The Sports Guru

Projected Record

6-10, 3rd Place AFC North

Projected Schedule W/L
@Tampa Bay    (L)
Oakland            (W)
@Cleveland      (L)
San Diego        (W)
@Denver          (L)
Carolina           (L)
@New Orleans  (L)
Cincinnati        (W)
@Tennessee     (L)
Atlanta            (W)
Pittsburgh        (L)
@Cincinnati      (L)
@Kansas City   (L)
Cleveland         (W)
@Pittsburgh      (L)
Buffalo             (W)

To watch Ray Lewis, or Jamal Lewis or even Head Coach Brian Billick you’d think the Ravens defending champions this year as opposed to clinging to the title they won 6 years ago.  There has been some success since, a couple of 10 win seasons, but nothing awe inspiring.  There have been more quarerback failures in those years then playoff wins.  But to watch the smug manner that the team goes about thier business you’d think otherwise.  It seems that Billick is a genious in his own mind.  That attitude continues to hurt the Ravens, there is no improvement when you don’t believe you need to improve.  It’s that belief that he and his team are better than they actually are that will be the downfall of the Ravens again.

Team Strengths – Finally the Ravens scrapped the Kyle Boller experiment for the time being to try and win now.  They did go out and get a warrier in Steve McNair.  McNair rejoins his favorite target Derrick Mason.  Jamal Lewis is also back, joined my former Bronco Mike Anderson.  The O-Line is anchored by Jonathon Ogden and the defense still has Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  Leadership will not be a problem for the Ravens.  They have talent all over the field and this team has a chance to be very good, especially with a known commodity at quarterback.

Team Weaknesses -  Some of the strengths may also be weaknesses for the Ravens.  McNair was beaten and battered in Tennessee.  Jamal Lewis ran soft and looked to be afraid of contact.  Ray Lewis talks much better than he plays and the two big free agent acquisitions, Trevor Pryce and Mike Anderson, are nearing the end of their career.  The O-Line is suspect after Ogden and the Ravens still don’t have explosive targets at Wide Receiver.  Billick is a wekness as well, thinking his team is better than it actually is.


Best Case Scenario – The Ravens still act like it’s 2000, and to be successful they are going to need to play like it.  McNair needs to stay healthy, Jamal Lewis needs to run the way he did a couple years ago.  Ray Lewis needs to be the dominant force he was before age and injury started to take it’s toll.  The O-Line needs to block again and Ed Reed needs to revert back to the way he played when he earned Defensive Player of the Year award.  If that happens the Ravens may get to double-digit wins.

Worst Case Scenario –  The more likely scenario, McNair gets hurt, Jamal Lewis continues to run like a girl and Ray Lewis spends more time in the training room than the locker room.  Playing in the North means no easy games with even the Browns looking better this year.  Even if McNair stays healthy he’ll need to learn a new offensive systems for the first time since he entered the league.  There is alot of pressure on Billick and if the losses start to mount the questions that Billick doesn’t want to answer will start to be asked.  The Ravens are looking to win now and if they don’t Billick could be out in Baltimore.

My Opinion – If any team needs the fountain of youth it’s the Ravens.  They are old at every skill position and the major question is, Are they too old?  I am leaning towards yes.  At this point you have to assume that McNair is going to miss 3-5 games meaning the Boller is going to need to come in a play well for the Ravens to have a shot at the playoffs.  It isn;t going to happen.  Any strides Boller made at the end of last season were squashed when then Ravens went after McNair.  Jamal Lewis just doesn’t look like he wants to play, and Ray Lewis is a better talker than player.  There was talk after last season that the Ravens nearly fired Brian Billick, and if the team doesn’t win big this year they probably will.

