Who are the top 5 QBs in the NFL?

As we begin to build up to the 2013 NFL season every team is being ranked and evaluated. So, in the light of all this, I have decided to do my every own view on the best quarterbacks in the NFL due to the increased emphasis upon the passing game to be successful in the past few years. These 5 players I have chosen are the best of the best, not only athletically gifted with all the necessary attributes (Strong arm, superb accuracy, quick feet and maneuverability in the pocket and so on) they are also field generals that can out think opposing defenses and use their mind to win games as well. These players are indispensable and without them their respective teams would be left floundering and helpless, as we saw the Indianapolis Colts were when they were left without Peyton Manning. In this post I will discuss why these top quarterbacks are so invaluable to their teams and what their future looks like.

1. Aaron Rodgers
For most people this is an obvious choice, Rodgers is an exceptional quarterback who possesses all the exceptional skills that are needed to be a successful quarterback in the NFL, he has a cannon of an arm, pin point precision, brilliant footwork, excellent poise in the pocket and can even run down field if he needs to. Not only does he posses all of the physical abilities but he also has the mental talents required, he can read defenses exceptionally well and can take advantage of the slightest weakness that he finds prior to the snap. He has proven time and again since he took over the starting job from the legendary Brett Favre in 2008, that he was a more than capable replacement and in my opinion an upgrade from the ageing Favre. He cemented his place in the hearts of Packer fans when he claimed a Superbowl title in 2011 when he led his Green Bay team to a 31-25 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Cowboys stadium. This remains Rodgers only trip to the Superbowl, but there is no doubt that if his defense can stay healthy he will make more appearances on one of the greatest stages in the world.

Rodgers has been hampered slightly in previous years by the inability of his defense to stay relatively healthy throughout the course of the season, the continued non existence of a running game and most recently the departure of a veteran wider receiver, Greg Jennings to divisional rivals Minnesota. However none of these troubles have managed to hamper his career as an individual, he has managed to work with the receivers that he has and this year may be his best if Randall Cobb can emerge as a premier slot receiver and work effectively alongside Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Jermichael Finley. If all everything falls into place during the 2013 season, Rodgers will again lead his team to the playoffs, his big test will come against the 49ers or the Seahawks if they meet in the playoffs as these are the two biggest contenders from the NFC to reach the Superbowl. So to just round it all up, Rodgers is in a class of his own, he is, and will be, for the foreseeable future at the top of the class.

2. Tom Brady
Over the past decade Brady has been arguably the most consistent quarterback in the NFL, he has been producing at the top of his game since 2001 and is showing no signs to suggest he is slowing down. The only concern that there may be is his age, at 35 he is no younger in the prime of his youth, but there is no reason that he shouldn't be the leader of the Patriots passing attack for the next 4 to 5 years at least. Brady is an exceptional quarterback, he excels at picking apart defenses and constantly takes advantage of the slightest miscues that he sees. His footwork and presence in the pocket is sensational, he has a brilliant arm that is capable of making any throw and is an extremely cerebral quarterback who is always testing defenses with his calls, shifts and audibles. There will always be the argument that Brady is a product of the system that Bill Belichick has created in New England, although it seems that this is much more evident to players who are brought into the system and can help to make an immediate impact. Brady helps to orchestrate Belichick's system on the field and is for all intents and purposes a second coach on the field. Brady showed us last year that he is still performing superbly on the field and shows no signs of slowing down, posting 4,827 yards through the air, 34 touchdowns and only 8 picks, this all amounted to a quarterback rating of 98.7. This is a solid rating for a quarterback who is 35 years of age and indicates that Brady has many great years left to come.

3. Drew Brees
Drew Brees without a doubt has to be ranked in the elite tier quarterbacks in the NFL, he has a slightly weaker arm than the others ranked in the top 5 (All this means is that he shouldn't break his receivers fingers if they don't catch it properly, "shouldn't" being the word to focus on here) but can still make all the required throws, he is extremely accurate and can place the ball into tiny windows for his receivers to make plays. Another trait that makes him one of the most valuable players not only at the quarterback position but also in the entire league is his pocket presence, Brees glides around in the pocket with flawless footwork and is rarely sacked because he has held the ball for too long, this mean that the Saints are one of the most deadly passing teams in football,when this is combined with his exceptional ability to read opposing defenses then he become one of the most feared quarterbacks in the league.

 Brees has also managed to beg himself a Super Bowl ring when he led the New Orleans Saints past the Indianapolis Colts at the culmination of the 2009 season in Miami, Brees managed to steer them past the Peyton Manning led Colts for a 31-17 victory. Although it can be argued that the game turned in the Saints favour when they managed to recover a surprise onside kick at the beginning of the second half, there is no doubt the Brees was a major contributing factor to their success. This was definitely showcased by earning the MVP award, he amassed 288 yards, completing 32 of 39 passes as well as adding 2 touchdowns. This showcases his brilliant ability to perform in pressure situations, although this has been his only trip to a Super Bowl so far, there is no doubt that he will have a good few runs at it again before he decides to throw the towel in. Brees had another outstanding season in 2012, he posted a brilliant 5177 yards through the air, which led the entire league as well as being the only quarterback to make it over 5000 yards, 43 touchdowns and a 96.3 rating, although he did throw a rather high number of interceptions by the end of the season, 19, this can easily be attributed to the fact that he was throwing the ball more than anyone else. All in all, there is no doubt that Brees is among the most elite play callers in this current era.

