Week 4 Predictions

The NFL Girl has been focused on her fantasy league for the first 3 weeks of the season (undefeated in her league). Anyway folks let's get this started:

Detroit Lions (3-0) vs Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

One of the most surprising teams left undefeated is the Lions. But watching them play you understand just how great this team plays together with a healthy Matthew Stafford. Stafford has an overall QB rating of 110.7% so far this season and has thrown for 9 TDs and just 2 INTs. He has 1 of the most prolific WRs in football in Calvin Johnson who has 6 of those TDs already. If they can get their running game to step up they may be a force to be reckoned with. This week they are looking for DT Nick Fairley to make his debut. If he can be a contributor he will be a great addition to a defense that has given teams fits. Cowboys stumbled out the gate but managed to put together 2 wins. Tony Romo is playing with a rib and lung injury and this team is beaten up at the WR position. They played a tough close fought game last week against the Redskins on Monday night in which Romo threw for 0 TDs and 1 INT. Their defense has looked suspect at times and may not be able to contain an offense such as the Lions. This game should be good for the expectations but may not live up to the hype. Prediction: Lions

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) vs Houston Texans (2-1)

After suffering an embarassing week 1 defeat to the Ravens, Steelers have managed to pull out 2 wins though last week's 13-10 win over a Manning-less Colts was less than impressive. This teams O-line is banged up badly and the lack of time in the pocket hasnt boded well for Roethlisberger. Their run game has been sorely lacking but falling behind has caused them to have to abandon it in most games. They have been fortunate that their defense has stayed solid and kept them in the last 2 games. Without a healthy offensive line though it's going to be a long rough season for the Steelers. Texans come in off a close but disappointing loss to the Saints in New Orleans last week. They were without RB Arian Foster in the backfield but should have him back this week. QB Matt Schaub is expected to play. His TE Owen Daniels has proven effective when WR Andre Johnson sees double coverage. Their defense is playing hurt and this could prove to be a detriment in a game that may prove to be a defensive battle. Prediction: Steelers

Carolina Panthers (1-2) vs Chicago Bears (1-2)

QB Cam Newton has been the spark that the Panthers have needed for a long time. He is a dynamic player with a gun for an arm. Unfortunate for him he doesnt have the strongest WR corp with only WR Steve Smith stepping up big for him each week. Even with 2 good RBs in Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart their running game has been sorely lacking. They managed their first win of the season last week against the Jaguars even with these deficiences and a lack of consistent play on defense. Panthers will need to get a strong #2 WR to step up and for their running game to finally get going or this will be another miserable season. Bears have had a very rough start to their season. Cutler complains about a lack of calls made for the numerous sacks, hits and hurries he's endured already this season but this is more due to his woes on the the offensive line which have let him down week after week. Falling behind early leaves them to abandon their running game which they need in order to keep Cutler from enduring so many hits. This team's defense hasnt lived up to last year's billing so will need to get it together quick to be competitive in the NFC North division. Prediction: Bears

Minnesota Vikings (0-3) vs Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)

Vikings come in off a loss last week to the Lions and have started off tremendously bad. QB Donovan McNabb has not been the savior they hoped for throwing for just 2 TDs & 1 INT thus far. RB Adrian Peterson has rushed for 296 yards and 3 TDs to date. This team needs to pick it up on offense to keep their defense from spending so much time on the field. Chiefs come in off a loss to the rival Chargers last week and are winless so far this season. The loss of RB Jamaal Charles for the season has proven devastating. QB Matt Cassell is sacked too frequently and his #1 WR Dwayne Bowe has only caught 1 TD so far. RB Dexter McCluster will have to step up big this season to fill the void left by Charles and get the team on a winning track. Prediction: Vikings

Buffalo Bills (3-0) vs Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)

Bills have been the surprise undefeated team this far. QB Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown for 841 yds 9 TDs and 3 INTs. His go to WR Stevie Johnson has caught 3 of those. RB Fred Jackson has rushed for 3 TDs. The Bills defense has been tremendous this season picking Brady off 4x last week alone. If this team can keep it up they can have their first winning season in a long time. Bengals are in a rebuilding year after losing Palmer, Ochocinco and T.O. in the offseason. Rookie QB Andy Dalton has thrown for just 570 yds 3 TDs and 2 INTs. Rookie WR A.J. Green has 2 TDs so far this season but is suffering a toe injury. RB Cedric Benson has only rushed for 81 yards and 1 TD. Bengals defense has been a big disappointment this season. If they cant learn to play cohesively they will have a miserable season. Prediction: Bills

