Monday Morning Mehta: September 2007

Edition # 206
September 6, 2007

Don't call it a comeback. I've been here for years. Guess who's back? Back again? MMM's back. Tell a friend. You get the point. The next MMM's the next few weeks will be Tuesday versions. Tuesday Sept 11th recapping Week 1 of the NFL season; Tuesday Sept 18th as we recap the Eagles/Redskins MNF game as well as Week 2.

We're going to give you this year's NFL Previews and Predictions all in one shot as tonight's the night the NFL season opens. We've even got some hockey talk from Ed Wasser. Enough small talk, let's get to the action.

NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles 11-5
It's been 5 out of 6 years of winning divisions. This is a no-brainer and you know I'm impartial here. Donovan McNabb's health is obviously the big concern here. Moreso is his recent trend of starting off the season fast, then fading. The Eagles offensive line is one of the best in the business, as long as the Eagles stick to the 55% pass/45% run that they had in the final 6 regular season and 2 playoff games. RUN THE BALL!! I'm thinking Brian Westbrook in the slot, Tony Hunt or C-Buck in the backfield causes a lot of matchup problems for defenses. There's plenty of options on offense, and ripping the WR's is old and played. Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis are professional WR's and this isn't the days of Torrance Small and Charles Johnson.

The defense has been relatively revamped from last year. 3 new linebackers from last years Opening Day. Overall Chris GoCong and Sean Considine have a lot to prove and are huge keys to the defense. If you see a lot of Quintin Mikell and Stewart Bradley (who is also Gathier's backup), those two aren't doing their jobs. The thing I like about this defense is that they "should" be able to get to the QB. A healthy Javon Kearse, Trent Cole, Darren Howard and Jaqua Thomas are a nice 4 man end rotation.

Something worries me this year on Special Teams and it's David Akers. Not sure why, but I've seen a drop off in his game since his stellar 2005. Did I just hear that the Eagles re-signed J.R. Reed?? Whaaat?? And Greg Lewis is returning punts?

2. Washington Redskins 9-7
Have you seen Joe Gibbs record after a losing season? I don't have any "stats" in front of me, but it's damn good. Jason Campbell's first full year as starter scares me, but he's got a good cast around em. A two headed monster in Clinton Portis & Ladell Betts and Santana Moss looking to recapture his 2005 magic.

3. Dallas Cowboys 8-8
Something has got to be up when coaches like Bill Parcells walk away. I don't trust those guys. I don't trust Parcells. He would never walk away from a Super Bowl team. This team has issues. I can't pinpoint what it is, but a T.O. explosion and Tony Romo coming back down to Earth means mediocrity for Wade Phillips.

4. New York Giants 6-10
Just get Tom Coughlin out, Strahan's final season and remove the old regime. Get Eli Manning, Brandon Jacobs and Jeremy Shockey a new coach who can instill some normalcy back to this franchise.

NFC North

1. Chicago Bears 10-6
Last years magic is gone, and reality sets in. Your QB is Rex Grossman and I'm not sure he's ready for the pressure he's going to face this year. Fortunately, the division is weak.

2. Green Bay Packers 7-9
Some people have this team in the playoffs and I understand why. The defense is becoming one of the best in the NFC. But the running game is scary with rookie Brandon Jackson and Venand Morency. One thing is for sure, Brett Favre's a swash-buckler (just wanted to get the first regular season Favreism out of the way)

3. Detroit Lions 6-10
Matt Millen's already preparing who his first round WR pick will be in 2008.

4. Minnesota Vikings 5-11
This is going to take time, but in a weak division they could easily win 6-8 games.

NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints 10-6
I haven't given you much in terms of surprises yet besides the Skins, but don't look for it in this division. The Saints offense is going to be stacked. The defense...well, not so stacked. Expect Reggie Bush to get better. Much better. That should scare every team in the NFL.

2. Tampa Bay Bucs 7-9
Remember Jeff Garcia when he was on bad/mediocre teams in Cleveland and Detroit? That's the version I expect this year. They cut Shelton Quarles and Simeon Rice to pick up an even slower Jeremiah Trotter on defense. Derrick Brooks will need to make 250 tackles on that defense this year.