4. Peyton Manning 

After Peyton sustained his neck injury during his time with the Indianapolis Colts many people thought he would never be able to re-establish the lofty heights that he had been playing at before the injury. We followed his recovery progress and all knew how he had to basically teach himself how to throw again and then came the flood of stories about how his arm strength was diminished and he didn't let other people see him throw because he was embarrassed. However this legend of the game who will be enshrined in Canton forever when he decides to set down his shoulder pads for the last time was absolutely superb last year, he showed fans that although his injury had set him back he had worked to get back to the level he was used to playing at and that fans expected to see. Last year he threw for 4,659 yards, 37 scores and only 11 picks, if we look at these statistics and compare them to his last year with the \colts we can see just how hard he worked, he actually performed better in Denver in 2012 than in 2010 before he was injured. He showed that his arm strength had only diminished slightly and that in due time it would return to its normal consistency. He still seems to have a little difficulty in making the ball rotate as it used to but he has no problem in delivering the rock on time and on target to his multitude of receivers. 

There is an argument that Manning is the most cerebral quarterback in the history of the game, he can see what the defense is going to do at the line of scrimmage and can adjust the play called to increase how successful that certain play is, this is a sign of an exceptional quarterback, a good quarterback can make throws depending on what he sees after the ball is snapped and he has diagnosed what the defense is doing, the best quarterbacks in the game know the exact throw they are going to make and where before the ball has even reached their hands. Manning is one of the few who does this, his patient attitude and persistence to understand defensive schemes has allowed him over the years to pick apart defenses with ease and claim 4 MVP trophies and a single super bowl ring (yes we do know that Eli technically has won more, but he still isn't on the same level as his big brother). 

He is now pushing for his second championship, this time with Denver, he has all the tolls this year for success with the addition of Wes Welker it seems as though he is going to be unstoppable offensively as long as Von Miller and his teammates can at the least stymie offenses (Expect Von to be putting pressure on the quarterback on every other play and causing havoc in the opponents backfield) then Manning is going to cruise into the playoffs (anyone thinking a possible 16-0 season going here?). He as great pocket presence and his leadership and experience has really allowed the Broncos young receivers to flourish, especially Eric Decker and Demaryuis Thomas, with the addition of one of the best wideouts in the league from New England there is no doubt that they could eventually in a year or two become the best receiving core in the league. Whatever happens after last year where their season was ended by the Baltimore Ravens in the miracle at mile high expect Manning and his team to be pushing even harder to make it to Met Life Stadium in February. 

5. Joe Flacco

Fresh off his Super Bowl MVP season and signing a contract that made him one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the game, its difficult to argue that Joe shouldn't be sitting at the number 5 spot. Although there was contention for this spot from the likes of Eli Manning, Matt Ryan and any of the stellar rookie quarterbacks from last season Joe has prove that he stands above them with his first career Superbowl ring. Although many critics can argue that the clutch play of Anquan Boldin in particular was a huge factor in making sure that the Raven stayed in the playoffs there can be no doubt that a large number of these plays were possible because of Flacco's impressive array of skills as a quarterback. The success of the Ravens season was clearly helped by the return of Ray Lewis for the playoffs the continual brilliance of Ed Reed and the defense and the presence that Ray Rice holds in multiple areas of the offense. However last season we saw Flacco blossom into on of the top quarterbacks in the NFL he performed much better in clutch situations, for example the incredible touchdown to Jacoby Jones in the "Mile High Miracle" where Flacco threw for 331 yards and 3 touchdowns. Many commented as this being the game in which Joe grew up and took control of the team for good as the whole organisation knew that this was going to be the last ride for Ray Lewis and they needed another player to step up and assume the mantle of leader. Flacco then went on to subsequently beat the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium where they had fallen last year to some crucial errors. 

With the emergence of tight end Dennis Pitta and Wide out Torrey Smith we should expect to see Flacco continue his stellar play next year. The loss of Boldin may hurt their offense at the start of the season but as Flacco gets more comfortable with his new core of relievers his production will increase. His time has come, with the loss of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis Flacco stands as their star player, it is on his shoulders to steer the team and lead when the going gets rough. If Flacco continues his stellar play from the 2012 playoffs we should expect to see the Baltimore Ravens yet again claim their division and push for a possible repeat. Flacco possesses all of the attributes that are required to be a successful quarterback in the NFL, he has arguably the best deep ball in football and has good accuracy. His footwork, mechanics and pocket presence are all extremely good. As long as he maintains these skills and continues to develop there is no reason why he shouldn't become an even more successful quarterback than he is now, of course he will be helped tremendously if Ray Rice can continue to be a dual threat running back and force defenses to account for him. This should give Flacco more time to throw to his young recievers and build a successful relationship with them. Overall expect Flacco to continue developing and being successful in the years to come. 

How much does the addition of Reggie Bush benefit the Detroit Lions?

The Detroit Lions, in recent years, have been one of the most prolific passing attacks in the whole of the NFL. However, they have been seriously hampered by their inability to run the ball. They seemed to be set to have a moderately effective running game when they drafted the dynamic Jahvid Best with the 30th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Unfortunately, a number of concussions have set Best back dramatically and have led many to question whether he will ever play another down of football. In a blockbuster move they managed to acquire the services of former Dolphins and Saints running back, the electric Reggie Bush. This was a vital move for the Lions, as it has managed to provide them with something that resembles a solid running game, which in turn should benefit the offense greatly as it will remove defensive focus from their superstar wide receiver, Calvin Johnson. Hopefully, this will allow Matt Stafford to utilise his record setting wide receiver to an even greater extent and ensure that he gets more touches.

Reggie Bush adds a number of important things to the Lions offense, speed, the ability to run the ball outside the tackles, and a dangerous threat in the passing game. His speed is so important because it allows him to escape and bounce run plays to the outside. In recent years in Detroit, there has been a serious lack of this capability, most recently with the trio of running backs that they used last year (Mikel Leshoure, Kevin Smith, and Joique Bell). All of these backs work inside the offensive tackles, running into the heart of the defense and picking up hard yards on every carry. Bell showed the most promise, coming along nicely towards the end of the season, and even managing to show a few promising flashes. This was most evident when he broke off a 67 yard dash against the Colts, an outstanding run that was ultimately the longest of the season for the Lions, showcasing his ability to read defenders, make people miss, and, most importantly, show that he does have breakaway speed. Another interesting statistic that should be noted is that Bell was the only back in Detroit to even post a carry over 20 yards - Smith made it to 19 and Leshoure to 16. These numbers just help to highlight the inability of the Detroit running game to pick up large chunks of yardage. If Bush can show that he is capable of carrying the majority of the load then we should expect to see Bell sharing the rest of the carries. The only worry that may arise from this situation are questions about Bush staying healthy for the entire season. Even with the recent encouragement of the past two seasons, where he played all but a single game, he has spent previous years seriously hampered by nagging injuries.

