nfl guide 2014-15.pub 30-08-2014

1

By Dom O’Connell

2014 Season Guide

2

Contents

4-13. AFC North

5. Baltimore Ravens

7. Cincinnati Bengals

9. Cleveland Browns

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

13-22. AFC South

14. Houston Texans

16. Indianapolis Colts

18. Jacksonville Jaguars

20. Tennessee Titans

22-31. AFC East

23. Buffalo Bills

25. Miami Dolphins

27. New England Patriots

29. New York Jets

31-40. AFC West

32. Denver Broncos

34. Kansas City Chiefs

36. Oakland Raiders

38. San Diego Chargers

3

40-49. NFC North

41. Chicago Bears

43. Detroit Lions

45. Green Bay Packers

47. Minnesota Vikings

49-58. NFC South

50. Atlanta Falcons

52. Carolina Panthers

54. New Orleans Saints

56. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

58-67. NFC East

59. Dallas Cowboys

61. New York Giants

63. Philadelphia Eagles

65. Washington Redskins

67-75. NFC West

68. Arizona Cardinals

70. St. Louis Rams

72. Seattle Seahawks

74. San Francisco 49ers

4

AFC North

Key Player:

Joe Flacco (QB)

Despite a drop off in the 2013 sea-son, Flacco is up there with the very best. In the 2013 Post-Season he threw 11 touchdowns and zero picks as the Ravens surged to their second Lombardi Trophy.

With new receiving weapons in Owen Daniels and veteran Steve Smith, Flacco will be eyeing up the AFC Playoffs once again. 2013:

362/614 atts, 3912 yds. 19 TDs, 22 INTs

Coach: John Harbaugh (7th Season)

(Win/Loss: 62/34)

2013 Stats: (8/8)

Offense:

Points Per Game: 20.0 (25th)*

Yards Per Game: 307.4 (29th)

Passing Yards PG: 224.4 (18th)

Rushing Yards PG: 83.0 (30th)

Defense:

Points Per Game: 22.0 (12th)




(Brackets indicate league ranking out of 32)*

Prediction: 3rd in AFC North (8-8)

The Ravens are a team still very much in transition since their infamous Superbowl win a couple of seasons back. Much will depend on whether running back Ray Rice can put his off-the-field issues and miserly 2013 campaign behind him and emulate the running attack that was the stalwart of Harbaugh’s Superbowl-winning offence.

The Defense is still very good mind you, with Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata as intimidating as ever. They are joined by 1st round draft pick C.J. Mosley, the inside linebacker from the University of Alabama who racked up over 100 tackles in his last year of college. But with a very strong AFC North this year I see them just missing out on the playoffs.

6

Schedule:

September:

7th: Bengals

11th: Steelers

21st: @ Browns

28th: Panthers

October:

5th: @ Colts

12th: @ Buccaneers

19th: Falcons

26th: @ Bengals

November:

2nd: @ Steelers

9th: Titans

16th: Bye Week

24th: @ Saints

30th: Chargers

December:

7th: @ Dolphins

14th: Jaguars

21st: @ Texans

28th: Browns

Rookie To Watch:

C.J. Mosley

(Inside Linebacker)

Mosley was the 17th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft from the University of Alabama.

Notable Departures:

Ed Dixon (TE) - Panthers

Corey Graham (CB) - Bills

Michael Oher (T) - Titans

James Idehigbo (SS) - Lions

Arthur Jones (DE) - Colts

Notable Arrivals:

Owen Daniels (TE) - Texans

Steve Smith (WR) - Panthers

Darlan Stewart (SS) - Rams

Team Info: Website: www.baltimoreravens.com

Founded: 1996

Stadium Name: M&T Bank Stadium

7

Coach: Marvin Lewis (12th Season)

(Win/Loss: 90/90)

2013 Stats: (11-5, Lost in Wildcard Playoff)

Offense:





Defense:


Yards Per Game: 305.5 (3rd)



Prediction: AFC North Champions: (11-5),

AFC Divisional Round.

Much again will be expected from this Ben-

gals team who will be itching to get the hoo-

doo of three consecutive postseason defeats

in as many years off their backs. There is

some serious talent on both sides of the ball.

They have added to an already impressive

defense with the acquisition of Darqueze

Dennard from Michigan State at cornerback

and Jeremy Hill looks to be the perfect com-

pliment to the explosive Gio Bernard at run-

ning back. The big question still remains at

quarterback. Indeed, which Andy Dalton

shows up will ultimately be the deciding fac-

tor to how far this Bengals team can go.

Key Player:

AJ Green (WR)

2013:

98 Receptions, 1426 yards, 11 TDs.

AJ Green is already on course to go down as one of the great receivers in the NFL. The three-time Pro Bowler has more catches than any other player in history in his first three seasons and he’s only just getting started. Last season was his best too, recording five 100+ yard receiving games in a row at one point which is a franchise record for the Ben-gals.

With so much talent on this Bengals offense, Green now must lead the re-ceiving corps to a post-season run.

8

Team Info: Website: www.bengals.com

Founded: 1968

Stadium Name: Paul Brown Stadium

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Ravens

14th: Falcons

21st: Titans

28th: Bye Week

October:

5th: @ Patriots

12th: Panthers

19th: @ Colts

26th: Ravens

November:

2nd: Jaguars

6th: Browns

16th: @ Saints

24th: @ Texans

30th: @ Buccaneers

December:

7th: Steelers

14th: @ Browns

21st: Broncos

28th: @ Steelers

Rookie To Watch:

Jeremy Hill

(Running Back)

Hill was the 55th overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft from LSU.

Notable Departures:

Anthony Collins (T) - Buccaneers

Brandon Ghee (CB) - Chargers

Michael Johnson (DE) - Buccaneers

Andrew Hawkins (WR) - Browns

Notable Arrivals:

Jason Campbell (QB) - Browns

Danieal Manning (SS) - Texans

Marshall Newhouse (T) - Packers

RJ Stanford (DB) - Dolphins

Coach: Mike Pettine (1st Season)

(Win/Loss: N/A)

2013 Stats: (4-12)

Offense:





Defense:

Points Per Game: 25.4 (23rd)





Prediction: 4th in AFC North (6-10)

I dare you to walk through the streets of

Cleveland without hearing the words “Johnny

Football”. The hype is warranted. In the 24

hours after Johnny Manziel was drafted it

was reported that over 2300 additional sea-

son tickets were sold. The Browns will pray

that Manziel is indeed the franchise quarter-

back they so desperately need in an organiza-

tion that has suffered for a considerable

time. There is reason for some optimism. The

Browns will pair the 8th overall pick Justin

Gilbert next to all-pro cornerback Joe Haden

on a defense that has considerable talent.

Losing the 2013 league-leading receiver Josh

Gordon after a failed drugs test will be a huge

blow however. A franchise in transition still.

Key Player:

Joe Haden (CB)

2013:

43 tackles, 4 interceptions. 20 passes defended.

A genuine shutdown corner, quarter-backs beware. Haden really made the leap last season making the Pro Bowl as an All-Pro selection. I expect a repeat of last season in which teams will be more reluctant to throw down the field on the Browns, in which they ranked 8th in the NFL on pass defense. Last month Haden signed a five year contract extension worth $68 million showing how valuable a modern, top class defensive back has become in a predominantly pass-heavy league.

10

Rookie To Watch:

Johnny Manziel

(Quarterback)

Manziel was the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 draft from Texas A&M.

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Steelers

14th: Saints

21st: Ravens

28th: Bye Week

October:

5th: @ Titans

12th: Steelers

19th: @ Jaguars

26th: Raiders

November:

2nd: Buccaneers

6th: @ Bengals

16th: Texans

23rd: @ Falcons

30th: @ Bills

December:

7th: Colts

14th: Bengals

21st: @ Panthers

28th: @ Ravens

Notable Departures:

Jason Campbell (QB) - Bengals

D’Qwell Jackson (ILB) - Colts

T.J. Ward (SS) - Broncos

Brandon Weeden (QB) - Cowboys

Oniel Cousins (G) - Buccaneers

Notable Arrivals:

Miles Austin (WR) - Cowboys

Nate Burleson (WR) - Lions

Karlos Dansby (ILB) - Cardinals

Ben Tate (RB) - Texans

Donte Whitner (SS) - 49ers

Team Info: Website: www.clevelandbrowns.com

Founded: 1946

Stadium Name: FirstEnergy Stadium

11

Coach: Mike Tomlin (8th Season)

(Win/Loss: 76/44)

2013 Stats: (8-8)

Offense:





Defense:




Rushing Yards PG: 115.6 (21st)

Prediction: 2nd in AFC North (8-8)

Although the Steelers finished strongly last

season they will be unhappy to have missed

out on the playoffs once more. They have

been very much in the middle of the pack,

recording 8 & 8 seasons twice in a row and

will most probably be facing another tough

task to make it out of this very competitive

AFC North. They have lost more talent than

they have gained in free agency, especially in

the receiving department with Cotchery and

Sanders both moving on. Tomlin’s defense

will be strong as usual having drafted explo-

sive linebacker Ryan Shazier to replace La-

Marr Woodley. Weapons on offense remain

sparse however and the Steelers will need to

be special to dethrone the Bengals.

Key Player:

Ben Roethlisberger (QB)

2013:

375/584 atts, 4261 yards, 28 Touchdowns, 14 Interceptions.

Big Ben finished the 2013 season with some outstanding numbers in the last few weeks but will be frustrated at the dwindling talent on offense. Roethlis-berger remains an elite QB in the NFL however and you can never write off the Steelers when he’s on the field. With two Superbowl rings under his belt as well as remaining one of the great im-provisers in the pocket, this Steelers legend holds the key to any playoff run Tomlin may have in mind.

