WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Win total last 5 years: 33
LVH over/under wins (8)
The Shanahan era (head coach Mike, offensive coordinator/son Kyle) turned things around last season with 10 wins, a division title and RG3 ? Rex Grossman III.
Just kidding. Actually we have seen more of Grossman than we wished to during preseason as DC?s favorite son Robert Griffin III recovers from knee surgery that kept him out of last season?s playoffs.
Griffin has said he?s healthy, but the Shanahans took a lot of heat for playing him late in the final regular season game when he suffered the injury. They weren?t about to go that same route this preseason.
Backup QB Kirk Cousins proved a valuable commodity as a go-to choice should problems arise with RGIII. As for Grossman, perhaps his stock will rise enough that the Jets might look at him. Nah, the Jets have enough butt fumbles.
While Griffin was spectacular as a rookie, another first year player Alfred Morris was a godsend with 1,613 yards rushing. There?s no reason to think Morris couldn?t put up similar numbers, but there is that sophomore jinx when many take a step back.
In a tight division with the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles such a fall is more the norm than a freak occurrence. Any of the four are capable of winning the division and it has proven to be a good money bet to take any of those teams as a road underdog of at least 6 points.
More good news for the Skins is the return of linebacker Brian Orakpo, who has also been plagued by injuries since being drafted out of the University of Texas. The leader of the defense is the ageless London Fletcher, who beginning his 16th season has never missed an NFL game.
Let?s face it, though, Griffin is way more popular in Washington than President Obama and probably the only thing Congress can agree on. The Skins finally called him ready to start the season opener at home against Philadelphia a week from Monday. The question will be how much will the leash be on RGIII to tone down the running.
The Skins have excellent depth on offense and the fans are counting on Griffin to take them to the NFC title game at the very least. Athlon Sports rated the Washington draft a D grade, not good. The top pick was cornerback David Amerson from NC State.
The Redskins won?t be sneaking up on anyone this season. But if Griffin is Griffin and the Skins return 21 of its 22 starters from a year ago.
So owner Daniel Snyder?s bunch should again be right at the top of the division picture and the NFL?s best fight song ?Hail to the Redskins? should be playing a lot even if the books see a drop to 8 wins.
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TENNESSEE TITANS
Win total last 5 years: 42
LVH over/under wins (6?)
I think many would be surprised to see that Tennessee has averaged close to 9 wins a season over the past five years.
A good bit of the reason is running back Chris Johnson, who when healthy and motivated can be electrifying at his position with 4.3 speed in the 40.
Athlon Sports called Johnson ?the most overlooked of the seven 2,000-yard rushers in NFL history.? Last year the man they call CJ2K had scoring runs of 80, 83 and 94 yards. And he has looked good in preseason.
But Johnson can?t do it alone. Just like Adrian Peterson needs Christian Ponder to step up at Minnesota, Jake Locker has to do the same in Tennessee.
Management gave Locker a vote of confidence by saying so long to veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck, now backing up Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.
An even bigger concern is that porous defense, which allowed 30 points or more eight times last year, including 51 to Chicago and 55 to Green Bay.
Athlon rated Tennessee?s draft a B with the top pick Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack. Second round pick Justin Hunter out of the University of Tennessee should be a popular selection if nothing else.
Locker has a good offensive line and Kenny Britt is a quality receiver if he can stay healthy. But it?s that defense which is the big concern. The Titans drew a brutal early schedule, opening on the road against Pittsburgh and Houston in the first two weeks.
The Titans last made the playoffs in 2008 when they won 13 games. Current head coach Mike Munchak is a mediocre 15-17 in two seasons. Las Vegas books think he?s in for a third losing year in the last four. That could mean his job.
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TAMPA BAY BUCS
Win total last 5 years: 33
LVH over/under wins (7?)
Let?s call Tampa Bay the NFL?s most enigmatic team. The last three years they?ve gone from 10 wins to 4 to 7.
Which one is it, guys?
Tampa Bay in its early days under legendary USC coach John McKay and decades beyond were lovable losers, the laughing stock of the NFL. Then came a moment of clarity when Tony Dungy made them believe and Jon Gruden took them to a Super Bowl title.
Gruden then went to Monday Night Football and Tampa Bay hit a holding pattern -- some years decent others not so much. So while 10-4-7 sounds like a Dr. Pepper ad, that dysfunctional victory pattern really does fit the persona of this franchise.
