Monday, September 29, 2014

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (9/26-9/28)

10. Rajon Rondo Breaks His Hand, Out 6-8 Weeks
            While this move won’t do anything to improve Rondo’s trade value, it will help ensure the Celtics will have an abundance of ping-pong balls in next year’s draft lottery.

9. Jeff Gordon Emphatically Punches Ticket to Round of 12 at Dover
            Gordon’s march to 100 wins took another step forward as he dominated down the stretch to win his fourth race of the year. Brad Keselowski was equally impressive though. He’s posted 1-1-2 for finishes in the first three races of The Chase.

8. Jordan Zimmerman Ends Regular Season With a No-Hitter
            No Credentials is notoriously snarky about MLB no-hitters in the post-steroid era, but Steven Sousa Jr.’s ridiculous catch to end the game made the event worth of this list.

7. Aaron Rodgers Backs Up Words With 4 Touchdown Passes
            Sadly for Chicago, Rodgers wasn’t joking when he told Packer fans to relax.

6. Tampa Bay Confirms NFL No Longer Makes Sense, Rallies to Defeat Pittsburgh
            I’m officially deciding to only gamble on NBA games going forward after watching highlights from this game. We’ll touch more on that subject this week (the unpredictability of NFL games, not gambling on the NBA).
           
5. Kansas City Royals Return to the Postseason
            After Detroit clinched the AL Central Sunday, their stay could only last for one day, but hey it still counts.

4. Steve Smith “Sr.” Goes Bonkers
            It was obvious that Smith would have extra motivation facing off against his former team, but you’ll be hard pressed to find people outside of his immediate family that he could return to fantasy football relevance on a weekly basis.
           
3. Cowboys Play Like It’s 1993, Smash Saints
            Dallas demonstrated the value of an elite offensive line with their dismantling of a Saints team that beat them 49-17 last season. 
           
2. 49ers Get Back to Basics
            Teams often go astray when they try to be something that they aren’t (which is what happened to the 49ers each of the last two weeks), but they stuck to Frank Gore and the ground game and grinded out a win over the Eagles.

1. Boston Bids Farewell to Derek Jeter

            Nothing was going to top Jeter’s last game at Yankee Stadium, but kudos to Red Sox fans (who probably were outnumbered by Yankee fans who bought tickets on Stub Hub, but we won’t talk about that) for paying respects to a man who tormented them for many years.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Week 4 NFL Picks

            After a catastrophic Week 2, we at least managed to go .500 last week. I’d forecast a banner Week 4, but we already blew real cash on the turd sandwich that was Kirk Cousins Thursday night.

  
Dolphins (-3.5) over Raiders (game being played in London)

Packers (-2) over BEARS

Bills (+3) over TEXANS

COLTS (-7.5) over Titans

Panthers (+3.5) over RAVENS

JETS (+2.5) over Lions

STEELERS (-7.5) over Buccaneers

CHARGERS (-13) over Jaguars

49ERS (-4.5) over Eagles

Falcons (-3) over VIKINGS

Saints (-3) over COWBOYS

Patriots (-3) over CHIEFS
           

Week 3 =8-8
Thursday = 0-1

Season = 21-29

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Week 3 NFL Picks

            Last week, our picks were terrible. Like, worse than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After posting our worst week of prognostication in the history of this blog, we are happy to report that we started Week 3 by being on the right side of the Falcons 56-14 rout Thursday night.
            As we’ve done in the past after a bad week, we aren’t offering up any analysis with our picks, as we don’t want to give anyone the impression that we know what we are talking about. We’re also suspending our “Stock Up, Stock Down” segment, as all three teams we highlighted as being bullish on lost in Week 2. Again, this is all for America’s safety.

