2006 NFC Preview

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: They suck.
Fantasy Extra: I never comment on Cowboys players from a fantasy perspective, since they are never even under consideration. I told a couple of other Eagles fans in my league that if any of them drafted TOFU, I would kick them in the balls. We do have a Dallas fan in the league, and he of course drafted TOFU. I hope he enjoys his five weeks of TOFU, because his season ends October 8th when he goes across the middle and Brian Dawkins freakin’ obliterates him. That is, if TOFU doesn’t jake it and come up with another "strained hamstring."

New York Giants: The G-Men climbed to the top of the NFC East last season in Eli Manning’s first year as the full-time starter, largely because of his supporting cast. Since he re-committed himself to taking care of the football, Tiki Barber has been among the most valuable running backs in the league. Plaxico Burress came over from the Steelers after the 2004 year and put up 1,200+ yards as a perfect compliment to tight end Jeremy Shockey in the passing game. The Giants defense, featuring new linebacker LaVar Arrington, is strong, especially up front. Both Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora can get after the quarterback, which masks a suspect secondary. This should be the year Eli makes the leap, and the Giants are thinking more than playoffs this time around.
Fantasy Extra: Manning won’t put up the same numbers as big brother Peyton, but he should make fewer mistakes. The Giants love big back Brandon Jacobs in short yardage and goal line situations.

Philadelphia Eagles: The post-Super Bowl curse got the Eagles last year, and they sunk like a stone in the ocean. Sure, it had a lot to do with TOFU, but injuries to key players like Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook derailed the offense, and the cupboard behind them was bare. This year, things certainly look different. The Eagles are stronger along the offensive line (they average 6’5", 331 lbs), the receiving corps is deeper than most people want to give them credit for, and McNabb and Westbrook are healthy and ready to lead this team back to prominence. The defense appears re-focused and looks like the defense that carried the Birds to four straight NFC championship games. As favorable as the early schedule appears, the late schedule looks equally brutal. I love that the Eagles are flying under the radar. They are going to shock the world.
Fantasy Extra: The acquisition of Donte’ Stallworth might be just what the doctor ordered for McNabb. Westbrook is a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Keep an eye on WR Reggie Brown. David "Automatic" Akers should rack up the points.

Washington Redskins: Boy, have the Redskins had a tough pre-season. First, star running back Clinton Portis separated his shoulder in the first pre-season game (making a tackle following a Mark Brunell interception). Then, the ‘Skins got blasted 41-0 in New England. All this after Daniel Snyder bought everyone he wanted in the off-season (including Tom Cruise). The offense has struggled without Portis, and Gregg Williams’ defense has been shredded. The Redskins did go out and get T.J. Duckett, but he’s not a featured back. Washington was in the playoffs last year, but they don’t look like a playoff team right now. Are they really as bad as they seem, or did they just have a bad exhibition season? Time will tell.
Fantasy Extra: If Portis is healthy, he should benefit immensely from new offensive coordinator Al Saunders’ scheme as Larry Johnson did a year ago.

NFC North

Chicago Bears: How far can a defense carry a team? Well, in the NFC North, all the way to a division title and a first-round bye. Unfortunately for the Bears, the end of the line was that bye week. It’s not that the offense doesn’t have talent (both Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson are capable running backs). Quarterback Rex Grossman can’t seem to stay healthy, which prompted the signing of Brian Griese, who might unseat Grossman as the starter even if he’s not injured. The combination of Griese, Jones/Benson, and wide receiver Muhsin Muhammad should provide at least a little bit of offense. And with their defense and the lack of competition within the division, a little might be enough.
Fantasy Extra: All eleven starters from last year’s top ranked defense, including reigning defensive player of the year (LB Brian Urlacher), are back. Go ahead and take a chance on Griese.

Detroit Lions: There are those who believe that the Lions can legitimately challenge the Bears for the North division title. I do not happen to be among this group. I do think they have improved on offense with the addition of Jon Kitna (hey, they used to have Joey Harrington). But I’m not sure they’ve totally recovered from blowing three straight first round draft choices on receivers. One, Charles Rogers, was released yesterday, and the other, Mike Williams, is buried on the depth chart. I like Kevin Jones running the ball, and Roy Williams makes highlight-reel catches. Defensively, the Lions are solid, but not spectacular. They may be the second best team in the North, but that’s like being the second most talented Baldwin brother.
Fantasy Extra: Jones and Williams should put up decent numbers, and Kitna isn’t the worst option as a back-up QB. Kicker Jason Hanson remains reliable, especially with eight home games indoors.

