Thursday, September 4th
CLICK HERE FOR FULL PREVIEW of Green Bay @ Seattle Seahawks, 8:30 PM ET
Sunday, September 7th
1:00 pm ET, Reliant Stadium (FOX)
Robert Griffin III‘s post-Shanahan tenure under center begins with a tough road trip to Houston. After a sophomore slump following a remarkable rookie season, Griffin will be eager to silence his critics and begin a bounceback campaign. With new boy in town DeSean Jackson to throw to and Pierre Garcon returning, he has no shortage of deep threats. Jackson was among the top 3 in the league last season in catches that went for 20+ yards and 40+ yards, and his presence should open the field up nicely for Griffin, especially with Alfred Morris pounding the ball on the ground, . The problem may be on the offensive line, which surrendered 43 sacks last season and saw ‘Skins QBs hit 96 times, a number which would have been higher if not for Griffin’s scrambling ability.
And should a team have problems maintaining the pocket and protecting the quarterback, the Texans with their bookends of J.J. Watt and JaDaveon Clowney are not the best opposition to face. Watt has not earned the nickname “J.J. Swat” for nothing, and while critics may point to his numbers dropping last season after a superlative 2012, it is worth pointing out that he spent most of 2013 facing double-teams. Opponents may still game-plan Watt that way, but that will only free up Clowney on the other side. Bad things tend to happen if Clowney has a clear route:
Offensively, the Texans are in a rebuilding phase with a new quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) under center, Arian Foster coming back after (another) injury-riddled season, and Andre Johnson proving to be a bit of a malcontent this offseason. DeAndre Hopkins is being tipped by many observers to have a breakout season, and Houston certainly has the weapons to test an average Washington defense, but questions remain as to whether the 2014 version of this offense can put the ineffectiveness of the 2013 edition behind them.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: DeSean Jackson, Alfred Morris, Houston defense, J.J. Watt, Arian Foster, DeAndre Hopkins
Sit ’em: Robert Griffin III, Ryan Fitzpatrick
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The Texans have the defense to win this game but not so sure about the offense. Luckily, the Redskins don’t have much to show off.
Redskins 17, Texans 20
1:00 pm ET, Arrowhead Stadium (CBS)
Life without Chris Johnson begins in earnest for the Titans this season, and in his place comes highly-touted rookie Bishop Sankey. For now, Shonn Greene has the ball and impressed in the preseason, with head coach Mike Munchak reportedly been pleased at Greene’s response to slim down and muscle up. With talented players at the wideout positions, and a backfield platoon that looks solid, the time is now more than ever for Jake Locker to really make this team his own. The biggest concern about this team remains their rushing defense, which surrendered over 110 yards per game last season, and is switching to a new base formation under a new defensive coordinator this season.
“A poor run defense? What’s that you say?” Yes, Jamaal Charles, the stage is set to start your 2014 season with a bang for the Chiefs. Getting off to a hot start was not a problem for this team last season, with a 9-0 start. The main concern will be addressing how they ended up losing 6 of the last 8 games they played, and the memory of the collapse after building a 4-TD lead over the Colts in the playoffs is surely lingering. While Charles remains one of the best RBs in the league, keep an eye on the Chiefs’ retooled offensive line, which lost 3 starters from last season to free agency. Charles still figures to be a huge part of their offense, as WR1 Dwayne Bowe sits this out. It will be interesting to see how QB Alex Smith, fresh off his contract extension and gaining rather audacious comparisons, adapts to a lack of reliable targets. Rookie TE Travis Kelce was very impressive in the preseason with a line of 11-193-2 in limited action. The Titans were vulnerable in the middle last season, and if Andy Reid rolls the dice with Kelce, there are big gains to be had.
Fantasy Notes
Start ’em: Jamaal Charles, Kendall Wright, Chiefs defense. Travis Kelce is a sleeper.
Sit ’em: Bishop Sankey, Jake Locker, Alex Smith, Tennessee defense.