Not many are touting the Bucs in a division with Atlanta, New Orleans and Cam Newton-led Carolina. But don?t tell Greg Schiano that.
The former Rutgers coach is a Gruden disciple and there?s good reason to think the team that won 10 in 2010 could resurface. But for that to happen quarterback Josh Freeman must take his game to an even higher level.
You don?t hear much about Freeman, but he threw for 4,065 yards and 27 touchdowns ? both team records. And Freeman has weapons. RB Doug Martin out of Boise State had a brilliant rookie season both rushing and receiving. WRs Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams are big time targets.
Defensively, that enigma word again applies. The Bucs were first the NFL in stopping the run, last in stopping the pass. So Schiano and company went out and bought Revis Island from the Jets in what could be the biggest Island sale since the English paid $24 for Manhattan some 500 years ago.
Whether Darrelle Revis is fully recovered from knee surgery will be known early when the Bucs play Revis? former team, the Jets in the regular season opener at the Meadowlands. Revis should fill the shoes of Ronde Barber, who retired.
The Bucs further addressed that porous secondary by making Jonathan Banks out of Mississippi State their top pick in Round 2. Athlon Sports rated the overall Bucs draft a B-.
The game with the Jets is huge considering New Orleans and a trip to New England follow. A 0-3 start and you can just about forget 10 wins and any sniff of the postseason.
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ST. LOUIS RAMS
Win total last 5 years: 19
LVH over/under wins (7?)
Clearly Las Vegas books believe the Rams will improve, but 8-8 seems a very tall order in a division with San Francisco, Seattle and an improved Arizona.
Jeff Fisher went 7-8-1 last year, which included an overtime win and tie against the division champion 49ers. That?s a lot better considering in three of the last five seasons the Rams won 2 games or less.
Fisher has certainly laid the groundwork for an exciting team, adding speed and explosiveness on offense that should be a cut above last year?s No. 23 rating in total offense and No. 25 in scoring.
We begin with the top pick, West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. At 5-8, 174-lb, Austin was brought in to provide the home run threat along with his breakaway ability as a kickoff and punt returner. Austin is being compared to Percy Harvin, who opened up the Minnesota offense before taking his talents to Seattle.
The Rams lost their best receiver Danny Amendola to New England and franchise running back Steven Jackson to Atlanta, but did add tight end Jared Cook (Titans) and 4-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jake Long (Dolphins).
With Jackson gone, the franchise label falls upon quarterback Chad Bradford, who in season four is being expected to put up career high numbers. Management has been patient with Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner as a sophomore at Oklahoma. That said, a subpar season and he could be yesterday?s news in St. Louis.
There is the potential for the Rams to resurrect ?the greatest show on turf? gang that won a Super Bowl with Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az Hakim and Rick Proehl. Bradford has Austin, Cook, rookie Steadman Bailey (also from West Virginia) and Chris Givens
However, there?s no Jackson and certainly no Marshall Faulk. It will be running game by committee until someone breaks through, but the position has depth.
Defensively the Rams were just outside the top 10, so it?s a strength. Robert Quinn and Chris Long combined for 22 sacks and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is a stud.
The problem as mentioned at the top is living in the NFC West and having to play those three teams twice apiece. Then there?s the rest of the schedule that includes road games at Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Indianapolis.
Fans probably won?t be happy with 8-8, but if the Rams get there look out in 2014.
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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Win total last 5 years: 34
LVH over/under wins (10?)
Pete Carroll brought his emotion to the Pacific Northwest and Seattle?s famed 12th Man ran with it.
The Carroll success was a work in progress (he?s 25-23 in three seasons), with last year producing 11 wins thanks for the best home field advantage in the NFL and the emergence of rookie Russell Wilson at quarterback.
As was the case in San Francisco with Alex Smith, Seattle went into last season planning to go with offseason acquisition Matt Flynn at QB. The Niners eventually turned to Colin Kaepernick in midseason and never looked back. Likewise, only sooner in Seattle as Wilson won the job in preseason and only got better.
An incredible Week 3 Hail Mary win over Green Bay on Golden Tate?s ruled catch off what looked to be an interception in the end zone was the fuel that sparked the Seahawks to buy into Wilson and the emotional Carroll.
