The Indianapolis Colts make their way to Washington this Sunday to face a rejuvenated Redskins team.  It is interesting to see just how close things are so far this season, and I don’t think that there were many who put the Redskins and the Colts level at week 6.

FedEx Field

Washington will be missing Clinton Portis, but have some good news as Albert Haynesworth returns to the skins defence after missing last week’s game due to the death of his brother.  Indianapolis have a couple of gaps with injuries to Joseph Addai and Donald Brown.

Home advantage as ever will play its part, another important factor that leaves little between these teams.  If I was a betting man…err, which I am, then I would have a little flutter on this game.  The odds offer some real value for a Skins win.

My Prediction: Washington Redskins

Image Credit: Clydorama

Peyton Manning

So it is time for Manning v Manning showdown, Peyton v Eli.  This is only the second time that the two brothers have met in the NFL, and we all know just how brothers can have close battles, lets hope they can bring that to the field and we get a nice tight game.

Peyton Manning will not be as worried about facing his brothers team as he will be about making sure that they don’t go down for a second successive week to the underdog.  Last weeks loss against the Texans was the shock result of the week, none of us here at Mac called it, and I am sure very few others did either.

The Texans exposed some pretty big holes in the Indianapolis Colts running a record 257 yards (It’s a happy fantasy player who picked up Arian Foster this week!).  So, the test now is how the Colts respond to that loss and the lessons they take from it.  You can bet that the Giants have been watching that game closely this week making sure that they are ready to make the most of any weaknesses that have not been patched.

Bob Sanders is out with a Bicep tear (is there a more manly ingury?  GRRRRR) which is a sad blow as he has been hampered by injury for years now.  Speedy recovery Bob.

The Giants have work to do too.  The Giants had four turnovers last week, and 95 yards of penalties.  They will need to tighten up in order to brush the Colts aside in their own backyard.

Eli Manning

The Giants will be looking to get at Peyton in this game, they sacked Matt Moore four times last week.  Protection seems to be a weak spot for the Colts, so don’t be suprised to see Peyton on the deck a few times.

Odds makers have the Colts way ahead in this game, but I see it being much closer.  I think the Giants momentum coupled with their desire to show that they are the best might just carry them through here.  That said, don’t write off the Colts.  Yes, it was a poor opener which they should have won, but they are a quality team that will not rest until they have it right again.

I am going to have to side with previous NFL London visitors the New York Giants this week.

Sadly this is the night game for UK NFL fans, so respect to those staying up.  If you are reading this during the game then please leave a comment as we would love to hear from you.

Image Credits:

Eli – Jason Poulton
Peyton – kuramasgirl556@sbcglobal.net

Two divisions left to go, both in the AFC. The West, but first let’s take a look at the South.  Things didn’t happen in quite the way they were predicted last season. Judging by the number of Colts and Titans shirts we saw at Wembley last year, UK NFL fans would love to see some of these teams in London soon. But they’ll probably just have to hope for serious post-season runs for now…

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts looked so good all through the post-season that it looked like they were heading for another Superbowl. As we know, and despite what we here at MacTalksNFL thought, it wasn’t to be the case.

Going into the second year under Jim Caldwell, there’s no way this team won’t make the post-season. That’s a given, and the front office in Indy shows a lot of the league how things should be done. They’ll need more of that as it comes to getting a new deal in place for Peyton Manning in an uncapped season. What he gets will reverberate across the league, but it’s hard to imagine it becoming a real distraction: A deal will get done.

They ranked only 19th in defense last year. They’ve resigned some core components of this unit – like Melvin Bullitt, Gary Brackett and Antoine Bethea and also spent their first three draft picks to do better on this side of the ball.

Like I said above – they’ll make the playoffs. It’s the easiest call we get to make.

Houston Texans

We all love the Texans and really want them to do well. Last year they got close (again) but they didn’t quite make it (again). The sting of not making the play-offs will have hurt, but this young team did record their first winning season, continuing a steady trend of careful building and development over the last few years.

Finishing second though, has meant their schedule looks trickier than it might have done – not that this team will fear anyone, and the number 1 passing offence in particular will feel then can beat anyone through the air. Despite what coach Kubiak says, they probably don’t want to pass all the time. Steve Slaton was a fumble-machine last season, eventually losing his spot to Ryan Moats (and costing my Fantasy League glory too!). Moats is now with the Vikings, so Slaton will hope to get more chances even if the team is well stocked at running back after getting Ben Tate in the draft. How well they can adjust to new OC Rick Dennison will be the story of the first few games.