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The Chiefs at Arrowhead. They have already proven that they can win while the Titans are still trying to figure themselves out. The Chiefs have a huge upper hand.
Titans 14, Chiefs 21
1:00 pm ET, Sun Life Stadium (CBS)
Like him or hate him, football fans should at least be able to respect what Tom Brady did last season. Between the departure of his favorite target, his stud TE battling injury, his second TE arrested, the curse of Danny Amendola, and a cast of unheralded WRs otherwise, he still managed to lead the team to a 12-4 season and make a run to the AFC Championship game. Things should be more settled on offense this season with Rob Gronkowski recovering in time for the season opener, Kenbrell Thompkins emerging as a deep threat, and Shane Vereen quietly turning into one of the best RBs in the league. Oh, and if all that fails, there’s 5′ 10″ Julian Edelman behind them all, with his astounding 105-catch season in 2013. There will be some concern on the offensive line, with the departure of Logan Mankins, and after last season, when Brady was hit and sacked more often than at any point of his career thus far, Bill Belichick will be eager to fix those cracks. There will be few who would doubt his ability to identify the personnel to do just that. Defensively, they have new signing Darelle Revis in the secondary, and Vince Wilfork and Jerod Mayo will be eager to come back strong after injury-riddled 2013s. Chandler Jones has the potential to emerge as a stud defensive lineman.
Things were not very sunny in Miami’s camp last season, with the Richie Incognito scandal, but with the lineman now gone incognito, the Dolphins are eager to put that affair behind them and press on. QB Ryan Tannehill, while not putting up flashy numbers, displayed good poise in the pocket last season, and with Mike Wallace, Charles Clay, and Brian Hartline at his disposal, he has plenty of pass-catching options. The addition of RB Knowshon Moreno, who enjoyed a resurgence last season in Denver, gives him another o, ption out of the backfield, but for now, Lamar Miller has been entrusted with the running duties. 2 of the Dolphins’ starting defensive unit have been suspended for PED violations, and their depth will be tested right out of the gate. There will be no complaints in Miami if they are able to repeat what happened in this home division matchup last season.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Tom Brady, Shane Vereen, Rob Gronkowski, Chandler Jones, New England D, Lamar Miller, Brian Hartline (PPR)
Sit ’em: Knowshon Moreno, Ryan Tannehill, Charles Clay, Aaron Dobson, Julian Edelman
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
I do like the changes and addition the Dolphins made but I like the ones the Pats made a bit more. Revis will make life easier for the New England offense.
Patriots 28, Dolphins 21
1:00 pm ET, MetLife Stadium (CBS)
The Derek Carr Experiment begins for Oakland, as the rookie will take his first snaps as an NFL quarterback in front of one of the more hostile crowds for visitors. Thankfully for the Raiders, the Jets have also struggled in recent seasons, and this may end up as a favorable matchup. In revamping the offense, Raiders head coach Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Greg Olson will be leaning on veterans James Jones and Maurice Jones-Drew to improve the fortunes of a unit that finished 23rd in total offense last season. With Jones on the other flank, Rod Streater, who quietly put in a 60-888-4 line last season as the only consistent receiving threat for Oakland, may see an improvement. Veteran faces will also be counted upon on the defensive side of the ball, as Charles Woodson, Justin Tuck, and Lamarr Woodley look to add teeth to a defense that was rather generous last season.
While the Jets had a similarly anemic season on offense last year, Geno Smith did improve steadily enough to lead them to a 3-1 finish, and he did enough to beat out veteran free agent signing Michael Vick for the starting job this season. The addition of red-zone threat Eric Decker is a significant upgrade for the Jets’ receiving corps. Another veteran RB, Chris Johnson, will be looking to kick-start his career after seeing his yardage and TD totals dip steadily from his 2,000-yard season of 2009. On defense, head coach Rex Ryan’s reputation as a defensive mastermind will be tested this season, with key players lost to free agency and injury affecting preparations for the season.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Johnson, Eric Decker (WR3/Flex), Geno Smith if your league starts 2 QBs
Sit ’em: Derek Carr, both defenses
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
A part of me wanted to say the Raiders would win this game with Derek Carr starting. But then I realized that it was an away game. Do expect it to be close, though.