Projected Record

6-10, 4th Place NFC South

Projected Schedule W/L
@Cleveland      (W)
@Green Bay      (L)
Atlanta             (W)
@Carolina         (L)
Tampa Bay      (W)
Philadelphia      (L)
Baltimore        (W)
@Tampa Bay   (L)
@Pittsburgh     (L)
Cincinnati        (L)
@Atlanta         (L)
San Francisco  (W)
@Dallas          (L)
Washington     (W)
@NY Giants     (L)
Carolina          (L)

The 2005 season was filled with promise for the New Orleans Saints.  Many picked them to win the divison.  Katrina changed all of that in less than 5 hours.  The city was left in shambles, the SuperDome nearly unrecoverable.  Needless to say, the football team failed to recover as well.  Playing home games in San Antonio and up the road at LSU, and practicing at high schools all the while dealing with the clean up back home became more than any team could take.  Running Back Deuce McAllister was lost early in the seaosn and QB Aaron Brooks had a total meltdown.  The result was a 4-12 season and the #2 pick in the draft.  Jim Haslett was fired and Sean Payton brought in.  Much like the city itself, the Saints needed cleansed.  The night before the NFL draft things came full circle for the Saints, when the Houston Texans annouced they were taking Mario Williams with the #1 pick, allowing Reggie Bush, the Heisman Trophy winner, to fall into their laps.  Cleansing complete.

Team Strengths – Joe Horn, McAllister, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush….this team has some serious weapons.  On paper the Saints always seem to be dangerous.  On Sunday it was more like paper-lions, all bark and no bite.  Jim Haslett is gone , Sean Payton in and new sense of discipline and direction has infused the team.  If Brees can return from off-season shoulder surgery this team is going to score points.  He is a proven leader and good locker room guy who earns the repsect of his teammates.  Payton is going to find ways to get Bush and McAllister on the field together which will create huge match-up problems for opposing defenses.  Horn is still dangerous down-field and should give Brees the big-play threat he never really had in San Diego.

Team Weaknesses - Defensively this team is a work in progress.  Payton is creating a “my way or highway” approach to clear problem areas out of the locker room.  Safety Dwight Smith found that out the hard way, being released last week.  The word on the street was the inmates ran the asylum under Haslett and Payton has come in to put the kabash on that.  The defensive line is young and linebackers untested.  Mike McKenzie anchors the DB’s, though he left camp to attend to some personal matters.  The offensive line is also a big questions mark, with the loss of LeCharles Bentley to Free Agency.


Best Case Scenario – The storm-worn gulf-coast reagion gets a well deserved break from Mother Nature.  That said, what a spectacle it will be on Monday, September 25 when the Saints play their home opener in the SuperDome against the Carolina Panthers.  After everything the team and region has gone through the past year, to see football again in New Orleans will be a treat.  The key to the rest of the season for the Saints is keeping QB Drew Brees healthy and finding enough balls to go around.  Joe Horn, Bush, McAllister all need the ball to be effective.  If Payton can find ways to get all three involved the Saints are going to score alot of points.

Worst Case Scenario –  Behind a suspect O-Line Brees gets hurt again, or the Saints lose Bush or McAllister.  The Saints lack the depth up front on both sides of the ball to dominate the line of scrimmage, and any significant time off for any of their stars would be a dagger.  The Saints haven’t shown to be a mentally strong team in the past and it will be interesting to see if Payton’s messsage is getting accross to his players.


My Opinion – Of all the teams with new coaches the Saints probably have the most talent.  They are carrying the torch for a region by returning to play in the SuperDome.  They have alot of holes upfront and on defense, but Reggie Bush was a steal at #2 and can really be a special player.  Look for the Saints to find creative ways to get him the ball, including returning kicks and punts.  Brees is a major upgrade at quarterback and should bring much needed stability to the offense.  In the end, this team will struggle on the road, and the NFC South is always a tough division.  The Saints also play the AFC North, so meetings with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will be tough to say the least.  Barring any natural disaters, the Saints are my “sexy” team for 2007, but I look for them to struggle at times in 2006.