***** The Official 2014 Avante Football Thread *****

[Blizzardwizard]

And you base that opinion on what? Go ahead elaborate.

If you insist, lord A.Vante.

I don't believe in that super bowl curse crap, but I do believe that the Seahawks will be 'found out' this year. I'm not a fan of their Running back group, nor do I believe Percy Harvin will last a whole season. They lost a lot of good players in the offseason and didn't strengthen too well. They had a lot of luck with health last year it seems extremely unlikely they'll make it through another whole year without at least one key injury. Add in the fact that the NFC as a whole will be a lot stronger this year with the return of Rodgers and the Saints being stronger in general means that getting to the Super Bowl will be tougher than getting there and winning the whole thing last year for the Seahawks. Officials are clamping down on defensive holding meaning that their aggressive to say the least secondary won't continue to get away with roughing up the opponents receivers.

A much improved Saints defense and multiple weapons being added to their offense I think trumps what the Hawks have got to offer. Brees is a much more effective passer than Wilson, and now with the stricter rules I don't see how he can't carve any defense open. I'd much rather have a fired up Mark Ingram than an old tired complaining Marshawn Lynch. Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston on separate sides have much more to offer in my opinion than the Seahawks outlets. Did I mention the best TE/WR hybrid and one of the best pass catchers in football Jimmy Graham? Do the Seahawks have a version, or anything even close to a Jimmy Graham? Nope. Top that off with a top 3 safety, a smart coach, a great DL and you've got yourself a winner.

[spurraider21]

If you insist, lord A.Vante.

I don't believe in that super bowl curse crap, but I do believe that the Seahawks will be 'found out' this year. I'm not a fan of their Running back group, nor do I believe Percy Harvin will last a whole season. They lost a lot of good players in the offseason and didn't strengthen too well. They had a lot of luck with health last year it seems extremely unlikely they'll make it through another whole year without at least one key injury. Add in the fact that the NFC as a whole will be a lot stronger this year with the return of Rodgers and the Saints being stronger in general means that getting to the Super Bowl will be tougher than getting there and winning the whole thing last year for the Seahawks. Officials are clamping down on defensive holding meaning that their aggressive to say the least secondary won't continue to get away with roughing up the opponents receivers.

A much improved Saints defense and multiple weapons being added to their offense I think trumps what the Hawks have got to offer. Brees is a much more effective passer than Wilson, and now with the stricter rules I don't see how he can't carve any defense open. I'd much rather have a fired up Mark Ingram than an old tired complaining Marshawn Lynch. Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston on separate sides have much more to offer in my opinion than the Seahawks outlets. Did I mention the best TE/WR hybrid and one of the best pass catchers in football Jimmy Graham? Do the Seahawks have a version, or anything even close to a Jimmy Graham? Nope. Top that off with a top 3 safety, a smart coach, a great DL and you've got yourself a winner.

i guess their Left Tackle (Okung), Center (Unger), 2 best WR's (Harvin and Rice), and #2 corner (Browner) missing huge chunks of the season was them being lucky with injuries

[Blizzardwizard]

i guess their Left Tackle (Okung), Center (Unger), 2 best WR's (Harvin and Rice), and #2 corner (Browner) missing huge chunks of the season was them being lucky with injuries

Well if that's unlucky than I have no idea what I'd call the Chargers injury list last year.. Plus Harvin came back when it actually mattered.

[spurraider21]

Well if that's unlucky than I have no idea what I'd call the Chargers injury list last year.. Plus Harvin came back when it actually mattered.

i dont have the seahawks entire injury list on hand, but those are the notable ones i recall. i wouldn't call that having good luck with injuries. having your 2 best linemen down as a running team is pretty bad. having your #2 corner out when you face the Saints and Broncos in the postseason isn't good luck either. i think you just missed on the injury point tbh

[Blizzardwizard]

i dont have the seahawks entire injury list on hand, but those are the notable ones i recall. i wouldn't call that having good luck with injuries. having your 2 best linemen down as a running team is pretty bad. having your #2 corner out when you face the Saints and Broncos in the postseason isn't good luck either. i think you just missed on the injury point tbh

Ok fine, you win. Still waiting for Lord A.Vante to weigh in on the rest of my point..