Raiders 10, Jets 14
1:00 pm ET, Lincoln Financial Field
Despite Blake Bortles’ impressive preseason, Chad Henne will be starting under center for the Jaguars. Joining him in the backfield will be Toby Gerhart, who finally gets a chance to prove himself as an NFL starter after spending his career to date backing up Adrian Peterson in Minnesota. And then there’s really not much else to highlight on this roster……..
But in all seriousness, the current group of Jaguars at this current point of its history is a young roster that has yet to fully mature as NFL talents. When healthy, their WR corps of Justin Blackmon, Ace Sanders, Cecil Shorts III, Marqise Lee, and Allen Robinson has the potential to put up some remarkable numbers. The problem is that currently, only Shorts and Lee are healthy enough to start. In the meantime, Jags fans can fantasize about the future to come with this Bortles-Lee highlight:
“It’ll never work in the NFL,” they said about Chip Kelly’s high-octane offense that he employed to devastating effect at Oregon. Kelly, LeSean McCoy and Nick Foles were more than happy to prove the doubters wrong, leading the NFC in total offense by an average of almost 20 yards per game. DeSean Jackson‘s departure hurts the passing game, but the return of Jeremy Maclin will offset that loss somewhat. It would be a near-inhuman performance if Foles can maintain his 27:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season, and there will be a natural dropoff as opposing teams adapt to their uptempo style, but even then, the Eagles offense should still be soaring high this season. McCoy could run really wild against the Jaguars’ poor run defense. Oh, and then there’s the addition of all-purpose pocket wonder Darren Sproles as a new kink to the offense. Philly’s defense struggled at times last season, but with a whole season under defensive coordinator Bill Davis‘ belt now, they should be far more disciplined.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: LeSean McCoy, Nick Foles, Jeremy Maclin, Toby Gerhart, Cecil Shorts III (WR3/4)
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The Eagles will bring out their very dangerous two RB tandem of McCoy and Sproles. May the football Gods have mercy on the Jags.
Jaguars 13, Eagles 28
1:00 pm ET, Heinz Field (CBS)
While most casual fan’s eyes may be on a certain backup QB on the sidelines, fans in the know will recall that last season, Brian Hoyer was putting together a very solid run as starting QB for the Browns before having his season ended by injury. Fully recovered now, he will be looking to resume his emergence. The season-long suspension of All-World receiver Josh Gordon is a significant kink in those plans, and in his absence, TE Jordan Cameron becomes the go-to guy. Cameron was one of the most improved offensive players in the league last season, and sits just below Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski among the premier TEs in the league. Free agency pickup Ben Tate and rookie Terrance West should improve the run offense, which has struggled since now-departed Trent Richardson‘s rookie season. The Browns have one of the best defenses in the league, which may not make much sense for a team with such poor recent records, but even the best get fatigued, and without the offense consistently sustaining longer drives, they have been unable to stay fresh.
Head coach Mike Tomlin and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger know all too well how quickly time passes in the NFL, and after 2 straight seasons without a playoff appearance, there may be a sense of urgency in Pittsburgh this year. A collection of young, speedy receivers led by Antonio Brown and rookie Markus Wheaton are balanced out with the speed-power combination of Le’veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount in the backfield. Another rookie, Ryan Shazier, is being touted as the next great Pittsburgh defensive player, and he will step into a starting role.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Jordan Cameron, Antonio Brown, Le’veon Bell, both defenses
Sit ’em: Ben Tate, Brian Hoyer, Markus Wheaton
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
SPOILER ALERT! Something about marching into Pittsburgh on week 1 sounds like an upset waiting to happen. The Browns have the defense to stop Ben Roethlisberger and maybe even the offense. It will be a close one!
