My surprise team of 2012 (1 Viewer)

[Carter_Can_Fly]

I think Miami Dolphins are being over looked by too many people.

This is a team that had an awful start last year but finished very strong. They also seem to be a team that many people are/were laughing at but I think they could surprise a lot of people.

They have made some moves the last couple years that I think help this team out. Biggest move was getting Wake signed and locked up for the now and future. He is an absolute beast. I think he is a top 5 pass rusher in the NFL and he is moving back to DE his natural position as opposed to OLB.

They also got Garrard for dirt cheap and I think he is a more consistent QB than Moore. I think Garrard will end up being the stop gap before Tannehill gets his shot in time.

Say what you will about Chad Johnson, but he will actually play a role this year as he trys to prove he still has some game left. He is done being an elite player, but will find ways to make plays this year and offer some value to Miami.

Lamar Miller will offer some versatility to this team with his play making ability and Bush proved he can play well with a more heavy part of an offense.

Now, I don't think they are SB bound, but this is a team that can finish 9 and 7 or even 10 and 6 and find their way into the playoffs.

They started so slow last year, but they were a very competitive 0 and 7 team if that makes sense.

They then finished off the year strong winning 6 of their last 9 games with some better qb play out of Moore (still not great play though). I think if Garrard wins out which I think he will he even offers more consistent play than Moore gave them last year to finisih off the season so strong.

Their only 3 loses in their last 9 games were losing to NE by 3 points, losing to Dallas by 1 point and their only crappy game in the second half of the season was a 16 point loss to Philly.

This is a team that took on Hard Knocks as the GM wants to claw his way out of being seen as a joke and I think they are actually on their way too surprising some people.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

last year is great, and all that, but don't they have a new qb, new coaching staff, new scheme on both sides, and lost their best receiver and starting ss?

 

[Dragon1952]

Be lucky to win 6 games.

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

last year is great, and all that, but don't they have a new qb, new coaching staff, new scheme on both sides, and lost their best receiver and starting ss?

Yes, this is all true. I do think they actually have some talent on both sides of the ball. They are a very unsexy team. They were 7 and 9 the previous two years (2009/2010), before going 6 and 10 last year. It was apparent they were not taking the next step after having an 11 and 5 record in 2008. They had plateaued to a team that was just below average. I think this is why a fresh start was definitely in order. They made a great hire with Philbin as their head coach. His last 5 years as offensive coordinator for Green Bay obviously speak for themself. He won't rush Tannehill out there as he saw first hand how Rodgers succeeded with proper time. I have no doubt that he will bring life to that offense in Miami. He also had great success in college in his various roles as line coach and coordinator. He will be eager to prove that he can be a good head coach in the NFL.GM Ireland has something to prove and getting guys who are eager to prove people wrong like Bush last year, Chad Johnson, and Garrard this year make for an interesting team.I am not saying they are a lock to make the playoffs at all, but it would not surprise me.

 

[jurb26]

I am not saying they are a lock to make the playoffs at all, but it would not surprise me.

I'd be pretty surprised if they made the playoffs given their division.NE should certainly be better than Mia. Buf is a very improved team as well and will likely be better, too. The NYJ, I haven't a clue on that team. I think they are in for a sharp decline, but you never know.

 

[The Ref]

I could see them backdooring into a wildcard spot with a 9-7 record. The D ain't bad and the o-line is OK. I'd say the bills have a better shot at a wc spot then the phins.

 

[Touchdown There]

Going to watch Hard Knocks before making a call here. They could be decent.

 

[ldizzle]

In todays league, who are they gonna pass to again?

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

As far as I'm concerned, the Dolphins are on the clock. 3 wins tops.

 

[H8tank]

In todays league, who are they gonna pass to again?

Bigger question, who is going to throw it?Garrard missed an entire year because of back issues, he is a backup now. Moore? A rookie?This team has 3-4 wins and with what they have will be considered a good year.

 

[jurrassic]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

 

[PlasmaDogPlasma]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I think enough people think Oakland is capable that they wouldn't really be a big surprise.

 

[Chazzhawk]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.

AFC East

Patroits 12 - 4

Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffs

Bills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the end

Jets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseason

AFC South

Texans 12 - 4

Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple games

Colts 6 - 10

Jaguars 3 - 13

AFC North

Ravens 13 - 3

Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the season

Bengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as good

Browns 5 - 11

AFC West

Broncos 10 - 6

Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spot

Raiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.

Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

 

[FUBAR]

My bet is Buffalo winning the division.

 

[ponchsox]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.AFC EastPatroits 12 - 4Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffsBills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the endJets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseasonAFC SouthTexans 12 - 4Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple gamesColts 6 - 10Jaguars 3 - 13AFC NorthRavens 13 - 3Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the seasonBengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as goodBrowns 5 - 11AFC WestBroncos 10 - 6Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spotRaiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

Have you seen the Patriots schedule? No way they lose 4 games this year.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.AFC EastPatroits 12 - 4Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffsBills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the endJets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseasonAFC SouthTexans 12 - 4Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple gamesColts 6 - 10Jaguars 3 - 13AFC NorthRavens 13 - 3Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the seasonBengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as goodBrowns 5 - 11AFC WestBroncos 10 - 6Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spotRaiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

Have you seen the Patriots schedule? No way they lose 4 games this year.

BUFFALO BEAT THEM LAST YEAR, AND CLE THE YEAR BEFORE, i BELIEVE.####capsoff

 

[Tau837]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

 

[jurb26]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

I think it will be a tough division and the winner will not be decided until week 16 or 17. Den, now has Manning and won it last year.Oak, Palmer gets a year to become comfortable and if McFaddeb stays healthy all year, watch out.SD, seems Rivers had an off year and was out of character. By him playing to form hey could win it.KC, this is my pik to win it and sleeper team for 2012. They lost their 3 best players last year and were still ompetitive. Now healthy and presumably better this is a dangerous team. I think their D is on the cusp of being elite.

 

[Sweet Love]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.AFC EastPatroits 12 - 4Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffsBills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the endJets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseasonAFC SouthTexans 12 - 4Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple gamesColts 6 - 10Jaguars 3 - 13AFC NorthRavens 13 - 3Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the seasonBengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as goodBrowns 5 - 11AFC WestBroncos 10 - 6Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spotRaiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

I could be mistaken, but I believe Miami has only swept the Jets once since Marino retired (maybe 2009?). I just think that rivalry is too tight for them to win two, when the Jets have a deep QB squad (i.e. not the end of the world if Sanchez or Tebow go down). I also think it is a lot to ask a team to sweep their old coach...he knows them very well, and while there may be "play" surprises, he knows the personnel cold.

 

[Chazzhawk]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

I don't believe in San Diego because of their coaches. They are far too talented to be going 8 - 8 every year. One year they had the number 1 defense and offense in the league, and they missed the playoffs, how the hell does that happen? The year they did go like 13 - 3 they were bounced in their first playoff game. Get Norv and A.J. Smith out of there, they let Brees go, they wasted L.T.'s entire career, Gates is on the way out and Rivers is about halfway through.

 

[Chazzhawk]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.AFC EastPatroits 12 - 4Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffsBills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the endJets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseasonAFC SouthTexans 12 - 4Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple gamesColts 6 - 10Jaguars 3 - 13AFC NorthRavens 13 - 3Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the seasonBengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as goodBrowns 5 - 11AFC WestBroncos 10 - 6Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spotRaiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

I could be mistaken, but I believe Miami has only swept the Jets once since Marino retired (maybe 2009?). I just think that rivalry is too tight for them to win two, when the Jets have a deep QB squad (i.e. not the end of the world if Sanchez or Tebow go down). I also think it is a lot to ask a team to sweep their old coach...he knows them very well, and while there may be "play" surprises, he knows the personnel cold.

I don't think they will either, but this is about the perfect scenario for them. You could swap out the Steelers for the Chargers or whatever. I think they are a long shot but so where the Bengals last year and everything went right for them.

 

[FF Ninja]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

I think it will be a tough division and the winner will not be decided until week 16 or 17. Den, now has Manning and won it last year.Oak, Palmer gets a year to become comfortable and if McFaddeb stays healthy all year, watch out.SD, seems Rivers had an off year and was out of character. By him playing to form hey could win it.KC, this is my pik to win it and sleeper team for 2012. They lost their 3 best players last year and were still ompetitive. Now healthy and presumably better this is a dangerous team. I think their D is on the cusp of being elite.

Yeah, this division is a dead heat. I can't really give an edge to any of them.I really can't fathom Miami finishing #2 in their division. I think BUF will be for real this year and can't see a real reason for the Jets to fall off. Making the OP indeed a very bold prediction.