They will certainly need to improve in-division too. Their 1-5 record ultimately cost them – as the 7th ranked team in the AFC just one additional win would have got them safely into a wildcard spot. With three of those divisional losses being by 5 points or less, these games were winnable.

The defence was decidedly mid-table, and whilst it can improve it’s probably more important that they don’t regress. Like I mentioned above, this is a likeable young team with some real studs… but with a harder schedule, I don’t see them getting to 9-7 again.

Tennessee Titans

Talk about a season of two halves. The Titans opened up 2009 with six consecutive losses, putting them well and truly on the back foot. Coming back after their bye week, Vince Young started and the team started to follow him. The remaining 10 games saw only two losses to end the season a respectable (considering) 8-8.

Chris Johnson was a hero out of the backfield, becoming only the 6th player to run for 2000 yards in a season and also breaking Marshall Faulk‘s yards from scrimmage record. Now he wants to be paid, and based on his form of the past two seasons it’s easy to see his case. Hopefully it’ll come together with him and the Titans before any hold out affects his play this year.

Knowing it was an area that needed help, the Titans spent 6 of their 9 draft picks on that side of the ball, including on Myron Rolle, who gives NFL UK fans a sort of home player to support.

This is a team that has played well in fits and starts over the last two years, and will be confident of being a real contender this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars

It’s been a difficult time for the Jaguars since they went 11-5 in 2007. A terrible 2008 looked like it might be put to bed until they finished 2009 with 4 consecutive losses for a final record of 7-9. Worse is that apart from hanging with the Dolphins, they were never really in any of those games. They also had television blackouts for 7 of their home games as various factors affected attendance and you wonder how that affects the players.

This is a team that wasn’t outright bad anywhere on the field, but need small improvements everywhere – something that can often be difficult to put right. However, Coach Del Rio obviously believes in the offence, and they’ve been left largely alone so far this off-season as he’s concentrated on strengthening the defence. Aaron Kampman comes in from Green Bay, and with the 10th overall pick the Jags took Tyson Alualu for two immediate upgrades to the D-Line. They also drafted another tackle, end and linebacker as well as trading for Kirk Morrison in Oakland, who has been a tackle machine in his last two seasons. There will definitely be an improvement with the front seven.

But this team will need luck as well as skill and talent. As with the Texans, I can’t see them getting to 9 wins but think that like last season they’ll hang in the division and can’t be ruled out if a couple of borderline games go their way.

Predictions (made 12th July 2010)

Image Credit: Kagilbert45

Yesterday we reported that the Eagles had released Hank Baskett, well the Colts have now snapped him up as cover for Gonzalez.

Philadelphia Eagles
Injured quarter back Donovan McNabb has still not been ruled out of playing against the Saints on Sunday.

While McNabb has played with injuries before a broken rib might have quite a detrimental effect on his game!

San Diego Chargers
LaDainian Tomlinson, Nick Hardwick and Louis Vasquez all missed practice on Thursday after picking up injuries against Oakland.  This might leave them a little light when they face Baltimore in week 2.

Detroit Lions
Sad news that former coach Monte Clark has passed away.  Clark led them to the play-offs twice.  He was 72.

These are based on what we’ve been watching, what we’ve been following, some blind faith and our guts. These are are our predictions for the 12 post-season teams of the 2009 season.

This topic and tables will be locked and not edited once it is published. It will then be used for mocking, gloating, fighting (and probably crying) throughout the course of the season. We’ll come back to this every few weeks to carry out at least one of the above acts.

Andrew’s Predictions

NFC
If you’ve been following my First and Second look articles, then there shouldn’t be any surprises here.

In the NFC, I have the Giants topping the east. I’m hoping that the Redskins can surprise me here and edge a playoff spot, but I don’t really see it. In the west, I’m calling Seattle after a lot of deliberation. I’m also giving a wildcard spot to the Arizona Cardinals, in one of the divisions I’ve struggled with the most. The North is just as bad, I’m going with Green Bay. I’d really have liked longer to make a call on the Vikings’ prospects but here we are…

Finally from one of the hardest to one of the easiest: The Panthers to win in the south.

The final NFC wildcard is very tricky. It’s between the Falcons and the Eagles and as much as I hate to go against the Falcons, I can’t see the NFC East not sending at least two teams. So I’m going with the Eagles.