Browns 20, Steelers 17
1:00 pm ET, Edward Louis Dome
Going into this season, the Rams were being touted as a team ready to take the step to the next level thanks to a defense loaded with potential playmakers anchored by Chris Long and Robert Quinn and an offense with no real big names but several potential impact players nonetheless. The loss of Sam Bradford for the season has tempered those expectations, and it may be too much of a stretch to hope that Shaun Hill will be able to replicate his steady if unspectacular work as Matthew Stafford‘s backup in Detroit in 2010. Tavon Austin showed glimpses of his Percy Harvin-esque ability during his rookie last season, and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will do well to explore options for how best to utilize Austin. In the run game, Zac Stacy does his best impression of a bowling ball in racking up yards after contact, but that approach could jeopardize his chances at a healthy season.
Of all the QBs in the league on a short leash, Matt Cassel is on perhaps the shortest leash of all, with rookie Teddy Bridgewater waiting on the sidelines. Granted, the Vikings’ offense goes through Adrian Peterson first and foremost, and Peterson is definitely one of the best insurance policies a team could have for an uncertain QB situation. Cordarrelle Patterson looks poised to be a breakout WR this season, and veterans Greg Jennings and Kyle Rudolph are dependable safety valves. Speaking of safety valves, don’t look for their defensive unit to provide much of one, especially with veteran leader Jared Allen gone……….to a division rival, no less.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Adrian Peterson, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kyle Rudolph (TE2/Flex), St. Louis defense
Sit ’em: Shaun Hill, Minnesota defense
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
This one was a tougher one for me. If Sam Bradford were starting, I probably would have given this one to the Rams. But, that isn’t the case. The Rams also don’t have the defense to compete with this Vikings offense.
Vikings 21, Rams 17
1:00 pm ET, Soldier Field (FOX)
If you thought the Minnesota’s’ QB situation was up in the air, Buffalo’s is all the more so. E.J. Manuel has yet to repay the faith shown in him so far by the Bills, and the final days of the preseason saw both his backups cut, and journeyman Kyle Orton brought in. Big things are expected of Clemson alumnus C.J. Spiller and Sammy Watkins, but the latter is still battling health issues. Defensively, linebacker Brandon Spikes should help tighten up a defensive front that racked up a franchise-best number in sacks last season.
Marc Trestman’s debut season in the NFL was a mixed bag. Though the team failed to qualify for the playoffs, a better offensive line yielded positive results in a healthy Jay Cutler given time to the superb WR duo of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery, and Matt Forte set career bests in rushing and receiving yards, touchdown runs, and receptions. Ironically, for a team whose 2 Super Bowl appearances were defined by sterling defenses, it was their defense that let them down in 2013, as they ranked near the bottom in the league in all major categories.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson
Sit ’em: Both defenses, E.J. Manuel, Scott Chandler
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
I’ve always wanted to see the Bills do well but things don’t look to bright when they open up the season on an away game at Soldier Field. If Jay Cutler plays like the QB we all know he can be, then this game should be no problem.
Bills 13, Bears 24
1:00 pm ET, M&T Bank Stadium
Bengals QB Andy Dalton received a massive contract extension just weeks before the start of the season, and it is now up to him to repay the investment shown by the team’s front office. He will not lack for options, with A.J. Green and Gio Bernard lining up on the field with him, and Mohamed Sanu, Tyler Eifert, and Jeremy Hill all set to play a strong supporting role. Green and Bernard both possess the ability to make game-changing plays to determine the outcome, and Baltimore will have their hands full. On the other side of the ball, this is a defensive unit that tends to be underrated. Vontaze Burfict led the league in tackles last season, and will be looking to build on that effort. After 3 straight seasons of early playoff elimination, Cincy would like nothing better than to mark the beginning of the road to the 2014 playoffs with a division win on the road.
