Since their inception into the NFL, the Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled to be noticed on a national level. Even during winning seasons, they have not always recieved the credit due them, such as the 2005 campaign. They were 12-4, losing to the New England Patriots in the first round of the Playoffs. Just why then do the ‘experts’ not see them as a viable Super Bowl contender? Let’s examine the issue.
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2006 NFL Week 1 Picks
Welcome back football fans! We’re back for the 2006 NFL season. Every week, we pick all games straight up and then give you our Lock of the Week against the spread. This year, we’re throwing a little wrinkle into the Locks of the Week by telling you how much we’d put on each game. This will give you a sense of how good we feel about each Lock.
As with last year, we have an associated podcast where we discuss a bunch of games in depth. The featured games this week are Miami @ Pittsburgh, Atlanta @ Carolina, Cincinnati @ Kansas City, Dallas @ Jacksonville, and Indianapolis @ NY Giants. You can download the podcast directly (running time 38 mins) or subscribe to the feed.
If you use iTunes, just click here and then click subscribe and iTunes will take care of the rest.
by Trevor Freeman
With the NFL season starting on Sunday, I figured it was about time to talk about the Five-Time Super Bowl Champions. Like Judge Wapner, I’m going to be as even-handed as possible when breaking the San Francisco 49ers down position by position. I think it’s important as a writer to always maintain credibility and to avoid being a shameless homer. Without further ado, let’s begin our look at the Greatest Franchise In NFL History.
Yesterday we took a look at the NFC. Today it’s time to break down the AFC – winners of 7 out of the last 10 Super Bowls and 4 of the last 5. Can the AFC do it again this year? Will the Colts finally get over the hump? What team will come out of nowhere and make the playoffs? Are the Patriots back in championship form? Why does CBS’s pregame show suck so much compared to the Fox broadcast? Here we go with the AFC division previews.
Outside of the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, there is no better span on the sporting calendar than the opening weekend of the NFL season. No more guessing how preseason performance really translates into regular season play, no more thinking about who will make the 53 man roster, no more praying that a key player on your team doesn’t get hurt in a meaningless game. It’s just you, your remote, perhaps a cold brew, and the joy of Christmas in September. And while I appreciate the Thursday night teaser, I’d almost rather the NFL not have gone to that. It’s like getting an appetizer and then having to wait 3 hours for the main course to arrive. Just fast forward me to Sunday already!
But before we can start week 1, we need the obligatory 2006 NFL predictions. Here it is folks, what you’ve been waiting for… the official Sportscolumn 2006 NFL Predictions. I have spent all weekend digesting stats, schedules, rosters… and lots of alcohol. Depending on how much you agree with these predictions, is how much of the relative mix of those things went into the picks. I predicted game by game for each of the 17 weeks and came up with the final standings and records of every team in the NFL. We’ll kick it off with the NFC.
The annual jaunt to professional football immortality, better known as the Super Bowl, begins in earnest in less than one week. Of the 32 teams in pursuit, two will be forever remembered; one as the glorious victor, the other as their inglorious victim. Who will they be this year? Will it be like last year, where two perennial playoff teams (Steelers, Seahawks) that had come up short finally achieve the immortality? Will it be reminiscent of the 1999 season when two teams came out of nowhere (Titans, Rams) to deliver not only their own immortality, but an immortal game, as well? No one really knows. And, it’s good that prediction columns are not immortal (see last year’s column).
What I am about to tell you, may be disturbing to the faint of heart. My prediction is so bold, so shocking, so death defying, that it just might brainwash you into making a quick stop at your local fantasy Wal-Mart to get one heck of a bargain on Laurence Maroney. Who in the..? Maroney? Is that some kind of Italian dish?
When I worked at Fed-ex packaging, there were packages that we would have to stock on the trucks that read “fragile.” My fellow employees only handled these packages with nothing but the utmost extreme care. They would pick them up ever so lightly, and place them ever so gently into the stocking truck. Eh-hem. Only in a perfect world.
By David J. Cohen
The Patriots have given disgruntled WR Deion Branch permission to seek a trade with another team. This comes after weeks of failed contract negotiations between the Pats and Branch. This includes two denied offers from the Patriots: the first, a 3-year deal worth $18.75 million with $8 million guaranteed; the second, a 5-year extension worth $31 million. Branch has until September 1st to find a deal elsewhere.
As a service for the Sportscolumn community, I went to the 11:30 AM showing of Invincible today. Who am I kidding, if I wasn’t going to write a review for SC, I’d have seen the 2:30 showing anyway. As an Eagles fan, I am obligated to see the movie. What’s the population of the Delaware Valley? 6 million people? Multiply by $9… Invincible is guaranteed to bring in at least $50M just from the Philly area alone.