My Anquan Boldin Blog

This year the Cardinals are projected to win 8.5 games, are 15/2 to win the NFC Championship game, and 15/1 to win the Super Bowl. Are these Vegas odds making your head spin? Well, to summarize, the odds that the Arizona Cardinals are going back to Super Bowl, or even the playoffs, are not good.

At first glance, the Cardinals chances seem great. Pro bowler Kurt Warner, despite his age of 37, is still arguably one of the top QB's in the NFL. Safety Adrian Wilson leads a much underrated defensive unit that played great down the stretch last year. The Cards also have one of the most lethal receiving cores in the game. Locking up Anquan Boldin would make everyone feel a little better about the 2009 season, but the fact he wasn't traded is a good sign. Larry Fitzgerald is an elite playmaker who needs Boldin in the line up to free up double (even triple) coverage.

The NFC West was a walking band-aid last year, and should not be considered as weak as many people think. With some of the improvements made this off-season, there is no way any one team will win the division with ease. The Seattle Seahawks grabbed Houshmandzadeh in free agency, helping a laughable receiving core get better quickly; key players Deion Brach and Matt Hasselbeck are both returning from injury. A fresh start with new coach Jim Mora could also be good for some of these seasoned Seattle veterans. Not since the 1992 season have the Seattle Seahawks had such a low win total. The shocking 4-12 season will be huge motivation to improve quickly and challenge for a playoff spot.

The Rams lost playmaker Torry Holt and veteran LT Orlando Pace, but look somewhat strong after bringing in the New York Giants Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to lead the pack. The Rams had an excellent draft and even made a few solid free agent signings.

The San Francisco 49ers, who were ghosts in free agency, came away laughing after Oakland passed on Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree at the NFL Draft in April. The only question now is who's going to lead this young team? The right quarterback might have the 49ers finally pulling out of the repair shop with a serious muscle car.

The Cardinals didn't get to the Super Bowl by default, they knocked off three strong offensive teams: Falcons, Panthers, and Eagles. With each playoff win the team grew more confidence, but an off-season of headaches may hurt the Cardinals 2009 season. Top teams always get picked apart in free agency, although losing as many starters as Arizona did hasn't sat well with the loyal fan base, not to mention losing both their defensive and offensive coordinators Clancy Pendergast and Todd Haley.

Even with the additions of RB Beanie Wells and Safety Rashad Johnson in the draft, this team has the look of being dubbed a one hit wonder. Too many losses on defense and the shake up of the coaching staff will mean the offense will be forced to win games in a shoot out fashion. This is great news if you have fantasy players, but hard to rely on down the stretch of the NFL season. The Cardinals schedule isn't easy, playing 4 out of 5 road games starting in the middle of November, while going up against many up and coming teams such as the Jaguars, Texans, Bears, and Packers. Gridiron Experts predicts anywhere between a 6 to 9 win season.

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The Baltimore Ravens entered the regular-season finale in 2008 needing a victory to reach the playoffs and last season was no different as an 8-7 Ravens team went to Oakland knowing a loss would keep them at home. Baltimore had little trouble in a 21-13 victory that got it a Wild-Card round matchup with New England.

And the Ravens then laid a 33-14 beat down on a Pats team that had been unbeaten at home in the regular season. Baltimore also snapped the Patriots' home playoff win streak at 11 games, handing New England its first home playoff loss since 1978. The Ravens did this despite Joe Flacco going 4-for-10 for 34 yards and a pick.

While Flacco was lousy in that game and then the following week in a loss to the Colts, he was very good during the season with 3,613 yards passing on 63.1 percent completions with 21 touchdowns and 12 picks. Pretty much all his numbers were up from his rookie year despite the lack of a true No. 1 receiver. The real star of Baltimore's offense last year and one of the NFL's breakout players was running back Ray Rice. The former Rutgers star joined Jamal Lewis as the only Ravens player in team history to have more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage. Rice rushed for 1,339 yards and caught 78 passes for 702 yards. But other than Flacco, Rice and to some degree Derrick Mason (73 catches, 1,028 yards, seven TDs) the Baltimore offense lacked playmakers.

Baltimore thinks it solved that problem with the offseason trade for Arizona WR Anquan Boldin and the signing of Donte Stallworth, who sat last season out due to suspension. Boldin should give the team the No. 1 threat it has lacked for years, but this still will be a running team.

The Ravens remain among the league's best defensive teams, ranking third overall last year and fifth against the rush. They have one of the best players in the league on the defensive line (Haloti Ngata), at linebacker (the ageless Ray Lewis), and in the secondary (Ed Reed). The only concern for this unit is whether Reed will miss the first six weeks, as he has hinted he may go on the PUP list as he recovers from offseason hip surgery. Certainly that would hurt this unit.

The experts list Baltimore's 2010 wins total at 9.5 and the Ravens as the AFC North favorites at -160.

