Bad Day: Eagles 6 Cardinals 27

This was an eye opener!  After 2 hard fought, exciting and slightly fortunate victories, the Eagles came crashing down to Earth, thus handing me my first defeat as a fan.  In the context of the season, a defeat to a team from another Division isn't a fatal blow, but the manner of the Eagles displays so far hasn't given fans much confidence for the next 14 weeks.

In truth, the signs had been there in the first 2 games: Too many turnovers, too many hits on Vick and some strange play calling.  But even so, not many fans were expecting such a resounding beating against a talented but unfancied Arizona side.

Give the ball to this man please!

As a lower league football fan, I've experienced my fair share of humiliating defeats.  In most cases, there are some running themes and this Eagles game was no different.  For a start, the "fumbleitis" resurfaced early on, coupled with some strange play calling (Note to Andy Reid:  LeSean McCoy is one of the best runner sin the League) it mean that the Cardinals had a lot of possession.  The difference this week was that the Defence, whilst playing reasonably well, weren't getting the ball back quickly.  The result was a series of long, efficient Cardinals drives, usually resulting in points.

It's hard to explain, but from a very early stage you could just tell that it was going to be a long and completely fruitless evening of Eagles watching.  It's a familiar feeling for sports fans: when you just know it's not your day.  You know that nothing is going to go your way, the players won't turn things around and the team are destined for defeat.

It's not just fans who experience this "bad day at the office" feeling.  Players also suffer from it occasionally too, I can remember a few occasions playing cricket when I've just not been able to bowl the bowl where I want to and couldn't do anything about it.  The Eagles offence seemed to be having a similar experience here.   Time after time, Michael Vick would hold on to the ball for what seemed like an eternity, before either throwing the ball incomplete or being swallowed up by the Cardinals defence.  Receivers weren't getting getting free and the O line were struggling to keep control.  Andy Reid had no answers and the we couldn't even blame the officials!

Every "bad day" has signature moments, in this case both Eagles units contributed a gem.  First of all the Defence cleverly decided to not mark Larry Fitzgerald near the goal line, leading to a very simple TD pass for Kevin Kolb.  Not to be outdone, Michael Vick then proceeded to fumble the ball near the Cards goal line, leading to Arizona recovering the ball and running it back the length of the pitch for a TD of their own!

All of which meant it was 24-0 at Half Time and I had my first loyalty test.  Generally I can't abide fans who leave games early and I've never committed that sin, but on the other hand, NFL thrashings are seriously boring, especially if your team is on the receiving end.  The team in the lead are content to run down the clock and the team chasing the game usually fail to move the chains against containing defensive formations.  I eventually decided to stick with my team for the Second Half, although I'd be lying if I said I didn't flick over to RedZone a fair few times.

As expected, the Second Half was a complete non event.  Which was actually more demoralizing then the First Half.  At least the First Half had incidents, this was just lots of short gains from both teams, the odd Field Goal and plenty of punts.  In short, we were soundly beaten and made to look like a very poor team.

So where does this leave the Eagles?

In my humble opinion, the main issue is with the use of Michael Vick.  He is being asked to throw far too much and his style of play is always going to lead to turnovers. The best plays are made before the snap, but Vick seems to make it up on the fly far too often.  There is room for that type of QB in the NFL and Vick has succeeded in spells, but he needs to be used correctly.  We've got one of the elite runners in the League in LeSean McCoy and he needs to be getting more carries.  In all 3 games this season he has made big gains, but hasn't had enough carries.  Teams are expecting the pass, so send blitzes against our patched up Offensive line.  Vary the play a bit more and it's harder for teams to defend.
Then again I'm no Andy Reid!

And where does this leave me?

In many ways, this was probably a good thing.  Experiencing a low, can only make the highs seem better.  It also stops me feeling like a "Johnny Come Lately" fan who's only experienced victory and hasn't .....oh who am I kidding?! This was horrible and I hated every minute of it.

Luckily, we've got the minnows from New York up next, so that should be a doddle.  The Week 4 Divisional encounter also represents my first Eagles "through the night" game, so if anybody from Relentless is reading this, I'm happy to plug your drinks in return for a few freebies!

