Can you believe it? The Packers and Saints are playing tonight!It wasn’t too long ago where we were wondering if we would be able to say something like that at any point this season.
And, I’m not going to lie.
Back in March, when the lockout began, I could have cared less. I was in a mode where I thought about how nice it would be to have a season off.
A year without worrying about the Eagles.
A year without having to type weekly previews and recaps.
A year without having to deal with Real Houserville.
A fall where I could focus all my attention on the playoff-bound Phillies.
In March, I had accepted the NFL’s fate and assumed the worst — and it didn’t faze me one bit. The 2011 NFL Draft came and went — I watched the first 10 picks on TV and then read about it later online — and still, I didn’t feel the need to have football this season.
April, May, June; all went by without a care.
Then, July hit. Rumors of a labor deal being signed soon peaked my interest. Lehigh University started setting up for training camp.
And, then it hit me.
I needed football. I began listening to NFL Radio every day and reading every labor negotiation story. I wanted it back in the worst way.
All I wanted to do was have a season of worrying about the Eagles.
I was anxious to write my first preview and weekly recap.
And I was excited to … well, OK, I could still do with a season without Dawson, but you get the point.
I wanted football back, and I got it back.
And tonight, this long, rollercoaster offseason comes to an official end with a great game: Packers vs. Saints. Brees vs. Rodgers.
What a great game to start the week.
And it’s one of many great games to kick off this weekend. The Ravens-Steelers contest is going to be a bruising, slugfest, and I can’t wait to watch. The Texans-Colts game is going to be interesting to follow because we could be watching the new AFC South champs beat up on the old AFC South champs.
The Falcons-Bears game is another great game, featuring the two top seeds in the NFC from a year ago. Both lost to the Packers in the playoffs, and both are in need of a fast start to show they’re back and ready to contend against the Packers.
And then there’s the Lions-Bucs game. Yeah, can you believe that this game is going to be a great game to watch? Matthew Stafford vs. Josh Freeman. Jahvid Best vs. LeGarrette Blount. Calvin Johnson vs. Mike Williams. The matchups in this game go on and on. And I look forward to following it on Gamecast because the NFL won’t start an NFL.tv like MLB (which is a whole other story).
Nevertheless, I still will get to see a great amount of games. One tonight, at least four on Sunday, and two more on Monday. It’s the second longest fantasy week, starting Thursday and going early into Tuesday with the late, West Coast start on Monday for the Broncos-Raiders.
So let’s enjoy the long weekend and be thankful that football has return.
No breaks needed this year.
2011 Predictions
Before I get to the Week 1 Previews, I have to do my annual flawed/biased predictions for the League.
And, in case you have missed any of the previews, they’re all up on www.jimmysjargon.blogspot.com.
Nittany Conference
Nittany North Division
Team Boyer………………………9-4
Toasters………………………..…5-8
T-Money…………………..………4-9
Nittany South Division
Channel 4 News Team………..10-3
Chinese Organ Thieves………..8-5
Graybill’s Generals………………5-8
Liberty Conference
Patriot Division
Jimmy Jammers………………….8-5
Jawz Attack………………………..7-6
Sunday Slackers………………….3-10
Eagle Division
Fear and Loathing………………9-4
World of Noise…………………..6-7
Real Houserville…………………4-9
Wild Card Round
Jammers over Jawz
Boyer over Organ Thieves
News Team, Fear, BYE
Conference Championships
Fear over Jammers
News Team over Boyer
Super Bowl VI
Fear over News Team
Now the pressure is on. I’ve selected Fear and Loathing to edge out last season’s Super Bowl Champion for the 2011 title. I’m sure he’ll be happy. He also must be happy that I have him easily winning the division title. He could gain ground early and hold a three-game lead on the division for most of the season. (Go ahead, Houserville. Hit the message boards.)
And now, without any further delay, the Week 1 previews.
Fear and Loathing (0-0) at Real Houserville (0-0)
Series History: Houserville leads series 4-3.
These two Pennsylvania rivals will kick start the season as the top matchup of the week. Both are Steelers fans, who coincidently also have a big rival matchup to start the season with the Ravens.
And, of course, these two have a bunch of Steelers and Ravens involved in this week’s matchup.
Houserville has the most, adding to the numbers after he pulled the trigger on a trade that could change his season.