Tennessee Titans (2-1) vs Cleveland Browns (2-1)

Titans come in off a win over the Broncos that unfortunately cost them their #1 WR Kenny Britt for the season with a torn ACL & MCL. They signed WR Donnie Avery to a 1 year deal to replace him.QB Matt Hasselback has thrown for 932 yards, 5 TDs and 2 INTs so far this season. With Kenny Britt out WR Nate Washington will have to pick up the slack. He only has 1 TD so far. RB Chris Johnson has had slow production having only 98 total yards and 0 TDs so far this season. Only their defense has kept them in games but if they cannot get their offense to score more points this will be a long season for them. Browns come in off a win over the Dolphins last week. QB Colt McCoy has thrown for 634 yards 5 TDs and 2 INTs. RB Peyton Hillis was out last week with strep throat but is expected back this week. He already has 2 rushing TDs this season. Browns are efficient on defense. They should have a pretty good season in a tough divison. Prediction: Browns

Washington Redskins (2-1) vs St. Louis Rams (0-3)

Redskins come in off a close loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. QB Rex Grossman has an overall QB rating of 86.4% with 846 yards, 5 TDs and 3 INTs to date. His accuracy over the years has been notoriously inconsistent with a tendency to hang onto the ball too long and make poor decisions. He is fortunate to have 2 good receivers in WRs Santana Moss & Fred Davis. Redskins improved their running game this year by signing RB Tim Hightower in the offseason who has rushed for 209 yards and 1 TD so far. This team has made vast strides on their defense but will need more out of their offense to stay seriously competitive in the NFC East division. Rams come in off a blowout loss to the Ravens last week at home. QB Sam Bradford who led the Rams to a winning record last season has had a rough start so far completing just 55 of 108 passes for 685 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. With both RBs Steven Jackson & Carnell Williams limited due to injury the Rams have struggled to gain yards and points. Rams defense has been a major disappointment and were exposed badly last week against the Ravens. Rams must find a way to win or face an uphill battle all season. Prediction: Redskins

San Francisco 49ers (2-1) vs Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)

49ers come in off a win against the Bengals last week in Cincinnati. They have been the surprisingly good team in a weak NFC West division. QB Alex Smith is probable recovering from a concussion suffered last week. He has an overall passer rating of 91.3% for 504 yards, 2 TDs and 1 INT. He needs more play out of his #1 WR Vernon Davis who has yet to catch a TD this season. RB Frank Gore has just 1 TD thus far. Their defense has played better than last season but without more scoring they will not be able to sustain wins over the length of the season. Declared the "Dream Team" in the off-season the Eagles have so far been a major disappointment. They come in off a loss last week to the Giants at home. QB Michael Vick has already suffered a concussion and a bruised right hand but has thrown for 605 yards, 4 TDs and 2 INTs with WR Jeremy Maclin having caught 2 of those TDs. RB Lesean McCoy has rushed for an additional 4 TDs. Vick is finding himself hurried tackled and sacked so much because of the lack of reliability in his offensive line. Defensively they are having a problem tackling and allowing opponents too many scoring opportunities. With major expectations on their shoulders this team must find a way to win. Prediction: Eagles

New Orleans Saints (2-1) vs Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)

Saints come in off a win against the Texans last week at home. QB Drew Brees has an overall QB rating or 109.7% having completed 89 of 130 pass attempts for 1059 yards, 9 TDs and 2 INTs. With #1 WR Marques Colston out with a shoulder injury WRs Devery Henderson has caught 2 TDs in his absence and Robert Meachem has caught 3. Their running game has looked impressive behind RBs Darren Sproles who has 1 rushing and 1 receiving TD and Mark Ingram who has 1 rushing TD as well. Their defense plays smash mouth football so should be able to carry them far if they stay healthy this year. Jaguars come in off a loss to the Panthers last week. Jags have switched to starting rookie QB Blaine Gabbert who has completed for 1 TD & 1 INT so far. WR Mike Thomas got his 1st TD of the season last week and RB Maurice Jones-Drew has rushed for 307 yards and 1 TD. Jags are in a Manning-less AFC South division which is up for grabs but whether or not Gabbert can get this offense moving in the right direction remains to be seen. Without help from his defense the point will be moot. Prediction: Saints

