OFFICIAL 2012-2013 NFL Thread

by **mikemarrs** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:08 am

The AFC North in 2012 is easily one of the best if not the best division in football.Pittsburgh,Baltimore and Cincinnati are all right there in the mix so it could swing either way.If you asked me i think Cincinnati could win it this season and in the last couple years they have had one of the best drafts also.Also don't forget the picks they got for giving the Raiders Carson Palmer.Anyway the defense is getting better and Andy Dalton is in my opinion going to be a really good QB in the years to come.It also doesn't hurt that he has a good receiving crew.I think the Bengals will be 11-5 or close to it.Factor in Pittsburgh who has a new coordinator on offense so its too early to say how that will pan out plus the Steelers are aging on defense.I still say there is a lot of talent there plus veteran leadership not to mention excellent coaching so i could see them 10-6.Finally Baltimore with Suggs out and of course the Ravens are pretty old on defense not to mention injury concerns.On offense you have Joe Flacco and right now its really too hard to tell what he will do.I see Baltimore 9-7.Will be interesting to see if Holmgren has the Browns doing anything this year.

by **Ehwmatt** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:42 am

As always, an ominous start for the Browns. Our 21st overall pick from a year ago, NT Phil Taylor, just suffered a fully torn left pec yesterday while lifting weights. He is having surgery next week. He's almost certainly out for the entire year.

Huge blow.

by **Liam** » Sat May 12, 2012 2:02 am

Lot of torn tits in the past 2 years. :lol:

by **YoungJRNY** » Sat May 12, 2012 12:33 pm

mikemarrs wrote:The AFC North in 2012 is easily one of the best if not the best division in football.Pittsburgh,Baltimore and Cincinnati are all right there in the mix so it could swing either way.If you asked me i think Cincinnati could win it this season and in the last couple years they have had one of the best drafts also.Also don't forget the picks they got for giving the Raiders Carson Palmer.Anyway the defense is getting better and Andy Dalton is in my opinion going to be a really good QB in the years to come.It also doesn't hurt that he has a good receiving crew.I think the Bengals will be 11-5 or close to it.Factor in Pittsburgh who has a new coordinator on offense so its too early to say how that will pan out plus the Steelers are aging on defense.I still say there is a lot of talent there plus veteran leadership not to mention excellent coaching so i could see them 10-6.Finally Baltimore with Suggs out and of course the Ravens are pretty old on defense not to mention injury concerns.On offense you have Joe Flacco and right now its really too hard to tell what he will do.I see Baltimore 9-7.Will be interesting to see if Holmgren has the Browns doing anything this year.

Pittsburgh has a perfect nucleaus of core-veterans with upcoming All-Pro talent, ESPECIALLY at the corner position and the defensive line. LaMarr Woodley is just about to hit his prime and he will team up with a healthy James Harrison in 2012, still one of, if not, the most feared pass-rush in the NFL. Troy Polamalu is still playing at an All-Pro level and is still highly considered the best safety in the league with the perfect compliment, Pro-Bowler Ryan Clark standing next to him. Lawrence Timmons will take over the middle-linbacking core and he's still very, very young. Our defensive line could be the most surprising young unit in the game with Ziggy Hood, Cameron Heyward (back to back 1st round draft picks) Ta'amu (Hampton's replacement) and Brett Keisel, who had one of his best season's of 2011.

Pittsburgh's offense is about to sore now. They are the youngest offensive in the league and those young wideouts have now played 2-3 solid seasons together, ready to breakout with Ben hitting his prime. If you're going to expect the same 'ol stagnant Steelers offense, then you'll sadly be mistaken. Haley's playbook is deep. Real deep. It'll be tough to stop. Here's Roethlisberger's and Emmanuel Sanders reactions:

Ben: "The similarities would be on a shorter list. Off the top of my head, from what I’ve seen so far, there’s a 90 percent change.”

Emmanuel Sanders tweet about the depth of the playbook:

This new playbook is something serious!!!!! Bout to go old-school and make some flashcards.

If Pittsburgh can get it together quick, they'll be poised for another Lombardi run.

by **mikemarrs** » Sun May 13, 2012 11:18 pm

That was the one thing i really wondered about was just how is Haley going to run that offense in Pittsburgh.I think most were not happy with Arians or the way he was doing things with the offense.I think most people were expecting better things and Arians didn't achieve so Tomlin and the brass there decided to bring in fresh blood.Well now that they brought in Haley he may be able to open things up and air it out more instead of going to the running game.With Wallace and Sanders the weapons are there for Big Ben to air it out more often and if Mendenhall doesn't improve then you have Redman who in my opinion is better than Mendenhall anyway.

