Eagles- Packers: What We Know, Don't Know

What We Know:

Andy Reid loves the wildcat, McNabb didn’t- Vick in on the first play from scrimmage? Eagles running the wildcat 4 plays out of first 14? That would never have happened with McNabb on this team. While Reid ran the wildcat with McNabb, it was clear that McNabb was not as ok with it as Kolb is. It was like tag team QB’ing out there. When the Eagles went into the locker room at half time, Vick had more carries then McCoy. The wildcat is an effective play, like when Vick scrambled for the first down on 3^rd and 1 play in the second quarter. But to pull Kolb out of the game (roughly) every 4 plays is not the way to get him going. This was not Kolb’s first start, but there’s no question that the pressure was on him today to prove he belonged. Reid killed any chance he had by constantly putting Vick in.

Same Old Andy Reid: To have no time outs, and be unable to stop the clock after the two minute warning is simply put, unacceptable. His horrible clock management over the years has been discussed, and this game was just another example of it costing his team a shot to win a game. The quarterback has changed, but the same infuriating Eagles are still here.

Eagles Defense is Fast, Can Get Pressure- Looking for a positive in this game? Look no further then the front 7 of this Eagles defense. The front 7 got after Rodgers early and often, sacking Rodgers 3 times and forcing him out of the pocket. Juqua Parker, benched in the preseason in favor of rookie Brandon Graham, finished the game with 2 sacks. Stewart Bradley got in Rodgers face consistently. They made Ryan Grant a non factor. They held TE Jeramichal Finley to only 4 catches. Only after Bradley left the game did they start to get run over. But with Bradley in the game, this defense looked like some of the Eagles defense of old. If it wasn’t for the defense, this game would have been over early. They kept the team in the game.

Eagles’s Are Better Then They Look- It couldn’t have gone worse for the Eagles. Their Quarterback, center, middle line backer and fullback all go down- in the first half. Those positions right there are the heart and soul of your team. If you told Eagle fans that in the first half, the Eagles would have 0 yards passing and they would loose Kolb, Bradley, Jackson, and Weaver, but only be down 10, they would have taken it.

But this team didn’t give up or get blown out. This game could have gotten ugly. But they fought back. The Packers are, if you listen to the experts, one of the best teams in the league. Many people think they will come out of the NFC, and Rodgers will be MVP. The Eagles played with this team. And for a young team, that is saying something.

This Offensive Line is a Mess- Remember when the Eagles thought they had one of the biggest, best lines in the league? That the Andrews brothers and Jason Peters would anchor the line for years to come? Those days are long gone. Kevin Kolb was running for his life from the start. Packers ran into the Eagles back field early and often. The Eagles were able to get nothing on the ground. Only once Micheal Vick came in the game, and was able to run away from the pressure, did they offense get anything going. Even then, Vick was running for his life. They couldn’t have even get enough push to get the most mobile quaterback in the league 1 yard when the game was on the line. There’s no question Kolb was not sharp (to say the least). But the O line did not help him one bit.

Bobby April Has His Work Cut Out- Special teams is something that will come with time. Only a week ago did April find out who his special teams players would be, when the final cuts were made. But it was not a good showing for his unit. When the Eagles were mounting a comeback, the Eagles gave up returns of 51 and 40 yards when team was mounting come back. Eldra Buckley had a brain fart of epic proportions when he nailed the returner in the 4^th quarter.

Those Kelly Green Jerseys are Amazing- The fans waited for it, sat through the hideous blue/yellow debacle, and they finally got it. The jerseys were worth the wait.

What We Don’t Know:

Whos fault was this? Is Kevin Kolb really this bad? It’s clearly too early to tell. But the difference between this team was night and day once Vick entered the game. Kolb was lucky to only have the one interception and threw multiple balls into tight coverage. For as much as he talked about being a distributer this off season, he sure wasn’t able to get any of the Eagles weapons into the game. DeSean Jackson, this teams best player, was invisible when Kolb was behind center. Only once Vick came in did Jackson have a catch. It could be the offensive line or the play calling, but the numbers don’t lie- the Eagles outscored the Packers 17-14 in the second half. Was it all Kolb’s fault? Was this the coaching staffs fault? We don’t know yet. But we’ll find out next week and the upcoming games if Kolb’s performance this week was his fault or Reid’s.

