It’s finally that time of year – the NFL season is just around the corner, and with the preseason in full swing, it’s time for football fans to gear up for the real thing. Of course, for NFL fans, this means a bit more than it does for a lot of other sports fans.
With a typical sports season approaching, fans have nothing to do but sit and wait – but with the NFL, millions of fans all over the world have found ways to be personally involved with their beloved sport. This might mean signing up at yahoo.com for a fantasy football league; it might mean purchasing the latest and greatest NFL RedZone television package; or for some, it might even mean placing a few sports bets at betting.betfair.com. But for each of these activities, it helps to know what to expect from the season! So here’s a quick look at 4 players who will overachieve, and 5 who will disappoint this season.
The Overachievers
1. Steven Jackson
Jackson is joining a high-powered Atlanta offense with an elite QB, and should power the ground game as well as make himself useful as a receiving option. He has been a great running back on teams that went nowhere. Â He will finally be able to play for a contender and he will have a monster year.
2. Mike Wallace
Wallace is overpaid and overconfident. Nonetheless, moving from last year’s uncertain Pittsburgh situation to Miami, where he’ll have Ryan Tannehill’s massive arm pushing him deep, should set Wallace up for a big season. Â Tannehill should also have a better year now that he has gotten past the rookie mistakes.
3. Reggie Bush
Detroit could use a more reliable running game to balance out their elite passing game, and Bush will get a chance to be “the guy.” With defenses focused on the threat of Stafford-to-Johnson, Bush should have some great opportunities.
4. Larry Fitzgerald
It’s a no brainer to expect a better season than Fitzgerald turned in last year, now that Carson Palmers is QB in Arizona. After years of playing with a subpar quarterbacks, he will finally be able remind fans and the league just how good he is.
The Disappointments
1. Danny Amendola
Newsflash people: Danny Amendola is not Wes Welker, no matter how badly New England fans want him to be. Amendola will have a hard time meeting expectations. Â He will need to stay healthy for the whole healthy, something he has trouble doing missing 20 out of 32 games the last two years. Â Brady may feel more comfortable throwing to Julian Edelman, a player he already has chemistry with.
2. Eric Decker
Speaking of Welker, he and Demaryius Thomas are both higher on Peyton Manning’s priority list than Decker. Decker will be a great 3rd option for Denver – but he’ll still be a 3rd option.
3. Geno Smith
Many expect Smith to take over the Jets’ starting QB job and run with it – but come on, these are the Jets! They’ll string out a Sanchez or Smith debate too long for either to have a great year. Â They live for the back cover drama; expect “anonymous” players to come out throughout the season airing out locker room drama.
4. Colin Kaepernick
One of the most exciting players in the league. Â He can throw and he can run, but now team’s defenses know that. Â The 49ers also lost Michael Crabtree, Kaepernick’s favorite target, to a torn Achilles. Â He may have a good season, but he will most likely not be able to duplicate his last season’s numbers.