Destined for the cellar — and maybe still heading there — with Peyton Manning out, Houserville read the reports, saw the preseason poll and reacted. And he made a decent deal, sending Kevin Kolb and Wes Welker away for Big Ben. Kolb is a fantasy unknown at this point because no one really knows if he’ll succeed in the desert, and Welker depletes his WRs a bit. Now, he’s going with an unknown tight end, Lance Kendricks, at the WR/TE slot.
With the news breaking today that Manning underwent another surgical procedure and could miss 2 to 3 months, the deal seems worth it now. Houserville, however, has to be feeling like every Colt fan, who was strung along to believe that Manning would be there for opening day.
In my mind, this was handled all wrong. The Colts barely had a chance to adjust. Had this surgery been taken care of earlier — and I’m not talking about the most recent procedure, but rather the initial one that Manning waited until mid-offseason to have — the Colts could have prepared better, maybe by drafting a quarterback, or by trading for a decent backup. Kerry Collins may do, but he’s probably not going to lead them to the playoffs.
So, everyone was hung out to dry on this one. Houserville had to keep him for the outside chance that he started, and after he selected him as his keeper, the Colts continued to toy with the fact that he’d be ready for Game 1.
It’s no wonder why Houserville made this deal. He was fed up, I’m sure.
And though he loses a good receiver in Welker, he gets a great QB in Big Ben. A quarterback who seems to have great seasons after his team is in the Super Bowl. We’ll see if that trend continues.
If it is going to continue, I don’t foresee it happening right away with the first game being against the Ravens. We’re talking about a 13-7, 19-13 kind of game. Not your fantasy juggernaut.
That’s why Fear should win this matchup easily and even their series at 4-4.
And it’s not just Big Ben. Both of Houserville’s wideouts are playing in the Steelers-Ravens game, with Anquan Boldin and Mike Wallace going. Wallace was held without a TD in both meetings last season, and Boldin had a decent game late in the season going for 118 yards and a TD. I’m not expecting a shootout here, so in all likelihood, points will be at a premium.
I think one of the guys who will get them is Rashard Mendenhall, who Houserville in the offseason chose to let go. Fear wasted no time scooping him up and between him and Jamaal Charles, the RBs should be primed to score a good amount of points this weekend — especially Charles against the Bills defense.
Jammers’ Prediction: Fear 131, Houserville 110
Channel 4 News Team (0-0) at Jimmy Jammers (0-0)
Series History: News Team leads series 4-2
Here we go again.
The 2010 season started with the Jammers falling hard to the News Team and it ended in similar fashion.
If it happens again to start 2011, the Jammers might need to pull a 49ers-Raiders and cancel any future matchups. No one has been shot outside a Jammers-News Team matchup yet, but if Arian Foster goes for another 43 points to start the season, the Jammers is packing heat and for the safety of JFL fans, we cannot have this happen.
All kidding aside, this matchup looks like it’s going to be fun.
News Team has two major injuries going into Sunday with Arian Foster questionable and some sources say he might sit out. The other is Miles Austin who is questionable, too.
So that may be why the News Team is looking for a big night out of Aaron Rodgers tonight. A lot of points could ease the pain if one or both of those guys are out. He also needs to make sure Rodgers is throwing away from Greg Jennings. The less points for Jennings, the better — for News Team, of course.
No matter what, the points gained tonight will mean nothing until the Monday Night Football games are complete. The Jammers has three players going, Reggie Bush and Brandon Marshall in the 7 p.m. game, and Matt Prater in the 10:15 game.
If this matchup is close after the Dolphins-Pats game, it may be a few Prater field goals from giving the Jammers the win.
So, it will be a long matchup, but it should be an exiting one to follow. I’m sure I’ll write something more after tonight’s game.
I really think I may have a chance to finally beat the News Team, but I have to go with what’s on paper, and that’s…
Jammers’ Prediction: News Team 139, Jammers 124
Team Boyer (0-0) at T-Money (0-0)
Series History: Boyer leads series 6-4.
You remember how Boyer was picked to win the division?
Well, this is a story about how T-Money can steal Game 1.
Many times, it’s not about the players you have, but who they’re playing.
This week, T-Money’s lineup is serving up cupcakes. Frank Gore is going against Seattle, Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Washington, and Dwayne Bowe vs. Buffalo. I think there’s a chance for some big points here.
I also — gasp — like Tony Romo against the Jets. I think the Jets are going to be nowhere close to what they were last season. Romo should put up some decent numbers and keep this matchup close.
On the other side, Boyer’s two big backs — Michael Turner and LeGarrette Blount — are running into tough defenses. Chicago and Detroit both have strong defensive lines and may make it tough to run. Still, a goal line TD isn’t out of the question for either one of these guys, and that would make the start all worth it for Boyer.