Memorable! Ravens 23 Eagles 24

Now this felt like a big game of football! In the future, I may look back at this game as a key moment in my supporting career.  So, aside from the Eagles winning, what made this a memorable game? And what do we want from our sport's matches in order to make them memorable?  Here is my take on those questions, using last Sunday night as the template...

For a start, I spent large chunks of the weekend thinking about the match-up; Could we beat a SuperBowl contender? Could we improve on Week 1's mediocre display? This was a step up from my nonchalant approach to the previous match and was far more akin to my "pre Gillingham" mood.  Whilst I wasn't attending the game so couldn't experience the pre-match atmosphere, I did feel as though my build-up to the game was a notch up from the previous week.

Come 6pm, I was really looking forward to the game, but feeling a tad apprehensive. It soon became clear why..after a few nice plays, Michael Vick throw a familiar looking pick and the Eagles momentum disappeared quicker than you can say "Just throw it away!".  Hmm, it was looking like a long evening.  The overcoming of adversity is another vital ingredient in a memorable game.  We all enjoy an easy win, but unless it is a record breaking one or against a close rival, it is soon forgotten.  Winning against the odds in so much sweeter, it's why fans love "giant killing".  Just 2 days ago, Gillingham beat Southend 1-0 and it was the most memorable game of the season so far. Why?  Because we played the entire second half with 10 men and overcame the odds to cling on to the victory.

The Eagles once again defended outstandingly and at were level at 7-7 after the first quarter.  As with Week 1, I wasn't getting overly excited by the Eagles scoring.  I guess that's where the NFL differs from (eg) football - an early goal could be a vital goal winning effort, but an early touchdown, whilst useful, rarely is enough.  For a start, it hands possession to the opposition so there's always a twinge of apprehension.  It's late in the game that the NFL turns the excitement level up high..but we'll get to that in a bit..

More turnovers from the Eagles, and a lovely pass from Joe Flacco meant we were 17-7 down at half time and I was fearing the worst.  Encouragingly, I was caring a lot more than the previous week. I was genuinely disappointed during the interval and whilst defeat wouldn't have meant the end of the season, it would have been a firm sign that the Eagles weren't good enough.  One common thread throughout the half had been errors from the replacement referees.  Numerous flags were thrown, random brawls broke out and the refs completely lost control of the game.  In this instance the errors became annoying, but generally speaking I do enjoy controversy in my sporting encounters.  If the controversy is against our team, all the better.  

If the Eagles do reach the Play Offs, then the second half of this game will be seen as a key turning point.  It wasn't flawless, but the performance was markedly improved.  The defence shut down Baltimore's passing game and slowly got on top of the game. The crowd got more into the game and consequently so did I.  Atmosphere goes a long in defining the mood of a game.  My most memorable Gillingham matches have all involved a fantastic crowd atmosphere, and even if the on field action hasn't been the best, you still fondly remember the game. Gillingham's 1996 promotion season was full of 1-0 wins and long ball football, but it was played out in front of full houses.  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't remember a 1-0 victory over Plymouth (Thanks to a penalty!) if it wasn't for the amazing atmosphere in the ground!  Similarly in Philadelphia, the atmosphere at Lincoln Financial Field really helped make this game more memorable for me.

The Eagles improvement was typified by DeMeco Ryans and rookies Mychael Kendricks and Fletcher Cox.  They were everywhere making tackles, deflecting balls and just stopping the Ravens from generate much offence.  This performance was typified by a superb sack from Ryans that left Flacco on the turf almost 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage.
On the other side of the ball, Vick was finally getting his game together and finding his targets.  This was highlighted by a 47 yard bomb that DeSean Jackson somehow managed to catch by the sideline despite being pounded by a flat out Ed Reed.  It is individual moments like those from Ryans and Jackson that fans remember in years to come.  Moments that change the momentum of a game and get everyone off their seats.

Despite the improved performance, the Eagles were still trailing heading into the final few minutes.  If last season saw the birth of Tebow Time, then maybe 2012 will be known for Vick Time! For the second week in a row, he led the Eagles down-field for the game winning score.  In fact, this time he even ran the ball in himself.  We all love a late winner and the Eagles have now got 2 in a row.  By now, I was feeling like a proper Eagles fan and jumping around my living room like a lunatic.  However, the Ravens still had 90 seconds to get the ball within field goal range and attempt to win it.  But, once again the Eagles defence held strong and amid a cacophony of noise they held up the Ravens in midfield and completed a thrilling 1 point victory.