Chargers (+2.5) over BILLS

RAMS (+2) over Cowboys

EAGLES (-6) over Redskins

Texans (-1) over GIANTS

SAINTS (-10.5) over Vikings

BENGALS (-7) over Titans

BROWNS (+1.5) over Ravens

Packers (+2.5) over LIONS

Colts (-7) over JAGUARS

PATRIOTS (-14.5) over Raiders

CARDINALS (+3) over 49ers

SEAHAWKS (-4.5) over Broncos

DOLPHINS (-4) over Chiefs

PANTHERS (-3.5) over Steelers

Bears (+2.5) over JETS
           

Week 2 = 2-14 (L)
Thursday = 1-0
Season = 13-20

Monday, September 15, 2014

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Past Weekend (9/12-9/14)

10. Adrian Peterson Gives NFL Another Black Eye
            Not a whole lot to do here but hope for the health and safety of Peterson’s child.

9. Kyrie Irving Named MVP as United States Wins FIBA World Cup
            Along with his All-Star MVP from last February, that makes two meaningless most valuable player awards Irving has racked up in 2014.

8. The Dallas Cowboys Won’t Go 0-16
            Also noteworthy was the stink bomb Jake Locker dropped for the Titans on Sunday. After Week 1 there was a chance we were going to have to switch which team my son played for in Madden this year, but luckily for him he won’t have to look for a new squad to suit up for.

7. Packers Spot Jets 18 Points, Win Anyway
            Geno Smith was pretty spunky in the first half against Green Bay, but unfortunately he came crashing back to Earth as Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson took over.

6. Boston College Stuns #9 USC
            We would’ve enjoyed this result even more if Lane Kiffin were still the Head Coach of the Trojans.
           
5. South Carolina Survives With Late Goal-Line Stand Against Georgia
            The beauty of the new college football playoff is South Carolina still has hope after getting thumped in their first game against Texas A&M.

4. Chargers Slay Defending Champs
            Despite losing Ryan Matthews and only averaging 2.7 yards per carry as a team on the ground, San Diego still managed to hang onto the ball for 42 minutes and wear out the vaunted Seattle defense. Antonio Gates delivered a vintage performance, matching his career high with three touchdown receptions.
           
3. Brad Keselowski Drives Up the Middle to Win First Race of The Chase
            Bad Brad’s splitting of Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson to take the lead might go down as the launch point for his second championship. He can take it easy the next two weeks as he’s already advanced to the round of 12.
           
2. Bears Steal a Flag-Fest in San Francisco
            We were about to write off the Bears this year before Brandon Marshall dragged them into the lead in the fourth quarter.

1. Browns Stun Saints With Last Second Field Goal
            Apparently, it’s the same old sorry ass Saints when they have to play on the road. Even though it’s early in the season, this loss probably wipes out any chance they have at securing home field advantage in the NFC.

Saturday, September 13, 2014

NFL Week 2 Picks

            Last week we did our best to stick to our pre-season predictions (only failing with the Bears-Bills game), and we rode that to the best Week 1 in the history of this blog. Sadly, we went against our pre-season prediction of the Steelers sucking when we backed them Thursday (although was there really any proper way to gauge how Baltimore was going to play in the wake of the Ray Rice scandal?), so we’re going back to basics for the rest of our Week 2 picks. 

           New wrinkles we are going to add each week with our picks is to highlight teams we feel are trending up or down. For our purposes, we will only relate that to how we forecasted each team to do before the season (for example we predicted the Giants to finish last in the NFC East, so there’s no reason for me to list them in the Stock Down section). We don’t like to overreact to Week 1, so there aren’t too many teams we are going to discuss.

Stock Up

Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan was head and shoulders above any other quarterback in the league with his Week 1 performance against the Saints. That level of play over an entire season can drag a mediocre roster into the playoffs.
Tennessee Titans – We announced earlier in the summer that my son would take over as the Titans quarterback in my Madden 15 franchise, so I was pleasantly surprised by Jake Locker’s performance at Arrowhead Stadium last week.
Indianapolis Colts – It’s weird typing this about a team that lost, but the Colts left a ton of points on the board against Denver. A few breaks here or there and Andrew Luck might’ve been able to steal the game from Peyton Manning. I wouldn’t of thought it possible before the season, but there is a chance they can finish as the second seed in the AFC.

