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Show StatesmanSports Page 16 2 0 0 7 NFL Friday, Aug. 31, 2007 PREVIEW i:-i*. if H ! •H and inspiring turnaround for a franchise and city. THE BUZZ: The Saints were one of the most exciting teams in the NFL last season, with their story a year removed from Hurricane Katrina even better. The team is a legitimate Super Bowl challenger — maybe the favorite in the NFC — but a lack of playmakers in the back seven on defense may be its undoing. EAST DIVISION DALLAS COWBOYS 2006 RECORD: 9-7 COACH: Wade Phillips WHO TO WATCH: He had never thrown an NFL pass in four seasons, but Tony Romo replaced statuesque Drew Bledsoc at midseason last year, posted a stellar 95.1 passer rating and became the toast of Big D in guiding the Cowboys to the postseason. We all know what happened then — OK, so he's not a great holder on kicks — but optimism is high in Dallas because of their young quarterback. THE BUZZ: The expectations for this team are enormous. That could be a problem for one big reason. His initials are "T" and "O." Unlike Bill Parcells, Phillips is not die strongest of personalities. If tilings aren't going well and Terrell Owens starts getting frisky — and you know he will — how will Phillips react? PROJECTED RECORD: 12-4 TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 2006 RECORD: 4-12 COACH: Jon Gruden WHO TO WATCH: Derrick Brooks has been to 10 consecutive Pro Bowls and, with apologies to Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon, has staked his claim as the greatest player Brooks in franchise history. He's not the linebacker he was, but he's still very good and as respected as anyone in the league. THE BUZZ: If Tampa Bay can't keep 37-ycar-old Jeff Garcia healthy, the Bucs' season will spiral out of control from poor quarterback play like it did in '06. And the team will be looking for a new coach, also. PROJECTED RECORD: 8-8 NEW YORK GIANTS 2006 RECORD: 8-8 COACH: Tom Coughlin WHO TO WATCH: Eli Manning is on the throne, but for how long? With brother Peyton's title neatly tucked away, it's time for Eli to do something more than Manning nudge his team into the playoffs and pull a no-show. Then again, the New York/New Jersey fans no doubt will go easy on him. THE BUZZ: The Giants were 8-8 with Tiki Barber carrying the load last year, so they will be hard-pressed to be better without him. Especially in a division where Philly should be at full strength, Dallas is loaded with talented playmakers and Washington will play like a totally different team than last year. PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 PHILADELPHIA EAGLES 2006 RECORD: 10-6 COACH: Andy Reid WHO TO WATCH: QB Donovan McNabb is coming off a season-ending injury for the second consecutive season. He was ripping apart NFC secondaries when he ripped up his knee last season, but he's poised for a big return with some new weapons to throw to. THE BUZZ: The Eagles are three years removed from the team that reached the Super Bowl. A core group remains, however, and knows how to win. PhilJy fortified in some key areas with some good locker-room guys, like LB Takeo Spikes. They still have a run left in them. PROJECTED RECORD: 11-5 WASHINGTON REDSKINS 2006 RECORD: 5-11 COACH: Joe Gibbs WHO TO WATCH: Even though they lost Clinton Portis to injuries early in the season, the Redskins still fielded the fourthbest rushing attack in the league, Betts thanks to a breakout season from backup RB Ladell Belts f 1,154 yards). If Portis, just two years removed from a 1,500-yard season, returns healthy, this could be a devastating running team. THE BUZZ: The Redskins and their Hall of Fame coach were one of the biggest disappointments in the NFL last season. That said, if Gibbs keeps to his tried and true running formula, the Redskins could wind up looking more like the team that went to the playoffs just a season before. \ PROJECTED RECORD: 7-9 San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore (No. 21) leaves S t Louis Rams defenders in his wake as he scores on a 32-yard run in the third quarter during a September 2006 game. Gore ran for 1,695 yards last season, A LOOK AT THE NFC BY C H R I S 4,208 yards, 21 TDs and 22 interceptions last season, has predicted the Lions will win at least 10 games in '07. He'll have a great deal to do with making it happen (or not), especially with so many weapons on offense and offensive coordinator Mike Martz calling the plays. THE BUZZ: The disciplinary transition under Marinelli had to be Uke culture shock to a franchise with a culture of losing. Ditto for Marinelli. That's why the Lions are a team that could make a jump. PROJECTED RECORD: 9-7' ~ " " V ' G R E E N BAY PACKERS 2006 RECORD: 8-8 COACH: Mike McCarthy WHO TO WATCH: Take a wild guess. Barring a disaster, QB Brett Favre will throw a seventh touchdown pass this season and pass Dan Marino (420) on the all-lime list. The next game the 17-year veteran starts will be Favre's 238lh straight. That's a league record, too, but one that H A R R Y / O R L A N D O hasn't included a postseason contest since 2004. THE BUZZ: The Packers, once again, will go as Favrc goes. If he can cut back on those league-high 47 interceptions the past two years — and he'll need a rushing attack to do so — Green Bay could make things tougher on the Bears in the weak NFC North. PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 MINNESOTA VIKINGS 2006 RECORD: 7-9 " ^ COACH: Brad Childress THE BUZZ: The Vikings have talent that needs to be flushed out, but it's tough to get excited about a team leaning so heavily on such an inexperienced quarterback (second-year QB Tarvaris Jackson). They're also breaking in a new defensive coordinator, former Chicago secondary coach Leslie Frazier, after Mike Tomlin left for