Green Bay Packers: I’m the first guy to say that a player like Brett Favre should be able to walk away from the game on his own terms. But I’m shocked that he didn’t walk after last year. The 4-12 Packers certainly appear to have bottomed out, led by Favre and his 29 picks. At some point in time, they’re going to have to figure out if Aaron Rodgers can be a starter in this league or if they’re going to have to tank the year to try and get Brady Quinn. Ahman Green is over the hill, and Donald Driver is the only receiver who Favre seems to trust. The defense picked up some names (like corner Charles Woodson and linebacker A.J. Hawk, their number one draft choice), but the team is about two years overdue for re-building.
Fantasy Extra: For all of the interceptions, Favre still throws for a lot of yards and TD’s, probably because the Packers are often playing from behind. Wait, that didn’t really sound good. Let’s just move on…

Minnesota Vikings: To say that the 2005 Minnesota Vikings had off-field issues would be a colossal understatement. Mike Tice got busted for Super Bowl ticket scalping and was dismissed as head coach. There was also the infamous ‘Sex Cruise,’ which earned a couple of players a date in court. This year hasn’t started much better, with receiver Koren Robinson being released after his DUI and safety Dwight Smith’s public fornication arrest. Other than that, it’s a new era in Minnesota, with a new head coach (Brad Childress), an old quarterback (Brad Johnson), and a revamped defense that will be better than people expect, especially up front. It might not be enough to challenge Chicago, but Minnesota should be looking down at Detroit and Green Bay.
Fantasy Extra: The Vikings really like RB Chester Taylor, imported from Baltimore, for his versatility. The defense suffered a blow when LB Chad Greenway was lost for the year, but they’re still not a bad play with cupcakes like San Fran, Buffalo, the Jets and Green Bay on the schedule.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: Speaking to an Atlanta Falcons insider, I’ve got a pretty good feeling about this team. Their defense, which was their obvious weakness a year ago, is much improved with the acquisition of defensive end John Abraham and signing of run-stuffing tackle Grady Jackson and safety Lawyer Milloy. They also added another receiver in Ashley Lelie, who might actually be an asset to Ron Mexico for his ability to stretch the field. T.J. Duckett is gone, and the new back up to Warrick Dunn is a rookie with the look of a sensational back in Jerrious Norwood. About the only thing that isn’t in Atlanta’s favor is the schedule. The South is tough, plus the Falcons play the NFC East and NFC North, meaning games with the Giants, Eagles, Redskins, Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers. Tough sledding, indeed.
Fantasy Extra: Mexico’s favorite target is TE Alge Crumpler, and with the deep threats at wideout, Crumpler could put up big numbers. So could Dunn, who won’t be removed on the goal line anymore.

Carolina Panthers: There’s a reason that everyone is picking Carolina to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. They’re talented, they’re deep, they’re well-coached, and after last year’s loss in the NFC championship game, they’re hungry. The added players like receiver Keyshawn Johnson, linebacker Na’il Diggs, and rookie running back DeAngelo Williams who should all fill in gaps. The defense might be the best in the league, with playmakers like Julius Peppers, Kris Jenkins, Dan Morgan, Mike Minter and Chris Gamble. And I haven’t mentioned Steve Smith yet. Smith was constantly double-teamed last year and still managed to amass 1,500+ yards and 12 touchdowns. He’s scary good. If Jake Delhomme avoids major injury, the Panthers are as good as choice as any to end up in Miami.
Fantasy Extra: DeAngelo Williams is a fantasy sleeper. He was the NCAA’s all-purpose yardage leader, and not only will he return kicks but he’s the back-up to injury-prone RB DeShaun Foster.

