The Jungle Has Become a No-Fly Zone

It is simple supply and demand.  So teams want to change the game in recent years so that average QB's (Flacco's of the world) now have 600 pass attempts? Does it now seem as if throwing for 4,000 yards has become as great of an accomplishment as filing ones taxes before the deadline?  This is the NFL we live in and DB's and specifically CB's are rightfully in high demand.  The league wants to have wide receivers and now tight ends flying all over the place in faster and faster offenses?  Then you want guys that can post no-fly zones.  For the 1st pick in the 2014 draft the Bengals began upgrading their anti-air missile defense systems with Darqueze Dennard.   

(Picture from Pittsburgh pre-draft blog article about how they should take him.  Awesome.)

Watch the guy play for just one game (sadly one of mine was when his forced fumble and 2 broken passes  helped put down my Buckeyes in the Big Ten Title game) and you know this guy comes to play and does so with intensity.  Listen to an interview with the him.  It was told to me once that Bill Parcells said that he can tell in just a couple minutes of talking to a player if he will succeed and if he wants him on his team.  For No-Fly Zone Dennard we answer those questions with a Yes and a resounding Yes.  He is a natural leader, very smart, an athletic freak (even Mel K himself says he may of been one of the best athletes in the draft), played just about every position in the secondary in college and has a list of accolades as a Spartan longer then a Steinbeck novel.  

Check them out > NoFlyZone

We love this pick.  The Cincinnati Bengals are still on the cusp of something great and have their sights set far higher then repeating as AFC North Champions.  Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL and getting to the playoffs 3 years in a row is no easy task.  They have a perennial top 10 defense and have a standout defensive back group that is host to numerous former 1st round draft picks.  The Bengals did not approach this draft asking, "What is a big need for our team?" but rather knowing "We are on the verge of greatness, who will help us tip the scales?" 

Fox Sports

Piece by piece this draft they plugged in guys (from Dennard to Hill to Bodine to Clarke) who could fit perfectly on this journey towards hoisting the Lombardi.  Darqueze was a big piece who will hit the ground running, come in on the nickel package, learn from former pro bowlers (becoming one himself someday) and help WhoDey Nation play deeper into January and inch closer to greatness.  "Greatness," saying that word over and over again may elicit giggles from outsiders, media or even locals who have become eternal cynics rumbling some unintelligible grumblings about Mike Brown.  The reality is still that this team is not far at all from greatness and we can't wait to see a future great in Darqueze Dennard take the field in Cincy this fall...and then in Arizona in early February.

Bengals Vs. Falcons: Fake Game #1

Fake Game #1 is hear at last!  Sure season ticket holders had to pay full price for them, sure you may find yourself flipping the channel to a rerun of Everybody Loves Raymond by the start of the 2nd quarter, but the preseason is a very important time for many players and coaches.  As the Bengals are already heading down to the ATL for a couple of practices at the Falcons facilities, we figured we would take a look at what to watch for this Thursday night.

Offensive Line: The Bengals O-Line has become just about as solid as it's counterpart on the other side of the trenches.  With Andrew Whitworth not making the trip to Atlanta as he is still rehabing from his offseason knee surgery, how well will Anthony Collins do against the Falcons 1's in protecting the Red Rifle's blindside?  Will Kyle Cook allow pressure up the middle?  Will Trevor Robinson gain an edge in the battle for center?  Will Andre Smith show improved pass protection?  Sure some of these guys may only be in a quarter, but one quarter in the NFL can leave tape on a guy to cause worry for both fans and coaches alike.

Running Back:   Though Jay Gruden will probably keep Fake Game #1 pretty vanilla from an Offensive standpoint, but does Gio line up in multiple positions?  Does he pick up blitzes?  Does he gain an edge on the Firm in the battle for touches?  Does Rex Burkhead or Boom Herron have a spot in the Jungle this year?  Does Orson Charles clearly take over the FB role as 2012 feel-good-story Chris Pressley stays in Cincy on the PUP?

Wide Receivers:  A.J. Green will also be staying in Cincy as he is nursing his knee in prepartion for games that count.  Look to see how Mohammed Sanu, Ryan Whalen, Sanzenbacher, Brandon Tate and rookie Cobi Hamilton (who has been impressing in camp) do against a solid Falcon Secondary.  Is Mohammed looking like the clear #2?  Timing issues with Dalton?  Wrong routes ran?  Hot reads?  Blocking? Typically the 1's will stay in longer on defense for Atlanta and many of these guys will be playing deep into the 2nd half. 

Linebacker:  Does Rey Maualuga still show signs of struggling in pass coverage and shedding blocks?  Does Tony Gonzalez make him look silly as Owen Daniels did in the playoffs 2 years in a row? Do Vincet Rey and Emmanuel Lemur shine and show signs that they should be on the field more (and less of Rey)?