Pittsburgh. """"•" ATLANTA FALCONS ' ' 2006 RECORD: 5-11 COACH: Ken Whisenhunt WHO TO WATCH: Whisenhunt had a pretty good imagination as offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh, which means QB Matt Leinart, the second-year pro, should benefit. This franchise has been so bad for so long — one playoff victory since 1947 — but Leinart is a building block that gives the organization hope. THE BUZZ: The Cardinals always have the clean slate of a new season and the NFL laws of parity on their side, as well as a place in the weak NFC West. But the longest playoff drought in the league — eight years — looks like it will continue in the desert. PROJECTED RECORD: 7-9 ST. LOUIS RAMS SOUTH DIVISION WHO TO WATCH: RB Chester Taylor bolted Baltimore, where he was buried on the depth chart, for a fat freeagent contract in '06 and promptly rushed for 1,216 yards and six TDs. Taylor's timing wasn't so good in camp though, when he injured his forearm and thus turned things over to rookie Adrian Peterson, the No. 7 overall pick in the '07 draft. Peterson rushed for over 3,000 yards in three seasons at Oklahoma University. " 2006 RECORD: 7-9 COACH: Bobby Petrino WHO TO WATCH: QB Joey Harrington, a former No. 3 overall draft pick and washout in Detroit and Miami, is the one in charge of making everyone forget about Michael Vick. With 55 percent completions, 72 TDs, 77 interceptions and a career rating of 68.1, Harrington isn't going to scare defenses the way Vick did. THE BUZZ: Vick may not be anywhere near Falcons headquarters, but his specter will dominate whatever the team does this season — good and bad. Petrino doesn't need the headache, as he prepares to accomplish what other outstanding college coaches before him could hot: win in the NFL. PROJECTED RECORD: 5-11 2006 RECORD: 8-8 COACH: Scon Linehan WHO TO WATCH: QB Marc Bulger is underrated (and underpaid) no more. After throwing 24 TDs and just six interceptions in '06, Bulger got a sixyear, $65 million Bulger contract before coming to training camp. And he's only 30 years old. THE BUZZ: Replacing Mike Martz with Linehan didn't do much to slow down the Rams1 offense. They still ranked sixth overall — and Torry Holt is still among the best wideouts in the game — and probably will go as far this season as the offense will take them again. In the watered-down NFC West, anything is possible. PROJECTED RECORD: 5-11 SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS CAROLINA PANTHERS 2006 RECORD: 8-8 COACH: John Fox WHO TO WATCH: Steve Smith (83 catches, 1,166 yards, 8 TDs) has been one of the top big-play wideouts in the league the last few years, but the Panthers need to give the guy some help. Last year's team was a favorite to reach the Super Bowl, but an offense ranked 24th overall (24th in rushing, too) held it back. THE BUZZ: Carolina's rise under Fox was rooted in defense, but that side of ihe ball fell off some last season, and likely will fall off more this season. After some abysmal performances in the second half of last season. Fox could be coaching for his job, also. 2006 RECORD: 13-3 COACH: Lovie Smith 2006 RECORD: 7-9 COACH: Mike Nolan WHO TO WATCH: Running back Frank Gore erupted onto the pro scene in his second season, leading the NFC with 1,695 yards. Gore's emergence made tilings a lot easier for franchise quarterback Alex Smith, whose passer rating jumped from a league-worst 40.8 (1 TD, 11 INTs) as a rookie in '05 to 74.8 (16 TDs, 16 INTs) in'06. THE BUZZ: Two years ago, the Niners were 2-14 and had the looks of the least talented team in the league. Give Nolan credit for how he has rebuilt the roster on both sides of the ball. This will be one of the surprises of "07. PROJECTED RECORD: 10-6 PROJECTED RECORD: 8-8 WHO TO WATCH: Brian Urlacher is the best middle linebacker in the NFL now. The Bears were the best defense in the conference last season, but had some flaws exposed late in the year due to injuries. THE BUZZ: The Bears easily could represent the NFC in the Super Bowl again, based on defense alone. That's because DT Tommie Harris and S Mike Brown are back. Their injuries undermined a ferocious defense as the season wore on, Kitna is on the spot — and he put himself there. Kitna, who threw for S E N T I N E L PROJECTED RECORD: 6-10 CHICAGO BEARS 2006 RECORD: 3-13 COACH: Rod Marinelli WHO TO WATCH: QB Jon WEST DIVISION ARIZONA CARDINALS NORTH DIVISION DETROIT LIONS -''•-'-'•• C H f i l S L E E / ST L O U I S PO ST. D I S P A T C H PROJECTED RECORD: 9-7 PROJECTED RECORD: 10-6 ? ' : -'V.'iimP SEATTLE SEAHAWKS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 2006 RECORD: 13-3 COACH: Sean Payton WHO TO WATCH: The Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher (No. 54) knocks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tim Rattay (now with the Tennessee Titans) to the turf during a December 2006 game. JIM PRISCHING/CHICAQD TRIBUNE Miami Dolphins weighed their options and chose to sign Dauntc Culpepper over Drew Breesin '06. Whoops! Brees quickly erased all concerns about recovering from shoulder surgery and was the NFUs best quarterback not named Peyton (4,418 yards, 26 TDs, l l I N T s ) i n guiding the league's top-ranked offense and sparking a remarkable 2006 RECORD: 9-7 COACH: Mike Holmgren WHO TO WATCH: He has not gotten the notoriety of guys Uke Orlando Pace or Jonathan Ogden, but Walter Jones has been a lockdown left tackle in the NFL for a decade and shows no signs of slowing down. Both the others arc talking about Jones retirement. THE BUZZ: Seattle may have had its run. The Seahawks benefited from being heads above the rest of the NFC West, but the gap has either shrunk or no longer exists; partly because the Seahawks have fallen back, partly because the others are catching up. PROJECTED RECORD: 8-8 |
