Now the 2012 draft is complete it’s time to look back and assess the picks teams have made and the strategies adopted for the draft. This week: the AFC South.

The Colts came into ]]>

Now the 2012 draft is complete it’s time to look back and assess the picks teams have made and the strategies adopted for the draft. This week: the AFC South.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts came into the 2012 draft in rebuild mode. They had cleared the decks by releasing their franchise quarterback Payton Manning and a list of older, high profile players leaving them with needs on both sides of the ball. The most glaring need was quarterback and in drafting Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the Colts look to have landed a player who can be the face of the franchise for the next decade. Replacing a legend like Manning will be no easy task, but hearing the plethora of positive scouting reports heaping praise on Luck, Colts fans have reason to be excited for the upcoming season.

Taking Andrew Luck with the first overall pick told us little of the strategy the Colts were going to employ for the draft. Luck picked himself. The players Indianapolis took in the later rounds spoke loud and clear, ‘Andrew Luck is now our guy and we’re going to give him what he needs to succeed.’ Of their 9 remaining draft picks Indianapolis drafted 7 offensive players including Luck’s favourite target at Stanford, tight end Coby Fleener.

Fleener provides Luck with a pure pass catching tight end that runs great routes and has good speed. He should put up respectable numbers this year and will create an interesting tandem with Colts third round selection Dwayne Allen.

Allen is a tight end out of Clemson who plays all aspects of the position well. He is not the receiving threat that Fleener is but he is solid in the passing game and is a much better blocker. The combination of Fleener and Allen has given Indianapolis a duel tight end threat similar to the system employed in New England. Indianapolis would be ecstatic if they can match New England’s production from these two players.

If Luck was excited with the last two picks, he would’ve been doing backflips when the Colts took Florida International wide receiver T.Y. Hilton off the board. Hilton is a dynamic returner but could also prove to be a dangerous weapon in the passing game with his elusiveness and speed.

Alabama defensive tackle Josh Chapman was the first defensive player taken by the Colts. Chapman has the size to fill the position and the Colts will be looking to sharpen his skills to make him a solid player. The defensive tackle area was a massive need and Indianapolis did well to address it here.

The Colts took Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard with their next draft pick. Indianapolis released long time starter Joseph Addai this offseason but I’m unsure if Ballard was drafted to be ‘the guy’ or simply to play back up to Delone Carter. Both backs will benefit from the improved aerial threat posed by the Colts but we will likely have to wait till opening day to find out the starter for the franchise.

The next four picks made by Indianapolis, Ohio wide receiver LaVon Brazill, Georgia offensive tackle Justin Anderson, Vanderbilt defensive end Tim Fugger and Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish look likely to play backup roles or may be cut from the final squad.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Every draft there is one pick that leaves you scratching your head asking ‘what were they thinking’. The Jaguars taking Cal punter Bryan Anger in the third round, was baffling to say the least. A punter is a luxury pick at the best of times. Coming off the season Jacksonville had last year, coupled with the fact they only had 6 draft picks to work with, a punter shouldn’t even come into consideration. Anger is obviously a skilful player and I realise the importance of good field position, but I believe the Jaguars could’ve landed a quality player who would’ve made a greater impact with this pick and still have been able to pick up Anger later in the draft.

Anger may have been a strange pick, but Justin Blackmon was exactly what the franchise needed. Quarterback Blaine Gabbert looked shaky at best last year and despite having a premiere running back in Maurice Jones-Drew in the backfield, he was desperately in need of a number one receiver. Blackmon gives Gabbert a big target and shores up a passing game that was terrible last year. There are concerns that Blackmon might not be a pure number one receiver, but there is little doubt he was the best receiving prospect in this draft.

The Jaguars took Clemson defensive end Andre Branch with their second round pick. Branch was the best of the pass rushing defensive ends remaining on the board and was a solid pick for Jacksonville. They realised they didn’t get enough pressure on the passer last year and Branch with his flexibility and closing speed has the makings of a solid pass rusher.