 

[acme]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.AFC EastPatroits 12 - 4Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffsBills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the endJets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseasonAFC SouthTexans 12 - 4Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple gamesColts 6 - 10Jaguars 3 - 13AFC NorthRavens 13 - 3Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the seasonBengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as goodBrowns 5 - 11AFC WestBroncos 10 - 6Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spotRaiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

like your break-down... care to analyze the NFC in similar fashion?

 

[Chazzhawk]

Sure I will give it a shot:

NFC East

Eagles 11 - 5 Major rebound year, them and the Packers in NFC title game.

Giants 10 - 6 Semi superbowl hangover they do just enough to get in

Cowboys 8 - 8 Romo gets hurt, and this division is too good

Redskins 3 - 13

NFC North

Packers 13 - 3

Bears 10 - 6 Cutler and Forte stay healthy, Marshall is on his best behavior most of the year and balances out the offense

Lions 8 - 8 Horrible defense and only made the playoffs because of injuries to the Bears last season,

Vikings 2 - 14

NFC South

Falcons 12 - 4

Panthers 9 - 7 Improved defense, Cam Newton continues good play and J. Stew and D Williams find that magic from a couple years ago.

Saints 8 - 8 Payton out for the year and the defense is still bad, all the drama give the Saints a season to forget

Bucs 5 - 11

NFC West

Cardinals 9 - 7 they looked really good at the end of the year, I think one of the quarterbacks plays like Alex Smith did last year

49ers 8 - 8 I think Alex Smith is a one year wonder, and quarterback play keeps this team from winning the division

Seahawks 7 - 9 Lynch's suspension and Carroll tries to be the smartest guy in the room and has Jackson start a couple games.

Rams 4 - 12

 

[Ghost Rider]

I don't believe in San Diego because of their coaches. They are far too talented to be going 8 - 8 every year. One year they had the number 1 defense and offense in the league, and they missed the playoffs, how the hell does that happen? The year they did go like 13 - 3 they were bounced in their first playoff game. Get Norv and A.J. Smith out of there, they let Brees go, they wasted L.T.'s entire career, Gates is on the way out and Rivers is about halfway through.

However, the Broncos schedule is murder, so with Manning, they could be vastly improved and still not improve their record by much, so the Chargers could always sneak up and steal the division from them, but they could easily continue to underachieve under Norv. That aside, as a Broncos fan, they are still the team that scares me the most, simply because they have significantly better QB play than the Chiefs and Raiders do.

 

[biju]

Sure I will give it a shot:NFC WestCardinals 9 - 7 they looked really good at the end of the year, I think one of the quarterbacks plays like Alex Smith did last year49ers 8 - 8 I think Alex Smith is a one year wonder, and quarterback play keeps this team from winning the divisionSeahawks 7 - 9 Lynch's suspension and Carroll tries to be the smartest guy in the room and has Jackson start a couple games.Rams 4 - 12

I think too many people are reading too much into this QB competition in Seattle. It's Flynn's job to lose--it's just tough for Carroll to preach competition and then anoint a newcomer without any competition. Also, Lynch isn't going to be suspended, or at the very least there isn't precedence to do so for first time offenders of substance abuse. Plus, in going to trial Lynch isn't going to have an outcome because 2013.I don't think the 49ers are going to regress that much. I have them pegged for more of a 10-6 record. I do think the Cardinals are a touch overrated on these boards for some reason. But I do see all three of those teams in the 8-8 to 10-6 range. I have the Seahawks at 9-7 this year, just missing the wildcard but clearly showing they are a team on the rise.

 

[Kool-Aid Larry]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

I don't believe in San Diego because of their coaches. They are far too talented to be going 8 - 8 every year. One year they had the number 1 defense and offense in the league, and they missed the playoffs, how the hell does that happen? The year they did go like 13 - 3 they were bounced in their first playoff game. Get Norv and A.J. Smith out of there, they let Brees go, they wasted L.T.'s entire career, Gates is on the way out and Rivers is about halfway through.

yeah....having the best offense and defense in the league sounds like ok coaching...

and you also say "they are far too talented, etc", but want to get rid of aj smith.

where does the talent come from?

