NFL GridIron Gab Daily Digest

"I would love to go beat the Saints," Favre told his old pal Al Jones of the Biloxi (Mississippi) Sun Herald. "I know I can still play at a high level. Last year was a great year, but it could have been better (winning the NFC Championship).''

1. Vikings Will Not Have Minus 4 Turnover Differential. That was a fluke, plain and simple.  You cannot expect that to happen again.  Six fumbles?  Albeit only two were lost, you still couldn’t sell me on the fact the Saints were not lucky.  Can you?  I’m not buying it.

Keep in mind two of the four turnovers proved to be extra costly.  Percy Harvin’s 4th quarter fumble, at the Minnesota 12.  It led to a New Orleans touchdown, in which they took the lead 28-21.  Bernard Berrian’s fumble on the ensuing drive.  It was recovered by the Saints at the New Orleans 5-yard line, so that turnover cost the Purple People Eaters possibly another 7 points, assuming they go on and score a touchdown.  It would have been 1st and Goal for one of the NFL’s best red zone offenses.  Instead, they coughed up the rock, the momentum, and then some.

You can’t do that and expect to win.  Who wins game being -4 in the turnover department, let alone stays in a game and keeps it close enough to force overtime?  How do you recover from that with a trip to Miami to play in Super Bowl 44 on the line?   Those game-changing, heart-breaking miscues are hard to overcome, especially on the road in a hostile environment against a high octane Drew Brees offense.  Two fumbles, in the 4th quarter, during crucial moments —What are the odds?  I’ll take my chances that doesn’t happen again.

2. Brett Favre’s Offense Outgained Drew Brees’ Offense By More Than 200 Yards. 475 to 257!  It just goes to show you that Minnesota out played New Orleans.  Remember this game was being played in the Superdome!  By himself, Adrian Peterson almost doubled the Saints  rushing output!  They could only muster 68 measly yards!  Favre out threw Brees 310 to 197!  Time of possession was also in Minnesota’s favor by close to 9 minutes.  Ok, enough is enough, let’s stop it right there before it gets really ugly.

3. Minnesota’s Defensive Line Will Dominate New Orleans’ Offensive Line. So you really think Jared Allen, Kevin Williams, and Ray Edwards will be shut down, held in check, and silenced?  Ray Edwards registered the only sack of the game for the Vikings.  This time around, different story.  Prepare yourselves Jermon Bushrod and Jonathan Stinchcomb.  Be ready, you guys are going to have your hands full!

4. Defense Is Healthier, Secondary Is Stronger. Cedric Griffin and E.J. Henderson will be back.  Antoine Winfield will be fresher.  Lito Sheppard was added through Free Agency and Chris Cook (2nd round pick, Virginia) via Draft.  They will only help the defensive backfield.  Tyrell Johnson is a year older, wiser, and will only get better.  Madieu Williams has one year under his belt in Leslie Fraizer’s system, he will improve.

5. Favre Is Back With Dallas In Mind: #4 wants an opportunity at redemption.  He wants to go out on top hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy.  His troops are hungry, quite thirsty, and you can be assured they will be chomping at the bit to seek revenge opening night against the defending Super Bowl Champions.  It’s the beginning of the run to Dallas.

In his arsenal Favre’s rocket launcher has a bevy of weapons he can target, a slew of play makers to spread the wealth.   You know the ultra talented, super skilled duo of Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin will be tough to contain in 2010.  You better believe every single member of the Minnesota Vikings will be focused to take the field come September 9th in the Big Easy.  Beware Saints fans you have a bulls-eye on your chest, the Vikings still believe they were the better team, and they’re out to prove it Week 1.

Favre will not settle for another repeat performance.  He is not coming back without reaching his goal.  He and the Vikings are on a mission.  The results will be different.  Oh, and by the way, don’t forget about that Adrian Peterson character —he’s good too.

Each and every Summer we approach a point in the off-season where the news slows down around the National Football League, and by this point you should know what that means…Predictions!   The time is certainly ripe and prime to talk about teams on the rise and teams on the decline for the upcoming season.  What better time than now?  So as we draw closer to Training Camp, I will give you my 3 up and 3 down in the NFC.  What a golden opportunity to take advantage of the June swoon.

NFC’s 3 Up:

1. New York Giants: They still have a formidable defensive line that can get to the QB in a hurry and the offensive line still remains intact, so why can’t they return to Super Bowl form?  They added Antrel Rolle to a secondary that is one of the most talented in not only the NFC, but the entire NFL.  Kenny Phillips will be back from injury, they added a pass-rushing menace in Jason Pierre-Paul from South Florida with their first round pick, and they have possess one of the most dynamic trios of wide receivers.  Hakeem Nicks is a phenom, he’s a flat-out game-changer.  Steve Smith is reliable.  Mario Manningham has a knack for the big-play during big situations.  The key will be getting Brandon Jacobs back on track.  Ahmad Bradshaw will help ease the load.  Finding a middle linebacker to replace Antonio Pierce is my only cause for concern.  Despite those two issues, I got the Giants as my #1 team to shine in the NFC.

2. San Francisco 49ers: Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree.  The big 3?  The sky is the limit.  S.F. improved their offensive line via Draft and they bring back a fierce defense that takes on the attitude of their coach Mike Singletary.  Patrick Willis is the best linebacker in the game and he has his unit rapidly getting better.  The key this year: settling unfinished business, sealing the deal, closing out games.  They were in every game except for the Atlanta blowout at home.  They took the NFC runner-ups down to the final play, it took a miracle, and they played Peyton’s squad as well as anyone did in the regular season at their place.  Alex Smith has the keys to the offense and he has plenty of help in order for him to be successful.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see them hosting a game come mid-January.

