Sports by Schmucks Podcast - Episode 8

The Schmucks offer their take on the NFL playoffs, recent firings in the NFL and hand out their high fives and face palms for 2013.

WWE Tables, Ladders, and Chairs 2013

This year the TLC Pay Per View was all built on one match: the unification of both the WWE Title and the World Heavyweight Title. A match eleven years in the making, it was only fitting that it not simply be a normal match. One of this magnitude, like all other matches of extraordinary importance was contested under special rules, in this case (as the title would suggest) a TLC match. It stands as one of my favourite types of matches of all time and the one thing that has endured is the unpredictable nature of such a match, something this main event had a lot of, but more on that later.

3 on 1 Handicap Match: CM Punk vs. The Shield

This was the first match of the evening seeing CM Punk take on the entire team of the Shield, one of the most dominant and impressive teams in a great many years. That match started as one would expect, with Punk’s emotion getting him an early advantage. But as we’ve seen, the power game of Roman Reigns started to wear down Punk in the ring. With that advantage, the Shield used sound tag team strategy, keeping Punk in their corner and using multiple tags to keep each man fresh. When Punk found himself on the outside of the ring, Reigns attempted his devastating spear on the outside, missed, and went sailing into the announce table narrowly missing Cole in the process and injuring his eye. While he was being attended to by the ring doctor, Punk almost defeated Dean Ambrose with the Anaconda Vice submission and with the top rope elbow drop.  Then when attempting the GTS finisher on Ambrose, Punk was interrupted by Rollins who then suffered the GTS himself.  By now Reigns had re-entered the ring and again attempted to spear Punk, but missed and hit Ambrose by accident allowing Punk to pick up a victory with the odds stacked against him.

Divas Championship: Natalya vs. A.J. Lee

During the pre-match interview, A.J. was once again talking trash about the other Divas generally saying how she is better.  Early in the match Natalya was using her submission talents to earn an advantage over the champion, but constant distractions from Tamina on the outside gave A.J. a lot of help. This ultimately led to Natalya finding herself caught in the Black Widow submission, but was able to counter it. When she attempted her second Sharpshooter of the match, A.J. grabbed a handful of hair and turned it into a roll-up pin, getting her the win.

Intercontinental Championship: Damien Sandow vs. Big E. Langston

Before the match, Sandow got on the microphone and proceeded to make fun of the crowd, essentially referring to them as country rubes (he didn’t use that word but I’m trying to bring it back) since they were in Texas. Langston’s power game got him an advantage early on, but Sandow turned it around with the help of the ring post, and he got several near falls out of it. In the end Sandow did all he could, but when Langston lowered them straps it was all over. Langston retained his title in what I thought was a pretty good match.

Tag Team Championship: Real Americans, Rey Mysterio and Big Show, Rybaxel, and the Rhodes Brothers

This was a Fatal Four-way elimination match for the titles, so simply put, when a member of the team is pinned, that team is eliminated. The first to be eliminated was the team of Ryback and Curtis Axel, known as Rybaxel, a team name I hate more every time I hear it (thanks JBL). With them out of the way, it was time for the Real Americans to shine, specifically Antonio Cesaro who got to show off his impressive strength. When he hit the Cesaro Swing on Goldust, he got quite the ovation, and Cody had to save the match for his team. After Goldust had been isolated for quite a while, with Cody on the floor, he tagged in Big Show who then delivered the knock-out punch to both Cesaro and Swagger, which saw them eliminated. It was now time for Rey Mysterio to enter the match and go on a flurry of offense. After Big Show went head first into the ring post, Mysterio attempted a 619 on Cody, who managed to counter into the Cross Roads finisher, retaining their titles. Personally I would like to have seen the Real American win the tag titles, because I think it’s about time they had one. I feel they’ve been slightly underutilized and that we as an audience would all benefit from hearing Zeb Colter talk a little bit more.

R-Truth vs. Brodus Clay

This match was a result of Brodus Clay’s slow heel turn as a result of Xavier Woods (who accompanied Truth to the ring) stealing his gimmick. Tensai kept interrupting the match to try to reason with Brodus, which lead to Tensai and the Funkadactyls leaving the ring and the distraction lead to a roll-up pin by Truth for the win.

The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston

This “impromptu” match came on the heels of a fight between the two during the pre-show when the Miz, as part of the expert panel, used his opportunity to trash talk Kingston. Kingston came out, it came to fisticuffs, and this match was made. Kofi went for Trouble In Paradise on the outside and accidentally kicked the ring post instead of Miz, giving Miz an extended advantage. At one point Miz exposed the turnbuckle, but it came back to bite him when Kingston sent him head first into the turnbuckle and hitting the Trouble In Paradise on the second try, earning Kingston a win. I was hoping this rivalry would see either Kingston or Miz turn heel, because honestly, they aren’t doing anything else. Kingston usually gets beat up in every match, which is fine for a time, but after a while it gets old. Time will tell where this story line goes.

3 on 1 Handicap Match: Daniel Bryan vs. The Wyatt Family

This match comes off the heels of Daniel Bryan being asked to join the Wyatt Family, an offer he refused. This match saw Bryan get beaten down for pretty much the entire thing. He did his best to fight back with his kicks, but overall he had very little offense until the closing moments of the match. When it all started to break down, Bryan was able to separate all three Wyatts, got some more kicks in, dove through the ropes to send Harper into the announce table. When Bryan attempted the Yes Lock, Bray Wyatt was able to use his strength to counter into his finisher, earning the Wyatt’s a win. I found this match to be quite entertaining, including a crab walk by Bray Wyatt and several more attempts at recruiting Bryan. I would love to see Bryan join the Wyatt family. He already has the facial hair to match them and if he isn’t going to be in the title hunt anymore, then he needs to do something. Also they could call themselves the Bryatt Family (maybe not the best name but still better than Rybaxel).

Tables, Ladders, and Chairs Match for the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships: John Cena vs. Randy Orton

This match was “11 years in the making” (in quotations since that statement was uttered constantly) and saw two of the biggest names square off. The match itself was back and forth. Both men had advantages with ladders and chairs (the tables would come into play later in the match). Both took turns getting beat with a steel chair and hit with a ladder. Orton was the first man to go through the table set up on the outside, but recovered quick enough to knock Cena off the ladder and hit the RKO. When the match went outside again, Cena hit Orton twice in the head with the steel steps, but Orton again recovered and went all Brad Maddox on Cena and beat him in the head with the microphone. He then attempted the patented Punt, but Cena countered into an Attitude Adjustment through the Spanish announce table (you’d think those guys would learn to sit somewhere else). Cena then climbed the ladder to the belts and got high enough to grab the apparatus holding the belts up when Orton recovered again and took the ladder out from under Cena leaving him suspended in the air. After Orton hit a dangling Cena with a chair to knock him down, Cena recovered enough to spear Orton through the table leaning in the corner of the ring. After Orton had again put Cena on the ground, he went outside the ring and produced a set of handcuffs and cuffed Cena to the bottom rope. Orton had all but won, but Cena was able to unscrew the rope from the ring post, climbed the ladder with the rope in tow, and hit Orton in the head knocking him off the ladder.  Orton regained his composure before Cena could grab the belts and pulled Cena off the ladder with the rope to land head first into the other table leaning in the corner. This allowed Randy Orton to ascend the ladder and grab both title belts and become the Unified Champion.

Overall Thoughts

I thought this was a pretty entertaining pay-per-view. Sure the Brodus Clay match didn’t really belong here and the Miz-Kingston match felt more like something I’d see on RAW, but the matches moved along smoothly without much filler in between (something I’d gotten used to). Personally I was very happy with the end of the main event, although I thought for sure something, anything, was going to happen to affect the outcome of the match. It was a clean match all the way through and never eased off the suspense meter. Up next is my favourite event of the year, the Royal Rumble and I look forward to seeing what comes next as the Road to Wrestlemania begins.

The Run to the Playoffs: NFL Edition

Well folks, it's about 3/4 of the way through the NFL season. What better time than now to take a look at the Schmucks' preseason predictions and get a look at some thoughts for the upcoming run to the Super Bowl.

My biggest prediction from the off-season predictions and NFL preview podcast was that Mr. All Day himself Adrian Peterson would break the NFL's rushing record of 2,105 this season. As of this article with Week 13 coming up, he isn't even the league's leading rusher. So, count me off track on that one. I mostly blame the terrible quarterback play of the Vikings for this one. Whether it be Ponder, Freeman or Cassel, all of them have been terrible. Expect a high quarterback pick this May in the draft.

