Football Analysis

And then there were eight. In our first match-up of the quarterfinal round we showcase two of the AFC?s top quarterbacks. Carson holds the advantage of being younger, but Brady is a proven winner and isn?t recovering from major knee surgery. Who would you rather have anchoring your NFL franchise? Read more »

Forget all the other so-called ?experts? and any ?analysis? they are spitting out for a hefty price. The 2006 NFL season is fast approaching and Buster Gunning has the fantasy picks that will make you the fillet of the office. So if you haven?t had your draft yet, make this your guide and if you have had your draft, make whomever is in charge scrap the first draft and allow you to pick again. Read more »

We began RealGM?s first-ever ?Be An NFL GM Contest? with thirty-two talented players, and now we are down to just eight possible franchise cornerstones. Much like in the first round, quarterbacks dominated the second round and represent four, or half, of the remaining gridiron stars. Read more »

Douglas Benton will provide key statistics, report rumors surrounding the team, and bring in experts who know this team best throughout the season as we go through the regular season grind with the Oakland Raiders. Read more »

I really like the rookie class, I like the needed improvements in the defense, I believe Favre can still summon the greatness at times. Despite all that, this is one of the worst teams in the NFL. They do have a favorable schedule and play in the worst division in football, so an improvement to 6 or 7 wins is likely. Read more »

There are two very distinct scenarios for the Ravens in 2006. They could very well discover the fountain of youth, win 10 games and be the team nobody wants to play in the playoffs. Or they could flounder, fracture, and crash to another last place finish in a tough AFC North. Read more »

With the football season just a few short weeks away, fantasy leagues are drafting all across the nation in anticipation of NFL?s first game. Andrew Perna organized a RealGM staff league comprised of forum moderators to writers. Take a look at our draft to help you with yours. Read more »

Edgerrin James and Shaun Alexander are among the NFL?s elite running backs. Entering this season Alexander will be coming off an MVP season, while James will be beginning his first season as a member of the Arizona Cardinals. Both backs are in their prime, so which of the two premier players would you rather have anchoring your roster? Read more »

Julius Peppers is among the NFL?s most talented young defensive players, and Reggie Bush is among the league?s most promising rookies. In one Preseason game, Bush has already demonstrated that he will be able to produce highlight reel plays in the NFL as he did at USC. Read more »

They are wearing a giant bulls-eye with a difficult schedule, and they?ll have to play better than they did in the 2005 season to make the playoffs again. They have the capability to do just that, but I still see this team as no better than 5th in the AFC over a 16-game schedule. A 10-6 finish, and their playoff fate is decided in Week 2 with their game against Jacksonville. Win and they?re in, lose and it?s a very long, cold winter in Pittsburgh. But as I said about them last season, if they do make it in, they should be considered the favorites in every playoff game. Read more »

Last year I wrote a piece proclaiming the Rams as my sleeper for playoff success. I?m not making that mistake again. I like the offseason moves they made and these Rams should be tougher and more consistent from week to week. But the defense needs more skill and time to congeal, and I don?t trust the mileage and wear and tear of so many of their starters. Read more »

This battle is one between two defensive players, something that we haven?t seen much of in this NFL ?Be A GM Contest.? The winner of this battle may very well end up being the last defensive player standing, so take your time when deciding which you?d rather have to start a franchise with. Read more »

When asked how he felt, Clinton Portis simply said, ?Like a football player that had no business playing in a football game.? It?s true. Why do NFL coaches insist on playing star players in the preseason. The preseason is not for these guys, it?s for the rookies and the young second stringers. Didn?t the Skins learn anything from last year?s preseason when they lost their pro bowl tackle Jon Jansen? Read more »

This match-up was supposed to be a battle between Donovan McNabb and former teammate Terrell Owens, but Eli and Clinton must not have gotten that memo. Eli soundly defeated Owens, and Portis narrowly surpassed McNabb on his way to the second round. Read more »

Last season all the pundits kept proclaiming the Raiders ?the best lousy team in football?. This year they?re almost certain to be lousy again, but I doubt you hear the Pyrrhic praise. I do like a lot of their pieces, and a run at .500 isn?t out of the question. But with the 2 extra preseason games in which to get more injuries and a brutal schedule, this team is going to have to play near flawlessly to win more than 6 games. I see them being about 2-9 and then finishing strong, winding up 6-10. Read more »

If you?re talking about the best running backs in all of football Larry Johnson and LaDainian Tomlinson are undoubtedly two of the first names you mention. Both young and extremely talented, it seems as though they?ll be enjoying success in the NFL for years to come. Read more »

On Friday the 11th the Detroit Lion?s will play their first preseason game. Fans await with a combination of uncertainty and optimism, something familiar with the last decade of Lion?s football. This preseason however fans will be more curious as to a changing of team demeanor rather than performance. They want to see a change from recent years. Read more »

One could describe this second round battle as old versus new, veteran against rookie, or traditional meets unconventional. Either way Peyton Manning and Vince Young are too completely different quarterbacks, and if we?re lucky we?ll get to see Manning and Young battle each other this season as opponents in the AFC South. Read more »

Can you smell that? That?s the smell of pigskin, grass, (whether it be real or astroturf) and beer. Those fragrant smells mean that football is upon us and the NFL?s regular season is less than a month away. Read more »

The next second round match-up is yet another quarterback battle, this one between two AFC North rivals. Roethlisberger is fresh off a Super Bowl victory, while Palmer is fresh off surgery to repair a severely injured right knee. Read more »