Subscribe to The Football Diner Weekly Newsletter !
Get Fantasy Rankings, Previews, Articles and News straight to your email box...
Archive 2008 Preview :
Preview Articles...
Ben Stockwell & Paul Hopkins Four Downs with Stock & Doc NFL Season Preview After previewing each Division over the past eight weeks, Stock and Doc are joined by fellow Diner writer Chris Brophy to gaze into their crystal balls and deliver their super-sized NFL season preview, making their predictions for the next few months... ( full article )
Rob Staton Welcome To The New Season – NFC Ok, so we've now got about 110 days to go to the new season. Last time we had a look at how the AFC is shaping up after mini-camps, and now it's the NFC. Once again we look at expectations, schedule difficulty and the now infamous best case / worst case scenarios... ( full article )
Rob Staton Welcome To The New Season – AFC Ok, so there's still about 120 days until the big kick off. But with the draft in the books and mini-camps under way, it's time to start looking ahead. We start with the AFC in taking a peak at what expectations are at this stage and how difficult those schedules look. We also predict the best and worse case scenarios for each team in 2008... ( full article )
Mark Lyne-Austen Atlanta Falcons 2008 Preview Atlanta has seen more turmoil than any other NFL club in recent years. The Falcons have fallen victim to the highest profile off-field disaster perhaps ever to befall an NFL side. As one of the worst sides all-time, the dirty birds are in rebuilding mode following the incompetence of Bobby Petrino and a 4-12 2007 campaign... ( full article )
Ben Stockwell Baltimore Ravens 2008 Preview The Ravens fell from a 4-2 start to lose their next 9 games to finish 5-11. HC Brian Billick lost his job and both their LT and QB have retired. With rookie HC John Harbaugh at the helm a new dawn is upon the Ravens franchise. But with a lot of youth on board and a lot of dead money sitting on the cap, there may yet be some gloom before the bright new dawn in Baltimore... ( full article )
Michael E Lawrence Buffalo Bills 2008 Preview The Buffalo Bills were once the watchword for AFC dominance behind the touchdown triumvirate of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. Those glory days soon receded along with Jim Kelly's hair, but 15 years on, and hope once again reigns supreme in Buffalo... ( full article )
Mark Lyne-Austen Chicago Bears 2008 Preview Chicago dropped from 1st to 4th in the NFC North following a disappointing 2007 campaign. The team that had reached Super Bowl XLI suffered the traditional let down the following term after defeat by the Indianapolis Colts. The 7-9 record did not turn too many NFL heads and was cast into shade by the resurgent Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings... ( full article )
Chris Brophy Cleveland Browns 2008 Preview Times have been hard for the Browns since they returned to the league in 1999 but 2007 saw this once proud franchise produce a contender again, and not only did the win-loss record improve but the excitement factor went up too as a high power offense led by the unheralded Derek Anderson... ( full article )
Paul Hopkins Dallas Cowboys 2008 Preview An outstanding 13-3 regular season was concluded with a limp home Divisional playoff defeat to eventual champions, the New York Giants. Unperturbed, Jerry Jones has continued to develop his team to re-claim the throne, mixing high-risk moves with sound drafting strategy and securing long-term futures. It is clear that 2008 really is make or break, a repeat or less is not acceptable... ( full article )
Mark Lyne-Austen Detriot Lions 2008 Preview Winners of 4 NFL titles all time, they haven't been to the big dance since, well ever and have only claimed a Superbowl era division 3 times. Still, of all the NFC North sides it is the Lions who have endured the greatest stability heading into the 2008 season... ( full article )
Mark Lyne-Austen Green Bay Packers 2008 Preview This year, without Favre the Packers will have to turn to Aaron Rodgers to call the shots. Highly touted coach Mike McCarthy's side will be one to watch this season but so much will depend on how they rebound from the loss of one of the most inspirational players ever to step onto an NFL playing field... ( full article )
Chris Brophy Houston Texans 2008 Preview The Texans finished 2007 with an even record and have still to taste any real success in their short history. They enter the third year under Head Coach Gary Kubiak with hope that they can continue to build on the progress that has being made and stay somewhat healthier than they were in 2007... ( full article )