Another subject both Brett and I discussed actually came semi-true and that was the play of Robert Griffin III and how he would come back from his ACL injury. So far, he actually has played pretty well, but you can tell he is not the same quarterback that he was last year: jittery in the pocket and doubling the amount of turnovers this year from the same time last year. The lack of training camp in the off-season, and all his focus on rehabbing his knee are most likely the culprits for his slide. I expect a full off-season to fix what ails him and for him to bounce back next year.

Not to insult fellow writer Brett with a couple of dubious picks this year, but he is last in the fantasy football league that we are in and will have the SACKO coming his way this year. (Editor's note: I believe I said I would win the SACKO) And his pick of Eli Manning for league MVP was quite off to say the least. (Don't know what I was on when I picked that scenario.) Our choice of Jarvis Jones for defensive rookie of the year was off base as well, but the Steelers struggles have been quite surprising. Our picks for division winners this year have been hit and miss this year especially in the AFC South.

In the NFC East, our choices of the Giants for Brett (Giants are only two games back) and Redskins for me is completely off with the revamped teams of the division the Eagles and Cowboys in a dogfight for top dog in the division. I believe Nick Foles will lead the Eagles to win the division. In the NFC North, no would in their right mind would think the Lions would be on top this late into the season, but the injury to Aaron Rodgers and the terrible defensive play of the the Packers left that door open. The Lions will win the division in a tight race to the end with the Bears. The NFC South has been a topsy-turvy story with every team being a surprise in their own right. Both Brett and I picked the Saints to win the division, but I did not see the Panthers playing this well. I thought next year would be in their fight for the division lead. The weeks coming up will be a big factor in who wins the division with the Panthers and Saints facing off twice. I think the Saints will come out on top. My prediction of the Falcons being overrated came to fruition, and the Buccaneers were going to be boom or bust this year as I said. It looks like they went bust, but have been competitive none-the-less. The NFC West has been Seattles' play thing this year and if they win home field you might as well book them a trip to New York for the Super Bowl. The 49ers have been surprisingly flat so far, but seem to be coming around late in year. My pick for a surprise wild card team in Arizona has been playing extremely well.

The AFC East, West and North has gone to plan for our picks with the Patriots, Bengals, and Broncos on top of their divisions handily. The AFC South pick of the Houston Texans went quite terribly with their season being an absolute disaster, with quarterback Matt Schaub going belly up and more then likely forcing the Texans into a high quarterback pick in the u coming draft. The interesting fight in the AFC is for the wild card position, where pretty much every team but the Texans and Jaguars have a shot at the final playoff spot. The Dolphins and Ravens are at 6-6 records right now, with the Titans, Chargers, Steelers, and Jets breathing down their necks at 5-7. The Bills, Browns, and Raiders are still in the picture at 4-8, but any kind of run in the upcoming weeks can put them right there at the end.

This season has been chalk full of shocking stories like the Jonathan Martin bullying situation down in Miami. I know it is the NFL and teams demand their players to be bad-ass, tough son of a guns, but in the end of the day these men are still human and who likes to be threatened while going to work? I believe Richie Incognito's punishment so far to his reputation and suspension have been fitting to the crime. I do believe he will play again, but not with the Dolphins. I believe both players will be moved in the off-season to new teams for the fresh starts they need.

As I said, RG3's drama this year has even gone beyond the knee with even his father being to blame for his play in the locker room. Washington has just been a bad team this year and the season will be a growing pain year like the one that Kansas City faced last year. Expect a bounce back next year.

The Buccaneers have had embarrassing story after embarrassing story come out this year. If it wasn't three players on the team getting a severe staph infection called MRSA, it was the ridicule of head coach Greg Schiano and the calling for him to be fired. Or the release of quarterback Josh Freeman. This year clearly has not gone to plan for the Buccaneers, but they have been playing well enough to have a much better record then they currently have. Mike Glennon could contend for Rookie of the Year. I still expect changes in off-season to the coach and GM, and a big year next year.

The biggest story of the year has to be the Texans and Chiefs, one going from worst team last year to potential Super Bowl contender and the other going from Super Bowl contender to worst team in the league. Even worse than the Jaguars. Quite shocking what has happened in Houston. They will need a lot of help in the off-season to get back to division top dog. Kansas City has played so well on behalf of their quarterback not being incompetent, with fringe choice for MVP Alex Smith leading them to a 9-3 record so far this year, and their defence being one of the best in the league.

Now that we have recapped what has taken place so far this season, it is time for updated selections for MVP, Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Rookies of the Year, and the Super Bowl champion of course!

We will start off with the Rookies of the Year on the defensive and offensive side. Our original picks for the Offensive Rookie of the Year was for EJ Manuel (Brett) and Tavon Austin (me). Manuel had a great start to the season, but injuries derailed his chance at the award. As much as Austin has picked it up later in the season, his beginning to his rookie year was terrible and he hasn't been able to recover from that. So with that, my updated pick for rookie of the year is Eddie Lacy from the Packers, who has single-handedly revived a stale and nearly dead rushing attack for the Packers. Also in consideration has been Mike Glennon from the Buccaneers who has turned the team around since taking over for Josh Freeman.

On the defensive side of the ball, the original picks for the Rookie of the Year for both Brett and I was Jarvis Jones of the Steelers. While Jones hasn't had the greatest first year, recording only one sack and 24 tackles up to the point of this article being written, it is another line backer taken in the 2nd round who has become the Sports By Schmucks defensive Rookie of the Year. Kiko Alonso from the Buffalo Bills has quietly become a force in the middle of the Bills' defence. The rangy former Oregon Duck has amassed 112 tackles up to this point, which is second in the league, along with four interceptions and two sacks. Another player to that caught my eye this year has been Sheldon Richardson from the Jets, who has been a disruptive force on the defensive line for the Rex Ryan Jets.

Both Brett and I had some interesting choices for who the Defensive Player of the Year could be. Brett chose Cam Wake and I chose Brian Orpako for the DPOY. Both are having solid years, but no one can touch this Seattle defender who has backed up his talk as one of the best to ever play the position. My choice for Defensive Player of the Year is Richard Sherman. While his stats aren't eye popping, that is for a reason: quarterbacks are just afraid to throw at him. He is the definition of shut down. With 29 tackles and 4 picks to this point, I don't expect him to put up to many more tackles or picks. But it's the fear he brings to quarterbacks that earns my respect and my player of the year choice. My other consideration for the award would be Robert Mathis from the Colts who is quietly having a great season in Indy, amassing 15.5 sacks so far this season to go along with a safety and five forced fumbles.

Our Offensive Player of the Year choice was Adrian Peterson. He was also my MVP choice. Brett's choice for MVP crazily enough (emphasis on crazy) was Eli Manning. But I believe it is the other Manning who will take home both awards. Peyton Manning has been having a whale of a season, with just over 4,100 yards passing, 41 touchdowns and only 9 picks all while leading his team to a 10-2 record. He more than deserves the choice as the Most Valuable Player in the NFL. Other players in consideration for each award is Calvin Johnson in Detroit and Adrian Peterson for the Vikings. Each are having incredible years, but will fall short in comparison to the year that Peyton is having.

Now, down to a topic we didn't hit on in the podcast or my season preview which is coach of the year. My choice for coach of the year is Ron Rivera in Carolina who has taken a team who last year had a 7-9 record, started out 0-2 this year, and is now 9-2 with nine straight impressive wins. Failing a late season collapse to the playoffs, he will win the award. Andy Reid in Kansas City also deserves major kudos for the job done there, but his roster was full of Pro Bowl talent. Bringing in quarterback Alex Smith maybe deserves more credit there for the turn around.

On to the final topic to look at and that is the eventually champ of the NFL. Brett and I originally had the match up set as the Denver Broncos vs the Seattle Seahawks for the Super Bowl. Nothing has changed from that original picking. We are just now more reinforced in our picks. Brett still has Peyton going on to win his 2nd Lombardi trophy, while I have Seattle winning it's first title ever bringing the trophy back to the 12th man in Seattle.

That is our look back and forward of the NFL's season so far. Keep an eye out for upcoming articles and podcasts from the guys at Sports by Schmucks, including a look at the MLB off-season at the big free agent signings so far and what's to come.

Follow us on Twitter at @SportBySchmucks and like us on Facebook for new posts on the website, live tweeting of events, and overall fun. If you don't follow, you won't know which game we'll be tweeting. Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest podcasts and sports gaming videos.