12

Schedule:

September:

7th: Browns

14th: @ Ravens

21st: @ Panthers

28th: Buccaneers

October:

5th: @ Jaguars

12th: @ Browns

20th: Texans

26th: Colts

November:

2nd: Ravens

6th: @ Jets

17th: @ Titans

23rd: Bye Week

30th: Saints

December:

7th: @ Bengals

14th: @ Falcons

21st: Chiefs

28th: Bengals

Notable Departures:

Ryan Clark (FS) - Redskins

Jerricho Cotchery (WR) - Panthers

Eric Olsen (G) - Titans

Emmanuel Sanders (WR) - Broncos

LaMarr Woodley (OLB) - Raiders

Notable Arrivals:

LeGarrette Blount (RB) - Patriots

Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR) - Colts

Mike Mitchell (FS) - Panthers

Arthur Moats (OLB) - Bills

Lance Moore (WR) - Saints

Team Info: Website: www.steelers.com

Founded: 1933

Stadium Name: Heinz Field

Rookie To Watch:

Ryan Shazier

(Outside Linebacker)

Shazier was the 15th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Ohio State.

13

AFC South

14

Coach: Bill O’Brien (Firs t Season)

(Win/Loss: N/A)

2013 Stats: (2-14)

Offense:

Points Per Game: 17.2 (31st)




Defense:



Passing Yards PG: 195.2 (3rd)

Rushing Yards PG: 122.4 (23rd)


Prediction: 2nd in AFC South (9-7), AFC Wild-

card Round.

The 2013 season will go down as one of the

most forgettable of the Texans’ short exist-

ence, mainly due to the chronic problems the

team had with turnovers at quarterback as

they slumped to a miserable 2 & 14 record.

But the team is littered with talent. Their de-

fense was pretty good last year as the stats

would suggest in terms of yardage. Now they

can add the first overall draft pick Jadeveon

Clowney behind J.J. Watt, to create a formi-

dable front seven. They have playmakers on

offense too; Arian Foster is one of the

league’s best backs and D’Andre Hopkins is a

bright prospect at wide-out. Fitzpatrick could

be a weak-link at QB, but they’re still playoff

contenders.

Key Player: J.J. Watt

(Defensive End)

2013:

65 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles.

Simply the best defensive player in the NFL, Watt is a difference-maker of the highest quality on the Texans defense. Despite his team stinking out the NFL last season, he still emerged with excel-lent numbers, terrifying quarterbacks up and down the country. The 2012 Defen-sive Player of the Year will undoubtedly have a chip on his shoulder this year to get the Texans back to winning ways in 2014. The frightening thing is that this monster is just 25 years old, and will be great for a long time to come.

15

Schedule:

September:

7th: Redskins

14th: @ Raiders

21st: @ Giants

28th: Bills

October:

5th: @ Cowboys

9th: Colts

20th: @ Steelers

26th: @ Titans

November:

2nd: Eagles

6th: Bye Week

17th: @ Browns

23rd: Bengals

30th: Titans

December:

7th: @ Jaguars

14th: @ Colts

21st: Ravens

28th: Jaguars

Notable Departures:

Owen Daniels (TE) - Ravens

Danieal Manning (SS) - Bengals

Earl Mitchell (NT) - Dolphins

Antonio Smith (DE) - Raiders

Ben Tate (RB) - Browns

Notable Arrivals:

Andre Brown (RB) - Giants

Chris Clemons (SS) - Dolphins

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB) - Titans

Kendrick Lewis (FS) - Chiefs

Ricardo Matthews (DT) - Colts

Rookie To Watch:

Jadeveon Clowney

(Defensive End / Outside Linebacker)

Clowney was the 1st overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of South Carolina.

Team Info: Website: www.houstontexans.com

Founded: 2002

Stadium Name: NRG Stadium

16

Coach: Chuck Pagano (Second Season)

(Win/Loss: 11/5)

2013 Stats: (11-5), lost in Divisional Playoff round.

Offense:





Defense:


Yards Per Game: 357.1(20th)


Rushing Yards PG: 125.1

Prediction: 1st in AFC South, AFC Champion-

ship Runners-Up (10-6)

One of the better teams in the AFC come off

the back of a strong 2013 campaign hungry

to go that one step further. They have the

opportunity to open up an even more trigger-

happy offense this season with acquisitions

of Hakeem Nicks and Donte Moncrief at wide

-receiver, signings that will surely have QB

Andrew Luck licking his lips. Pagano has prov-

en his ability to win in the big games with

wins against both the Seahawks and the

Broncos last season, both of whom made the

Superbowl. Luck will have learned a lot in his

first two NFL seasons under-centre and will

be out to impress everyone again as the Colts

are poised for another strong season.

It’s been a very impressive start to this young quarterback’s career and nobody will be striving more than Luck to im-prove going into the 2014 season. Luck’s never-say-die attitude give him astonish-ing 4th quarter statistics where he has had eight fourth quarter comebacks and eleven game-winning drives, including overturning a ridiculous 28 point deficit in the playoffs last season against the Chiefs. Pagano trusts Luck implicitly and will happily continue to put games on his shoulders. MVP candidate.

Key Player:

Andrew Luck (QB)

2013:

343/570 atts, 3822 yards 23 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions.

17

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Broncos

15th: Eagles

21st: @ Jaguars

28th: Titans

October:

5th: Ravens

9th: @ Texans

19th: Bengals

26th: @ Steelers

November:

3rd: @ Giants

6th: Bye Week

16th: Patriots

23rd: Jaguars

30th: Redskins

December:

7th: @ Browns

14th: Texans

21st: @ Cowboys

28th: @ Titans

Notable Departures:

Antoine Bethea (SS) - 49ers

Donald Brown (RB) - Chargers

Darrius Heyward-Bey (WR) - Steelers

Ricardo Mathews (DT) - Texans

Mike McGlynn (G) - Redskins

Notable Arrivals:

Colt Anderson (FS) - Eagles

D’Qwell Jackson (ILB) - Browns

Arthur Jones (DE) - Ravens

Hakeem Nicks (WR) - Giants

Team Info: Website: www.colts.com

Founded: 1944

Stadium Name: Lucas Oil Stadium

Rookie To Watch:

Donte Moncrief

(Wide Receiver)

Moncrief was the 90th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Mississippi.

18

Coach: Gus Bradley (Second Season)

(Win/Loss: 4/12)

2013 Stats: (4-12)

Offense:

Points Per Game: 15.4 (32nd)

Yards Per Game: 293.8 (31st)

Passing Yards PG: 215.1(22nd)


Defense:






Prediction: 4th in AFC South (3-13)

Many NFL pundits predicted a winless season

for the Jaguars in 2013 but the players rallied

together to win four games under new head

coach Gus Bradley. Although this may sound

meagre it was a fairly credible effort from a

roster bereft of talent and true playmak-

ers. The selection of quarterback Blake

Bortles with the third overall selection in the

2014 draft was a big surprise to most but the

Jags are convinced they have found their

franchise saviour.

Don’t expect anything particularly special

from them this time around, but keep the

faith; we may yet indeed see this franchise

relocated to London one day!

Key Player:

Paul Posluszny (ILB)

2013:

162 combined tackles, 122 total tackles, 3 sacks.

The only Pro Bowl player on the Jaguars roster from the 2013 season, Posluszny put up the most impressive numbers of his career to date and was one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise unin-spiring season for this organisation.

One shudders to think what an injury to Poz could result in for this Jacksonville defense. He’s fast, aggressive and intelli-gent and although has hit the prime of his career later than some anticipated, you have to think that he’s a key compo-nent to the Jags moving forwards.

19

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Eagles

14th: @ Redskins

21st: Colts

28th: @ Chargers

October:

5th: Steelers

12th: @ Titans

19th: Browns

26th: Dolphins

November:

2nd: @ Bengals

9th: Cowboys

16th: Bye Week

23rd: @ Colts

30th: Giants

December:

7th: Texans

14th: @ Ravens

18th: Tians

28th: @ Texans

Notable Departures:

Maurice Jones-Drew (RB) - Raiders

Justin Forsett (RB) - Ravens

Taylor Price (WR) - Seahawks

Notable Arrivals:

Zane Beadles (G)- Broncos

Red Bryant (DE) - Seahawks

Chris Clemons (DE) - Seahawks

Toby Gerhart (RB) - Vikings

Tandon Doss (WR) - Ravens

Team Info: Website: www.jaguars.com

Founded: 1995

Stadium Name: EverBank Field

Rookie To Watch:

Marqise Lee

(Wide Receiver)

Lee was the 39th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Southern California.

20

Coach: Ken Whisenhunt (7th Season)

(Win/Loss: 49/53)

2013 Stats: (7-9).

Offense:


Yards Per Game: 336.9 (22nd)

Passing Yards PG: 218.5 (21st)


Defense:




Rushing Yards PG: 112.2

Prediction: 3rd in AFC South. (5-11)

The Titans still appear to be stuck in purgatory

and it’s difficult to see them challenging the

Colts in this division. Their only Pro Bowl play-

er from the 2013 season, cornerback Alter-

raun Verner, has moved to Tampa leaving

them light on individual talent. The Titans will

be encouraged by the recovery of quarterback

Jake Locker from Lisfranc surgery, an injury

suffered in November, as he certainly showed

positive glimpses in 2013. The Titans second

round draft pick Bishop Sankey is also

attracting a lot of excitement. He was the first

running back taken in the draft and the Titans

will expect big things from the replacement of

the seemingly perennial Chris Johnson who

has found a new home in New York.

Key Player:

Kendall Wright (WR)

2013:

94 receptions, 1079 yards, 2 TDs.

Wright recorded over 30 more catches than any other Titan last year and flew very much under the radar in what was actually a rather impressive season for the young receiver. With an upgraded offensive line and the return of Jake Locker at quarterback, the Titans should be able to utilise Wright even more in 2014. As a first round pick in 2012, he will be expected to go comfortably over a thousand yards receiving this season and truly become top-class receiver in the NFL.