Jacksonville added to their defence in the fifth round by drafting Nevada linebacker Brandon Marshall. Marshall has some positives in terms of technique and positional play but looks like he will provide depth more than an immediate impact at the position and his playing time may be limited this season.

Florida State’s Mike Harris is another player that will have limited game time this season but provides much needed depth at the cornerback position. Harris looks to be a solid player and could be a contributor further down the road.

The Jaguars took Ashland defensive tackle Jeris Pendleton with their last selection in the 2012 draft.

Tennessee Titans

Many pundits were surprised when the Titans opted to draft Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright in the first round rather than addressing their much more pressing need of defensive end. As much as they did ignore a pressing need, I have to say I like this pick. Wright is a solid receiving prospect with great acceleration. With Kenny Britt returning from a season ending injury and tight end Jared Cook showing flashes of what a dangerous receiving threat he can be, Tennessee now have the makings of a formidable passing attack.

The Titans second pick, line backer Zach Brown out of North Carolina, looms as a boom-or-bust prospect. There is no doubting Brown’s pure athletic ability. He has great speed and movement for a line backer and will be valuable in zone coverage. There are however questions regarding Brown’s football instincts and his ability to hold up against the run. This coupled with the fact Tennessee once again ignored their needs and went for a player they think has upside with this pick made this an interesting choice.

Tennessee added to their defensive line with their third pick of the draft by taking Michigan defensive tackle Mike Martin. Martin has great strength, a relentless motor and is a high character guy. He was a defensive leader in Michigan and he can be a solid player for the Titans for many seasons to come.

Losing Cortland Finnegan in free agency this offseason was a blow for the Titans. Finnegan’s play was sometimes inconsistent but he was a solid contributor to the defence nonetheless. Clemson corner back Coty Sensabaugh could be the long term answer for Finnegan if he makes the most of his physical gifts. He has exceptional recovery speed and with some experience under his belt could prove to be an exceptional man coverage corner, but he must be viewed as a project player for now.

It took until the fifth round for the Titans to address their most pressing need… sort of. Tennessee drafted SMU defensive end Taylor Thompson, but are expected to convert him into a tight end. Thompson has reportedly looked good in tight end workouts and has promise. This should be tempered with the fact that he has had little playing time at the position so will likely need time and coaching to become a contributor to the side. It will be interesting to see how this pick plays out for the Titans and his development will be interesting to watch.

The second last pick the Titans made could prove to be one of their best. Oklahoma State safety Markelle Martin is a solid tackler and shows good speed for his position. Look for Martin to make his presence felt this season.

Tennessee traded a 2013 sixth round pick to enter into the seventh round to draft Rice’s Scott Solomon. Yes he is a defensive end but the pick was a little late to provide the help they needed at the position.

Houston Texans

Houston lost their biggest defensive weapon Mario Williams in free agency this offseason. Though the Texans showed they could live without Williams last year when they lost him early in the season and still managed to make the playoffs, they were still in need of a defensive end that can rush the passer. They believe they have their man now after taking Illinois defensive end Whitney Mercilus with the 26^th overall pick. Whitney’s speed combined with his size will make him an imposing figure on the line and bolsters an already impressive Texans defensive unit.

Wide Receiver was a position of concern for the Texans coming into the draft. Injuries sidelined star receiver Andre Johnson for the majority of the season and exposed the lack of depth the franchise had at the position. Receivers Jacoby Jones and Kevin Walter were inconsistent and failed to impress when given their opportunity. Ohio State wide out DeVier Posey was drafted in the third round and has the skill set to be a solid receiving option. I’m unsure if Posey will be the receiving weapon Houston was looking for as he does lack the intangibles of an elite number one receiver, but he should be able to contribute immediately to the team.

Taking two offensive linemen with their next two picks gave some much needed depth to the Houston front. Miami’s Brandon Brooks and Georgia’s Ben Jones are both solid linemen with good size that should become future starters.