Buffalo Bills Owner Mode - Epsiode 5

The Buffalo Bills host the defending Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens in this episode of the Buffalo Bills Owner Mode. C.J. Spiller makes his return to the line-up. Will he help the Bills defend home turf?

Please take the time to subscribe to the YouTube for more content. You never know. I may forget to post a video here from time to time. Just like episodes three and four. Take some time to catch up by checking out the playlist here.

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Xavier Banks Road to Glory - Episode 10

Xavier Banks is back with two more games, both in the Pac-12. He takes on Stanford and Washington in this one. Will the Ducks stay undefeated?

Xavier Banks Road to Glory - Episode 9

Xavier Banks continues to lead the Oregon Ducks on their quest for the National Championship. How will his team do with two straight road games?

NHL Season Preview: Pacific Division

We are in the home stretch now as the NHL preview heads to the West Coast to look at the Pacific Division. It includes the final three Canadian teams and the entire state of California. Oh, and Phoenix. Let's get this started.

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks surprised a lot of people last year, finishing second in the Western Conference before being knocked out in the first round. It'll be hard to keep up with the pace from last year. Francois Beauchemin had a Norris calibre season last year. Will he be able to do that again? Viktor Fasth broke on to the scene as well, providing some stability in the net Jonas Hiller hasn't been able to the last couple of seasons. The known quantities from the Ducks are Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf putting up points and Teemu Selanne lacing up the skates. Bobby Ryan is gone, but Anaheim got a decent return for him including Jakob Silfverberg. It'll be an interesting season for the Ducks, but they'll be in a fight to make the playoffs this season.

Calgary Flames

Remember when Calgary were up 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Finals? That season started 10 years ago. A lot has changed since then, especially since last year. Jarome Iginla was finally traded after a couple of years of speculation. Long-time goaltender Miika Kiprusoff retired just before the season started. The silver lining for the Flames is they'll get a long look at many of their young prospects as they don't have much else. The addition of Jiri Hudler will help guide some of these players on and off the ice as they learn the NHL game. Defensively, new captain Mike Giordano (that still sounds weird) will lead this defence core into the season. They'll have their work cut out for them as new starting goalie Kaari Ramo has 48 total games played in the NHL over his career. Unfortunately for the Flames and their fans, the most interesting story for the team will be how Burke and Feaster work together. They won't even sniff the playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers

I really liked the moves Edmonton made in the offseason. They were able to unload Shawn Horcoff's contract, brought in David Perron to add some physicality to the top 6, and addressed their defence in the draft and through free agency. The Oilers signed Andrew Ference away from Boston, and he has already become Edmonton's captain. His leadership for a young defensive core will do wonders for the team. Unfortunately, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins will miss the first month and Sam Gagner will most likely miss the first two. It's forced Taylor Hall into the first-line centre roll for the team. It leaves the team very shallow down the middle, which is one of the strengths of the best teams in this division. If Devan Dubnyk can keep the team in it while they wait for their centres to come back, the Oilers might sneak into a playoff spot. If not, it'll be another long winter in Edmonton.

Los Angeles Kings

The Kings are a team built for playoff success. They showed it when they won the Cup as an eighth seed in the 2011-12 season. Last year, they made a valiant run before losing to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions. The good news for the Kings is they've essentially returned the same team as last year. Los Angeles remains a physical team, and that is how they generate most of their offence. Anze Kopitar is still a playmaker, while Mike Richards and Jeff Carter can play physically and put the puck in the net. They are still a tough, defensive unit behind Drew Doughty. The Kings have a lot of stability and consistency on the blue line as well. Anchored in net by Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles will be scary. Quick's ability allowed them to trade back-up Jonathan Bernier to the Leafs for Ben Scrivens, Matt Frattin, and pick. Frattin will add some more speed to the forward group. It's pretty much a lock that L.A. will make the playoffs again.

Phoenix Coyotes

With the ownership situation seemingly resolved in Phoenix, it's time for the city to focus on the actual game of hockey again. The strike shortened season was one to forget, especially after the success of the last full season. One of the factors leading to the downward trend was the injury to Mike Smith who played so well for the Coyotes. Now healthy, Smith should be able to lead the team back to some of the success they saw before. Phoenix also has many talented young blue liners, led by Keith Yandle who is just entering his prime. Oliver Ekman-Larsson should continue emerge as one of the game's best offensive defencemen. Upfront, Shane Doan is back for another season with the Desert Dogs. That is also one of the negatives for the team as many of their forwards are entering the twilight of their careers. It'll be hard for them to keep up with the fast-paced play of the regular season. If the offence can find ways to score, the Coyotes can make a run for the playoffs.

San Jose Sharks
Every year it seems writers and other forms of media want to convince readers and listeners the Sharks' window to win a championship has closed. But, most years, the team responds by putting together a great regular season before falling short in the playoffs. Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau have been the faces of the franchise since the 2004 lockout. The next big thing for the Sharks is Logan Couture, who is almost ready to supplant Thornton and Marleau. Add in a dash of Joe Pavelski and the team still has some gas in the tank. The defence has a nice balance of stay-at-home and puck-moving defencemen. Dan Boyle and Marc-Edouard Vlasic lead the charge from the back end to feed the offence. Antti Niemi is thankful for those two getting the puck out of his end consistently. Niemi was a Vezina contender last year and has the potential to do that again. It seems like the Sharks are destined to make the playoffs again, but how far will they go?

Vancouver Canucks
So, after all of that, the dust settles and Roberto Luongo is still a Vancouver Canuck. The least likely outcome happened, and the Canucks and Luongo have to repair a fragile relationship. With new coach John Tortorella, it might be easier to do so with a new voice in the room. In reality, nothing major has changed for the Canucks' roster other than the loss of Cory Schneider. The Sedins will still work their magic together; a healthy Ryan Kesler for a full season will help their depth at centre; Kevin Bieksa again leads the defence which will try to block more shots under Tortorella's system. The only difference that could effect the Canucks is if they buy in to what Tortorella is preaching. I think they do and make the playoffs again.

So, that was a quick breakdown of the seven teams in the Pacific Division. Now, let's see how they shake out in the standings.

1. Los Angeles Kings
2. Vancouver Canucks
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Phoenix Coyotes
5. Edmonton Oilers
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. Calgary Flames

Obviously, based on this, I think the Ducks were a fluke last year and can't sustain that level of play. With both Western Conference divisions now done, I believe Phoenix and Winnipeg makes the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Oilers, the injuries to start the season will just be too difficult to make up.

Well, there you have it. That's how I think the NHL will finish after 82 games. How do you think the season will go for all of the divisions. Sound off in the comments below or let us known on Twitter - also below.

Follow us on Twitter at @SportBySchmucks for new posts on the website, live tweeting of events, and overall fun. If you don't follow, you won't know which game we'll be tweeting. Also, subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest podcasts and sports gaming videos.

NHL Season Preview: Central Division

One of the criticisms from Eastern Conference teams is the number of teams in their conference. There are six guaranteed playoff spots, leaving 10 to fight for the two Wild Card spots.

By comparison, the Western Conference has it easy, with only eight teams left to fight for two spots. Does it make it any less challenging? Not really, but it will be something to play with at the end of the season. "Which Eastern Conference team got screwed?" I can already see all of the blogs and Twitter rants about it now.

But that's not what now is about. We take our preview to the aforementioned Western Conference (read the Eastern Conference here and here) with a look at the Central Division - the home to the defending Stanley Cup Champions and a potential champion this year as well.

Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks took full advantage of the shortened season last year. They used their speed to win games during the regular season, including 24 straight games with a point during the regular season. The roster hasn't changed much since the final buzzer went that awarded the 'Hawks the Cup. Dave Bolland, who scored the Stanley Cup winning goal, was traded to the Leafs shortly after the season. Ray Emery left to fight for the starting job in Philadelphia. That's all well and good for Chicago as they have shown forward depth to replace Bolland without mentioning the likes of Toews, Kane, and Hossa. Emery would be the back-up as the Blackhawks inked Corey Crawford to a six-year contract extension in September. On defence, Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook lead the defence and could both potentially make Canada's team for Sochi. Chicago also has players on the blue line that are tough and will get down to block shots. This could be another shot at the Cup for the Blackhawks. That's funny since they just recently broke their 49-year drought in 2010.