 

[Chazzhawk]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

I don't believe in San Diego because of their coaches. They are far too talented to be going 8 - 8 every year. One year they had the number 1 defense and offense in the league, and they missed the playoffs, how the hell does that happen? The year they did go like 13 - 3 they were bounced in their first playoff game. Get Norv and A.J. Smith out of there, they let Brees go, they wasted L.T.'s entire career, Gates is on the way out and Rivers is about halfway through.

yeah....having the best offense and defense in the league sounds like ok coaching...

and you also say "they are far too talented, etc", but want to get rid of aj smith.

where does the talent come from?

If you have the number 1 offense and defense it sounds like the players are doing something right on the field and the coaching staff is getting in the way. All you have to do is look at Turners career and you can tell he isn't a good coach.Letting Brees go was stupid, the way they handled the Vincent Jackson contracts was stupid. I am too tired to look up the rest of his moves but I would think the scouts have more to do with the drafting than he does. I will give him credit for drafting Manning still and getting a ton from the Giants in the trade.

 

[Tau837]

I'd much rather throw my chips in on the Oakland Raiders. They are in a bad division, have Palmer all year, McFadden is healthy (for now), Moore is coming on, the defense is decent, good special teams, bad division, new culture. All of the hype is on Denver but Oakland could be pretty good

I don't think the division is so bad that you should mention that twice... literally any team in the division could win it. And with the strength of the AFC North and to a lesser degree the AFC East, it seems unlikely an AFC West team will make it as a wild card.IMO Denver is overrated. I think San Diego will win the division.

I don't believe in San Diego because of their coaches. They are far too talented to be going 8 - 8 every year. One year they had the number 1 defense and offense in the league, and they missed the playoffs, how the hell does that happen? The year they did go like 13 - 3 they were bounced in their first playoff game. Get Norv and A.J. Smith out of there, they let Brees go, they wasted L.T.'s entire career, Gates is on the way out and Rivers is about halfway through.

yeah....having the best offense and defense in the league sounds like ok coaching...

and you also say "they are far too talented, etc", but want to get rid of aj smith.

where does the talent come from?

If you have the number 1 offense and defense it sounds like the players are doing something right on the field and the coaching staff is getting in the way. All you have to do is look at Turners career and you can tell he isn't a good coach.Letting Brees go was stupid, the way they handled the Vincent Jackson contracts was stupid. I am too tired to look up the rest of his moves but I would think the scouts have more to do with the drafting than he does. I will give him credit for drafting Manning still and getting a ton from the Giants in the trade.

They had the #1 offense and defense but the league worst special teams.Letting Brees go was the right move at the time. If you dispute that, you don't understand the situation. It has been covered extensively in other threads in the past.

I agree Smith handled the VJax situation poorly.

 

[netnalp]

Their prospects for this season are bad, even worse if they go with the rookie QB. He's missed too much time.

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

This was posted today.......

http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/08/02/camp-tour-2012-davie/

Stop No. 8 – Davie, Florida; Dolphins Camp

Miles Travelled to Date: 14,062

Dolphins’ camp starts early, to avoid the worst of the South Florida heat, so the only way to make it in time for the 8 am start was to take the Tuesday “red-eye” out of San Francisco. This meant that on our arrival in Miami, even a taxi driver who knew less about the local geography than Peter King, and who insisted on ignoring even the most basic of instructions, couldn’t sabotage our punctuality. We arrived at the Dolphins year-round facility in Davie with time in hand to meet friendly media czar Harvey Greene for a chat before proceedings began in temperatures that still ran into the mid 90’s, despite the hour.

Key Topics

1) Competition Closed

If I was the Dolphins I’d call the quarterback competition now. On the basis of this practice (and the local reporters tell me he was ahead anyway) it’s not even close between my winner, David Garrard and Matt Moore. At the moment both players are alternating repetitions or series with the starters, and with this being Garrard’s first year in Miami, that’s not helpful given the disparity in performance.

While Moore threw behind his targets on slants, forced throws into coverage deep and was intercepted on multiple occasions, Garrard looked commanding and grew in stature as the practice went on; finishing with a picture perfect deep throw down the right sideline to Roberto Wallace for a touchdown despite good coverage. Overall he was precise, moved about confidently in and out of the pocket and threw with both velocity and touch. He did make a few forced throws which were knocked down by the Dolphins defense (that did as good a job of underneath coverage as I’ve seen outside of the 49ers) but these were the exceptions and none looked in imminent danger of being intercepted.