That is certainly a game I'll remember for a very long time.  In short it had a big build up, adversity, controversy, atmosphere, individual moments and a late winner.  Exactly what I want from my sports matches and a massive moment for me in my Eagle supporting life.  Oh, and remember at the start I mentioned that this had "almost" all of the ingredients of a memorable game.  All that was missing from this game was that there wasn't a title riding on the outcome, let's hope that box gets ticked later on this season!


Two games in and the Eagles are 2-0, coupled with Gillingham's top of the table position this represents a brilliant time for me as a supporter. Let's hope it can continue for a long time.
This week the Eagles take on the unbeaten Cardinals in a tough looking match-up in Arizona.  I'll be back next week to look at that and also my Sunday evening NFL watching experience as a whole.

Oh God, What Have I done! Browns 16 Eagles 17

 "It's all been leading up to this moment"

I'm pretty sure the Beastie Boys weren't rapping about my NFL watching life, but Sunday 9th September did feel like a seminal moment for me.  After all, the reason I started this blog last December was to find a team to support.  Eventually, I landed upon the Eagles as my team of destiny, and now nine months on I finally get to watch them play a game...at least I was if Gamepass let me!

It's been a long journey, but considering the lack of actual football, it's been a lot of fun.  I've learnt a lot about the Eagles, I've been in touch with some great people and I've received plenty of encouraging comments about this blog.  But, now it's time for the next stage of my journey..actually watching some Eagles football!

I had no idea how I'd feel on game day - would I be nervous pre kick off?  Would I get excited when the Eagles scored? And how would I feel after the game - elated, despondent or non plussed?  To put it into context, I spent the previous day in London watching the all conquering (well, so far this season) Gillingham FC sweep to an easy victory at Barnet.  The clash was a top v bottom encounter, but despite this I still had the usual does of pre match nerves. And even though the Gills completely controlled the game and strolled to a 3-1 win, I was anxious throughout the afternoon.

Why?  Call it experience.  I've seen plenty of Gills matches turn on their head and the team lose form seemingly unassailable positions.  I've got the scars and I can remember the pain.  Now, clearly the 2012 version of the Gills appears to be stronger and classier, and bears no relation to the rabbles that have worn the blue shirts over the years.  But like many sports fans, experience has turned me into an eternal pessimist.

Shirt number and QB rating!

Fast forward to the next day and my NFL pre game mindset was far more positive.  I've read about the various Eagles mishaps over the years, but I hadn't personally been scared by them.  I knew that the current team were prone to "bad days at the office", but I hadn't been an Eagles fan when they happened so I didn't fear them happening again.  In fact, my pre game build up involved a very relaxing afternoon at the local park and a couple of glasses of rjoca.  When 6pm came round and I was safely logged onto Gamepass, I was confident of an Eagles win.  Partly because we were playing the Browns, but also because I was a new fan and new fans don't have bad memories.  In fact, my main concern was how I'd react when a big play occurred   Luckily, I didn't have to wait long to find out.

To say, the Eagles display was error prone would be an understatement.  I'd argue that about 28 of the 32 NFL would have defeated Philly on Sunday.  Fortunately, the Browns had Brandon Weedon at QB and the worst set of Receivers this side of Miami.  Turnover followed turnover, as both Defences had plenty of chances to show off their skills.  They were a couple of superb picks from Rodgers-Cromartie, but neither had me jumping out of my seat.  Truth be told, it was pretty insipid stuff.  The teams exchanged field goals (and more turnovers), before Michael Vick finally got things together and located Jermey Maclin in the End Zone.  Sadly, this still didn't prompt much of a reaction from me.  I was pleased, but I couldn't bring myself to get too excited.  The poor quality of the game had left me feeling pretty pessimistic about the Eagles prospects for the season, and not even 7 points could lift the mood.