AFC
Things are easier in the AFC. A little bit, anyway – I see all four divisions as two-horse races

The Pats to take win the AFC East. I’m taking a gamble here (of a sort) that Brady is back to something like his best, but I’m confident with it. I see the Titans edging out the Colts in the south, though I’m putting the Colts in the wildcard mix and they can never be counted out.

The north will see the Ravens as winners, beating the Steelers into second – this will be a close division though. Finally the west will crown the Chargers, because… well, because there’s really no-one else there who can mount a serious challenge.

The wildcard spot is a three-way battle (sorry Denver) between the Steelers, Dolphins and Colts. Like last year, I see a valiant AFC East team being left out – the Steelers and the Colts going into the post-season. I’m sorry Graham, I don’t see the Dolphins there… but at least the ‘Skins won’t be there either!
I wish there was room for the Texans, but I don’t see it this year.

Graham on Andrew’s Predictions…
Not much to disagree with here (other than the Dolphins not making the play offs). I have gone with some different choices, but it is difficult to predict at this early stage.  It will be interesting to see what our readers think, I am sure there are a few who could beat us hands down.

[table id=11 /]

Graham’s Predictions

NFC
In the East I can see the Dallas Cowboys being bouyed by their new home and looking for a good season to overcome the tragic events at their practice facility. Can they beat the NY Giants in the NFC East? Well I don’t think so, but I do see them taking one of the wildcard spots.

Heading to the North I am going with the Green Bay Packers.  I also think the arrival of Jay Cutler at the Bears will bring some improvement, but not enough for a wildcard.

In the south I have to agree with Andrew on the Panthers.  I am hoping for a good season from Tampa Bay though as I am hoping for a great game at Wembley Stadium this year.  It is a Bucs’ home game so – sorry Pats fans – I will be supporting them.

Finally to the NFC West.  I am going with Arizona.  I am looking for some 49ers improvement this season and was tempted to pick them as my second wildcard, but I think it will be out of reach this time.

With the above in mind, my second wildcard pick goes to the Atlanta Falcons.

AFC
Starting in the East, I am going to upset Pats fans again here.  I would agree that Tom Brady is the best, but he is not Superman.  A year off will leave him hungry but maybe a bit rusty.  Miami will be looking to build on last years amazing improvement and now have a team strong enough to do even more damage.  Yes they have a tough schedule, but I still see them taking the AFC East again with the Pats in a wildcard spot.

In the North I am also going with the Ravens. I also think the South will be as Andrew predicted with the Titans winning and the Colts taking the second wildcard.

In the West the Raiders should storm it… only joking. Sadly I can see the Raiders taking the Lions’ place as also-rans this season, things seem far from settled in Oakland.  The Chargers should wrap the West up without too much trouble.

Andrew on Graham’s Predictions…
I think you’re letting your heart rule your head re: Miami and I think the Steelers won’t make the mistakes of a few years ago and will be in the post-season in some way.

I’m glad you’ve picked Atlanta though. I only just left them out

I have Dallas battling the Washington for 3rd place in the NFC East too, so I’m not sure about that. Otherwise it’s hard to argue with your picks. Like you said: I bet there are readers who could beat us. They should be writing these articles!

[table id=12 /]

In the QB battles…

Matthew Stafford struggled against Cleveland, being out-performed by Daunte Culpepper and also by Drew Stanton. On the other side of the field, Derek Anderson was given more attempts and moved the ball well but threw an interception. Brady Quinn only had a handful of attempts, so it’s hard to judge him.

So Culpepper moves in front in Detroit, but probably still too early to call in Cleveland yet.

The Indianapolis Colts did well against an under-strength Eagles. The question of how they’d adjust to the coaching changes seems to be being answered with “Just fine, thanks.”

Matt Cassel looked like a starter again against the Vikings, but most people were watching for another new QB: Brett Favre didn’t play much, but just seeing him in purple was strange. Tarvaris Jackson had a great game, and with rumours circulating that he could be released he reminded everyone out there that sometimes, he’s a decent option.

Elsewhere…

Miami looked good all around against the Carolina Panthers too. Our favourites Ronnie Brown and DeAngelo Williams both did well.

San Diego looked very good against the Cardinals, besting them on both sides of the ball. Of course it’s hard to read too much into these games, but our predictions looked true from this game. The same could apply to the Seahawks who also looked very nice against the Broncos. Kyle Orton looked better – a lot better – than he did last week. So did Jay Cutler in his Soldier Field debut.

The Redskins looked better, but still not great. The 17-13 win over the Steelers papers over the cracks a bit but still… no panic yet.

