RELAX! IT'S ONLY THE FIRST GAME OF THE SEASON

Look, I know that Peyton Manning has a laser rocket arm and by the time he retires Manning will hold several major passing records and is guaranteed enshrinement in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility which will happen sometime in the 2020s.

Manning's 462 passing yards and 7 passing touchdowns is worth talking about. In the fantasy league I am participating in, Manning got 66 fantasy points and that team is likely to win their matchup. He also had Denver's Defense/Special Teams which got him 11 points. Another guy had receiver Demaryius Thomas who caught 5 passes for 161 yards and 2 touchdowns resulting in 34 fantasy points.

The good news is that I did not draw either of them for Week 1. I had Denver's kicker which gives me an early 7-0 advantage heading into Sunday's games.

Keith Olbermann (yes, he's back on television... this time in his second stint on ESPN television) made it clear about why it is WAY too soon to crown the Broncos Super Bowl XLVIII Champions in the opening of his show on Friday night.

It's not even Week 1. It's only the FIRST GAME OF THE ENTIRE NFL SEASON!!!

One game is 0.3745% of the entire 256-game season plus 11-game playoffs. We have a long ways to go to determine who will be on hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in early February.

I just hope that my prediction holds.

Again.... relax. The Super Bowl wasn't won with the first game of the year.

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2013 NFL SEASON WEEK 1

For the first time since 2003, the Super Bowl champion will start the season on the road. This was in part due to the Ravens and Baltimore's baseball team, the Orioles, had a scheduling conflict. Instead of rescheduling the baseball game to allow the Ravens have their moment in the sun, the Orioles held fast. The simple solution would have been to swap the series between the Orioles and White Sox, but I am certain there was certain logistical issues with that. Oh well, it is what it is.

Meanwhile the Cowboys, who I currently have a love/hate relationship with, have their first home opener in Week 1 since the 2007 season when they defeated the New York Giants 45-35 at the now demolished Texas Stadium. Their opponent for this game: the New York Giants. Since Cowboys Stadium's AT&T Stadium'sDeath Star's Jerry World's opening in 2009, the Giants have never lost there. Last season the Cowboys spoiled the Giants Super Bowl celebration in the season opener.

And to be honest, I wasn't really watching that game. Instead I was watching this.

Other Week 1 games include Buccaneers cornerback Daryl Revis returning to New York to face his former team. There is a battle of mobile quarterbacks in Carolina between the Panthers Cam Newton and the Seahawks Russell Wilson. The Andy Reid era starts with the Chiefs taking on the Jaguars in Jacksonville. The late Sunday afternoon games features a playoff rematch between the Packers and 49ers in San Francisco. On Monday Night, Robert Griffin III makes his return from a knee injury that he suffered in the playoffs against NFC East rival Philadelphia.

Oh... and in the other Monday Night game, the Texans travel to San Diego. But I'll probably be in bed by then.

Here is to another season of picking games and taking on Ms. Roberts in her weekly picks. She may have defeated me in the regular season, but I defeated her in the playoffs. We've also added one Mr. Eli Blake from Arizona. I wish him the best of luck.

The important thing is that we are both starting 0-0 and I look forward to a successful season.

NFL TV Maps

Kickoff times Central Time

Games in DFW shown with (DFW)

  

NFL KICKOFF GAME, 7:30 PM (CT) NBC 

Ravens at Broncos

FOX NOON

Falcons at Saints (DFW)

Buccaneers at Jets

Seahawks at Panthers

Vikings at Lions

CBS NOON

Bengals at Bears (DFW)

Chiefs at Jaguars

Dolphins at Browns

Patriots at Bills

Raiders at Colts

Titans at Steelers

FOX 3PM

Packers at 49ers (DFW)

Cardinals at Rams

SUNDAY NIGHT, 7:30 PM (CT) NBC

Giants at Cowboys

MONDAY NIGHT

Eagles at Redskins, 6 PM (CT) ESPN

Texans at Chargers, 9:15 PM (CT) ESPN

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2013 NFL SEASON: SUPER BOWL PREDICTION

So after careful deliberations and much research... here are my picks for the upcoming NFL Season.

