canuck10

Personally, if they can manage another two franchises, I think they should have two conferences and no divisions. Play everyone in your conference; following year, if you were home against an opponent, you then play away. Then the best teams advance to the playoffs given the identical strength of schedules. All AFC teams receive a bye in Week 9, NFC teams in Week 10; following year, reverse it. Could still have teams travel to Mexico/Europe for international games, but slot them on Thursday before the bye week to allow for a couple extra days of rest/recovery from travel.

There has to be some competitive advantages of when you receive a bye week and your opponents from the non-divisional schedule. This would minimize the impact of both. 

Worst part was his father coming to his defense and brushing it off. His son has more accountability and character than his father. 

1. O     2. U     3. O     4. O     5. U     6. O     7. O

8. Jeudy     9. Wirfs     10. Tua

11. U     12. U     13. 5

I choked worse than Jean Van Der Velde on the back 9! Congrats Big Shot Bob!

The Countdown: #24 - Detroit Lions

Off-Season Transactions

Key Additions
WR Marvin Jones
WR Jeremy Kerley
RB Stevan Ridley
OL Taylor Decker (1st rounder) 
DT A'Shawn Robinson (2nd rounder)

Key Losses
WR Calvin Johnson (retirement)
LB Travis Lewis

Statistics
Record: 7-9

Offensive Scoring - 18th
Offensive Passing - 9th
Offensive Rushing - 32nd

Defensive Scoring - 23rd
Defensive Passing - 15th
Defensive Rushing - 19th

Overview

Matthew Stafford has been wildly consistent over the course of his career, with a record of 4-39 (9%) against teams that finished above 0.500 on the season. Quietly, he put together a solid year with 32 TDs, 13 INTs and a completion percentage approaching 70%, but it still wasn't enough. The sudden retirement of WR Calvin Johnson is impossible to overcome, but the Lions did their best to address the position by picking up Marvin Jones and Jeremy Kerley. Defensively, LB DeAndre Levy and DT A'Shawn Robinson should provide a boost; on the whole, this defense is still very average.  

Outlook

2016-17 Strength of Schedule: 0.465 (T-27th) 

Despite Calvin Johnson being a premier wideout, the team might be better off by not being so predictable on offense and forcing him the ball. To prevent Stafford from regressing, the Lions desperately need to find a running game. The defense is very definition of average - no household names, but they get the job done.

Predicted Record: 6-10

The Countdown: #27 - San Diego Chargers

Off-Season Transactions

Key Additions

S Dwight Lowery
DT Brandon Mebane
DE Joey Bosa (1st rounder)
WR Travis Benjamin
TE Jeff Cumberland
TE Hunter Henry (2nd rounder)?

Key Losses

S Eric Weddle
CB Patrick Robinson
?WR Malcolm Floyd (retirement) 
TE Ladarius Green

2015 Statistics
Record: 4-12

Offensive Scoring - 26th
Offensive Passing - 4th
Offensive Rushing - 31st

Defensive Scoring - 21st
Defensive Passing - 14th
Defensive Rushing - 27th

Overview

The Chargers always seem to have a strong start to the season, only to self-destruct. Rivers continues to play ultra-aggressive by throwing downfield, but teams were more successful defending the pass due to a very poor rushing attack - Melvin Gordon was a bust in his first season. Prior to his injury, Keenan Allen was on a record-setting pace. Adding speedster Travis Benjamin should be an intriguing piece to the offense. TE Antonio Gates is nearing retirement, so the Chargers found his eventual successor in Hunter Henry. Despite losing some pieces on defense, San Diego found younger replacements and should see a slight improvement. 

Outlook

2016 Strength of Schedule: 0.508 (13th) 

The addition of DE Joey Bosa might not pay huge dividends in 2016, but they found their leader on defense for the next decade. The problem with the Chargers is in the trenches - the offensive line can't create space for the run game; defensively, they get pushed around and can't control gaps. The clock is running out on Phillip Rivers career and it is hard to imagine this team contending for a Superbowl in the next few years. With the potential for a high draft pick in 2017, the Chargers might find their future signal-caller. 

Predicted Record: 5-11

The Countdown: #28 - Chicago Bears

Off-Season Transactions

Key Additions:

OT Bobbie Massie
LB Danny Trevathan
?DT Akeem Hicks
OLB  Leonard Floyd (1st rounder)

Key Losses:

?RB Matt Forte
TE Martellus Bennett
Offensive Coordinator - Adam Gase

2015 Statistics
Record: 6-10

Offensive Scoring - 23rd
Offensive Passing - 23rd
Offensive Rushing - 11th

Defensive Scoring - 20th
Defensive Passing - 4th
Defensive Rushing - 22nd

Overview

With WR Kevin White lost for the season and Alshon Jeffery missing 8 games, QB Jay Cutler still managed to have a career year. RB Matt Forte was the focal point of the offense, but was spelled throughout the season by Jeremy Langford and Ka'Deem Carey - their performance was strong enough to warrant releasing Forte in the off-season. Defensively, the defense was stellar against the pass which bodes well in a division that features gunslingers like Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford. The Bears played a lot of close games, but came up the wrong side more often than not. 

Outlook

 Strength of Schedule: 0.461 (T-30th) 

The offense is a huge question mark heading into the season after releasing RB Matt Forte and TE Martellus Bennett. Cutler had a career year under OC Adam Gase, but he took a head coaching gig in Miami. Defensively, the Bears were average but lacked an identity - the front seven was addressed in free agency and the draft and should be vastly improve. The Bears were playing 0.500 football until late November, but crashed in December. Somehow, they managed to go 1-7 at home and 5-3 on the road.
Cutler remains an enigma and the success of this team hinges on his confidence. 

?Predicted Record: 5-11

I have a hard time believing that the Rams will find a way to win more than three divisional games. They have a tough schedule and I think that Goff will need to be more than a game manager for them to be a .500 team. If they lose their opener in SF, this could be a team that goes 0-7 or 1-6 into the bye week.