Jeff Risdon - Football Analysis

Eight weeks are now in the books, and the haves are separating from the have-nots. Two of the haves, the Colts and Patriots meet in their annual showdown, again in New England. We forecast this game and many more.. Read more »

Week 8 is a critical halfway point; we?ll know a lot more about the playoff picture after next Monday and we have predictions for the Colts at Denver, Rams at Chargers, Ravens at Saints, Cowboys at Panthers and all the other big games. Read more »

Late October marks the time when the outdoor teams from the north really start to get significant weather advantages. My football forecast remained strong in Week 6, going 9-4. If you take into account my caveat on the Giants, it was 10-3. Read more »

To the victims of overzealous preseason hype, to Adrian Peterson, to the Trojans, to the Heisman Trophy, to the state of Virginia, to the Big East unbeatens and finally to Indiana's Terry Hoeppner; this week's edition is for and about you. Read more »

Last week was a weatherman?s dream: 11 correct, 3 wrong, including two forecasts that came within 2 points of being perfect. Jim Cantore would be proud. If you?re local TV weatherman was right 11 out of 14 days, you?d be amazed and impressed. Read more »

The Raiders, Titans, Lions and Buccaneers are positioning themselves to have one of the first few picks in the 2007 NFL Draft. In our first mock, Jeff Risdon previews the first 32 college players he expects to be selected. Read more »

As a youngster I harbored dreams of being a TV weatherman. One of the facets that drew me to meteorology is how every indicator can appear to project certain events, yet those events often don?t happen where or when you expect them, if at all. Picking football games is much the same. Read more »

Thumbs up to the Colts, Bengals, Saints and Rex Grossman, while the Giants, Dolphins, Cards, Bucs and Titans receive thumbs down. Twiddling thumbs to the Eagles, Broncos, Ravens and Panthers and a sucking thumb to the NFL for byes in Week 3. Read more »

I spent my 34th birthday at Soldier Field watching the Bears declaw and emasculate the Lions. As a lifelong Lions fan (my #20 Lions jersey says ?Sims?, and it isn?t a throwback), I?m sure I?ve probably seen them beaten worse than 34-7, but never have they beaten themselves so badly. Read more »

I spent the opening weekend in Las Vegas, which is quite an interesting place to watch football and glean information. Still giddy from watching my beach volleyball hero, Todd Rogers, win the AVP God of the Beach tourney, and my beloved Buckeyes laying the wood to Texas, this week?s $.10? Read more »

The injuries to Clinton Portis and Shawn Springs are a real red flag, and the odds of Mark Brunell having another strong season are long. I see them leveling off at 8-8, but if Springs or Brunell miss significant time they?ll not win more than 6 games. Read more »

While Donvan McNabb and Carson Palmer are both looking sharp, the Colts are perilously thin across the board. Early picks for Rookie of the Year awards, the overrated teams from Columbus and Austin, as well as why this columnist is fatigued of all the fantasy football 'gurus.' Read more »

Nobody likes to talk about it, but this team looks eerily similar to the 2002 St. Louis Rams. The 2001 Rams went 14-2 with the explosive #1 offense and a vastly improved defense. But in 2002 the team suffered an injury to its MVP QB, a down year from the running game, and a defensive regression back to average from being top 10. Those Rams went 7-9, a fluke year in a string of very strong contending seasons. Read more »

The Cards have the best offensive skill position (QB/RB/WR) package in the NFL. WRs Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Bolden are each proven capable of 100+ catches, 1000+ yards, and 20+ combined TDs. QB Kurt Warner isn?t his old MVP self from a few years back, but he?s still got a very good arm and hits his receivers in perfect stride. New RB Edgerrin James gives the Cards a big-time threat running the ball, something they have lacked for years. Read more »

The Lions have have a lot of players who are merely adequate, nothing special. It keeps them from being terrible, but it also limits how high the ceiling is for their success. I like the needed changes in coaching and philosophy, but it?s going to take a little time for it to really pay off. Read more »

The Titans looked a lot better in the spring than they do right now. They have the potential for a pretty solid defense, but there are so many questions. The QB and RB tumult, coupled with a weak OL, really slows down positive momentum. Unless Vince Young emerges as the 2004 version of Daunte Culpepper, there?s not more than 5 wins on the schedule. Read more »

2005 was a fluke for the Eagles. They?re nearly as good as they were in 2004 when they won 13 games and went to the Super Bowl. But this Eagles team really reminds me of their 2003 version, which struggled a bit on defense but featured a strong ball control offense and great special teams and won 12 games. Read more »

The Jets might surprise some of the more jaded Jets fans and NY media. This is by no means a good football team, but of all the clear non-playoff teams, the Jets probably have the best chance to pull some surprises. If the defensive front 7 adjusts to the 3-4 and Pennington finds a rhythm with Coles and the playbook, they?re going to win some games, and I think both will happen. The schedule has several winnable games, and I think the Jets will take advantage. They go 6-10 in Year One of the ?New York Patriots?, although that worst-case scenario I laid out isn?t out of the question. Read more »

They?re probably not quite as good as last year, but they?re good enough to win their division by at least 5 games once again. The NFC road to the Super Bowl will go through Seattle, led by an outstanding defense and an offense that plays with a lead very well. They escape the confluence of curses and finish 13-3, and make a return visit to the Super Bowl. Read more »

I really like defenses that can both excel against the run and make plays in the passing game, and the Bucs have that kind of defense. I really like their young skill players on offense, and I believe Simms will emerge as a top 10 QB this season. Any lost tenacity or effectiveness on defense should be compensated by a more explosive offense. Read more »