21

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Chiefs

14th: Cowboys

21st: @ Bengals

28th: @ Colts

October:

5th: Browns

12th: Jaguars

19th: @ Redskins

26th: Texans

November:

3rd: Bye Week

9th: @ Ravens

17th: Steelers

23rd: @ Eagles

30th: @ Texans

December:

7th: Giants

14th: Jets

18th: @ Jaguars

28th: Colts

Notable Departures:

Kenny Britt (WR) - Rams

Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB) - Texans

Chris Johnson (RB) - Jets

Alterraun Verner (CB) - Buccaneers

Damian Williams (WR) - Dolphins

Notable Arrivals:

Dexter McCluster (WR) - Chiefs

Michael Oher (T) - Ravens

Eric Olsen (G) - Steelers

Shaun Phillips (DE) - Broncos

Wesley Woodyard (MLB) - Broncos

Rookie To Watch:

Bishop Sankey

(Running Back)

Sankey was the 54th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Washington.

Team Info: Website: www.titansonline.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: LP Field

22

AFC East

23

Coach: Doug Marrone (2nd Season)

(Win/Loss: 6/10)

2013 Stats: (6-10).

Offense:




Rushing Yards PG: 144.2 (2nd)

Defense:





Prediction: 2nd in AFC East. (10-6), Wildcard

Playoff Round.

The Bills emerge as an interesting challenger

to the Patriots in the AFC East. And it’s about

time too, the Bills have not been to the NFL

post-season since 1999 and have rarely

looked like doing so since. 2014 should be

different. They have one of the best defensive

-lines in the entire NFL and traded up in the

draft to get their hands on the scintillating tal-

ent of Sammy Watkins to add a much needed

receiving weapon. The Bills will hope Watkins

can compliment their outstanding rushing

attack and that sophomore QB E.J. Manuel

will return stronger and wiser after a difficult

rookie season. The talent is certainly there to

make a serious attempt at a playoff berth.

This Bills defense looks mean. Nobody is meaner than three-time Pro Bowl defen-sive end Mario Williams. He broke a Bills franchise record for most sacks in a game last season in a winning performance against the Panthers with four and a half on elusive quarterback Cam Newton. Pres-sure always comes with being a first over-all pick in any draft but Williams is defi-nitely fulfilling his potential. He’s also the highest paid defensive player in the league, the six year deal he signed in 2012 is reported to be worth $96 million.

Key Player:

Mario Williams (DE)

2013:

28 tackles, 13 sacks, 1 forced fumble.

24

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Bears

14th: Dolphins

21st: Chargers

28th: @ Texans

October:

5th: @ Lions

12th: Patriots

19th: Vikings

26th: @ Jets

November:

3rd: Bye Week

9th: Chiefs

13th: @ Dolphins

23rd: Jets

30th: Browns

December:

7th: @ Broncos

14th: Packers

21st: @ Raiders

28th: @ Patriots

Notable Departures:

Jairus Byrd (FS) - Saints

Alex Carrington (DE) - Rams

Arthur Moats (OLB) - Steelers

Notable Arrivals:

Anthony Dixon (RB) - 49ers

Corey Graham (CB) - Ravens

Keith Rivers (OLB) - Giants

Brandon Spikes (MLB) - Patriots

Chris Williams (G) - Rams

Rookie To Watch:

Sammy Watkins

(Wide Receiver)

Watkins was the 4th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Clemson University.

Team Info: Website: www.buffalobills.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: Ralph Wilson Stadium

25

Coach: Joe Philbin (2nd Season)

(Win/Loss: 15/17)

2013 Stats: (8-8).

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 4th in AFC East. (6-10)

I’m not so sure that the Dolphins have what it

takes to step up and take control of this divi-

sion. They’re a good team at home and boast

a strong defense but scoring points has been

their biggest issue over the last two seasons.

They’ve put a lot of money into the likes of

Mike Wallace and Brian Hartline on offense

without perhaps the return they were hoping

for in terms of productivity. The acquisition of

1500 all-purpose yard running-back Know-

shon Moreno has been sabotaged by a knee

injury and questions remain as to whether

Lamar Miller can truly be a three-down back.

They seemed to have addressed their major

issue on the offensive line however, where

Ryan Tannehill was sacked a franchise record

58 times in 2013.

Key Player:

Ryan Tannehill (QB)

2013:

355/588 att. 3913 yards, 24 Touch-downs, 17 Interceptions.

This is a huge season for the Dolphins’ quarterback. This year he doesn’t have the excuse of one of the shabbiest NFL offen-sive lines protecting him, with Miami bringing in 2013 Pro Bowl Left Tackle Branden Albert and Ja’Waun James in the first round of the 2014 draft from the Uni-versity of Tennessee. Tannehill is a great athlete and has a strong arm but has some accuracy issues that he will need to ad-dress if the Dolphins are thinking about a playoff berth.

26

Schedule:

September:

7th: Patriots

14th: @ Bills

21st: Chiefs

28th: @ Raiders

October:

5th: Bye Week

12th: Packers

19th: @ Bears

26th: @ Jaguars

November:

2nd: Chargers

9th: @ Lions

13th: Bills

23rd: @ Broncos

December:

1st: @ Jets

7th: Ravens

14th: @ Patriots

21st: Vikings

28th: Jets

Rookie To Watch:

Jarvis Landry

(Wide Receiver)

Landry was the 63rd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Louisiana State University.

Notable Departures:

Chris Clemons (SS) - Texans

John Jerry (G) - Giants

Chris Owens (CB) - Chiefs

Paul Soliai (DT) - Falcons

R.J. Stanford (DB) - Bengals

Notable Arrivals:

Branden Albert (T) - Chiefs

Cortland Finnegan (CB) - Rams

Jason Fox (T) - Lions

Earl Mitchell (NT) - Texans

Knowshon Moreno (RB) - Broncos

Team Info: Website: www.miamidolphins.com

Founded: 1966

Stadium Name: Sun Life Stadium

27

Coach: Bill Belichick (20th Season)

(Win/Loss: 218/114)

2013 Stats: (12-4), lost in AFC Championship Game

Offense:





Defense:





Prediction: 1st in AFC East (12-4), Superbowl

Runners-Up.

With the Belichick-Brady axis coming towards

its expiration date, the Patriots’ window for

another Lombardi Trophy may be slowly clos-

ing. This will likely make them more hungry

than ever in 2014. They joined the AFC arms

race with the Broncos in free-agency by ac-

quiring superstar cornerback Darrelle Revis

from the Buccaneers to sure-up their creaky

secondary. If Gronkowski can stay healthy

there’s no doubt Brady’s offense is set to purr

once again and Steven Ridley has the poten-

tial to be a 1000 yard running-back if he can

put his fumbling issues behind him. The Patri-

ots are a good all-round team, who are excel-

lently coached and I predict that they’ll go all

the way to the Superbowl once again.

Key Player:

Tom Brady (QB)

2013:


No real surprises here in the “key-player” section. The three-time Superbowl win-ning quarterback may be getting on in age but there are few better men under-centre in the league. Belichick will un-doubtedly persevere with the fast-paced “no-huddle” offense that teams up and down the league have been copying, of which there is no better exponent than Brady. Any hints of a premature retire-ment with just the three rings are ludi-crous, nobody wants to win more than number 12.

28

Rookie To Watch:

Dominique Easley

(Defensive Tackle)

Easley was the 29th over-all pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Florida.

Notable Departures:

LeGarrette Blount (RB) - Steelers

Dane Fletcher (MLB) - Buccaneers

Brandon Spikes (MLB) - Bills

Aqib Talib (CB) - Broncos

Notable Arrivals:

Darrelle Revis (CB) - Buccaneers

Brandon Browner (CB) - Seahawks

Patrick Chung (S) - Eagles

Brandon LaFell (WR) - Panthers

Will Smith (DE) - Saints

Schedule:

September:

7th:@ Dolphins

14th: @ Vikings

21st: Raiders

28th: @ Chiefs

October:

5th: Bengals

12th: @ Bills

16th: Jets

26th: Bears

November:

2nd: Broncos

9th: Bye Week

16th: @ Colts

23rd: Lions

December:

7th: @ Chargers

14th: Dolphins

21st: @ Jets

28th: Bills

Team Info: Website: www.patriots.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: Gillette Stadium

29

Coach: Rex Ryan (6th Season)

(Win/Loss: 46/40)

2013 Stats: (8-8)

Offense:





Defense:



Passing Yards PG: 246.7 (22nd)



Prediction: 3rd in AFC East (9-7)

The Jets overachieved last season with a pretty

lacklustre roster. Defensively they were solid,

Sheldon Richardson proved an excellent draft

pick to pair at defensive-end with Wilkerson

giving the Jets effective pass-rush all season

and both will arguably be even better in 2014.

Now they’ve added Eric Decker, Chris Johnson

and Michael Vick to their offense, all of whom

are game-changers but maybe more so in 2009

rather than now. One of their main weakness-

es lies in their secondary and losing the experi-

enced cornerback Antonio Cromartie to the

Cardinals won’t help this issue. The level to

which the rookies Pryor and McDougle per-

form with the inexperienced Milliner in the Jets

secondary will be crucial to whether they can

challenge the Patriots & Bills.

Key Player:

Muhammad Wilkerson (DE)

2013: 43 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.

Wilkerson came to the party in his 3rd season with the Jets in 2013 being select-ed as an All Pro with 10.5 sacks, which more than doubled his total of the two previous seasons combined. At six-foot-four and 315lbs, the Jets defensive-end is a frightening figure for any quarterback and this freak of a man is only getting better.

30

Schedule:

September:

7th: Raiders

14th: @ Packers

21st: Bears

28th: Lions

October:

5th: @ Chargers

12th: Broncos

16th: @ Patriots

26th: Bills

November:

2nd: @ Chiefs

9th: Steelers

16th: Bye Week

23rd: @ Bills

December:

1st: Dolphins

7th: @ Vikings

14th: @ Titans

21st: Patriots

28th: @ Dolphins

Notable Departures:

Antonio Cromartie (CB) - Cardinals

Vladimir Ducasse (G) - Vikings

Austin Howard (T) - Raiders

Mark Sanchez (QB) - Eagles

Notable Arrivals:

Eric Decker (WR) - Broncos

Jacoby Ford (WR) - Raiders

Breno Giacomini (T) - Seahawks

Chris Johnson (RB) - Titans

Michael Vick (QB) - Eagles

Rookie To Watch:

Calvin Pryor

(Free Safety)

Pryor was the 18th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Louisville.