It was around this time that I began to notice a few issues with Gamepass.  During breaks in play, I was flicking other to other games using the multiscreen options.  The picture quality in Clevelend was fine, but the same couldn't be said for other games.  Buffalo v New York was blurrier than a britpop album, and the Redskins-Saints game was freezing on a regular basis.  In fact, Red Zone was so slow, that after half time I decided to use my red button on Sky and watch the Red Zone on there.  Imagine my confusion a few minutes later when Red Zone showed Michael Vick throw a pick 6 to give the Browns the lead.  Why confusion? Well, on my Gamepass "live" feed of the match, the Browns were on offence and the Eagles were in front!  After a quick double take and a visit to NFL.com I realized that Gamepass was a few minutes behind the live action.  Brilliant, I pay £130 for the service so I could watch all the Ealges games live and I end up finding out the live scores via a service I had in the first place!

Of course, this all distracted from the deep hole the Eagles had now dug themselves.  Instead of being disgruntled with the team, I was disgruntled with Gamepass. I really hope that this was just a few Week 1 teething problems, but judging from the NFLUK forums, the problem wasn't just confined to my laptop.  Meanwhile, the Eagles continued to turn the ball over (Vick through his 4th pick) but were getting it back pretty quickly thanks to some strong tackling and poor Browns offence.  nonetheless, the team were still a score down late into the 4th quarter.  However, I was still confident of victory.  The lack of scars were clearly helping me, so much so that when Vick did eventually find another TD pass I was again muted in my celebration.  Bizarrely, I was expecting it to happen.  I was also unsurprised when, moments later, Weedon threw his 4th pick to end the game and give the Eagles a 1 point victory.

As you can see, it was a strange evening and full of mixed emotions.  It was a win for the Eagles, but it was a highly unconvincing one against a below average opponent.  They need to improve their offensive play massively if they are to challenge for a Play Off place.  This was, on paper at least, the easiest game in the first half of the season, but Philadelphia came so close to messing it up.

"Loser buys dinner!"
Shurmur remortgages house

As for me, it was a weird experience.  I really wanted the Eagles to win and was fully behind them, but it didn't get me jumping out of my chair or punching the air when they did win. In some ways, that was due to the poor quality of football on offer, but I realise that becoming passionate about the Eagles won't just happen over night and it'll take some time for me to build up my support.  I was pleased that I mostly knew who was making the plays and there were only a couple of names that were unfamiliar to me.  Like must fans, I found Andy Reid's pass first tactics baffling and wanted LeSean McCoy to see more of the ball.  I'm clearly getting their but just need a few more (better) games to build up my excitement levels!  Of course, a more efficient Gamepass service would help, as would some better football and maybe even a couple of defeats to make the victories feel sweeter.  After all I do have a 100% record as an Eagles fan!

In other news, I made a successful start to my British Eagles Fantasy season. Largely thanks to my pre season sleeper pick Alfred Morris and my mid round QB Joe Flacco.  Maybe I do know a bit about this game after all.

Next week sees the Eagles take on the Ravens in Philadelphia.  Having watched the Ravens demolish the Bengals last night, the Eagles need to improve beyond all recognition.  A high quality, close game (and an Eagles victory of course) may be just what I need to take my Eagles fandom onto the next level!

Living in Fantasy Land

The Day of the British Eagles Fantasy Draft

6am: Wake up. 14 hours to go until Draft time so time for an early morning 8 mile jog to get the body going.  Followed up with some muesli and 3 Espressos.

8am:  100 sit ups, before settling down for a few Mock Drafts. The aim is to memorize my entire Draft Order from 1-262. Thus I can cover off any eventuality during the actual Draft.

9am:  Mental Preparation is also key to a successful Draft. Therefore, I use the next couple of hours to play Sudoku. To fully test myself I opt for the "Bastard Hard Level" games that just contain one pre filled number.

10:30am:  To continue my mental preparation I go through my daily Tai Chi routine. This involves standing on one leg for 3 hours, whilst occasionally moving my left arm and mouthing a mantra of "Don't pick Tebow" continually.

1:30pm:  Lunch - Massive bowl of pasta and 3 cans of Relentless.

2pm: Gym. 150 Lengths of pool whilst mentally reciting every NFL 53 man squad.

5pm: Final Mock Draft...done blind!

6pm: Pre Draft meal - A bowl of brown rice and 4 cans of Relentless.

7pm Listen to Eye of the Tiger on loop for 45 minutes.

