"Perposterous" Preseason Predictions

As training camp picks up the impending arrival of NFL football becomes like a pickup truck running over a small squirrel. 

So, in the spirit of squashing all other sports stories out in the rest of the sporting world, the time has come to make some “preposterous” predictions for the upcoming season.

“Preposterous” prediction number one: The Baltimore Ravens will miss the playoffs.

When it comes to the postseason Joe Flacco is no fluke. Last season’s great line throughout the playoffs (73-126, 58 percent completion percentage, 1,140 yards, 11 touchdowns, Zero interceptions) speaks for itself.

Flacco is the only quarterback to win a postseason game each of his first five seasons in the NFL. He has 19 postseason touchdowns to eleven interceptions. And Baltimore has won nine of the 13 playoff games Flacco has started; so the Ravens have won 69 percent of games Flacco has started in come playoff time.

Yet this season will undoubtedly be the most challenging for football’s newest 100 million dollar man.

This is because his team’s spiritual leader, (Ray Lewis) their impact pass rusher of last postseason (Paul Krueger), and Flacco’s top two targets (Anquan Boldin and Dennis Pitta) are gone.

Terrell Suggs had just two sacks all of last season. James Ihedigbo, the former Patriots safety who couldn’t defend a chair in pass coverage, is listed as their starting strong safety.

Combine all of this with the overall strength of the AFC, the Cincinnati Bengals not getting worse, and that Baltimore’s offensive coordinators for some reason refuse to give Ray Rice more than 20 carries on a consistent basis for some irrational reason; and you have a recipe for Baltimore to miss the playoffs.

“Preposterous” prediction number two: AJ Green will have a better statistical year than Andre Johnson.

Let’s stack up the numbers of two NFL receivers in a vacuum for a moment.

Receiver A’s numbers: 97 receptions, 1,350 receiving yards, Eleven touchdown catches, 13.9 yards per reception, 84.4 yards per game.

Receiver B’s numbers: 63 catches, 688 yards,  two touchdown catches, 10.9 yards per reception, 52.9 yards per game.

Based off of the vacuum principle, receiver B doesn’t belong in the same stratosphere as receiver A. Yet take these numbers out of the vacuum and you realize that receiver B is actually Andre Johnson’s circa 2005; back when he was 24 (and had David Carr throwing him the ball.)

Green at 24 put up better numbers than Johnson at 24. And Green, who is already a beast, is just entering his prime this year.

But prime isn’t the only reason Green should have a better statistical year, for competition factors in as well.

Johnson will have to face the Seahawks and 49ers defenses on consecutive weeks; as well as an improved Arizona Cardinals defense with a talented corner in Patrick Peterson. Not to mention the Denver Broncos later in the year with the leader of the NFL’s ‘never count him out due to age’ team in Champ Bailey.

The toughest challenge Green will have to face is in week one against the vaunted Bears pass defense.

After that game Green will get to torch the Packers in week three, the Patriots in week five, the Bills in week six, the Lions in week seven, the Jets in week eight, San Diego in week 13 and the Colts in week 14.

Expect both of these receivers to play great this year. It’s just things are lining up for Green to have a better year in 2013 than Johnson does.