3. Carolina Panthers 7-9
I'm not sure where this team is going. The defense still has a ton of talent and they have Steve Smith on offense who can carry a team.

4. Atlanta Falcons 6-10
I want to say that losing Vick may actually help, but I just can't believe in a Joey H team. Just can't do it.

NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks 11-5
This is the post-Super Bowl losing season bounceback year theory. Shaun Alexander will be healthy as will QB Matt Hasselbeck.

2. Arizona Cardinals 9-7
If they don't win 8 or 9 games this year I say Dennis Green needs to be canned. Time to do something. Leinart's in his 2nd year, the Edge is still in his prime (bad o-line), great WR's, time to put up some W's. Wait, Dennis Green is already fired? What? Awe man. First Jim Mora and now this. Why watch another press conference? Maybe Herm Edwards can sing us to about playing to win the game again.

3. St. Louis Rams 8-8
There's not a lot to dislike about the Rams. Unfortunately, besides Stephen Jackson there's not much to get excited about either. Marc Bulgers being paid like a bigtime QB and has bigtime weapons, but I'm just not sold yet. A lot went right for the Rams last year. That usually means you've got to give something back this year.

4. San Francisco 49ers 6-10
You don't build via free agency. That being said, this is a team on the rise. Alex Smith needs to step into a franchise type QB this year. If nothing else 49er fans should be looking for Smith to have a few "all star" type games. You'll also see some ugly ones, but it comes with the territory.

I don't feel like doing a spell check so let's move onto the AFC.

AFC East
1. New England Patriots 11-5
There's a lot of question marks on this team like: Can Lawrence Maroney handle 300+ carries? Will Randy Moss & Donte Stallworth be healthy enough to make a real impact? Will Coach Bellichick still wear that girly headband in the winter? All questions that if you don't have the Pats winning the division at the end of the day, you're thinking too much.

2. New York Jets 8-8
Last year they played an eassy schedule, had a great young coach, and a QB who had something to prove. The QB still has something to prove, the coach is still great, but I gotta think the tougher schedule costs them 3 games from last year. I'll add 1 game by adding Thomas Jones.

3. Buffalo Bills 7-9
Marv Levy is making the decisions here. (Do I really need to add "Enough said"?)

4. Miami Dolphins 6-10
Nick Saban screwed this team royally. A solid but aging defense, but so many questions on offense.

AFC North
1. Baltimore Ravens 11-5
This is a team that can win the Super Bowl. Problem is, isn't it time for a Steve McNair injury?

2. Cincinnati Bengals 10-6
So much talent. Such an exciting team. Carson Palmer will only be better this year than last. Defense is slowly improving to below average.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7
Thing is about this team, they're good, real good. But even when they won the Super Bowl just a few years ago they didn't even win the division. They'll be in the playoff hunt as Mike Tomlin tries to mould the team into his non-chin protruding style.

4. Cleveland Browns 5-11
Only thing people care about is Brady Quinn.

AFC South
1. Indy Colts 12-4
This is really getting long so I'll spare telling you the Colts are good.

2. Jax Jags 10-6I like this team because of their defense. They never live up to my expectations but I'm going to the well again. A playoff team in 2007.

3. Titans 7-9
I'm done spelling out the city and team name. Still young and raw. They'll probably beat the Colts this year but lose to the Titans. I also think Jeff Fisher probably needs to lose his job before they recapture thier playoff form. Don't get me wrong, he's a top coach in the NFL. Just think there's too many distractions in Nashville and a fresh coach may do everyone well.

4. Texans 6-10
Just like I didn't need to tell you the Colts are good...

AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers 12-4
The consensus "most talented team in the NFL" brings in Norv Turner to drive the bus. Troy Aikman's always talked about how great this guy is, well, now he's got his chance to show that Washington and Oakland were just dog jobs destined for failure. This is the hot team to pick to go to the Super Bowl, but I just can't say a Norv Turner team will win the Super Bowl.

