Angry Fans

Hello sports fans, Spencer and Brad here to give your brief NFL preview. Did we make some outlandish picks? Of course. There are some bold predictions, predictions that go against the grain of every major established sports outlet, but if they fail to materialize that’s just one more thing to be angry about.

Overrated

The Jets: The Jets will probably win the AFC East, however, all this talk of winning the Super Bowl is absolutely absurd. First, I’m somewhat clueless as to why everyone is so excited about Mark Sanchez. Yes, he’s a dreamy New York athlete. However, he threw eight more interceptions than touchdowns last year and completed a whopping 53 percent of his passes. He could be a good QB this year, but we need to see a lot more before we’re sold on the Jets offense. Second, their rushing offense probably won’t be nearly as good as it was last year. Gone are Thomas Jones, Leon Washington and guard Alan Faneca. Sure, Shonn Greene performed well in the playoffs, but none of the Jets’ opposition was good at stopping the run late in the year. The defense will be great again, they will be hard-pressed for a repeat performance, which remains crucial to the team’s success. Oh yeah, and weren’t they a mere 9-7 last year?

The New England Patriots: This is obviously blasphemy to print in a New England-based publication, but yes, the Patriots are overrated. Particularly by you, the fan who assumes that as long as Brady and Belichick remain a constant the team can do no wrong. However that logic fails when your team has not a running back to speak of, a wide receiver returning from serious reconstructive knee surgery and a defense with extreme liabilities in the secondary. This team is aging quickly and Brady is going to need to buck up in order to prevent the sun from setting on the early decade Patriot dynasty. Did we just pick two AFC East teams as overrated? Yes, yes we did. Deal with it.

Underrated

The San Francisco 49ers: After the Cardinals basically decided to give up entirely by virtue of their QB situation, the Niners became the class of this division. The offense should take strides forward as Smith continues to develop into a legit NFL quarterback. They have major weapons in freak athlete Vernon Davis and one of the better young receivers in Crabtree. What’s more, terrifyingly good linebacker Patrick Willis will anchor a strengthened defense. I also love how this team is coached. Singletary is the most emotional, loose-lipped and unpredictable coach in professional sports this side of Ozzie Guillen.

Joshua Cribbs: He’s the best football player you have not heard enough about. (Disclaimer: yes, he comes from my team, the Browns.) He not only is the best kickoff/punt returner in the league (he set the record for career returns for touchdowns last year) but he was also a force in the wildcat last year, averaging 6.9 yards per carry. A quarterback for Kent State in college, he is just getting the hang of being a wide receiver. But all reports and highlights from the preseason suggest he is well on his way (he had a highlight reel touchdown in the Browns’ second preseason game and an unreal sideline catch in their third game). He could play quarterback, wide receiver, running back, safety, linebacker, kicker and still have time to pour drinks in the owners box. Expect a huge overall output this year.



Brad Becker-Parton ’11 is from Sleepy Hollow, N.Y.  and Spencer Wright ’11 is from Burlington, Vt.