It’s all laid out for this to be a close matchup, which is why I’ll return to a player I mentioned before — Dwayne Bowe. Matt Cassel is expected to start, which is good news for Bowe owners, and that means a pair of TDs could be in order for Bowe.
A day like that could easily swing the verdict in favor of the Money Man.
And it is for that reason that Boyer will surely be battling from a deficit heading into Monday Night, but with Tom Brady going, we all know that anything’s possible with him. Not many deficits are large enough to keep Brady at bay.
However, against the Dolphins defense, a top 5 squad last season that only improved in the offseason, could make it tough for Brady. This could be one of those 24-21 type of games, which means Boyer better hope there isn’t a sizable gap between himself and the Dollar Sign.
Jammers’ Prediction: T-Money 129, Boyer 119
Jawz Attack (0-0) at Sunday Slackers (0-0)
Series History: Jawz leads series 2-0.
Jawz could have had the No. 1 pick in the draft this year, but he had to go and use two of his four wins on the Slackers.
That’s right. This year’s division favorite couldn’t get past the Attack.
I’m not so sure he’s going to do it this time.
The wideout corps for the Attack is predicted to scored five TDs and 300 yards. The Slackers four players in the WR slots (includes a TE and a RB), are slated to have a little more than 200 total yards and two TDs.
Now, I can’t even begin to say those projections are going to be true, but they do tell the story of where this matchup will be won.
Josh Freeman and Drew Brees will be a wash, in my mind, and Slackers has the slight edge in RBs; however, his pair is going up against some decent defenses.
That’s why the quartet of Percy Harvin, Wes Welker, DeSean Jackson and Roddy White (let’s call them “Roddy and the three Speed-Amigos”) will lead the Attack to victory here. I especially like Jackson to have a huge week against the Rams.
Jammers’ Prediction: Attack 125, Slackers 99
Organ Thieves (0-0) at Graybill’s Generals (0-0)
Series History: Organ Thieves lead 6-3.
I can’t butter this one up at all.
The Thieves have a great cast going this week, and outside of LeSean McCoy and perhaps Steven Jackson, the Generals are in a bit of trouble when it comes to getting points. Nightmares of last season come to mind for the Generals in Week 1. Sidney Rice is questionable (health-wise and production-wise), and Joe Flacco has to go up against the Steelers. That could make for some smaller point totals this week.
Meanwhile, I like Phillip Rivers to throw for at least three scores, Adrian Peterson to have a so-so week (maybe 12 fantasy points), BenJarvus Green-Ellis to score at least once, and Hakeem Nicks to have a big week against the Redskins.
When finished, the Generals will be happy to move on and know that they don’t have to see the Thieves again for several weeks.
Green-Ellis is the only guy in this matchup playing Monday Night, but I’m predicting that the Thieves will have this matchup in hand after six of his nine players finish their 4:15 games on Sunday.
Jammers’ Prediction: Chinese Organ Thieves 140, Graybill’s Generals 101
Dottsville Toasters (0-0) at World of Noise (0-0)
Series History: Tied at 3-3.
Two games I talked about in my column above are going to decide this matchup — the Lions-Bucs game and the Colts-Texans game.
I’ve already gone over the Peyton Manning issue, so you just have to wonder how effective will Dallas Clark be this season. It could be a tough go for the Noise.
Also in that game, the Noise has Andre Johnson, and anything he does will be nearly wiped out by the Toasters’ Matt Schaub. If things go the Toasters way, Johnson catches a few passes, but stays out of the end zone and sets up Toasters tight end Owen Daniels for a pair of scores. That would be the prescription for victory right there.
He also could use an explosive output by the Lions, including Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson. The two should catch several passes Sunday and by the time the 4 p.m. game kicks off, Mario Manningham, the Toasters lone late Sunday starter should be padding his lead — a lead that not Plaxico Burress (Sunday night) and Knowshon Moreno (Monday night) shouldn’t be able to erase.
A big reason that a comeback will be needed is that Sam Bradford should struggle to get the passing game going against the trifecta of cornerbacks for the Eagles. Bradford threw picks in 11 games last season, and he’ll throw a few more Sunday.
I guess it’s good that the Noise has the Eagles defense. Still, two plus negative-2 equals zero. Math so simple, even a Craig-man can do it.
Jammers’ Prediction: Toasters 121, Craig-man 112
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