7:45pm Log on to Draft Centre.  Discover I'm drafting 13th(!) out of 18...go for another can of Relentless.

8:17pm Finally get to Draft a player.  I've read a few theories on how it's now better to Draft a top end QB if possible and to leave RBs for a few rounds.  However, position 13 means there aren't any elite QBs left, so I plump for Ryan Matthews.  Bit of a punt as he is injury prone, but if he can stay fir he'll score a shed load of points.  The "snake" draft means I'm back on the clock very quickly.  This time I go for another RB in the form of Michael Turner.  Turner has served me well in the last couple of years and I think he'll go well again.

8:30pm  Rounds 3 and 4 see me take a couple of high end wideouts in the shape of Miles Austin and Jordy Nelson.  Austin had been taking a bit of stick in the Draft chatroom, but my complex mental preparation ensured that I paid no attention and drafted him regardless.

8:35pm Rounds 5 and 6. Time for a Tight End - Gonzalez was easily the best available at this point.  In round 6 I dabbled with a QB, but there were about 6 left of equal quality, so I decided to go for another WR.  Robert Meachem was the best available.

8:50pm  Now I really need a QB or 2, so I went for 2 in consecutive rounds.  Ryan Fitzpatrick and Joe Flacco are hardly elite names in Fantasy land, but I can see them both being mid ranking players and getting enough points to supplement my team.
The rest of my squad was padded out with a couple of back ups in Kendall Hunter and Alfred Morris (my sleeper tip), a couple of decent fill in players in Sidney Rice and Tony Moeki plus the obligatory Kicker (Josh Scobee) and Defence (Chargers..not much left).
In the finally round I took a punt on Julian Edelman.  Whilst the Pats have established starters, they only have 4 WR  on the roster, so it will only take an injury or 2 for Edelman to be a regular starter.


9:15pm  Draft over.  I get a well deserved massage and toweling down.  Overall, I was pretty pleased with my squad.  Matthews is a bit of a gamble and I'm a bit weak at QB, but an 18 team league makes things a lot harder, so all in all I'm satisfied.

Now I've got my Draft out of the way, I'm all set for the Eagles season.  I may post my PreSeason report before Sunday, but if not, my next post will be a report of my 1st experience of watching an Eagles Regular Season game.  How will they play? How will I react?  Will I get emotionally involved? And will my relationship be able to cope with another NFL season?

50 Words for Every Team - NFL Preview Part 2

I've read plenty of previews of the upcoming NFL season and one of my bug bears with the majority of them is that they don't seem to give equal billing to all 32 teams.  This morning I read a preview that (eg) had 4 paragraphs on the NFC South but spent 3 of them on the Saints, before using half of the last paragraph on the Panthers, followed by a sentence each on the Falcons and Bucs.  Clearly, they thought the Saints were going to win the Division, but surely a bit of balance is called for. After all, the performance of the other 3 teams is directly linked to how well the Saints do in the South.
So in the interests of fairness, I present my "50 Words for Every Team" Preview of the 2012 season. As the title suggests I'll be using exactly 50 words on each of the franchises, as well as giving my predictions for the Divisional winners and Wild Card places.  Expect some crow barring of sentences, plenty of poor English, but no cheating...

AFC East

Buffalo Bills:  Massive upgrades on Defense, headlined by star Free Agent signing Mario Williams.  They shouldn't concede too many points, but can they score enough?  A lot rests on Ryan Fitzpatrick and his beard.  A healthy Fred Jackson will help but it's hard to see them usurping the Patriots. Possible Wild Card.

Miami Dolphins:  Ryan Tannehill, Welcome to the Deep End!  An awful off season for the Dolphins has seen them lose top players, fail to land top players and generally look like a bunch of amateurs on Hard Knocks.  Defense is OK, but anything more than four wins would be a major surprise.

New England Patriots:  As per the last ten plus seasons, expect them to be challenges.  Brady is still class and can anybody stop the two headed Tight End beast? Still question marks of Defense, but if they can put up thirty plus points every week then it shouldn't be a problem. Divisional Champs.

New York Jets:  Roll up for the comedy highlight of 2012, as the Jets attempt to break the single season records for most interceptions thrown.  Actually I think the Jets will be okay - the Defense is mainly solid and Sanchez and co can put up enough points to squeak by a few teams.