Another factor that Bush adds to the Lions offense is his threat in the passing game and his ability to make plays on special teams. There have been countless occasions in the NFL when a huge special teams play has helped to turn a game around or increase a lead (the most recent being the huge kickoff return in Superbowl XLVII by Jacoby Jones). Bush had a number of key punt and kick returns during his time with the New Orleans Saints, which ultimately brought him into the national spotlight. If he can be used effectively on special teams in Detroit his reputation as one of best playmakers in the game will continue to grow. Since the start of his career, Bush has had all the tools for success, but until now he hasn't fully capitalised on his opportunities. If he is given the opportunity to return punts and kicks that is a sign that the Lions hope that he can provide some much needed energy for their special teams. Fans can also expect to see Bush's superb catching abilitt in the passing game. Not only does he possess the ability to take a screen pass the distance but he can also line up as a wide receiver if need be, which gives the Lions multiple options when they are deciding how best to use his unique talents to threaten opposing defenses.

Another component is the rotation of defensive coverage away from the Lions superstar Calvin Johnson with the addition of Reggie Bush. After his record-breaking season, Calvin Johnson will undoubtedly receive even more defensive attention than ever before. If the Lions want to continue to use him as effectively as possible, they need to find formations and plays that utilise Bush while also giving Johnson the potential for big plays. This will force defensive coordinators to rotate some of their coverage to stop Bush from a big play, however, when they do this it will open up the field for Johnson and allow him to be much more effective. As long as they can find some way of ensuring that the aptly nicknamed "Megatron" can stay as equally prolific as he was last year then the Lions should expect to improve upon their disappointing record of 4-12 in 2012. They may even push for a playoff spot, but with the Packers at the forefront of the NFC North, they will have a tough fight to clinch a wild card spot in the post season.

The Lions have to make sure that they use Bush effectively, or they will continue to struggle and fall below their expectations. On the flip side, their defense is an entirely different matter that can be explored in another post. If Bush can stay healthy for the entire season, and Calvin Johnson maintains his prolific form, then there is no reason why they shouldn't make the playoffs.

With the continued recovery of RG3 are Washington the favourites to claim the NFC East crown?

In this latest post, I will be looking at the probability of the Redskin's being able to sit atop the NFC East at the end of the season if RG3 makes a complete recovery from his torn ACL. The Skin's have a lot of factors that are in the favour going into the 2013 season, apart from the injury to their star quarterback, they seem to be relatively healthy and have a few stars who are returning to the lineup after season ending injuries, mainly Brain Orakpo and Pierre Garcon. With the return of these players they should expect to be even stronger than last season when they managed to make the playoffs by winning the NFC East.

The emergence of rookie running back Alfred Morris last season is easily one of the key factors to their success in 2013, Morris posted a jaw dropping stat line, 335 carries, 1613 yards, yards per carry of 4.8 and 13 touchdowns. For a rookie who was taken in the 6th round these stats were unprecedented, he showed that he was not only a power back capable of bowling over defenders, but that he was also surprisingly nimble and could get around defenders.The dual threat this poses to defenses around the league make him one of the up and coming backs in the NFL. However his threat is greatly increased when he is utilised alongside Robert Griffin in the pistol sets used by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan as well as the read option. This allows Washington to use their young back as effectively as possible in tandem with RG3 to create gaps in the defense that are always opportunities for either player to pick up big yards. His contribution to the team became more evident as the season progressed and RG3 ended up being hampered by his knee injury, this meant that the Redskin's offense relied more heavily on Morris to gain yards on the ground through conventional formations as well as the pistol and not through the read option. The game in which this was most apparent was the NFC East showdown against the Dallas Cowboy's in week 17. Morris performed superbly in the clutch rushing for 200 yards and 3 touchdowns to help the Skin's claim the NFC East crown and a playoff spot. This performance capped off an incredible season for the rookie, who will undoubtedly have an even better season in 2013 with the return of a healthy RG3.

The next big issue for Washington is the return of outstanding pass rushing linebacker, Brian Orakpo. If he can return to the level of performance that he has shown himself capable of (managing to rack up 28.5 sacks in his first three seasons) prior to a torn left pectoral in week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles that abruptly ended his 2012 campaign. When he is at full health Orakpo is an outstanding outside linebacker who can provide pressure on the quarterback from the edge as well as being effective at stopping the run game. He is most effective when Ryan Kerrigan is on the other side, Kerrigan has racked up 16 sacks in his first 2 seasons and managed to cope effectively even when Orakpo was absent. With the return of his partner in crime Kerrigan should expect to see some of the protection shifted away and be able to experience even greater success. Orakpo will obviously see a myriad of shifts and blocking schemes to confuse him, if he can overcome all of this then he should be expecting a Pro Bowl place at the end of the year. With his return Washington should expect to see their defense to perform even better than they have in previous years and this will all contribute to their record at the end of the year.

Another couple of players who are returning this year after injuries that hampered their effectiveness in 2012 are Fred Davis and Pierre Garcon. These two players are the favourite and most reliable targets that RG3 possesses in Washington. Garcon only managed to play 10 games in the regular season and was hampered by a nagging shoulder injury, although he still managed to snag 44 receptions for 633 yards and 4 touchdowns, this was a disappointing season for the free agency acquisition from Indianapolis (34 year old Santana Moss got twice as many touchdown catches with 8) who many fans flagged to be the star receiver for their rookie quarterback. Fred Davis is also making a return to the lineup after suffering a ruptured achilles tendon in week 7 against the Giants, he had a dismal year only managing to amass 24 catches and 325 yards. Although the Redskin's managed to find a suitable replacement in Logan Paulsen they missed the vertical threat Davis provided. With his return RG3 will have an even greater number of assets with which he can stretch the field, as well as an able blocker in the run game. Garcon and Davis provide some veteran experience to a relatively young offense and will help to be leaders for the younger players, they will help RG3 to mature on and off the field.