Division	NFC	AFC
EAST	Giants	Patriots
NORTH	Packers	Ravens
SOUTH	Falcons	Texans
WEST	49ers	Broncos
Wild Card 1	Seahawks	Steelers
Wild Card 2	Saints	Bengals

AFC TITLE

Broncos over Texans

NFC TITLE

Falcons over 49ers

SUPER BOWL XLVIII

Broncos over Falcons

Why this pick?

Last season the Falcons were inside 15 yards from playing in the franchise's second Super Bowl. Other NFC contenders are the 49ers, Packers, Seahawks, and to a lesser extent the Saints with the return of Sean Payton to the sidelines. Whoever emerges from the NFC will have earned the right to play in the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile the Broncos were bounced from the playoffs in the divisional round by the eventual Super Bowl champions. There might be a changing of the guard in the AFC with Houston recognizing that their chances for a title might be running out and the defending champion Ravens, but this is still a conference led by the Patriots, Steelers, and whoever Peyton Manning is quarterbacking. The last 10 AFC Title Games have involved at least one of these three quarterbacks: Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, and Peyton Manning.

Am I siding with the status quo? Perhaps. You go with what you know.

There is another factor... weather. This will be the first Super Bowl in an open stadium in traditional cold weather city. The Farmers' Almanac is predicting that a nor'easter will strike the east coast sometime in early February.

Or maybe when the late afternoon kickoff on 2 February 2014 happens at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, the game time temperature will be 50 degrees and partly cloudy with a calm wind. Remember the week leading up to Super Bowl XLV the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex was hit with a snow storm. So who knows.

In the end I see Denver as the team that will get it done in the end. Baltimore could get it done again, but we haven't had a repeat champion since the Patriots 2003-04 run and then before that it was the Broncos in 1997-98 and then Dallas 1992-93. We might be due for a repeat champion, but I can't see Baltimore doing it again. Ray Lewis was the catalyst for that team.

Denver feels that that trophy should've been theirs and will be hoisting it in New York this coming February.

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2013 NFL SEASON: DALLAS COWBOYS

Last season I have developed a love-hate relationship with the Dallas Cowboys. I have been a fan of this thing since I was in elementary school. I was a fan during the 5-11 years. I was a fan when Parcells came in. I was a fan when the franchise discovered Tony Romo.

The Cowboys have discovered new ways to crush their fan's hopes for a sixth Super Bowl championship over the last 6 years. In the 2006 Wild Card Playoffs there was this:

Looking back, it wasn't as bad as what would happen over the next few seasons.

In January 2008 I was in Virginia Beach, VA with my cousin and we watched Tony Romo's desperation heave against the Giants get intercepted. It was the first time that an NFC 1-seed lost since the playoffs expanded to its current 12-team format established in 1990.

Later that calendar year and after my return to civilian life I was at a bar in Bedford, TX watching the Eagles curb stomp the Cowboys into oblivion in a "win and you're in" type game.

Dallas won the NFC East in 2009, but ended by getting trounced by the Vikings in Minnesota.

I wrote this after the Giants loss in 2010 where Tony Romo had to be carted off the field due to a season-ending injury. I was acknowledging that the Cowboys 2010 season was over.

In 2011, the Cowboys were again victimized by the Giants. The first one was squandering a 12-point fourth quarter lead and Tony Romo overthrowing Miles Austin... well, you know how that ended, it's on YouTube. Then in the season finale against the Giants, they delivered the curb stomp as the Giants made the playoffs.... and you know the rest of the story with Eli Manning hoisting the Lombardi Trophy in Indianapolis.

In 2012, Dallas needed to win the season finale to continue their season. After Dallas pulled within three in the fourth quarter, I posted this to Facebook:

After punt return plus penalty, Cowboys score TD and get the two-pointer to pull within three.