Michigan State’s Keyshawn Martin added more depth to the wide receiver position. An added bonus for the Texans is that Martin is also useful in the return game. Houston hasn’t exactly set the world on fire in that department in recent seasons so Martin will provide an upgrade in that area.

Nebraska’s Jason Crick was added in the fourth round and will join the impressive list of Houston defensive linemen. What Crick lacks in skill he makes up for in work ethic. The Texans landed themselves a solid player with this pick.

With the departure of Neil Rackers in the offseason, the Texans needed a kicker. In Randy Bullock (Texas A & M) they drafted one of the most accurate collegiate kickers from last year.

Houston finalised their draft by taking offensive tackle Nick Mondek out of Purdue.

Overview

It’s close but I’m going to have to say my pick of the drafts was the Houston Texans. They addressed their major needs, didn’t reach for players and spread the additions across all areas of the team. If all their players return fit and healthy for this season look for them to have another impressive year.

 The Colts had so many needs they were never going to be able to address them all but I feel they did a good job. Franchise quarterback Luck now has a plethora of weapons to work with which will make the transition to the NFL much easier. Indianapolis will need to address the defence in next years draft but they have taken the first step toward rebuilding.

This is definitely a ‘wait and see’ draft by the Titans. If Tennessee’s draft picks work out the way they hope, we could look back and view it as one of their best. If they don’t, their roster could be littered with busts. There are just too many unknowns in their selections to allow me to give a better review.

The Jaguars are the low mark for mine. They did well early on to get their number one receiver and improve their pass rush. I just can’t overlook taking a punter in the third round when you have limited picks to work with.

Each year the draft rolls through the Radio City Music Hall in New York City and NFL frachises decide how to use their valuable picks. Their decisions are based on team needs, desires, luxuries, schemes, personal philosophy, character, ticket sales and various other factors. No matter how intricate we like to think our knowledge of the league is, we as fans simply ]]>

Each year the draft rolls through the Radio City Music Hall in New York City and NFL frachises decide how to use their valuable picks. Their decisions are based on team needs, desires, luxuries, schemes, personal philosophy, character, ticket sales and various other factors. No matter how intricate we like to think our knowledge of the league is, we as fans simply can’t comprehend the thought process that is involved.

If there is one constant about the NFL it’s that it will never cease to amaze. This is why the NFL draft seems to be just as celebrated an event in the football calendar as the Super Bowl.

In each draft class there are bona fide superstars as well as those with question marks surrounding them. But we have often seen these ‘superstars’ fizzle out within three years (Jamarcus Russell) while the questionable draftees (Tim Tebow) become cultural phenomenons.

In the immortal words of former Indianapolis head coach Jim Mora, “you think you know, but you just dont know, and you never will.”

And so I attempt to make some sense of several questionable picks in the 2012 NFL Draft, with Jim Mora’s words still ringing in my ears.

 1. Dontari Poe, Kansas City Chiefs, Pick 11

With the 11th pick, in the NFL Draft, The Kansas City Chiefs select Dontari Poe, defensive tackle, Memphis.

The AFC West 2010/2011 champion Chiefs were poised to make a run at consecutive titles last season.

That was before they lost franchise running back Jamaal Charles, starting tight end Tony Moeaki, pro-bowl strong safety Eric Berry, all to season-ending injuries in September.

Then in mid-November quarterback Matt Cassel was replaced by the little known lefty, Tyler Palko, due to a hand injury which landed him on the injured reserve list.

With a healthy roster, the Chiefs’ main concerns heading into the off-season were replacing cornerback Brandon Carr (which they did with the signing of Stanford Routt), reinforcing the offensive line (achieved with the signing of tackle Eric Winston) and finding a disruptive force in the middle of the defence (results still pending).

There is no denying what Dontari Poe is.

He is a physical specimen with a freakish combination of size, strength and agility who draws favourable comparisons to Ravens All-Pro Haloti Ngata.