Winners: New England Patriots


AFC North

Baltimore Ravens:  Expect the Defense to be as tight as usual, even without Suggs.  The big question is whether Joe Flacco can take a team all the way.  Last season's Championship game suggested he could, if he can kick on then this team could go all that way. Billy Cundiff is gone!

Cleveland Browns:  Rubbish! Oh shit, I've still got forty nine words left. Trent Richardson (when fit) will at least give them one interesting player.  Brandon Weedon is decent, but drafting a twenty eight year old seems somewhat desperate. Reasonable defense, but will need to work miracles to give the offence a chance.

Cincinnati Bengals:  This has second year slump written all over it.  Andy Dalton exceeded all expectations last season, but began to fade towards the end.  AJ Green is class, but will get heavily marked. Not helped by a tough schedule, they need to get the job down against their two main rivals.

Pittsburgh Steelers:  Perennial contenders, but this is an ageing team in a strong Division.  Big Ben will still put up good numbers and Mike Wallace is a great addition following his hold out. Personally, I hope they fail miserably as I have an irrational hatred of them.  Mainly due to the towels!

Winners:  Baltimore Ravens


AFC South

Houston Texans:  The South is there for the taking. The Texans strolled it last season and should do so again.  They have lost a few Defensive players, but on offence a fit again Matt Schaub will make a welcome return.  Should make the Post Season, and if everyone stays fit, who knows?

Indianapolis Colts:  From last to...err maybe 31st.  This is year one of a long term project.  Andrew Luck is going to be a star for years to come.  However, the existing pieces are faded, ageing or hopeless.  They lost their 8 roads games by an average of 18 points last term.

Tennessee Titans:  The NFL's Average Joes and this could be more of the same.  Expect them to win seven to nine games and just miss the play offs.  If they are to kick on, then Jake Locker and Chris Johnson are key.  Expect them to upset a few contenders, but fall short.

Jacksonville Jaguars:  Good news: MJD is back!  Bad news: So are the rest of them!  The 2011 version of Jones Drew couldn't help the Jags to more than 4 wins.  Gabbert was terrible in his rookie year and Chad Henne may return to NFL action in a few weeks time.

Winners: Houston Texans


AFC West

Denver Broncos: Massive upgrade to Quarterback, Peyton Manning gives them a general to go with the impressive set of young receivers.  Plenty of playmakers in Defence and they won't concede too many.  Keeping Manning fit is the key.  If he plays all seventeen games, then this team can make the play offs.

Kansas City Chiefs:  Plagued by injuries last year, this will feel like a brand new team.  Matt Cassel needs a strong year, but this is primarily a run first team. Underrated defence, expect them to create plenty of turnovers.  Will upset a few teams and could sneak into the post season. Nice logo!

Oakland Raiders:  Quiet off season, largely due to them throwing their eggs in the Carson Palmer basket last term.  Signs are that the gamble won't pay off and they could be the stragglers in this even looking Division.  Only franchise who's most interesting players are the Special Teamers! Won't make play offs!

San Diego Chargers:  Divisional favourites for the last few seasons, but they don't look as strong now.  Philip Rivers needs a bounceback season after an error strewn 2011.  Upgrades in Defence should ease the pressure on him. A lot rests on Ryan Matthews, mainly because he's in my British Eagles fantasy team!  Average.

Winners:  Kansas City Chiefs

AFC Wild Cards: Pittsburgh and Buffalo 


NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: Carr and Claribone could become the best CB tandem in the NFL, throw in Ware and you've got a formidable Defence.  But can Romo win the big games?  He looks class 90% of the time but when the going gets tough he falls apart. That needs to change this season.

New York Giants:  Big target on their backs.  Very tough for teams to win back to back SuperBowls.  Eli Manning is as clutch as they come and has 2 elite receivers to throw to.  The Defence is average, but often does just enough to give the Offence a chance to win.  Tough Schedule.

Philadelphia Eagles:  Great on paper, but dross on grass in 2011.  Have strengthened in defence, as well as acquiring a new fan.  If Vick stays healthy they could go all the way, but it's a big if.  Make or break year for Andy Reid, fail again and he will probably be gone.