But I get this feeling I've seen this movie before...

Oh... how right I was.

So how will this season turn out if you are a fan of the Cowboys?

Despite the contract extension of quarterback Tony Romo and linebacker Sean Lee and all the talk about the retooled offensive line and how wide receiver Dez Bryant will have a MONSTER year at wide receiver and how that the play calling responsibilities are no long being handled by head coach Jason Garrett but instead by Bill Callahan and how Monte Kiffen is bringing the Tampa 2 defensive scheme to the Cowboys and (channeling Yul Brener from The King and I) et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.....

I'm not buying it.

Yes, Romo got a contract extension  For those saying that Jerry Jones should have let Romo go, let's go through the list of quarterbacks from when Troy Aikman last played in 2000 to when Tony Romo showed up in 2006:

Randall Cunningham

Yes, THAT Randall Cunningham.

Anthony Wright

Yes, THAT Anthony Wright who tossed for 4 TDs in a 44-41 win over the Matt Hasselbeck led Seahawks in 2003.

Quincy Carter

Ryan Leaf

Yes, NFL Network's #1 All Time Draft Bust Ryan Leaf. The 2001 Thanksgiving Day starter for Dallas was RYAN LEAF.

Chad Hutchinson

Vinny Testaverde

Drew Henson

Drew Beldsoe

If you wish to relive that list of draft busts, backups, and over-the-hillers, then go root for the Browns.

Yes, Romo throws interceptions at THE WORST POSSIBLE TIMES IN GAMES. Here is thing though: He doesn't play offensive line, they have to block. He doesn't play wide receiver; they need to fight for the ball when he throws it. He doesn't tackle because he doesn't play on defense. And he no longer plays on special teams after than gaffe in Seattle back in 2006 Playoffs.

BUT... in the NFL it is about "What Have You Done For Me Lately." Someone is going to get the pink slip if the Cowboys have another 8-8 season. I don't think it will be Romo because Jerry Jones has invested a lot of money into this thing. To those that say "Owner Jones should blow this whole thing up", need I remind you of the 5-11 years and how God AWFUL those teams were. THEY LOST TO THE FREAKIN' HOUSTON TEXANS IN THEIR FIRST EVER GAME IN 2002!! I was in boot camp and I didn't believe that until I got a letter in the mail from my dad's sister with the NFL scores.

In the back of his mind, head coach Jason Garrett has to know that if he doesn't get this team to the playoffs it is very likely that he will be in the NFL unemployment line in January 2014.

But you know what... MAYBE the Cowboys will get off to decent start and then come Thanksgiving after they beat the Raiders into oblivion, they will be at 7-5... maybe 8-4... hell let's say 9-3 with 4 games left to play and they are in the month of December. Their final four games: at Bears, Packers, at Redskins, and season finale at home against the Eagles. 11 wins would not only win the NFC East, but might get them a much needed bye week. The defense is playing well under Kiffen's scheme. Tony Romo isn't throwing those game killer interceptions. There is some appearance of a running game as the offensive line is playing well together. They look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

The Cowboys are capable of winning 11 games.

HOWEVER..... comma....

But I get this feeling I've seen this movie before...

We've bought into the hype, but we've seen how this ends.

Will 2013 be any different than what happened over the previous 7 seasons?

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2013 NFL SEASON: NFC EAST PREVIEW

  

1. Giants

2. Redskins

3. Cowboys

4. Eagles

One thing I have noticed about the NFC East the last couple of seasons is that one team gets hot at the end of the season and it is at the expense of the Cowboys.

In 2008, the Eagles won 4 of their final 5 games to make the playoffs as the 6 seed that season. Philadelphia qualified for the last playoff spot with a 44-6 thumping of the Cowboys at home. The Eagles followed it up with a deep playoff run that ended in against the Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game that season.