But he is a physical beast who suffered from lack of production playing for Memphis in the Conference USA, a second-tier college football conference.

Generally, a defensive player taken this highly in the draft has earned their position as they were dominant against a high level of college competition (just look at Ndamukong Suh’s game against Texas. Seriously, YouTube it. I’ll wait). This alone is enough to be skeptical of the pick.

Poe skyrocketed to the upper echelon of the draft based purely off his combine performance, but as the old adage goes “the game isnt played in shorts” and as a result there are some questionable traits that shadow this pick.

Firstly, the last draftee that help his draft stock so much from a Combine performance? Former 6th overall pick Vernon Gholston.

Secondly, by the time the Chiefs were on the clock every defensive tackle was still available. They didnt have to take Poe due to lack of any other option and as a result passed on Mississippi State’s Fletcher Cox and LSU’s Michael Brockers, both had more productive college careers against a higher level of competition and both were taken within three picks of Dontari Poe.

Finally, the state of Missouri is known as the “Show Me” state, so until the Kansas City front office shows me they are adequate talent evaluators of defensive lineman the only confidence I have in them are the examples of former first round picks Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson (who have a combined six sacks since entering the league).

That’s to say, my confidence is not high.

2. Bruce Irvin, Seattle Seahawks, Pick 15

This was the first legitimately head scratching pick of the 2012 draft, and Seattle’s draft grade will ultimately hinge on the productivity of this pick.

For those who dont know, Bruce Irvin is a defensive end out of West Virginia. The fact that you have to be told who he is should be the first warning.

Bruce Irvin was given a second-to-third round grade as a prospect out of college for various reasons.

Physically, Irvin is a one-trick pony who is a vastly undersized defensive end at 6’3, 245lbs, especially for the 4-3 defensive front that Seattle runs.

He is built for a speed rush off the edge and nothing else. You just have to wonder if the 15th overall pick is an adequate draft value for a player who is essentially a situational pass rusher.

Irvin as a college player compares to Penn State product Aaron Maybin who was drafted 11th overall to the Bills in the 2009 draft.

Both are undersized at the position and specialise in rushing the passer but unfortunately for Irvin, the Aaron Maybin experiment didn’t work out in Buffalo and now with the Jets, Maybin has only six sacks to his name in three years.

On top of the physical side of things, Irvin has had a slew of off-field discretions ranging from dropping out of high school, de-committing to college programs as well as an arrest for a robbery adding to the list of questionable traits surrounding him as a player and person.

Only time will tell as to whether he will be a success in the NFL, but it is noted that amongs players with chequered pasts, rarely do their issues remain dormant especially after an influx of first round money.

3. Quinton Coples, New York Jets, Pick 16

On face value, this pick makes sense. The Jets needed a pass rusher and Coples is an excellent pass rusher.

Eyebrows were raised when Coples was taken over other elite pass-rushing talent in the draft.

Looking from the outside it is a match made in heaven, but there are some real queries as to how this relationship is going to work.

Coming out of North Carolina, Quinton Coples was spoken of as the prototype 4-3 defensive end of the draft.

He was linked to Carolina, Jacksonville and Seattle, all who needed a pass rusher and all who run a 4-3 scheme.

But Coples slipped down the draft and the ultra-aggressive defensive style of the New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan snapped him up to play a role in their 3-4 scheme which is still shrouded in mystery.

At 6’6 and 285lbs Coples is vastly more sizable than the prototypical 3-4 outside rusher. While he has a natural knack for getting to the quarterback, his production could be altered greatly if forced to play the rush from a standing position rather than hand in dirt.

What is more important about this pick is the effect it will have on the already dysfunctional New York Jets locker room.

Last season turned into a soap opera for the organisation as the receiving corps went to war with the offensive line, quarterback Mark Sanchez was in the firing line and appointed captain Santonio Holmes was benched in the last game of the year for quitting on his team.

One main concern about Coples is that of his character, triggering fears that he won’t give his all once he makes first round money.