What were they doing during training camp? On each unit’s first series on the field, they had a penalty for illegal formation. To practice those first plays of the game for the whole week, and to be coming off of training camp where the defense is taught, and then have those penalties is unacceptable. As much as it falls on the players, it’s the coaches who are supposed to “put their players in position to win the game”. And they didn’t do that.

Who’s going to play fullback? Has anyone ever felt worse for a player then they did watching Leonard Weaver be carried off the field. You have to respect him getting to the sideline and not taking the cart to the locker room. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports Weaver will be out for the season wit a torn ACL. While he could be wrong, no body watched that injury and thought he would be back this season. Coming off of a Pro Bowl season, you have to wonder if it’s not Weaver who gets that ball on 4^th and 1 to end the game. Luckily, this team has practice playing with no fullback. While Weaver did not play a big role in the offense, I saw what he ment to the team at training camp and in practice. Weaver was one of the offensive leaders, and a calming voice to Kolb. He won’t be there anymore, and it’s going to hurt this team. But Joe Banner and the coaches have their work cut out for them in replacing a player of Weavers status.

How Long till DeSean Jackson Blows? It’s no secret Jackson is not happy about his contract situation. His mood in the locker room when the media is around it not a positive one. When fans yelled at him during training camp about his contract, he played along and let it be known he wants to be paid. So how long till he starts to yell back? DeSean Jackson thrived last year with McNabb’s strong arm, but if this is how it’s going to look with Kolb under center, Jackson may never get paid. The fact is, the NFL is a league that values the future, not the past. Joe Banner will not care Jackson paid the Pro-Bowl last season if he doesn’t make it this year. Jackson knows how he plays this year, and his numbers, will decide his future. If Kolb doesn’t get him the ball, and Jackson’s numbers start to fall, how long till he calls for Vick? Or start to complain publicly about his contract? We don’t know yet, but I can imagine his mood is even worse today then it was before kick off.

How will this team bounce back? It’s been written about how this is a young team. These are not your Eagles of old who had veteran leadership ozzing from the locker room. How will the team bounce back from a loss where their leader (Kolb) was beaten and battered? How will the locker room respond to Vick playing so well? Will they support Kolb? This loss clearly makes the next two games, against Detroit and Jacksonville, must wins. Good teams in the NFL beat the teams they are supposed to. At the end of the day, the Eagles were not supposed to beat the Packers. But they should beat the Lions. We don’t know yet how they will bounce back, but we will learn a lot about this team during this week and next Sunday.

AFC Preview

AFC East

1.Patriots- The Patriots were sneaky good last season. While all the attention was on the Jets and Colts in the AFC, the Patriots quietly finished 6^th in offensive ppg, and allowed only 17 ppg, good for 5^th in the league. Going into the playoffs they were winners of 3 of their last 4. Tom Brady, in his first year after major knee surgery, still managed to throw 28 touchdowns and only 13 interceptions. Players coming off of that kind of surgery generally take a big step forward in their second year- and that’s bad news for the rest of the league.

The Patriots will have Wes Welker back in time for the start of the regular season, and with the emergence of Julian Edelman last season in Welker’s absence, will have a solid group of wide outs for Brady to throw to. The main question on this will be age- Brady, Welker, and Moss all have more then likely seen their best days. But the Patriots have won 10 games or more 8 of the last 9 years, and are one of the most consistent teams in the league. No body is talking about them this year, but they will be when they win the division over the Jets.

2. Jets- The Jets are walking a thin line this season. It goes without saying they have talked the talked. A team that didn’t qualify for the playoffs until the last game of the season was saved by a run through the playoffs that surprised many. That run has expectations through the ceiling for this team. It’s how they made that run that has people excited - a defense that is tops in the league, and a running game that took the pressure off Mark Sanchez. Those things should stay the same this year, and the additions of Antonio Cromartie and Ladanian Tomlinson will only improve those. Say what you want about Tomlinson, but he is the best “backup” running back in the league, and is another weapon on this offense.

But will the Jets catch all the breaks again this season? Can they win with Sanchez throwing 20 interceptions and only 12 touchdowns? Is Shonn Greene ready to be the number one back on a team that relays on the run? The Jets like to talk, but numbers don’t lie- the Jets ranked 2^nd to last in passing yards per game. This team has the talent and swagger to make it all the way to the Super Bowl. But it will not be the cake walk that the experts, and the Jets, seem to think it will be, and it may take the regular season to figure it out.