In 2011, the Giants were in the middle of a four-game losing streak and were looking at their fifth consecutive loss when they were trailing the Cowboys by 12 with 5:41 to play in their Week 14 contest at Dallas. Quarterback Eli Manning led the Giants to 2 touchdowns to put the Giants up 3 and the game ended with Jason Pierre-Paul blocking a game-tying field goal to give the Giants a 37-34 win. In that season's finale, the Giants ended the Cowboys playoff chances with a 31-14 win. Then followed with their own deep playoff run with wins over the Falcons, the number one-seeded Packers, and an overtime win at San Francisco in the NFC Title Game that set up their second Super Bowl against New England. After Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's Hail Mary attempt failed, ABC'sNBC's Al Michaels proclaimed, "And the New York Giants, given the last rites by many in December, are the Super Bowl Champs in February."

Last season the Redskins were looking like the Deadskins after their November loss to the Panthers. In his postgame news conference, head coach Mike Shanahan appeared to have said that this was another lost season with the team at 3-6. Coach Shanahan said this:

"When you lose a game like that, now you're playing to see who obviously is going to be on your football team for years to come... Now, we have a chance to evaluate players and see where we're at. Obviously, we're not out of it statistically. Now we find out what kind of character we have and how guys keep on fighting throughout the rest of the season."

Washington followed it up with a 7-game winning streak. They defeated Dallas for the first time ever on Thanksgiving Day in Robert Griffin III's return to Texas since his days at Baylor. On a Monday Night in December, they beat the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants 17-16. The win streak continued with a come from behind victory over the eventual Super Bowl Champion Ravens where quarterback Robert Griffin III had to leave the game in the middle of a late drive and backup Curt Cousins stepped in to throw a touchdown and ran in the two-point conversion to send the game to overtime.

Then came the season finale where they took care of Dallas behind the 200 yard rushing and 3 touchdown performance of running back Alfred Morris and won the NFC East for the first time since 1999.

Washington's playoff run was short lived. Even though they jumped out to a 14-0 lead, Seattle behind their own rookie quarterback Russell Wilson scored the game's final 24 points to win 24-14.

Griffin had to leave the game in the 4th quarter due to a knee injury when his right foot was caught in the FedEx Field turf as he was recovering a fumbled snap.

During the off-season, Griffin had knee surgery and despite not making one appearance during the pre-season he is expected to start in Week 1 against NFC East rival Philadelphia on Monday Night Football.

While the Redskins have the strongest strength of schedule among the NFC East teams at .498, it is dependent if they have a healthy Griffin under center. If he is back to where he was during his rookie season, the Redskins should repeat as NFC East Champions.

The Eagles are starting a new era with head coach Chip Kelly as he becomes the latest college coach to move up from the NCAA to the NFL. Kelly was the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009-12. Oregon won 10 or more games, were participants in BCS Bowl Games, and ended up ranked in the Top 12 during this time period. Philadelphia is hoping that Kelly's up tempo offensive scheme will translate to the NFL. They have the playmakers in running back LeSean McCoy and wide receiver DeSean Jackson, but they cannot seem to settle on a quarterback. At the start of training camp, the Eagles brought 5 quarterbacks on the roster including the incumbent Michael Vick.

Then there is my team which I currently have a love-hate relationship with them: the Dallas Cowboys. After another season where Dallas needed to win the final game of the season to make the playoffs and failed to do so, the talk in Dallas is about what will it take for the Cowboys to make a deep playoff run. The big story in the off-season was quarterback Tony Romo being awarded a six-year contract extension worth $108 million with $55 million guaranteed. Romo needs to prove he is worth that much and can do so by getting Dallas to a record 9th Super Bowl appearance.

The New York Giants could make history as the first team to play in the Super Bowl at their home stadium... though TECHNICALLY they won't be the home team. It's an even numbered Super Bowl, the designated home team for that game would be the AFC Champion. Despite roster changes, the team is still led by quarterback Eli Manning and coach Tom Coughlin. The stability at those key positions are why I think the Giants will be the NFC East champions in 2013.