Looking at it the way you presented it to me they have a perfect balance of older and younger talent.The defense is always top notch there especially with Lebeau running things and they have excellent players there to contribute.Then you have the offense which should score much more with Haley running it.I think Wallace speed will help a lot and of course the running game with Redman.The main thing i agree with though is getting Decastro because now they are making sure Big Ben is protected better.The Steelers are serious about getting the line stronger so Ben has more time and protection.

You are right they could very well start making a run because the talent is there and picking up Haley to run the offense plus fixing the line made them better.

by **YoungJRNY** » Tue May 15, 2012 1:48 am

I expect the roof to be lifted off of Heinz Field sooner or later with Haley's attack & it'll involve Ben's strength's more than anybody. I think if Ben's healthy, we'll possibly see a fast-paced offense with a little bit of booting Ben out of the pocket, kind of like how Rodger's handles Green Bay's offense.

When it comes down to it though, I truly feel we'll finally come full circle with our offense and be the most balanced we've EVER been since the 70's. With our rejuvenated offensive line with mammoth's and mean streaks like Pouncey/DeCastro leading the pack, we're going to wear teams down to the BONE within the insides and the speed on the outside truly is incredible. This Steelers team could be complete all-around, something that we didn't have in quite some time. It could take a year or two, but Pittsburgh's gearing up for long term success with Ben hitting his prime at 30. You figure he has 5-8 good years left as a franchise QB.

by **mikemarrs** » Thu May 17, 2012 4:58 am

I expect some major shifts in power to happen this season in the NFL.I'll show more when we do our predictions later but i do expect some surprises to happen in the league in several divisions this upcoming season.Several teams are on the rise and there will be some who will take a step back.I think San Francisco is loaded at WR but i think they could get a better QB than Alex Smith in there and i expect Moss to let Smith know if he thinks he isn't making the best of it.Some may disagree but i bet anything there will be a QB controversy in San Francisco this season and i think Josh Johnson will end up taking the starting spot from Smith.

by **Ehwmatt** » Thu May 17, 2012 5:15 am

mikemarrs wrote:I expect some major shifts in power to happen this season in the NFL.I'll show more when we do our predictions later but i do expect some surprises to happen in the league in several divisions this upcoming season.Several teams are on the rise and there will be some who will take a step back.I think San Francisco is loaded at WR but i think they could get a better QB than Alex Smith in there and i expect Moss to let Smith know if he thinks he isn't making the best of it.Some may disagree but i bet anything there will be a QB controversy in San Francisco this season and i think Josh Johnson will end up taking the starting spot from Smith.

I think if anything, Colin Kaepernick (drafted in 2R last year) will get a look before Josh Johnson if Alex Smith comes sputtering out of the gate.

by **Liam** » Thu May 17, 2012 12:32 pm

NFC EAST (Especially the Cowboys) take the power back.

by **Rick** » Thu May 17, 2012 12:43 pm

Liam wrote:NFC EAST (Especially the Cowboys) take the power back.

by **Liam** » Thu May 17, 2012 1:16 pm

Rick wrote:
Liam wrote:NFC EAST (Especially the Cowboys) take the power back.

FUCK THE NORTH. :lol:

by **mikemarrs** » Sat May 19, 2012 10:54 pm

The Titans are a historically power-running team with a balanced offense, but it sounds like something more wide open and aggressive is brewing in Nashville this spring. Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer is entering his second year on the job, and this is his first full offseason.

To hear returning top receiver Nate Washington tell it, the Titans plan to really open things up.Something they rarely did when Jeff Fisher was coach but that was then and this is now.There are lots of changes going on.Fisher is now in St. Louis and there is new leadership in Tennessee.

“We’re excited,” Washington told John Glennon of the Nashville Tennessean. “Coach Palmer has been in the lab all offseason. He’s been licking his chops to get back to us so you can tell on his face that he has some different things up his sleeve.

“… Coach [Mike] Munchak, Chris Palmer, and [receivers coach Dave Ragone] have talked to us a lot about opening it up a little more. I think this is going to be a pretty explosive offense.”

Jake Locker will most likely be the starting QB this season.Matt Hasselbeck knows the time is coming where he will be the backup.

The Titans used a first-round pick on Kendall Wright when most observers didn’t believe they needed another wideout. They’re counting on Kenny Britt to return healthy from knee surgery, and Washington is coming off a career year. Young pass catchers Damian Williams and Jared Cook have flashed promise in spurts.

