Can Carolina Pull Off An Upset In Dallas?

Carolina were 12-4 last season and it would be unfathomable for the team to start out the year at 0-3. They relied on the running game and defense to win games, but this season nothing has been working. Jake Delhomme's play has not helped them at all, he's been a turnover machine. Carolina are huge underdogs in tonight's Monday Night Football showdown against Dallas, but could they pull off the upset and send Jerry Jones 0-2 in his new stadium? Here are some reasons why Carolina is going to win tonight's game.

The Cowboys Have Yet To Score A Turnover So Far This Year - I know that Dallas won't go an entire season without getting an interception or fumble recovery, but if Carolina refrain from doing so, they can win this game. Dallas hasn't even notched a sack either. Their defense hasn't been very good, since they allowed Tampa Bay to score 23 points in Week 1, and the Giants scored 33 last week on Sunday Night Football. Dallas needs a few turnovers if they plan on winning this game.

Carolina's offensive line will push Dallas' defensive line back every play - DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart will be seeing the ball all night. Tampa Bay ran the ball all over Dallas and the Giants had a decent game last week. They will give up yards on the ground and Carolina can build with some play action and give Delhomme some time to hit Steve Smith on a few occassions.

Tony Romo has been known to give up some games on Monday and Sunday Nights - Romo had three interceptions last week and he tries to thread the needle, just like Delhomme. They are the same kind of quarterback, but people forget that because Romo can date Jessica Simpson and Delhomme looks like he was an extra in "The Waterboy." Delhomme and Romo will both throw around 50% tonight, but with Marion Barber hurt, the Cowboys will have to rely on him more than Carolina will rely on their QB.

The Cowboys will feel the pressure, Carolina has nothing to lose - I know this seems kind of off, because if the Panthers hit 0-3, John Fox could be feeling the heat, but this is a road game. If this same game was in Carolina, it would switch, but the Panthers want to go in to the "Death Star," which is more commonly known as Cowboys Stadium, and upset the party in Dallas. They don't want the Cowboys to get their first win at home, and the stadium could prove to be the anti-home field advantage. Fans are stuck watching the game on the giant screen and not paying attention to the game. I think this is an advantage for Carolina.

Carolina are 8.5 point underdogs and if you bet the moneyline, you can get 3:1 odds in your favor. I'm not guaranteeing a win for Carolina, but this game is going to be a lot closer than people expect. You will see more of the 2008-09 Carolina team than what you have witnessed so far this season. Are we forgetting that Dallas cracks under pressure and they will until they get a win at home. Wade Phillips is a lame duck coach and Jason Garrett can't feel too great about his standings as the "coach-in-waiting" at this point either. Their offense has been inconsistent and the defense have regressed every season since Phillips has been head coach. This Dallas team isn't the one that was favored to win the NFC a few years ago, this team will probably go 10-6 or 9-7 this year. Can Carolina win tonight? Absolutely. Will they win? We'll see, but don't count them out just yet.

2009 NFL Preview: NFC South

As I was predicting all the games this season, something stay consistent with 2008, the NFC South will be very close. Last year, nearly every team in the division had the lead at some point in the season. Can Reggie Bush be a showstopper for the Saints? Can the new regime in Tampa Bay keep up with their winning ways? Can Jake Delhomme rebound from a rought post-season and help lead the Panthers to a division crown? Can Matt Ryan survive a sophomore jinx? Check out the NFC South portion of our 2009 NFL Preview.

New Orleans Saints- (Projected Finish 11-5)

Drew Brees had a career year last season, but the Saints fell short of their goals as a team. Reggie Bush missed a good portion of the season due to injury, but they found a potential future star in Pierre Thomas in the process. Deuce McAllister is no longer with the team and they will need Thomas to produce. If he is unable, Mike Bell and P.J. Hill will have to take over. The Saints receiving corps are loaded with guys with great hands. Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, Lance Moore, and Robert Meachem are all due to have nice seasons since Brees spreads the ball around. If their offensive line holds up, their offense will be fierce.

The Saints defense has been their weakest part of their game, mostly their secondary. Scott Fujita and Jonathan Vilma are a good duo at linebacker and Charles Grant and Will Smith should get to the quarterback with efficiency. They drafted Malcolm Jenkins in the first round this summer and they will need him to contribute immediately. If he stays at corner, which is still in question since he would be a nice safety, he will be tested often by NFL quarterbacks. If they can stop the run and be able to play in 3rd and long situations in a dime or nickel defense with added help in the secondary, the Saints will go a long way this season.

