Pro football returns this Sunday, with the Hall of Fame game between the Steelers and the Vikings. So many story lines this year!

*How many - if any - games will Tom Terrific be suspended?
*How will that affect the Patriots' defense of their Super Bowl championship?
*Will JJ Watt continue to play at superhuman levels - on BOTH sides of the ball?
*Does Peyton Manning have anything left in the tank?
*How much fun is it going to be watching Johnny Football? Or will it be Johnny Benchwarmer?
*Is Beast Mode still beastly?
*Have the Dallas Cowboys finally figured it out, and will they contend?
*Can Chip Kelly field a complete team, or is there going to be a mutiny on the Iggles?
*Which Eli Manning will show up - Super Bowl Eli or Sad Eli?
*How many fingers does Jason Pierre-Paul have, and how many does he need?
*Russell Wilson got paid, and I mean REALLY got paid. Can he take the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl?
*The 49ers are a train wreck. Is Colin Kapernick a good enough conductor to undo all the screw-ups that Jim Harbaugh left the team with?

These questions and more will be answered in the upcoming season. Post your picks, projections and prognostications here!

kpowers said:

STEEEEELER NAAAATIONNNNN!!!

REP. RE. SENT!

This year, ring #7.....

babynoz said:

kpowers said:

STEEEEELER NAAAATIONNNNN!!!

REP. RE. SENT!

This year, ring #7.....

I'm going to Seattle to see them play, first time ever to an NFL game (not counting the pro bowl)

kpowers said:

• 

LMAO at bitter Cowboys fans. The Detroit Lions fans knows exactly how

they feel.

Seahawks will be going again to the Superbowl. Beast mode is still beastly.

I would think this would be a building year for the 49ers.

With out Tom the patriots will most likely lose (They may win one).

kpowers said:

I saw today that former Ole Miss All-American Senquez Golson might miss his whole rookie season due to should surgery. Bummer.

I'm not surprised to hear the news about Senquez. I know Coach Tomlin was

saying last week how the shoulder was an issue. Thus the Brandon Boykin

trade with the Eagles for a 5th rounder.

kpowers said:

babynoz said:

STEEEEELER NAAAATIONNNNN!!!

REP. RE. SENT!

This year, ring #7.....

I'm going to Seattle to see them play, first time ever to an NFL game (not counting the pro bowl)

I don't watch as much football as I used to, and I'm taking a hiatus from fantasy leagues this season so I can enjoy the games themselves, again.

The season could well come down to the outcome of the Brady Suspension.

Second day of practice and Arian Foster is already hurt. Groin injury. Might need surgery. I'll let Sam Malone break it down for you:

phunkdaddy said:

phunkdaddy said:

I really think this could be the year that someone in the AFC East push the Patriots. I'm talking about the Dolphins. If Suh keeps his head on straight him and Cameron Wakefield and defense could wreck shit. Buffalo and the Jets have good defense that will cause the Pats problems but both have issues at QB.

The defenses in BUF, MIA and NYJ will all improve, but the offenses for those teams are still works in progress. To me this means that NE will score less within the division, but still score enough to win it. and that's presuming Brady plays at some point in September.

RodeoSchro said:

Pro football returns this Sunday, with the Hall of Fame game between the Steelers and the Vikings. So many story lines this year!

*How many - if any - games will Tom Terrific be suspended? 3

*How will that affect the Patriots' defense of their Super Bowl championship? no homefield in January, as if that matters to the Fighting Belichicks.

*Will JJ Watt continue to play at superhuman levels - on BOTH sides of the ball? Teams will gameplan around him, a la LT or Reggie White. He could indirectly make Jadeveon Clowney a star, as plays will flow away from Watt directly to Clowney, and protections to Watt and away from Clowney.

*Does Peyton Manning have anything left in the tank? Enough to win his division, and from there, who knows?

*How much fun is it going to be watching Johnny Football? Or will it be Johnny Benchwarmer? Depends on the month.

*Is Beast Mode still beastly? Every single running back reaches a tipping point. It's only a matter of when for Lynch.

*Have the Dallas Cowboys finally figured it out, and will they contend? They have a formula, but it's hard for results to translate from one season to the next in the NFC East.

*Can Chip Kelly field a complete team, or is there going to be a mutiny on the Iggles? Yes he can, and yes there will.

*Which Eli Manning will show up - Super Bowl Eli or Sad Eli? That's ALWAYS the question, he's always the Wild Card in his division.