Colorado Avalanche
A new season for the Avalanche brings a new coach into the mix. Straight out of the QJMHL, Patrick Roy comes back to his former team to lead them back to the playoffs. He has a young team to work with, including players such as Gabriel Landeskog and Matt Duchene. However, that inexperience is one of their biggest problems. The team is prone to going on losing streaks they can't bring themselves out of before it's too late. One of the reasons could be the offence. In the 48-game season last year, only two players had above 40 points (Duchene and PA Parenteau with 43). The next closest player was Paul Statsny with 24. Defensively, only five of the players who played more than 25 games had a positive plus-minus rating. How much of that was the goaltending? Semyon Varlamov has 21 regulation losses in 33 starts, with a save percentage just about .900. It could be another rough year for the Avalanche. However, this division seems to have a wide open race for the third playoff spot. If someone like Varlamov catches fire, it could be enough. But, most likely they'll finish near the bottom of the division.

Dallas Stars
Bolstered by a new uniform design and logo, the Stars made some changes on the ice as well. One of the biggest moves was acquiring Tyler Seguin from Boston for Loui Eriksson. One of the underrated players coming over in the deal is Rich Peverley, who should help shore up the third line. They also added Shawn Horcoff, who desperately needed a change of scenery from Edmonton. The defence is pretty strong with puck-moving defencemen like Alex Goligoski and Sergei Gonchar. I've always liked Trevor Daley's game, and Stephane Robidas rounds out a quality top-4. Kari Lehtonen will get the lion's share of starts between the pipes. He's a strong goalie who had a goals against average of 2.66 last season. With new captain Jamie Benn, this team is going to make a very strong run for third place in the division.

Minnesota Wild
The Wild made the biggest splash last offseason when they signed both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise for identical, expensive contracts. After a short camp and season last year, expect the chemistry with the team to be better after adding those big ticket players. Also great for Minnesota was the addition of Jason Pominville at the trade deadline last season from Buffalo. He adds leadership, scoring, and grit to the team, making the Wild that much harder to play against. Nino Niederreiter was added at the draft from the Islanders and his speed could add some life to the offence. He is able to create and score when giving the opportunity, which was hard on Long Island with all of the young players trying to find a spot. Sutor anchors the blue line with a good mix of veterans and young players. They should be an improved unit over last season. As for goalies, Josh Harding was the feel-good story of the NHL last season, playing extremely well while battling MS. Combined with starter Niklas Backstrom, the Wild will be hard to score against. They will be one of the teams in the mix for either the Wild Card or third place in the division.

Nashville Predators
The Predators may have got the steal of the 2013 NHL Draft when Seth Jones fell into their lap at the 4th overall selection. Thought to be the best prospect in the draft for most of the season, Jones will be a significant player in the future for the Preds. He looks like he has made the roster this year, so the learning curve for the young defenceman will be steep. The rest of the unit is led by captain Shea Weber, and will be a strong point for the team. The team will be offensively-challenged, especially with Martin Erat being traded to the Captials last season. It'll be interesting to see how Filip Forsberg fits onto the roster as well. Pekka Rinne will be very strong in net again for Nashville and will be one of the reasons they potentially make the playoffs. If he has an off year, Nashville will be at the bottom of the conference again. He'll have to step his game up to make this team competitive.

St. Louis Blues
This will be the team to challenge the Chicago Blackhawks for the division crown. Why? The St. Louis Blues are deep. They can confidently put out any of their top-6 defencemen at any time. Fresh off a big contract extension, Alex Pietrangelo is the best player of the unit and has a strong chance to make the Canadian Olympic team. Offensively, they added Brenden Morrow a couple of days ago, traded for former-Oiler Magnus Paajarvi, and signed Max LaPierre for some grit. They are still a very physical team all-around, and have a balanced offensive attack to go along with it. The Blues can also be confident either putting Brian Elliott or Jaroslav Halak in between the pipes on any given night. The Blues will definitely be a playoff team this year, with a potential to go very deep in the playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets
This season will be key in determining how travel really effects an NHL team over the course of a full season. With Detroit moving into the East, Winnipeg is now in the West - and rightfully so. It will definitely help their travel schedule as they don't have to consistently fly to places like Florida and Tampa Bay. In net, Ondrej Pavelec has been solid for the Jets and should continue to play well for the team. The Jets have some solid defencemen in players like Zach Bogosian, Dustin Byfuglien and Marc Stuart. They also have some young players who can come up and have an impact on the blue line. The forwards are led by Andrew Ladd, who has grit and puts the puck in the net. Blake Wheeler and Evander Kane can both score in bunches for Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele will have a very good rookie season, with Calder Trophy potential. The Jets were really close last year to making the playoffs for the first time since the relocation. They will be close again.

Now, here is how the division will finish:

1. Chicago Blackhawks
2. St. Louis Blues
3. Dallas Stars
4. Winnipeg Jets
5. Minnesota Wild
6. Nashville Predators
7. Colorado Avalanche

Up next is the Pacific Division, which will clear up the playoff picture for the Western Conference. Will one of these Central teams in the bottom four be able to make the playoffs as a Wild Card? Or, will the Pacific steal both spots? Find out in the next post!

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NHL Season Preview: Atlantic Division

*takes off Leafs sweater*

Alright. Let's get unbiased in this piece!

In case you missed it, I started previewing the new divisions for the upcoming 2013-14 NHL season. Last time, I covered how I thought the Metropolitan Division would play out. This time, I go to the other division in the Eastern Conference.

As you may have gathered from above, I grew up a Leafs fan. This division comes with a lot of emotion, especially with the Red Wings becoming a division rival again. It also adds more trips south for the teams of the Old Atlantic with the inclusion of Florida and Tampa Bay.

Boston Bruins
The playoffs provided a roller coaster of emotions for the Bruins. First, they come from three goals down to deliver the expected heartbreak to Maple Leafs fans everywhere. Then, in the Stanley Cup Final, Boston surrenders two goals in 17 seconds at the end of Game 6 to give the Cup to the Blackhawks. Their offseason consisted up of locking up important pieces to the future. Tuuku Rask and Patrice Bergeron got paid. They let Nathan Horton walk to bring in Jarome Iginla - for real this time. Plus, they shipped off-ice distraction Tyler Seguin to Dallas for Loui Eriksson. He'll be a nice fit o the wing for Boston. Their defence is still as strong as ever under the captaincy of Zdeno Chara. Dougie Hamilton will have a break-out year and emerge as one of the best young defencemen. Boston is going to have a very good year.

Buffalo Sabres
It was a typical season for fans of a Buffalo sports team last year. The team opened up the wallet and signed a bunch of players, but the team slid down to the bottom of the standings. This year, the team will be relying again on Thomas Vanek for the offence. Cody Hodgson or Mikhail Grigorenko will have to take a big step forward in order for the Sabres to get close enough for Ryan Miller to steal them a playoff spot. Miller had an off year during the strike-shortened season (I would know since I drafted him in fantasy). Look for him to bounce back, especially with the Sochi Olympics coming up in February. Unfortunately for Sabres fans, it looks like a second straight year of no playoffs for the team. That is unless Ryan Miller wins the Vezina.

Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings had three natural rivals in the division from their Original Six days. After free agency, they added a fourth. With the signing of Daniel Alfredsson away from the Ottawa Senators, the Wings got some more veteran leadership and a player still capable of being a strong second line player. Paired with another new addition Stephen Weiss, Alfredsson is looking to prove he can still play at a competitive level. He also wants the Cup which has eluded him so far through his career. The roster still has the talent to get him to that level. Datsyuk and Zetterberg look to have great campaigns this season. Nik Kronwall is the anchor of the blue line and will provide a lot of poise back there. Jimmy Howard has proven he can be one of the game's elite 'tenders over the last couple of seasons. Expect to see the Red Wings in the playoffs again.

Florida Panthers
Poor Florida. The Panthers were starting to look good, especially two years ago when they made the playoffs. Now, it will be even more of a long shot as they are stuck in an extremely competitive division. Adding Barkov in the draft will help in the future, stockpiling talent to go along with the likes of Jonathan Huberdeau and Erik Gudbranson. The signing of Tim Thomas keeps the team in the news, but could prove to be more of a distraction in the long run. Look for Florida to be at the bottom of the conference again, but will have another solid piece for the future.

Montréal Canadiens
The Habs surprised a lot of people last year as they finished second in the Eastern Conference. After being eliminated in the first round, the Canadiens looked to add some more players. Enter Danny Briere for some scoring and George Parros for some extra toughness. The Briere signing didn't address the issue of size for Montréal. They are still a fairly small team that rely on skill more than their toughness. The Canadiens do have some grit in the defensive zone, as Josh Gorges will rough people up and reigning Norris trophy-winner P.K. Subban will get under the skin of the opposition. The season will fall on the shoulders of Carey Price. The young netminder has shown some cracks under the pressure of the Montréal media, but he is still one of the best in the game. This team will go as far as Price will take them.