Secondary: Dre Kirpatrick is anxious to show all and Who Dey Nation that he is not a bust.  He will get an early opportunity with going up against one of the NFL's most dangerous offenses (though Dre is currently listed as 3rd string, really Marvin?).  Look to see how Brandon Ghee and Ontario McCalebb perform once they get their chances as they are primed to offer extra help to this group of veterans led by Leon Hall (top 10 corner in the league), Terrance Newman and Adam Jones.   There is also a battle for Reggie Nelsons sidekick at safety.  George Iloka is leading the way but only slightly as rookie Shawn Williams is looking to show why he needs to start year 1.

Defensive Line:  Clearly the largest strength for the Bengals, but it is in a fake game like this that we can see how up and comers such as Devon Still and Margus Hunt play.  2nd year man Devon Still will look to make the most of his reps so he can see some rotation into this stout D-Line.  Sure Margus could probably wrestle a bear in the middle of a blizzard but can he take a step forward from being a project to being a difference maker?

QB:  Even though we will only see Andy Dalton for a brief time in Atlanta, we can look to see how his timing is with his receivers,  getting in and out of the huddle, how he handles pressure in the pocket and maybe we will get to see some of his decision making skills as well (and if we are lucky he will air out a couple).  Look to see who takes over as the clear back-up as well as this battle is ongoing between Josh Johnson and John Skelton.

 

NFL Power Rankings: 21-32

Finally, #21 - #32

They have made all the offseason moves and will work their butts off in training camp and the grind of an entire NFL season, but in the end, these Lombardi Swag seekers will be left looking towards 2014.




# 21 Eagles - Another QB battle, only this one is to see who will take the reigns of Chip Kelly's up-tempo offense.  Vick will most likely win out but there is too much uncertainty with his play style/health and a mid year QB change to Fowles doesn't sound like a playoff bound season for the Eagles.  This does not even take into account some of their glaring holes in their "D."


# 22 Chargers - With key additions this offseason of LT Matt Starks, DE Dwight Freeny, RB Danny Woodhead and CB Derek Cox, new Coach Mike McCoy has to think the Bolts have filled some of their holes from last year. Sadly for Phillip Rivers the one "hole" left out was wr weaponry where its pretty much the same old 2012 story.




# 23 Dolphins - Look for Joe Philbin to make a push to to improve on their 7-9 season last year with tooling up for 2nd yr QB Ryan Tannehilll (re-signing of Harline, signing Mike "9 Route All-Day" Wallace and Dustin Keller.) Their D looks to be improved from a solid 2012 performance with the addition of 1st round pick DE Dion Jordan. A team looking for a bright future? Possibly. A team looking up at the Patriots at the top of the division at the end of the year? Definitely. 

# 24 Titans - Bringing in some key players to solidify their offensive line, CJ 1.2K will have no excuses this year not to put up big numbers. However, even if he returns to 2K form, an inconsistent Locker with an underachieving Kenny Britt will make 2014 a letdown in Nashville.


# 25 Panthers - Is it just me or does the tandem of Jonathon Stewart and DeAngelo Williams seem like the mediocre brittle bones duo for about 5 years now? They along with Steve Smith and Greg Olsen provide the same cast for the Cam Newton show. Their season will depend on whether or not Cam Newton also sees it as a Cam Newton show.




# 26 Chiefs - Andy Reid is now in Arrowhead and making more moves then Jackie Chan knocked up on caffeine.  Some good some bad but regardless, he is trying to imprint his winning (well Playoffs anyway) ways into this franchise.  We do believe he will use the teams best player Jamaal Charles more effectively then last year but we are not sure if Alex Smith will be as productive as he was with a Harbaugh.  A step forward this year for the Chiefs but they will not get over the hump yet.




# 27 Browns - The Browns are quietly creeping up as players in the AFC North with perennial top 10 defenses, a rising star wideout in Josh Gordon and a bell-cow RB in Trent Richardson. Now can Old Man Wheeden bring the Browns back to relevancy in December/January? Probably not this year.


# 28 Bills - Whether it's a "mediocre good-in-the-system" QB in Kevin Kolb or the raw young E.J. Emanuel, whoever is taking snaps at the end of the year will be playing out another disappointing "rebuilding" year for the Bills. The Bills will look to the legs of C.J. Spiller to carry them to a mediocre season.




#29 Cardinals - Is Palmer the golden arm Fitzgerald has been looking for since Kurt left? We like this potential hook up and a young "D" who showed promise last year. There is just not enough on this roster however to see the Cardinals as a serious threat this year.



# 30 Jets - With Sanchez being Sanchez and rookie Geno Smith already looking a bit out of shape in training camp, 2014 doesn't look too bright for the J-E-T-S. Whoever does win this "QB battle" will have a whole host of WR4 options in a 20 team Fantasy League to throw to. Sure Rex's D will find a way to keep them in some games, but we expect him to have more media sound bytes then wins this year.



# 31 Raiders - When your starting QB couldn't beat out a rookie or got passed over by other teams in free agency, then you are looking at a rough season. Every NFL team will only go as far as their signal caller can take them and Matt Flynn looks like he can get them to about 6-10. 