As for first-rounder Ryan Tannehill, he was playing with and against the seconds for the majority of the time and it’s obvious that Miami has no plans, beyond education, for him this year. He looked solid (and in my opinion better than Moore) but I was informed this was often the case until he gets put in against the firsts, and then things usually went downhill quickly.

2) Changes for Wake

As most people know, the Dolphins will be moving to a 4-3 defense this year with Cameron Wake putting his hand down and playing defensive end full-time. However, if people think that he plays a lot with his hand down anyways, and this isn’t significant, they’d be wrong.

Last year, Wake rushed almost exclusively from the left side of the line — about 87.5 % of the time. When I talked to him after practice, while he didn’t exactly give me any percentages, he did indicate he’d be used more in targeting the weaknesses of opponents and so be moved from side to side more frequently. He also said that while previously, at linebacker, he’s been the outside guy on nearly every play, now he’ll often have the SAM outside him and he’ll be dealing with inside traffic far more frequently. In preparation for this he’s worked diligently in the offseason to bulk up. The result? He’s added 10 lbs of muscle and looked in superb condition.

I expect the upshot may be less overall pressure for him, but that his presence will open up more opportunities for others behind him. Look for lots of blitzes from Karlos Dansby and Kevin Burnett and more production from Koa Misi as a result. Keep an eye on where Wake lines up too, as it’ll be one of the most interesting defensive indicators of the coming year.

3) Receiving Options

As potential starter Brian Hartline, and last year’s 4th rounder Clyde Gates worked off to the side due to injuries, the rest of the receiving core showed their wares with varying degrees of competence. Chad Johnson did nothing wrong, but he didn’t show much either. As is often the case, he saved his best work for the press conference when he told his audience that if this didn’t work out, and he still had to support his family, he’d look to porn films. When questioned about his plans for a day off, he said he wasn’t sure, but whatever he chose to do, he’d be open.

Far more important from the Dolphins standpoint were the displays of Roberto Wallace (with two big-time grabs), Davone Bess (who’s been the receiving star of camp to date) and Legedu Naanee (before a minor injury put him on the sidelines).

Much less pleasing was the performance of Charles Clay who the Dolphins are looking to in 12 personnel as their receiving tight end. He dropped three passes that I saw, two of which were of the ridiculously easy variety.

Other Notes

Jake Long is fully healthy according to the Dolphins and Cameron Wake, who told me how much he enjoyed going against him in practice each day.

While the Dolphins may have picked up Eric Steinbach and penciled him in as a potential starter at RG, Artis Hicks is currently fulfilling that role. Steinbach is running with the seconds and regular PFF readers may remember that in 2010 we weren’t fans; he earned a -12.0 rating before missing all of 2011 with a back injury.

Safety is the key training camp battle. I asked three people who they thought would start and each had a different starting combination. It’s obvious the Dolphins are similarly open. It was almost impossible to tell from the combinations that were used who was favored.

Remaining stops on this first leg of the Camp Tour:

Buccaneers (Tampa Bay)

Jaguars (Jacksonville)

Falcons (Flowery Branch)

 

[Tanner9919]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.

AFC East

Patroits 12 - 4

Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffs

Bills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the end

Jets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseason

AFC South

Texans 12 - 4

Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple games

Colts 6 - 10

Jaguars 3 - 13

AFC North

Ravens 13 - 3

Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the season

Bengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as good

Browns 5 - 11

AFC West

Broncos 10 - 6

Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spot

Raiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.

Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

Have you seen the Patriots schedule? No way they lose 4 games this year.

you're right, they'll lose upwards of 7 games this year.. lets look at the Pats schedule:

week 1, @Ten..- Tenn has a Tough defense, and they'll get after Brady.. the Achilles' heel of the Patriots defense is that they're not great against the run..Hightower is going to help,sure,but CJ2k has a lot to prove and should start the year with a bang against NE...

week 2 @Az, just *might* be a loss..Az is a team on the rise, has plenty of firepower on offense and defense..but I'll give NE a win here..

week 3 @Balt.- Ravens blow Pats out of the water, ala 2009 playoffs..make up game for Lee Evans' dropped TD in AFC Championship game.. tell me the Ravens aren't just burning inside to play the Patriots again..

week 4 - lose to Bills in Buffalo. Bills are likely to split games with NE this year..

week 5 - Denver - Brady v. Manning yet again...but Brady wins.