The NFC South play the NFC East and AFC East this season and they will have a tough schedule. Both of those divisions are good, but they lucked out since they get the New York Giants, New England Patriots, and Dallas Cowboys all at the Superdome. The other non-divisional games are at St. Louis and they get Detroit at home, you couldn't ask for an easier two opponents. The Saints have a little edge with the schedule and in such a tight race, they should win this division.

Atlanta Falcons- (Projected Finish 10-6)

It's rare that a team can improve as much as the Atlanta Falcons did in one season. They went from 4-12 in 2007 to 11-5 in 2008, a lot of it had to do with the additions of Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. They both produced better than expected in their first seasons in Atlanta. Roddy White and Michael Jenkins improved with Ryan at quarterback as well. Management started to worry about the receivers, but last season changed their mind. I was looking for Harry Douglas to have a breakout year this season, but an injury will keep him out all year. The addition of Tony Gonzalez at tight end will make this offense better than last season, since they barely targeted the position last year.

John Abraham and Mike Peterson are the two veterans on this very young defense. Some of the young players like Jamaal Anderson will need to step up if they plan on staying in the playoff race. I think the Falcons take a small step back this season because of their defense

Atlanta have a tough schedule ahead of them. They had tough road games at New England, New York Giants, and Dallas. Their other non-divisional games are at San Francisco, and home against Chicago, which they should split these games. As I look farther into their schedule, 10-6 may be their best case scenario, but it's definitely plausible.

Carolina Panthers- (Projected Finish 9-7)

The Panthers looked great last season, until Jake Delhomme decided to throw passes to the other team in their playoff game. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart were a great duo and each saw their share of the end zone. Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammed contributed and they received better than expected contributions from the tight ends, Dante Rosario and Jeff King. They will need to rely on their tight ends again, since a third-option at wide receiver has yet to emerge, but Dwayne Jarrett may step up and be that option. If the Panthers can keep running the ball on defenses, they will win, but if they get behind and Delhomme has to pass the ball, it could be a long season.

Julius Peppers had a long off-season and finally settled with the idea of being a franchise-tag player this season. He will want to have a great season to garner a huge contract, so Peppers will be a beast this season. Jon Beason and Dan Connor are a great young linebacking corps and should only get better and better. Their secondary could use another impact player, but Chris Gamble and Richard Marshall will need to hold their own against the pass. If Peppers can stay healthy and if they are able to put points on the board, the Panthers will be alright, but Peppers has been known to miss a few games.

Carolina is in the same boat as Atlanta when it comes to their schedule. They also play at New England, New York Giants, and Dallas, and hav a tough non-divisional schedule with Minnesota and Arizona on their schedule. Carolina will had a tough road ahead if they plan on making the playoffs, so I them about a game out of the last Wild Card spot in the NFC.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers- (Projected Finish 5-11)

Jon Gruden is out as the head coach and Monte Kiffin followed his son to the University of Tennessee. Raheem Morris is the new head coach and he plans to implement a new defense and the "Tampa 2" will no longer be ran. That is the biggest difference that is taking place in Tampa, but their quarterback situation is also clear as mud. Byron Leftwich is the leader out of the clubhouse, but Luke McCown is second-in-line, and Josh Freeman is the quarterback of the future. They added Derrick Ward this off-season and they should have a nice three-headed attack with Cadillac Williams and Ernest Graham seeing carries. Their wide receiver corps lacks depth and experience. Antonio Bryant is the #1, but he's dealing with an injury. Maurice Stovall is stepping up his game and Sammie Stroughter is said to be a hard worker. Kellen Winslow will be needed a lot if the receivers don't step up and produce. The offensive line will have their hands full with Leftwich's slow release. He will be on his back a lot this season, they can't get discouraged since many of the sacks won't be the fault of the O-line, but should be blamed on his slow release.

Tampa Bay have cleaned house, Derrick Brooks and Cato June are no longer at the core of the defense. Ronde Barber is the only elite player left from their Super Bowl team. They will have to rely on their young players developing into Pro Bowlers. Gaines Adams and Aqib Talib are the players with the most pressure to produce. It may be a long season for the Tampa Bay defense and may take a year to get the personnel to fully implement the new defensive scheme.

The Bucs have a non-divisional schedule of Green Bay and Seattle, much better than Atlanta and Carolina's schedule. Their regular games against the AFC East and NFC East are favorable as well, since they play a lot of the better teams at home. The easier schedule may be wasted on them, since Tampa Bay may have a hard time notching wins this season. The changeover on the roster and the new coaching staff may lead to some growing pains in 2009.