Washington Redskins:  A lot rests on the shoulders of RGIII.  Expect Shanahan to confuse everyone with his tactics, the starting RB will change on a weekly basis.. Going to be tough to make the Play Offs in an always tricky Division.  New running back Alfred Morris sounds like a Sherlock Holmes villain.

Winners:  Philadelphia Eagles



NFC North

Chicago Bears:  Cutler, Forte, Marshall represents an impressive Offensive trio.  They were well set for the Post Season until injuries to the first 2 scuppered their Play Off dreams.  Mike Martz is gone, so Cutler may get a few less bruises.  Defence looks very strong, if a little old. Outside Title bet.

Green Bay Packers:  Will be there or thereabouts. Rodgers is outstanding and has some fine receivers to throw to. The Defence is less impressive and will concede plenty of points.  Expect lots of shoot outs with the Packers prevailing in the majority. Probably the leading team in the NFC at present. Superbowl contenders.

Detroit Lions:  If they can eliminate the poor discipline then this team could be dangerous.  Stafford is improving every year, Calvin Johnson is unplayable and there are plenty of decent support acts. Would be considered favourites in a few other Divisions, they may have to settle for 3rd in this one.

Minnesota Vikings:  The odd team out in an otherwise strong Division, even a fully fit Peterson won't help them make the Play Offs.  Important season for Ponder as he looks to show he can be a franchise Quarterback.  Jared Allen will keep getting sacks, but it won't be enough.  4 wins only.

Winners:  Chicago Bears


NFC South

New Orleans Saints:  A few minor off season issues! If this team can overcome everything that has happened this year, then fair play to them.  They still have Drew Brees plus great receivers, and that will always give them a chance.  They will score plenty of points, but the Defence may concede more!

Atlanta Falcons:  As usual, they will be good, but not great.  Matt Ryan will be good, but not great. The Defence will be good, but not great and...you get the idea.  Four "one and done" years in a row and it's very possible it will number five. Ten and six record.

Carolina Panthers:  Dark horses for the Play Offs if Can Newton can follow up his absurdly good rookie season. Luke Kuehly and Jon Beeson will help a Defence that shipped far too many points last season.  Sure to be fun to watch, but I think they will just miss out.  Eight wins.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  Arguable the worst team in the league during the 2nd half of 2011.  Massive disappointment after a strong 2010.  Josh Freeman needs a strong start after badly regressing last term. This team is still young, but it remains to be seen if they are still hungry for success
Winners: Atlanta Falcons



NFC West

St Louis Rams:  Wembley bound, where they will thrashed by the Pats.  But all is not lost for the Rams.  Sam Bradford is a decent QB and should rebound after an injury plagued 2011.  Danny Amendola is also back after his "College Rock" appearance on the BBC's SuperBowl coverage. Could surprise a few.

San Francisco 49ers:  Tough act to follow after being a couple of muffed punts away from the SuperBowl.  Expect the Defence to remain strong, but the key is how well Alex Smith links up with his new receivers.  Vernon Davis is always a good fall back option though! I Hate David Akers celebration!

Arizona Cardinals:  John Skelton has the QB job....for a couple of weeks at least!  He can be fun to watch and clutch, but can also be terrible.  At least, there's Larry Fitzgerald.  The Defence are average, and even in a weak Division I can't see the Cardinals making the post season.

Seattle Seahawks:  Russell Wilson was Mr PreSeason.  Unfortunately, that's a made up title and will count for very little in the Regular Season.  They need Lynch to repeat his 2011 Beast form.  Defence looks great and they could bloody a few noses, but can see them just missing out. Awful new uniform.

Winners:  San Francisco 49ers

NFC Wild Cards:  Green Bay and New Orleans


As for who's going to win the Superbowl?  Well obviously I'm picking the Eagles, but should they slip up then I'm going to plump for the Chicago Bears to prevail.
Hopefully that was a balanced view of the upcoming season.  No doubt, you'll disagree with a lot of my predictions, but that's the beauty of the NFL - everyone will think differently and hardly anyone will get everything right.

We're getting ever closer to the start of the season and my first campaign as an Eagles fan.  But before that, Ill be back to carry on my "30 Things to Do", as I report on my experiences of watching the Eagles final Preseason game, plus how I got on with my British Eagles Fantasy Draft (Clue - Not good at QB!)