Every team in the NFC East will make at least two appearances in primetime games proving that this division will be one to watch in the 2013 NFL Season.

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2013 NFL SEASON: NFC WEST PREVIEW

1. San Francisco

2. Seattle

3. Arizona

4. St. Louis

Remember back in 2010 when the Seahawks won the NFC West with a 7-9 record? And then they won a playoff game?

The NFC West was once coined the "NFC Worst." Now it is shaping up to be one of the more competitive divisions in the NFL.

San Francisco was the NFC's representative in the Super Bowl. Seattle finished 11-5 and was less than a minute from playing in the NFC Title Game. Even though the Rams finished 7-8-1, they had a 4-1-1 record in the division and was 1-0-1 against the 49ers. Arizona started 4-0 which included a surprising Week 2 win at New England and a dominating Week 3 win at home over the Eagles.... and then things fell apart from that point onward.

The Cardinals Super Bowl appearance in February 2009 feels so distant due to the downward direction of the franchise over the last few seasons, but it happened. The Cardinals are trying to recapture the magic of that season. For starters, they will be doing that with new head coach Bruce Arians. If you recall, Arians was named interim coach of the Colts while head coach Chuck Pagano was undergoing cancer treatment. Arians was named the 2012 Head Coach of the Year.

While they still have wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald who can catch anything and cornerback Patrick Peterson who finished with 7 interceptions, what doomed the Cardinals to a 1-11 finish was their lack of depth at quarterback. NFL 101: You need a decent quarterback in order to win. The Cardinals are trying that again with the signing of Carson Palmer from the Raiders.

The St. Louis Rams missed .500 by THAT MUCH but it appears that the franchise is building. Jeff Fisher did it when he was with Houston Oilers Tennessee Titans in the late 1990s.

There is buzz in Seattle and it is not from the coffee. Last season quarterback Russell Wilson took team to playoffs as a rookie drafted in the third round and won a playoff game. Seattle still has Marshawn Lynch in the back field who can at any time enter into Beast Mode. Then there is Seattle's secondary, the Legion of Boom. This unit is led by cornerback Richard Sherman...

While he is known for his mouth, Sherman was tied for second in the NFL with 8 interceptions. Seattle finished in the Top 5 in creating 31 turnovers and yards given up. One category the Seahawks was #1 in on defense: opposing offense average starting position. Seattle's opponents started from their own 24.7 yard line. San Francisco's opponents started at the 25.1 yard line.

For the 49ers an era ends. Candlestick Park was originally opened as the new stadium for the San Francisco Giants in 1958. It became the home stadium of the 49ers in 1971. The Giants left Candlestick in 2000 for their current home in San Francisco at AT&T Park. It looks like the 49ers will be turning off the lights as they move into Levi's Stadium south in Santa Clara, CA which is close to the 49ers training facility. During the off-season the NFL announced that Levi's Stadium will host Super Bowl L, or 50 if you are unfamiliar with Roman Numerals. The game will take place in February 2016.

This season will be about the 49ers past, present, and future. In the last 35 years, the 49ers have been a franchise standard winning 5 Super Bowls; 4 of those with quarterback Joe Montana. The arrival point for the 49ers occurred in the 1981 NFC Championship game against Dallas and led to their first Super Bowl title in team history. For the next 8 seasons the 49ers made the playoffs 7 times and won 3 more Super Bowls.

San Francisco's recent history has not been as golden. In the time period between their last Super Bowl victory and the hiring of head coach Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers only made the playoffs 6 times in the time period from 1995 to 2002. From 2002 onward.... it's ugly. Since the hiring of Harbaugh in 2012, the 49ers have been to the last 2 NFC Championship Games and came within a Colin Kaepernick 4th down pass from winning their franchise's 6th Super Bowl.

