Cold Hard Football Facts Complete Division Previews

AFC East by Kennedy Ross
AFC North by Stephen Stone
AFC South by Steve Shackelford
AFC West by Nate Winkler
NFC East by Justin Henry
NFC North by Tom Pollin
NFC South by Erik Sabol
NFC West by Brandon Burnett

Chris Johnson Had Better Be CJ2K12

Trying to erase the horridness of CJ2K11

A colossal $53.5M over four years, with $30M guaranteed. That’s what Chris Johnson held out for last summer, not reporting to the Tennessee Titans until September 1, just ten days before opening Sunday.
 
After three spectacular years as Tennessee’s running back (and one pantheon year in 2009, where he rushed for 2,006 yards), one could argue that Johnson was worth every penny.

Despite regressing in 2010 to 1,364 yards, still good for fourth best in the league, Tennessee was right to lock down their three-time Pro Bowler to such a lucrative deal.
 
But was Johnson right to hold out for as long as he did?
 
Tennessee as a team in 2011 fell one game short of the playoffs. As a team, the Titans went 9-7 behind a decent year from Matt Hasselbeck, improved offensive line play (second in sacks allowed), and a defense that bent, but didn’t break, ranking eighth in points allowed.

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Eagles Studs and Duds (Preseason Week 1 Edition)

Cue the "We Want Foles!" chants

STUDS: Phillip Hunt/Brandon Graham/Vinny Curry/Darryl Tapp (DE)
Between the quartet of ends not named Jason Babin or Trent Cole, there were 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble (at the hands of Hunt). That’s not even counting the amount of times Ben Roethlisberger and Byron Leftwich were flushed out of the pocket with the onslaught coming.

Most impressive of the quartet was Hunt, whose two sacks came when he blew past a graying Flozell Adams, one of which he was clearly being held.

With two sacks in the nine games he played for the Eagles last season, the former CFL player figures to be a big part of Jim Washburn’s heavy rotation at end.

And speaking of that rotation, when Cole and Babin get healthy, one can imagine just how frightening the outside attack is going to be.

DUD: The third down defense
In the first half, Pittsburgh was 4 for 7 on third down. Of the four converted plays, one was an unnecessary personal foul by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie on third and sixteen. The other three plays, with a total of 27 yards were needed to convert, Pittsburgh would gain 38 total yards on a dump off to David Johnson, a deep throw to Emmanuel Sanders, and middle run by Chris Rainey.

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Kevin Kolb Still The Best Of a Pathetic 2007 QB Class

Kevin Kolb: Summer School Valedictorian

Perhaps too much is being made of Kevin Kolb’s lack of fist-bump-response toward teammate John Skelton on Sunday night.

In the moment, Kolb was riddled the double whammy of a contused rib and a lackluster performance.

I think most perfectionist professionals would have been reluctant to exchange bro-tastic salutations in that scenario.
 
And just because Kolb has been less than perfect as a pro doesn’t mean he isn’t a perfectionist.

He would love to make good on his No. 36 selection in the 2007 NFL Draft, but his road to success has been wrought with roadblocks and potholes aplenty.
 
First, he had to wait his turn behind Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia. That entailed all of two starts out of a possible 48 games from 2007-09, before the Eagles traded McNabb to Washington on Easter Sunday 2010.
 
Then Kolb got the keys to the Philly car, only to have a fender bender on day one. The Michael Vick Redemption Saga took over from there, and Kolb only played again when Vick was hurt.

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Philadelphia Eagles: Best/Worst Case Scenario

Will Asomugha bounce back in 2012?

NOTE: In writing this piece, I thought about incorporating the possible mindset of head coach Andy Reid throughout the season as a possible “worst case scenario”, given the likelihood of prolonged grief over the loss of his son, Garrett. However, I decided this would be unfair and, in a number of ways, cruel of me to speculate upon.

So, other than this space here, there will no further comment on Garrett Reid, or how his passing may affect the team going forward. Instead, as an Eagles fan, I choose to just offer my condolences to both the Reid family and those who knew Garrett well.

QUARTERBACKS

Best Case Scenario: Michael Vick displays the patience, pocket presence, and intimidation factor that reconciles a return to his 2010 comeback season.

Keeping turnovers to a minimum, while serving as master and commander of a multi-faceted offense, Vick wins more often than not, mixing crisp passing with the kind of push-button scrambling that frustrates defenses. With an offensive line that is mostly experienced together, Vick uses that protection advantageously to enhance his performance.

Worst Case Scenario: Vick is either heavy on turnovers, or prone to injury by not protecting himself (either scrambling, or waiting too long to throw). Mike Kafka and/or Nick Foles will have their inexperienced exposed with too many mistakes in Vick’s absence, coughing up games that could have otherwise been won.

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Madden Video Game: All-Time Best Features

*sigh* Sundays aren't the same without them

In less than four weeks time, Madden NFL, the highest-grossing franchise of sports video games will be spawning their latest offering upon an eager game-geek world.

Madden 13, the twenty-fifth incarnation of football game bearing the likeness of the portly coach-turned-announcer John Madden, will hit shelves on August 28. With Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson serving as the cover model, this year’s game will feature some intriguing options, such as a more intuitive passing game, more realistic audio, smarter AI, and, *ahem*, ‘Tebowing’.

The release will be commemorated with throngs of young men, and some women, standing outside their GameStops and other retailers in anticipation of the midnight release. Public tournaments will be held, and workplace productivity will decline sharply as week drags to its end.

You’d have to expect this level of devotion for a game from people perfectly willing to vote in a month-long, 32-man tournament to determine what player will grace the cover, and subsequently fall victim to the fabled “Madden Curse.”

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Braylon Edwards Better Not Blow This Opportunity

The vultures may be circling the new Seahawk

On Christmas Eve 2011, Braylon Edwards and his 49ers teammates went into Seattle and held off the Seahawks, improving their record to 12-3, and enhancing their odds at getting a first round playoff bye.
 
Three days after the game, in which he had one catch for nine yards in the second quarter, Edwards was cut by the 49ers.
 
It was a meek end to an equally meek run for one of the NFL’s resident bad boys. Having only 15 catches for 181 yards and no touchdowns in the nine games he managed to play,

Edwards was deemed expendable on the verge of the 49ers’ first playoff run in nearly a decade.

Curiously, the day he was cut, fellow receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Kyle Williams were battling injuries. That left Michael Crabtree as the only healthy receiver of note. 
 
That San Francisco nearly made it to the Super Bowl without him, their run ended by special teams miscues and not his absence, should speak to the diminished value that Edwards has today.
 
Edwards, for those that have forgotten, was the No. 3 overall pick by Cleveland in the 2005 NFL Draft.


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