Team Info: Website: www.newyorkjets.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: MetLife Stadium

31

AFC West

32

Coach: John Fox (13th Season)

(Win/Loss: 115/91)

2013 Stats: (13-3) lost in Superbowl.

Offense:





Defense:





Prediction: 1st in AFC West (14-2), AFC Divi-

sional Playoff Round.

The Broncos have really bought into the “Win

Now” mentality during the off-season, piling

in talent during free-agency. One could argue

their roster is even stronger than last season,

a year in which they broke every offensive

record going in NFL history, racking up nearly

38 points per game on average. In fact they

are so head-and-shoulders in front of the rest

of their division in terms of talent, that they

are ridiculous 1/4 favourites in Vegas to clinch

the division (in June!). The key questions for

the Broncos will of course be asked in the post

-season, as their ability to run the football and

play solid defense are arguably two of the

weaker aspects of this team.

The 2013 MVP and arguably the best regu-lar-season QB of all time. Peyton Man-ning’s 2013 was his greatest ever at the sprightly age of 37. Could he be even better at 38? Probably not, but with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders from the Steelers and Cody Latimer in the draft at wide receiver to compliment an already talented receiving corps, there’s no reason why the Broncos should let-up on offense. Manning threw 55 Touchdowns last sea-son which is an all time NFL record. MVP Candidate again.

Key Player:

Peyton Manning (QB)

2013:


33

Notable Departures:

Champ Bailey (CB) - Saints

Zane Beadles (G) - Jaguars

Eric Decker (WR) - Jets

Trindon Holliday (WR) - Giants

Jeremy Mincey (DE) - Cowboys

Knowshon Moreno (RB) - Dolphins

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB) - Giants

Notable Arrivals:

Emmanuel Sanders (WR) - Steelers

Aqib Talib (CB) - Patriots

T.J. Ward (SS) - Browns

DeMarcus Ware (DE) - Cowboys

Rookie To Watch:

Cody Latimer

(Wide Receiver)

Latimer was the 56th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Indiana Univer-sity.

Team Info: Website: www.denverbroncos.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Schedule:

September:

7th: Colts

14th: Chiefs

21st: @ Seahawks

28th: Bye Week

October:

5th: Cardinals

12th: @ Jets

19th: 49ers

23rd: Chargers

November:

2nd: @ Patriots

9th: @ Raiders

16th: @ Rams

23rd: Dolphins

30th: @ Chiefs

December:

7th: Bills

14th: @ Chargers

22nd: @ Bengals

28th: Raiders

34

Coach: Andy Reid (16th Season)

(Win/Loss: 151/108)

2013 Stats: (11-5) lost in Wildcard Playoff Round.

Offense:





Defense:





Prediction: 3rd in AFC West (8-8)

It was a great bounce-back season for the

Chiefs in 2013 with new coach Andy Reid after

going 2 & 14 in 2012. They reached the

playoffs only to blow a 28 point league against

the Colts (45-44), a defeat that will still be

hurting come the start of this season. They’ve

lost some talent during free-agency unfortu-

nately, three of their staggering eleven Pro

Bowlers from 2013 have moved on but that

shouldn't deter this roster who are much im-

proved since the days of Romeo Crennel. It

could go either way for them this season but I

predict that they will still be a relatively com-

petitive team in 2014 despite a tougher

schedule than last year. Opposing teams also

will be more aware of the dual-threat provid-

ed by running-back Jamaal Charles.

Key Player:

Jamaal Charles (RB)

2013: 259 atts: 1287 rushing yards, 70

catches, 693 receiving yards, 19 TDs.

Explosive, dynamic, intelligent, high-octane and powerful. Jamaal Charles had almost 2000 yards of total offensive yards last season including 70 catches out of the backfield. He was arguably an MVP candi-date. Charles recorded a league-leading 19 touchdowns in 2013, including five in one game during the demolition of the Oak-land Raiders in December. He is consist-ently brilliant averaging 5.6 yards per carry throughout his career and will have a huge say as to whether the Chiefs can mount a playoff challenge in 2014.

35

Schedule:

September:

7th: Titans

14th: @ Broncos

21st: @ Dolphins

29th: Patriots

October:

5th: @ 49ers

12th: Bye Week

19th: @ Chargers

26th: Rams

November:

2nd: Jets

9th: @ Bills

16th: Seahawks

20th: @ Raiders

30th: Broncos

December:

7th: @ Cardinals

14th: Raiders

21st: @ Steelers

28th: Chargers

Notable Departures:

Branden Albert (T) - Dolphins

Tyson Jackson (DE) - Falcons

Akeem Jordan (ILB) - Redskins

Geoff Schwartz (G) - Giants

Kendrick Lewis (FS) - Texans

Dexter McCluster (WR) - Titans

Notable Arrivals:

Chris Owens (CB) - Dolphins

Vance Walker (DT) - Raiders

J’Marcus Webb (T) - Vikings

Rookie To Watch:

Dee Ford

(Defensive End)

Ford was the 23rd overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Au-burn University.

Team Info: Website: www.kcchiefs.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: Arrowhead Stadium

36

Coach: Dennis Allen (3rd Season)

(Win/Loss: 8/24)

2013 Stats: (4-12)

Offense:





Defense:


Yards Per Game: 363.7(22nd)




Prediction: 4th in AFC West (6-10)

Nobody was more active in free-agency than

the Raiders in the AFC, bringing in no fewer

than eleven players, most of whom boast con-

siderable NFL experience and talent. With con-

secutive four-win seasons behind them, head

coach Dennis Allen is fighting for his job and

will be desperate to get to eight wins in 2014.

The Raiders selection of Derek Carr from Fres-

no State will see an interesting battle for the

quarterback starting job with Matt Schaub,

who will be desperate to bounce back from his

dismal 2013 campaign with the Texans. Person-

ally, I see them struggling again but there’s po-

tential that the experience on the roster will

get them to six wins. Early reports from OTAs

suggest Khalil Mack will be a serious difference

maker on the Raiders D.

Key Player:

Khalil Mack (OLB)

2013: N/A

Mack is the only rookie that I have fea-tured in the “Key Player” section but I can’t possibly see him flopping. He’s the most explosive rookie linebacker I’ve seen. He broke an NCAA record last season with Buffalo when he recorded his 16th forced-fumble for the Bulls, a season in which he also recorded 10.5 sacks and 100 overall tackles. Many scouts considered Mack a number one overall prospect in the draft so the Raiders will be delighted to have been able to pick him up at number five. I have no doubts he’ll be a special player in the NFL.

37

Notable Departures:

Lamarr Houston (DE) - Bears

Tracy Porter (CB) - Redskins

Jared Veldheer (T) - Cardinals

Vance Walker (DT) - Chiefs

Notable Arrivals:

LaMarr Woodley (OLB) - Steelers

Justin Tuck DE) - Giants

Antonio Smith (DE) - Texans

Carlos Rogers (CB) - 49ers

Donald Penn (T) - Buccaneers

Maurice Jones-Drew (RB) - Jaguars

James Jones (WR) - Packers

Austin Howard (T) - Jets

Matt Schaub (QB) - Texans

Team Info: Website: www.raiders.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: O.co Coliseum

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Jets

14th: Texans

21st: @ Patriots

28th: Dolphins

October:

5th: Bye Week

12th: Chargers

19th: Cardinals

26th: @ Browns

November:

2nd: @ Seahawks

9th: Broncos

16th: @ Chargers

20th: Chiefs

30th: @ Rams

December:

7th: 49ers

14th: @ Chiefs

21st: Bills

28th: @ Broncos

Rookie To Watch:

Derek Carr

(Quarterback)

Carr was the 36th over-all pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Fresno State University.

38

Coach: Mike McCoy (2nd Season)

(Win/Loss: 9/7)

2013 Stats: (9-7), lost in AFC Divisional Playoff Round.

Offense:





Defense:




Rushing Yards PG: 107.8(12th)

Key Player:

Philip Rivers (QB)

2013: 378/544 att. 4478 yards, 32

TDs, 11 INTs.

Prediction: 3rd in AFC West (8-8)

The Chargers did very well in 2013, reaching

the AFC Divisional Round of the Playoffs only

to lose narrowly in Denver. In Mike McCoy’s

first season they managed to combine a solid

running game with Phil Rivers’ best season in

terms of quarterback rating since 2008. Ryan

Matthews ran for over 1200 yards and rookie

wide-receiver Keenan Allen had a thousand

yards receiving too. One of the main worries

moving forward is their weakness against the

pass on defense, leaking nearly 260 yards per

game through the air. The Chargers have

attempted to address this by selecting All-

American cornerback Jason Verrett from TCU.

They overachieved in many people’s minds

last year and I expect them to take a slight

step backwards in 2014.

Philip Rivers seems to have been around forever but at 32 he’s still got some fan-tastic years ahead of him as the gun-slinger in San Diego. He won his first post-season game since 2008 in January versus the Bengals and seems to have regained the form that saw him lead the league in passing in 2010. In 2013 he was named Comeback Player of the Year by both Associated Press and Pro Football Writers Association and had the highest passing-completion percentage of his ca-reer with 69.5%.

39

Notable Departures:

Derek Cox (CB) - Vikings

Charlie Whitehurst (QB) - Titans

Terrell Manning (LB) - Vikings

Lavelle Hawkins (WR) - Buccaneers

Stephen Schilling (G) - Seahawks

Notable Arrivals:

Brandon Flowers (CB) - Chiefs

Kellen Clemens (QB) - Rams

Brandon Ghee (DB) - Bengals

Team Info: Website: www.chargers.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: Qualcomm Stadium

Schedule:

September:

8th: @ Cardinals

14th: Seahawks

21st: @ Bills

28th: Jaguars

October:

5th: Jets

12th: @ Raiders

19th: Chiefs

23rd: @ Broncos

November:

2nd: @ Dolphins

9th: Bye Week

16th: Raiders

23rd: Rams

30th: @ Ravens

December:

7th: Patriots

14th: Broncos

20th: @ 49ers

28th: @ Chiefs

Rookie To Watch:

Jason Verrett

(Cornerback)

Verrett was the 25th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from TCU.