Stock Down

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – You can’t lose a game at home to a team quarterbacked by Derek Anderson, regardless of the quality of defense your team is going against. There’s a good chance Josh McCown has turned into a pumpkin after his magical run with the Bears last year.
San Diego Chargers – It was trendy before the season to pick San Diego to upset the Broncos in the AFC West, but blowing an eleven-point lead to Carson Palmer shows the Chargers are the same frustrating team they’ve been for the better part of the last decade.

            Without further ado, the Week 2 picks.

1-0 Lions (+2.5) over 1-0 PANTHERS

            Detroit is well equipped to handle an overmatched Panthers secondary. We’re happy to get points here.

1-0 BILLS (Even) over 1-0 Dolphins
            Thankfully for Buffalo fans E.J. Manuel was just competent enough to deliver a shocking overtime win in Chicago. We like Buffalo’s chances of shutting down Miami’s offense.

0-1 Jaguars (+5.5) over 0-1 WASHINGTON
            Washington shouldn’t be favored by more than a field goal against any team in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.

1-0 TITANS (-3.5) over 0-1 Cowboys
            Tennessee has plenty of talent at wide receiver to dominate the comically awful Cowboys defense.

0-1 GIANTS (+2.5) over 1-0 Cardinals
            We hate the Giants but the schedule makers did them a favor here. Arizona’s game against San Diego finished at roughly 1:15 am Eastern time on Tuesday, and now they have to travel three time zones and play at 1:00 pm Sunday.

0-1 Patriots (-6.5) over 1-0 VIKINGS
            New England was our pick before the news about Adrian Peterson not playing broke. This could be a blow out.

0-1 Saints (-6.5) over 0-1 BROWNS
            Somehow a two-team teaser with the Patriots and Saints won’t work, even though it looks so simple on paper.

1-0 Falcons (+5.5) over 1-0 BENGALS
            We have the Bengals winning by three.

1-0 BUCCANEERS (-6) over 0-1 Rams
            St. Louis looks well on their way to the top overall pick after a listless performance at home against the Vikings.

1-0 Seahawks (-6) over 0-1 CHARGERS
            Here’s a new rule for 2014…don’t bet against the Seahawks unless the spread is over a touchdown or they are on the road at San Francisco.

0-1 RAIDERS (+3) over 1-0 Texans
            After Oakland heroically pulled off a back door cover at New York, we’re happy to get three points with them against Houston.

0-1 PACKERS (-8) over 1-0 Jets
            Here’s your suicide pool pick.

1-0 BRONCOS (-12.5) over 0-1 Chiefs
            It’s a really weird line, but when Kansas City is down 14-0 in the first quarter do you really trust Alex Smith to cover?

1-0 49ERS (-7) over 0-1 Bears
            Rumor has it Curtis Conway might come out of retirement to catch passes from Jay Cutler this week. We’ll also predict over 200 yards rushing for San Francisco.

0-1 COLTS (-3) over 1-0 Eagles
            To say Philadelphia was a little wobbly against Jacksonville last week is an understatement. Andrew the Giant will take care of business at home.
           

Week 1 = 10-6
Thursday = 0-1

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

NASCAR Pre-Chase Driver Ranks


            Every year before The Chase we rank who we feel has the most likely shot at hoisting the Sprint Cup. Keep in mind that this list doesn’t represent how we feel the final points will shake out, or who will be included in the Final 4 at Homestead. The new format makes it even harder to predict, as the winner take all finale will be one of the most ridiculous races in NASCAR history, but we’ve reviewed each round of the Chase, and the tracks that represent each driver’s best chances of advancing. Without further ado, our countdown to our pick to win the championship.