Chad Ochocinco is the star this week. The frankly bonkers receiver performed some kicking duties this week against the Patriots. He converted a PAT, and also kick-off that went at least a par distance. Watch it at nfl.com.

It’s great to see him enjoying himself.

Well, there have been a whole load of injuries… here are just some that could have wider impact.

Note that this update does not cover the four games that took place on the 13th August.

Rams’ wideout Donnie Avery is out for up to 6 weeks with a fracture in his foot. He’ll probably miss the games at the Seahawks and the Redskins. As their presumed #1 receiver, that could hurt them in a couple of difficult road games. The Rams beat the ‘Skins last year, largely on the back of thier mid-season coaching change. So I’m pleased to see them weakened even a little.

Steve Smith has a shoulder injury which will keep him out a little while. Bad news for the Panthers, who’ll be hoping it’s not too long. Another injured receiver is Antonio Bryant of the London-bound Bucs. He’s due to miss the whole of the pre-season, but hopes to be ready for week one. If he misses that game against the Eagles, then the week two divisional matchup with the Falcons is a good target.

Speaking of the Falcons… Roddy White is back and training after a short holdout for a new contract. And, oh my, he’s getting paid a fair whack to be Matt Ryan‘s main target. Even missing 8 days, you’d have to think he’ll be up to speed and raring to go.

Tarvaris Jackson is back with the Vikings after an injury forced him to sit out for a few days. That might affect his competition with Sage Rosenfels. I’ve also realised that I’ve been spelling his first name wrong for a while now… I think I’ve got it sorted now though.

Dallas Clark is still suffering with a concussion, so will rest up as needed in the pre-season. Expect to see him raring to go come the regular season. With him out and Marvin Harrison not about the Colts need a receiver to step up to support Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzales.

The Saints are looking to add a veteran linebacker or two: Derrick Brooks and Derek Smith both have work outs this week. Mark Simoneau is heading for surgery, so if one of them gets a spot they could be giving depth that he can’t anymore.

Texans’ rookie linebacker (and announced starter) Brian Cushing is also due to miss some games. Gary Kubiak has shown some skill with protecting rookie players and getting most out of them. We expect the same here.

There have been five pre-season games now, and a whole load more are happening this weekend. We’ll take another look at who’s doing well or got injured once those are out of the way.

We can’t vouch that these will be the best players in absolute terms, have the biggest fantasy football upside or even be any good (though they might be)… but they’re players that we like to watch.

First up is Steve Slaton of the Houston Texans.

Steve Slaton pretty much broke every record whilst at West Virginia, and made the decision to enter the NFL draft early – missing his senior year at college to do so. He then fell deep in the third round of the 2008 draft before being signed up by the Texans.

Steve Slaton cuts against the Lions.

By any standards this was a great year. He ended the season with over 1,200 rushing yards – 6th best in the NFL and the best rookie – and over 1,500 yards from scrimmage. He can consider himself very unlucky not to have been at the Pro Bowl.

But the main thing that stands out for him is how he comes across in interviews. This is a grounded young man: he’s thoughtful and respectful and knows what to say. I don’t use “young man” carelessly either. He won’t be 24 until the post-season of 2009, and is probably hoping to be involved in the post-season, rather than at home resting with his family.

Going into 2009 there is some expectation now. He’s bulked up a few pound to improve areas of his game and the team will look to use him across the board to open up the offense. Last season, he improved as the season went on and there’s no reason he can’t continue that into 2009.

So I wish him all the best for this coming season. I’ve said elsewhere that the Texans are a team that you really want to do well, and I’m hoping Steve Slaton is a part of that.

I’ve not made many adjustments to my predictions elsewhere so far. Let’s see if there’s any changes here.

There had been mumblings and grumblings earlier in the off-season coming from key players related to the coaching changes and everything that entails. Now though, it all seems well. Peyton Manning has commented on some changes, but in either a positive or pragmatic way. This is still a team to watch for now, though we all expect them to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

Marvin Harrison has gone, so Manning will be looking at Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzales to produce. Last week I rewatched the Chargers V Colts wildcard and Gonzales had a great game. If he can play like that even half the time then he’ll do well.

On the other side of the ball, the line looks great and we can expect them to play havoc. In fact all across the defense, it’s a good unit.

I’m not seeing much I like with the Jaguars. At Quarterback it’s David Garrard and/or bust – he needs to play well and stay healthy or we can all see 5-11 happening again. Even assuming he is healthy and productive, the receiving core could be as weak as any other in the league. Of course, it could be one of the best, but with so many rookies coming in they’re an unknown quantity.