A final reason that will determine the success of Washington is whether or not their veteran middle linebacker London Fletcher will return next season to anchor the middle of their defense, he provides a steady hand at the tiller and with his 16 years of experience he provides veteran leadership that will be extremely hard to find if he does decide to hang up his cleats. He has played at an exceptional level for his entire career and since 2007 has been a Redskin, for those 6 years he has never fallen below 100 tackles and has started every single game in his time in Washington. Although he has accomplished all of this Fletcher has only ever been named a pro bowl alternate and only eventually attended the game in Hawaii in 2010 due to the absence of  Jonathan Vilma. This leads to some speculation as to whether he is truly appreciated, all I can say is Washington will suffer a huge setback to their attempts to win the NFC East if Fletcher does indeed retire.

To conclude this post about the team that I support all I have to say is that the key problem that the Skins need to address is the health of RG3 if he comes back and plays at the same level that we saw for the majority of the 2012 season then there is no reason why they shouldn't yet again claim the NFC East title as their own. However if they lose veteran linebacker London Fletcher then they will find it difficult to maintain the same consistency on defense that they have had for the past 6 years. So to just round off this post, go Skins!

Why the Atlanta Falcon's are poised to make another playoff run in 2013

In this blog I will be looking at the chances of Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcon's chances in making an even deeper playoff run than they did last year where they were eventually stymied by San Francisco. With the continued development of Ryan and his impressive wide receiving partnership of Roddy White and Julio Jones the Falcon's seem set to return to the playoffs a second year in a row. There are a number of reasons why I think that they will manage to do this even though some may argue that with the departure of Micheal "Burner" Turner they are even weaker.

However I believe that the departure of Michael Turner has in some way strengthened the Falcon's offensive versatility, they will be able to incorporate the electric Jacquizz Rodgers into their passing game alongside Jones and White. Rodgers adds an element that Turner was unable to bring, he adds a change of pace and an elusiveness that brings a completely different dimension to their offense. This replacement should speed up an offense that tended to become rather stagnant when they relied on Turner to move the ball on the ground, this is a key concern for a team that was 29th in rushing in 2012 with a meager 87.3 yards per game on the ground. We did however start to see Rodgers getting more touches on the ground and in the air, he managed to compile 94 touches on the ground and an impressive 53 receptions, this is a large increase to his rookie season where he only managed to get 57 touches on the ground and 21 receptions. This already indicates to us that his potential had been realised and therefore a concerted effort was made get him the ball, whether this was on the ground or in the air. I think that therefore, we shall see a significant increase in his production next year, as he will be given an even greater number of touches and will hopefully be able to return the Falcon's running attack to the glory of only a few season's ago, when Turner was relatively near his prime and easily clearing 1000 yards.

Now to the next big issue for the Falcon's, Tony Gonzalez, this tight end who is undoubtedly going to be enshrined in Canton Ohio in the Hall of Fame is still apparently undecided as to whether or not he will return next year. Although he seemingly decided at the end of the Falcon's playoff run that it was time to step away from the game, however in the recent months it seems that Gonzalez has had time to think about this decision and is unsure whether he will actually stand by it. This has led to most people assuming that Gonzalez will eventually decide to return to the Falcon's for one more season, if so then Ryan will have one more chance to try and help earn one of the greatest tight end's to ever take the field a Super Bowl ring. Questions will undoubtedly arise however about his health and whether he can stay fit, though many people will point to his continued health throughout his 15 year career, thought there has been an obvious decline in his production due to his age he is still a major touchdown threat in the redzone due to the phenomenal hands and body control that he possesses. This means that he is still a viable threat to score and will be able to take some of the pressure off Julio Jones and Roddy White when the Falcon's are trying to punch in those vital scores in big games. Whatever decision he makes it will definitely impact the Falcon's chances next year as they try to make another playoff run, he provides veteran leadership and skill to a team that otherwise lacks leaders on either side of the ball.

The next most important factor for the Falcon's in establishing themselves as a constant threat to reach the playoffs is there dominating wide receiving duo of Julio Jones and Roddy White. This pair can stake a claim to be the most feared duo in the NFL because of their size, speed and catching ability, all of these attributes that they hold helps to threaten defenses in a multitude of ways that ranges from passes down the field to short passes across the middle that when caught in stride can gain huge amounts of yards. This gives Matt Ryan a various number of ways in which he can beat a defense and helps to increase the threat that the Falcon's offense poses. With this the Falcon's should be able to move the ball effectively in the air, Jones seems to be poised to continue to keep improving at a tremendous rate, and this should help to draw some coverage away from Roddy White which he will surely face because of his outstanding year in 2012 (92 receptions, 1351 yards and 7 touchdowns). Jones will have to play a much more prominent role on the offense of Gonzalez does retire, he did show that he will be able to do this by improving his catches by 25 (from 54 in his rookie year to 79), however he will need to improve again if the Falcon's hope to return to the playoffs for the second year in a row. However at the tender age of 24 we can easily expect to see Julio Jones improve throughout the next few years and emerge as one of the best receivers in the NFL. Roddy White is continuing to produce incredible numbers and I expect him to for at least 3 to 4 years until age starts to slow him down and force him to become more of a possession receiver. All in all the wide receiving group for Atlanta looks set to be one of the very best for the foreseeable future.