The Ravens were hit with several retirements and free agency departures last season, which helps to explain what turned out to be a season-long Super Bowl hangover. New offensive coordinator Mike Zimmer may do wonders to re-energize Joe Flacco, with an emphasis on a West Coast-style offense. Bernard Pierce will handle the run duties in Ray Rice‘s absence, and eventually, both will have to improve on a poor 2013 if Baltimore’s offense is going to go places. The arrival of Steve Smith provides Flacco with a superb veteran option to throw to, but Smith’s best asset may be to draw attention away from the Smith on the other flank: Torrey Smith, whose stock is rapidly rising among NFL WRs.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Andy Dalton, Gio Bernard, A.J. Green, Bernard Pierce, Torrey Smith, Cincinnati defense
Sit ’em: Baltimore defense, Steve Smith, Dennis Pitta, Joe Flacco
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
I predicted the Bengals to win the AFC North but I didn’t say that they would get out of the division unscathed. After a bad year, the Ravens look to open up strong at home.
Bengals 21, Ravens 24
1:00 pm ET, Georgia Dome (FOX)
Let’s get this out of the way immediately: there will be points put up in this game. Lots of them. The question is obviously who ends up with the most, and a safe bet is that the Saints will emerge victorious. If you’re going to be involved in a shootout, there aren’t many better gunslingers in the NFL than Drew Brees. The loss of Sproles and Lance Moore would hurt most offenses, but all they have done is reload, with first-round draft pick Brandin Cooks expected to make an immediate impact. In the running game, the double-headed monster of Pierre Thomas and Mark Ingram is often overlooked but highly productive. Oh, and there’s a TE named Jimmy Graham suiting up for them as well. With Rob Ryan at the helm, the defense showed a tremendous improvement last season, giving up a whopping 100+ yards less per game than they did in 2012. The signing of Jairus Byrd will strengthen the secondary.
And the secondary is where New Orleans will have to be at their best on defense, as the receiving tandem of Roddy White and Julio Jones will keep them busy, especially if Matt Ryan ends up having to play catch-up. The Falcons still rely on an aging Steven Jackson to lead their rushing attack, and their defense has not shown much sign of improvement nor have they made any moves to shore up that unit, which almost guarantees that Atlanta will be passing the ball early and often.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Drew Brees, Pierre Thomas, Jimmy Graham, Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White, New Orleans defense
Sit ’em: Atlanta defense, Steven Jackson, Harry Douglas
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The Falcons will not have another abysmal year. The team is too good to go through that again but the Saints feature a Rob Ryan defense that will keep Matt Ryan at bay. Saints winning the away game.
Saints 31, Falcons 20
4:25 pm ET, Raymond James Stadium (FOX)
“Dropoffs” may be a buzzword around Charlotte as the season begins, as in a dropoff in wins from 2013 with the stunning departure of essentially their entire WR corps, and more worrying for the immediate future, the dropoff from Cam Newton to his backup Derek Anderson. If Newton (a game-time decision at the time of writing) is unable to make the start, Carolina is in even more trouble than anticipated. Even if he starts, his trademark mobility will be affected. Having a healthy Jonathan Stewart never looked more important. Rookie Kelvin Benjamin was a well-packaged blend of physicality and WR talent in the preseason, and much is expected of him. The defensive secondary remains a point of concern, assuming opposing QBs are able to get the ball away or RBs are able to penetrate past arguably the best front seven in the league, led by Luke Kuechly.