New Orleans Saints: The good news for the Saints? Houston passed on Reggie Bush, so New Orleans drafted him number two. They get Deuce McAllister back from injury and sign free agent quarterback Drew Brees. They’ll actually play their home games in New Orleans after the Superdome re-opens after being damaged during Hurricane Katrina. The bad news? The Saints have a new head coach, a porous defense that can’t compete in the loaded NFC South, and they dealt receiver Donte’ Stallworth after his breakout year last year. Bush will bring some excitement, but the bottom line is the Saints are still light years behind the rest of the division (and most of the conference for that matter).
Fantasy Extra: Brees is coming off a major shoulder injury, and without Stallworth, his only option is the aging Joe Horn. McAllister will start at RB, but Bush will see a lot of reps.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Quick, who won the NFC South last year? You guessed it. The Bucs rode quarterback Chris Simms and rookie of the year running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams to the division crown. Simms, now the unquestioned starter with Brian Griese jettisoned to Chicago, is poised for another big year. Jon Gruden is hoping that new receiver David Boston finds the same fountain of youth that Joey Galloway discovered last year. The rest of the offense is relatively unchanged. Another constant is the defense, with Super Bowl holdovers Simeon Rice, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber. What is new are the expectations. Nobody was picking the Bucs last year and they kind of flew under the radar. How will they deal with the tables turned?
Fantasy Extra: Tampa had the top-ranked statistical defense last year, so look for them to maybe take a small step backwards. A sophomore slump for Cadillac? Hardly.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: There’s a lot of ‘New’ with the Arizona Cardinals. There’s a new franchise running back (Edgerrin James), a beautiful new stadium with a retractable roof and a natural grass field that gets rolled in on game days, and an all-new feeling of optimism within the organization. Why? In addition to the aforementioned, did you know that Kurt Warner led the league in 300-yard games last year? Or that the Cards own a pair of 1,000-yard receivers? Or that their defense was ranked eighth in the league last year? Eighth! Oh, and they drafted this Matt Leinart kid, who I hear was pretty good in college. Yes, there are a lot of people picking the Cards to not only make the playoffs, but maybe even challenge the defending NFC champion Seahawks for the division. Arizona hosting a playoff game that isn’t a Super Bowl. That certainly would be ‘New.’
Fantasy Extra: I was down on James at the beginning of training camp, but I’ve started to come around, and not just because I drafted him. In two games each against San Francisco and St. Louis, James should be good for 500 yards and 4-5 TD’s. Take a good hard look at Leinart. You know Warner is.

San Francisco 49ers: 2006 will be better for the 49ers. Why? Because, quite frankly, it can’t get worse than last year. Well, maybe it could. Mike Nolan enters his second year as head coach, and he continues to unload pieces of the old regime. Gone are linebackers Julian Peterson and Andre Carter, cornerback Mike Rumph, and running back Kevan Barlow. In are one-time pro-bowl guard Larry Allen and rookie freak tight end Vernon Davis. By all accounts, Smith has had a decent camp, but it will take a lot for the former number one overall pick to will this team. The defense is depleted, and the offense won’t be able to score enough to compensate for their deficiencies.
Fantasy Extra: The lone bright spot for the Niners could be RB Frank Gore, whose impressive rookie campaign made Barlow expendable.

Seattle Seahawks: I’ve been waiting for a team to buck the trend of Super Bowl losers failing to make the playoffs the following year. I think the wait is over. Seattle is still one of the most talented teams in the entire league, returning all-pros at quarterback (Matt Hasselbeck) and running back (league MVP Shaun Alexander). They’ve added versatile linebacker Julian Peterson to an already-strong defense. And, in case you haven’t noticed, the NFC West is relatively weak. Like the Eagles of two years ago, it would seemingly take a lot to keep Seattle from repeating as NFC champions. Lucky for them, TOFU can’t tear them apart.
Fantasy Extra: Alexander is still the top fantasy performer as far as I’m concerned. Hasselbeck has a great receiving corps with Nate Burleson coming over from the Vikings to pair with Darrell Jackson and Bobby Engram.

St. Louis Rams: Now that the tent has folded on "The Greatest Show on Turf," the Rams have committed to running the ball more, which makes sense since quarterback Marc Bulger seems to be hurt quite a bit. Running back Steven Jackson will be the focal point of the offense, though you could argue that St. Louis would still be better suited to attack through the air with receivers like Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce. Offense was never the question with the Rams, and they’ve changed coaches from the offensive-minded Mike Martz to the equally offensive-minded Scott Linehan, formerly with the Vikings. Again, defense is a major area of concern for St. Louis, and they won’t score 500 points like the Warner-Faulk-Holt Rams of old. Loosely translated, they’ll be on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
Fantasy Extra: Holt has been a model of consistency in terms of production, eclipsing 80 catches and 1,300 yards for the last six seasons. I’m not saying to dodge Bulger, but grab a capable back up just to be safe.