[Aztecfan03]

Well if that's unlucky than I have no idea what I'd call the Chargers injury list last year.. Plus Harvin came back when it actually mattered.

The Chargers were beyond unlucky last year which is partly why they should be better this year despite a tough schedule.

[Pelicans78]

i guess their Left Tackle (Okung), Center (Unger), 2 best WR's (Harvin and Rice), and #2 corner (Browner) missing huge chunks of the season was them being lucky with injuries

Every team has their laundry list of injuries. I don't think Seattle's was as bad as people make it out to be.

[spurraider21]

Every team has their laundry list of injuries. I don't think Seattle's was as bad as people make it out to be.

I also don't think they were blessed with a fortunate season regarding injuries, as blizzard was making it sound like

[Blizzardwizard]

I also don't think they were blessed with a fortunate season regarding injuries, as blizzard was making it sound like

I wasn't making out they had good luck, I was just saying they didn't have bad luck..

[Blizzardwizard]

Wait, I did make out that they did have good luck. Eh, what'ya gonna do.

[Avante]

If you insist, lord A.Vante.

I don't believe in that super bowl curse crap, but I do believe that the Seahawks will be 'found out' this year. I'm not a fan of their Running back group, nor do I believe Percy Harvin will last a whole season. They lost a lot of good players in the offseason and didn't strengthen too well. They had a lot of luck with health last year it seems extremely unlikely they'll make it through another whole year without at least one key injury. Add in the fact that the NFC as a whole will be a lot stronger this year with the return of Rodgers and the Saints being stronger in general means that getting to the Super Bowl will be tougher than getting there and winning the whole thing last year for the Seahawks. Officials are clamping down on defensive holding meaning that their aggressive to say the least secondary won't continue to get away with roughing up the opponents receivers.

A much improved Saints defense and multiple weapons being added to their offense I think trumps what the Hawks have got to offer. Brees is a much more effective passer than Wilson, and now with the stricter rules I don't see how he can't carve any defense open. I'd much rather have a fired up Mark Ingram than an old tired complaining Marshawn Lynch. Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston on separate sides have much more to offer in my opinion than the Seahawks outlets. Did I mention the best TE/WR hybrid and one of the best pass catchers in football Jimmy Graham? Do the Seahawks have a version, or anything even close to a Jimmy Graham? Nope. Top that off with a top 3 safety, a smart coach, a great DL and you've got yourself a winner.

The Seahawks did suffer some key injuries in 2013 and still prevailed.

What really hurts in 2014 is the loss of Bryant and Clemons, there goes 16 sacks....ouch~~~~ Now add the fact everyone will be gunning for them this season.

Russell Wilson should be better this season and if Harvin can stay health and speedster Paul Robinson is the real deal they have enought to make it work (Doug Baldwin). No team in the league has as many big powerful backs has the Seahawks, they have five backs over 220 pounds and then Lynch at 215. They can pound the rock.

Their defensive backfield without a doubt the best in the league. The backers as a group right there with the Niners and Carolina.

I see a team that shouldn't miss a beat if they can find some pass rushers. Yes that is a big deal.


The Saints were great in that all important sacks/sacked stat a plus 12. But....not so hot in the run/stuff the run in the lower half of the league in both.

All three of these teams, Hawks, Niners, Saints, are close enought to where injuries/turnovers could be the deciding factors.

A very realistic debate between these three teams.

[Avante]

The Chargers were beyond unlucky last year which is partly why they should be better this year despite a tough schedule.

They did lose three games by a combined 6 points.

[Avante]

While here....

