Will they get In?

The 2012 NFL season is winding down and the playoff picture is becoming clearer every week.  Last week I discussed the AFC/NFC North picture.  This week we will discuss the disappointing AFC/NFC South conference playoff picture.  We will go into remaining schedules and predictions.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts: The Packers are not the only team striving for perfection.  The Colts are trying to achieve a feat that only the 08 Lions were able to do….go 0-16.  Currently the Colts are 0-12 and they even brought in the man who was the QB for the Lions during that stretch, Dan Orlovsky.  Games versus the Ravens, Titans, and Texans are for sure losses.  It will all come down to the last game at Jacksonville for the Colts to win a game this season. Colts are devoid of talent at all levels and Andrew Luck alone will not be able to turn this team around.

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Will They Get In: AFC/NFC South Edition - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Mark Ingram is out for Sunday, but there are other young players to watch in this big N.F.C. South battle (picture source ryanaustindeanfiles.wordpress.com)

Today the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel up to Louisiana to play the talented New Orleans Saints coming off a real bad loss to the Rams. Both teams were lauded for good draft classes and the Buccaneers specifically have a lot of young talent.

With Mark Ingram the matchups I’m excited about watching are up front for the Buccaneers.

The Young Defensive linemen

The Buccaneers have a ridiculous amount of young talent on the defensive line with Adrian Clayborn, DaQuan Bowers, Brian Price, and Gerald McCoy. McCoy is listed as probable for the game. I’ll be interested in watching how the young defensive line does vs Drew Brees who can get rid of the ball very quickly, but the Saints interior is no slouch in the run game either, so I’m interested in watching how Price and McCoy hold up vs the run. Da’quan Bowers has played sparingly and has yet to register a sack.

For the Saints first round pick Cameron Jordan is quietly putting together a nice season. he has yet to register a sack, but he has 21 tackles (and 6 the last time the Saints played the Buccaneers earlier this year).

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans What to Watch For - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Josh Freeman and the Buccaneers have started out 3-1. Where does that put them on my power rankings (the pewterplank.com)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have started the season 3-1 after a big win last night vs the Colts. It did’nt come easy, but a win is a win. Where does that put them in my power rankings? What about the Colts who have now started the season 0-4.  Has anyone been able to unseat the Green Bay Packers? Are the Patriots still the A.F.C. front runners?

32.  The Miami Dolphins (Previously Kansas City Chiefs)

The Dolphins are not the 31st least talented team in the league, but this team can not win Sparano as their head coach. I’m 100 percent convinced that failing to jettison Sparano is going to cost this team. In the summer after the draft, I ranked the Dolphins as the worst team in the league much to the dismay of many Dolphins fans precisely because of the coaching situation. Bad coaching situations rarely ever work out. Football is too much of a motivational sport.  The Dolphins have played their way back into the worst spot. This is contingent on Chad Henne being hurt. Henne’s not good, but he’s better than Matt Moore. Yikes. The Dolphins are in a for a very, very long season.

31.  The Minnesota Vikings ( Previously Miami Dolphins)

I’ve always admired and respected Donovan Mcnabb and even though he’s not the biggest reason the Vikings are playing so awful (0-4). He’s one of them. The Vikings will start playing Christian Ponder after a nother loss or two. The Vikings need more help on their offensive line. They need another wide receiver and they need to learn how to play a full game. They are one of the best teams in the league in the first half, worst team in the league in the second half.

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NFL Power Rankings: Week 4 - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Is Mr. Luck Packing His Bags For Kansas? (Picture courtesy of The110Report)

1. Kansas City Chiefs: Andrew Luck, Quarterback, Stanford

The Chiefs will start fresh next season with a new quarterback under center along with getting both Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry back from their injuries.

2. Indianapolis Colts: Matt Kalil, Offensive Tackle, USC

Protecting Peyton Manning will be a key next season for the Colts. He will be coming off a few neck injuries that can’t be risked by a shaky offensive line.

3. Seattle Seahawks: Matt Barkley, Quarterback, USC

Both Tarvaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst aren’t the Seahawks now or in the future. Got to wonder if Pete Carroll is already planning the reunion party since he was the coach at USC during Matt Barkley’s freshman year.

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2012 NFL Mock Draft: The Chiefs Are In Luck! - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Where did the Super Bowl Champ Packers rank after week 1?

The power rankings below are strictly based off of week one performances. These power rankings should look a lot different once we move later into the season.

Here are the NFL power rankings for week 1:

32 Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs deserve to be the worst team on every single power ranking that comes out today. They got shut down by one of the worst teams in the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. The Chiefs offense made the Bills defense looked like the Ravens and the Chiefs defense made the Bills offense look like the Packers. Maybe it’s just the Bills are getting better, but it’s still no excuse for the horrible loss they suffered against them.

31. Indianapolis Colts 

You can’t blame Kerry Collins two fumbles for the loss against the Houston Texans on Sunday. More of the loss should be put on the running game and rush defense. They ran the ball for only 64 yards and allowed a player that goes by the name of Ben Tate, not Arian Foster, run for 116 yards and a touchdown.

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NFL Week 1 Power Rankings - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Terrelle Pryor could have a new home next week. Where will he land?

AFC East

Buffalo Bills

The Bills currently do not have a quarterback of the future. They were one of the handful of teams in 2010 looking seriously into drafting Tim Tebow, so I don’t think Chan Gailey and his staff are afraid of the media hype that comes along with it as well as the knowledge that it takes time to develop quarterbacks. They could also be very creative in using Pryor.

**Honorable mention–Miami Dolphins**

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NFL Teams Most Likely to Draft Terrelle Pryor by Division - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Front Office:

Owner:             Malcolm Glazer

GM:                 Mark Dominik

B+:       Management did not like the direction Gruden and company were headed, so they stopped production and changed on the fly.  They rebuilt quickly.  Mark Dominik seems to be a competent GM but I am unsure of his risky drafting this past draft.  Time will tell if it was prudent to take two very talented DE’s who are both major injury risks.

Coaching:

HC:                  Rasheem Morris

OC:                  Greg Olson

DC:                  None

B+:       I would never advise a new HC to also be a coordinator.  Morris chose to be both HC and DC and has done a remarkable job.  He is the man who will get the Buccaneers back into prominence.  Morris has done so with a young team.  Olson has done a solid job spoon feeding and developing Freeman.  I like this coaching staff to keep improving the Buccaneers.

QB:                 B+

Do I think the Buccaneers are one of the more over rated teams in the league?  Yes, do I believe that Josh Freeman will eventually lead this team to greatness?  Yes.  Freeman is an amazing talent and leader.  He is big, strong, fast, and has all the intangibles you would want.  I thought he would take longer to develop and I like many others were proven wrong quickly.

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2011 NFL Season Preview: Tampa Bay Buccs - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football

Detroit Lions Resign John Wendling and Drew Stanton - NFL Mocks - NFL Mocks - Covering the 2012 NFL draft, Mock Draft Database, Scouting Reports, and Fantasy Football