2. Broncos 9-7
Jay Cutler will improve and look terrific at times. If he brings any sort of consistency to the Broncos, this is a Super Bowl caliber team. As it turns out, I think they're a year away.

3. Chiefs 6-10
Just not a Herm Edwards fan.

4. Raiders 4-12
Al Davis and George Steinbrenner are the heads of two of the most storied franchises in all of sports. To Steinbrenner's credit, he's starting to let others take at least a little bit of control of his franchise as he enters the senile years of his life. Unfortunately for the Raiders, Al Davis hasn't done that yet.

NFC Playoffs: Eagles, Bears, Saints, Seahawks the division winners. Redskins and Arizona the wild cards.
AFC Playoffs: Pats, Colts, Ravens, Chargers the division winners. Jags and Bengals the wild cards.

NFC Championship game will be Eagles vs. Seahawks.
AFC Championship game will be Pats vs. Chargers

Super Bowl rematch. Eagles vs. Pats. If Chris Berman can pick the 49ers and Bills every year, I can pick the Eagles to win the Supe

NHL Week in Review - by Ed Wasser

- So we're back. And as a great toilet time killer I give you my 37th Annual NHL Preseason Predictions of Things That May Happen But Probably Won't But If They Do I'll Never Let You Forget It Review. Every team will also get a grade. In no particular alphabetical order...

- Anaheim Ducks - In July, while leaving a great city (San Diego) and on my way to an OK city (Los Angeles), I was briefly in Anaheim, California. How that city has a World Series championship and a Stanley Cup is beyond me. That city is a small step above Kalamazoo, Mich. Anyway they still have a great team and now they have Mathieu Schneider which makes their great defense even greater. They took a small chance signing Todd Bertuzzi who was a colossal bust in Florida but they got him on the cheap so I'd say it was worth a shot. If they don't have a Stanley Cup hangover they should compete again. A+

- Atlanta Thrashers - They won't do anything. The obvious question is how long is this going to take? This team has drifted from horrible to mediocre and has had numerous high draft picks for a while now. So when are they going to finally put it together? But if you check out their website you should look at the Blue Crew. That's their ice dancing/cheerleader crew. Like in every cheerleader squad there's a few weak links but in general aye chi wawa!!! There's some real home runs. C+

- Boston Bruins - This team is a lot like the Phillies. A lot of the same problems that have been around for years...management make a lot of lateral moves that make little or no sense, they shove mediocre players down the throats of the fans like they're stupid, and ultimately you get the feeling that ownership feels like the fans are just annoying cash machines that should be ignored whenever possible. F

- Buffalo Sabres - This is a damn shame. They let Daniel Briere go, under estimated Chris Drury's value on the open market, so then they had to over pay Thomas Vanek who was probably the number one beneficiary of Drury and Briere's passing skills. So the powers that be in Buffalo took a team that would have really had a nice shot at the Cup and turned them into a team that may squeak into the playoffs but that will be it. B-

- Calgary Flames - They have one of the best players in the league (Jarome Iginla), the best young goalie in the league (Miika Kiprusoff), and BY FAR the best young defenseman in the league (Dion Phaneuf). And yes, I know I said all of this last year but what happened was...ahhhhh, I'm not sure. They lost in 4 games to a beatable Detroit team and I just remember that they self destructed. It happens I guess. Then they inexplicably brought in Mike Keenan to coach. This guy has ruined the Blues, Panthers, and Canucks for years. The Panthers are still trying to recover from Keenan trading Roberto Loungo. Why bring in that psycho for a team on the brink of greatness? Before I forget, one thing about this team that bothers me is that all of their games are only shown pay per view style. And I saw that the NFL Network is now charging people a monthly rate. Get ready people because all sports will be shown that way soon. A+

- Carolina Hurricanes - The Hockey News season preview has kind of a cool feature were they show how many games each team plays in every time zone. The Hurricanes play zero games in the mountain and pacific time zones. I want to say that they play no games west of the Mississippi but I won't because I'm not 100% sure where the Mississippi River is. Anyway I think this puts the Canes in a major advantage in terms of travel. The missed the playoffs last year but it won't happen again. B-