The public?s acceptance of the Seahawks as a legitimate Super Bowl contender came in a stunning 42-13 beatdown of San Francisco in Week 15 at Seattle. The 49ers went on to win the NFC title, but Wilson made his mark with a rookie record 26 TD passes.
This year Wilson won?t be sneaking up on people, yet the Seahawks have produced three solid wins this preseason. Granted these games matter little, except to bettors who continue to cash in every time the Seahawks take the field at home.
Seattle was a perfect 8-0 last year, including wins over Green Bay, Dallas, New England and San Francisco. Qwest Stadium has almost been written off as a Seattle win. That belief will be tested early in a monster Week 2 rematch with the 49ers.
Wilson?s ability to run and throw with equal excellence only served to strengthen a running game led by ?The Beast? Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for a career high 1,590 yards ? third best in the NFL.
The Seahawks offense really looked to be spectacular with the acquisition of free agent Percy Harvin, but an injury will have the former Vikings standout runner/receiver out until at least midway through the season.
Defensively the Seahawks added frontline players Michael Bennett from Tampa Bay and Cliff Avril (Detroit), while also bringing in cornerback Antoine Winfield (Minnesota).
That said, this franchise more than any other in the NFL revolves around its raucous crowd and Carroll?s energy that feeds it. Even in pre Carroll days when the franchise struggled they held serve at home. Since 2002, Seattle is 59-29 ? second only to Green Bay, which won the Super Bowl in 2011.
Seattle?s draft was rated a C by Athlon Sports, but top pick RB Christine Michael from Texas A&M has been impressive in preseason and looks like a clone of Lynch.
The Seahawks will have to prove they can consistently win on the road and a test comes early in the season opener at Carolina in a marquee matchup of Wilson against Cam Newton.
If Seattle can manage 4-4 on the road, a 12-4 regular season is likely and remember the Super Bowl is being played at the Meadowlands where the Farmer?s Almanac predicts major snow problems.
Sounds just right for a team from the Pacific Northwest.
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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Win total last 5 years: 45
LVH over/under wins (11?)
First head coach Jim Harbaugh energized the 49ers and then second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick took them to the NFC championship.
In two years, Harbaugh won almost as many games (24) as the Niners totaled the previous three seasons (25). With that kind of success not many teams would change QBs in midseason, but that?s exactly what Harbaugh did.
And the gamble worked. Not that Alex Smith was bad, in fact he put up similar numbers across the board to Kaepernick with one huge difference. Under Smith, the Niners ran an ultra-conservative attack. With Kaepernick they became flamboyant.
So Smith winds up this season in Kansas City and it?s Colin?s team for what could be the rest of this decade. The arrival of Kaepernick coincided with wide receiver Michael Crabtree having a breakout season with 85 catches.
Steady RB Frank Gore rushed for over 1,200 yards and defensively the Niners feature two studs in linebackers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith.
The one weakness was placekicking and that was solved in the offseason with the acquisition of Pro Bowl kicker Chad Dawson from Cleveland to replace the inconsistent David Akers.
Two years ago the Niners barely missed making the Super Bowl, Last year they nearly won the Super Bowl. This season many expect them to be world champions.
Interestingly their toughest obstacle may well be in their own division. And the showdown first comes early in Week 2 at Seattle. It was last year in the same visiting stadium that the Niners were crushed 42-13 in the next to last game of the regular season. The rematch comes Dec. 8 at San Francisco and many believe there could be a third encounter in the NFC title game.
The over/under win total for the Niners is 11.5. Only Denver matches that, with Seattle and New England close behind at 11. That?s how Vegas thinks now. We?ll see.
Athlon Sports rated San Francisco?s draft a B. Top pick was safety Eric Reid from LSU. The sleeper selection was South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore, who is recovering from his second straight serious knee injury. If Lattimore is able to come back at some later time, this could be one of the great picks in recent years.
As for the present, the Niners have a tough first five games. Besides Seattle there?s the opener with Green Bay, then Indianapolis, a Thursday game at nemesis St. Louis, then Houston.
The Niners will be favored in 4 of the 5 and if they come away 4-1 should be well on their way to a 12-win season at least.
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Win total last 5 years: 33
LVH over/under wins (8)
The Shanahan era (head coach Mike, offensive coordinator/son Kyle) turned things around last season with 10 wins, a division title and RG3 ? Rex Grossman III.