Atlanta Falcons (1-2) vs Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

Falcons come in off a close loss to the Bucs last week in Tampa. QB Matt Ryan has completed for just 844 yards, 5 TDs and 4 INTs. WR Roddy White has just 1 TD so far this season and WR Julio Jones has caught for 215 yards but 0 TDs. It's TE Tony Gonzalez who has been the bright spot having received for 173 yards and 3 TDs. RB Michael Turner was stuffed last week for just 20 yards but has rushed for 234 yards and 1 TD to date. Falcons defense is keeping games close but without their offense playing well this will be a long season for them. Seahawks come in off a win against the Cardinals at home last week. Thus far QB Tavaris Jackson has not been the answer they thought he would be having completed just 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Their running game behind RBs Marshawn Lynch, Justin Forsett and Leon Washington have rushed for 0 TDs so far which has left them unable to reliably score points. Even with a mediocre defense that can keep them within games, without a way to get points on the board this team will not do well in the NFC West division. Prediction: Falcons

New York Giants (2-1) vs Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Giants come in off a win last week to the Eagles in Philly. QB Eli Manning had his best game so far this season last week throwing for 254 yards and 4 TDs with WR Victor Cruz catching 2 of them. RBs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have each rushed for just 1 TD thus far. Giants must have their banged up defense find a way to get to the quarterback. The NFC East is completely up for grabs. Cardinals come in off a loss last week to the Seahawks in Seattle. QB Kevin Kolb has an overall QB passer rating of 93.8% having thrown 5 TDs and 3 INTs. WR Larry Fitzgerald has made 15 catches for 259 yards and 2 TDs. RB Beanie Wells was out last week with an injury but has rushed for 2 TDs to this point. Cardinals defense has been plagued with injuries which has hurt them tremendously. If they cannot find a way to string together more defensive plays, this season will be a loss for them. Prediction: Giants

New England Patriots (2-1) vs Oakland Raiders (2-1)

Patriots come in off an embarrassing but close loss last week against the Bills in Buffalo. QB Tom Brady threw 4 INTs in the game but has thrown for 11 TDs and just 5 INTs to this point in the season. WR Wes Welker has 4 TDs so far and TE Rob Gronkowski has 5 TDs. RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis has rushed for 122 yards and 2 TDs. Patriots defense has been stifling even in their only loss which bodes well for their chances down the stretch. Raiders come in off a win against the Jets last week at home. QB Jason Campbell has completed for 584 yards 3 TDs and 1 INT. RB Darren McFadden has rushed for 393 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively the Raiders have played well despite some injuries. Raiders could potentially be a contender in the very weak AFC West division. Prediction: Patriots

Denver Broncos (1-2) vs Green Bay Packers (3-0)

Broncos come in off a loss to the Titans last week in Tennessee. This team is sorely lacking on offense with WRs Eddie Royal and Demaryius Thomas out and WR Brandon Lloyd and RB Knowshon Moreno playing with injuries. QB Kyle Orton has thrown for 5 TDs and 3 INTs to this point in the season. The defense is already plagued with injuries and if the offense cant find a way to score this is going to be a dreadful season. Packers come in undefeated off a win over the Bears in Chicago last week. QB Aaron Rodgers has an overall passer rating of 120.9% having thrown for 917 yards 8 TDs and just 1 INT. TE Jermichael Finley has 15 receptions for 206 yards and 3 TDs & WR Greg Jennings has 18 receptions for 263 yards and 2 TDs for the season to date. RB Ryan Grant has yet to score this season which is the only complaint that can be made about this offense. Defensively the Pack has shown why they are the defending champions by being quick on the blitz and punishing in 3rd and long situations. The should easily handle the miserable Broncos. Prediction: Packers

Miami Dolphins (0-3) vs San Diego Chargers (2-1)

Dolphins come in off a loss to the Browns last week at home. They are a bad team without a clear identity. When the deal to bring in QB Kyle Orton from the Broncos fell through they stuck to QB Chad Henne who has been anything but spectacular. Henne has an overall passer rating of 82.4% with 4 TDs & 3 INTs so far to date. His #1 WR Brandon Marshall has only caught 1 of those. RB Daniel Thomas & RB Reggie Bush have combined for just 1 TD (a receiving TD by Bush). To add insult to injury has been the poor performance of their lackluster defense which has cost them close games late. This team is in desperate need of a ground attack and a defense that can rush the quarterback. Chargers come in off a win over the division rival Kansas City Chiefs last week. Known for their slow start each season they've started off decent even under poor play. QB Phillip Rivers has thrown 2 INTs all 3 weeks for a total of 6 and only 4 TDs with 0 thrown last week. He's also been sacked 6 times and fumbled twice which shows that his O-line is still not giving him the coverage he needs. WR Vincent Jackson is back this year and has 17 receptions for 266 yards and 2 TDs so far. RB Mike Tolbert has 1 rushing TD and 2 receiving and RB Ryan Matthews has rushed for 3. Their defense has been their savior keep games tight and giving the offense a chance to win. If they can get off to a quicker start this season they can get make a push down the stretch. Prediction: Chargers