- Chicago Blackhawks - As long as Bill Wirtz is alive and owning this team they will never, ever, EVER be anything other then an also ran. D-

- Colorado Avalanche - This will be the team that tells the league if a small, fast defense can work in lieu of a big physical defense. But they have a lot of problems, even after signing Ryan Smyth their offense is suspect. C

- Columbus Blue Jackets - You have a better chance seeing Spoon from "The Pick Up Artist" marrying Jessica Alba then you have of seeing the Blue Jackets contending for the Cup. This team is like Atlanta.....how long is this crap going to take? D-

- Dallas Stars - I think the Stars are so concerned with goalie Marty Turco and his overall suckitude and his fondness for giving up back breaking goals from like 50 yards out that they just load up with defensive wingers and defensive defensemen and it hurts their offense. I predict they scratch and claw to get to the playoffs then fall apart quicker then Joey after he got eliminated from "Top Chef". C+

- Detroit Red Wings - They're playing with fire with 43 year old Dominick Hasek. If he stays healthy then they may play for the Cup, if he goes down then forget it. A

- Edmonton Oilers - I don't get this team at all. They traded Ryan Smyth even after he told the team he would sign at a discount just to stay in Edmonton which pissed off the fans. They were riddled with defensive problems so they traded for Joni Pitkanen who has some offensive skills but he couldn't cover a dead dog on defense. Plus he's a head case. Then they signed defenseman Sheldon Souray for something like $5 million a year; his agent must have brought a gun into those negotiations because his best attribute, beside being married to "Baywatch" babe Angelica Bridges, is offense. D

- Florida Panthers - The Panthers go into like year, I'll say 7, of their rebuilding process. They keep shoving these young kids like Jay Bouwmeester and Stephen Weiss on the ice to develop and when it seems like they are about to become real stars they never put anything worth a crud around them. Now they have goalie Tomas Vokoun who is goalie number 2 in their hapless attempt to try and make people forget that they traded Roberto Loungo. C-

- Los Angeles Kings - The Kings went hard after Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, and Daniel Briere but instead landed ex Flyers stiff Kyle Calder and Michael Handzus instead. Scott Gomez would have been a real coup for the Kings because it would have given them a Mexican kid who speaks Spanish to help them with their marketing. But when you're in there going against the Rangers for a free agent they can be tough to beat. If they make the playoffs it would be a miracle. C-

- Minnesota Wild - I despise this team. I hate their style of play, I hate the management, and I especially hate their coach. They finally made it to the playoffs last year and all their management did was bitch that they need to get rid of goalie Manny Fernandez's big contract to sign free agents. Well Fernandez is history and guess how many free agents they signed? Zero. Now they're $7 million under the cap and going into the season with a lesser team then the mediocre team they had last year. Good job!! C

- Montréal Canadiens - This team has a chance to be really, really bad. They're going into the season with 4 rookies playing major roles on the ice, unheard of in Frogtown. They traded Craig Rivet last year, they let Sheldon Souray walk, they have Chris Huet in goal who I always thought stunk.....it'll be a long year for them. D-

- Nashville Predators - Let's see who the Preds bid adieu to....Forsberg, Paul Kariya, Scottie Upshall, Kimmo Timonen, Tomas Vokoun, and Scott Hartnell. And they replaced them with....ahhhh....(flipping through "The Hockey News" rosters).....ahhhhh.....well at least they still have cool uniforms. B-

- New Jersey Devils - They have a new coach in Brent Sutter who has a reputation for being a roaring CENSORED-hole. And he's replacing GM Lou Lamoriello who also has a reputation for being an CENSORED-hole. If Sutter realizes that the law does not require Martin Broduer to play every minute of the season as Lamoriello thought last year and he actually gives him a rest every now and again then the Devils can make a run. B+