Complete and Utter Afterthoughts

16. A.J. Allmendinger
15. Aric Almirola
            Both earned well-deserved first career victories this year (with Allmendinger’s drive at Watkins Glen being the most dramatic finish of the season so far), but they have virtually no chance at winning the title. Almirola did run well at both Loudon and Dover earlier in the season (which are both in the first playoff segment), so there is the minute possibility he could sneak into the round of 12.

Happy to Be Here

14. Greg Biffle
13. Carl Edwards
            The demise of Roush-Fenway Racing has been well documented, and there’s no reason to expect a sudden revival during The Chase. Edwards is a lame duck driver, and Biffle has less Top-5s this season than Paul Menard. 

12. Ryan Newman
            Newman’s season has been just as uninspiring as Biffle’s, but at least he has been more competitive during the summer months. He does have three career wins at Loudon and Dover, which gives him a reasonable chance of making it to the round of 12. 

11. Kasey Kahne
            The greatest enigma of the entire NASCAR season has been Kahne’s inability to be consistently competitive this season. He needed a miraculous run at Atlanta just to be included in The Chase. If he can survive the first segment, Charlotte represents his best chance at cracking the Elite 8.

10. Denny Hamlin
            Hamlin has been more competent than you would think this season, as even with missing a race he would’ve made the playoffs without his win at Talladega. One can’t help but think he’s third on the Gibbs totem pole though.

Unpopular Dark Horses

9. Kyle Busch
8. Kurt Busch
            The Busch boys have only one win, both have occasionally had speed, and both have had an abundance of mechanical issues and crashes. We rank Kurt ahead of Kyle simply because the Hendrick powered Chevrolets have been stronger than the Gibbs Toyotas. 

Fatally Flawed

7. Matt Kenseth
            Kenseth is an honoree for hardest working driver of the year, as he’s tied for second in top-10s and tied for third in top-5s while piloting an underpowered Toyota Camry all year. Martinsville is the only track in the playoffs he has never won at, so it wouldn’t be a total shock to see him go on a run. Ultimately though, the lack of top end horsepower will do him in.

6. Kevin Harvick
            Happy Harvick has had fast cars all season long, but is saddled with the worst pit crew of any driver in the playoffs. His first year of the win was at Phoenix, so if he can repeat that feat he’ll be ticketed for the Final 4 at Homestead.

5. Jimmie Johnson
            With the exception of a stretch where he won three out of four just before the official start of summer, Six-Time has been riddled with tire issues all season. That could be the result of some experimenting by evil warlord crew chief Chad Knaus, but it just doesn’t feel like a championship season for Jimmie Johnson.

Stout Contenders

4. Joey Logano
            We’ve said it at least twice earlier this year, but it’s worth repeating…there really isn’t enough praise for a kid that’s only 24 years old being a legitimate championship contender. Logano has led laps in 18 of the 26 events this season, and has had speed everywhere. Other than his teammate, no one has more momentum than him going into the playoffs with Top-10 finishes in six of his last seven races.

3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
            Junior’s performance this year has been a huge shot in the arm for the sport, and it’s safe to assume that he should be a force throughout the playoffs. He’s tied for the most Top-5s with Brad Keselowski, and there isn’t a track on the schedule that he shouldn’t have speed at. The only reason we don’t have him in the top tier is the fact that we haven’t seen him post a competitive Chase showing since the first one in 2004.

The Favorites

2. Brad Keselowski
            Keselowski has been a little boom or bust this season, but some of that can be attributed to risk taking after securing a Chase spot early in the season. Penske Racing has had the most consistent qualifying program on a weekly basis, giving Keselowski premium track position right from the get go. The only reason we have some reservations about Keselowski winning is the third slate of elimination races. He’ll be fast at Texas, but Phoenix and Martinsville aren’t his strongest tracks on the circuit. 