Ottawa Senators
It will be weird watching the Senators play the Leafs and not hear the constant booing whenever Daniel Alfredsson touched the puck. Alfie is out. Enter Bobby Ryan from the Ducks and Clarke MacArthur from free agency. While the Sens gave up a lot to get Ryan, he'll fit in perfectly beside new captain Jason Spezza on the first line. One of the biggest "moves" for Ottawa is the return of a fully-healthy Erik Karlsson. He is a constant threat every time he is on the ice with this effortless skating and ability to make the perfect pass. The best news about the injury-plagued season for the Sens last year was all of the experience their prospects received, especially in the playoffs. Craig Anderson showed again that he could be the man for the Senators. Things are looking up in Canada's capital.

Tampa Bay Lightning
Another team lost their franchise player and captain. The Lecavalier era ended when the Lightning bought him out in the summer. Now, the new face of the franchise is Steven Stamkos and it will be up to him to take Tampa back to the playoffs. Stamkos, who is capable of scoring 60, needs to prove he can be a leader for this team. It will be he and Martin St. Louis that will be responsible for the majority of the team's offence. On defence, they are strong with the likes of Victor Hedman and Mattias Ohlund anchoring the blue line. It will be interesting to see what young players make the team. Will Jonathan Druin stay with the team all season? Which young defenceman will crack the roster? How will Anders Lindback and Ben Bishop co-exist between the pipes? It will be another tough season for the Lightning.

Toronto Maple Leafs
Alright, let's be reasonable here. The Leafs overachieved last season. All of the advanced stats say so. But, they looked very good against the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs. Their style of play translated very well into postseason hockey. However, contracts became an issue. Dave Nonis needed to buy out Mikhail Grabovski - who flew around the ice during the playoffs - in order to resign Phil Kessel's BFF Tyler Bozak. In free agency, they threw money at David Clarkson who is now suspended for the first 10 games of the season. That will hurt the team early on and might be the deciding factor in the season. 10 games is a lot, almost one-eighth of the season. One bright spot was the addition of Jonathan Bernier. He will push James Reimer and eventually take over the starting job. This will be a tough season for the Leafs. Kadri and Franson are both playing for respect. Kessel and Phaneuf are on contract years, so you could expect big things from them. But, this is Toronto after all...

So, that is my brief overview of each team. How will this division play out?

1. Boston Bruins
2. Detroit Red Wings
3. Ottawa Senators
4. Montréal Canadiens
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
6. Tampa Bay Lightning
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Florida Panthers

As for the Wild Card, I think the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs sneak into the playoffs with those positions. I just don't think there is enough in the other division to knock one of the teams out. Look for the Islanders or the Hurricanes to be dark horses in the Eastern Conference for a lower playoff seed.

Do you agree or disagree? Sound off in the comments below.

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NHL Season Preview: Metropolitan Division

A lot changed this offseason in the National Hockey League. Coupled with all of the usual free agent signings, trades, and roster cuts, the NHL went under the knife and had a huge face lift.

For starters, the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings both moved to the Eastern Conference to give them more favourable travel schedules. Both teams now won't have to fly out west as often, greatly reducing the fatigue accompanied by flying first class across the continent.

How did the NHL make room for them in the Eastern Conference? Simple! They cut the number of divisions from six to four. Now, the conferences are split 16-14 in favour of the East. Gone are the Northeast, Southeast, and Northwest Divisions. Enter the Metropolitan Division. Yes, that's right. That's the name the league settled on.

With the new divisions, there was also a new playoff format. The top-3 teams in each division make the playoffs. Then, the next two highest point totals in the conference make the playoffs as Wild Cards.

Anyways, this is the preview for the newest division in the NHL: The Metropolitan Division!

Carolina Hurricanes
The biggest addition this offseason for the Hurricanes may just be a healthy Cam Ward. When healthy, Ward and the Hurricanes were 9-6-1 during his 16 starts. The rest of the season? Dan Ellis and Justin Peters' combined record was 10-19-3-2. Bring back an all-world talent will definitely put Carolina back on track in the division. His presence between the pipes will improve the team's defence, especially picking up some abysmal plus-minus ratings on the team (Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner were a combined -39). The Canes also survived a scare during the World Hockey Championship when Eric Staal had a knee-on-knee collision with Alexander Edler. Staal, Carolina's captain, will be back in time for the regular season and he will need to continue his stellar play from last year, putting up 53 points in 48 games. The Hurricanes won't be one of the top-3 in the division, but they could challenge for a Wild Card spot. However, the Staal Brothers and the Hurricanes won't make it this year.

Columbus Blue Jackets
Jarmo Kekäläinen begins his first full season as General Manager of the Blue Jackets and he made some moves in the offseason. Kekäläinen signed Nathan Horton away from the Boston Bruins (even though he'll miss the first couple of months with a shoulder injury) and re-signing Vezina-winning goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to a contract extension. Bobrovsky carried this team last year, as his play was the only reason the Blue Jackets were even talking about the playoffs in March. He had to win games on his own as no player on the current roster had more than 30 points last season (Marion Gaborik only had 8 points after being acquired from the Rangers). When Horton gets back, he'll be expected to carry some of that load offensively. Keep an eye out for rookie Boone Jenner. He was a man amongst boys in the OHL last season and is looking like he'll play on Columbus' first line when the season opens. It'll be a much tougher test for the Blue Jackets this year. With the new alignment, I don't expect to see Columbus anywhere near a playoff position.

New Jersey Devils
The Devils made the best move of any team when they stole Cory Schneider from the Vancouver Canucks for their first round pick. Compared to what the rumours were last season for Roberto Luongo and what the Canucks were allegedly asking for from the Oilers, New Jersey comes out smelling like roses. They have a goalie who can now play right away, while slowly taking the reigns away from future Hall of Famer Martin Brodeur. It will protect the Devils in case of injury in the crease, but also set them for the future. What ruined some future plans was the "retirement" of Ilya Kovalchuk. He was their main offensive weapon last year and was supposed to be a major threat going forward. The Devils have now lost three of their best players in two years with Zach Parise signing in Minnesota and David Clarkson signing in Toronto. For New Jersey to stay competitive, they'll need Adam Henrique to bounce back and Jaromir Jagr to keep fighting off Father Time. Also, Travis Zajac will have to put up some numbers to support the extension he recently signed. If the Devils win games this year, they will be of the 2-1 or 3-2 variety. Unfortunately for them, that won't be good enough in a very competitive division and conference.

New York Islanders
One of the pleasant surprises from last season was this Islanders team making it into the playoffs and giving the Pittsburgh Penguins a scare in the first round. Led by MVP candidate and new captain John Tavares, I don't see this Brooklyn-bound team taking a step backwards this season. His game will continue to improve and the chemistry with linemate Matt Moulson will keep the offence flying on Long Island this season. The question will be on the back end as they failed to sign former captain Mark Streit. There are some holes defensively now, which might expose aging netminder Evgeni Nabokov. The Finnish goalie had 23 wins on the season last year, but had an average save-percentage of .910. Tavares and Moulson will have to put up impressive numbers again for this young team to be competitive in the division.

New York Rangers
The New York media will have some much calmer post-game conferences as John Tortorella was fired by the team during the offseason. Enter Alain Vigneault as the new coach. He inherits a team that floundered in the second round of the playoffs last year against the Bruins. You can't count out this Rangers team when they have a goalie as good as Henrik Lundqvist playing 65 to 70 games this season. Arguably the best goalie in the world, Lundqvist provides stability for New York's defence. He proves the saying that you build a team from the crease out. The defence also does an outstanding job of blocking shots for their goalie, making them a hard team to score goals against. The return of Mark Staal will help bolster the back-end to make the unit even stronger. New York hopes that Brad Richards will return to form after a very disappointing season that saw him become a healthy scratch in the playoffs. If he gets his game back, expect to see a bump in points to Rick Nash as well.