New York Jets (2-1) vs Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

Jets come in off an ugly loss last week to the Raiders in Oakland. QB Mark Sanchez threw for 2 TDs and 1 INT in the game. He has thrown 6 TDs and 4 INTs on the season. WRs Dustin Keller & Plaxico Burress have caught 2 apiece. RB Shonn Greene has 1 rushing TD so far. Their o-line has got to give Sanchez more time to throw the ball as he's easily rattled when rushed. Their defense had been good up til last week when it was exposed for not being able to cover the deep pass. They need their secondary to do better with the AFC East being so competitive this year. Ravens come in off a beatdown win over the Rams last week in St. Louis. QB Joe Flacco threw for 3 TDs last week taking his total on the year to 7 with just 2 INTs. WR Torrey Smith caught all 3 of Flacco's TDs last week. Meanwhile WR Anquan Boldin hasnt caught a TD since week 1 & RB Ray Rice hasnt rushed for 1 since then either. What keeps this team on a winning track is their #1 ranked defense which is punishing and brutal each week. If they can get more production out of their offense they'll have a good season. Prediction: Ravens

Indianapolis Colts (0-3) vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

Colts come in off a loss last week to the Steelers at home. The Manning-less Colts have had a horrendous start made worse each week by constant injuries. This week QB Curtis Painter will get the starting job with QB Kerry Collins out with a shoulder injury. Painter came in briefly last week & completed 5 out of 11 for 60 yards. This team has been depleted on both sides of the ball by injuries. It may be a rough season ahead for them. Bucs come in off a win against Atlanta at home last week. They are winning even in the face of a struggling offense with QB Josh Freeman having thrown just 2 TDs to 4 INTs to date. RB LeGarrette Blount has 2 rushing TDs so far. Only their defense has kept up a consistent pace week to week. This team has got to find a way to score more points or they will not be able to maintain their lead in the NFC South. Prediction: Bucs

Off to set my line up for fantasy league..till next week!

Trades & Free Agent Signings

After the lockout the NFL had a matter of just a couple of weeks to get lots of wheeling and dealing done. Rookies as well as free agents needed to be signed quickly to get training camp and preseason on the way. Some teams stuck to resigning key veterans while others looked to make major moves. The following is a breakdown of some of the key moves made in the last few weeks:

Questionables

Randy Moss- Retired- After no team stepped forward to offer a long term deal, Randy Moss filed papers to retire from the NFL. Whether or not he will remain retired remains to be seen. As the season goes along and injuries start to happen he may be a key acquisition for some team desperate for a veteran with reliable hands. However Randy Moss's mouth and bad attitude may deter most teams from reaching out to sign him.

Terrell Owens-Unsigned-After suffering an ACL tear in April, the 38 year old veteran hasn't found a team ready to take a chance on him. Whether it is the combination of his age and injury or his mouth that is keeping teams away no one will say for sure. Recent youtube video shows T.O. showing off his agility to prove to teams his leg is healthy. As time goes on he may convince a team to take a chance on it in particular once teams are decimated by injuries and are in desperate need. Until then T.O. may have to sit and wait.

Free Agent Signings & Trades

AFC

East

Buffalo Bills- Bills biggest moves were to sign their draft picks Chris White, Johnny White, Marcell Dareus, Da'Norris Searcy, Aaron Williams, Chris Hairston, Michael Jasper & Justin Rogers and resign veterans Drayton Florence, Scott Chandler & Garrison Sanborn. Their most major free agent signings were QB Tyler Thigpen, WR Brad Smith & LB Nick Barnett. This is a team in desperate need of wins so any help to their receiving corp or defense is welcome.

Miami Dolphins- after signing all their draft picks and resigning veterans, Dolphins made some serious moves in the free agent market. They traded S Jonothon Amaya and future draft picks to the Saints for RB Reggie Bush. They then signed LB Jason Trusnik, QB Matt Moore, LB Kevin Burnett, DT Ronald Fields & T Ray Willis. Dolphins must make improvements this season or chances are they will be searching for a new head coach.