1. Jeff Gordon
            Gordon has driven like a man possessed this year, posting more Top-10s than any other driver, and for the first time in many years looking like a guy hungry to win a title. He’s had success at every track in The Chase, and most importantly, has a win at Homestead under his belt. There’s a chance that he’ll be the only driver in the Final 4 that can say that. We’re signing off on Gordon as our predicted winner of the 2014 Sprint Cup.

Monday, September 8, 2014

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (9/5-9/7)

10. Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic Both Go Down in Semi-Finals of US Open
            Upsets are cool, until the two guys that pulled off the upsets face off in a Final no one cares about.

9. Brad Keselowski Secures Top Seed in The Chase
            A race billed as a last chance, no holds barred attempt to make the playoffs turned into a snooze-fest thanks to a dominant run by the 2012 champion.

8. Home Loss For Ohio State Caps Miserable Day For Big 10
            Following Michigan getting shut out at Notre Dame and Michigan State surrendering 28 unanswered points at Oregon, the Buckeyes looking mediocre at home was the last thing the conference needed.

7. Miami Dominates New England After Halftime, Wins 33-20
            If it wasn’t for some sloppy ball handling in the first half, the Dolphins could’ve won this game by four touchdowns.

6. Nelson Cruz Goes Bonkers Against Tampa Bay
            After missing the end of the 2013 season due to a steroid suspension, Cruz used the extra time off to figure out new ways to use performance-enhancing drugs without getting caught how to naturally improve at his craft.

5. Andrew Luck Leads Improbable Back Door Cover Against Broncos
            Indianapolis should’ve been a lot closer in this game, as they left at least 11 points on the table in the second half. There is a chance that they are better than we think.

4. Cincinnati Weathers Late Push From Ravens, Wins 23-16
            Steve Smith hit the way-back button with his go ahead touchdown, but then was quickly one-upped by superstar A.J. Green. This was a huge win for the Bengals, as it should silence some critics of The Red Rifle.
           
3. Steelers Nearly Implode, Survive Late Scare Against Cleveland
            After falling behind 27-3, at least Cleveland can take heart in the fact that they covered the point spread.
           
2. Buffalo Bills Pull Off a Shocking Overtime Win in Chicago
            There’s always one game a year in our Week 1 picks column that we don’t follow our preseason predictions closely enough and end up missing. At least it only happened once this year.

1. Matt Ryan Carries Falcons Past New Orleans
            For our money, Matt Ryan was by far the most impressive player in THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE on Sunday. In other words, he was the opposite of Tony Romo. 

Saturday, September 6, 2014

NFL Week 1 Picks

            We’re back with another year of shoddy football picks. No Credentials nailed Week 1 (visit our Facebook page for proof, and while your there do me a solid and like the page), so perhaps we’re in for a banner gambling year.

Saints (-3.5) over FALCONS

       Assuming the Saints are one of the three best teams in the NFC, we think we are getting a 3-point discount on this line.     

Vikings (+3.5) over RAMS
            In Week 1 battles of teams likely to end up in the top 10 of next year’s draft, we’ll take the points.

Browns (+7) over STEELERS
            Ditto.

EAGLES (-10.5) over Jaguars
            Here’s your suicide pool pick.

Raiders (+5.5) over JETS
            Here’s another bottom feeder match-up.

RAVENS (-1) over Bengals
            We’re predicting Andy Dalton lays a Week 1 stinker.

BEARS (-7) over Bills
            Here’s your second suicide pool pick.

TEXANS (-3) over Redskins
            Houston’s defense is a tough draw for RGIII.

CHIEFS (-3.5) over Titans
            Kansas City is due for regression, but Tennessee isn’t equipped to take advantage of it.

DOLPHINS (+4.5) over Patriots
            For my money, the hardest line to pick of the week. We’re guessing New England wins by a field goal.

BUCCANEERS (-3) over Panthers
            Too many red flags with the Panthers for us to take them on the road.