Maurice Jones-Drew... short, not small.

Maurice Jones-Drew is a class act at running back, and he’ll be backed up – I suspect – by a strong showing from Rashad Jennings.

Defensively there was not a great showing last year. Not awful in terms of points allowed, but not doing enough across the board. There haven’t been huge changes in personnel, so they’ll be looking at new coordinator Mel Tucker to makes changes and get the best out of who they’ve got.

I still like the Titans for the division. Kerry Collins can lead the offense, and is backed up by a grumbling Vince Young. Chris Johnson is not lacking in confidence and LenDale has shed some weight so will be spelling CJ when he needs.
Nate Washington comes into the receivers and is an instant starter. He was a good option and deep threat in Pittsburgh, and is an upgrade to this team.

Of course they will miss Haynesworth in defense, but there is enough depth to be a productive unit without him stuffing the middle of the line (something I hope he’ll reproduce in Washington!) and they’re solid in the secondary though like with so many teams there are questions about the depth at several positions.

The Texans are the sort of plucky underdog that you can’t help but root for. But looking a little closer they have some great players that can really make a difference: Steve Slaton had a great season in 2008 and will be looking to build on that. Matt Schaub, when healthy, can be trusted to produce and Andre Johnson was a stud at WR and is always a threat (and a good Fantasy Football option too).

I like a lot of the defense, and it’s remained largely static – a couple of battles to watch during camp.

Last year, the Texans twice put up 27 points against the Colts and were particularly unlucky in week 5 when the Colts came back from 17 points down in the last quarter. In fact, being only 2-4 in division hurt their final standings despite what could be considered a relatively good season for the new kids. If they can start stronger than last year (0-4, including 3 losses in-division) then we might have to take notice.

I think I was a bit harsh on them in my First Look, though I did suggest they could pip the Colts to second. I’m going to stand by that for now.

Summary
I’m leaving this one the same for now. Come pre-season, when we get to see Manning and what the Colts are up to and I might reconsider the first two places. For now though, I’ll take consistency over change.

[table id=6 /]

The Indiana Colts didn’t have a bad season last year (their 12-4 record hadn’t been beaten in the division’s history) and although Darren Sproles sunk them in the playoffs, it was a close game that – as ever – came down to a few key plays and was finally decided in OT.
This year sees a number of coaching changes, notably Tony Dungy has stepped down, and there has been word from the camp that all is not well in terms of organisation and message. This is a team to watch this off-season.

The Jags went 2-8 across the last 10 weeks of the season well and truly burying the early season optimism that wins at Denver and Indianapolis had given them. However you cut it, this was a bad year.
The off-season has seen the departure of Fred Taylor (to the Patriots) after 10 years of injury-prone but good service. Maurice Jones-Drew is “the man” this year, a steady progression after seeing his carries increase in each of the last three years.
There’s a lot to find out here yet. The team stats from last season are decidely mid-table on both sides of the ball… they don’t seem to have any urgent needs, but simply need an extra 10% right across the park. That’s a tough ask, and one of the main reasons why I have them propping the table up again.

I wouldn’t say the Titans were a surpise last year, as they had built up nicely from the two previous seasons. The winning streak was a surprise though, and helped them coast into the playoffs. Chris Johnson was a brilliant draft pick, and stormed to nearly 1500 all-purpose yards. Like with Matt Ryan though, a sophomore slump can’t be ruled out.
As things stand at QB, Kerry Collins will start and even today Vince Young is grumbling. Keeping a lid on his discontent might take up more time than he’s worth. Even if he is seen as the future leader of the team (and that’s by no means certain at this point) Collins is a proven leader and winner. He deserves his spot for now.
Draft-wise, it was a case of supplementing the existing team – and their 12 picks were evenly spread across the team. This is a strong unit, and even with a Haynesworth-sized hole in the defence, I can’t look past them for the division.

The Houstons remain the poor relative in this division, with not a single playoff appearance since the team came into the league in 2002. There have been signs of progress though, with two consecutive 8-8 seasons combined with them sending 3 players to the Pro-Bowl lat year and had Steve Slaton unfortunate to miss out too.
I can’t see too much progress being made, and think between 7 and 9 wins this year again and no playoffs again.

So there we are… I think the final positions will be the same as last season, though I could see the Colts in 1st or 3rd as much as 2nd.
[table id=6 /]