New England Patriots- Patriots were one of several teams who made some of the most serious moves in the last few weeks. They traded away draft picks for DT Albert Haynesworth and WR Chad Ochocinco. They also signed DT Stephen Williams, C Chris Morris, DE Mark Anderson & DE Shaun Ellis. Ochocinco should be a help at receiver since the Pats lacked a good deep threat once trading WR Randy Moss last season. With good pick ups on defense they should be a formidable opponent for their division.

New York Jets- The Jets were quick to sign all of their draft picks and resign key veterans Mark Brunell, Santonio Holmes & Antonio Cromartie. Their biggest of all free agent acquistion was the signing of recently released WR Plaxico Burress. Burress has been incarcerated for 2 years so his ability to get into football shape quickly and be an effective contribution this season will be an important factor for himself and his future as well as the Jets playoff chances this season.

North

Baltimore Ravens- Ravens cut RB Willis McGahee and WR Derrick Mason while quickly signing all their draft picks. In their places they nabbed RBs Vonta Leach & Ricky Williams from free agency and traded for WR Lee Evans (for a 2012 4th round pick with the Buffalo Bills). They also signed DB Bernard Pollard & TE Jonathan Stupar. Ravens play consistently on defense so by making so many upgrades on offense will hopefully make them more of a scoring threat.

Cincinnati Bengals- Owner Mike Brown called QB Carson Palmer's bluff of retiring if he wasnt traded so this season will see all new faces with Palmer, Ochocinco and T.O. all gone. To that they quickly signed draft picks QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green. They resigned QB Jordan Palmer and signed QB Bruce Gradkowski & TE Bo Scaife. With such tremendous turnover it may be a struggle this season for the Bengals to be competitive in their division.

Cleveland Browns- Browns didnt go after big names like their division rivals. Instead they chose to bring in players to tighten up an offense that showed great promise at times last season. They cut the dead weight of Jake Delhomme, resigned back up QB Seneca Wallace & traded for OL John Greco. On defense they resigned DEs Derreck Robinson & Jayme Mitchell, NT Brian Schaefering, signed DB Dimitri Patterson & all their draft picks most of which were on defense. Cleveland should have a much better season but still will most likely finish 3rd.

Pittsburgh Steelers- Steelers biggest move was to resign free agent CB Ike Taylor. They signed DB Kevin Dockery, WR Jerricho Cotchery & TE John Gilmore & resigned free agents DB William Gay, P Daniel Sepulveda, LS Greg Warren, OT Jonathan Scott, T Willie Colon, K Shaun Suisham, RB Mewelde Moore, NT Chris Hoke & QB Dennis Dixon. They still have 1 of the toughest defenses in all of football and will still be the team to beat in the north division.

South

Houston Texans- After quickly resigning all of their biggest free agents, Texans went after 1 of the biggest free agents in DB Jonathan Joseph. They also signed free agents DB Danieal Manning, P Brad Maynard & RB Lawrence Vickers. They also signed RB Javarris Williams, WR Devard Darling & LB Tim Dobbins. Texans are a middle of the road team in need of consistency to become a legitimate contender in the south division.

Indianapolis Colts- Colts made sure to lock up their biggest free agents on offense by signing deals with QB Peyton Manning, RB Joseph Addai & K Adam Vinatieri. On defense they resigned DTs Antonio Johnson & Eric Foster & DB Melvin Bullitt. They signed LB Ernie Sims & DE Tyler Brayton. Colts struggled last year and with Manning coming back off an injury this season will be a test for them.

Jacksonville Jaguars- Jags drafted a phenomenal qb in rookie Blaine Gabbert. They signed free agent DBs Dawan Landry & Drew Coleman, LBs Matt Roth, Gerris Wilkinson, Paul Posluszny & Clint Session, C Jason Spitz, P Matt Turk, T Tony Moll & resigned TE Marcedes Lewis. QB David Garrard is injury prone and was pulled several times last season for poor performance so this can potentially become Gabbert's team very quickly. Jags can easily become the team to beat if they can get points on the board efficiently and quickly each week.

Tennessee Titans- After cutting QB Vince Young, Titans quickly signed their rookie draft pick QB Jake Locker and signed free agent QB Matt Hasselback. They then signed LB Barrett Ruud, DT Shaun Smith, TE Daniel Graham, DBs Frank Walker, Anthony Smith & Jordan Babineaux & T Pat McQuistan. Titans are hoping the change at QB is the spark they need to turn them around but if they don't a deal worked out with RB Chris Johnson it may be harder to do better than the .500 they did last season.