This is understandable as on various occasions in his last season at North Carolina he was accused of “playing not to get hurt”, as he knew he would be declaring for the NFL draft shortly after the season.

Combine these personality and effort issues with his NCAA investigations regarding violations last season and this could be a terrible concoction for a locker room desperate to regain the team unity it once had.

4. Whitney Mercilus, Houston Texans, Pick 26

The Houston Texans reached their first playoff appearance in franchise history last season.

They achieved this by riding running back tandem Arian Foster and Ben Tate into the ground behind a physically dominant and mauling offensive line.

This had to be the case due to nagging injuries to Andre Johnson who was never at 100% as well as season ending injuries to both quarterback Matt Schaub and backup Matt Leinart, leaving unproven T.J Yates in charge of the offence.

With the fragility of quarterback Matt Schaub, the effectiveness of the running game and the free agent loss of RT Eric Winston it would seem the best use of Houston’s first round pick would have been steadying the right side of the offensive line, allowing the running game to dominate for the third straight year.

One more thing to take into account – no longer will the Texans be receiving maximum gain for minimum expenditure.

After two years of All-Pro production on an undrafted free agent salary, the Texans signed running back Arian Foster to deal for five years worth a reported $43.5 million. Clearly staying true to the run game is critical both on the field as well as financially.

The Mercilus pick is questionable for a few reasons.

This pick seems like a knee-jerk reaction to Houston losing defensive end (and former first overall pick) Mario Williams. But the Texans had the number two ranked defence in the league last season after playing the majority of the year without him due to a torn pectoral muscle, so is it really such a priority to replace him?

Mercilus would be out of position as either an undersized 3-4 end or an oversized 3-4 linebacker and as a result would be a victim of a heavy learning curve. This is not great news for a team with its best chance to win the division now that Peyton Manning is out of the picture.

Houston already have two tremendous young book ends at outside linebacker with Connor Barwin and Brooks Reed as well as a blitzing middle linebacker in Brian Cushing. The addition of another pass rusher seems redundant especially in a run-heavy AFC South that has a good chance of being the lowest scoring division in the league this year.

 5. Kirk Cousins, Washington Redskins, Pick 102

Ironically, this is the pick with the least value of the bunch that has the potential to cause the most commotion.

Once the offseason started, the Washington Redskins had made it quite perfectly clear their intentions for the 2012 season.

Cousins was the second QB picked by the Redskins in the draft.

Get RG3. Surround him with weapons. Win the NFC East.

This all seemed to be going smoothly, as the Redskins acquired Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan. Shortly after they drafted Robert Griffin III with the number two overall pick.

And then, come the fourth round, they select Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins.

A collective confused grunt filled the Radio City Music Hall as the Washington Redskins seemingly traded one quarterback controversy for another.

What makes this pick so questionable is that as a result, RG3 will no longer be the consensus starting quarterback for the season.

Once he hits the rookie wall (and they all do) and throws three interceptions there will be the selection of the fan base calling for Kirk Cousins (no doubt triggered by editor Dom himself – Jim H-S).

It has been said that the most popular player on any team is the backup quarterback. Now combine that with a pro-ready prospect with a stellar college career and a huge upside.

This situation has the potential to spell yet another disaster for the Shanahan regime in Washington.

A couple of weeks ago, the National Football League released their full schedule for the 2012 Regular Season. With the majority of free agency and the draft completed, we can now speculate on the games we think will be the best ones to watch. Here are my top games to look out for in the upcoming season, including standard games ]]>

A couple of weeks ago, the National Football League released their full schedule for the 2012 Regular Season. With the majority of free agency and the draft completed, we can now speculate on the games we think will be the best ones to watch. Here are my top games to look out for in the upcoming season, including standard games you would expect to be good, as well as a few sleepers to keep an eye on.

The regular season schedule can be found here.