40

NFC North

41

Coach: Mark Trestman (2nd Season)

(Win/Loss: 8/8)

2013 Stats: (8-8)

Offense:





Defense:




Rushing Yards PG: 161.4(32nd)


Prediction: 2nd in NFC North (11-5),

NFC Wildcard Playoff Round.

Mark Trestman’s first season was certainly ex-

citing. The offense was ranked only behind the

Broncos in terms of points-per-game and in-

volved excellent seasons for Brandon Marshall

and especially sophomore receiver Alshon

Jeffery. They will be hoping that quarterback Jay

Cutler will repay the franchise’s faith in him

after he signed a $54 million contract extension

in January. Their defense on the other hand was

abysmal, especially with regards to stopping the

run. Chicago were very busy in free-agency, fo-

cussing their budget on defensive players to try

and rectify the gaping holes that existed in

2013. I think Allen and Houston are excellent

signings on the defensive line and that the Bears

will be very, very competitive in 2014.

Key Player:

Matt Forte (RB)

2013: 1339 yards rushing. 594

yards receiving, 12 TDs.

One of the most underrated players in the NFL in my opinion. Forte had nearly 2000 all-purpose yards last season with 74 catches out of the backfield. At 28, he may only have a couple of seasons left at his peak in the exhausting position and there’s nothing more Forte would like than a Superbowl ring on his finger. He could be part of a really special offense this season under Trestman and the Bears will definitely be there or there about if Forte can move the football on the ground.

42

Schedule:

September:

7th: Bills

14th: @ 49ers

22nd: @ Jets

28th: Packers

October:

5th: @ Panthers

12th: @ Falcons

19th: Dolphins

26th: @ Patriots

November:

2nd: Bye Week

9th: @ Packers

16th: Buccaneers

27th: @ Lions

December:

4th: Cowboys

15th: Saints

21st: Lions

28th: @ Vikings

Notable Departures:

Julius Peppers (DE) - Packers

Josh McCown (QB) - Buccaneers

Henry Melton (DT) - Cowboys

Devin Hester (WR) - Falcons

Major Wright (SS) - Buccaneers

Notable Arrivals:

Jared Allen (DE) - Vikings

Brian De La Puente (C)- Saints

Domenik Hixon (WR) - Panthers

Lamarr Houston (DE) - Raiders

Ryan Mundy (FS) - Giants

Israel Idonije (DE) - Lions

Rookie To Watch:

Kyle Fuller

(Cornerback)

Fuller was the 14th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Virginia Tech.

Team Info: Website: www.chicagobears.com

Founded: 1920

Stadium Name: Soldier Field

43

Coach: Jim Caldwell (4th Season)

(Win/Loss: 26/22)

2013 Stats: (7-9)

Offense:





Defense:

Points Per Game: 23.5(15th)



Rushing Yards PG: 99.8(6th)


Prediction: 3rd in NFC North (9-7)

The Lions don’t seem to want to give up on

their gung-ho, all out offensive game-plan just

yet. The end of the Jim Schwartz era may yet

see a more conservative look to this team but

taking the playmaking tight-end Eric Ebron at

number ten overall in the draft would suggest

otherwise. They’ve picked up Golden Tate to

strengthen their receiving corps further, with

the increasing likelihood that this team will be

involved in shootouts all season long again. It’s

certainly going to be exciting, although one

can’t overlook the excellent defensive line too,

as this talented roster will unquestionably look

to surprise a few critics. Quarterback Matthew

Stafford has always put up big yards, but

whether he can handle playoff football is a

different question altogether.

Key Player:

Calvin Johnson (WR)

2013: 84 catches, 1492 yards, 12 TDs.

Arguably the best wide-receiver ever, Megatron is still only 28 and is looking for-ward to another big season with Detroit. He’ll most likely surpass 10,000 career re-ceiving yards in 2014 in what could be a really crucial year for the Lions. He had 329 receiving yards in one game last sea-son during a 31-30 win over the Cowboys which is an NFL record. It will be inter-esting to see how new complimentary re-ceiver Golden Tate fairs this season with the double-coverage that Johnson will un-doubtedly draw.

44

Team Info: Website: www.detroitlions.com

Founded: 1930

Stadium Name: Ford Field

Schedule:

September:

4th: @ Seahawks

14th: Jets

21st: @ Lions

28th: @ Bears

October:

2nd: Vikings

12th: @ Dolphins

19th: Panthers

26th: Saints

November:

2nd: Bye Week

9th: Bears

16th: Eagles

23rd: @ Vikings

30th: Patriots

December:

8th: Falcons

14th: @ Bills

21st: @ Buccaneers

28th: Lions

Rookie To Watch:

Eric Ebron

(Tight End)

Ebron was the 10th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of North Carolina.

Notable Departures:

Nate Burleson (WR) - Browns

Jason Fox (T) - Dolphins

Shaun Hill (QB) - Rams

Willie Young (DE) - Bears

Notable Arrivals:

James Ihedigibo (SS) - Ravens

Namaan Roosevelt (WR) - Browns

Golden Tate (WR) - Seahawks

Cassius Vaughn (CB) - Colts

45

Coach: Mike McCarthy (9th Season)

(Win/Loss: 88/50)

2013 Stats: (8-7-1), lost in Wildcard Playoff Round.

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 1st in NFC North (13-3), Superbowl

Winners.

Injuries plagued the Packers last season in what

was still a respectable season, as they went

down narrowly 23-20 in the Wildcard playoff

round to the 49ers. There’s great talent on their

roster and have added some good depth to their

defense with the acquisition of Julius Peppers at

defensive end and first round draft pick Clinton-

Dix looks a real talent at safety. Their offense will

always put up points with Rodgers and Nelson

healthy. They finally have a legitimate running

back to compliment their devastating passing

game too in the form of Eddie Lacy who had an

outstanding rookie season. I have a feeling

McCarthy’s Packers are going to be tough to stop

this season, especially if they secure home field

advantage for the post-season.

Key Player:

Aaron Rodgers (QB)

2013: 193/290 att. 2536 yds,

17 TDs, 6 INTs.

Rodgers suffered with injury last season in which he only played 9 games but still put up some very impressive numbers. It would be fair to say that he may not have been 100% after he returned too which perhaps cost them in their playoff defeat. Nobody is more important to this franchise, during the five weeks he was out in 2013 the Packers didn’t win. He’s the best quarterback in the NFL for me and will be desperate to secure another Superbowl ring as this impressive Pack-ers roster heads confidently into 2014.

46

Schedule:

September:

8th: Giants

14th: @ Panthers

21st: Packers

28th: @ Jets

October:

5th: Bills

12th: @ Vikings

19th: Saints

26th: @ Falcons

November:

2nd: Bye Week

9th: Dolphins

16th: @ Cardinals

23rd: @ Patriots

December:

7th: Buccaneers

14th: Vikings

21st: @ Bears

28th: @ Packers

Team Info: Website: www.packers.com

Founded: 1921

Stadium Name: Lambeau Field

Rookie To Watch:

Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

(Free Safety)

Clinton-Dix was the 21st overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Alabama.

Notable Departures:

Evan Dietrich-Smith (C) - Buccaneers

M.D. Jennings (FS) - Bears

James Jones (WR) - Raiders

Marshall Newhouse (T) - Bengals

Greg Van Roten (G) - Seahawks

Notable Arrivals:

Julius Peppers (DE) - Bears

Letroy Guion (DT) - Vikings

47

Coach: Mike Zimmer (1st Season)

(Win/Loss: N/A)

2013 Stats: (5-10-1)

Offense:





Defense:






Key Player:

Adrian Peterson (RB)

2013: 279 att. 1266 yards 4.5

yards per attempt, 10 TDs.

Prediction: 4th in NFC North (7-9)

It what will be Mike Zimmer’s first year as an

NFL coach, there is plenty of positives to take

from this roster in what I can see being a tran-

sition season for the Vikings. Nobody shipped

more points per game than Minnesota did in

2013 in what became a laughing stock of a sec-

ondary that the trigger happy NFC North QBs

destroyed time after time. They certainly made

it a priority to address during the off-season,

picking up three defensive backs in free-

agency. Anthony Barr looks like an immediate

difference-maker at linebacker and I’d advise

any fantasy NFL player to take Cordarrelle

Patterson in the later rounds as he finished the

season magnificently. Whether Bridgewater

will win the starting QB job in training camp

will be extremely interesting too.

The 2012 MVP is one of the best running back I’ve ever seen. In 2013 he devas-tatingly lost his two year old son but still managed to put up nearly 1300 yards of rushing in another excellent season on a pretty mediocre team. The phenomenal consistency and explosiveness he has found after his 2011 torn ACL is pretty mi-raculous. The six time Pro-Bowler will be integral to any success the Vikings may enjoy this season and I’d be very surprised if he’s not right up there again in 2014.

48

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Rams

14th: Patriots

21st: @ Saints

28th: Falcons

October:

2nd: @ Packers

12th: Lions

19th: @ Bills

26th: @ Buccaneers

November:

2nd: Redskins

9th: Bye Week

16th: @ Bears

23rd: Packers

30th: Panthers

December:

7th: Jets

14th: @ Lions

21st: @ Dolphins

28th: Bears

Notable Departures:

Jared Allen (DE) - Bears

Chris Cook (CB) - 49ers

Toby Gerhart (RB) - Jaguars

Letroy Guion (DT) - Packers

J’Marcus Webb (T) - Chiefs

Joe Webb (QB) - Panthers

Notable Arrivals:

Jasper Brinkley (ILB) - Cardinals

Kurt Coleman (FS) - Eagles

Derek Cox (CB) - Chargers

Vladimir Ducasse (G) - Jets

Captain Munnerlyn (CB) - Panthers

Linval Joseph (DT) - Giants

Rookie To Watch:

Anthony Barr

(Outside Linebacker)

Barr was the 9th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from UCLA.