West

Denver Broncos- after the season of misery last year, Broncos look to make some drastic changes. First they brought in head coach John Fox. Next they quickly revamped their defense by signing their defense heavy draft picks including first round pick LB Von Miller. They traded for DE Jeremy Jarmon & DT Brodrick Bunkley & signed free agents TEs Daniel Fells & Dante Rosario, RB Willis McGahee, DE Ty Warren, WR David Anderson, DE Derrick Harvey & brought in LB Alvin Bowen & DT DeMario Pressley. By strengthening a defense that ranked 32nd overall the Broncos hope to once again become a dominant force in the west division.

Kansas City Chiefs- Chiefs finished 1st in the west division last season & hope to make it further into the playoffs this season. They signed free agent WR Steve Breaston, DT Kelly Gregg, LB Brandon Siler, RB Le'Ron McClain, DB Sabby Piscitelli, DE Amon Gordon & OT Jared Gaither. Chiefs have the most potential to do well in the west if they can get off to a fast start.

Oakland Raiders- Raiders dominated the west division last season but still finished .500 & out of the playoffs so need to make some vast improvements to become more competitive. They signed free agents QB Trent Edwards, OT Stephon Heyer, TE Kevin Boss, DBs Matt Giordano & Josh Bullocks & resigned many key veteran players. They have a new head coach in their former offensive coordinator Hue Jackson & hope that this season they can get back to a winning tradition.

San Diego Chargers- After several years of dominance in the west, Chargers found themselves finishing out of the playoffs last season. They signed S Bob Sanders to a 1 year deal and quickly signed free agent LB Takeo Spikes. Plagued by injuries last season, Chargers hope to keep a healthy receiving corp and a smash mouth defense throughout the season.

NFC

North

Chicago Bears- Bears finished 1st in their division but still lost to the Packers in the NFC championship. Hoping to make some improvements they signed TE Matt Spaeth & Desmond Clark, WRs Roy Williams & Sam Hurd, RB Marion Barber, FB Will Ta'ufo'ou, P Adam Podlesh, LB Nick Roach & DL Vernon Gholston. The north division is up for grabs and Bears hope to make a play for it again this season.

Detroit Lions-after losing Matt Stafford to injury for most of the season Lions struggled down the stretch. Looking to make improvements on their defense they drafted defense heavy and went after many defensive free agents. They drafted DT Nick Fairley to bring in next to last year's defensive rookie of the year DT Ndamukong Suh. They signed free agents WRs, Maurice Stovall & Rashied Davis, LBs Stephen Tulloch & Justin Durant, CB Maurice Leggett, DBs Aaron Francisco, Anthony Madison, Michael Johnson & Eric Wright, DE Keyunta Dawson, RBs Mike Bell & Jerome Harrison, C Rudy Niswanger & T Kirk Chambers. If they can keep Stafford healthy Lions should have a much improved season.

Green Bay Packers- The Super Bowl winners made sure to resign many of their valuable free agents and quickly sign all of their draft picks. They didnt pursue any big name free agents confident that they have a team that will most likely play well into the playoffs this season.

Minnesota Vikings- after last year's fiasco, Vikings look to make a fresh start. They traded draft picks for QB Donovan McNabb. They signed free agents WRs Devin Aromashodu & Michael Jenkins, LB Mark Washington, T Charlie Johnson & DE Stylez G White. With no Brett Favre or Sidney Rice the Vikings may find themselves without an identity but can potentially play well in the toughest division in the NFC.

South

Atlanta Falcons-Falcons signed DE Ray Edwards and drafted WR Julio Jones to compliment WR Roddy White. The south is a division up for grabs and Falcons should easily be able to control it.

Carolina Panthers- Panthers are coming off their worst season. They fired coach John Fox and drafted QB Cam Newton. In free agency they signed DB Sean Considine, LB Omar Gaither, K Olindo Mare, WR Legedu Naanee & DT Ron Edwards. Panthers till have QB Jimmy Clausen who they drafted last year and were able to resign RB Deangelo Williams so they potentially have enough weapons now to put together a better season.