3. Dolphins- When the Dolphins acquired Brandon Marshall this off-season, it was a signal that they were ready to move on from being a one trick pony with the Wild Car offense. With Marshall, they have one of the best wide receivers in the league, and one that will excel in catching the ball over the middle. They can also go to Marshall a lot- Marshall has caught over 100 balls a season since he became a starter. With Marshall being a reliable option for Chad Henne, and a solid running game with Ronnie Brown & Ricky Williams behind him, Henne will not be forced to make a lot of plays. That’s a good thing if you’re a Dolphins fan- Henne was 7-6 as a starter, throwing more interceptions then touchdowns.

4. Bills- The Trent Edwards era continues this season in Buffalo, much to the disappointment of their fans. It might not matter who is behind center for the Bills though, as their offensive line allowed their Qb to be sacked 44 times last season. The line also struggled to get holes for their running backs, and the team finished 21rst in the league in rushing yards. The Bills have had a winning record only once since the year 2000, and that should not change this season.

AFC North

1. Ravens- The Baltimore Ravens are a lot like the Jets without all the talk. The Ravens defense continued to be one of the best in the NFL over the last decade, finishing 3^rd in points allowed per game. But it is the offense that has people excited. With the additions of Anquan Boldin and Tj Housmanzadeh, the Ravens have the best set of wide outs they have ever had to team with the Defense.

The Ravens also have something the Jets do not- a reliable quarterback. Joe Flacco threw only 12 interceptions last season, while throwing for over 20 touchdowns. With Ray Rice at running back, the Ravens have everything you need to win in this league- tough D, solid RB, reliable QB, and weapons at the skill positions.

2. Bengals- The most impressive statistic last season might have been 6-0. That was the Bengals record against their division rivals last season. While they won’t be expected to duplicate that, the Bengals teams last season was not a fluke. The team was carried by its defense, which allowed only 18 points per game. With 17 interceptions and 15 fumble recoveries last season, the defense also managed to have a take away in 14 of the 17 games. They had more then one take away in 9 of those games. That’s how you win games in the NFL.

3. Steelers- The Steelers were a streaky team last season- they had 2 winning streaks of 3 or more, and a losing streak of 5 games. The Steelers also had an uncharacteristically bad season running the ball, finishing in the bottom half of the league in yards per game. The defense missed Saftey Troy Polamalu last season, giving up over 20 points per game.

The main problem facing the Steelers tho, is the skill positions. With Ben Roethlisberger out for the first 4 games, the Steelers will start the season with Dennis Dixon, Mike Wallace, Hines Ward, and Rashard Mendenhall as their main offensive threats. Even when Big Ben returns, that pedestrian group isn’t scaring any defense this season.

4. Browns- Poor Cleveland. When Jake Delhomme is your savior at quarterback, your officially in trouble. There was not much to like from the Browns last season. 3^rd worst offense in the league, and a defense that gave up almost 24 points per game. Even there future looks bleek- Colt McCoy has been less then impressive in his limited preseason action.

AFC South

1. Colts- For the Colts, the regular season has come to mean very little. They showed us how much it ment to them when they pulled their started against the Jets, deciding to not go for a perfect 16-0 record. They have won at least 12 games the last seven seasons. There offense has been in the top 10 in 6 of seasons. Peyton Manning is still Peyton Manning.

The Colts will be there during the regular season. The real season begins for them in the playoffs, where they will be there once again, the top overall seed. As usual.

2. Titans- The Titans are on top of everyone’s list of sleeper teams, so much so that they barely qualify as a sleeper anymore. The Titans got to the top of that list by going 8-2 in there last 10 game. But look at that number closer and it starts to fall apart. During that streak, the Titans beat 7 teams that did not make the playoffs. The only playoff team they did beat during that streak was the Cardinals, and they only won after a miracle play at the end.

Chris Jonson is the best running back in the league- hands down. Will he get 2500 yards? No. Not when he is the only offensive weapon on the whole team. Vince Young is improving, and showed signs last season, but 10 touchdowns and 7 interceptions is not going to scare any teams from stacking the box. And the defense? Finished 28^th in the league in points per game last season.

3. Texans- Is this the year the Texans can finally get over the hump? Last season, 6 of the 7 games they lost was by 8 points or less. It seems every year is going to be the year for them, but they have not made they playoffs since they arrived in Houston. They have the weapons, with Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Steve Slaton combining to make one of the best trios in the league. For this team, it isn’t about talent- that is there. They lack the ability to win games, plain and simple, especially the big ones. 7 of their 9 wins were against non-playoff teams. And that won’t change this year.