Team Info: Website: www.vikings.com

Founded: 1961

Stadium Name: TCF Bank Stadium

49

NFC South

50

Coach: Mike Smith (7th Season)

(Win/Loss: 61/40)

2013 Stats: (4-12)

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 3rd in NFC South (7-9)

It’s strange to think that the Falcons were one

play away from the Superbowl in that famous

NFC Championship game with the 49ers in 2012.

2013 was a disaster. To be fair they lost quite a

few one-score games but to finish 4 & 12 was

totally unexpected. Injuries of course played a

part, Julio Jones being an especially big miss for

much of the season. They have upgraded their

shabby offensive line with the acquisition of Jake

Matthews from Texas A&M who looks an out-

standing prospect. The Falcons will be the fea-

tured team on this years award-winning HBO

show “Hard-Knocks” and it will be interesting to

see how Mike Smith reacts to last season’s melt-

down. I see them being better in 2014 but it’s

going to be very difficult to challenge the Saints

in this division.

Key Player:

Matt Ryan (QB)

2013: 439/691 att. 4515 yards,

26 TDs, 17 INTs.

The only quarterback with a higher pass-ing completion percentage over the last two seasons is Peyton Manning. Ryan ac-tually played pretty well last season, much of it without his superstar wide-receiver and an embarrassing lack of a running game. I like Ryan a lot, he often goes un-der looked in the NFL as a legitimate difference-maker but he’s comfortably in the top 10 quarterbacks for me. I think he’ll be even better this season, the Fal-cons are lucky to have him.

51

Schedule:

September:

7th: Saints

14th: @ Bengals

18th: Buccaneers

28th: @ Vikings

October:

5th: @ Giants

12th: Bears

19th: @ Ravens

26th: Lions

November:

2nd: Bye Week

9th: @ Buccaneers

16th: @ Panthers

23rd: Browns

December:

8th: @ Packers

14th: Steelers

21st: @ Saints

28th: Panthers

Notable Departures:

Kevin Cone (WR) - Dolphins

Thomas DeCoud (FS) - Panthers

Brian Robiskie (WR) - Titans

Notable Arrivals:

Jon Asamoah (G) - Chiefs

Devin Hester (WR) - Bears

Tyson Jackson (DE) - Chiefs

Bear Pascoe (TE) - Giants

Paul Soliai (DT) - Dolphins

Josh Wilson (CB) - Redskins

Team Info: Website: www.atlantafalcons.com

Founded: 1966

Stadium Name: Georgia Dome

Rookie To Watch:

Jake Matthews

(Offensive Tackle)

Matthews was the 6th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Texas A & M.

52

Prediction: 4th in NFC South (6-10)

The Panthers finished the regular season 11 &

1 last year to clinch the NFC South behind a

frightening defense. They really were out-

standing, but has this team already hit its

peak? They have lost Steve Smith, arguably

the best player in their franchise history along

with several other receivers and haven’t really

addressed the missing weapons in free agen-

cy. Quarterback Cam Newton is improving all

the time and is becoming a real leader on this

team but will really need to step up and carry

the offense this season. Defensively they

should be very strong again, although star de-

fensive-end Greg Hardy is facing assault charg-

es and they’ve lost cornerback Munnerlyn

who played very well last year. It’s a tough di-

vision to say the least so I think they’ll regress.

Coach: Ron Rivera (4th Season)

(Win/Loss: 25/24)

2013 Stats: (12-4), lost in NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Offense:





Defense:


Yards Per Game: 301.2(2nd)




The 2013 NFL defensive player of the year was on a different planet to other line-backers. Combining his unprecedented power with freakish athleticism, Kuechly simply tackled everything and everyone in his way. He also had a ridiculous four in-terceptions, a roster best. Combined with intelligence and leadership, Kuechly pos-sesses the versatility and talent to be one of the league’s all-time greats at the mid-dle linebacker position. At 23 years old I’ve never seen anyone like him. The po-tential is staggering.

Key Player:

Luke Kuechly (MLB)

2013: 156 combined tackles, 93

total tackles, 2.0 sacks.

53

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Buccaneers

14th: Lions

21st: Steelers

28th: @ Ravens

October:

5th: Bears

12th: @ Bengals

19th: @ Packers

26th: Seahawks

30th: Saints

November:

10th: @ Eagles

16th: Falcons

23rd: Bye Week

30th: @ Vikings

December:

7th: @ Saints

14th: Buccaneers

21st: Browns

28th: @ Falcons

Rookie To Watch:

Kelvin Benjamin

(Wide Receiver)

Benjamin was the 28th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the Florida State University.

Notable Departures:

Ted Ginn (WR) - Cardinals

Domenik Hixon (WR) - Bears

Brandon LaFell (WR) - Patriots

Mike Mitchell (FS) - Steelers

Captain Munnerlyn (CB) - Vikings

Steve Smith (WR) - Ravens

Notable Arrivals:

Ed Dixon (TE) - Ravens

Jason Avant (WR) - Eagles

Jerricho Cotchery (WR) - Steelers

Thomas DeCoud (FS) - Falcons

Roman Harper (SS) - Saints

Joe Webb (QB) - Vikings

Team Info: Website: www.panthers.com

Founded: 1995

Stadium Name: Bank of America Stadium

54

Coach: Sean Payton (8th Season)

(Win/Loss: 79/43)

2013 Stats: (11-5), lost in NFC Divisional Playoffs.

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 1st in NFC South (11-5),

NFC Divisional Playoffs.

A very good team whose defense improved

markedly under Rob Ryan as the defensive co-

ordinator last season after giving up the most

yards in NFL history in 2012. in 2014 I expect

them to be a major force again. Their offense

is perennially good with Brees under centre

and the signings of Champ Bailey and Jairus

Byrd compliments what already was an excel-

lent secondary last season. A running back

needs to step up this season after the depar-

ture of Darren Sproles to the Eagles but their

offense is unlikely to hold them back. With a

relatively surmountable schedule this season I

expect the Saints to be difficult to beat in the

playoffs IF they manage to secure home-field

advantage.

The quarterback who last year broke the NFL record for the fewest games to reach 50,000 passing yards. Brees is hungry for another Superbowl ring and this could be the year. He may not have too many years left but doesn’t seem to be slowing down at all, recording his 3rd consecutive 5,000 yard passing season in 2013 and surpas-sing Warren Moon to move to 5th place on the career passing yards list. He has a new receiver in the form of Brandin Cooks to throw to in 2014 too, in what should be another impressive season.

Key Player:

Drew Brees (QB)

2013: 446/650 att. 5162 yards, 39 TDs, 12 INTs.

55

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Buccaneers

14th: Lions

21st: Steelers

28th: @ Ravens

October:

5th: Bears

12th: @ Bengals

19th: @ Packers

26th: Seahawks

30th: Saints

November:

10th: @ Eagles

16th: Falcons

23rd: Bye Week

30th: @ Vikings

December:

7th: @ Saints

14th: Buccaneers

21st: Browns

28th: @ Falcons

Notable Departures:

Charles Brown (T) - Giants

Brian De La Puente (C) - Bears

Roman Harper (SS) - Panthers

Will Smith (DE) - Patriots

Malcolm Jenkins (FS) - Eagles

Lance Moore (WR) - Steelers

Notable Arrivals:

Champ Bailey (CB) - Bears

Jairus Byrd (FS) - Bills

Team Info: Website: www.neworleanssaints.com

Founded: 1967

Stadium Name: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

Rookie To Watch:

Brandin Cooks (Wide Receiver)

Cooks was the 20th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Oregon State University.

56

Coach: Lovie Smith (9th Season)

(Win/Loss: 84/66)

2013 Stats: (4-11)

Offense:



Passing Yards PG: 176.2(32nd)

Rushing Yards PG: 100.8(22nd)

Defense:






Prediction: 2nd in NFC South (9-7)

2014 brings a new coach and a totally different

looking roster in Tampa and there’s a fair bit to

be excited about. The acquisitions of Michael

Johnson and Alterraun Verner to the defense

are particularly notable, both of whom re-

ceived top dollar in free agency. Mike Evans is

one of the most exciting rookie prospects in

the draft and it will be interesting to see if vet-

eran signing Josh McCown at QB can repeat

the form he showed with the Bears last sea-

son. Lovie Smith will bring a defensive mind-

set to the Bucs and they really could be a for-

midable unit in 2014. The main concern for the

Bucs is their ability to put points on the board,

and a division with the Saints and Panthers in

are unlikely to gift them touchdowns. They will

be a difficult team to beat, playoff contenders.

Key Player:

Lavonte David (OLB)

2013: 145 combined tackles, 107 total tackles, 7.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles.

An undoubted contender for the AP De-fensive Player of the year in 2013 (Many Bucs fans were left scratching their heads in bemusement in fact) as Lavonte David recorded one of the great displays at line-backer we’ve ever seen. Had the Bucs performed better he probably would have won it, the guy had 107 tackles, seven sacks, two forced fumbles and five inter-ceptions! An outstanding multi-purpose player with an incredible future. Almost guaranteed to be an All-Pro in 2014 and improving too. Lavonte Awesome.

57

Schedule:

September:

7th: Panthers

14th: Rams

18th: @ Falcons

28th: @ Steelers

October:

5th: @ Saints

12th: Ravens

19th: Bye Week

26th: Vikings

November:

2nd: @ Browns

9th: Falcons

16th: @ Redskins

23rd: @ Bears

30th: Bengals

December:

7th: @ Lions

14th: @ Panthers

21st: Packers

28th: Saints

Notable Departures:

Davin Joseph (G) - Rams

Dan Orlovsky (QB) - Lions

Donald Penn (T) - Raiders

Darrelle Revis (CB) - Patriots

Tiquan Underwood (WR) - Cardinals

Notable Arrivals:

Anthony Collins (T) - Bengals

Oniel Cousins (G) - Browns

Evan Dietrich-Smith (C) - Packers

Dane Fletcher (MLB) - Patriots

Mike Jenkins (CB) - Raiders

Michael Johnson (DE) - Bengals

Josh McCown (QB) - Bears

Clinton McDonald (DT) - Seahawks

Alterraun Verner (CB) - Titans

Major Wright (SS) - Bears

Team Info: Website: www.buccaneers.com

Founded: 1976

Stadium Name: Raymond James Stadium

Rookie To Watch:

Mike Evans (Wide Receiver)

Evans was the 7th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Texas A & M.