*How many fingers does Jason Pierre-Paul have, and how many does he need? Who knows, and who knows?


*Russell Wilson got paid, and I mean REALLY got paid. Can he take the Seahawks back to the Super Bowl? The Seahawks are already cutting personnel loose. He could have his best season and still miss the Super Bowl. It's hard to make 3 straight.


*The 49ers are a train wreck. Is Colin Kapernick a good enough conductor to undo all the screw-ups that Jim Harbaugh left the team with? In the Parity Era, you never know.

Former Lion's running back Mel Farr passed away....RIP,

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2015/08/04/mel-farr-obit/31091717/

namepeace said:

phunkdaddy said:

I really think this could be the year that someone in the AFC East push the Patriots. I'm talking about the Dolphins. If Suh keeps his head on straight him and Cameron Wakefield and defense could wreck shit. Buffalo and the Jets have good defense that will cause the Pats problems but both have issues at QB.

The defenses in BUF, MIA and NYJ will all improve, but the offenses for those teams are still works in progress. To me this means that NE will score less within the division, but still score enough to win it. and that's presuming Brady plays at some point in September.

Miami has a nice offense now that is very good when Ryan Tanneyhill is on. Look at the weapons

he has too. Lamar Miller at RB Landry Jones, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills at WR. Watch out

They will split with NE this year.

Revolution said:

Yep, I'm ready!!! Go Cowboys!!!! Go Seahawks!!!!

Brandon Marshall had some interesting commentary on First Take this morning

concerning Jay Cutler and the Bears play last season. He stated the same thing

I've said with the weapons they had on offense last season the offense should

have accomplished more.

Teddy Bridgewater about to join the ranks of elite quarterbacks..

Vikings building a ferocious squad...

U been warned

phunkdaddy said:

namepeace said:

The defenses in BUF, MIA and NYJ will all improve, but the offenses for those teams are still works in progress. To me this means that NE will score less within the division, but still score enough to win it. and that's presuming Brady plays at some point in September.

Miami has a nice offense now that is very good when Ryan Tanneyhill is on. Look at the weapons he has too. Lamar Miller at RB Landry Jones, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills at WR. Watch out. They will split with NE this year.

That's the operative phrase. Tanehill is usually "on" about half the season; that's one of the main reasons why the Fish can't get over the hump. Their specialty players are nice, but they need better line play.

Based on their division, MIA could make it to the playoffs. They always play NE tough at home, and the Jets and Bills won't light up the scoreboard. They have 2 games vs. a healthy Pats D, 2 games v. a potentially elite Bills D, and 2 games v. a resurgent Jets D. Those games are pretty frontloaded this year, and they'll avoid the cold weather games in December (their only road game in Dec. is at the Chargers) BUT, they'll have to face some potent offenses out of division.

I'd still say they're headed to 8-8 or 9-7 because the jury is still out on Tanehill and the O-Line.

BEASTMODE!

Gunsnhalen said:

phunkdaddy said:

Hall of Fame game tonight. Want to get a good look at some of the Steelers new defenders. Landry Jones gets the start and will play most of the game. Steelers backup Bruce Gradowski is nursing a sore shoulder and won't play. Nothing I've seen from Landry Jones in his first two seasons makes me think he's an NFL caliber qb. [Edited 8/9/15 7:07am] [Edited 8/9/15 7:08am]

namepeace said:

phunkdaddy said:

Miami has a nice offense now that is very good when Ryan Tanneyhill is on. Look at the weapons he has too. Lamar Miller at RB Landry Jones, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills at WR. Watch out. They will split with NE this year.

That's the operative phrase. Tanehill is usually "on" about half the season; that's one of the main reasons why the Fish can't get over the hump. Their specialty players are nice, but they need better line play.

Based on their division, MIA could make it to the playoffs. They always play NE tough at home, and the Jets and Bills won't light up the scoreboard. They have 2 games vs. a healthy Pats D, 2 games v. a potentially elite Bills D, and 2 games v. a resurgent Jets D. Those games are pretty frontloaded this year, and they'll avoid the cold weather games in December (their only road game in Dec. is at the Chargers) BUT, they'll have to face some potent offenses out of division.

I'd still say they're headed to 8-8 or 9-7 because the jury is still out on Tanehill and the O-Line.

I think that building a team around Tannehill is smart. I think he has a good deal of potential.