- New York Islanders - I should have looked up last year's Islanders preview and just cut and pasted it here. They compounded the idiotic Alexei Yashin contract by having to buy him out to the tune of $17.6 million. That'll be a nice $2.2 million cap kick in the crotch for the next 8 years. They also ravaged their minor league system to acquire Ryan Smyth from the Oilers only to watch him bail out faster then the broads on "Rock of Love" that were eliminated in the parking lot. So Smyth is on the Lanche now and the Isles only have a first round playoff loss to show for the effort. Then they signed Bill Guerin which would have been great if this was 1998. They're only positive is that Miroslav Satan is in the last year of his contract so he may be motivated to play hard so he can leave too. F-

- New York Rangers - Ahhhhhhhh.....I was regretting this all day but I guess I have to say it; the Rangers have an excellent chance to make a lot of noise in the Eastern Conference and may even play for the Cup. The only thing that may, MAY screw them up is age. Which lends itself to injuries. But they have have it all and will be tough to beat. A

- Ottawa Senators - After reaching the Cup Finals GM John Muckler, a notorious ego maniac, went to Sens owner Eugene Melyk and basically said him or me because his relationship with coach Bryan Murray had deteriorated to the point of screaming matches. Melyk told Muckler to get packing which stunned him. And just to make the humiliation complete for Muckler, Melyk turned around and gave Murray the GM job. So new coach John Paddock takes over a very strong Senators team which may go straight back to the Cup Finals. A+

- Philadelphia Flyers - OK so last year will be a mulligan for this franchise. I'll give them credit, they took the bull by the horns and sent a few weak links (Mike York, Robert Esche, Todd Fedoruk) packing. They even got rid of Joni Pitkanen who may still be a star in this league but it would have never happened here. They drafted this hulking local kid who some people thought was the best player in the draft, by far he was the best defenseman in the draft. So things are looking up. But this is a very important year for Jeff Carter and Mike Richards, they've been around for a while now, it's time for them to get it together. The Daniel Briere signing was a really nice pick up. B-

- Phoenix Coyotes - Bad, awful, horrendous, futile, inept, dreadful, ridiculous, lacking, weak, dismal, crap, calamity....I anticipate all these words will be used in connection with the Coyotes this year. F- - -

- Pittsburgh Penguins - They have the best player in the world, 4 young stars on the brink of stardom, and just a pinch of grizzled veterans. A decade of sucking is going to result in a decade of Cup contention. And it may start this year. A-

- San José Sharks - Anything less then a trip to the Finals will be failure for this season. Just like last season which ended, again, in the second round of the playoffs. They have too much talent to keep doing these unceremonious early exits. B+

- St Louis Blues - This is a dangerous combination. They're a terrible team with a lot of veterans and a goofball (Andy Murray) for a coach. It's a lot easier to put up with a kook when you're young and don't know any better or if you're winning. Murray puts scouting reports under every players door during away games so they have it first thing in the morning and then quizzes them on it after the morning skate. Plus Murray loves to scream. If I was Keith Tkachuk I'd tell Murray "pipe down and maybe I'll let you put out the chairs at my hall of fame ceremony". C-

- Tampa Bay Lightning - Goaltending, it's as simple as that. They have an explosive offense, solid defense, but some serious slop in the pipes. B+

- Toronto Maple Leafs - They picked up Jason Blake to help their team speed which was a huge weakness for them last year. A slow team will have trouble in every aspect of the game...penalty killing, power play, everything. They may make the playoffs but that'll be it. C

- Vancouver Canucks - They need some scoring depth to help out the Sedin twins. Other then that expectations are sky high for this franchise. But getting past Detroit, Anaheim, and San José will be a tough road. A-

- Washington Capitals - This team should really be called the Washington Capitals featuring Alexander Oveckin, like when 3/4 quarters of the original guys left Black Sabbath so they changed their name to Black Sabbath featuring Tony Iommi. It's cool to have some gritty guys but I think 70% of the all the gritty guys in the league play for the Caps. And word on the street is that goalie Olaf Kolzig has had it up to his ears with all the losing. So if they get off to a bad start look and listen for him to start barking. C+

Monday Morning Mehta

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Monday Morning Mehta

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Monday Morning Mehta

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