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2008 NFL Season OutlookCopyright © 2008-2009 Mark AndersonThe 2008 NFL season is upon us and as always, there is plenty of excitement in almost every NFL city across the country. Every fan is hopeful about their team at the start of the season, but when it comes down to it, the best teams will always end up at the top of the heap. Only 12 teams can make it the playoffs out of 32, so the odds aren’t always on your side. But as the Giants showed the world last year: once you’re in the playoffs, anything can happen and anybody can win the whole thing and go home as Super Bowl Champion. New Head Coaches Going into the 2008 NFL season there will be four teams with new head coaches. They are the Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins. The Falcons are coming off their disastrous 2007 campaign, their first without Michael Vick, when first year head coach Bobby Petrino quit with several weeks remaining. The new coach is Mike Smith, formerly the defensive coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars. After a long and public search, the Redskins hired Jim Zorn to replace Joe Gibbs. Zorn, who came from the Seahawks organization, was initially hired as the offensive coordinator until another head coach was never found and he got promoted to full head coach status. Across the beltway in Baltimore, the Ravens fired Brian Billick and hired John Harbaugh to come in and lead their time. In Miami, the Dolphins brought in Bill Parcells, but not to be their head coach. Parcells will sit in the offices while his disciple, Tony Sparano coaches the team in a rebound season. Biggest Off-season Acquisitions Every off-season, there are free agent signings, draft pickups and trades. Trades have become increasingly more popular in the NFL as teams try to negotiate difficult salary cap restrictions and would rather trade a player they can’t sign and get something in return. By far, the biggest move in the off-season was the New York Jets trading for Packer icon Brett Favre. Favre began the off-season by retiring but later wanted to come back and play. We all know the saga from there; the Packers were sick of playing that game every summer and so finally found a team they could trade him to, the Jets. The Jets were more than happy to pick him up and in turn cut quarterback Chad Pennington, who immediately signed with the Dolphins. In Green Bay, it’s up to Aaron Rodgers to lead the team now. The other major headline grabber was the pickup of Adam Jones (“Pacman”) by the Dallas Cowboys, a team renowned for picking up troubled players, including most recently, Tank Johnson and Terrell Owens. Jones is coming off a year long suspension by the NFL and was finally reinstated. Chris Henry, another troubled and suspended player, was let go by the Cincinnati Bengals, but later resigned by the same team. Jason Taylor, a sack expert and Dancing with the Stars veteran, moved teams to the Washington Redskins. Cornerback Asante Samuel of the New England Patriots signed with the Philadelphia Eagles while former Chargers backup running back Michael Turner will be the starting back with the Falcons. AFC Favorites In the AFC, the powerhouses will still remain powerful. The New England Patriots were denied their chance at perfection and immortality, which overshadows the amazing season they had and the depth of talent they have on the team. Tom Brady and Randy Moss broke records last season, and will be even scarier this year after getting to know each other more comfortably. Their rival, the Indianapolis Colts, also bring back a strong team. Peyton Manning is coming off surgery in the off-season but he hasn’t ever missed a start in his career. Also, Dwight Freeney, stud defensive end, will be returning to the lineup healthy and ready to cause havoc for quarterbacks. These two teams will surely continue the rivalry this year. Two other favorites from the AFC include the Jacksonville Jaguars and San Diego Chargers. The Jaguars are coming off a surprisingly successful 2007 season with David Garrard at the helm. Garrard proved himself worthy of the starting role and a big contract, while the defensive line is still an imposing force. The Chargers will bring out their usual stars, including Antonio Gates and Ladainian Tomlinson, however Shawne Merriman has injury concerns. A team that could surprise people in the AFC is the Denver Broncos. Quarterback Jay Cutler is continuing to improve and coach Mike Shanahan rarely has losing seasons, let alone back to back losing seasons. It’s tempting to look at the Jets with Brett Favre and like their chances, however, their team doesn’t have the kind of talent necessary to make them a real contender, even if they are improved. NFC Favorites In the NFC, the Super Bowl champion New York Giants are gearing up and considering themselves as being disrespected. In a tough division, many people are picking them to finish third or fourth, and possibly not even make the playoffs. Reasons for this include the retirement of Hall of Fame player Michael Strahan and the loss of Osi Umenyiora in the preseason to injury. The team also traded Pro Bowl player Jeremy Shockey. However, Eli Manning should ride the momentum of his newfound playoff success into a career year and the defense still has many playmakers. They might not be the top pick, but they can certainly make some noise this year. In their division, the Dallas Cowboys are the most likely Super Bowl candidate. The team is loaded with Pro Bowl talent, setting a record last year with how many players they sent to the Pro Bowl. Quarterback Tony Romo is still improving, and Terrell Owens seems focused on the game. Meanwhile, running back Marion Barber is quietly becoming a star and tight end Jason Witten has quietly already become one. The Eagles are also expected to have a strong 2008 season. Donovan McNabb should be healthy and ready to lead the team and the defense, as always, should be strong. Brian Westbrook has established himself as one of the best running backs in the league. Another NFC favorite is the Minnesota Vikings, who bring back all world running back Adrian Peterson, after his phenomenal rookie year. They also traded for Pro Bowl defensive end and sack specialist Jarred Allen, to improve their defense. The question is whether or not the quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson, can be successful for a full season. Nobody is thinking about them, and they like it that way, but the Seattle Seahawks are perennial contenders who are primed for another postseason run. The New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers are two teams coming off disappointing 2007 seasons that can rebound in 2008. The Panthers will have a healthy Jake Delhomme and the Saints will have a healthy Deuce Mcallister, and hope to get off to a quicker start than last year’s 0-4 debacle. In the NFL, you have to expect the unexpected. Every week brings ups and downs and plenty of excitement, so the 2008 season should continue to do the same. In the AFC, expect more of the same with the Patriots and Colts being the most likely to reach the big game, and in the NFC, expect the Cowboys to finally break through or the Eagles to return and get another shot at a championship. About The Author:
*** Digital Reprint Rights *** *** Author Notification *** We ask that you notify the author of publication of his or her work. Mark Anderson can be reached at: mark.anderson@thephantomwriters.com *** Print Publication Reprint Rights *** If you desire to publish this article in a PRINT publication, you must contact the author directly for Print Permission at: mark.anderson@thephantomwriters.com
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