dogfish
08-31-2007, 07:15 PM
by darkhorse, i mean a team that isn't obvious (i.e. ranked in the top ten of every preseason power ranking), but that has a legitimate chance. . .
i'm going to go with green bay, for a number of reasons. . .
the first is brett favre. . . i'm as tired as everyone else of how he holds the franchise hostage every year now with the big retirement drama, makes public demands for the FO to go after a big free agent, and all that stuff, but the guy can still play. . . certainly not at the level he used to, the level where a good QB can put a bad team on his back, but he can still move an offense. . . although his decision-making hasn't gotten any better, he still has a live arm and can make decisive throws. . . if the team around him plays well, farve's still more than capable of leading a deep playoff run. . .
and i'm starting to think that they've put enough pieces around him to make a run possible if things fall right. . . it starts up front with the O-line, and they have a nice veteran pair of tackles in clifton and tauscher to build around. . . their interior OLs now have a year of experience together, and all five OLs have a year of experience in the ZBS now (and i don't need to tell anyone here how effective that scheme is when run properly, or how it takes time to get it down pat)-- and darren colledge, a second-round pick with the athleticism to fit the ZBS perfectly, looks like an upgrade over the rest of the guards they've had the past few years. . .
the pass protection should be solid, and the line has a chance to be pretty effective in the running game as well. . . rookie brandon jackson has the vision to thrive in the ZBS. . . i've watched a game or two of theirs during the preseason, and jackson looks quick and decisive-- he may never be a big star, but this guy is a legitimate NFL back. . . other than maybe his versatility as a receiver, i don't think they're going to miss ahman green that much. . . jackson has shown some willingness as a blocker also, which will help keep him in the game in different situations. . .
their running game should be solid, and it looks like they've got some young receivers who are ready to step up. . . undaunted by stereotypes about rookie receivers, greg jennings was well on his way to a very nice season last year before he was slowed by injuries. . . jennings looks ready to pick up where he left off, and rookie james jones is making him work to keep the second spot. . . donald driver isn't a prototypical #1 receiver, but he continues to produce at that level with averages over 1,200 yards and 7 TDs the past three years. . . bubba franks and donald lee make an adequate TE duo. . . not a flashy or dynamic receiving corps, but they've got some upside, and if driver stays healthy they should be good enough to get the job done if they're paired with an effective running game. . .
i also think their defense is on the upswing-- they played well down the stretch last year, and with some young talents maturing they have a chance to be better this year. . . the line is becoming a strength. . . they've got a workmanlike young group of tackles (and added 1st round pick justin harrell to the group), but the ends pack the real punch of the unit-- especially aaron kampman, who elevated himself into an elite group of two-way DEs last year by adding 15 sacks to his stout run defense. . . cullen jenkins is a disruptive player on the other side, and he also plays the run well-- he's good enough to have relegated kabeer gbaja-biamili to a backup role, which keeps him fresher for pass rush duties. . .
a.j. hawk was solid last year, and should grow into more of a leadership role this season. . . he should also make more big plays-- they're going to scheme to free him up a little bit more, and he has a fantastic nose for the ball. . . i'm not a big fan of nick barnett, but he makes a lot of tackles from the MIKE spot. . .
another real asset they have is a good pair of CBs-- not necessarily shutdown corners, but experienced, reliable guys who can make some plays and give you a chance to win. . . their safeties are nothing special, but they're not terrible either. . . the D overall looks pretty solid, with a lot of potential and room for growth this year. . .
green bay is a team that i thought had a LOT of questions entering the offseason, but i'm starting to think they've got a nice mix of youth and experienced veteran talent at the right positions. . . no one would call them front-runners, and they've got a long way to go, but they have the advantage of playing in the weaker conference, in a division with only two competitive teams. . . in the NFC, one or two injuries to the top teams could blow the competition wide open, and green bay looks like a team that has enough talent to take advantage of that kind of circumstance. . .
i'm going to go with green bay, for a number of reasons. . .
the first is brett favre. . . i'm as tired as everyone else of how he holds the franchise hostage every year now with the big retirement drama, makes public demands for the FO to go after a big free agent, and all that stuff, but the guy can still play. . . certainly not at the level he used to, the level where a good QB can put a bad team on his back, but he can still move an offense. . . although his decision-making hasn't gotten any better, he still has a live arm and can make decisive throws. . . if the team around him plays well, farve's still more than capable of leading a deep playoff run. . .
and i'm starting to think that they've put enough pieces around him to make a run possible if things fall right. . . it starts up front with the O-line, and they have a nice veteran pair of tackles in clifton and tauscher to build around. . . their interior OLs now have a year of experience together, and all five OLs have a year of experience in the ZBS now (and i don't need to tell anyone here how effective that scheme is when run properly, or how it takes time to get it down pat)-- and darren colledge, a second-round pick with the athleticism to fit the ZBS perfectly, looks like an upgrade over the rest of the guards they've had the past few years. . .
the pass protection should be solid, and the line has a chance to be pretty effective in the running game as well. . . rookie brandon jackson has the vision to thrive in the ZBS. . . i've watched a game or two of theirs during the preseason, and jackson looks quick and decisive-- he may never be a big star, but this guy is a legitimate NFL back. . . other than maybe his versatility as a receiver, i don't think they're going to miss ahman green that much. . . jackson has shown some willingness as a blocker also, which will help keep him in the game in different situations. . .
their running game should be solid, and it looks like they've got some young receivers who are ready to step up. . . undaunted by stereotypes about rookie receivers, greg jennings was well on his way to a very nice season last year before he was slowed by injuries. . . jennings looks ready to pick up where he left off, and rookie james jones is making him work to keep the second spot. . . donald driver isn't a prototypical #1 receiver, but he continues to produce at that level with averages over 1,200 yards and 7 TDs the past three years. . . bubba franks and donald lee make an adequate TE duo. . . not a flashy or dynamic receiving corps, but they've got some upside, and if driver stays healthy they should be good enough to get the job done if they're paired with an effective running game. . .
i also think their defense is on the upswing-- they played well down the stretch last year, and with some young talents maturing they have a chance to be better this year. . . the line is becoming a strength. . . they've got a workmanlike young group of tackles (and added 1st round pick justin harrell to the group), but the ends pack the real punch of the unit-- especially aaron kampman, who elevated himself into an elite group of two-way DEs last year by adding 15 sacks to his stout run defense. . . cullen jenkins is a disruptive player on the other side, and he also plays the run well-- he's good enough to have relegated kabeer gbaja-biamili to a backup role, which keeps him fresher for pass rush duties. . .
a.j. hawk was solid last year, and should grow into more of a leadership role this season. . . he should also make more big plays-- they're going to scheme to free him up a little bit more, and he has a fantastic nose for the ball. . . i'm not a big fan of nick barnett, but he makes a lot of tackles from the MIKE spot. . .
another real asset they have is a good pair of CBs-- not necessarily shutdown corners, but experienced, reliable guys who can make some plays and give you a chance to win. . . their safeties are nothing special, but they're not terrible either. . . the D overall looks pretty solid, with a lot of potential and room for growth this year. . .
green bay is a team that i thought had a LOT of questions entering the offseason, but i'm starting to think they've got a nice mix of youth and experienced veteran talent at the right positions. . . no one would call them front-runners, and they've got a long way to go, but they have the advantage of playing in the weaker conference, in a division with only two competitive teams. . . in the NFC, one or two injuries to the top teams could blow the competition wide open, and green bay looks like a team that has enough talent to take advantage of that kind of circumstance. . .