be enough to offset an offense that feeds them bad field position just too often. Look for at least two Bills to be in the Top 5 in quarterback sacks by season's end. "The Rex" will do his thing for Buffalo...
#4 - Tie! St. Louis Rams/New York Jets: Yes, the odds of two defenses finishing with the same - exact - stats line is impossible. But these two defense are ripe to break out. "Wild Man" Williams will let loose his crazed dogs-o-war for St. Louis, and new head coach Todd Bowles will bring his swarming mentality to a star studded New York Jets defense.
#5 - Houston Texans: Many would think Carolina would be here, but I'm going with the long-shot to breakout. It's a Clowney thing, and if he's healthy this defense is going to do great things in 2015. Health at linebacker will be key, but I kind of like how their secondary is shaping out at the moment.
The team with the best record in the NFL for 2015 will be...
The Green Bay Packer... Going out on a limb here? Naw! Aaron Rodgersis just that good, and the "Pack's" defense could be the best they've had in a decade. Questions at tight end could stymie the offense down the stretch, but a solid running game will seal the deal for Green Bay and take them to at least the NFC title game.
The worst record in the NFL for 2015 will be owned by...
Tie! That's right, there will be two bottom dwellers at the end of 2015 vying for the first draft pick overall in 2016. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins are... Well, I'll just say it: They're bad now, and by the end of the year they'll be gooey messes. I like Blake Bortles, but there's just so much he can do. The Jags have improved defensively, but their offense is without a shred of consistent threat. Washington is going to be a swirling Snyder-pile, even though I think their defense could shock a few teams. Offense is where this team dives hard into the ground. Both teams win two games, and slink off into the sunset to regroup...
The "Shocker" teams for the NFC and AFC are...
In the NFC, it's the St. Louis Rams or Arizona Cardinals. In St. Louis, EVERYTHING hinges on how they come out of the gate at the start of the season, and their offensive line. These two items will tell the tale of the 2015 Rams. Arizona has a very solid roster, but coaching losses could hit their defense harder than some may think. Ray Horton and Todd Bowles made this defense what it is today: A swarming, aggressive, unrelenting unit. If Carson Palmer stays healthy, look for Arizona's offense to rank high in passing numbers. The run game for the Cardinals is another matter entirely...
In the AFC, the New York Jets finally displace the New England Patriots atop the AFC East. Brandon Marshall was a HUGE add for the Jets at wide receiver. He can make even Geno Smith look good, and so can a currently underrated running back group. A long-shot sleeper at the position, former St. Louis Ram Zac Stacy may be in the perfect place, at the perfect time...
The teams who'll be playing in Super Bowl L(50)?
Green Bay Packer vs. San Diego Chargers
OK, it's not like I don't have you groaning already, but hear me out... Green Bay as a participant isn't even close to a tough choice. They'll be right there at the end of the 2015 season. But San Diego? OK, stop with the: "This guy must be snorting Cheetos" stuff. For one thing, it's rough on the sinuses. Though it's kind of cool to have orange dust come out when you sneeze, the orange Hitler mustache you get from... Well, you get the idea...
Anyway, back to why I think San Diego has a chance to be in the Super Bowl. Chisel the name Melvin Gordon into your heads. The rookie is going to make a name for himself in 2015, and he'll be just enough of an addition to send this Phillip Rivers steered offense over the top. The defense is sound, and the AFC West is up for grabs...
There you have it! 2015 predictions I wouldn't even bet YOUR money on, let alone my own. But it's fun to do, isn't it?
