Football Analysis

In the Raiders, Benton sees a 6-10 team that will struggle to win on the road and beat better teams and since they are in the lower half of teams in the NFL, that signals another double-digit loss year for the boys in black. Read more »

If Marshall Faulk, Curtis Martin, or Priest Holmes never play another down again, they will surely be missed. Gone will be the spectacular moves by Marshall as he makes defenders look silly two or three at a time. The quick cuts by Curtis as he slashes through holes for chunks of yardage will be absent. As will the patience of Priest as he waits for an opening on the patented Kansas City stretch run play. Read more »

With many key moves in signing quality free-agents, letting go of maybe one of the best head-aches to play Linebacker, and the signing of another experienced Coordinator, Joe Gibbs has surrounded his self with every weapon he needs to win the battle of the NFC East. Read more »

David Alter launches his first set of weekly predictions by offering the results of Terrell Owens' debut with America's Team, Daunte Culpepper's debut with the Fish and the much-hyped Battle of the Manning's. Read more »

Boxers or briefs? Ginger or Mary Anne? Boldin or Fitzgerald? For fantasy football fans, decisions do not get much harder than this one. Which Pro Bowl Arizona Cardinals receiver should be taken first, Anquan Boldin or Larry Fitzgerald? Read more »

We?ve finally come down to the ?Be an NFL GM? Finals. The AFC will be represented by Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, and the NFC has sent Saints rookie running back Reggie Bush. Both players have cruised through the field up until this point, but which will be named RealGM?s 2006 Franchise Cornerstone? 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 »

Larry Johnson, Shaun Alexander and LaDainian Tomlinson; where they will be all season long, on top of RealGM's Fantasy Football Rankings ahead of Week 1's games. Plus, a Manning vs. Palmer showdown and one with a bit more flair between Steve Smith and Chad Johnson. Read more »

You have been stressing over the selections of your 2006 Fantasy Football team since New Year's and now that you have your roster set, why stop stressing? If you would like to stop stressing on who to play, check out our new weekly feature where we project the match-ups your players will face. 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 second final four match-up is between two of the NFL?s younger, and more promising, offensive players. Eli Manning has shown flashes of the brilliance the Giants hoped for when they got their hands on him just a few seasons ago. Read more »

The advice Deion Branch has been receiving has been atrocious and that this was perhaps the worst way he could seek his payday. In asking for more money before his contract was up, Branch should have known that he would be accepting less than he would receive on the open market. The only threat he could impose on the team is to deny them of his playing services, and he should have had the sense not to take a stand against the team who deems all players outside out of a select pair (see Brady, Seymour) as replaceable. 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 »