49ers (-4) over COWBOYS
            I don’t care how many more 49ers get arrested before kickoff tomorrow. They are still going to cut through the Cowboys’ defense like Swiss cheese.

BRONCOS (-8) over Colts
            Denver is going to make an example out of the Colts in this one.

LIONS (-6.5) over Giants
            At first glance this line feels high, but when one takes stock of the performance of the Giants offense last year and this pre-season, it’s warranted.

Chargers (+3) over CARDINALS
            This game will be the litmus test for whether or not the NFC is significantly better than the AFC this year.

Thursday Pick = 1-0

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

2014 NFC West Preview


4. St. Louis Rams
2013 Record = 7-9, Last in NFC West, Missed Playoffs
2014 Schedule = Vikings, @ Buccaneers, Cowboys, BYE, @ Eagles, 49ers, Seahawks, @ Chiefs, @ 49ers, @ Cardinals, Broncos, @ Chargers, Raiders, @ Redskins, Cardinals, Giants, @ Seahawks

Blue Chippers = DE Robert Quinn
High Quality Players = LT Jake Long
Solid Contributors = RG Rodger Saffold, RT Joe Barksdale, DE Chris Long
Impact Rookies = G/T Greg Robinson (1-2, Auburn), DT Aaron Donald (1-13, Pittsburgh), CB LaMarcus Joyner (2-41, Florida State)

Good News = St. Louis was once again one of the winners of the Draft thanks to the RGIII trade.
Bad News = You’ve heard about Sam Bradford, right?

Outlook = St. Louis has a roster full of young players with tons of potential, but with the loss of Sam Bradford for the entire season, it will be hard for those players to make a leap in 2014. Sucking might not be a bad way to go for the Rams this year, as they’d be able to reboot their quarterback situation with a high draft pick next year. For now, Shaun Hill is capable enough so the Rams will at least be competitive on a regular basis. 
Prediction = A talented young defense will not be able to hold up thanks to an offense that leaves them on the field too long. 3-13


3. Arizona Cardinals
2013 Record = 10-6, Third in NFC West, Missed Playoffs
2014 Schedule = Chargers, @ Giants, 49ers, BYE, @ Broncos, Redskins, @ Raiders, Eagles, @ Cowboys, Rams, Lions, @ Seahawks, @ Falcons, Chiefs, @ Rams, Seahawks, @ 49ers

Blue Chippers = DE Calais Campbell
High Quality Players = WR Larry Fitzgerald, CB Patrick Peterson, FS Tyrann Mathieu
Solid Contributors = HB Andre Ellington, WR Michael Floyd, LT Jared Veldheer, OLB John Abraham
Impact Rookies = S Deone Bucannon (1-27, Washington State)

Good News = Andre Ellington will be given the keys to a full-time workload.
Bad News = They are running out of linebackers.

Outlook = The strength of the Cardinals last year was their top ranked run defense, but without Darnell Dockett and Daryl Washington this year, that’s going to be nearly impossible to replicate. Dockett tore his ACL during training camp, and Washington is suspended for the year due to steroid abuse. Dockett didn’t play particularly well last year, but he still kept some attention away from stud lineman Calais Campbell. The secondary is also more of a question mark, as Tyrann Mathieu might not be himself at all in 2014 after blowing his knee out last December. If Antonio Cromartie can play at a high level opposite Patrick Peterson, that will take pressure off of the Honey Badger.
            Offensively the Cardinals are loaded with talent at the skill positions, but the Achilles Heal is Carson Palmer. Palmer still has a big arm, but has become more and more turnover prone over the years. It wouldn’t be shocking if his career fell off a cliff this season. Andre Ellington projects as a poor man’s LeSean McCoy. Arizona appears bent on using him until he breaks this year. Michael Floyd came on strong at the end of 2013, and is poised to be a near equal to Larry Fitzgerald. The offensive line was a weakness last year, but free agent acquisition Jared Veldheer should bring some stability.
Prediction = Facing a tough schedule with a diminished defense, we expect the Cardinals to take a step back this year. 6-10