New Orleans Saints- Saints traded RB Reggie Bush for DB Jonathon Amaya. They signed RBs Korey Hall & Darren Sproles, LB Will Herring, DB Fabian Washington. The Saints are looking to sharply improve and return to a playoff berth this season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers-

East

Dallas Cowboys-

New York Giants-

Philadelphia Eagles-

Washington Redskins-

West

Arizona Cardinals-

St. Louis Rams-

San Francisco 49'ers-

Seattle Seahawks-

The end of the lockout

After 4 mos of misery, anger, resentment and harsh words between the 2 sides the lockout finally ended on July 25, 2011. The owners and players agreed to a 10 year no opt out deal which will keep football going for the forseeable future. The only casualty (other than shortened times to get in shape and train) was the NFL Hall of Fame game which was cancelled just before the deal was struck. With the new agreement both sides agreed to take a more equitable amount of merchandise and television revenue, stuck to a 16 game season, limited rookie contracts and expanded teams to an 80 man roster along with a slew of other important issues which helped both sides to finally sign the new collective bargaining agreement. The 10 players in the lawsuit against the NFL also agreed to drop their case and the NFLPA agreed to recertify as a union. This has been a long time coming and with the 10 year deal we can expect to have football for atleast a decade

NFL Draft

So NFL Girl attended the draft last week in NY and while there had been talk of draftees boycotting and not attending, the event went off without a hitch. Now with the NFL in the midst of a lockout the landscape of the draft was different. Teams couldnt trade veteran players for more or higher draft picks. Instead if teams wished to move up or down the draft board they had to just switch or give up draft picks. Atlanta gave up a total of 5 picks (their #27 pick & 2nd & 4th round picks this year & their 1st & 4th round picks next year) to get Julio Jones with the #6 pick which if it works out will be phenomenal but if it doesnt will be detrimental for the next several years. Carolina drafted Cam Newton which was and wasnt a surprise. Many figured they would go defense or at least offensive line since this was more the issue than quarterback but with Moore and Clausen both looking terrible last year it is understandable why they made such a move. Broncos addressed their terrible defensive line issue from last year by drafting LB Von Miller with their first round pick. Bills immediately did the same by drafting DT Marcell Dareus which shows confidence is Fitzpatrick as their QB. The Bengals picked A.J. Green to fill the void left by TO and Ochocinco neither of whom are guaranteed to return this coming season. Cardinals addressed their secondary problems by drafting CB Patrick Petersen which surprised many who expected them to draft a QB after last year's fiasco. 49ers were expected to draft a QB with Alex Smith proving to be inconsistent at best and horrendous at worse but instead they drafted OLB Aldon Smith which again shocked many draft experts. With the best perceived QB Blaine Gabbert still on the board, the Titans shocked everyone by choosing QB Jake Locker instead. Whether this will be a good decision in the long term will have to be determined. With QB Tony Romo lost for the season due to their poor offensive line, the Cowboys drafted OT Tyron Smith which should also improve their running game this season. With the Titans not drafting Gabbert, their division rival Jaguars jumped on the opportunity to pick him with the 10th pick overall. This is a fantastic choice for them after Garrard played inconsistent all season long and was twice benched for back-ups who were either injured or played poorly. So the first round of the draft shaped up like this:

1. QB Cam Newton -- Carolina Panthers


2. LB Von Miller -- Denver Broncos


3. DT Marcell Dareus -- Buffalo Bills


4. WR A.J. Green -- Cincinnati Bengals


5. CB Patrick Peterson -- Arizona Cardinals


6. WR Julio Jones -- Atlanta Falcons


7. DE Aldon Smith -- San Francisco 49ers


8. QB Jake Locker -- Tennessee Titans


9. OT Tyron Smith -- Dallas Cowboys


10. QB Blaine Gabbert -- Jacksonville Jaguars


11. DE J.J. Watt -- Houston Texans


12. QB Christian Ponder -- Minnesota Vikings


13. DT Nick Fairley -- Detroit Lions


14. DE Robert Quinn -- St. Louis Rams


15. OL Mike Pouncey -- Miami Dolphins


16. DE Ryan Kerrigan --Washington Redskins


17. OL Nate Solder -- New England Patriots


18. DT Corey Liuget -- San Diego Chargers


19. CB Prince Amukamara -- New York Giants


20. DL Adrian Clayborn -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers


21. DL Phil Taylor -- Cleveland Browns


22. OL Anthony Castonzo -- Indianapolis Colts


23. OL Danny Watkins -- Philadelphia Eagles


24. DE Cameron Jordan -- New Orleans Saints


25. OL James Carpenter -- Seattle Seahawks


26. WR Jonathan Baldwin -- Kansas City Chiefs


27. CB Jimmy Smith -- Baltimore Ravens


28. RB Mark Ingram -- New Orleans Saints


29. OL Gabe Carimi -- Chicago Bears


30. DT Muhammad Wilkerson -- New York Jets


31. DT Cam Heyward -- Pittsburgh Steelers


32. OL Derek Sherrod -- Green Bay Packers

Overall the draft was superb considering that no blockbuster trade deals could be made and teams purely had to depend on their draft picks, future draft picks or draft order to get the best possible players on their teams. This draft class was considered decent with several good but not great quarterbacks all available. What the season or even the future will hold for these young stars is anyone's guess but I see great potential in many if not all of those who were picked. Let's hope for an end to the lockout so we can see this rookies play!

