The NFL Stats

What were they thinking? This is what is going through the minds of NFL players, coaches and fans. Apparently, NFL owners didn’t want to risk their investments too much on kickoff returns. This led to the NFL Rules Committee changing the kickoff spot from the 30-yard-line to the 35-yard-line. The result has been a dramatic increase in touchbacks. Last season, 16% of kickoffs ended up in a touchback. This season, 34% of kickoffs have ended up in a touchback. As we all know, touchbacks aren’t very exciting.

Are we being selfish as fans? Is it okay for us to want to see kickoff returns when serious injuries are at risk? You could say that, but the players don’t like the rule, either. For example, Joshua Cribbs stated that it makes the games more like scrimmages. If the players and fans both want kickoff returns, there should be kickoff returns. The last thing we want is for this to lead to teams just starting on the 20-yard-line, which is what Bill Belichik proposed since kickoffs weren’t from the 30-yard-line anymore. Belichick is not one for words. Therefore, when he speaks, people listen. The scary thing is that he was serious. He actually thinks it would be better for offenses to just start with the ball on the 20-yard-line every time. This would make the game less exciting.

Look at the Devin Hester factor. This guy is so good that he can change a game in an instant. If you haven’t noticed, his strategy is to pause for a second or two once he [...]

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Lately in the NFL, the stars just don’t seem to be playing like stars. Sometimes it is because of an injury, or sometimes the player may be introduced to a new playing system, or it might just be the match-up against the other team that can cause players to become total busts for your fantasy team. For whatever reason, some stars just consistently do not perform up to their preseason status, and you wind up taking a beating all year sticking with your star on your starting lineup. Here are the top 4 fantasy football busts in the NFL through week 6 of 2011.

Michael Vick was supposed to have a breakout year as the starter for the Philadelphia Eagles. He has however, underperformed week after week this year. It’s understandable why fantasy players are hesitant to put him on the bench, because any week he could have a break though and run for 4 touchdowns and pass for three more. He is an explosive player with the potential to pass for 500 yards on any given day. This year he has been knocked around and beaten up pretty badly, and it has caused his turnover ratio to skyrocket. You run the risk week after week with Vick, because although he can be a huge payoff type of player, you risk the QB position and a lot of potential points on his consistently terrible play as of late.

Kansas City Chiefs QB Matt Cassel has been terrible so far this season. If you look at his yards passing in the first three games, he barely passed 420 yards. Some quarterbacks are passing for that many yards week after [...]

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Ah, the NFC West: what would we do without you. Every league needs a division to complain about: you know, the weak one that talking heads even wonder why they exist? In football, the NFC West is that. How can we forget that in 2010, the NFC West became the first division in football history to send a division winner to the playoffs without having a winning record. The 7-9 Seattle Seahawks were the laughing stock of everyone. There were calls for football reseeding; for a new rule in place that teams with sub- .500 records should not be able to make the playoffs. In a sense, the Seattle Seahawks were overlooked by everyone in football. And what did they do: they beat the defending Super Bowl Champions in the Wild Card Round.

You can’t take anything for granted in football, which is why it’s almost poetic justice that the Seahawks won that Wild Card game. Was the NFC West a particular good division last year? No. But did they provide some excitement to build on? Absolutely. In fact, for as “bad” as the division has been in recent years, an NFC West team has one at least one playoff game since 2005, including appearances by the Seahawks and the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. If the 2011 season is actually played, the NFC West looks like a

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Pierre Thomas has certainly exceeded expectations in the eyes of many people as he entered the NFL coming out of the University of Illinois. Many people tend to question the talent of people who come out of Illinois and happen to be coached by a guy like Ron Zook. Zook has not coached many great NFL talents during his time as the head coach of the University of Illinois. Zook is someone who can recruit very fast past players, but many of them like Pierre Thomas typically have to find their way around. Sean Payton has reportedly been very happy with the effort that a guy like Pierre Thomas brings to the game on Sundays.

You have to make sure that you are making the right financial decision as you enter free agency. I could see a player like Pierre Thomas agreeing to terms with the Buffalo Bills. Chan Gailey is an explosive offensive based NFL head coach and you can find a lot of success within his offensive schemes. The offensive schemes that Gailey happens to bring to the table are something that force you to learn how to pick up the blitz and this is something that a running back for the Bills has to deal with. It does not matter whether you are a

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The Atlanta Falcons have the most unique situation in the NFL. They quickly went from a nobody to a Super Bowl contender and now they’re likely to fall right back down again. This might not sound like it makes sense considering a stellar QB in Matt Ryan, but it’s always important to look at all the factors. Matt Ryan will win the Falcons games, but the Falcons are an aging group in almost all areas. Most NFL Fans don’t realize this because Ryan is so young. But let’s focus on the running game.