4. Jaguars- David Garrad, once thought to be the answer at quarterback, regressed last season. After throwing only 3 interceptions 3 years ago, while going 9-3 as a starter, he has thrown double digit interceptions the last two seasons- and his touchdown’s thrown has decreased as well. Maurice Jones-Drew will try to make his fantasy football owners happy, but that will be the only reason anyone will watch the Jags this season.

AFC West

1. Chargers- The Chargers picked wrong when they decided to make Darren Sproles there feature back last season. With only 343 yards rushing, and a little under 500 yards receiving, the Chargers decided to draft Ryan Matthews with their number one selection in this years draft. With Vincent Jackson in limbo, the team all of the sudden has a lack of weapons for Phillip Rivers to get the ball to. Antonio Gates continues to be a top tight end in the league, but how long will it be until he takes a step back?

They’ll win the division, but no one will be impressed with them doing it.

2. Raiders- The Raiders will surprise a lot of people this season. This team was better then its record indicated last season. They played the teams in their division close, being within 8 points of each game, and beating the Denver Broncos late in the season. The Raiders have a nice set of Rb’s- Michael Bush, Darren McFadden, Justin Fargas- and an emerging tight end in Zach Miller.

But the big reason the Raiders will be better this year? Jason Campbell. To say the Raiders got nothing out of the quarterback position last season would be an understatement. Campbell is better then people think, and he’ll show people this year. Watch out for the Raiders.

3. Broncos- The Broncos were the opposite of the Titans last season- started off great, but lost it down the stretch, losing 8 of their final 10 games. The loss of Elvis Dumervil is huge for this team- his 17 sacks last season will be hard to replace.

4. Chiefs- If you need any reason as to why the Chiefs will finish last, you havnt been watching the NFL the last few seasons. The Chiefs have not won more then 4 games in the last 3 seasons, or finished better then 25^th in overall offense or defense. Matt Cassell also appears to be more a product of the Patriots system then a player- 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last season. Bright spot on Chiefs? Rookie RB Dexter McCluster.

Playoffs:

1. Colts

2. Patriots

3. Ravens

4. Chargers

5. Jets

6. Titans

Wildcard: Ravens over Titans; Jets over Chargers

Round 2: Ravens over Patriots; Jets over Colts

Conference Championship: Ravens over Jets

AFC Champion: Ravens

Linebackers Look Great So Far

Theirs no question the Eagles defense was the weakness of the team last season. They struggled against both the pass and the run, and gave up over 300 yards per game.

This could be credited to many things: first year on the job for Sean McDermott, the loss of Brian Dawkins or the lack of a consistent pass rush. All of those things are valid reasons for the set back last season.

However, if the linebackers can play as good as they look early on in training camp, the team could make a big leap back in the right direction.

Stewart Bradley, who was on the way to being an all-pro before he injured his knee last season, seems to be back in pro bowl form. He is all over the place at LeHigh, getting behind the line to stop the run, and following tight ends stride for stride. He has knocked the ball down from Brent Celek countless times.

Bradley had the play of the day today when he stepped in front of Jeremy Maclin to intercept a Kevin Kolb pass. Bradley said afterwards that the defense this year will allow him to make more plays with his lateral speed. It show so far.

In addition to Bradley, the team also added Ernie Sims from Detriot this off season. Sims had over 100 tackles his first 3 seasons in the league, before missing 5 games last season due to injury. He is built like a bowling ball, and has serious speed. He had no problems following Jeremy Maclin today on a crossing route.

Sims is also not afraid to lay down a big hit. He had crushing people today when the pads were on, both in the scrimmages and the drills. He will be a serious problem for opposing offenses when he comes on the blitz.

In addition to Sims and Bradley, the team has a surprising amount of depth in the line-backer spot. Omar Gaither can play all 3 spots, Moise Fokou is a year older and looks impressive so far, and Akeem Jordan has played decent when called upon in the past. Undrafted rookie Simoni Lawrence has been making plays when he is called upon, and even ran with the 2nd team today. Playing beside Bradley and Sims should make these players even better.

If the Eagles can get great play from the linebackers, it will help the defense immensely. This group looks like they can cover linebackers, which will help the pass defense. They are also a fast, hard hitting bunch, which will help the run. It could also help a secondary that has some question marks. Having Bradley back will also allow McDermott to call a more aggressive game plan.

Its early on, and theirs still plenty of camp to go, but the Eagles have to be happy about what they see so far from their line-backing crew.