3. Dallas Cowboys: You could argue they have the best offense in the NFC next to New Orleans and Green Bay.  They added the most gifted athlete in the Draft in Dez Bryant.  He will pay dividends and allow those around him to excel even more, spreading things out more than ever.  While the passing game gets all the love, pub, and attention keep in mind they have one of the best 1-2 punches on the ground.  Felix Jones is your home run hitter and Marion Barber is the man in-between the tackles.  Can you name a duo that’s better?  With the best defensive player in the game and an intimidating pass rush there’s no wonder this team has such high expectations.   With so much hype surrounding America’s Team you have to believe they have the best chance to dethrone New Orleans.  Ball control and smart play-calling on offense is the only thing holding Romo and company back in Big D.

NFC’s 3 Down:

1. Atlanta Falcons: Let’s see, Matt Ryan came back down to earth, Michael Turner proved yet again it’s not smart to carry the ball more than 350 times in a season, and the defense is…just that, a defense, very average at best.  Nothing impresses me about the Birds.  Why should it?  They have yet to find a viable pass catcher to go along with Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez.  Their secondary is relying upon Dunta Robinson to help turn them around.  The big thing is John Abraham is not getting any younger and he cannot be your best pass rusher.  What can you expect from him and the defensive line?  I just don’t see this team getting any better and there’s a better chance we see the Matt Ryan from last year rather than the Matt Ryan from ‘08.  In general, what you see is what you get with Ryan and this underachieving team.

2. Chicago Bears: With one of the worst offensive lines I can think of, a lack of rushing attack, and a QB that tries/has to do too much because of a young, mediocre, inexperienced receiving group you can see why Da Bears are on the list.  Can you see Mike Martz making matters worse for Cutler and crew?  Possibly.  The defense still shows the signs of yet another dismal year, especially when you consider the fact they are always playing short-handed.  Will Julius Peppers make that much of a difference?  Did he really do much to make Carolina a top defensive unit?  Playing Green Bay and Minnesota twice doesn’t make matters any better.  In essence, don’t be shocked if Detroit winds up ahead of the Windy City at the conclusion of the 2010 campaign.  I see this team losing a handful of 31-28 type ball games.

3. Seattle Seahawks: This is a team with absolutely no identity on either side of the ball.  They played it safe in the Draft and passed up on C.J. Spiller, which will turn out to be more of a monumental mistake than Pete Carroll would like to admit.  T.J. Housmandzadeh is not a #1 option and Matt Hasselbeck is all but finished.  Julius Jones, Justin Forsett, and a recovering Leon Washington?  I don’t believe any defense will have trouble sleeping the night before.  On defense you can’t really expect anyone other than Lofa Tatupu to show up on a consistent basis.  Even his play is slipping.  We welcome you to your 2010 Seattle Seahawks, where our slogan is: Expect the expected.  Translation: Don’t expect much, it’s a “transition year”.

The Dolphins made some huge shockwaves this off-season when they traded two 2nd round picks for star wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

The Dolphins were expected to have a reputable offense this year, but were looking for the missing link that could give Chad Henne the aerial connection that he could go to when in need.

The Dolphins front office more than fulfilled Henne’s wishes, and brought in one of the NFL’s best wide receivers. But Marshall is not the only wide receiver on the team, as their are four other players competing for time this season.

Brandon Marshall: Marshall will instantly provide young Chad Henne with the deep, and red-zone threat that he was looking for last year. Marshall will also draw double teams as well, which will sometimes take the extra man out of the box, thus giving our running backs more room to run. Marshall is expected to all out strengthen our offense, and the Fins may finally have the prolific offense that they have been lacking since the late 80’s.

Brian Hartline: Hartline is expected to win the open competition for the #2 receiver spot, after having a tremendous rookie year, and showing that he has some big play ability in him. Hartline will benefit from the double teams that Marshall will draw, and the production of the run game, but will need to do better in single coverage, than he did last year.

Davone Bess: Bess is the true slot guy on the Fins roster, and showed the quickness and the hands last year to get the job done over the middle of the field. Bess may have a little stature, but he plays bigger than he is, and does nto shy away from contact. Bess is the glue that will cause opposing defensive coordinators to stay up late at night. He can line up anywhere on the field, and do anything you ask him to. He is simply a do-it-all type of player.

Greg Camarillo: Oddly enough, Camarillo, who caught every pass that was catchable, and touched his hands, is the fourth man on the depth chart. Camarillo will be looking at a limited role this season, after the addition of Marshall, but he still will play a big part in the offense, as he too, can cause disruption in the slot, as again, he catches everything. Camarillo could end up being off the team if the Fins are looking for trade bait, but he would not garner much. Cam will be back with the team in 2010, and will be looking to find his new niche on the team in anyway possible.

Patrick Turner: Turner, who sat out all of his rookie season, due to being on the bottom of the depth chart, is fighting a back injury, that will slow his progress for the upcoming season. Turner is a big physical, imposing receiver, who will be a red-zone target if he can crack the roster. Turner has been rumored to be making strides as far as his training, and intangibles, but he still needs to translate that to the field. He will be the odd man out, and will fight for all the playing time he can get.

The Dolphins receiving staff has all of the pieces that it needs to be one of the best in the Dolphins history. Henne’s progression will benefit from the addition of Marshall, as will the rest of the offense.