CJ Sanchez Miami Dolphins 2008 Preview After the first three losses the initial hope for the season was well and truly squashed. Then, with season ending injuries to key players such as Ronnie Brown and Trent Green, things began to look pretty bleak. It wasn't until around week 10 that the whole season became all about finding one win. One... ( full article )
Sam Monson Minnesota Vikings 2008 Preview Brad Childress has reached the make or break season in his first head coaching tenure. Childress and Co. have made aggressive personnel moves to patch the holes his 2007 outfit had, but in reality the Vikings season, and Childress' job, are tied directly to his hand-picked quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson... ( full article )
Michael E Lawrence New England Patriots 2008 Preview Has an NFL season ever attracted so much attention or ended so bitterly? The Patriots recorded 16 wins and were universally considered to be presumptive World Champions before a stunning Super Bowl defeat. With subtractions in the secondary made up for by an injection of youth at linebacker, but the NFL will learn from the outset just how motivated this team will be to prove its 19th game of 2007 was simply a fluke... ( full article )
Neil Murphy New Orleans Saints 2008 Preview After a fairytale 2006 season, last year many tipped Sean Payton's Saints to push for a championship. Despite starting as favourites for the division title the team slumped to a 0-4 start. The offense played well for the most part, but came up with some bad turnovers in key situations. The defence meanwhile, suffered from a complete disability to defend the pass... ( full article )
Michael E Lawrence New York Jets 2008 Preview The Jets have been the epitome of middle of the pack, parity-era teams, yo-yoing year on year between double digit losses and playoff qualification depending on strength of schedule. A year after being christened 'Mangenius', the third year head coach faced job security questions as last season petered out, and will feel further pressure to win in '08 after a free spending off season... ( full article )
Jody Jamieson Philadelphia Eagles 2008 Preview When you break it down, the Eagles have had a great decade. Double digit wins in all but two years has the Eagles consistently being a contender. Unfortunately Philly sports fans, obsessed with winning a championship, are struggling to see where it may come from. The Eagles are a team who are always likely to contend for a post-season spot, without ever being favoured to win the Super Bowl... ( full article )
Chris Brophy Pittsburgh Steelers 2008 Preview "The Chin" may have moved on but the Steelers still competed in 2007 with new Head Coach Mike Tomlin being savvy enough to not fix something that wasn't broken on defense despite having a background in defensive coaching. Late on though, things did seem to grind to a halt with the Steelers losing three of their last four regular season games... ( full article )
Mark Lyne-Austen San Diego Chargers 2008 Preview Taking advantage of teams in transition over in the AFC West, the Chargers have won the last two division titles and remain the strongest team in the West. Featuring arguably the most talented player in the NFL in LaDainian Tomlinson and a fearsome defense, the Chargers should be heading into the post-season yet again... ( full article )
Chris Brophy San Francisco 49ers 2008 Preview The 49ers entered 2007 as a fashionable dark horse but a struggling passing game meant the run game suffered and in turn put too much pressure on the defense. Head Coach Mike Nolan gets a chance to get the ship back on the right heading and has added passing game guru Mike Martz to try and fix the 49ers biggest problem, but many are surprised Nolan got another bite of the cherry... ( full article )
Rob Staton Seattle Seahawks 2008 Preview The Seattle Seahawks are aiming for their fifth consecutive NFC West title in 2008. With their dullish uniforms, geographically awkward location in the northwest and 'bald as a plucked chicken' quarterback, the Seahawks garner little attention from the American media spotlight. That's just the way they like it... ( full article )
Neil Murphy St. Louis Rams 2008 Preview Last year's 3-13 season was the Rams worst since the franchise moved to St Louis, with trouble on and off the field. The death of long term owner Georgia Frontiere prompted immediate speculation of a possible future move to Los Angeles. On the field, the Greatest Show on Turf gave way to sacrificial lambs ... ( full article )
Mark Lyne-Austen Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2008 Preview Tampa Bay surprised quite a few pundits last season, bouncing up from last in the NFC South following the 2006 season to top that division and play the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants close in the playoffs. Tampa has prided itself on strong D over the last decade and that unit will need to perform exceptionally again if Tampa are to retain their top spot in the South... ( full article )