Head coach Lovie Smith specializes in defense, and Tampa Bay should improve rapidly this season, as they had several pieces already in place, particularly in Lavonte David, Gerald McCoy, and Alterraun Verner. On the pass-catching front, they have a mix of the old (Vincent Jackson) and the new (Mike Evans) that will give opposing defenses plenty to think about. What might hold both of them back is whether or not Josh McCown can provide the consistency and accuracy they will need. Just as well that Doug Martin appears to be raring to go after a sophomore slump compounded by injury in 2013.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Kelvin Benjamin (PPR), Vincent Jackson, both defenses, Luke Kuechly, Jonathan Stewart, Lavonte David, Doug Martin
Sit ’em: Greg Olsen, Mike Evans, Josh McCown
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
I’m a little skeptical about the Panthers and how well they will do on offense. Then I saw Kelvin Benjamin. They’ll be just fine against the Bucs.
Panthers 24, Buccaneers 21
4:25 pm ET, AT&T Stadium
Though this has been a storied NFL rivalry with lots of history behind it, both teams have been going in distinctly different directions in recent years. The 49ers have made it to the NFC Championship game 3 years in a row and only narrowly lost in the 2013 Super Bowl, while the Cowboys have failed to make the playoffs in that same time span and continue to endure a title drought stretching back to 1996. The 49ers’ physically-imposing defensive unit, the foundation for this period of success, has been hit hard by injuries and suspensions, and on paper look to be a shadow of themselves this season. That puts the onus Colin Kaepernick on the opposite side of the ball, and he will be looking to favorite targets Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree to come through. Though he is now clearly in decline, Frank Gore will still provide good positive yardage.
Facing Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant, and Jason Witten will be a good test to begin gleaning whether or not San Francisco can cope with their defensive losses. This is a high-octane offense that has the capability of putting up a lot of points and in quick time. That may end up being a huge relief for Cowboys fans, as their defense – to put it mildly – is pretty abysmal. They surrended over 400 yards a game last season……….and they lost both their all-time sack leader and 2013 sack leader to free agency.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Colin Kaepernick, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Dez Bryant, Jason Witten, Dan Bailey, Phil Dawson
Sit ’em: Both defenses.
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The 49ers have gotten hit badly with suspensions. This leaves a gaping hole for Tony Romo and the Cowboys. It will all come down to the Cowboys’ defense.
49ers 20, Cowboys 27
8:30 pm ET, Mile High Stadium (NBC)
Is there really anything about Peyton Manning‘s excellence that has gone unsaid? The short answer is no, and it is perhaps more useful to look at the cast around him. Julius Thomas has moved up into the class of elite TEs in the league, Demaryius Thomas gets overlooked in favor of some other WRs already mentioned in this preview, but he is no less of a talent than any of them, Montee Ball will get his fair share of carries and yards and benefit from Manning’s tutelage…………and all this with Wes Welker sidelined for the first 4 games of the season. So we know about the offense: it’s on the defensive side that Denver has raised the most eyebrows this season. The additions of Aqib Talib, T. J. Ward, and DeMarcus Ware will solidify a unit to complement their teammates on the other side of the ball.
While Andrew Luck has a long way to go in making Colts fans forget about Manning, he has justified the hype surrounding him coming out of college. Free agent signing Hakeem Nicks should add some big-play ability to go with the established WR pairing of Reggie Wayne and T.Y. Hilton. It’s the running game that has question marks surrounding it for Indy, as on the one hand, you have injury-prone Ahmad Bradshaw, and on the other, you have the enigma that is Trent Richardson, whose subpar outings last season after being traded suggest that the Browns knew something everyone else didn’t when they agreed to trade away their best player at the time. This defense is quite literally average at best, finishing in the middle third of most major team defensive categories in 2013.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Peyton Manning, Montee Ball, Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, Andrew Luck, T.Y. Hilton
Sit ’em: Ahmad Bradshaw, Ronnie Hillman, Trent Richardson, Indianapolis defense
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The Colts may have beaten the Broncos last season but that was in Indy. This time, they will have to face the revamped Broncos defense in Denver. Peyton Manning, as always, will open up strong.