58

NFC East

59

Coach: Jason Garett (5th Season)

(Win/Loss: 29/27)

2013 Stats: (8-8)

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 4th in NFC East (3-13)

Arguably a make or break season for head

coach Garrett, things are looking bleak for the

Cowboys. A team who were horrible defen-

sively in 2013 have lost their franchise legend-

ary defensive-end DeMarcus Ware and defen-

sive leader Sean Lee to a torn ACL during OTAs.

This could spell disaster for a team that was

likely to be involved in its fair share of

shootouts regardless. Quarterback Tony Romo

comes into 2014 recovering from back surgery

after a very impressive 2013, but uncertainty

remains with regards to his health and his mis-

takes when it really matters. This team could

be in big trouble this year, as they don’t seem

to have addressed the obvious holes on the

roster and Garett will not be spared blame if

things start to go awry come December.

Key Player:

Tony Romo (QB)


Romo’s importance to this franchise was demonstrated in 2013 when he signed $108 million contract extension. He repaid some of the faith shown in him with an excellent 2013 season in which the Cow-boys put up 27 points per game on aver-age. The problem is that Romo may have to play even better in 2014 to even keep the Cowboys competitive, a feat that may be difficult in a pretty competitive division. He’ll always throw touchdowns, and whilst he’s fit, the Cowboys have at least, a chance.

60

Notable Departures:

Marvin Austin (DT) - Broncos

Miles Austin (WR) - Browns

Jason Hatcher (DT) - Redskins

Ernie Sims (OLB) - Cardinals

DeMarcus Ware (DE) - Broncos

Jarius Wynn (DE) - Bills

Notable Arrivals:

Henry Melton (DT) - Bears

Jeremy Mincey (DE) - Broncos

Uche Nwaneri (G) - Jaguars

Brandon Weeden (QB) - Browns

Ryan Williams (RB) - Cardinals

Team Info: Website: www.dallascowboys.com

Founded: 1960

Stadium Name: AT&T Stadium

Schedule:

September:

7th: 49ers

14th: @ Titans

21st: @ Rams

28th: Saints

October:

5th: Texans

12th: @ Seahawks

19th: Giants

27th: Redskins

November:

2nd: Cardinals

9th: @ Jaguars

16th: Bye Week

23rd: @ Giants

27th: Eagles

December:

4th: @ Bears

14th: @ Eagles

21st: Colts

28th: @ Redskins

Rookie To Watch:

Demarcus Lawrence (Defensive End)

Lawrence was the 34th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Boise State University.

61

Coach: Tom Coughlin (19th Season)

(Win/Loss: 170/137)

2013 Stats: (7-9)

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 3rd in NFC East (8-8)

Still regarded as one of the better coaches in

the NFL, Coughlin will be desperate to end his

illustrious career with another Lombardi Tro-

phy. The Giants have disappointed in the last

couple of seasons since their 2011 Superbowl

win and have perhaps fallen off the radar as a

genuine force in the NFL. The roster is relative-

ly strong, but turnovers at both quarterback

and a list of fumbling running backs have taken

this team backwards recently. Odell Beckham

looks an outstanding replacement for the out-

going Hakeem Nicks but the Giants still seem

to lack the offensive weapons that will be re-

quired to knock the Eagles off the top of the

NFC East. If anyone can turn this team into

contenders it’s Coughlin, but I can’t see them

quite making the cut.

Key Player:

Eli Manning (QB)


Manning had an abysmal 2013 season by his standards but I fully expect a bounce-back year for the two-time Superbowl MVP. He was recently quoted saying that the new Giant’s offense has ‘re-energised him’ and after successful ankle surgery, I can certainly see him putting up some far superior numbers in 2014. If the Giants can get on a run towards the post-season then this is the man your team wants un-der centre. He may not put up record breaking statistics but Manning is a still a big game player.

62

Schedule:

September:

8th: @ Lions

14th: Cardinals

21st: Texans

25th: @ Redskins

October:

5th: Falcons

12th: @ Eagles

19th: @ Cowboys

26th: Bye Week

November:

3rd: Colts

9th: @ Seahawks

16th: 49ers

23rd: Cowboys

30th: @ Jaguars

December:

7th: @ Titans

14th: Redskins

21st: @ Rams

28th: Eagles

Notable Departures:

Kevin Boothe (G) - Raiders

Andre Brown (RB) - Texans

Linval Joseph (DT) - Vikings

Ryan Mundy (FS) - Bears

Hakeem Nicks (WR) - Colts

Bear Pascoe (TE) - Falcons

Keith Rivers (OLB) - Bills

Aaron Ross (CB) - Ravens

Justin Tuck (DE) - Raiders

Notable Arrivals:

Robert Ayers (DE) - Broncos

Charles Brown (T) - Saints

Kellen Davis (TE) - Seahawks

Trindon Holliday (WR) - Broncos

Rashad Jennings (RB) - Raiders

Mario Manningham (WR) - 49ers

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (CB) - Broncos

Rookie To Watch:

Odell Beckham (Wide Receiver)

Beckham was the 12th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Louisiana State University.

Team Info: Website: www.giants.com

Founded: 1925

Stadium Name: MetLife Stadium

63

Coach: Chip Kelly (2nd Season)

(Win/Loss: 10/6)

2013 Stats: (10-6), lost in NFC Wildcard Playoffs.

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 1st in NFC East (11-5),

NFC Divisional Playoffs.

The NFL was introduced to Chip Kelly last sea-

son in eye-catching style. In his first game the

Eagles ran 53 plays in the first half alone which

set the tone in an outstanding offensive sea-

son. Kelly looks right at home in the NFL, and

will be looking to build on an impressive start

with the organisation. Darren Sproles will be a

good addition in the high-pace offense and

Malcolm Jenkins improves their vulnerable

secondary, as the Eagles picked up two players

from New Orleans in the off-season. They will

need to improve on the defensive side of the

ball if they want to go anywhere in the playoffs

but nobody will be looking forward to playing

them in 2014.

Key Player:

LeSean McCoy (RB)

2013: 314 att. 1607 yards, 52 receptions, 539 yards, 11 TDs.

A player who has really benefited from Chip Kelly’s tenure, Shady McCoy’s 2013 was the best season of his career by some way. McCoy was an MVP candidate and was recently ranked as the number five player in the nfl.com “Top 100” players list. He led the league in all-purpose yards with 2,146 last year and will be a critical part of this explosive Eagles offense once again. A first round draft pick for anyone playing fantasy football in 2014.

64

Schedule:

September:

8th: Jaguars

15th: @ Colts

21st: Redskins

28th: @ 49ers

October:

5th: Rams

12th: Giants

19th: Bye Week

26th: @ Cardinals

November:

2nd: @ Texans

10th: Panthers

16th: @ Packers

23rd: Titans

27th: @ Cowboys

December:

7th: Seahawks

14th: Cowboys

20th: @ Redskins

28th: @ Giants

Notable Departures:

Colt Anderson (FS) - Colts

Jason Avant (WR) - Panthers

Patrick Chung (FS) - Patriots

Kurt Coleman (FS) - Vikings

DeSean Jackson (WR) - Redskins

Michael Vick (QB) - Jets

Notable Arrivals:

Darren Sproles (RB) - Saints

Bryan Braman (LB) - Texans

Nolan Carroll (CB) - Eagles

Malcolm Jenkins (FS) - Saints

Mark Sanchez (QB) - Jets

Team Info: Website: www.philadelphiaeagles.com

Founded: 1933

Stadium Name: Lincoln Financial Field

Rookie To Watch:

Marcus Smith (Outside Linebacker)

Smith was the 26th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Louisville.

65

Coach: Jay Gruden (1st Season)

(Win/Loss: N/A)

2013 Stats: (3-13)

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 2nd in NFC East (8-8)

The Redskins have a very high ceiling on their

offense moving into 2014 with what should be

a completely rejuvenated Robert Griffin III un-

der centre after continuous knee trouble.

They’ve added DeSean Jackson at the wide re-

ceiver position from their division rivals the

Eagles and will expect big things once again

from offensive stars Pierre Garcon and Alfred

Morris. Defensively there are worries still and I

wouldn’t be surprised if they are involved in

some big scoring games. How Jay Gruden will

settle into a head coaching role has also come

under some scrutiny, but it’s absolutely all to

play for in the rollercoaster ride that is the NFC

East.

Key Player:

Robert Griffin III (QB)


RG3 never really recovered from the knee injury he sustained in his rookie season and was rushed back onto the field far too quickly in 2013. People quickly forget he had one of the best rookie QB seasons in history and possesses incredible athleti-cism and intelligence rivalled by few in the NFL. This Redskins offense could be abso-lutely stella this year and I’m really excited to see Griffin return fully rejuvenated. He may also need to change his style of play if he’s going to survive the toils of the NFL.

66

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Texans

15th: Jaguars

21st: @ Eagles

25th: Giants

October:

6th: Seahawks

12th: @ Cardinals

19th: Titans

27th: @ Cowboys

November:

2nd: @ Vikings

10th: Bye Week

16th: Buccaneers

23rd: @ 49ers

30th: @ Colts

December:

7th: Rams

14th: @ Giants

20th: Eagles

28th: Cowboys

Notable Departures:

Josh Morgan (WR) - Bears

Josh Wilson (CB) - Falcons

Notable Arrivals:

Ryan Clark (FS) - Steelers

Jason Hatcher (DT) - Cowboys

DeSean Jackson (WR) - Eagles

Akeem Jordan (ILB) - Chiefs

Colt McCoy (QB) - 49ers

Tracy Porter (CB) - Raiders

Andre Roberts (WR) - Cardinals

Rookie To Watch:

Trent Murphy (Outside Linebacker)

Murphy was the 47th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Stanford University.