# 32 Jaguars - Blaine Gabbert hasn't exactly shined in his first two years in the NFL and is hobbling into training camp this year. Can Blackmon stay out of trouble? Can MJD return to his former self coming off of an injury? New coach Gus Bradley sure hopes so but we still look for the Jaguars to take a couple of years to turn this ship around.

NFL Power Rankings 11-20

Continuing on from our top 10 of the power rankings, we have gathered some updated information on teams and for your reading pleasure have dissected teams a little deeper.  We are extremely excited that training camps have finally started back up (it seems like the confetti fell on Flacco about 13 years ago at this point)! Without further adieu..

#11 Dallas Cowboys
When owner Jerry Jones saw the amount the Ravens paid their QB he knew he was as well going to have to overpay his middle of the pack QB and that he did. With Romo getting an extension he is guaranteed that the Cowboys are his team! Now is the time to step up and with Dez, Miles and Jason Witten, Romo has a high powered aerial attack and if they can get Demarrco Murray to stay healthy the NFL better watch out!




#12 Washington Redskins

All we really have to say is they still have Mike Shannahan correct? I mean that guy is a guinness, he can take any RB and make him an instant star. Alfred Morris, Tatum Bell, Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, Reuben Draughns are they still around? Well Alfred is and if RGIII comes back with a season anywhere close to what he had last year the Redskins will have a solid season.



#13 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Acquired a lot of important holes in their locker room. With the acquisitions of Darrelle Revis (Healthy?) Dashon Goldon and Eric Wright the Buccaneers added depth and great skill to their secondary! Josh Freeman is a good QB who has plenty of room and time to grow. Vincet Jackson is more familiar with the offense now and signing Mike Williams to an extension the Buccaneers are looking at a bright future!

#14 New York Giants

What? The New York Giants barely crack the top 20 are you kidding me? No we are not. The Giants lost a few key players this off-season, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty, Martellus Bennett and semi injury prone Ahmad Bradshaw.  Thats a lot of key starters that have helped the Giants the past few seasons. Plus they had the holdout of Victor Cruz which is never a good idea for a player just hurts the team and makes you look bad if you do not play up to the contract. They still have Eli Manning at the helm and for some reason that guy always seem to win. 

#15 Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers seem to be on a decline the past couple of years but make no doubt, they will still be a hard nose D with a ground and pound Offense that can manage to win games. If Big Ben can stay healthy all year, the Steelers could definitely be a contender this year. Losing their deep threat Mike Wallace sure hurts but look for Antonio Brown to try and fill the void. Tomlin has a lot in store for him this year but from his short career in coaching we can see that he can handle adversity!


#16 Indianapolis Colts
We are not completely sold on the Andrew Luck wagon quite yet. That being said he definitely showed great leadership last year and showed the potential to be a great NFL QB. Last year the Colts were playing with a lot of emotion and their strength of schedule was not so tough but they are another young team that look to have an amazing future ahead of them! T.Y. Hilton looks to be a great compliment to Reggie Wayne and their young D has a year under their belt, the Colts look to have a pretty good season.

#17 Baltimore Ravens
Unlike the last Super Bowl team, the Ravens decided to stick with their QB and give him an outrageous amount of money! Making a lot of people wonder if Flacco was really worth losing numerous people on Defense. Yeah we knew the time would come when there would be no more Ray or Ed but to just let Ed go seemed a little weird? If their young D comes out and can play somewhat like last years than the Ravens will be alright this year but it is hard to tell right now. They also just lost Flacco's go to man around the end Zone Dennis Pitta along with losing Boldin because they could not afford him. Ravens have some decisions ahead of them and they obviously know they have a target on their back being the defending champion!

#18 Minnesota Vikings

All Day (Adrian Peterson) is without question one of the best RB's of all time as long as he stays healthy. The Vikings had a great draft some might even say the best draft this year. They found a WR from Tennessee in Cordarelle Patterson and with the addition of Greg Jennings, the Vikings have already improved greatly from last year. They stole Sharrif Floyd and Xavier Rhodes late in the first round which is a huge addition for their D in a pass heavy league. If Christian Ponder can improve a little each year, look for the Vikings to have a great next couple of years!

#19 Chicago Bears
Da Bears! Jay Cutler stay healthy and your team will make it to the playoffs. Their D just keeps getting better the older they get it seems.  Brandon Marshall and Jay Cutler are one of the most fun QB/WR combos to watch in the NFL! Now all they need are some supporting cast at wideout. Look for Alshon Jeffery to get more looks this year and if Matt Forte and Michael Bush stay healthy all year as a 1-2 punch then the Bears will find themselves sitting at a decent record!

#20 St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are in a tough division and will have to play the Seahawks and 49ers a combined four times throughout the year! That being said the Rams are a young and very talented team looking to improve from last year. Adding Jake Long to their team will definitely help out their O-Line so look for Bradford to help take this team to the next level with Rookie WR Tavon Austin and second year starters Brian Quick and Austin Pettis. It always helps to have a great coach in Jeff Fisher.