2. Seattle Seahawks
2013 Record = 13-3, NFC West Champions, Super Bowl Champions
2014 Schedule = Packers, @ Chargers, Broncos, BYE, @ Redskins, Cowboys, @ Rams, @ Panthers, Raiders, Giants, @ Chiefs, Cardinals, @ 49ers, @ Eagles, 49ers, @ Cardinals, Rams

Blue Chippers = HB Marshawn Lynch, CB Richard Sherman, FS Earl Thomas
High Quality Players = QB Russell Wilson, WR Percy Harvin, DE Michael Bennett, DT Brandon Mebane, DE Cliff Avril, OLB K.J. Wright, SS Kam Chancellor
Solid Contributors = WR Doug Baldwin, TE Zach Miller, LT Russell Okung, C Max Unger, DT Tony McDaniel, MLB Bobby Wagner, OLB Bruce Irvin, CB Byron Maxwell
Impact Rookies = None

Good News = Every vital part of their Super Bowl team is back this year.
Bad News = At first glance, it appears they whiffed on the draft for the first time in years.

Outlook = We’ll keep the write up short and explain why we think the Seahawks will be a wild card team this year. We don’t think there’s a huge talent difference between the Seahawks and 49ers, so minor things like the schedule can make a difference. Last year, Seattle rode a second place schedule to a division title. This year, we think playing a first place schedule is the difference between them having home-field advantage and being forced to take their act on the road in January.
Prediction = 12-4


 1. San Francisco 49ers
2013 Record = 12-4, Second in NFC West, Lost NFC Championship Game
2014 Schedule = @ Cowboys, Bears, @ Cardinals, Eagles, Chiefs, @ Rams, @ Broncos, BYE, Rams, @ Saints, @ Giants, Redskins, Seahawks, @ Raiders, @ Seahawks, Chargers, Cardinals

Blue Chippers = MLB Patrick Willis

High Quality Players = FB Bruce Miller, WR Michael Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, LT Joe Staley, LG Mike Iupati, MLB Navarro Bowman, OLB Aldon Smith
Solid Contributors = QB Colin Kaepernick, HB Frank Gore, WR Anquan Boldin, WR Stevie Johnson, RG Alex Boone, RT Anthony Davis, DE Ray McDonald, DE Justin Smith, OLB Ahmad Brooks, CB Tramaine Brock
Impact Rookies = S Jimmie Ward (1-30, Northern Illinois), HB Carlos Hyde (2-57, Ohio State), C Marcus Martin (3-70, USC)

Good News = Of all the teams that were playoff participants last season, no one improved themselves more through the draft than the 49ers.
Bad News = Their defensive players keep getting arrested.

Outlook = We’re really banking on Jim Harbaugh’s ability to develop younger players in forecasting the 49ers to capture the NFC West, as on paper there are some red flags. Aldon Smith won’t be available until November, and they shouldn’t plan on getting anything out of Bowman after his devastating leg injury in last year’s NFC Championship Game. The secondary was a weakness in 2013, and they are primarily relying on internal developments to improve it. It would be reasonable to expect Eric Reid to make a leap to “High Quality” status by the end of the season.
            Offensively, the 49ers haven’t been this deep since the Steve Young era. Colin Kaepernick has played at a high level whenever he’s had Michael Crabtree healthy, so that should take the offense to new heights. Stevie Johnson adds an extra playmaker to take the top off the defense, which will open underneath routes for Crabtree and Anquan Boldin. Vernon Davis is still around to provide an elite red zone threat. Frank Gore keeps on trucking, but if he finally breaks down rookie Carlos Hyde should be able to fill his shoes. The offensive line is still among the league’s best, with rookie Marcus Martin potentially filling the center spot by the end of the year.
Prediction = We have the 49ers winning the Super Bowl this year, so sorry for the jinx San Francisco. 13-3