Why You Shouldn't Draft These Players

Going into your fantasy football draft, you have a few players already planned that if they are available, you're going to pick them. You may have an allegiance to them because they are on your favorite team or your favorite fantasy football analyst picked them to have a big year. If you're on the fence about a few players, here are reasons why you shouldn't pick certain players. I'm just talking you guys off the ledge, not pushing you off. All of these players will probably be great, but they all have possibilities of an epic fail this year.

Tom Brady - Did you see how his knee bent last year? Also, I'm pretty sure he's using all of energy on Gisele Bundchen, wouldn't you?

Aaron Rodgers - Before last season, he was known as "injury-prone," one full season and that suddenly disappears?

DeAngelo Williams - Jonathan Stewart is a touchdown vulcher...even if he's only 70% healthy, he'll still get touches in the red zone.

Michael Turner - see DeAngelo Williams, but add in Tony Gonzalez as the touchdown vulcher.

Jay Cutler - It's hard to throw a football with a pacifier in your mouth.

Peyton Manning - He spent the off-season filming commercials and Marvin Harrison is currently sitting on a couch somewhere.

Adrian Peterson - Brett Favre is in town and he's the NFL version of Stephon Marbury, he's a ball hog.

Donovan McNabb - He looks like he's been eating a lot of Chunky Soup lately...probably an extra 15 pounds of beef and potatoes in his mid-section.

Matt Cassel - I hear Scott Mitchell called and he said that he wishes him the best this season.

Thomas Jones - He had more candles on his last birthday cake than touchdowns he has left in his career.

LaDanian Tomlinson - Emmit Smith looked good in a Cardinals uniform right? Jerry Rice was great for the Seahawks, right? Tomlinson will probably look good in a Texans uniform next year too.

Chad Pennington - Does he have any ligaments or tendons left in his arm?

Brian Westbrook - The Eagles have already ear-marked a spot on the injury report for him, right between Reggie Brown and Kevin Curtis.

David Garrard - If he can somehow be able to throw from his back, maybe he can throw a few touchdowns.

Maurice Jones-Drew - When Warrick Dunn went to the only option in the backfield he had his worst year.

Calvin Johnson - He should probably play quarterback and throw passes to himself.

Chris Johnson - LenDale White will eat him by Week 4.

Brandon Jacobs - You should probably pick him early or he will go to your draft and give you a power-bomb courtesy of Captain Insano.

Eli Manning - You may have a better year if you draft Archie.

Steven Jackson - Remember when he was a first-round pick? Back when the Rams played like an NFL team...it's been awhile.

Kyle Orton - Did you see his pre-season games? That's probably why he's still available.

Matt Schaub - Do you think he will be healthy all year this season? Didn't you ask youself that the last two seasons?

Marion Barber - I'm sure Felix Jones won't take any touchdowns away from him this year...even though Jerry Jones is in love with him. Nah, go ahead and draft him, yeah....yeah.

Ben Roethlisberger - After getting punished last year by an awful offensive line pass protection, they have improved it right? No? Okay, stay away from Big Ben.

Kevin Smith - He plays for the Detroit Lions.

Tony Gonzalez - The Falcons were 31st in the NFL at throwing to the tight end last season.

Terrell Owens - He will be a contestant for "I Love New York" by mid-season. No one will notice that he is gone.

Brandon Marshall - An emotional, hot-headed, receiver always does well when their team is bad. I'm sure he will keep his composure and not demand a trade. Oops!

Trent Edwards - I'm glad that he has that Stanford degree to fall back on. I hear J.P. Losman already landed a new job.

JaMarcus Russell - Al Davis bet the farm on him, but he looks like he has eaten all of the animals.

Reggie Bush - Kim Kardashian broke up with him, his year has already started horribly, do you think its going to get better?

Larry Johnson - Todd Haley loves to pass the ball, the Arizona Cardinals running attack was putrid last year.

Willie Parker - Don't turn around, Rashard Mendenhall is right behind you.

Chad Ocho Cinco - I'm sure all that UStream experience will be handy on the field.

Joseph Addai - When your team drafts a top player at your position, how do you take it?

Braylon Edwards - Maybe he will get an endorsement for "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter," on top of his "5-Hour Energy" endorsment money.

Darren McFadden - He plays on a team where his coach broke the face of an assistant. Sounds like a good team atmosphere for a break-out season.

Michael Vick - A few months out of prison and all the pressure to perform well to resurrect his career...you think he'll be pretty calm and clear-minded?

Brady Quinn - Express and Limited Corporations are located in Ohio, maybe he can pose for some modeling campaigns on the sideline when he's holding a clipboard by mid-season.