Philadelphia Flyers
It seems strange to say, but one of the concerns for the Philadelphia Flyers would have to be the blueline. Chris Pronger is still on injured reserve as does not look like he'll play again. They brought in Mark Streit to help out the unit. He, Kimo Timmonen, and Andrej Meszaros will provide veteran leadership amongst the defenders to guide young guns like Luke Schenn to improvement. Offensively, this team should be fine. Led by captain Claude Giroux, the Flyers will have plenty of scoring with the likes of Vincent Lecavalier, Jakub Voracek, and Scott Hartnell. Keep an eye out for Sean Couturier and Brayden Schenn to have big seasons as they fully adjust to the NHL level. As always, questions between the pipes will arise as Ray Emery and Steve Mason will fight for the starting job. Emery will probably emerge as the Number One guy, but the team will still struggle at times.

Pittsburgh Penguins
It's hard to bet against a team that has the two of the top three players on the planet in their starting line-up. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will continue to produce at an unbelievable level. If healthy, you can pretty well pencil them both in for 100-point seasons. The Penguins are also deep. They can run three lines at you that can score, with many of them being able to play above average to good defence. Adding Rob Scuderi will help improve the depth amongst the six defencemen. Kris Letang will also quarterback a very intimidating power play unit. Like the Flyers, the question will be be in net. Marc-Andre Fleury didn't make it through the first round agains the Islanders. He was replaced by Tomas Vokoun who demonstrated his ability to take the ball and run with it. Will Fleury be able to overcome whatever is between his head and have a bounce back season? That will determine where the Penguins finish in the standings this year.

Washington Capitals
The Capitals are always a curious team. They put up great regular seasons, but flame out quickly in the playoffs. How much of that was due to the weak Southeast Division? Well, we'll find that out this year as the Capitals will only bring the Hurricanes with them to the new Metropolitan division. As for breaking down the team, Alexander Ovechkin continues to be the spark plug and motor of this team. As he goes, so do the Capitals. If he plays anything like the second half of last season which earned him the Hart Trophy, then Washington will be fine. Nicklas Backstrom will help Ovechkin carry the load offensively. Martin Erat was a nice pick up last season to add secondary scoring. A big factor for the Caps I believe will be the addition of Mikhail Grabovski. While he never lived up to the contract in Toronto, he provided great energy and grit amongst the bottom six when he settled into his role in Randy Carlyle's system. On the back end, the group is largely unchanged. Mike Green - when healthy - can put up great offensive numbers. Karl Alzner will continue to provide great defence and take a lot of the minutes in their own zone. In net, Braden Holtby and Michal Neuvirth will continue to fight. However, Holtby has proven he can take the majority of the starts. The Capitals could be a dangerous team this year.

Division Standings

1. Pittsburgh Penguins
2. New York Rangers
3. Washington Capitals
4. Philadelphia Flyers
5. New York Islanders
6. Carolina Hurricanes
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Columbus Blue Jackets

Well, that's how I think the Metropolitan will play out this season. When I finish the Northeast Atlantic Division preview, I'll combine the two and show how I think the full conference will play out. Come back and check it out!

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Xavier Banks Road to Glory - Episode 7

Join Xavier Banks and the Oregon Ducks as they start Banks' sophomore season!

Xavier Banks Episode 6 - BCS National Championship

Sports by Schmucks Podcast - 2013 NFL Season Preview (Episode 7)

The NFL season starts tonight. Why not sit back and take some time to listen to our preview podcast this afternoon while you wait for kickoff? Trust me, it's worth it. Sean and I discuss some great season stories before diving in to our predictions for the season.

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Buffalo Bills Owner Mode - Episode 2

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Xavier Banks - Pac-12 Championship (Episode 5)

It's time for the Pac-12 Championship with Xavier Banks. Will he and the Ducks be able to take down USC?

NFL Offseason Review: AFC

With the NFC division previews done, I turn my attention to the AFC. Life has got in the way of me doing a division by division break down, so I am going to take a look at the entire AFC, starting with the AFC East.

AFC EAST

Tom Brady (Photo from wbur.org)

In the AFC East, the New England Patriots are still the team to beat there. As long as Tom Brady is there, they will be the top dogs. The Pats have taken many clear hits this offseason: losing Rob Gronkowski to his forearm surgery, Brandon Lloyd/ Wes Welker to free agency, and Aaron Hernandez to his alleged murder rap. So, all of their young receivers they have brought in will have to step up. Luckily, their running game will be solid with Stevan Ridley carrying the load for them. Shane Vereen will be a capable backup. The defence for the defending AFC East champs should be much improved this year with the addition of Adrian Wilson to the secondary. It adds to the experience their younger players - like Chandler Jones and Donta Hightower - gained last year. 

EJ Manuel (Photo from thescore.com)

The Buffalo Bills made the big splash in the 2013 draft, trading back to pick 16 to select quarterback EJ Manuel to be the guy to lead them into the future. I think the pick was fantastic. He has a little bit of Cam Newton/Ben Rothlisberger in him and should be a solid quarterback in the long run. Losing guard Andy Levitre to the Titans was a big blow and the young Buffalo line might struggle this year. Running back CJ Spiller is a big time option at running back. This man should have defences losing sleep the night before they play the Bills. Selecting Robert Woods from USC in the draft should help give Manuel options in the pass game. The Bills are moving to a 3-4 under new coach Doug Marrone and the front 7 should be solid with Mario Williams moving back to line backer and Manny Lawson being brought in to rush the passer. Buffalo's secondary is one of the better ones in the league with safety Jarius Byrd back to anchor it. Look for Buffalo to be a legitimate threat to push for a wildcard spot but to fall short. (Editor's note: Jeff Tuel)

Mike Wallace (Photo from miamiherald.com)

The Miami Dolphins went out in the offseason and made huge free agent signings. While one of their big signings for the year - tight end Dustin Keller - has gone down for the season with a brutal knee injury, this team will be better and compete with Buffalo to challenge the Pats for the division crowd. Second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill should take a big jump this year in terms of production. I am a huge fan of his and the addition of Mike Wallace from Pittsburgh can only help him in the vertical passing game. Losing Jake Long to St. Louis will hurt the offensive line. Second year player Jonathan Martin will need to step up with Long gone. Reggie Bush is also gone, so Lamar Miller will be the bell-cow runner for the Dolphins. He is explosive, but I expect some inconsistencies from him this year. Surprise 3rd overall pick Dion Jordan will help make the pass rush off the Dolphins explosive. Expect him to help eat up blockers, allowing Cameron Wake to have massive numbers this year - close to 20 sack type numbers. The line backing core will be solid with Dannell Ellerbe coming over from the Ravens this offseason. The secondary is kind of sketchy, losing a lot of their starters from last year but will be ok with Brent Grimes as their main man. Expect a good season from the Dolphins, but I think next year will be the year they push for a playoff spot.

From left to right: Geno Smith and Mark Sanchez (Photo from turnonthejets.com)

What a mess taking place in New York, as the men in green are going to be very bad this year. Geno Smith or Mark Sanchez will struggle this season with no weapons in the passing game or the ground game to help them. Second year wide out Stephen Hill is the biggest weapon for this team, and he has been very inconsistent at the very best, and the running back situation is dire since all of their running backs going for the starting job should be back-ups. The defence - after losing Revis in the offseason - drafted his replacement in Dee Milliner. He may be a good replacement in time, but the drop off from Revis to Milliner will be quite noticeable. The defence should be the bread winners of the team and the only unit that will keep this team in games. Expect Jadeveon Clowney in the gang green next year, they could be the first overall pick. (Editor's note: Please don't let the Jets get Clowney)

AFC NORTH

Andy Dalton (Photo from hdnux.com)

In the AFC North I expect the Cincinnati Bengals to reign supreme over the division, largely coming back in tact from last years squad, but with some noticeable improvements on offence. With the drafting of tight end Tyler Eifert and the selection of running back Giovani Bernard on offence, it gives the Bengals plenty of options for the Red Rocket Andy Dalton to have at his disposal to go along with all world wide out AJ Green. The front 4 of the defensive line is probably the best in football, lead by stud Geno Atkins. Expect them to wreak havoc week in and week out. The line backing core is sound and lead by thumpers Vontaze Burfict and import from Pittsburgh James Harrison. The secondary is a solid unit as well. Keep an eye out for Leon Hall - vastly underrated and deserves more recognition than he currently gets.

Trent Richardson (Photo from thefantasyprofessor.com)

I think the surprise of the division will be the Cleveland Browns. Don't get me wrong. I don't see the playoffs this season for the Brownies, but they will get close to .500 ball this year. The offensive line for the Browns is one of the better ones in the league. They have a stud running back in Trent Richardson, who as long as he is healthy, should put up numbers close to what Doug Martin and Alfred Morris did last year. Brandon Weeden had a solid rookie season and should be much improved this year. Keep an eye out for Jordan Cameron this year at tight end; he is going to bust out. The defence all-around for the Browns is a solid unit lead by D'qwell Jackson, Joe Haden, and TJ Ward. With the addition of Paul Kruger from division-rival Baltimore,, look for the Browns to no longer be considered push-overs in this rough AFC North. 