Don't forget to follow @philly_stand_up on twitter for up to the minute updates from Eagles Camp!

Iguodala to Clippers?

One Philadelphia team could be ready to make a franchise altering move- and its not the Phillies.

Sources close to David Aldridge of NBA.com have told him that the Los Angles Clippers have called the Sixers about the possibility of acquiring Andre Iguodala. The Clippers have a big hole at the small forward spot, and have not been able to make any big moves this off season despite their efforts. While this may amount to nothing, it does make sense for both teams.

Aldridge does not mention who the Sixers asked for in return, but given the huge amount of money that is owed to Iguodala this season (almost 12 million), the only two players who would make sense under the salary cap restrictions are Baron Davis and Chris Kaman.

If it is even possible, Baron Davis might have an even worse contract then Iggy, with Davis far past him prime and still owed 41 million over the next 3 years. Plus, with Jrue Holiday at point guard, the team has no need to add the shoot first point guard to this young roster.

Kaman, on the other had, is an interesting prospect. Even with Spencer Hawes now on the roster, Kaman would be valuable to the Sixers as a low post scoring option. Kaman averaged close to 20 and 10 last season. The Clippers drafted DeAndre Jordan to be his eventual replacement, but it is not known if they are ready to move on from Kaman just yet.

Moving Iguodala would be a dream come true for the Sixers. With Iggy out of the picture, they could start Thaddeus Young at the 3, and Evan Turner at the 2. Young took a step back last year coming off the bench, which should motivate the Sixers even more to make sure he is in the starting line up this season.

Hopefully Ed Stefanski can make this happen. Adding Turner, while getting rid of Iguodala and Dalembert in the same summer, would definitely have this team heading in the right direction heading into the new season.

Oswalt Not The Answer For Phillies

The Phillies need help.

No one that has watched this team recently can disagree with that. With a record of 1-6 since the All Star break, the Phillies have fallen even further out of the playoff picture. They are 7 games behind the Atlanta Braves, and 4 games out of the wildcard picture.

With a line up that has arguably the most talent in the NL, it easy to look at this team and say the need is a pitcher. Maybe Rueben Amaro Jr realizes the mistake he made by trading Cliff Lee, and thinks that by acquiring another star pitcher, the season will be what it was supposed to be: another smooth run to October baseball.

While it can be debated what the main need for the this team is, and they certainly have a lot of holes for back to back NL champions, one thing is clear:

Roy Oswalt is not the answer for the Phillies.

Roy Oswalt by the numbers is not overly impressive. 1 All Star appearance in his career. His ERA has not been under 3 in 4 years. In the playoffs, his ERA was close to 4. He has not won double-digit games in the last 2 years, and has more loses then any other pitcher in the NL this season.

The win/lose numbers can be rationalized: the Houston Astros are a horrible team. But one number cannot be: 39 million.

That is the amount of money the Phillies will have to pay Oswalt over the next 3 seasons (its assumed Oswalt will force any team he is traded to pick up his option for 2011-2012.) When you compare Oswalt’s (3.16) ERA to players already on the Phillies roster, such as Cole Hamels (3.63) or Jamie Moyer (4.84), it becomes even clearer that Oswalt is not the option. Hamel’s ERA is under 2 in his last 4 stops.

Is it worth paying Oswalt 15 million a season to be the third best pitcher on this team?

Oswalt is being paid ace money, but is not an ace. Is it worth it for the Phillies to risk holding on to Werth and hoping they can resign him in off season? Could they take the money they were going to pay Werth and turn it into fan favorite Lee? Will the season turn around if no move is made?

The answer to those questions are unclear. But one answer is clear: Oswalt is not what this team needs right now.

NFL Preview: AFC

Here is the breakdown of the AFC this season, with the Philadelphia Eagles preview coming later this week:

AFC North: The division will come down to one game: Baltimore at Steelers, Dec 27th. 

1. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens surprised the league last year, advancing all the way to the championship game behind the play of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco, and rookie head coach Jon Harbaugh. If it was not for the 3 losses to the Steelers, it might be the Ravens who would be defending Super Bowl champions. The Ravens boast a strong running game behind the play of second year player Ray Rice and veteran Willis McGahee. I think Joe Flacco is ready to take the step into league star this season. And the defense? There ok.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: Its a hard to repeat. Since Super Bowl 1, only 8 teams have managed to win back to back championships. The Steelers return virtually everyone from last years team. Head Coach Mike Tomlin is one of the best in the league, and this is a team that has experience in being defending champions, having won the Super Bowl in 2006. At the end of the day, its hard to continue to dominate a team like the Steelers did to the Ravens last year, and I the Ravens will beat the Steelers this season in the key games. 