week 6 - @ Seattle - win for NE

week 7 - Jets - same as Bills, Jets will split with NE..I'll give this one to Jets..

week 8 - Rams.win.

bye week 9

week 10 - Bills.win

week 11 - Colts.win

week 12 - @Jets.win.

week 13. - @Miami.loss

week 14. - Houston.loss.

week 15. - Niners.loss.

week 16 - @Jags.win

week 17 - Miami.

thats give me 9-7 for NE, wildcard with a shot at winning the division..not sure how you view their schedule as easy.they play the toughest schedule for a QB and the one of the toughest fantasy playoff schedules for both a RB and a QB..good luck against Houston and SF..don't discount Miami's up-n-coming defense, and of course the Bills and Jets.Ne will split with each team in the AFC East..now,the wins/losses against AFC East foes can comein any order, obviously, so either they'll lost 3 in a row, weeks 13,14,15, or 3 of last 4 of the season..Miami WILL take one of those games from NE..

just my 64,000-ft observation of the 2012 Pats.I don't think they're going to win more than 10 games, in fact, I doubt they even win 10..they better hope Ridley is enough to replace the Law Firm..

 

[The Ref]

The will not win the division, that being said they have a slim chance of getting a wildcard so it a gutsy pick not crazy. Here is how I would break it down if they are lucky enough to get the wildcard.

AFC East

Patroits 12 - 4

Dolphins 9 - 7 One of the losses the Pats have and they go 5 - 1 in the division to help them into the playoffs

Bills 8 - 8 Williams gets hurt and they turn another hot start into a fizzle at the end

Jets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseason

AFC South

Texans 12 - 4

Titans 8 - 8 Hasselback gets hurt and Locker makes too many "rookie" mistakes and costs them a couple games

Colts 6 - 10

Jaguars 3 - 13

AFC North

Ravens 13 - 3

Steelers 8 - 8 The new offense doesn't click with Big Ben and the loss of Mendenhall and the holdout of Wallace go well into the season

Bengals 7 - 9 Dalton has a massive sophomore slump, Green gets hurt again and misses 4+ games and the defense isn't nearly as good

Browns 5 - 11

AFC West

Broncos 10 - 6

Chargers 9 - 7 They still underachieve but they have another hot streak at the end of the year and grab a wildcard spot

Raiders 7 - 9 DMC gets hurt again, Palmer doesn't play that well without a legit threat in the backfield.

Chiefs 7 - 9 Bowe holds out into the season, Charles doesn't have his explosion back and Hillis was a one year wonder 2 years ago.

Have you seen the Patriots schedule? No way they lose 4 games this year.

you're right, they'll lose upwards of 7 games this year.. lets look at the Pats schedule:

week 1, @Ten..- Tenn has a Tough defense, and they'll get after Brady.. the Achilles' heel of the Patriots defense is that they're not great against the run..Hightower is going to help,sure,but CJ2k has a lot to prove and should start the year with a bang against NE...

week 2 @Az, just *might* be a loss..Az is a team on the rise, has plenty of firepower on offense and defense..but I'll give NE a win here..

week 3 @Balt.- Ravens blow Pats out of the water, ala 2009 playoffs..make up game for Lee Evans' dropped TD in AFC Championship game.. tell me the Ravens aren't just burning inside to play the Patriots again..

week 4 - lose to Bills in Buffalo. Bills are likely to split games with NE this year..

week 5 - Denver - Brady v. Manning yet again...but Brady wins.

week 6 - @ Seattle - win for NE

week 7 - Jets - same as Bills, Jets will split with NE..I'll give this one to Jets..

week 8 - Rams.win.

bye week 9

week 10 - Bills.win

week 11 - Colts.win

week 12 - @Jets.win.

week 13. - @Miami.loss

week 14. - Houston.loss.

week 15. - Niners.loss.

week 16 - @Jags.win

week 17 - Miami.

thats give me 9-7 for NE, wildcard with a shot at winning the division..not sure how you view their schedule as easy.they play the toughest schedule for a QB and the one of the toughest fantasy playoff schedules for both a RB and a QB..good luck against Houston and SF..don't discount Miami's up-n-coming defense, and of course the Bills and Jets.Ne will split with each team in the AFC East..now,the wins/losses against AFC East foes can comein any order, obviously, so either they'll lost 3 in a row, weeks 13,14,15, or 3 of last 4 of the season..Miami WILL take one of those games from NE..

just my 64,000-ft observation of the 2012 Pats.I don't think they're going to win more than 10 games, in fact, I doubt they even win 10..they better hope Ridley is enough to replace the Law Firm..

