Seattle Seahawks

Earlier this week, ESPN’s NFL Nation reporters predicted records for all teams in the upcoming NFL season, which kicks off this Thursday night. The Green Bay Packers will face off against the Seattle Seahawks who were ranked 1st in these predictions, with reporters forecasting a 13-3 season that will be good enough to clinch the NFC West division and likely beyond. The Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVII and many fans and analysts alike have not expressed much surprise at the thought of them repeating this victory for the 2014-2015 season. The team is young, talented and surpassed constant doubt last season to dominate.

Last year’s Seahawks Super Bowl squad was the 2nd youngest team in NFL history to be named champions, with the roster’s average age a mere 26.4 years old. The team may be young in general, but is stacked with top tier talent including WR Doug Baldwin, CB Richard Sherman, who were former Stanford teammates under current San Francisco 49ers head coach, Jim Harbaugh and went on to win the 2011 Orange Bowl in college; QB Russell Wilson and veterans - RB Marshawn Lynch and WR Percy Harvin who are also key players for the Seahawks. These guys know what they’re doing as does head coach, Pete Carroll who came to the Seahawks from USC in 2010 where he had spent 9 years as the head coach, producing 53 NFL draft picks during his tenure.

In preseason play, the Seahawks faced minor challenges, finishing 2-2. The Seahawks lost to their previous Super Bowl opponent, the Denver Broncos as well as the Oakland Raiders but were able to defeat the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears. Wilson completed 33 of 42 passes and the team is considered to have an impressive offense, keeping 7 wide receivers and 3 tight ends on their final roster.

With a stacked roster and hungry passion supported by the NFL’s loudest crowd, also known as 12th Man, the Seahawks are a fierce contender for repeating a Super Bowl victory and at the very least, advancing far into the playoffs. Kickoff for their season opener is on Thursday, September 4th at 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC.

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are often referred to as America’s Team. Arguably one of the most well known teams in the NFL, the Cowboys were considered by many to be the face of football as they dominated through the 90s winning three Super Bowls. The Big D is known for their iconic cheerleaders and was ranked the 2nd highest

valued sports franchise by Forbes in 2013, only after the New York Yankees. The team’s performance has been tumultuous since their last championship in 1995. While well known, quarterback Tony Romo has been considered by analysts and fans alike to be inconsistent in play. The team’s last division championship was in 2009.

The Cowboys lost their first 2 preseason games to the San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens. Against the Chargers, the Cowboys scored just 1 touchdown in the 2nd quarter. Brandon Weeden, backup quarterback entering his first season with the team (3rd season of NFL experience), performed well, however, the team’s defense struggled losing to San Diego 27-7. Well-known players including Romo, WR Dez Bryant, TE Jason Whitten and RB Demarco Murray did not play at all in the game as common for many star players during preseason matchups. Romo, Bryant and Murray did make appearances in the 2nd preseason game against the Ravens, where Romo completed 4/5 passes for 80 yards and Bryant scored a touchdown. The Ravens won the game 37-30. 

While preseason games do not affect division standings, they do provide teams the opportunity to evaluate performance and assess areas needing improvement. Based on the Cowboys’ first 2 games, the areas needing the most work include: defense and the offensive line. With 2 preseason games remaining, at Miami on August 23 and at home against the Broncos on August 28, the team has plenty of time to make adjustments and work to continue improving for the season opening.

In addition to their usual division rivals, this season the Cowboys will play cross state rivals the Houston Texans, the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks and the New Orleans Saints. As per tradition, the Cowboys will play a Thanksgiving game, this year against NFC East division rival, the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys kick off their regular season on September 7 at home against the San Francisco 49ers.

Baltimore Ravens

After a successful 2012-2013 season, going on to become Super Bowl Champions, the Baltimore Ravens had a less than stellar season last year, going just 8-8. This was the 1st time the team had not reached the playoffs since 2007.

Although the Ravens did not improve on their 12-4 record from 2011, their 10-6 record in 2012 led them to the Super Bowl. In Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 34-31. This was the team’s 5th straight season advancing to the playoffs. Ray Lewis, long-time Ravens linebacker who was the last remaining Raven from the original team in 1996 and part of the 2000 Super Bowl Champion team, retired following this Super Bowl victory. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco along with safety Ed Reed and running back Ray Rice were also instrumental in the season’s success. Flacco was named XLVII MVP. He is also the Ravens’ all-time leading passer in yards, TD passes, completions and attempts.

In pre-season this year so far, the Ravens have won their first 2 games, defeating the 49ers 23-3 and the Dallas Cowboys 37-30. There is intense competition on the squad for wide receiver positions and in the recent game against Dallas, Deonte Thompson made it known he is a viable candidate for the roster, running back a kickoff for a 108-yard touchdown in the 1st quarter. The Ravens remaining 2 preseason games will be played against the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints.

The Ravens regular season kicks off on September 7th at home where they will host the Cincinnati Bengals. AFC North division rivals include the: Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers. In addition to playing each of these opponents twice in regular season, the Ravens will also face off against teams including the Atlanta Falcons, the Houston Texans and the San Diego Chargers. It will be interesting to see if they’re able to play strong and get back to their historic success, and if they will be able to reach the playoffs again.

New England Patriots

Football fans all across the nation have strong opinions about the New England Patriots: mostly they love them or they hate them. With head coach Bill Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft, a distinct culture has been created in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Belichick is known to continuously make moves in an effort to create a stronger team and create a tighter bond among the players. This is evident as the Patriots have been AFC East Champions for 9 of the past 10 seasons (2003-2013 - all years excluding 2008). The Pats finished last season 13-5 and were knocked out of postseason play by the Denver Broncos who went on to play in Super Bowl XLVII.