3. Cincinnati Bengals: With Carson Palmer back under center, the Bengals hope to rebound from a dissapointing 2008 campaign, where they didn't get their first win until week 9. The combination of Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco should be a dominant one, but the connection has yet to result in wins for this team. This season should be a better one for the Bengals, but at the end of it, Marvin Lewis could be looking for a new job. 

4. Cleveland Browns: I can't remember the last time I saw a team go from so promising to such a mess so quickly. Last season the Browns were a trendy Super Bowl pick. Now? Its  days before their first game, and they havn't even named a starter. Reports are that Brady Quinn will get the nod, and I think he will be decent. But there is to little talent on this roster to compete. And with lame duck Eric Mangini at the helm, this should be another dissapointing season for the Browns. 

AFC South: After running away with this division last season, the Titans show their age  at QB, and Manning shows why he is MVP.

1. Indianapolis Colts: There are a lot of reasons to think this season could be a disapointing one in new Lucas Oil Stadium. After a year of learning the ropes under Tony Dungy, rookie head coach Jim Caldwell will take over. I think rookie running back Donald Brown will be a bust. Saftey Bob Sanders is injured again. So why will the Colts win this division? Peyton Manning is still under center. The real coach of the team, Manning will make a star this year out of Anthony Gonzalez, and should be able to put enough points on the board to lead this team to a division title. 

2. Tennessee Titans: Even though last season ended on a dissapointing note, losing their first playoff game to the Ravens, the Titans surprised everyone last year, rolling all the way to the best record in the AFC. The running back combination of Chris Johnson and Lendale White is one of the best, if not the best, in the league. But this is the season I think Kerry Collins falters. The Titans are paper thing at receiver, and Collins will show his age this year as the Titans miss the playoffs. 

3. Houston Texans: Everyones favorite team this season, the Texans finished up 5-1 to end last years campaign. Rookie running back Steve Slaton showed enough promise to push him up to the top of everyones fantasy football draft board. Wideout Andre Johnson is the best receiver in the game no one knows about. But I am not ready to say Matt Schaub is good enough to lead this team to the playoffs. 

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags upgraded their wideouts this off season, adding Tory Holt to try to help out quarterback David Garrard. Garrard threw an uncharacteristically high amount of interceptions last season, totaling 13 picks to only 15 touchdowns. Maurice Jones Drew is now the feature back with Fred Taylor in New England. The Jags should be better then last season, but this division is to strong for the record to indicate it. 

AFC West: Anyway the Chargers don't go 6-0 in their division? Anybody?

1. San Diego Chargers: This one should be a cake walk for the Chargers. After stunning the Denver Broncos last season to capture the division, their should be little fight from any of the other 3 teams this year. The Chargers boast one of the quickest backfields in the league with Ladanian Tomlinson and Darren Sproles, last seasons playoff hero. Quarterback Phillip River's pockets are a lot heavier this year, fresh off 36 million dollers in his new contract. Its Super Bowl or bust this year for the Chargers. 

2. Denver Broncos: It could be one and done for new coach Josh McDaniels. Since his hire, whether you can blame it on him or not, its been nothing but bad news for the Broncos. Franchise quarterback Jay Cutler is in Chicago, leaving the once high powered Bronco offense in the hands of Kyle Orton. The defense was a mess last season, and even more pressure will be on them this year. With that being said, there is enough talent on this team if Brandon Marshall plays to at least finish 2nd. But no playoffs once again. Poor Dawkins.

3. Oakland Raiders: This season is a big one for JaMarcus Russell, as the Raiders will look for the former number 1 pick to finally flash some of the talent he showed at LSU. The Raiders cut Jeff Garcia to make no doubt in Russell's mind that he was their guy. I think Russell, along with Darren McFadden and Micheal Bush, will show enough promise this season to get the group of fans in the Black Hole excited for next year.

4. Kansas City Chiefs: Matt Cassell will be eager to prove that he is not a product of the New England Patriots system. Simply put? He won't. Long year in KC.

AFC East: Tom Brady shows he's human, and the Jets surprise everyone. 