Michael Turner is the feature back for the Falcons. He is 5’10 and 244 pounds. In other words, he’s a truck. However, over the past two years, he has put on a lot of miles, and with his running style, that means reduced effectiveness. He is now 29, so he’s right on the verge of hitting the NFL wall for RBs. It might have helped that he was a backup for the Chargers for so long, but only time will tell. Injuries began to creep up on Turner last season and that is likely to continue. Jason Snelling will be the backup. At 5’11 and 223 pounds, he

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The Seattle Seahawks reclaimed their division title last year, in ugly fashion, behind a 7-9 record. Those same Seahawks rattled their way through the Saints in one of the most exciting games of the post season.

For Seattle to return to the playoffs they need to work on team chemistry. Marshawn Lynch took a bit of time to get used to the Seattle offense, but once he did he started making an impact. Matt Hasselbeck is still the leader of this team, for at least one more season. The Pete Carol era is finally taking hold in Seattle, and this is a team that is already much better than many people will give them credit for.

The defense is still one surrounded by questions marks. Lofa Tatpu is still elite, but the back side of the Seahawk defense tends to fade away. They need hunt through the draft, and try to find a good, speedy edge rusher. Seattle would be one of the best teams to make a play for Nmandi Asomugha. With just a few tweaks on defense the Seahawks might just find themselves with something special.

Offensively the line needs to get tougher. While the current line up is a decent group, far too often they have trouble holding up against mediocre defenses. Hasselbeck needs someone he can trust to cover his blind side, something that he has not had in recent years.

After these holes are plugged, and the team has

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The Chicago Bears main rivals, the Green Bay Packers look prepped and ready for another run at the Super Bowl. Where do the Bears stand? Can they make it back to the playoffs?

Chicago began the offseason by releasing veterans Tommie Harris, Hunter Hillenmeyer and Kevin Shaffer. Harris hasn’t been the same player since he hurt his knee, while Hillenmeyer and Shaffer became expendable due to age and injury.

The Bears offense line improved dramatically last season but is still a work in progress. The team needs to shore up the unit or possibly go in another direction. Offensive line coach Mike Tice returns for his second season with a new contract under his belt and new challenges. Reportably the team wants to bring back veteran center Olin Kreutz for at least one more season. Kreutz is a well-liked teammate and former All Pro center. The rebuilding of the offensive line will likely consist of bringing in a veteran and using a first – or second draft pick on a prospect.

When Chicago drafted Chris Williams in 2008, they figured they finally had a player who could defend their quarterback’s blind side. Think again Chicago, Williams was pushed around quite easily by opposing defenses. His best position appears to be tackle.

Rookie offensive tackle J’Marcus Webb made great strides during the season. Webb struggled against the Packers in the NFC championship game, but the youngster has a lot of potential. The upcoming draft gives the Bears some options. They very much need to get a good option in the draft at center or guard and sign a offensive tackle, or draft a tackle and sign a guard.

There are some decent veterans around the league whose contracts are about to expire. Stealing away Packers guard Daryn Colledge from their archrivals would be quite the coup, but it seems unlikely. The Bears are also very interested in Atlanta Falcons guard

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Some might say Calvin Johnson, or Matthew Stafford are the the best players on this team and they would certainly have legitimate arguments for both.

I’m eliminating Stafford due to his injury record. He has yet to complete a full season under center and I’m not talking just a game or two. You simply cannot be the best player on the team if you cannot be there to compete with your team mates week in and week out.

As for Calvin Johnson, well there really isn’t a solid reason why one should not believe him to be the best player on this team. I can’t come up with one myself. He is a physical force that defenses have to account for on every play. Even then they sometimes cannot stop him. He is a play maker and a potential game breaker. Why then am I choosing Ndamukong Suh as the best Detroit Loin. Did you see him play this year?

This guy is also a physical force that offenses must account for on every play. He is a play maker and a potential game changer on every down he lines up for. Calvin can draw double or even triple coverage which opens [...]

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The Cincinnati Bengals and coming off a terrible season, after win the AFC North the previous year. The Bengals have plenty of holes to fill in the off season to get back to their winning ways.

Marvin Lewis has been less than impressive in his coaching skills this year. Aside from questionable challenges it has seemed that the Bengals have rarely been prepared to play, and individual player dysfunctions, and penalties repeatedly killed the team throughout the season. Lewis was given a contract extension, and should have more personnel power next season, this should end up being a make or break year for him.

Carson Palmer’s performance this past season was atrocious. He hasn’t looked impressive since the elbow injury a few seasons back. Without consistent play from the QB position the Bengals will remain near the bottom [...]

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When you look at the Minnesota Vikings in 2010, two words came to mind: Brett Favre. Favre was giving it one more shot, all or nothing, to win a Super Bowl in his final season. Coming off a career year, the Vikings were poised to make a run for the NFC North crown.

Little did they know, the Favre they got was the polar opposite of the 2009 Favre. He was horrifying at times, throwing only 11 touchdown passes coupled with 19 interceptions. Favre in 2009 threw 33 touchdowns and a career low seven picks. But, if there was a bright spot, it would be in the form of running back Adrian Peterson.

Peterson has been nothing short of stellar his young career. He’s collected over 1000 yards all four years, and if there was a negative on his game coming into 2010, it was his affinity for fumbling. He had 20 fumbles [...]

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