Just kidding. Actually we have seen more of Grossman than we wished to during preseason as DC?s favorite son Robert Griffin III recovers from knee surgery that kept him out of last season?s playoffs.
Griffin has said he?s healthy, but the Shanahans took a lot of heat for playing him late in the final regular season game when he suffered the injury. They weren?t about to go that same route this preseason.
Backup QB Kirk Cousins proved a valuable commodity as a go-to choice should problems arise with RGIII. As for Grossman, perhaps his stock will rise enough that the Jets might look at him. Nah, the Jets have enough butt fumbles.
While Griffin was spectacular as a rookie, another first year player Alfred Morris was a godsend with 1,613 yards rushing. There?s no reason to think Morris couldn?t put up similar numbers, but there is that sophomore jinx when many take a step back.
In a tight division with the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles such a fall is more the norm than a freak occurrence. Any of the four are capable of winning the division and it has proven to be a good money bet to take any of those teams as a road underdog of at least 6 points.
More good news for the Skins is the return of linebacker Brian Orakpo, who has also been plagued by injuries since being drafted out of the University of Texas. The leader of the defense is the ageless London Fletcher, who beginning his 16th season has never missed an NFL game.
Let?s face it, though, Griffin is way more popular in Washington than President Obama and probably the only thing Congress can agree on. The Skins finally called him ready to start the season opener at home against Philadelphia a week from Monday. The question will be how much will the leash be on RGIII to tone down the running.
The Skins have excellent depth on offense and the fans are counting on Griffin to take them to the NFC title game at the very least. Athlon Sports rated the Washington draft a D grade, not good. The top pick was cornerback David Amerson from NC State.
The Redskins won?t be sneaking up on anyone this season. But if Griffin is Griffin and the Skins return 21 of its 22 starters from a year ago.
So owner Daniel Snyder?s bunch should again be right at the top of the division picture and the NFL?s best fight song ?Hail to the Redskins? should be playing a lot even if the books see a drop to 8 wins.
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TENNESSEE TITANS
Win total last 5 years: 42
LVH over/under wins (6?)
I think many would be surprised to see that Tennessee has averaged close to 9 wins a season over the past five years.
A good bit of the reason is running back Chris Johnson, who when healthy and motivated can be electrifying at his position with 4.3 speed in the 40.
Athlon Sports called Johnson ?the most overlooked of the seven 2,000-yard rushers in NFL history.? Last year the man they call CJ2K had scoring runs of 80, 83 and 94 yards. And he has looked good in preseason.
But Johnson can?t do it alone. Just like Adrian Peterson needs Christian Ponder to step up at Minnesota, Jake Locker has to do the same in Tennessee.
Management gave Locker a vote of confidence by saying so long to veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck, now backing up Andrew Luck in Indianapolis.
An even bigger concern is that porous defense, which allowed 30 points or more eight times last year, including 51 to Chicago and 55 to Green Bay.
Athlon rated Tennessee?s draft a B with the top pick Alabama offensive guard Chance Warmack. Second round pick Justin Hunter out of the University of Tennessee should be a popular selection if nothing else.
Locker has a good offensive line and Kenny Britt is a quality receiver if he can stay healthy. But it?s that defense which is the big concern. The Titans drew a brutal early schedule, opening on the road against Pittsburgh and Houston in the first two weeks.
The Titans last made the playoffs in 2008 when they won 13 games. Current head coach Mike Munchak is a mediocre 15-17 in two seasons. Las Vegas books think he?s in for a third losing year in the last four. That could mean his job.
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TAMPA BAY BUCS
Win total last 5 years: 33
LVH over/under wins (7?)
Let?s call Tampa Bay the NFL?s most enigmatic team. The last three years they?ve gone from 10 wins to 4 to 7.
Which one is it, guys?
Tampa Bay in its early days under legendary USC coach John McKay and decades beyond were lovable losers, the laughing stock of the NFL. Then came a moment of clarity when Tony Dungy made them believe and Jon Gruden took them to a Super Bowl title.
Gruden then went to Monday Night Football and Tampa Bay hit a holding pattern -- some years decent others not so much. So while 10-4-7 sounds like a Dr. Pepper ad, that dysfunctional victory pattern really does fit the persona of this franchise.