In their 1st preseason game this year, the Patriots lost 23-6 against the Washington Redskins, going scoreless until the 4th quarter but in their 2nd game, defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 42-35. Quarterback Tom Brady threw 1 touchdown pass to wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins and the team took advantage of 4 turnovers by the Eagles. In a postgame interview, Bill Belichick noted that the team played with competitiveness and good energy. Their remaining 2 preseason games will be played against the Carolina Panthers and the New York Giants.

This season the Patriots will face off against AFC East division rivals: the Miami Dolphins, NY Jets and Buffalo Bills each twice in addition to teams such as the Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers among others. The Patriots schedule also features 5 prime time games this season. 

Last week the Patriots signed 3 tight ends: veterans Ben Hartsock and Steve Maneri in addition to rookie TE Terrence Miller. The team also released 3 rookie free agent tight ends. With these new additions and veterans like Tom Brady, TE Rob Gronkowski, CB Darrelle Revis and DL Vince Wilfork it seems like the Pats will be off to a strong start!

New York Giants

This year the New York Giants participated in the Hall of Fame pre-season game defeating the Buffalo Bills 17-13 and testing out their new offense. Quarterback Eli Manning completed 6 of 7 passes for 43 yards. Coach Tom Coughlin noted after the game that he was encouraged and believes his team did a pretty good job given their practice time, which was close to what the league allows.

The Giants are members of the NFC East division and as routine will face each of their cross-division rivals twice this season. These opponents include the Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. In addition to facing their usual opponents, the team will also play against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers and the Atlanta Falcons among others this season. 

The NY Giants finished the 2013 season with a record of 7-9, their most disappointing season of the last decade. Losing the first 6 games, they were able to make a small comeback by winning the following 4 but just couldn’t gain consistency in the remainder of the season’s games to finish strong. Last winning a Super Bowl in 2011, the team will look to regain its footing and solidify its position as a strong contender in the NFC East and beyond. 

This season the Big Blue roster is full of returning veterans like Eli Manning, safety Antrel Rolle, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and wide receiver Victor Cruz. Additionally, the Giants have added cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie from the Denver Broncos who is exceptionally fast.

The G-Men begin their regular season play on the road on Monday Night Football, September 8, against the Detroit Lions.

Washington Nationals

The Washington Nationals are currently in 1st place in the National League East division. Their division opponents include the: Atlanta Braves, Miami Marlins, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. With just under 2 months remaining in the regular season, it will be exciting for fans to see who can hold their lead, which teams will climb and which ones will fall. 

This week, the Nationals host 5 games at home before heading to Atlanta for the weekend to take on the Braves in a 3 game series. The Nationals’ game against Baltimore on Monday, August 4th is a makeup game from July 8th, which was postponed due to inclement weather.  Following their series in Atlanta, the Nationals will move on to New York to face the Mets before returning home to host 4 different teams in 10 straight games. They will finish up the month by playing on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies and then the Seattle Mariners.

Most recently, the Nationals hosted the Phillies in a 3 game series, dropping the first game 1-2, but winning the second, 11-0. They will complete the series on Sunday at 1:35 p.m. In their 1st game of the series, Nationals right-handed pitche

To keep first place in the division, the Nationals will need to overcome the loss of Ryan Zimmerman, making appropriate adjustments to deal with his absence until he’s able to return, and continue delivering a strong pitching performance in the remainder of their games.

r Doug Fister threw for seven innings allowing 2 runs in 7 innings. It was an offensive challenge for the Nationals against Phillies pitcher Roberto Hernandez as well. In the 2nd game, Jordan Zimmerman pitched 7 shutout innings for the Nationals and Anthony Rendon drove in 4 runs as well as hit a home run. Prior to this game, the Nationals hadn’t hit a home run since 3rd baseman Ryan Zimmerman has been out, due to a strained hamstring. Rendon’s performance ended this drought. Phillies pitcher A.J. Burnett and manager Ryne Sandberg were both ejected from the game for arguing against an umpire’s decisions.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are currently completing a 3 game series at home against the Chicago Cubs. They lost the 1st game 2-8, won the 2nd 5-2, and will finish the series on Sunday afternoon. In the 1st game of this series, the Dodgers were plagued with multiple injuries. Paul Maholm (relief pitcher) and Adrian Gonzalez (1st baseman) both suffered knee injuries and center fielder Yasiel Puig suffered a sore hamstring. Cubs pitcher Kyle Hendricks threw 7 strong innings and this proved to be a challenge for the Dodgers. Dodgers pitcher Dan Haren also left the game early but not due to injury. He has recently struggled to deliver a consistent pitching performance. In the 2nd game, Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez hit a home run, bringing in three runs in the 12th inning. This was Ramirez’s 12th home run of the season and his 1st career walk-off home run, leading the Dodgers to a 5-2 victory over the Cubs.

Following the completion of this series, the Dodgers will face cross-town rivals, the LA Angels 4 times this week, twice at home and twice away, before hitting the road to play against the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves in 7 games. They will return home the weekend of August 15th to host the Brewers again followed by the San Diego Padres and New York Mets before wrapping up the month on the road in series against the Arizona Diamondbacks and Padres again.

The Dodgers currently lead the National League West, with their division opponents including the: San Francisco Giants, Padres, Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. The Dodgers hold a 3-1/2 game lead over their 2nd place division rivals, the Giants and have won 7 of their last 8 games.

To keep their division lead and finish the regular season on a high note, the Dodgers will need to stay healthy, fighting back against injuries and deliver a solid performance in pitching as well as offensively in the remainder of their games. Known for a very loyal fan base, the Dodgers can continue to count on their blue and white wearing supporters as they look to repeat the 2013 West Division title, and hopefully move beyond this round into the playoffs.