According to a ranking system put out by LINDY'S (they do know what they are doing)

They have this heading into the season

The Top 10

1.Seattle 73
2.Niners 70.5
2.Indy 70.5
4.Denver 69.5
4.New Orleans 69.5
4.Packers 69.5
7.Pats 69.0
7.Arizona 69.0
7.Baltimore 69.0
10Cinncy 68
10St.Louis 68

Look at that NFC West

[Aztecfan03]

They did lose three games by a combined 6 points.

I meant injury wise. Those losses were just ting the bed (and some questionable officiating now that I think about it)

[Avante]

I meant injury wise. Those losses were just ting the bed (and some questionable officiating now that I think about it)

I like your little running back Brendan Oliver out of Buffalo, the kid is a stud. A whole other level of quicks than anything the Chargers have had in a long time.

[Aztecfan03]

I like your little running back Brendan Oliver out of Buffalo, the kid is a stud. A whole other level of quicks than anything the Chargers have had in a long time.

He looked good vs Dallas but I'm not gonna get excited about him at this point.

[Avante]

He looked good vs Dallas but I'm not gonna get excited about him at this point.

Well if you'd seen him play at Buffalo, he looked the same vs Dallas. How he went undrafted..???

[Avante]

Andew Luck will be one of the leagues elite QB;s real soon.

Russell Wilson will continue to do his job as well as anyone else in the league.

Then there's RGIII. I personally don't like to see young guys who really haven't done doing a lot of endorsements and media stuff, that should be for those who warrant that sort of attention. I do see that stuff as a distraction something young guys don't need.

I never got the impression his game would work (for long) at the NFL level. He did rely too much on his .."world class speed" (no not really) and didn't have a legit NFL arm. Take away the.."will he run?"...and the fact he can't throw that dart into small windows and it's not looking good. I do see Cousins taking over sometime this season, he is the better passer no doubt about that.

[spurraider21]

RG3 has a good arm, but his game notably declined after his injury... shows he was reliant on his feet despite the "i'm a passer first, i only run when i need to" rhetoric we heard from him (and every other running qb ever)... this year he was great weapons so maybe he can make strides from the pocket.

[Avante]

RG3 has a good arm, but his game notably declined after his injury... shows he was reliant on his feet despite the "i'm a passer first, i only run when i need to" rhetoric we heard from him (and every other running qb ever)... this year he was great weapons so maybe he can make strides from the pocket.

All NFL QB'a have a "good" arm. Would you say Peyton/Rodgers/Brady/Brees have "good" arms? They have "great" arms as did Sonny Jurgensen/Joe Thiesman the best of the Redskins QB's.

He wasn't drafted because of his pocket passing prowess, he's there because of the pressure his "dual purpose" ability put on defenses. You take away his running threat and he's not going to be all that productive regardless of who his receivers are. I've seen the guy play many times and he's never impressed me as "just" a passer.

[spurraider21]

All NFL QB'a have a "good" arm. Would you say Peyton/Rodgers/Brady/Brees have "good" arms? They have "great" arms as did Sonny Jurgensen/Joe Thiesman the best of the Redskins QB's.

He wasn't drafted because of his pocket passing prowess, he's there because of the pressure his "dual purpose" ability put on defenses. You take away his running threat and he's not going to be all that productive regardless of who his receivers are. I've seen the guy play many times and he's never impressed me as "just" a passer.

good arm by NFL standards... you know what i meant

[Avante]

good arm by NFL standards... you know what i meant

Yes I did get what you meant I assumed that was obvious. My point was there are a ton of NFL QB's who have something far superior to a "good" arm. Few QB's get (unless they have a STUD defense) too far with just a "good" arm.

[Avante]

Denvers Danny Trevathan just broke a knee cap.

[Avante]

Is this realistic?

Indy Colts

lose in Denver
beat Philly
win at Jax
beat Tenn
beat Balt
win at Hous
beat Cinncy
lose at Pitt
win at Giants
lose to NE
beat Jax
beat Wash
win at Cleve
beat Hous
win at Dallas
win at Tenn

13-3..?

[AchillesHeel]

Which teams will you jinx this year, Avante?