The only other concern and one that I believe is relatively minor is the continued high performance of Matt Ryan, he needs to be able to consistently put up the numbers that he managed to post in the 2012 season, he managed to post 4,719 yards through the air and compiled an impressive 32 touchdowns. This paired with his first ever trip to the postseason has helped to finally silence some of the doubters that have been present in the past few seasons, with all of this pressure finally removed from Ryan's shoulders he should be able to play as he wishes without fear of any criticism. I have the personal opinion that all of the criticism that he has had, has been slightly undeserved, I thought he was eventually going to lead his team to the postseason and then win a game. I was finally proven right last year when he managed to engineer his team to a win against Seattle in the Georgia Dome. This showed us that Ryan does have the poise and leadership required to win in the playoffs, and will undoubtedly go on to win more in the future.

All of these factors that I have discussed in this brief blog manage to show how and why I believe the Atlanta Falcon's are poised to make a playoff run in 2013, as long as they can keep all of these under control then there is no doubt that they will  repeat their performance of last year. This should help to quell any criticism that may arise of Ryan and the Falcon's performances in the ensuing years.

Why the two games between the 49ers and Seahawks are going to be the two best games of the season

This year the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks will face off twice in heated divisional clashes. These two games promise to give viewers a preview to what many analysts believe may be the NFC championship game in January. Both teams had great seasons last year, with the 49ers losing narrowly to the Baltimore Ravens in the Superbowl, and the Seahawks being overcome by the Atlanta Falcons just weeks prior. Both of these teams have showed a huge improvement from just a few years ago, when many said that not only were they part of the worst division in football, but that maybe they shouldn't be participating in the playoffs at all, because they were so paltry. Since then, there has been a dramatic turn around in both of their fortunes.

For the 49ers, the turnaround came when they decided to turn to their young quarterback, Colin Kaepernick, to lead their dismal offense. This upgraded them from a conservative west-coast offense that relied heavily on Frank Gore and check-downs, to one that now boasts on option run attack and a quarterback who can make all the short throws as well as being able to push the ball further down the field, which was something they lacked with the below average arm strength of Alex Smith.

Another factor that improved their offensive threat was the continued emergence of Michael Crabtree, who posted over 1,000 receiving yards for the first time in his 4 year career, as well as hauling in a career-best 9 touchdowns. The dramatic rise of Crabtree was, in part, orchestrated by the promotion of Colin Kaepernick, which suddenly gave the 49ers extensive room to move the ball vertically. This change forced Crabtree into becoming a greater part of the passing attack and took some of the workload off veteran tight-end, Vernon Davis. This amount of player depth allowed Kaepernick to not only have two premier targets in the passing game, but also threaten defenses with his ability to take off and run with the ball when the play broke down.

When you pair this with one of the most dominant defensive units in the league you have a team that can utterly dominate their opponents. Their defense boasts the frightening linebacking group of Patrick Willis, Navarro Bowman, Aldon Smith, and Ahmad Brooks. This fearsome group is arguably the best in the NFL, not only can they put a stop to the run game but they also have the flexibility to play extensively in nickel packages and stay on the field for three downs. Not to mention that Aldon Smith is one of the emerging pass rushers in the NFL, consistently applying tremendous pressure on quarterbacks. All of these factors contributed to San Francisco ranking 4th in yards allowed in rushing at 94.2 per game, and 4th in passing yards allowed per game with 200.2. They also ranked 2nd in the league in points conceded per game, only conceding 17.1. This was backed up even further by the sacks and interceptions they compiled; 38 sacks and 14 picks. With all of this in the same unit you have a truly dominating defense that can take the ball away as well as forcing opposing teams to punt frequently. This gives Kaepernick increased opportunities to run his offense and develop as a player. Next year promises to be a truly outstanding one for the 49ers with all this talent on both sides of the ball.

On the other side of this equation are the Seattle Seahawks, until recently a relatively weak team with a dysfunctional offense and a defense that was mediocre. However, over the past year they have established themselves as one of the powerhouses of the NFC through their excellent defensive performance and efficient offense run by the talented Russell Wilson. Wilson managed to transform their offense into one that boasted multiple threats on the ground and in the air.

The dramatic change to their offensive fortunes was powered by the arrival of Russell Wilson and the continued dominance of running back Marshawn Lynch. Wilson posted exceptional statistics for a rookie, even managing to rival the sensational performances of Andrew Luck and RG3, and actually provided some competition in the rookie of the year vote (claimed by Redskin's standout Robert Griffin III). He did this by posting 3118 yards, 26 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions, an outstanding year for someone who was originally charted to be the back up for Matt Flynn, and, even after claiming the starting job, was heavily criticised for his diminutive stature. This didn't stop him from taking Seattle by storm and leading the Seahawks easily into the playoffs, where they were unfortunately ousted by Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons. Although many said this was a disappointing end to a Cinderella season, they should be extremely happy with how their season played out, and look ahead to improving over the off season to aid their efforts to reach a Superbowl.

Marshawn Lynch had an outstanding year. Running for 1590 yards and 11 touchdowns, he has steadily improved over the past few years in Seattle and managed to establish himself as one of the top 5 running backs in the NFL. As a player he consistently wears down defenses with his brute force and physicality, whilst also possessing the ability to run past them with his deceptive speed (especially for someone of his size). This creates an effective tandem with Russell Wilson when they employ the option offense, as Wilson possesses the speed and agility to get past defenders, while Lynch just bowls right through them. With the addition of Percy Harvin from the Vikings, they have managed to upgrade their receiving core even more and take some of the defensive attention away from their other major threat, Golden Tate. This means that Wilson now has even more potential weapons with which to work with and continue to vertically stretch opposing defenses.