Colts 24, Broncos 35
Monday, September 8th
7:10 pm ET, Ford Field (ESPN)
The Giants were dealt a big blow to their preseason preparations when RB David Wilson was forced into early retirement. This has thrust Rashad Jennings into the starter’s role, and he will have to be at his best not just with the ball, but in pass protection as well, as the Lions have a fearsome defensive line. Though they started 0-6 last season, New York finished strong, and there is a feeling that once Eli Manning re-establishes rhythm and chemistry with Victor Cruz and Reuben Randle under their new offensive scheme following a coaching change, they will begin to show a marked improvement. In the meantime, that rhythm looked a little off in the preseason, and Tom Coughlin will have been busy ironing the kinks out. Free agency was good to their defense, and opposing QBs and WRs will find their secondary to be a tough nut to crack. If Jon Beason and Jason Pierre-Paul can regain their form of old, this could be a strong defensive lineup.
He may not have the Super Bowl rings or even playoff wins, but one thing Matthew Stafford does is put up numbers. Big ones. Having a talent like Calvin Johnson around to snag the majority of his passes helps, but Stafford completed passes to 14 different players last season – 1 more than Brees, who is known to spread the ball around. New head coach Jim Caldwell tends to favor offense, so there should be no issue of Stafford and Johnson experiencing much dropoff, especially with the addition of Golden Tate to open things up. The backfield of Reggie Bush and Joique Bell is a formidable duo, and this might spell trouble for New York’s line. If he can stay on the right side of the rules – no small issue here – Ndamukong Suh has the ability to become one of the best defensive linemen in the league. His lack of mental focus, an issue that plagued Detroit’s defense as a whole last season and led to silly mistakes, should have been one of Caldwell’s priorities in addressing.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Reggie Bush, Joique Bell, Rashad Jennings, Detroit defense
Sit ’em: Eli Manning, Victor Cruz
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
The Giants won all of their preseason games but Eli Manning has been shaky. In order to have success, Manning has to be clicking. Since I don’t see that happening, I’ll take Matthew Stafford.
Giants 17, Lions 27
10:20 pm ET, U. of Phoenix Stadium
Just when Arizona looked poised to play the role of playoff dark horse, word emerged from their camp this morning that RB Andre Ellington has suffered a foot injury, leaving his status uncertain/doubtful for the season opener and then some. This would be a huge loss for them, as Ellington’s emergence last season as a legitimate rushing threat helped keep opposing defenses honest and bought Carson Palmer enough time to deliver the ball to the likes of Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd. The quiet addition of Ted Ginn to the receiving mix should open things up even more for the aforementioned receivers. What Palmer in turn will have to do is cut down on turnovers. It’s one thing to be a 4,200+ yard passer as he was last season, and another to also throw 22 interceptions in the process. Even with the suspension of star linebacker Daryl Washington for the season and losing Darnell Dockett to injury, the Cards’ defense is still in very good shape, and will be in the mix among the tops in the league.
As good as they are, they will face a tough opening test when Philip Rivers and co. come to town. Rivers was simply one of the best QBs in the league last season, and between his form, the rookie talent of WR Keenan Allen, and the maturing of Ryan Mathews into an RB threat, San Diego has plenty of offensive firepower. And all that is before talking about the TE duo of the evergreen Antonio Gates and the emerging Ladarius Green. No shortage of options at all on offense. They were poor on the defensive end last year, but with Dwight Freeney healthy and Brandon Flowers signing on, they should show improvement this season.
Fantasy Notes:
Start ’em: Philip Rivers, Carson Palmer, Keenan Allen, Ryan Mathews, Nick Novak, Larry Fitzgerald, Stepfan Taylor (if Ellington inactive)
Sit ’em: Ladarius Green, Michael Floyd, Malcom Floyd
Xandro’s Fearless Prediction:
If the Chargers want to show they are serious, this game will tell us. The Cardinals have a premier defense and the Chargers carry a top-5 offense. It will come down to the improved Chargers defense.
Chargers 28, Cardinals 24