SOME THOUGHTS FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON

Breakout player-  Calvin Johnson     The guy is just amazing.  Being in the league for a year, he is ready to do some amazing things.

Disappointing player-  Jared Allen    Maybe this a pick of hope, but I think he is primed for a downfall.  He is a character risk.  Tons of players fall off dramatically after huge contracts, and DEs don't usually stay at the top.  Unless you are Reggie White or Bruce Smith, and Jared Allen is nowhere close to that level.

Player with most pressure-  Reggie Bush    When he came in as a rookie, he was annoited the savior of a city, and he fed off the crowd and did great.  He also was able to share time with Deuce Mccallister.  Then last year, he had to be "the man", and was awful.  So I think this might be a make or break year for Bush.

Coach with most pressure-  Rod Marinelli    We all love him, but this is his third year, and we need to see a big step forward.  He's brought in a lot of his ex-Tampa players who fit his sytem.  He's reached for players in every draft because he likes them, and he hasn't shown the ability to draft well in rounds 3-7 (where good teams really build their team).  So I really think there is a lot of pressure on Rod this year.  The middle round picks look really good this year, so hopefully they turn out well.  But a 5-11 or 6-10 season just isn't going to cut it this year.

Offensive ROY-  Jonathan Stewart    I fell in love with this guy leading up to the draft, and I think he's going to be really, really good.  He also went to a team that really needs him, so he will have the chance to excel. 

Defensive ROY-  Chris Long   He was the most NFL ready prospect in the draft, and his motor never stops.

Rookie disappointments-  Joe Flacco  He just seems like another Kyle Boller, and goes to a team that doesn't have a good track record with rookie QBs. 

and Derrick Harvey   He has a lot of pressure with Jacksonville trading up that high to get him.  But the reality is, he only had 4 sacks last year at Florida, and most of his hype came from the national championship game 2 years ago against OSU when he had 2 sacks.

Lions record-  Honestly, I see 10-6 after looking at the schedule.  Chicago is awful, Green Bay is going to take a big step backwards, and Minnesota seems good.  The AFC South isn't very good.  And I think we will beat Houston and Tennessee from the AFC South, and maybe have a shot against Jax at home.

Worst team in NFL-  Atlanta.  You almost feel bad for them.  Not for Michael Vick, because they made their own bed with him.  But having a coach quit during the season was brutal, and they traded Hall.  It's going to be bad, escpecially with a rookie QB.  Chicago is close, though, they will be terrible.

to be fair, I didn't say he was a disaster waiting to happen, I just said he was a risk.  He doesn't have 1 DUI, he has 2 or 3.  In fact, he is one mishap away from being suspended for an entire year.  I remember when Leonard Little killed someone while driving drunk, and then all we hear for a year or 2 was how he hadn't drank since.  Then a while later, he gets popped for another DUI. 

And I agree about Jake Long, he will start and dominate.  But I think Miami is going to be so bad that none of us are really going to see or appreciate how good he plays.

Breakout Player: Calvin Johnson, I'll go ahead and be a homer and agree with you on this one. I think Calvin is poised to have a phenomenal year. If he doesn't have a great year then there are going to be some big question marks at WR and GM for the Lions.

Most disappointing Player: Darren McFadden,  Personally I'm worried about Jared Allen being on the Vikings because that pass rush is going to be leathal. If Jared Allen doesn't get double-digit sacks in that Defense then YES he would be the biggest bust. BUT I think McFadded isn't as good as everyone thinks he is. The Raiders are one of the worst team for anybody to have to play for.

Player with the most pressure: Aaron Rogers, is the easy pick for me. I mean come on, one of the greatest QB's to ever play the game of football, EVER, just retired and left a gaping hole and tons of questions about the Packers, Is Rogers the Answer????
The Pack are ready to win now with the talent they have on that team!

Coach on the Hot Seat: Wade Phillips, The Cowboys have everything they need to get to the Championship game but keep falling slightly short. They already have their HC of the future in Jason Garrett, current Offensive coordinator.  If Wade Phillips slips up, he could easily be replaced....IN house!  P.S. I think Marinelli is safe as long as Millen is.

Offensive ROY: Kevin Smith or DeSean Jackson, I gotta be a homer with my boy Kevin Smith and say that if the Lions make the playoffs this year it'll be because of him. With those big WR's on the outside for Detroit, Smith should have plenty of lanes if the system is simplified and the line can be aggressive and set the tone to keep defense's off balance. Desean Jackson reminds me of Steve Smith and everyone overlooked him but he's a playmaker.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Glenn Dorsey, This guy is a terror. He should do really well on that Cheifs Defense.  Could be the steal of the draft if he turns out to be the next Warren Sapp. HMMM and Warren retired this year, didn't he....

Rookie Disappointments: Darren Mcfadden, Jeff Otah and Duane Brown.

Lions Record: Honestly I think they will go 9-7, 8-8. Honestly I think the Lions could win 9 games. They have too many rookies at positions of importance to be considered top-teir just yet. I predict that their newly improved secondary will lead the NFC in interceptions this year considering what they did last year.  Big changes. If Calvin ends up being most improved and Kevin Smith wins rookie of the year then we could EEK out 10 games if we got lucky. But I truly expect 8-9 wins.

Worst team in the NFL: Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders, For me this one is a tie. Both of these teams are in dissaray. Al Davis doesn't even want Kiffen to be the coach. Atalanta speaks for itself. These 2 teams will be fighting for the 1st pick in the draft next year!