Paul Hopkins Tennessee Titans 2008 Preview On the back of a bruising running game and strong defence the Tennessee Titans made it to the playoffs in 2007 before their offensive limitations proved too much. As much of this achievement was testimony to the skill and acumen of Head Coach Jeff Fisher, the Titans still needed an upgrade on the field. In some ways this hasn't been quite forthcoming... ( full article )
Chris Brophy Washington Redskins 2008 Preview After a strange search for a new Head Coach, the Dan Snyder settled on his newly appointed Offensive Coordinator - Jim Zorn. It's a massive gamble and a very much unexpected hire but given that a lot of the Redskins future success probably hinges on how far young QB Jason Campbell can take this team... ( full article )
After previewing each Division over the past eight weeks, Stock and Doc are joined by fellow Diner writer Chris Brophy to gaze into their crystal balls and deliver their super-sized NFL season preview, making their predictions for the next few months... ( 
Ok, so we've now got about 110 days to go to the new season. Last time we had a look at how the AFC is shaping up after mini-camps, and now it's the NFC. Once again we look at expectations, schedule difficulty and the now infamous best case / worst case scenarios... ( 
Ok, so there's still about 120 days until the big kick off. But with the draft in the books and mini-camps under way, it's time to start looking ahead. We start with the AFC in taking a peak at what expectations are at this stage and how difficult those schedules look. We also predict the best and worse case scenarios for each team in 2008... ( 
Atlanta has seen more turmoil than any other NFL club in recent years. The Falcons have fallen victim to the highest profile off-field disaster perhaps ever to befall an NFL side. As one of the worst sides all-time, the dirty birds are in rebuilding mode following the incompetence of Bobby Petrino and a 4-12 2007 campaign... ( 
The Ravens fell from a 4-2 start to lose their next 9 games to finish 5-11. HC Brian Billick lost his job and both their LT and QB have retired. With rookie HC John Harbaugh at the helm a new dawn is upon the Ravens franchise. But with a lot of youth on board and a lot of dead money sitting on the cap, there may yet be some gloom before the bright new dawn in Baltimore... ( 
The Buffalo Bills were once the watchword for AFC dominance behind the touchdown triumvirate of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. Those glory days soon receded along with Jim Kelly's hair, but 15 years on, and hope once again reigns supreme in Buffalo... ( 
Chicago dropped from 1st to 4th in the NFC North following a disappointing 2007 campaign. The team that had reached Super Bowl XLI suffered the traditional let down the following term after defeat by the Indianapolis Colts. The 7-9 record did not turn too many NFL heads and was cast into shade by the resurgent Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings... ( 
Times have been hard for the Browns since they returned to the league in 1999 but 2007 saw this once proud franchise produce a contender again, and not only did the win-loss record improve but the excitement factor went up too as a high power offense led by the unheralded Derek Anderson... ( 
An outstanding 13-3 regular season was concluded with a limp home Divisional playoff defeat to eventual champions, the New York Giants. Unperturbed, Jerry Jones has continued to develop his team to re-claim the throne, mixing high-risk moves with sound drafting strategy and securing long-term futures. It is clear that 2008 really is make or break, a repeat or less is not acceptable... ( 
Winners of 4 NFL titles all time, they haven't been to the big dance since, well ever and have only claimed a Superbowl era division 3 times. Still, of all the NFC North sides it is the Lions who have endured the greatest stability heading into the 2008 season... ( 
This year, without Favre the Packers will have to turn to Aaron Rodgers to call the shots. Highly touted coach Mike McCarthy's side will be one to watch this season but so much will depend on how they rebound from the loss of one of the most inspirational players ever to step onto an NFL playing field... ( 
The Texans finished 2007 with an even record and have still to taste any real success in their short history. They enter the third year under Head Coach Gary Kubiak with hope that they can continue to build on the progress that has being made and stay somewhat healthier than they were in 2007... ( 