Not many are touting the Bucs in a division with Atlanta, New Orleans and Cam Newton-led Carolina. But don?t tell Greg Schiano that.
The former Rutgers coach is a Gruden disciple and there?s good reason to think the team that won 10 in 2010 could resurface. But for that to happen quarterback Josh Freeman must take his game to an even higher level.
You don?t hear much about Freeman, but he threw for 4,065 yards and 27 touchdowns ? both team records. And Freeman has weapons. RB Doug Martin out of Boise State had a brilliant rookie season both rushing and receiving. WRs Vincent Jackson and Mike Williams are big time targets.
Defensively, that enigma word again applies. The Bucs were first the NFL in stopping the run, last in stopping the pass. So Schiano and company went out and bought Revis Island from the Jets in what could be the biggest Island sale since the English paid $24 for Manhattan some 500 years ago.
Whether Darrelle Revis is fully recovered from knee surgery will be known early when the Bucs play Revis? former team, the Jets in the regular season opener at the Meadowlands. Revis should fill the shoes of Ronde Barber, who retired.
The Bucs further addressed that porous secondary by making Jonathan Banks out of Mississippi State their top pick in Round 2. Athlon Sports rated the overall Bucs draft a B-.
The game with the Jets is huge considering New Orleans and a trip to New England follow. A 0-3 start and you can just about forget 10 wins and any sniff of the postseason.
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ST. LOUIS RAMS
Win total last 5 years: 19
LVH over/under wins (7?)
Clearly Las Vegas books believe the Rams will improve, but 8-8 seems a very tall order in a division with San Francisco, Seattle and an improved Arizona.
Jeff Fisher went 7-8-1 last year, which included an overtime win and tie against the division champion 49ers. That?s a lot better considering in three of the last five seasons the Rams won 2 games or less.
Fisher has certainly laid the groundwork for an exciting team, adding speed and explosiveness on offense that should be a cut above last year?s No. 23 rating in total offense and No. 25 in scoring.
We begin with the top pick, West Virginia wide receiver Tavon Austin. At 5-8, 174-lb, Austin was brought in to provide the home run threat along with his breakaway ability as a kickoff and punt returner. Austin is being compared to Percy Harvin, who opened up the Minnesota offense before taking his talents to Seattle.
The Rams lost their best receiver Danny Amendola to New England and franchise running back Steven Jackson to Atlanta, but did add tight end Jared Cook (Titans) and 4-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle Jake Long (Dolphins).
With Jackson gone, the franchise label falls upon quarterback Chad Bradford, who in season four is being expected to put up career high numbers. Management has been patient with Bradford, the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner as a sophomore at Oklahoma. That said, a subpar season and he could be yesterday?s news in St. Louis.
There is the potential for the Rams to resurrect ?the greatest show on turf? gang that won a Super Bowl with Kurt Warner, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Az Hakim and Rick Proehl. Bradford has Austin, Cook, rookie Steadman Bailey (also from West Virginia) and Chris Givens
However, there?s no Jackson and certainly no Marshall Faulk. It will be running game by committee until someone breaks through, but the position has depth.
Defensively the Rams were just outside the top 10, so it?s a strength. Robert Quinn and Chris Long combined for 22 sacks and middle linebacker James Laurinaitis is a stud.
The problem as mentioned at the top is living in the NFC West and having to play those three teams twice apiece. Then there?s the rest of the schedule that includes road games at Atlanta, Houston, Dallas and Indianapolis.
Fans probably won?t be happy with 8-8, but if the Rams get there look out in 2014.
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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Win total last 5 years: 34
LVH over/under wins (10?)
Pete Carroll brought his emotion to the Pacific Northwest and Seattle?s famed 12th Man ran with it.
The Carroll success was a work in progress (he?s 25-23 in three seasons), with last year producing 11 wins thanks for the best home field advantage in the NFL and the emergence of rookie Russell Wilson at quarterback.
As was the case in San Francisco with Alex Smith, Seattle went into last season planning to go with offseason acquisition Matt Flynn at QB. The Niners eventually turned to Colin Kaepernick in midseason and never looked back. Likewise, only sooner in Seattle as Wilson won the job in preseason and only got better.
An incredible Week 3 Hail Mary win over Green Bay on Golden Tate?s ruled catch off what looked to be an interception in the end zone was the fuel that sparked the Seahawks to buy into Wilson and the emotional Carroll.