“This year you have so many different types of weapons,” Washington noted. “With [Chris Johnson's] speed in the backfield, I think we are going to open this thing up a little bit for him to show his versatility a little bit more, catching the ball and doing some other things and going to some four- and even five-[receiver sets].”

by **mikemarrs** » Sat May 19, 2012 10:59 pm

In 1984, Jeff Fisher played for the Chicago Bears team that set the NFL’s all-time record with 72 sacks in a season. Now Fisher wants to coach the team that breaks that record.The St. Louis Rams

Fisher has been telling the Rams defense that he wants at least 73 sacks this year, according to comments that defensive end Robert Quinn made to Ron Clements of CBS Sports.

Realistically, that’s not going to happen. The Rams, who had 39 sacks last year, may have a better pass rush with Fisher bringing in a new defense and the arrival of several new starters, but they’re not going to nearly double their sack output from a year ago.

For that matter, it’s not going to happen for any other team, either, because the game has changed since the Bears set the sack record in 1984. Offenses make protecting the quarterback a higher priority than ever before, and quarterbacks are getting rid of the ball more quickly than ever before. Last year the Vikings and Eagles needed just 50 sacks to tie for the league lead, and only one team in the last 10 years has had 60 sacks in a season (the 2006 Chargers, with 61). Getting 70 sacks in a season is just about impossible in today’s NFL.

Still, it’s nice that Fisher has big goals.

by **Liam** » Sat May 19, 2012 11:35 pm

But Fisher's setting those goals with the RAMS??? :lol:

by **mikemarrs** » Mon May 21, 2012 5:45 am

Liam wrote:But Fisher's setting those goals with the RAMS???

I hate to say this but Fisher will always underachieve and it will end up driving those fans crazy wait and see.While he will put some pretty good defenses on the field Fisher is ultra conservative on offense and he loves to kick field goals.He had the Titans set a record for most field goals in a game when we scored 8 field goals in a 38-36 win on a last second field goal at Houston in 2008.Fisher will get 'em to 10-6 or 9-7 but he can't seem to win in the postseason.

by **Liam** » Mon May 21, 2012 5:53 am

I MAYBE see an improvement of 8-8 this year.

by **mikemarrs** » Mon May 21, 2012 10:57 pm

Liam wrote:I MAYBE see an improvement of 8-8 this year.

Yeah 8-8 at best this year.I was saying 9-7 or 10-6 will be the best Fisher will ever be able to accomplish there in St. Louis because he relies too much on the running game and great defenses.Fisher cost Tennessee the last couple years he was there because the game had passed him by.Fisher doesn't believe in having a high powered offense so Bradford will be handing the ball off a lot to Jackson.Fisher is also too conservative and will kick field goals all day long.Tennessee is just now finally changing their offense toward passing more after years of Fisher running a very predictable,boring run-run-pass offense and opposing defenses knew ahead of time what he was doing.Fisher refusing to change and staying based in the same gameplans will end up costing St Louis.Don't get me wrong Fisher is an excellent coach but he is gonna have to evolve because if he does not try to adapt and mix things up a little then the Rams will be 8-8 every year.

by **Liam** » Tue May 22, 2012 1:42 am

I don't have anything to add, dude...ya said what I thought too.

by **mikemarrs** » Wed May 23, 2012 12:55 am

The Steelers gather for the start of organized team activities on Tuesday and all eyes will be on the offense.

It’s the first time new offensive coordinator Todd Haley will get to work with the entire offense on the field and the first time that we’ll see what kind of changes he plans after taking over from the fired Bruce Arians. It will also give us a chance to see how well Haley gets along with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a relationship that has already been heavily scrutinized.

The scrutiny started when Roethlisberger and Haley took a couple of weeks to meet for the first time after Haley got the job and continued this month when Roethlisberger said he was still “confused” about Haley’s plans for the offense. Roethlisberger spoke to KDKA TV in Pittsburgh on Monday and said that talk about a problematic relationship have been overblown.

“People blew it way out of proportion,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s something new, we’re getting to know each other … There’s no trouble between us at all. When you get a comfort level of like eight years of the same thing and then you change it, it’s just something different, so I’m not saying I don’t like the playbook or anything like that,” Roethlisberger said. “Some of the stuff is really – some of the concepts are awesome, it’s just getting an understanding of something new.”

One thing Haley did in both Arizona and Kansas City is build an offense centered around the team’s strengths. In Arizona, that was throwing the ball with Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald while the Chiefs featured a run-heavy attack built around Jamaal Charles. Given the presence of Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Emmanuel Sanders and Mike Wallace (when he gets his contract squared away), it is hard to believe the Steelers will get too far away from the passing game they’ve employed in recent seasons.

by **mikemarrs** » Fri May 25, 2012 2:53 am

t was back to work for the Steelers on Tuesday at the first day of OTAs at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex on the South Side, and it was a packed house, with the majority of the veterans on hand.