Team Info: Website: www.redskins.com

Founded: 1932

Stadium Name: FedEx Field

67

NFC West

68

Coach: Bruce Arians (2nd Season)

(Win/Loss: 10/6)

2013 Stats: (10-6)

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 2nd in NFC West (9-7)

A team who were unfortunate to miss the

playoffs in 2013, mainly due to the strength of

the division that they were and are playing in.

Arians has looked a cracking NFL coach in his

short spells with the Colts and Cardinals so far

and they are extremely optimistic moving into

2014. They are talented on both sides of the ball

and will be looking for a little more production

in their running game with Andre Ellington look-

ing the real deal during pre season. Michael

Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald are top notch receiv-

ers too but many critics will look towards the

inconsistency of quarterback Carson Palmer as

an Achilles heel. Overcoming the NFC West will

be extremely tough once again but the Cardinals

might just step up and challenge Seattle this

year. A team to watch for sure.

Key Player:

Patrick Peterson (CB)

2013: 40 tackles, 3 INTs.

At the back end of July the Cardinals made Peterson the highest paid cornerback in NFL history with a 5-year $70 million deal. He’s a phenomenal athlete and quarter-backs just don’t throw the thing his way, probably why he only had three intercep-tions last season. Only into his fourth year with the Cardinals since the 2011 draft, )Peterson could go down as one of the great defensive backs. He also plays on special teams as a punt returner, a really special NFL player.

69

Schedule:

September:

8th: Chargers

14th: @ Giants

21st: 49ers

28th: Bye Week

October:

5th: @ Broncos

12th: Redskins

19th: @ Raiders

26th: Eagles

November:

2nd: @ Cowboys

9th: Rams

16th: Lions

23rd: @ Seahawks

30th: @ Falcons

December:

7th: Chiefs

11th: @ Rams

21st: Seahawks

28th: @ 49ers

Notable Departures:

Jasper Brinkley (ILB) - Vikings

LaRon Byrd (WR) - Cowboys

Antoine Cason (CB) - Panthers

Karlos Dansby (ILB) - Browns

Andre Roberts (WR) -Redskins

Notable Arrivals:

Antonio Cromartie (CB) - Jets

Ted Ginn (WR) - Panthers

Ernie Sims (OLB) - Cowboys

Jared Veldheer (OT) - Raiders

Team Info: Website: www.azcardinals.com

Founded: 1920

Stadium Name: University of Phoenix Stadium

Rookie To Watch:

Deone Bucannon

(Strong Safety)

Bucannon was the 27th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Washington State University.

70

Key Player:

Robert Quinn (DE)

2013: 50 tackles ,19 sacks, 7

forced fumbles

In only his second season Robert Quinn took the league by storm and was second in the league in sacks and forced fumbles. A perhaps relatively unknown quantity before 2013, Quinn established himself quickly as one of the best defensive play-ers in the league and he will continue to strike fear into offensive linemen and quarterbacks wherever he goes. In 2013 he was awarded the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year award and will be key to the Rams success in 2014.

Prediction: 4th in NFC West (5-11)

A decent team who find themselves behind

the eight ball a bit with the division that they

find themselves in. Offensive production is still

a major worry and the Rams have just lost Sam

Bradford for the 2014 season at quarterback. It

doesn’t look promising but the Rams have an

excellent defense which unfortunately might

be on the field for a lot of games. On offense

they will certainly be looking for a big second

season for 8th overall draft pick in 2013, Tavon

Austin and Zac Stacy is an explosive talent ca-

pable of big plays. With the issues they have

on offense, I don't seem them presenting a

major challenge for a playoff berth but they

could surprise a few teams in 2014.

Coach: Jeff Fisher (20th Season)

(Win/Loss: 161/143)

2013 Stats: (7-9)

Offense:





Defense:






71

Schedule:

September:

7th: Vikings

14th: @ Buccaneers

21st: Cowboys

28th: Bye Week

October:

5th: @ Eagles

13th: 49ers

19th: Seahawks

26th: @ Chiefs

November:

2nd: @ 49ers

9th: @ Cardinals

16th: Broncos

23rd: @ Chargers

30th: Raiders

December:

7th: @ Redskins

11th: Cardinals

21st: Giants

28th: @ Seahawks

Notable Departures:

Kellen Clemens (QB) - Chargers

Cortland Finnegan (CB) - Dolphins

Shelley Smith (G) - Dolphins

Darian Stewart (SS) - Ravens

Chris Williams (G) - Bills

Notable Arrivals:

Kenny Britt (WR) - Titans

Alex Carrington (DE) - Bills

Shaun Hill (QB) - Lions

Davin Joseph (G) - Buccaneers

Etienne Sabino (OLB) - Giants

Team Info: Website: www.stlouisrams.com

Founded: 1937

Stadium Name: Edward Jones Dome

Rookie To Watch:

Aaron Donald

(Defensive Tackle)

Donald was the 13th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the Uni-versity of Pittsburgh.

72

Coach: Pete Carroll (9th Season)

(Win/Loss: 77/61)

2013 Stats: (13-3), Superbowl Champions

Offense:

Points Per Game: 26.1(9th)




Defense:






Prediction: 1st in NFC West (11-5),

NFC Championship Game.

A team that probably has the best chance to

defend their Superbowl crown in recent histo-

ry. Pete Carroll’s team are young, hungry and

majorly talented. The defense has lost some

parts but everybody just seems to get better

every season and proclaimed “Legion of

Boom” secondary remains the best in football.

Russell Wilson looks absolutely brilliant in the

pre season and the Seahawks have managed

to ease tensions with stalwart running back

Marshawn Lynch over a new contract disa-

greement. They’ve lost Golden Tate at wide

receiver and will be praying that Percy Harvin

can stay injury-free. At home they’re near to

unbeatable and will be Superbowl contenders

without a shadow of a doubt.

Key Player:

Earl Thomas (FS)

2013: 105 combined, 78 total

tackles , 5 INTs, 2 forced fumbles

Probably my favourite NFL player, Earl Thomas is one of the great defensive lead-ers in the game. Ferocious, lightning fast and quick to read situations, Thomas is one of the key components to this Seattle team. He recently agreed a $40 million contract extension to become the highest paid safety in football and he is worth ab-solutely every penny. There’s no sugges-tion of this Seahawks secondary backing off either, they’re all young and want plenty more rings.

73

Notable Departures:

Brandon Browner (CB) - Patriots

Chris Clemons (DE) - Jaguars

Kellen Davis (TE) - Giants

Breno Giacomini (OT) - Jets

Clinton McDonald (DT) - Buccaneers

Paul McQuistan (OT) - Browns

Golden Tate (WR) - Lions

Walter Thurmond (CB) - Giants

Notable Arrivals:

Adam Philips (CB) - Raiders

Taylor Price (WR) - Jaguars

Stephen Schilling (G) - Chargers

Greg Van Roten (G) - Packers

Team Info: Website: www.seahawks.com

Founded: 1976

Stadium Name: CenturyLink Field

Schedule:

September:

4th: Packers

14th: @ Chargers

21st: Broncos

28th: Bye Week

October:

6th: @ Redskins

12th: Cowboys

19th: @ Rams

26th: @ Panthers

November:

2nd: Raiders

9th: Giants

16th: @ Chiefs

23rd: Cardinals

27th: @ 49ers

December:

7th: @ Eagles

14th: 49ers

21st: @ Cardinals

28th: Rams

Rookie To Watch:

Paul Richardson

(Wide Receiver)

Richardson was the 45th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from the University of Colorado.

74

Coach: Jim Harbaugh (4th Season)

(Win/Loss: 36/11)

2013 Stats: (12/4), Lost in NFC Championship Game.

Offense:





Defense:






Prediction: 3rd in NFC West (9-7)

Stricken by off the field issues in the off-

season, the 49ers have an uphill task to de-

throne the Seahawks in the NFC West. That’s

not to say they won’t be good. This team is

excellently coached by Jim Harbaugh and have

been to the last three NFC Championship

games which gives you an idea of the expecta-

tion levels in San Francisco if nothing else. I

love Carlos Hyde as a draft pick who adds great

depth to their dominant running game and

Colin Kaepernick looks in great shape to light it

up this year. The great defense Harbaugh has

built will be disrupted significantly with the

loss of Aldon Smith for nine games after he

was suspended by the NFL for multiple legal

discrepancies and Navarro Bowman will miss

the start of the season too with injury.

Key Player:

Colin Kaepernick (QB)

2013: 243/416 att. 3197 yards,

21 TDs, 8 INTs.

A fantastic athlete who does more work with his feet than any other QB in the NFL as well as possessing a gun arm. Since Kaepernick was brought in to start in the 9ers offense he has been exceptional, taking them to the Superbowl in his first starting season and to the NFC Championship game in 2013. Given the QB talent that has entered the league in the last couple of drafts, CK is rather under-rated but this guy will be the face of this fran-chise for many years to come.

75

Notable Departures:

Tarell Brown (CB) - Raiders

Anthony Dixon (RB) - Bills

Mario Manningham (WR) - Giants

Colt McCoy (QB) - Redskins

Carlos Rogers (CB) - Raiders

Donte Whitner (SS) - Browns

Notable Arrivals:

Antoine Bethea (SS) - Colts

Chris Cook (CB) - Vikings

Chase Thomas (OLB) - Packers

Schedule:

September:

7th: @ Cowboys

14th: Bears

21st: @ Cardinals

28th: Eagles

October:

5th: Chiefs

13th: @ Rams

19th: @ Broncos

26th: Bye Week

November:

2nd: Rams

9th: @ Saints

16th: @ Giants

23rd: Redskins

27th: Seahawks

December:

7th: @ Raiders

14th: @ Seahawks

20th: Chargers

28th: Cardinals

Rookie To Watch:

Carlos Hyde

(Running Back)

Hyde was the 57th overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft from Ohio State University.

Team Info: Website: www.sf49ers.com

Founded: 1946

Stadium Name: Levi’s Stadium

nfl guide 2014-15.pub 30-08-2014

Documents