Troy Polamalu (Photo from nflpassers.com)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are only going to go as far as their defence can carry them. On offence, they will be solid but unspectacular. They really need rookie Le'veon Bell to show up and really give them something out of the backfield for the black and yellow. Big Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have Mike Wallace or Heath Miller to throw to this season, so Matt Spaeth and the wide receivers will really have to step up. Look for recent draftee Markus Wheaton to be a big part off this offence from the slot position. Jarvis Jones will be a huge boost to this defence, giving them a lot out of the linebacking spot. Expect him to take incumbents Jason Worilds' spot away by Week 4. The secondary will absolutely need a healthy Troy Polamalu to step up and be the game changer that he can be. Ike Taylor is one of the better cornerbacks in this league.

Joe Flacco at Super Bowl XLVII (Photo from baltimoresun.com)

From first to ... well, not first. I don't expect a repeat run at the Super Bowl for the Baltimore Ravens. Not because I think they lost to much in the offseason, but because there is so much more competition out there this year. It will be fierce. Losing tight end Dennis Pitta right from the start of the season is going to hurt Joe Flacco as he only has a bunch of unproven weapons at which to throw. Receiver Torrie Smith will really have to step up. Ray Rice will have to be used better this season than what he was at the beginning of last season when he was almost an after thought. Losing Ray Lewis and Ed Reed is going to hurt no matter what, but replacements Elvis Dumervil and Michael Huff will be a good start to replacing those legends.

AFC WEST

Peyton Manning (Photo from nydailynews.com)

In the AFC West, this division is the Denver Broncos to lose. With Peyton Manning at the head of the team, expect a deep playoff run - possibly even a Super Bowl birth in the card for the Broncos. The offence for the Broncos is a Top-3 offence in this league, with Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Eric Decker as all of the weapons on the outside for Peyton for which to throw. The offensive line is solid and the recent drafting of Monte Ball at running back gives even more weapons to an offence that is not lacking at all. The defence is going to sorely miss Elvis Dumervil, and losing Von Miller to suspension for the first 6 games of the season will absolutely hurt, but the offence should be good enough to cover up for 6 weeks until he gets back. As long as the secondary doesn't give up a 60 yard pass play in the playoffs again to lose at the last minute, the Broncos should be the team to beat here.

Jamaal Charles (Photo from thenewstribe.com)

From worst team overall to potential wild card contender, the Kansas City Chiefs boast a ton of Pro-Bowlers and a new starting quarterback, which should help lead the Chiefs back to the playoffs. New quarterback Alex Smith was quite possibly the best quarterback in the league last year up until he was hurt. Playing behind this offensive line in Kansas City with recent first overall pick Eric Fisher at right tackle, he might never be touched. That is good news for Jamaal Charles. He might be a legitimate threat to break 2000 yards if he is given the ball enough. Dwayne Bowe could have used another solid wide out option on the other side of him, but picking up tight ends Anthony Fasano and drafting Travis Kelce should help ease the pressure on him. On defence, the team is loaded with Pro-Bowlers. If tackle Dontari Poe can take the next step in evolving, this defence will be scary once again.

Mike McCoy (Photo from cbssports.com)

New coach Mike McCoy is in town in San Diego, but can he turn Phillip Rivers back into the quarterback he was 3 years ago? The offence for the Chargers has so many questions. Can Antonio Gates come back healthy? Will the offensive line stop letting Rivers get hit constantly? Can Ryan Mathews finally break out and become the running back the Chargers expected him to be.? My answers are: yes, Gates will be healthy and effective this year; no, the line will not protect Rivers; and Mathews will be out of a job next season after not showing anything again this year. Poor Rivers; he deserves better. The wide outs for him are just average at best as well. The defence shouldn't be too bad this year with the additions of Dwight Freeney at line backer and Manti Te'o. Eric Weddle is one of the best safeties in the league that very few credit with such, and Corey Liuget is a solid all around linemen for the Super Chargers. Expect another higher end draft pick for the Chargers.

Darren McFadden (Photo from fanduel.com)

The Oakland Raiders are rebuilding plain and simple. The offence has very few weapons outside of Denarius Moore and the always injured Darren McFadden. The quarterback position is a mess with neither Matt Flynn or Terrelle Pryor impressing anyone. I expect Pryor will start most of the year just so the Raiders can see what they have in him. Expect Teddy Bridgewater to Oakland in the draft. The defence does have some talent especially in the back end with Charles Woodson making his return to the black and silver. First round pick DJ Hayden will be a stud.

AFC SOUTH

Arian Foster (Photo from fatbeardsports.com)

The Houston Texans will be the team to beat in the AFC South. The team is very deep at almost every spot with an above average league starter. The addition of DeAndre Hopkins on the other side of the field from All-Pro Andre Johnson should help open up the offence even more for quarterback Matt Schaub. Ben Tate back and healthy this year should help Arian Foster keep fresher and healthier into the playoffs. Brian Cushing's return to the line-up at line backer for the Texans will bring a big boost with his play-making abilities. Oh yeah, and they signed a future Hall of Famer to captain their secondary in Ed Reed. If he can get healthy and to his regular level of play, this defence will be fearsome.

Andrew Luck (Photo from helmet2helmet.com)

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts will be in a dog fight all year for one of the two Wild Card spots. The Colts will need one of Vick Ballard or Ahmad Bradshaw to step up in the back field and be the guy for the Colts AND be a thousand yard rusher for the team. The receivers for the Colts are solid with Reggie Wayne and Darrius Heyward-Bey. Keep an eye out for TY Hilton and the tight ends Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener. They should be better in Year 2 with Andrew Luck. The defence of the Colts is still a bit shaky being in the 3-4 set up they have. The Colts will need to rely on Robert Mathis to create pressure on the quarterback as he is really the Colts main pass rusher.

Chris Johnson (Photo from nashvillecitypaper.com)

The Tennessee Titans are still building up for a run at a playoff spot next year. They are a couple of big weapons away from being a legit playoff threat. The big thing for the Titans is the growth of Jake Locker. He is going to need to step up and stop turning the ball over and even just be a game manager because of the running game they have. Chris Johnson is always a threat to top 2000 yards, especially with the offensive line being upgraded at the guard position with the addition of Andy Levitre from Buffalo and Chance Warmack in the draft. Kenny Britt will have to stay healthy this year for Jake Locker to make any strides in his career. The loss of Jared Cook Jr to St. Louis will hurt. The Titans have a really solid underrated defence. Middle line backer Colin McCarthy is a tackling machine, and the corners are solid and underrated.

Blaine Gabbert (Photo from nfl.si.com)

The Jacksonville Jaguars are still going to continue to be one of the not-so-great teams in the league. They do have some solid parts of the puzzle, but they are at least 2 drafts away from any thing close to a playoff team. Maurice Jones-Drew is this offence and there is no understating that. Blaine Gabbert will have to step up this year, or he will be out of a job at the end of it. Losing Justin Blackmon to suspension to start the year is really going to hurt, but Cecil Short is a potential break-out star if he had a solid quarterback throwing to him. On the plus side, the Jaguars' offensive tackle duo is one of the best in the league with Luke Joeckel and Eugene Monroe. The Jags' defence has potential but their secondary is terrible; seecond round pick John Cyprien is the lone bright spot back there. Jason Babin can be a solid player still and keep an eye out for Tyson Alualu. (Editor's note: At least they have some spiffy new uniforms. Oh, wait...)

So that is it with my brief look at the AFC. Stay tuned for the Sports By Schmucks NFL Season Preview Podcast with our predictions for MVP, Rookies of the Year, Conference Winners, and the Super Bowl champion.

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NFL Offseason Review: NFC North

We finish our tour of the NFC with a look at the North, which had 3 teams with 10 or more wins last season. Can the Lions bounce back from a down year? Will the Vikings three first round draft picks make a big difference? Will a CFL coach make an impact and get the Bears back to the Super Bowl? Or can the Green and Gold from the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field keep up their domination and be heading back to the Super Bowl?

Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler (Photo from smokinjaycutler.tumblr.com)

The Chicago Bears biggest move this offseason wasn't the addition of Marc Trestman from the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. No, it was the addition of some key offensive linemen who will finally protect Jay Cutler. Oh ya, and letting go some middle linebacker who had been the face of the franchise. Let's get to Jay Cutler first though, and the celebration he must be having at finally having a solid offensive line to protect him with the signing of Jermon Bushrod from New Orleans and the drafting of Kyle Long in the first round. Both should improve this line from terrible to better then average. Cutler should have a big year because of this. In a contract year, expect him to light it up especially if All-Pro running back Matt Forte can stay healthy and bounce back this year. New coach Trestman will open this offense up and be an attacking style team. If you look at his work in the CFL, expect Forte to be heavily involved in catching the ball out of the back field. The receivers for Chicago will be led by another All-Pro in Brandon Marshall, who should continue to be on of the best wide outs in the game. The Bears have to hope Alshon Jeffery can step up and have a bigger role in the offense in his second year in the league. The tight end position should be fine with Martellus Bennett signed in free agency to be the starter. A good pass catcher and blocker, Martellus is a solid option at tight end.

Julius Peppers (Photo from suntimes.com)

The defense - even with the lost of Brian Urlacher - will still be solid. Having two All-Pros on your defensive line is a good place to start. Julius Peppers and Henry Melton are two of the best in the game at getting at the quarterback. Melton will be especially motivated this year after being franchise tagged, and a great season will just bring in the dollars in free agency - and this kid is worth every penny he is going to get. At line backer, D.J. Williams comes over from Denver to man the position Urlacher has been playing for over a decade and will be a solid replacement in the Cover 2 scheme the Bears use. Lance Briggs has still got it for an old man, and still will be counted on to be the new official leader of the defense and continue to come up with big plays. This secondary is a bit underrated I think. They don't get the national exposure of say Seattle or now Tampa Bay, but Tim Jennings and Charles "Peanut" Tillman are one of the best corner tandems in the game. Safety Chris Conte is underrated in my eyes. He's a solid tackler and the man makes plays. I think the Bears can win 9-10 games, but in this tough division and conference, that may not be enough to sneak into even a wildcard spot this year.

Detroit Lions

Calvin Johnson (Photo from espn.com)

Coming off a 4-12 year, the Lions should be able to rebound to a better record - closer towards the 8-8 territory. Matthew Stafford, fresh off his new extension, should have another big year again. Now the Lions have a legit weapon in the back field in free agency signing Reggie Bush from Miami. The addition of Bush to the team gives the Lions a proven runner for the first time in a couple years. With his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, teams will have to account for a pass out to the flats and short yardage with the ability to bust it out. Making teams play back on their heels will certainly help Megatron - Calvin Johnson - have another big year. Maybe not record setting like last year, but certainly just as close. Ghe big question will be if another wide receiver like Nate Burleson or Ryan Broyles can step up and take heat off the big man and give Stafford another legit option on the outside. If not, the duo of Brandon Pettigrew and Tony Scheffler give a great 1-2 punch at tight end, both being pass catching threats, especially Scheffler down in the red zone. The offensive line will have to play better this year to help the offense out. The addition of big Larry Warford from Kansas in the third round will definitely help.

Ndamukong Suh (Photo from espn.com)

On the defense, there are big changes along the outside of the defensive line. Top draft pick Ezekiel Ansah joins Jason Jones - who is coming over from Seattle in free agency - to rebuild this line who lost Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch in the offseason. Both players should be an improvement on each man they are replacing, but only if Ansah can live up to his draft selection. In the middle, Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley are two über-talented players who have to keep their emotions in check. If they can, this combination can be one of the premier defensive tackle duos in the league. The line backing core of the Lions is very underwhelming. The presence of Stephen Tulloch is the only thing keeping these guys from being one of the worst in the league. Tulloch is a missile on the field: very rangy and a great tackler. The secondary has the potential to be a decent group if second round pick Darius Slay can crack the starting line up and play well. Chris Houston is a solid starter, but is more of a guy you would feel more comfortable throwing on a teams number two wide out. Glover Quin coming over from Houston in the offseason will be a great pairing with Louis Delmas to give the Lions a solid combination at safety. The Lions just need Delmas to get over the injury bug and get an entire full season out of him for this secondary to succeed.

Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers (Photo from profootballrosters.com)

In the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, the Packers should remain the top dogs in the division. I predict 11 wins, but they will have a tougher go this season to remain on top. Aaron Rodgers - another quarterback who got his money this offseason - is the clear leader of this team, and one of the top quarterbacks in the game. This offseason, the Packers finally went out and got him some potential legit running backs for the first time. With the drafting of Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin in this years NFL draft, the Packers have a nice 1-2 punch they can throw at rival teams. Lacy is the thunder to Franklin's a lightning. This duo should put other teams on notice that Green Bay can run it down your throats if they want to. They won't though because they still have one of the top passing attacks in the league, even without Greg Jennings. Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones are just playmakers for Rodgers, especially Cobb who's elusiveness can bust out big plays at anytime. The Packers will need a better year out of Jermichael Finley, who struggled last year and fell out of favour as one of Rodgers go-to guys. The offensive line is going to need to shore up this year. Last year, they had Rodgers getting hit left and right. But with the addition of an actual running attack, teams will have to respect the run and not just send the dogs at Rodgers knowing a pass is coming.

B.J. Raji (Photo from espn.com)

The Packers defense comes back pretty much intact from last year, but with the addition of first round pick Datone Jones to play on the defensive line. Mostly known for rushing the passer, Jones should be able to hold up well in the 3-4 system the Packers play. B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett are solid 3-4 defensive linemen and space eaters. Those space eaters allow the line backers to get to the quarterback and, with outside linebacker Clay Matthews, that happens very often. Yhe line backers are a very good group, with former first round pick AJ Hawk and Nick Perry being solid players. other inside linebacker Brad Jones is serviceable next to those gentlemen. Tramon Williams, Sam Shields, and Casey Heyward make a very solid combination at corner, with Heyward being put into more of a slot role this year. With Shields coming back, look for even more big plays from Heyward. Safeties for the Packers are unspectacular, but the corners make up for their deficiencies.

Minnesota Vikings

Christian Ponder (Photo from twincities.com)

This season for the Vikings and a return to the playoffs will not rest on All Day Adrian Peterson. It will rest on the arm of Christian Ponder and his ability to bring balance to the offense so Peterson can do his thing without nine people being in the box. He now has the weapons in former division-rival from Green Bay Greg Jennings coming over to the Vikings, and one of three first round picks Cordarrelle Patterson now manning the receiver position. So, he has his weapons on the outside. With his two solid pass catching tight ends in Kyle Rudolph and John Carlson, the excuses are gone. Ponder must produce or will be reduced to the bench or free agency, especially with a great class of quarterbacks coming out in this year's draft. The offensive line is anchored by Matt Kalil and is full of road graters who will open up massive holes for their All-World running back.

Jared Allen (Photo from espn.com)

Sharrif's Floyd slide from potential top 5 pick to 23rd overall is a blessing in disguise for this former Florida defensive tackle. Granted, he loses out in millions of dollars. But sliding in next to another stud tackle in Kevin Williams can do nothing but make this kid better. Floyd has plenty of pass rush ability and with Jared Allen on the outside, this line can be incredibly formidable.  Look for Allen to take another run at the sack record this year. The line backers lead by Erin Henderson and Chad Greenway are a great group who are solid at the line, but struggle a bit in coverage. They will be joined by 4th round pick this year Gerald Hodges to make a solid group, making the front 7 a very strong group. The 3rd of the Vikings first round picks Xavier Rhodes will combine with Chris Cook and A.J. Jefferson to give them a bunch of young corners with a lot of potential. If they can live up to that, it will make the entire defense much much better. If they struggle, look for more pressure to be on the front 4 to get things done. Harrison Smith out of Notre Dame was one of the more pleasant surprises last year in the league, playing exceptionally well. He will be a Pro Bowl player one day in this league. I expect a 6 to 7 win season for the Vikings this year, and a new quarterback next year with them selecting one of the great quarterbacks coming out next year.

That is the end of the NFC. Now on to the AFC.

Up first will be the AFC West, where the Denver Broncos will hope to repeat at division champions and make another attempt to get Peyton another ring. Can the Kansas City Chiefs - a team with the worst record in the league last year - bounce back to sneak into a playoff spot? Will a new head coach get the San Diego Chargers back being Super and in to the playoffs? Can the Oakland Raiders make that next step from bottom of the division to even third?

I will let you know.

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