“It’s awesome to be here out, see all of the smiles again, run around with all of the guys, it was a good time,” said center Maurkice Pouncey. “Everybody is more locked in now, more organized.”

While players have been permitted to workout at the facility, this was the first day of everyone working together.

“It was a great day one,” said wide receiver Antonio Brown. “We are off to a great start. This is the foundation for 2012. This is where we begin to build it. We are getting in game mode. Camp is right around the corner. It’s the time of year when you start to build for the season.”

Among those there was safety Troy Polamalu, who normally works out on his own during the offseason but plans on participating throughout OTAs.

“We had a lot of our major leadership leave, people we could count on,” said Polamalu. “I think it’s nice for the young guys to see a familiar face and honestly to get myself better. It’s nice to be around the team here today, nice to see the guys again and get out and play some football.”

One of the leaders Polamalu was referring to who isn’t back is inside linebacker James Farrior. Farrior not only has been a leader off the field, but has been the signal-caller for the defense, a role that will be taken over by linebacker Larry Foote.

“I know I can hold my own,” said Foote. “I have always been one of the leaders on this team. We have a whole bunch of leaders. You can’t replace a James Farrior. Everybody has to just step up. The bottom line in this league is you have to do your job, period, I don’t care who you are.”

Foote knows the Steelers defense will continue to thrive no matter who is on the field, but said he still misses having Farrior around from a friendship standpoint.

“It’s changing. It’s different,” said Foote. “I am meeting new people, different conversations. That is the way it is in this league. We knew this day would come but we had to make the most of it.

“It feels good to be back. You miss these guys. It’s good seeing these guys, being back in Pittsburgh.”

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got his first chance to run Todd Haley’s offense on Tuesday, one that has him staying in the pocket more to try and avoid hits. He said it’s still going to take some getting used to.

“It’s frustrating,” said Roethlisberger. “You put high expectations on yourself. I know all of the quarterbacks do. It gets frustrating at times. We keep learning. It’s day one. We will get in the book and try to be a little better tomorrow. We just keep plugging away at it see where it goes.”

Roethlisberger said in some ways it’s like being a rookie again, learning things from scratch.

“I tried to tell the receivers don’t get frustrated because I know you guys are used to getting a lot more balls,” said Roethlisberger. “This is how it was my rookie year. I know what one guy does and I go to him and if he’s not open start scrambling.

“It’s going to be a challenge but that’s what makes it fun.”

by **Liam** » Fri May 25, 2012 3:34 am

The Cowboys 5th round pick broke his foot on the first day. (Coale; VaTech)

by **YoungJRNY** » Fri May 25, 2012 5:13 am

Teblow at it again. Enjoy being a punt-protector:

Sanchez and Hill Hook Up in Jets OTAs While Holmes Is Away and Tebow Struggles

The 75-yard TD pass from Mark Sanchez to Stephen Hill was part of a great day for Sanchez, who was the "best quarterback on the field," according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.

Hill seemed like a great pick for Tim Tebow because of his similarity to fellow Georgia Tech size/speed freak Demaryius Thomas, who flourished with Tebow late last season in Denver. Tebow did have a "borderline ugly" completion to Hill according to Mehta. He also had two interceptions in 7-on-7's according to Vrentas, who agreed that Sanchez was the best quarterback on the field.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1194 ... -struggles

by **Liam** » Fri May 25, 2012 9:44 am

YoungJRNY wrote: Tebow did have a "borderline ugly" completion to Hill according to Mehta. He also had two interceptions in 7-on-7's according to Vrentas, who agreed that Sanchez was the best quarterback on the field.[/i]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1194 ... -struggles[/quote]

Yea..that was the best news I heard all day. FUCK TEBLOW. :lol:

by **S2M** » Wed May 30, 2012 3:04 am

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2fbed587d7/tom-brady-s-wicked-accent

by **S2M** » Wed May 30, 2012 3:05 am

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2fbed587d7/tom-brady-s-wicked-accent

by **S2M** » Wed May 30, 2012 3:07 am

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2fbed587d7/tom-brady-s-wicked-accent

by **YoungJRNY** » Wed May 30, 2012 5:10 am

That's one feminine dude. How much more lady-like can you get? Tom Lady, lol. Every mannerism he uses speaks flamer. Watch his hands when he back-slaps the cardboard cut-out, lmao.