1. New York Jets: If theirs one team that isn't afraid of Bill Belichick, its Rex Ryan and the New York Jets. And if theirs one sports writer that isnt afraid to go out on a limb, its me. Alot has to go right for the Jets to win this division. Mark Sanchez has to play like someone who has more then just 14 starts in him- all on the college level. Leon Washington and Thomas Jones have to take enough pressure off Sanchez to give him time to grow. Rex Ryan has to back up all his talk. The defense has to be great. I think all of that will happen.

2. New England Patriots: Even though they didn't make the playoffs last year, the Patriots enter this season in a familar role- Super Bowl favorites. This is all because of the return of Tom Brady. Brady, who tore his knee up so bad last year there were some rumors he might never play again, is expected to step back in and be the same player who led his team to 18-1 the year before. Why does everyone just assume he is going to be ok? It took Donovan McNabb and Carson Palmer a full season playing before they were the same. Daunte Culpepper never recovered. Is Brady Culpepper? No. But he also isn't superman. 

3. Miami Dolphins: Can the Dolphins ride the wildcat to another playoff berth? Even with the Wildcats wetdream Pat White on the team, the Dolphins still have Chad Pennington under center. Pennington had a solid year last season, but he has not been able to put it together in consecutive seasons his whole career. The division was strong last year, and is even stronger now. The Dolphins are the odd team out. 

4. Buffalo Bills: Its going to be a cold winter in Buffalo. With the off season addition of Terrell Owens, the Bills feel they are ready to win now. Marshawn Lynch and Trent Edwards, along with Owens, do form a nice core of talent, but does anyone believe Owens is going to be quite as he catches from the worst quarterback hes had his whole career? Things could get ugly quick, as the Bills limp to a last place finish. 

Playoffs:

1. San Diego Chargers

2. Baltimore Ravens

3. Indianapolis Colts

4. New York Jets

5. Pittsburgh Steelers

6.  New England Patriots

Round 1: Colts over Patriots; Steelers over Jets

Round 2: Ravens over Colts; Chargers over Steelers

Round 3: Ravens over Chargers

AFC Champion: Ravens

NFL Season Preview: NFC

This week on Philly Stand Up, I'll get you ready for the upcoming NFL Season with a week long preview. Today is the NFC, the AFC tommorw, and then the rest of the week will be focused on the Birds. 

National Football Conference

East: With almost every quarterback in this division on the hot seat, the Eagles emerge from this group of teams that all have big question marks.

1. Philadelphia Eagles- The preseason was not kind to the Birds, as they entered it as a trendy Super Bowl pick, and left it with more questions then answers. The offensive line, linebacker, and secondary is a concern, but in this once strong division, who dosn't have holes? The Eagles have the best quarterback, wide receivers, and running back in this division- and that should be enough. More to come later in the week. 

2. New York Giants- This is the year we will get to see what Eli Manning is really about. After a strong start to last year, the Giants finished the season in a downward spiral. After the suspension of Plaxico Burress, the Giants went 2-3 in the last 5 games, then lost their first round playoff game. While rookie wideout Hakeem Nicks has been impressive in preseason (8 catches, 263 yards, 3 TD), the Giants are paper thin at receiver. The running game and defense will be good, but Manning showed us last year he can't win without Plaxico, and he won't prove us wrong this year.

3. Dallas Cowboys- The pressure will be on the Cowboys this year: with the opening of their new stadium, the departure of Terrell Owens, and the embarising end to last year. The Cowboys should commit to the run this year, as they field an impressive backfield of Marion Barber and Felix Jones. Tony Romo will find that despite the headache Owens gave him off the field, he will get a bigger one on it when he realizes the Roy Williams is no T.O.

4. Washington Redskins- This team is one losing streak away from completely imploding. Jim Zorn and Jason Campbell are playing for their jobs this year. Albert Hanyesworth has bust written all over him. Clinton Portis is getting older, and his relationship with his coach is cordial at best. Its very possible that after this year, Campbell, Zorn and Portis could all be gone. 

South: The Falcons, Panthers, and Matt Ryan try to prove they were no fluke last year- only the Falcons pass the test.

1. Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons took everyone by surprise last year, and have "bust" written all over them. They return a second year coach and quarterback, an aging tight end, and an immense amount of expectations to live up to. But this team has to much fire power on offense not to be good again. Couple that with a mediocre division, and that leads to a NFC South crown for the Falcons.

2. New Orleans Saints: The Saints failed to meet high expectations last year, as injuries ravaged their season. Drew Brees, one of the best quarterbacks in the league, has plenty of toys to play with. And he better be ready, because the Saints defense gave up the 2nd most points per game last year. 

3. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have everything you could want in a team- a powerful running game, solid defense, and a good coach. But this will be the year Jake Delhomme comes back to bite them. He started with his choke artist game in the playoffs last season, and will continue into this one. 

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Theres no much to like when it comes to this team: questions at quarterback, no real play makers at the running back or wide reciever postion, a defense that lost its leader in Derrick Brooks, and a rookie head coach. It should be a long season down in Tampa.

West: In one of the weakest divisions in the league, the Cardinals try to loose the division- but win it anyway.

1. Arizona Cardinals: Coming off a surprising Super Bowl appearance, the Cardinals will try to be the first team in a while to make the playoffs after losing in the Super Bowl the previous season. The Cardinals did address their running game with the addition of Chris "Beanie" Wells thru the draft, and still have the best group of wide outs in the league. Kurt Warner will continue to add to his (gulp) Hall of Fame Career. 

2. San Fransico 49ers: The 49ers ended the season as the team no one wanted to play, finishing 5-2, including impressive wins over the Jets and Redskins. Mike Singletary has this team on the right track, but any team that has Shaun Hill at quarterback is not ready to win in this league.

3. Seattle Seahawks: This is a team that has a lot to prove. Matt Hasselbeck is coming off a season ravaged with injuries, and wants to prove he is once again one of the elite quarterbacks in the league. Jim Mora is back head coaching, and wants to prove that he can get the job done. TJ Housmandzadeh is out to prove his Madden ratings are to low- and that he can be a number 1 wideout in this league. All three will fail.

4. St Louis Rams: What is there to say for this team? New coach Steve Spagnuolo was a good hire? Stephen Jackson is a good back? Kyle Boller is still playing? Another long season for the Rams. 

North: The best division is football features 3 teams that could win it all- Aaron Rodgers passes Favre for the division title.

1. Green Bay Packers: The Packers have come out like gangbusters this preseason, and America should get to know these names: Aaron Rodgers, Ryan Grant, and Greg Jennings. The Packers defense was actually better then the Bears last year, and their offense was better then the Vikings. The Packers lost 7 games by 5 points or less last year, and with another year under Aaron Rodgers belt, they'll win those games this year.

2. Minnesota Vikings: Look at the numbers of Tavaris Jackson last years, compared to Brett Favres: Jackson: 9 td's, 2 int's, and a quarterback rating of 95. Favre: 22 td's, 22 int's, and had a quaterback rating of 81.  Throw is the fact that Jackson is liked by team mates, mobile in the pocket, and not brittle like an old man, and you have to ask: Is Favre really an upgrade? Jackson killed the team last year with being unable to make things happen in the passing game, which Favre might be able to do better. But Favre is also known to throw the ball to the other team at key points in the game- and that will do the Vikings in, just like it did the Jets last year, and the Packers the year before.

3. Chicago Bears: With the arrival of Jay Cutler to the south side, the Bears finally have the quarterback they need to get to the Super Bowl. Only problem? The defense might not be their anymore. The Bears gave up the 21rst most points in the league last season at 21, and Brian Urlacher is only getting older. And while Cutler is an upgrade, if the Bears really plan to use Devin Hester as their number 1 wideout, Cutler could be forcing his way out of Chicago as well by seasons end. 

4. Detroit Lions: The good news is, the Lions can only improve this year, after going 0-16 last season. The bad news? I think they made the wrong call on Matthew Stafford. Bright spots on the team will be Calvin Johnson and Kevin Smith, but thats about it. When will they win their first game? Week 8, when the Rams visit. 

Overall Conference Breakdown: 

Do the Eagles have question marks? Absolutely. But what team dosn't. The teams that could compete with the Eagles (Packers, Falcons) have little playoff experience at both quarterback and head coach. The Bears, Vikings and Packers will beat each other up in the regular season, giving the Eagles home field. Brett Favre isn't beating the Eagles in a playoff game. The Cardinals don't win that game last year in Philadelphia. The Giants, if they can get their offense together, are the Eagles biggest threat, and the Eagles went into the Meadowland last year and beat them in the playoffs. So by default, its the Eagles.  

Playoff Seeding:

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2. Green Bay Packers

3. Atlanta Falcons

4. Arizona Cardinals

5. Minnesota Vikings

6. New York Giants

Round 1: Giants over Falcons; Vikings over Cardinals

Round 2: Eagles over Vikings; Packers over Giants

Round 3: Eagles over Packers

NFC Champion: Eagles