NFL Lockout

Ok so I know everyone has been curious what is NFL Girl's opinion on the lockout. Well what can I say honestly? I mean it's a fight between players who feel that owners are being greedy in not wishing to share the $9B television revenue they receive & owners who feel that players already receive an overly generous portion of the entire revenue the NFL generates. I cant say who is actually right in this situation but I do understand the argument the players have. Sadly it is neither the players nor the owners who suffer the most in these circumstances. Owners are billionaires who will generate income from their other avenues and players get paid regardless if they play or not. Who suffers the most are those front office staffers, the concession stand employees, the security personnel and stadium employees. These people will not get paid if there isnt a NFL season. Some may even lose their jobs entirely. So while I cant feel but so much for those that will garner paychecks, I definitely can feel for those who will lose income over the lockout. On top of those people I feel for the fans. Fans just love the game & support their team. They are the ones who buy the tickets, the concession items, the memorabilia, etc. They help to generate the income that the players and owners take for granted. When there is a lockout and players tell draftees not to attend the draft who does it hurt most? The veteran players who are already signed to a team? No. The owners who cant negotiate a contract with the players and who dont attend the draft anyway? No. The only people who suffer are the fans. I was glad to see that the players backed off this ridiculous request and that there was indeed a draft. I didnt understand that stance anyway. Dont punish your fans who according to most polls are on the side of players. Dont turn them against you when they understand your argument and agree with how you feel.

The players got the lockout temporarily lifted but the owners quickly got an injuction to block the lift so we are back to square one. Neither side is willing to compromise. Owners want an 18 game season and more $. Players want 2 bye weeks if they must go to 18 games & more of the television revenue. Who will win this fight remains to be seen. I only hope that the issues get resolved and we have a full season.

Week 17 Predictions

Last week was a rough week for your girl finishing just 8-8. Got to improve on that for the final week. Let's go:

Miami Dolphins (7-8) vs New England Patriots (13-2)

Dolphins come in off a loss at home last week to the Lions. Patriots come in off a blowout win against the Bills in Buffalo. Pats are on a roll into the playoffs and look to be unstoppable while Dolphins have been eliminated from contention and have played poorly down the stretch. Prediction: Patriots

Minnesota Vikings (6-9) vs Detroit Lions (5-10)

Vikings come in off a win against the Eagles in Philadelphia. QB Joe Webb completed 17 of 26 for 195 yds and rushed for 1 TD. RB Adrian Peterson rushed 22 times for 118 yds and 1 TD. Vikings defense has had to play catch up all season for a struggling offense. Lions come in off a win last week against the Dolphins in Miami. QB Shaun Hill completed 14 of 26 for 222 yds and 2 TDs with RB Jahvid Best receiving 1 TD. Lions will need to address major issues on their defense during the offseason to improve next season. Prediction: Vikings

Carolina Panthers (2-13) vs Atlanta Falcons (12-3)

Panthers are the worst team in the league. They are facing the top team in the NFC on Atlanta's homefield where they are undefeated. Enough said. Prediction: Falcons

Oakland Raiders (7-8) vs Kansas City Chiefs (10-5)

Prediction: Chiefs

Pittsburgh Steelers vs Cleveland Browns

Prediction: Steelers

Buffalo Bills vs New York Jets

Prediction: Jets

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints

Prediction: Saints

Cincinnati Bengals vs Baltimore Ravens

Prediction: Ravens

Chicago Bears vs Green Bay Packers

Prediction: Bears

New York Giants vs Washington Redskins

Prediction: Giants

Jacksonville Jaguars vs Houston Texans

Prediction: Jaguars

Dallas Cowboys vs Philadelphia Eagles

Prediction: Eagles

Tennessee Titans vs Indianapolis Colts

Prediction: Colts

San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos

Prediction: Chargers

Arizona Cardinals vs San Francisco 49ers

Prediction: Cardinals

St. Louis Rams vs Seattle Seahawks

Prediction: Rams