Standard Games

5. Houston Texans at Detroit Lions
When: Week 12, Thursday November 4, 5:00 AM AEDT, CBS (Thanksgiving)

This might seem like an unusual choice, but I really like the look of these teams. Both are rapidly improving, and both made it to the playoffs last year after a long drought (1999 for the Lions, and the first time ever for the Texans). Lions Quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for the 5th highest total yards in NFL history last year (5,038), and who knows how deep into the 2011 playoffs the Texans would have gone with starting QB Matt Schaub at the helm instead of rookie T.J Yates (the Texans were 7-3 before Schaub was injured, before finishing 10-6).

Both teams had solid drafts, and I expect them to come out all guns blazing this year.

4. New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys

When: Week 8, Sunday October 28, 7:15 AM AEDT, Fox

NFC East hosts some of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL.

The Giants vs. The Cowboys is one of the best divisional contests in the League. More often than not, when these two teams compete, you end up with a great battle and I see this year being no different. Both teams went in opposite directions in the draft, with the Giants spending 5/7 picks on offence, and the Cowboys 5/7 on defence (including a potential immediate game changer in CB Morris Claiborne). I can see the Cowboys defence breaking into the league’s top 10 this season, and up against Eli Manning’s powerful offence, it creates one heck of a matchup.

The last 3 competitions between these teams at Cowboys Stadium have each been decided by 6 points or less, which is why I chose it over MetLife Stadium, and why it makes my list.

3. San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers
When: Week 1, Sunday September 9, 6:15 AM AEST, Fox

What a mammoth game on Kickoff weekend. The best offence vs. the best defence of 2011, going head to head. While it will be hard for the 49ers to generate the number of turnovers they managed last year, I expect them to be as stifling as always. However, they have their work cut out for them up against 2011 league MVP Aaron Rodgers’ offence. 49ers QB Alex Smith will also have pressure to prove that his elevated level of play in last year’s postseason wasn’t a fluke, and up against the 31st ranked Packers defence, he has the perfect platform.

While I think the Packers defence will be improved over last season, I don’t think it will be that much better by week 1, and as such, the offensive and defensive matchup between each team is very close.

2. Denver Broncos at New England Patriots
When: Week 5, Sunday October 7, 7:15 AM AEDT, CBS

I’m going out on a limb here, and assuming that Peyton Manning returns and plays at the level he used to. If so, this should be a very exciting game to watch. In the 5 times Manning has gone up against Tom Brady from 2006-2010, the result has been decided by 7 or less points (with 4 being by 4 or less). With the Patriots going crazy on defence in the draft, and the Broncos filling some of their holes, I expect this game to go down to the wire in true Manning-Brady fashion.

The chance for a defensive surge is there, however I expect this to be an all-offence affair.

1. Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
When: Week 11, Sunday November 18, 12:20 PM AEDT, NBC (Sunday Night Football)

Aside from my own team’s games, there are no games that I look forward to each season more than the Ravens and the Steelers. These two AFC North power houses come together for some of the best games of the season every year, and have incredibly similarly structured teams, with stingy defences, and offences that may not be amongst the most potent, but always seem to put up good numbers. 7 out of their last 8 regular season games have come down to a margin of 4 points or less (let’s just forget about week 1 last year), and as such I expect another very tight and exciting showdown.

I chose this Steelers home game over the Ravens’ because of the fact that it is a Prime Time fixture, meaning you don’t have to deprive yourselves of sleep to watch it (for those of you who don’t work on a Monday, that is).

Sleeper Games

Every year there are great contests between teams who aren’t very good, or who you wouldn’t expect to be particularly exciting. Here I’ve taken inspiration from fantasy football, and tried to pick the best potentially-exhilarating sleeper games of the upcoming season.

5. Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts
When: Week 9, Sunday November 15, 4:00 AM AEDT, CBS

This game makes it on the list because of the addition of 2 new Quarterbacks: Andrew Luck of the Colts, and Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins (yes, I do expect Tannehill to be the started by week 9). Both QBs will still be quite raw, however up against one another, I see a good contest. Despite their struggles last year, I believe Miami has a solid defence, which will help cover for Tannehill’s inexperience. As for Luck, the majority expectation is that he will come in and be an instant game changer. It will still take him some time to really get going, and alongside a poor Colts defence, I can see a good, even matchup on both sides of the ball.