The public?s acceptance of the Seahawks as a legitimate Super Bowl contender came in a stunning 42-13 beatdown of San Francisco in Week 15 at Seattle. The 49ers went on to win the NFC title, but Wilson made his mark with a rookie record 26 TD passes.
This year Wilson won?t be sneaking up on people, yet the Seahawks have produced three solid wins this preseason. Granted these games matter little, except to bettors who continue to cash in every time the Seahawks take the field at home.
Seattle was a perfect 8-0 last year, including wins over Green Bay, Dallas, New England and San Francisco. Qwest Stadium has almost been written off as a Seattle win. That belief will be tested early in a monster Week 2 rematch with the 49ers.
Wilson?s ability to run and throw with equal excellence only served to strengthen a running game led by ?The Beast? Marshawn Lynch, who rushed for a career high 1,590 yards ? third best in the NFL.
The Seahawks offense really looked to be spectacular with the acquisition of free agent Percy Harvin, but an injury will have the former Vikings standout runner/receiver out until at least midway through the season.
Defensively the Seahawks added frontline players Michael Bennett from Tampa Bay and Cliff Avril (Detroit), while also bringing in cornerback Antoine Winfield (Minnesota).
That said, this franchise more than any other in the NFL revolves around its raucous crowd and Carroll?s energy that feeds it. Even in pre Carroll days when the franchise struggled they held serve at home. Since 2002, Seattle is 59-29 ? second only to Green Bay, which won the Super Bowl in 2011.
Seattle?s draft was rated a C by Athlon Sports, but top pick RB Christine Michael from Texas A&M has been impressive in preseason and looks like a clone of Lynch.
The Seahawks will have to prove they can consistently win on the road and a test comes early in the season opener at Carolina in a marquee matchup of Wilson against Cam Newton.
If Seattle can manage 4-4 on the road, a 12-4 regular season is likely and remember the Super Bowl is being played at the Meadowlands where the Farmer?s Almanac predicts major snow problems.
Sounds just right for a team from the Pacific Northwest.
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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Win total last 5 years: 45
LVH over/under wins (11?)
First head coach Jim Harbaugh energized the 49ers and then second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick took them to the NFC championship.
In two years, Harbaugh won almost as many games (24) as the Niners totaled the previous three seasons (25). With that kind of success not many teams would change QBs in midseason, but that?s exactly what Harbaugh did.
And the gamble worked. Not that Alex Smith was bad, in fact he put up similar numbers across the board to Kaepernick with one huge difference. Under Smith, the Niners ran an ultra-conservative attack. With Kaepernick they became flamboyant.
So Smith winds up this season in Kansas City and it?s Colin?s team for what could be the rest of this decade. The arrival of Kaepernick coincided with wide receiver Michael Crabtree having a breakout season with 85 catches.
Steady RB Frank Gore rushed for over 1,200 yards and defensively the Niners feature two studs in linebackers Patrick Willis and Aldon Smith.
The one weakness was placekicking and that was solved in the offseason with the acquisition of Pro Bowl kicker Chad Dawson from Cleveland to replace the inconsistent David Akers.
Two years ago the Niners barely missed making the Super Bowl, Last year they nearly won the Super Bowl. This season many expect them to be world champions.
Interestingly their toughest obstacle may well be in their own division. And the showdown first comes early in Week 2 at Seattle. It was last year in the same visiting stadium that the Niners were crushed 42-13 in the next to last game of the regular season. The rematch comes Dec. 8 at San Francisco and many believe there could be a third encounter in the NFC title game.
The over/under win total for the Niners is 11.5. Only Denver matches that, with Seattle and New England close behind at 11. That?s how Vegas thinks now. We?ll see.
Athlon Sports rated San Francisco?s draft a B. Top pick was safety Eric Reid from LSU. The sleeper selection was South Carolina RB Marcus Lattimore, who is recovering from his second straight serious knee injury. If Lattimore is able to come back at some later time, this could be one of the great picks in recent years.
As for the present, the Niners have a tough first five games. Besides Seattle there?s the opener with Green Bay, then Indianapolis, a Thursday game at nemesis St. Louis, then Houston.
The Niners will be favored in 4 of the 5 and if they come away 4-1 should be well on their way to a 12-win season at least.
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