Even though Seattle will be a formidable challenge in the NFC West, I think the 49ers will win the division. For the most part, the 49ers roster has remained intact over the last few seasons. They still have running back Frank Gore, tight end Vernon Davis, linebacker Patrick Willis, and defensive tackle y. To boost depth at receiver they signed Anquan Boldin from the Baltimore Ravens. And their coach is still Jim Harbaugh whose attitude reflects this team.

In 2011 the 49ers made the NFC Title Game and lost. In 2012 the 49ers made the Super Bowl and lost. Will 2013 be third time is the charm?

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2013 NFL SEASON: NFC NORTH PREVIEW

1. Green Bay

2. Chicago

3. Minnesota

4. Detroit

This division starts and ends with Green Bay. The Packers have made the playoffs in four consecutive seasons and very likely will make the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. It will be a difficult path given that all teams in the division have a strength of schedule over .500.

The Bears lucked out with the weakest strength of schedule among the NFC North with a total record of 128-127-1 or a percentage of .502. Overall it is the 16th strongest in the NFL. There have been many changes in Chicago. Despite closing out the season on two-game winning streak and finishing 10-6, the team did not make the playoffs and fired coach Lovie Smith. The team hired Marc Trestman from the CFL's Montreal Alouettes who amassed a 59-31 record and won back-to-back Grey Cups in five seasons.

One of the biggest roster moves of the NFL off-season was the retirement of linebacker Brian Urlacher. Urlacher has been one of the several faces the Bears franchise, specifically the defense during his 13 seasons in the NFL. In 2012, the Bears ranked in the Top 5 in fewest yards given up and was the number one ranked defense in forcing the most turnovers. 5 of those turnovers came via interceptions in the Week 4 Monday Night game at Dallas. 2 of those interceptions were returned for touchdowns which has been a Bears staple over previous seasons.

Even though the Bears are historically known for their defense, they appear to be turning their focus towards offense. Wide receiver Brandon Marshall set Bears franchise single-season records with 118 receptions and 1,508 yards. It was his first season re-united with quarterback Jay Cutler since they were teammates in Denver from 2006-08.

Both Detroit and Minnesota are similar in that they have playmakers on both sides of the ball, but have glaring holes. For the Lions last season, wide receiver Calvin Johnson set the single-season record for receiving yards with 1,964 on 122 receptions. Though the surprising thing was he only caught 5 touchdowns. This was sharp decline from his 16 touchdown total he had in 2011. But for Detroit in 2012, Johnson's success was overshadowed on how the Lions preformed on the field. This team had some awful losses over the season.

In Week 3 it was an overtime loss at Tennessee where both teams put up Madden type stats on the scoreboard. After the Titans kicked a field goal to lead 44-41 in overtime, the Lions on the ensuing drive drove down the field to either match or win the game. Detroit went for it on 4th and short inside the Titans 15 yard line. Backup quarter Shaun Hill, in for the injured Matthew Stafford, fumbled the snap and Detroit lost the game.

On Thanksgiving Day, Texans running back Justin Forsett ran in for an 81-yard touchdown. The replay clearly shows that Forsett's elbow touched the ground back at the Texans 30-yard line.

NFL rules dictate an automatic review of all scoring plays. Except... Lions coach Jim Schwartz threw the red challenge flag. Not only was the coach assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, but the play was declared non-reviewable and the play stood as a touchdown. The Lions lost the game in overtime.

The following week was a crushing last second defeat at the hands of rookie quarterback Andrew Luck and the Colts.

The Lions ended the season on an 8-game losing streak finishing at 4-12. It was the longest losing streak for the Lions since going 0-16 in 2008. Detroit was 1-8 against 2012 playoff teams last season. If you include the Bears who won 10 games last season, that record goes to 1-10. If the Lions are to roar back into the playoffs, they need to do better in games involving playoff teams. While their schedule involves the Vikings, Redskins, Packers, Bengals, and Ravens, Detroit's schedule is the second toughest in the NFL at .539.