I fear that Tannehill could be the next Blaine Gabbert; however, Miami have a good Offensive Line and decent run game, which should counteract the inefficient passing that Tannehill may provide.

4. Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
When:Week 6, Sunday October 14, 3:00 AM AEST, CBS

The Chiefs will be looking to bounce back from a lackluster 2011 season.

The Buccaneers and Chiefs are both teams who drastically fell from grace last season, after successful 2010 campaigns. I can see them both rebounding in 2012, and being potential challengers for a wildcard playoff spot in their respective conferences. The Buccaneers’ woeful defence got some much needed additions from the draft this year, and Kansas City will have a handful of starters returning from injury, including starting QB Matt Cassell, and game changing RB Jamaal Charles.

If Bucs QB Josh Freeman can return to his 2010 form, with the addition of a major receiving in threat WR Vincent Jackson, we have a very tight game on our hands.

3. Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals
When: Week 1, Sunday September 9, 6:15 AM AEST, Fox

Despite mediocre regular season records from last year, both of these teams showed great improvement over the final 8 games the season (The Cardinals went 6-2, the Seahawks 5-3). Each featured stingy defences that never gave up more than 23 points over that stretch, and offences that sometimes struggled, but showed potential. The emergence of RBs Marshawn Lynch and Beanie Wells offer powerful runners for each team, and with Seattle’s signing of Free agent QB Matt Flynn, a full offseason of work for him and Cardinals QB Kevin Kolb could herald potent (realistically speaking, steady) passing attacks as well.

Despite Seattle having a ‘questionable’ draft, they did manage to add some potential playmakers, and athe Cardinals got great value by sticking to their draft board. I expect both teams to be all-round better in 2012, and very closely matched.

2. Minnesota Vikings at St Louis Rams
When: Week 15, Sunday December 16, 5:00 AM AEDT, Fox

These teams both have a huge amount of potential. One of the most injury riddled teams from last year, the Rams will have bunch of starters returning to the game, and with the addition of WRs Brian Quick and Chris Givens, 3rd year QB Sam Bradford will have some more weapons, and command an improved offence. Vikings second year QB Christian Ponder also showed lots of promise last year, and will have the support of All-Pro RB Adrian Peterson, who is coming back from injury.

Both of these teams have weak defences, and while improvements were made through the draft, I don’t see either of them being particularly stellar, even by week 15. As such, both offences will have room for error, and the product should be a very close game.

1. Carolina Panthers at Washington Redskins
When: Week 9, Sunday November 4, 4:00 AM AEDT, Fox

The battle of the mobile quarterbacks: Cam Newton vs. Robert Griffin III. These Quarterbacks are similar in so many ways; both have strong arms, the ability to make all the throws, and can get out of the pocket and make plays with their legs. The Redskins have improved their offence, going crazy in free agency trying to add WR threats for RG3, while the Panthers took a more balanced approach to the off season, filling holes on both sides of the ball, including what should be an immediate impact player in ILB Luke Kuechly.

Regardless of Kuechly, defence remains a large question mark for both these teams, and Defensive game planning for the two QBs will be a nightmare. Look for them to run up quite a high score, in a back and forth game.

Final Thoughts

An honourable mention has to be given to every game in Week 17. The divisional showdowns that often can decide the winners of the division include some of the most intense and thrilling games of the season. It’s hard to judge which teams will be challenging for their division, but you know that if it comes down to a tie breaker, they will give everything they have to get the win.

I should also throw a word to the AFC and NFC Championship game rematches. Patriots at Ravens (week 3), and Giants at 49ers (week 7) sat right outside my top 5, and are definitely games to keep an eye on, as they should produce an excellent contest.

Which games are you most looking to this season?