Bodog's NFL Preview - ON
OFFENSE
Oakland Raiders
The most ballyhooed move of the offseason was
the shift of petulant WR Randy Moss to Silver
and Black. The upside for Oakland is huge - every
cornerback in the league is aware of Moss's natural
ability, and his career averages of 1,300 receiving
yards and 12 TDs. Moss joins Jerry Porter and
Ronald Curry to form arguably the finest receiving
trio in the NFL - talented enough to turn QB Kerry
Collins into more than just "the guy who
quit in Carolina".
Jordan will look to revitalize the Raider running
game - But Oakland added more than just Moss.
In fact, the Raiders' offense had a total remodeling.
To bolster a running game that ranked dead last
in the league, the Raiders signed former Jets
running back LaMont Jordan to a five-year deal.
Jordan, who apprenticed under the ageless Curtis
Martin in New York for four seasons, will be expected
to carry a heavy load under head coach Norv Turner's
run-oriented offensive schemes.
What does it mean to us
bettors?
Oakland's first three games are against proficient
outfits in New England, Philadelphia and Kansas
City, so keep an eye on the Total line. Also,
Moss and Jordan both have personal scores to settle
- Moss to prove Minnesota made a mistake dealing
him; Jordan to emerge from the shadow of Martin
- which means both players will be keen to make
early impressions with their new teammates, coaches
and fans. The Raiders are poised to be a high-scoring
unit. Given the suspect nature of their defense,
that's a good thing for Oakland - and over bettors.
Expect plenty of high-scoring, shoot-'em-out games.
The two AFC West divisional contests versus the
Chiefs should be particularly wild.
Miami Dolphins
After the 4-12 disaster of 2004, quiet optimism
surrounds Dolphin camp. And for good reasons:
Miami has a new head coach and a revamped running
game.
After spectacular results at the collegiate level,
former Louisiana State boss Nick Saban arrives
in the NFL. Saban transformed an LSU team that
went 3-8 in 1999 to a co-national champion in
2003 - the same year Saban won NCAA coach of the
year honors.
On the field, the Dolphins will boast one of
the most intriguing running-back combinations
in recent memory. Controversial veteran Ricky
Williams returns while promising rookie Ronnie
Brown, taken fourth overall in this summer's NFL
draft, debuts. With neither one contributing a
single Miami rushing yard in 2004, opposing defenses
will be burdened with developing a scheme against
the duo.
One half of the Dolphins' new backfield:
Ronnie Brown While Williams still faces
much criticism (and a four-game suspension) after
his single-season sabbatical from football, his
natural abilities cannot be doubted. Prior to
his ganja break, Williams averaged 1,270 rushing
yards per season. Brown, meanwhile, should be
familiar with splitting running duties. The Auburn
product shared a backfield with this year's No.
5 overall pick, Cadillac Williams. With Brown
and Ricky Williams, many predict Miami could have
its finest RB combo since Csonka and Kiick.
What does it mean to us
bettors?
A respectable running game will allow QB AJ Feely
to breathe, and hopefully connect with his receiving
weapons - TE Randy McMichael and WRs Chris Chambers
and Marty Booker. While the team has receiving
talent, it wasn't on display last year. Defenses
played the pass and forced Miami's anemic running
game to produce. As a result, Miami threw the
most interceptions, gave up the fourth-most QB
sacks and averaged the second-fewest rushing yards
per game in the league in 2004. But with a renewed
running game this year, the Dolphins will likely
increase their time of possession, cut down on
turnovers and control the pace of play. The result?
While they're still not a high-flying offense,
the Dolphins won't be forced to rely on passing
to play catch-up, will be involved in games with
much closer score lines, and will be more competitive
overall.
ON DEFENSE
Minnesota Vikings
Not a single team benefited more defensively
from offseason player moves than Minnesota. The
Vikes added five likely starters via trades and
free agency - LBs Sam Cowart and Napoleon Harris,
DT Pat Williams, CB Fred Smoot and FS Darren Sharper
- who bring a combined 339 NFL starts, 57 interceptions,
32 sacks and three Pro Bowl appearances.
The defense didn't rest there, either. Minnesota
got bigger in the draft: by six feet, four inches
and 263 pounds to be exact. Those are the measurements
of DE Erasmus James, a first-round selection from
Wisconsin. Regarded as one of the premier pass
rushers in college football last year, James has
a strong chance to start opposite DE Kenechi Udeze,
the Vikings' first-round pick in 2004.
Udeze will be a key cog in the revamped Viking's
defense The numerous additions, along with key
returnees - SS Corey Chavous, DB Antoine Winfield
and LB EJ Henderson - make Minnesota a fearsome
foe. Simply put, this is a defense that appears
to have it all: youth, veteran leadership and
positional depth.
What does it mean to us
bettors?
Minnesota is already a trendy pick to win the
NFC Championship, and many pundits see the Vikings
as a legitimate contender to New England to win
Super Bowl LX. With the trade of Randy Moss and
a renewed commitment to defense, this may not
be the potent Minnesota juggernaut we've seen
in past years. Once considered a lock for weekly
30-plus-point performances, the Vikings appear
to have downscaled the air-it-out philosophy.
The team ranked 26th in points allowed per game
last year and had only 11 interceptions in 2004
- numbers you don't normally associate with serious
Super Bowl hopefuls. By sacrificing some offense
(Moss) to shore up the defense, the Vikings will
likely engage in lower-scoring contests, but could
be playing deeper into January.
Dallas Cowboys
Go ahead and say it: The D is back in Dallas.
Tired cliché, but for 2005 it fits.
While some teams chose to re-build through free
agency and others through the draft, the Cowboys
did a little of both. The draft was a defensive
coup for head coach Bill Parcells, nabbing Troy
State's all-everything DE/LB Demarcus Ware with
the 11th overall pick. Ware will provide versatility
to the Dallas defense. His ability to line up
as a lineman or linebacker will allow the coaching
staff to flip between 3-4 and 4-3 defenses with
ease. Nine picks later, Parcells took monster
LSU DE Marcus Spears, the only 300-pound defensive
end in the draft. Spears and Ware will be immediately
thrust into action, hoping to revamp a defense
that allowed 25 points per game in 2004, sixth
worst in the league.
Blue Star Swarm But it's not just the youth movement
that has opposing scouts wary of the Cowboy's
defense. The team beefed up with a trio of free-agent
signings: DT Jason Ferguson, and CBs Aaron Glenn
and Anthony Henry.
Ferguson looks to be the prize of the crop -
a nine-year veteran who broke into the league
under Parcells while the Big Tuna was with the
New York Jets. Glenn and Henry are veteran ballhawkers
who will aim to improve the Cowboys' takeaway
numbers.
What does it mean to us
bettors?
Despite the inclusion of the high-flying Philadelphia
Eagles, the NFC East was a rather putrid division
offensively last season. Washington and the New
York Giants struggled, and this year doesn't look
to be much of an improvement for either team.
The Cowboys also have a lot of question marks
on offense - new QB Drew Bledsoe is coming off
the least productive season of his career, while
RB Julius Jones is talented yet unproven - and
that means Parcells will have to rely on the defense
to win games, and keep the team in playoff contention.
Their early cupcake schedule - facing low-scoring
units like the Redskins and 49ers within the first
three weeks - could result in Ware and Spears
gaining immediate confidence. If they start playing
over their heads and rid themselves of the rookie
butterflies, opponents will be hard pressed to
put up big points against Dallas.
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