I'll escrow up to $10,000 today if you want to bet me that the Patriots wont win more then 9.5 games. This is just wrong on so many levels. They could lose brady in week 1 and win 10.

 

[Buffaloes]

I'm thinking they finish as a bottom 5 team. I think they'll be competing for the top pick rather than a playoff spot.

 

[mr roboto]

If people think the Vikings are going 2-14 then that's my pick. They will outperform expectations IMO.

7-9 is definitely possible.

 

[Matt Bitonti]

Jets 5 - 11 The Tebow experiment fails and Ryan is fired midseason

this is one of those comments that's rooted purely in bias, with out facts to back it up. even if the Jets go 0-16, the Jets aren't firing Rex Ryan. The next to go in that case would be Mike Tannenbaum, the GM. Rex Ryan is probably the best coach the team's had since Parcells, and he's perfect for that media market.

 

[jurb26]

Cheifs

More on KC. I'm loving their D this year. Will be one of the elites by years end IMO.

The Chiefs are hosting a night practice at Spratt Stadium on the campus of Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. The night skies were gorgeous, but the stifling heat and humidity created a challenging environment for players and fans.

OBSERVATION DECK

1. Matt Cassel looks good directing Brian Daboll's offense. After enduring an offseason of harsh criticism following a disappointing performance a season ago, Cassel has been impressive through the first few days of camp. He looks confident and decisive in the pocket, and his accurate throws are the result of his self-assuredness as a playmaker. More importantly, Cassel appears to have complete command of Daboll's offense. He repeatedly worked through progressions to identify the second and third options in the route, and his efficiency has allowed the Chiefs' passing game to thrive despite missing his top target (Dwayne Bowe) in the lineup. In addition, Cassel's keen understanding of the scheme has enabled him to get the Chiefs out of bad plays against certain fronts through checks and audibles.

2. The emergence of Jon Baldwin has lessened the impact of Bowe's absence. The buzz surrounding Chiefs camp has centered on the rapid development of Baldwin, who has been sensational. I walked away impressed with his playmaking potential. Baldwin possesses the size, speed and athleticism to overwhelm defenders in isolated matchups, and he has started to figure out how to utilize his superior physical traits to dominate on the perimeter. Chiefs officials raved about his ability to make highlight catches appear routine. During the night practice, he demonstrated those traits by making an acrobatic catch in the end zone during which he used his extraordinary length to reach up high to grab a ball before nimbly dragging his feet along the end line. If he can continue to display this kind of playmaking ability, the absence of Bowe will not impact the Chiefs' chances of fielding a top 10-caliber offense in 2012.

3. Eric Berry's return makes the Chiefs defense scary good. After playing the majority of the last season without their most versatile and explosive defensive playmaker, the Chiefs defense is set to become a dominant unit upon his return. Berry has the capacity to cover wide receivers or tight ends in the slot, and is a gritty defender in the running game. Coach Romeo Crennel capitalized on his unique skills in 2010 by deploying him in various alignments to neutralize the opponent's top threat in the middle of the field. In addition, he would occasionally send him off the edge on blitzes to add speed and athleticism to the pass rush. After watching Berry closely at practice, I'm convinced that he hasn't lost a step following his ACL surgery and is certainly capable of reprising his role as the Chiefs' designated playmaker. With more AFC teams set to feature the tight end as the primary options in the passing game, the return of Berry gives an effective counter to the tactic.

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4. Justin Houston will become a household name in 2012. After studying Houston on game tape and watching him work in practice, I'm convinced the Chiefs have an emerging superstar on their hands. Houston displays outstanding first-step quickness and shows a natural knack for getting to the quarterback off the edge. Last season, he provided Chiefs officials with a glimpse of his immense potential when he tallied 5.5 sacks in the team's final five games. While Houston must continue to refine his hand skills and countermoves, he possesses all of the requisite traits (speed, athleticism and burst) that you look for in elite rushers and he will thrive against the isolated matchups he receives playing opposite Tamba Hali. If the Chiefs can routinely force opponents into long-yardage situations by successfully defending the run, I would expect to see Houston collect 10-plus sacks as a second-year player.