Minnesota is an example of a player carrying a team to the playoffs. Running back Adrian Peterson rushed for 2,097 yards on 348 carries and for 12 touchdowns. This was after a knee injury suffered in 2011 that required offseason surgery. Peterson could have easily been named NFL Comeback Player, but was named league MVP for his efforts. The other player who fell into this same category was Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning as he received the Comeback Player Award.

Needing a win to make the playoffs at home against the Packers in the season finale, Peterson rushed for 199 yards. Peterson ended 9 yards short of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season record of 2,105 yards set with the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.

Here is something to consider when comparing Dickerson's 1984 seasonto Peterson's 2012 season. Both players WERE their team's offense in their respective seasons as they both finished 10-6 and ended up as one-and-done teams in the playoffs.

Team	Team leader, rushing yards	Team leader, passing yards
1984 Rams	Dickerson 2,105	Kemp 2,021
2012 Vikings	Peterson 2,097	Ponder 2,935

Team	Total rushing yards	Total passing yards
1984 Rams	2,864	2,382
2012 Vikings	2,634	2,935

Dickerson had more rushing yards that the Rams starting quarterback did passing yards and the 1984 Rams had more rushing yards than their 3 quarterbacks did passing yards. It should be noted that Dickerson did attempt one pass during his 1984 season. It was an incomplete pass.

While the 2012 Vikings displayed better passing yards than their running game, it proved to be their downfall when they went to Green Bay for their playoff game.

Will Adrian Peterson follow up his 2012 campaign with an encore? History says no. Six other players have rushed for 2,000 yards or more in single-season and then followed up with a huge drop off the next season.

	2,000-yard season	Next season
Eric Dickerson	2,105	1,234
Adrian Peterson	2,097	????
Jamal Lewis	2,066	1,006
Barry Sanders	2,053	1,491
Terrell Davis	2,008	211
Chris Johnson	2,006	1,364
O.J. Simpson	2,003	1,125

Barry Sanders' 2,000-yard follow up season is the best among the 2,000-yard men. Next is Chris Johnson and then Eric Dickerson. Terrell Davis has the biggest dropoff in part due to missing the rest of the 1999 season caused by a knee injury that effectively ended his NFL career. After his 2003 season, Jamal Lewis rushed for over 100 yards 4 times in 12 games vs. to rushing for over 100 yards 12 times in 16 games. O.J. Simpson played in an era when the NFL season was 14 games plus the Bills were gawd awful.

I don't foresee Peterson petering out as others did after their 2,000-yard season, but again I don't see him rushing for over 2,000 yards in 2013 given the history. The Vikings are going to have to make up that potential in lost production with improvement in their passing game.

And now finally, Green Bay.

Green Bay started the season 1-2 after this:

After 5 weeks, Green Bay was 2-3 and appeared to be sputtering. They won 9 of their next 11 to finish as NFC North Champions.

Even though the Packers were 11-5, the "Fail Mary" Game had a long term impact on their season. San Francisco was 11-4-1. Had the correct call been made, Green Bay would have had a 12-4 record, a bye week, and hosted the San Francisco 49ers instead of going to Candlestick Park. Would have Green Bay beaten the 49ers at Lambeau? Well, the 49ers defeated the Packers in Green Bay in Week 1. The two teams meet each other in Week 1 at San Francisco in a playoff rematch.

I just can't find any reason to think Green Bay can't win this division. Barring a major injury, the Packers will be a playoff repeat team in 2013. The other NFC North teams have serious issues as mentioned before. Green Bay has a quarterback that won a Super Bowl and NFL MVP award in Aaron Rodgers. Despite Donald Driver retiring and Greg Jennings heading west to Minnesota, the receiving corps should be fine with Rodgers under center. Even though Charles Woodson is back in Oakland, they still have linebackers Clay Matthews and A.J. Hawk as their defensive leaders.

Though Green Bay has the toughest strength of schedule among NFC playoff teams, the Packers should repeat as NFC North Champions and one of the teams in the talks of making the Super Bowl.

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