On the defensive side of the ball the Seahawks have possibly the most impressive secondary in the NFL, led by Richard Sherman, Brandon Browner, Kam Chancellor, and Earl Thomas. Sherman and Browner have the ability to shut down any wide receiver in the NFL due to their ability to play one-on-one man coverage. This means that no extra defenders are needed to help defend the receiver, allowing for exotic defensive schemes and blitz packages to be used to create pressure on the quarterback. Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor are arguably one of the best pairings at the safety positions in the NFL. Chancellor roams around the line of scrimmage and provides vital run support with his superb tackling ability. Combined with his impressive hitting power that forces fumbles and creates turnover opportunities, he is a force to be reckoned with. He also possesses the ability to drop back in coverage and defend the deep ball, which adds another aspect to his game and makes him even more versatile. On the other side of the field, Earl Thomas provides the ball-hawking ability from the free safety position. As well as being a proficient tackler, he is the safety that I believe can be most like the iconic Ed Reed. He has all the abilities and just needs to improve his knowledge of how offenses work in order to be able to read the quarterback and anticipate his throws. If he can do this, it should lead to him being able to improve upon his rather underwhelming tally of 3 interceptions in 2012.

However, the undisputed leader of the Seattle Seahawks "Legion of Boom" defense is the controversial Richard Sherman. Best known for his post-game dispute with Patriots star Tom Brady, he has become even more divisive due to his off the field antics. However, he has nevertheless continued to showcase his worth with his exceptional coverage ability. Combined with a knack for reading the quarterback, showcasing this effectively in 2012 with 8 interceptions, he is a force to be reckoned with, even managing to post an impressive number of tackles for a cornerback, 64. If this abrasive superstar can continue this level of performance in 2013 we should expect to see the Seahawks secondary continue to be one of the most feared units in the entire NFL. Another factor that contributed to the Seahawks dominant defense, which coincidentally allowed the least points per game in the regular season (15.3), was that they managed to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks, racking up an impressive 36 sacks. This was mainly due to the solid play of Chris Clemons, who racked up 11.5 sacks, and the impressive rookie year by Bruce Irvin, who contributed a modest total of 8 sacks. An interesting comparison can be made here; when totaled, the sacks of these two players combine for 19.5 sacks, the same number that Aldon Smith tallied in 2012. With this staunch defense leading the way, the Seattle Seahawks should expect to have an even better year, and challenge the 49ers for the NFC West division crown.

With all of these different factors and outstanding players being piled onto the same pitch twice a year fans should see some truly memorable moments. Whether it is Kaepernick being pursued by a ravenous Seahawks defense or Marshawn Lynch bowling through Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman there is much enjoyment to be had for any fans of the sport. All the hype surrounding these two games, as well as the rivalry between the teams, combined with the possibility that they may ultimately decide who clinches the division title and avoids a wildcard game adds up to make these games ones that fans will definitely not want to miss.

Can Adrian Peterson actually reach 2,500 rushing yards in a single season?

In this post I will attempt to answer whether or not Adrian Peterson can live up to his statement claiming that in the 2014 season he will aim to rush for 2,500 yards. These are big words from an athlete who, just a year ago, was recovering from a torn ACL. Even with last years inspirational season in which Peterson only fell 9 yards short of breaking the single season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984 with 2,105 yards. Peterson now aims to obliterate this record by the minimum of 395 yards which seems unthinkable due to the fact that the NFL is become increasingly a league in which the QB creates the most yardage and the athleticism and speed of defenses can now easily shut down the majority of running backs.

Peterson is a physical anomaly, he is the one of the few of a dying breed in the NFL, his dual threat of speed and power repeatedly punishes defenses. Nowadays it is rare to see a back with the kind of talent and physicality that Peterson possesses. It is likely we will never see one like him again, the only current backs in the league that can draw comparisons are Arian Foster of the Texans and Maurice Jones-Drew of the Jaguars. Both of these backs possess similar qualities and also are major pieces in contributing to the success of their respective offenses. This then brings the obvious comparisons between the three players, however Peterson just seems to stand taller than either with his violent running style and the way he consistently punishes defenders attempting to stop him. He is one of a kind, this means that we take his comments seriously because he has the ability and drive to push himself to greater boundaries and maybe even reach his lofty goal.

However Peterson will face some obstacles during the following season. With the departure of Percy Harvin to Seattle the Vikings seemed to be lost in the pass catching department, however they managed to salvage the situation by signing long time Green Bay Packer Greg Jennings. This has allowed them to replace their speedster with a veteran who still remains a legitimate deep threat, a great pair of hands and still can make plays over the middle of the field. Arguably he strengthens the Vikings passing attack because he has the experience and skills to be able to do more on the field than Harvin, however he doesn't appear to possess the big play potential anymore that Harvin brought to Minnesota. Instead he brings constant mid range threat over the middle that will help them to move the ball easier when the box is being stacked to stop Peterson. But it no longer means that defenses will drop their safeties back in order to prevent any deep threats, instead their safeties will be free to roam down near the line of scrimmage the majority of the game and help to stop Peterson. However this will all hinge on whether or not Jennings can establish himself as a deep threat every time that he is on the field, if he can then defenses will still have to account for the deep throw, and consequently give Peterson more room to run.

Also Peterson has to be able to consistently gain big yardage against every team that he faces (he will need to average 156.25 yards per game in order to reach his target) even if they are stacking the box repeatedly, the Vikings need to find some other way to seriously threaten defenses if they are to aid Peterson in his conquest.  They have to re-establish their deep threat with Jennings and ensure that Kyle Rudolph can still remain a consistent threat in the red zone and improve upon the 9 touchdowns he managed to snag last year. If their offensive line can consistently open up holes when the box is stacked we should expect to see Peterson improve upon his yardage total from last year and inch closer to his goal of 2,500 yards. This is because a large amount of Peterson's big plays are made from his own improvisation and talent, if he can run through the holes created for him by his offensive line then he should only be expected to gain more yards. If he can manage to do this then we should expect to see Peterson smash Dickerson's record and power towards the 2,500 mark.