THE NEW GUYS

Peyton Hillis. After suffering through a miserable 2011 campaign, Hillis looks prime and ready to be a key contributor for the Chiefs. He reported to camp in outstanding shape, and is running the rock with the urgency and physicality that made him a feared runner in Cleveland. With Hillis also displaying soft hands and superb receiving skills in practice, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Chiefs use him as a feature back in a variety of sub-packages to take advantage of his versatility.

Eric Winston. The Chiefs desperately needed to upgrade their offensive line on the perimeter after struggling last season, and Winston has certainly fit the bill. He has shored up the right side of the line with his athleticism and quickness, allowing the Chiefs to incorporate more zone-based running schemes into their package. With Daboll intent on fielding an offense that can attack with the run or pass, the addition of Winston was a major coup for the Chiefs in the offseason.

Dontari Poe. A lot has been made about the Chiefs' decision to select Poe with the 11th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft based on his "boom-or-bust" potential following a non-descript career at Memphis, but he looks like a solid inside defender in drills. I love his combination of athleticism, strength and power, and believe he will emerge as an effective inside rusher in the Chiefs' nickel package. Although Poe will eventually need to become a starter and dominant all-around player to justify his lofty draft status, I don't mind the Chiefs bringing him along slowly to foster his development.

OVERHEARD

"There is no doubt that this is the best personnel group we've had since we've been here in Kansas City."

-- Matt Cassel telling reporters about the multitude of offensive weapons at his disposal.

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EXTRA POINTS

1. Daboll's system will challenge the football aptitude of the Chiefs' opponents with constant pre-snap movement. During the practice, the Chiefs routinely put one or two players on the move before the snap, and the dizzying array of formations will certainly lead to mental mistakes from the opposition. While several offensive coordinators throughout the league utilize intricate pre-snap movement to create favorable matchups along the line, Daboll's usage of motions and shifts is complemented by a constant shuttling of offensive personnel that makes it difficult to anticipate his intentions. With Hillis, Dexter McCluster and Kevin Boss possessing the athleticism and versatility to align in multiple spots, the frenetic pre-snap approach of the Chiefs should lead to better production from the offense in 2012.

2. Attention to the fundamentals is a priority. The defense went through an assortment of bag drills that reminded me of the "county fair" agility circuit often performed at high school practices. From the defensive linemen to the defensive backs, each member of the defense performed a series of high knee drills, lateral shuffles and "W" movements that emphasize the proper balance and body position needed to perform at a high level. Meanwhile, the offense ran through a series of "perfect plays" during the opening period of practice to simulate the proper execution of the unit's key plays without facing a defense. Although these drills are commonplace throughout the league, the priority placed on the attention to detail was apparent by the speed and urgency displayed by the players.

3. Remember the name, Anthony Toribio. The unheralded second-year nose tackle has been one of the most impressive performers in training camp. Although he wasn't expected to fill a role as a starter due to the arrival of Poe, he has been so good during workouts that he continues to run with the first unit and could be the linchpin that allows the Chiefs' talented linebacker corps to roam freely in the middle. When I asked about what makes Toribio so effective in the middle, Chiefs officials cited his strength, leverage and flawless technique. Given the importance of the nose tackle to the Chiefs' version of the 3-4, Toribio could become the most important player on an underrated defensive front.

OUTLOOK

The Chiefs should be the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC West based on their personnel. They are the most talented team in the division on both sides of the ball, and the return of several key playmakers should make them a popular sleeper to make a run at the AFC crown. Although they must develop an identity on offense to suit their talent, there is a lot to like about the Chiefs heading into the season.

Follow Bucky Brooks on Twitter @BuckyBrooks.

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

I knew this team was pretty good.

 

[mr roboto]

If people think the Vikings are going 2-14 then that's my pick. They will outperform expectations IMO. 7-9 is definitely possible.

 

[Sea Duck]

I knew this team was pretty good.

Yep, led by Garrard, Chad Johnson, and Lamar Miller.

 

[Carter_Can_Fly]

I knew this team was pretty good.

Yep, led by Garrard, Chad Johnson, and Lamar Miller.

I knew someone would point that out. HahaThey are a team that has pieces and as mentioned were competive last year. They are trending up.

 

[Native]

I knew this team was pretty good.

3-3 and lost two close games in overtime. Theyre literally a few plays away from being 5-1.