After the first three losses the initial hope for the season was well and truly squashed. Then, with season ending injuries to key players such as Ronnie Brown and Trent Green, things began to look pretty bleak. It wasn't until around week 10 that the whole season became all about finding one win. One... ( 
Brad Childress has reached the make or break season in his first head coaching tenure. Childress and Co. have made aggressive personnel moves to patch the holes his 2007 outfit had, but in reality the Vikings season, and Childress' job, are tied directly to his hand-picked quarterback, Tarvaris Jackson... ( 
Has an NFL season ever attracted so much attention or ended so bitterly? The Patriots recorded 16 wins and were universally considered to be presumptive World Champions before a stunning Super Bowl defeat. With subtractions in the secondary made up for by an injection of youth at linebacker, but the NFL will learn from the outset just how motivated this team will be to prove its 19th game of 2007 was simply a fluke... ( 
After a fairytale 2006 season, last year many tipped Sean Payton's Saints to push for a championship. Despite starting as favourites for the division title the team slumped to a 0-4 start. The offense played well for the most part, but came up with some bad turnovers in key situations. The defence meanwhile, suffered from a complete disability to defend the pass... ( 
The Jets have been the epitome of middle of the pack, parity-era teams, yo-yoing year on year between double digit losses and playoff qualification depending on strength of schedule. A year after being christened 'Mangenius', the third year head coach faced job security questions as last season petered out, and will feel further pressure to win in '08 after a free spending off season... ( 
When you break it down, the Eagles have had a great decade. Double digit wins in all but two years has the Eagles consistently being a contender. Unfortunately Philly sports fans, obsessed with winning a championship, are struggling to see where it may come from. The Eagles are a team who are always likely to contend for a post-season spot, without ever being favoured to win the Super Bowl... ( 
"The Chin" may have moved on but the Steelers still competed in 2007 with new Head Coach Mike Tomlin being savvy enough to not fix something that wasn't broken on defense despite having a background in defensive coaching. Late on though, things did seem to grind to a halt with the Steelers losing three of their last four regular season games... ( 
Taking advantage of teams in transition over in the AFC West, the Chargers have won the last two division titles and remain the strongest team in the West. Featuring arguably the most talented player in the NFL in LaDainian Tomlinson and a fearsome defense, the Chargers should be heading into the post-season yet again... ( 
The 49ers entered 2007 as a fashionable dark horse but a struggling passing game meant the run game suffered and in turn put too much pressure on the defense. Head Coach Mike Nolan gets a chance to get the ship back on the right heading and has added passing game guru Mike Martz to try and fix the 49ers biggest problem, but many are surprised Nolan got another bite of the cherry... ( 
The Seattle Seahawks are aiming for their fifth consecutive NFC West title in 2008. With their dullish uniforms, geographically awkward location in the northwest and 'bald as a plucked chicken' quarterback, the Seahawks garner little attention from the American media spotlight. That's just the way they like it... ( 
Last year's 3-13 season was the Rams worst since the franchise moved to St Louis, with trouble on and off the field. The death of long term owner Georgia Frontiere prompted immediate speculation of a possible future move to Los Angeles. On the field, the Greatest Show on Turf gave way to sacrificial lambs ... ( 
Tampa Bay surprised quite a few pundits last season, bouncing up from last in the NFC South following the 2006 season to top that division and play the eventual Super Bowl champion New York Giants close in the playoffs. Tampa has prided itself on strong D over the last decade and that unit will need to perform exceptionally again if Tampa are to retain their top spot in the South... ( 
On the back of a bruising running game and strong defence the Tennessee Titans made it to the playoffs in 2007 before their offensive limitations proved too much. As much of this achievement was testimony to the skill and acumen of Head Coach Jeff Fisher, the Titans still needed an upgrade on the field. In some ways this hasn't been quite forthcoming... ( 
After a strange search for a new Head Coach, the Dan Snyder settled on his newly appointed Offensive Coordinator - Jim Zorn. It's a massive gamble and a very much unexpected hire but given that a lot of the Redskins future success probably hinges on how far young QB Jason Campbell can take this team... (