We have now come to the conclusion of this blog, and seem to have shed some light in this statement. Adrian is a supreme physical being who is undoubtedly the only one who has a remote chance at reaching this lofty goal. He does however need to have the support of Christian Ponder and his passing game in order to ensure that defenses aren't constantly stacking the box against him. The continued support of his offensive line is also necessary for him to be able to achieve big gains on the ground consistently if they can manage to open up the required holes. Overall he might be able to achieve this lofty goal if these factors are present throughout the majority of 2014, however he needs to be exceptionally lucky and have a few games in which he rushes close to his single season record of 296 in order to come close to 2,500 yards in a single season.

Recap of the 2013 NFL Draft

So it's finally over, the dust has settled on the NFL draft and the day has passed which will determine so many young athlete's careers for many years to come. In this post I am going to examine some of the surprises of the draft, which teams have spent their picks wisely and those who may have made some blunders. Another small section will be devoted to my favourite players in the draft and where they landed.

The two most intriguing picks in my eyes in the whole process was undoubtedly the Jets drafting Geno Smith and the Eagles selecting Matt Barkley. Let's examine the selection of Geno Smith from a team who has already failed to cope with one quarterback controversy and is now adding a rookie to the mix with Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. Geno brings an outstanding career at West Virginia to a close and joins a team that desperately needs someone to take the helm of the offense and lead it back to the playoffs. Smith finished with an outstanding completion percentage of 71.8% in his senior year. setting records for yardage, touchdowns and completions: this is the kind of quarterback that the Jets need with the current lack of offensive playmakers. However, with the continual support for the dismal Mark Sanchez, it seems that something dramatic will have to happen for Geno Smith to be given the reins. However, with patience running thin in New York with Rex Ryan I believe that this opportunity will come sooner rather than later and Geno needs to be prepared to take full advantage.

The other puzzling decision was the Eagles' decision to add another quarterback to a team that already has both Michael Vick and Nick Foles. Although it is clear after last year that Vick is slowly on the decline, we did manage to get a glimpse of Nick Foles and it seemed as though he was perfectly capable of managing an offense that at the time was without LeSean Mcoy who is undoubtedly one of the premier backs in the league. Matt Barkley is a quite confusing figure in my eyes as he was projected to be one of the top picks in the 2012 NFL draft but instead decided to stay at USC for his senior year. Whether this shows an admirable dedication to his academic studies or that he feared that he wouldn't get drafted that high because of the presence of Andrew Luck and RG3, we will never know. However I think that we can safely say that this decision has backfired so far as he was picked 98th overall which is significantly lower than his projection for last year. This can be attributed to the fact that although Barkley had a decent Senior year at USC it wasn't comparable to the exceptional performance of the previous year when he threw 39 touchdowns and only 7 picks.He ended up throwing less touchdowns in 2012 at 36 and more than twice as many interceptions at 15. This decrease in production meant that there was an increase in the amount of criticism and doubters that plagued Barkley at the end of the year: the fact that Barkley had sustained a shoulder injury no doubt added to the doubters. This has all helped to make this decision extremely puzzling as Barkley is the accurate, slightly weaker-armed quarterback who will be third in the rotation in Philly. The only reason that I can come up with for drafting Barkley is that they believe he could eventually lead the Philly offense or he might be a decent backup for Foles when Vick eventually throws the towel in. Whatever happens it comes across as a quite puzzling decision and raises the question whether they are confident that Foles can handle the starting job.

Now to some of my favourite selections of the draft. Easily the most promising prospect in my eyes was Notre Dame TE Tyler Eifert who has all the physical talent and mental intangibles to experience sensational success. Most people thought Eifert was a potential late round first pick or even an early second rounder. I was happy to see that they were proved wrong and that he was drafted with the 21st overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals, hopefully creating a partnership with the already impressive Jermaine Gresham in order to increase the offensive firepower of the Bengals and give Andy Dalton a better chance to finally claim a playoff win.

Another great pick in the draft and much more expected to occur was the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting Jarvis Jones, the outside linebacker from Georgia, to replace James Harrison who ironically enough joined the Bengals in the offseason. At 6 feet 2 inches and 245 pounds he is a physical specimen at the OLB position with the explosiveness and physical talent to be a threat immediately in the gold and black, who are well known for their fearsome pass rush in previous years, which has become slightly stagnant due to age and injuries. Hopefully Steelers fans will be able to experience another year where the defense dominates opposing teams and contributes to returning them to the playoffs.

Tavon Austin was one of my other favourite players entering the draft and I was glad that he was picked at number eight by the St Louis Rams. However, the only concern that I have for Tavon is that, although he instantly upgrades the threat of the Rams on the offensive side of the ball, they have downgraded their threat in the run game with the departure of Steven Jackson and this should make it significantly harder for an already sputtering offense. However we should hopefully see some electric plays from this young speedster that will improve the Rams passing attack dramatically and maybe even make them competitive again. This all lies on the shoulders of Sam Bradford and with his ability to utilise his weapons to maximum effectiveness or else the Rams will still lie at the bottom of the NFC west for a while due to the strength of the 49ers and Seahawks.

Manti Teo was my other big pick of the draft as I believe that he can go on to have a stellar career despite the scandals that plagued him prior to the draft. He was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the 38th overall pick and will slot straight into a 3-4 defense that has not had a leader at that position since the late Junior Seau. He will attempt to help a defense that was 6th in the league in rushing yards given up over the entire season at 1,542 and 3,681 in the air which stood at 18th overall. He should help to boost a defense that is already strong and maybe provide Philip Rivers with an opportunity to steer them back to the playoffs even with the presence of the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos, who are going to be an offensive juggernaut with the addition of Wes Welker alongside the imposing physical specimen of Demaryius Thomas. With the addition of Teo they might be able to contain the Broncos during their two meetings in the regular season and definitely against their other opponents. The Bolts could see a resurgence with the presence of a defensive leader in the locker room alongside 2011 pro bowler Eric Weddle and new coach Mike Mcoy collaborating with Rivers. This is why I picked Teo as one of my favourite players in the draft because of his ability to add so much to any team that picked him.

In conclusion to this rather brief overview of the 2013 NFL draft, it is clear to me that whatever many experts said about there being a "lack of outstanding talent" that actually, there are some supremely gifted players who are going to go on and have a successful career if they can deal with the transition, the amount of new plays, shifts and audibles that are going to be thrown their way over the upcoming few months until the pre-season where they will get their first taste of competitive professional football. If so, this season looks set to be another great year for the sport, hopefully culminating with another superb Superbowl.

Will Larry Fitzgerald have a resurgent year with the addition of new Head coach Bruce Arians and QB Carson Palmer?

Larry Fitzgerald, best known for his outstanding year in which he helped to lead the Cardinals to Superbowl 43 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Tampa. Although the Cardinals unfortunately fell to Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes on the final drive, they portrayed beautifully the underdog who fought resiliently until the final whistle. Fitzgerald spearheaded the passing attack led by Veteran Kurt Warner and accompanied by Anquan Boldin (later to move to the Ravens and claim a Superbowl title with them) and Steve Breaston. However ever since the retirement of Warner and the inability of the Cardinals to find a suitable replacement Fitzgerald has been eclipsed by new up and coming wide receivers such as Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones and  AJ Green most notably. Although his statistics have noticed changed dramatically their has been a noticeable decline in the amount of receptions and touchdowns since 2009.

This can be attributed to the lackadaisical performance of the Arizona quarterbacks through these years, the disappointing performance of the outrageously over paid Kevin Kolb, Derek Anderson, John Skelton, Ryan Lindley and even Brian Hoyer, have all had a start at the tiller of the Arizona offense and none of them managed to bring any consistency. Even though they had a good start in 2012 at 4-0 this can be mainly attributed to the superb play of their defense who were extremely stout, most notably in their two point win over New England in week 2. However at the end of the regular season their offensive statistics are miserable: 31st in points scored (15.6), 32nd in yards per game (263.1), 28th in pass yards per game (187.8) and 32nd in rush yards per game at a miserable 75.2. These statistics are appalling for what was a few years ago one of the better passing attacks in the NFL.

So what do the cardinals need to do to try and restore some resemblance to a team that was a contender only 3 years ago. Firstly they need to re-establish there non existent running attack, the acquisition of Rashard Mendenhall in this off season is a step in the right direction but the question arises about his ability to be able to carry the load for this team after coming off an injury. Another issue is the offensive line, is is apparent that they are not only failing to dominate defensive lines in the rushing game but they are also rather poor at protecting their quarterbacks, last year the 4 starters under center were sacked 58 times (the most in the NFL) which is too much punishment for the person who is meant to be one of the centerpieces of your offense.

Another and more troubling problem is the amount of turnovers that came from interceptions, quarterbacks in 2012 threw a total of 21 interceptions to only 11 scores. This ratio is putrid as it is only one of four teams who actually managed to turn the ball over in the air than put it into the endzone (these teams being the Jets, Chiefs, Browns and of course the Cardinals). Their apparent solution is seemingly to plug in the aging Carson Palmer into their offense and hire Bruce Arians to co-ordinate the whole team. Arians did an outstanding job as the interim coach for the Indianapolis Colts this season during the absence of Chuck Pagano helping to direct rookie Andrew Luck and the Colts to a playoff appearance against the Ravens. Admittedly the motivation and emotion that fueled the team to this outstanding season may be partly due to the illness of Pagano, but there in no doubt that Arians played a major role. If Arians and Palmer can manage to orchestrate a balanced offense with at least a hint of a running game then Fitzgerald should have some coverage removed and be able to shine once again as the star of the Arizona Cardinals.

What are the Ravens going to do about the departure of Dannell Ellerbe and Ray Lewis?

So, I have been a supporter of the Baltimore Ravens for the past 7 years and have always loved watching the hard hitting defense that they have boasted year in and year out, unfortunately after their recent Super Bowl victory over the San Francisco 49ers their two middle linebackers have departed. Ray Lewis made the decision to retire after 17 seasons in a Ravens uniform and will no doubt be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, their other younger linebacker, Dannell Ellerbe, who was expected to pick up the mantle that was worn by Lewis as the leader of the defense has departed to greener pastures in Miami, of course a large contract offer by the Dolphins no doubt helped to sway his decision.

The Ravens are now faced with the awesome task of totally re-building the core of their defense which wasn't helped by the departure of long time Raven Ed Reed, even though he was visibly slower and starting to deteriorate, most fans believed he had a few good seasons left to give the Ravens before he also retired. His decision to join the Houston Texans for a meagre salary (3 year $15 million) compared to some other free agent safeties that had moved to other teams in the off-season (4 year $24 million For Laron Landry and the Colts)   especially when looking at the fact that he is undoubtedly bound for the hall of fame as one of the greatest defensive backs to ever play the game. This has left another gaping hole in the Ravens defense and needs a substitute, quickly. 

However even before the season had ended I was eyeing up potential candidates to step into roles to lead the purple and black, one candidate who seemed primed in my eyes to be this man was the Notre Dame linebacker Manti Teo. His combination of speed, athleticism and the fact that he was one of the top Heisman trophy candidates meant that he could potentially answer some of the Ravens cries for a player to plug the middle of the field for a good ten years. Unfortunately the scandal involving his fake girlfriend seems to have damaged his reputation and also his position in the upcoming draft (I still don't understand what actually happened), this led me to ask the question, "With this lapse in potential suitors for his services could he fall to the Ravens with the 32nd pick?". It seems that this may happen, there are two potential teams that could hamper these plans. The Chicago Bears with the 20th pick and the Minnesota Vikings at 24 both have gaping holes in their linebacking core with the departures of Brian Urlacher and Jasper Brinkley and may decide to chose Teo to fill these gaps. 

In the end whatever happens in the upcoming draft Ozzie Newsome needs to address these holes in his defense or the Ravens are going to have an extremely tough campaign which may ultimately end up in them not even making it to the playoffs to have the opportunity to defend their title as world champions.