Let's see how the 2010 Baltimore Ravens schedule breaks down:

Week 1: Monday, Sep. 13, at NY Jets, 7:00 PM
Week 2: Sunday, Sep. 19, at Cincinnati, 1:00 PM
Week 3: Sunday, Sep. 26, Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 4: Sunday, Oct. 3, at Pittsburgh, 1:00 PM
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 10, Denver, 1:00 PM
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 17, at New England, 1:00 PM
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 24, Buffalo, 1:00 PM
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 7, Miami, 1:00 PM
Week 10: Thursday, Nov. 11, at Atlanta, 8:20 PM
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 21, at Carolina, 1:00 PM
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 28, Tampa Bay, 1:00 PM
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 5, Pittsburgh, 8:20 PM
Week 14: Monday, Dec. 13, at Houston, 8:30 PM
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 19, New Orleans, 1:00 PM
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 26, at Cleveland, 1:00 PM
Week 17: Sunday, Jan. 2, Cincinnati, 1:00 PM

This schedule is ranked as the 12th toughest in the NFL, with an opponents' 2009 winning percentage of.508 (130-126). The Ravens don't have to worry much about travel, with 15 of their 16 regular-season games in the Eastern Time Zone for only the second time in team history so watch those NFL point spreads. And there are no West Coast trips, which is always a benefit.

If Baltimore can get to the bye week above.500 that would be a major accomplishment and set this team up nicely for an easier schedule post-bye. Four of the Ravens' first six games are on the road, including the first Monday night game (against the Jets) at the new Giants Stadium. That's the first time the Ravens will face former defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, New York's head coach. That game should be a bruising, low-scoring affair. The Jets have opened as three-point favorites. Then Baltimore gets a chance for revenge against a Bengals team that swept the Ravens last year, allowing Baltimore a total of just 21 points. Of course a former Ravens defensive coordinator also coaches Cincy: Marvin Lewis. It's the first time in franchise history that Baltimore opens with two road games - a split would be a great result.

The Ravens should handle Cleveland and then catch a huge break that they play Pittsburgh in Week 4 and not Week 5 because Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger will be not allowed back until after four games. Thus a road win there could give Baltimore the early upper hand for the division. The Ravens will be solid favorites in home games against Denver and the Bills but a likely dog at a New England team that will be out for vengeance - if Pats WR Wes Welker goes on the PUP list, Baltimore would avoid him as it did in last year's playoff game.

Baltimore should beat Miami with a week off prior before facing three straight NFC South teams. That quick turnaround against the Falcons likely favors Atlanta because at least it's at home on the short week. And that tremendous Carolina ground game will challenge the Ravens. That game at Houston looks like a loss as Baltimore traditionally has not been a good team on Monday nights (5-8). The matchup against the Saints marks the fifth year in a row the Ravens face the reigning Super Bowl champions. That it's in the elements is a huge advantage for Baltimore. And really there's no reason the Ravens shouldn't win their final two games rather easily.

As an NFL handicapper, it looks like an 11-5 team to me and the AFC North champion. I hate to project much further, but the Ravens seem like excellent value to win the AFC at +600 as well as +1100 to win the Super Bowl. If everything breaks right and there are no major injuries (especially to Flacco, Boldin and if Reed gets 100 percent), there is no reason this team can't win it all.

Doc Moseman is one of the pioneers of college football and the NFL handicapping industry. Check out his Web site for up-to-the-minute NFL odds and his famous winning college football and NFL picks.

From Unitas-Ameche-Berry in the late 1950's and early 1960's to Bradshaw-Harris-Swann in the 1970's to Montana-Craig-Rice in the 1980's to Aikman-Smith-Irvin in the 1990's to Manning-James-Harrison in the 2000's, there has been a history of feared QB-RB-WR combos fueling gridiron success in the NFL. In today's NFL, with more wide-open offenses and running backs by committee, having a formidable set of "triplets" has become less integral but no less effective. Here is my list of the top QB-RB-WR combos in the league:

5. Atlanta Falcons (Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Roddy White) - The fact that the Falcons made this list speaks volumes about my belief that Matt Ryan will bounce back from an up-and-down campaign in 2009. I believe this kid has elite QB written all over him and will begin proving it in 2010. I also expect to see Michael Turner more resemble the runner we saw in 2008 than the injury-plagued back we saw last season. While Ryan and Turner suffered through disappointing seasons in 2009, Roddy White continued to emerge as one of the league's top wide receivers with 85 catches and a career best 11 touchdowns. Look for the Falcons offense to light it up in 2010.

4. Minnesota Vikings (Brett Favre, Adrian Peterson, Sidney Rice) - Obviously, this ranking depends a lot on Brett Favre's decision on whether to play or not in 2010. Let's just say, I have sneaky suspicion he'll show up sometime in August after the rigors of training camp are but a memory for his teammates. After doubting Favre's ability to defy age the past couple of seasons, I can find no reason to expect a sharp decline in his play this season. Despite a rather pedestrian end to his season - for my money - Adrian Peterson is still the best running back in the NFL. Vikings fans had been waiting on Sidney Rice to finally live up to some of his vast potential since being taken in the 2nd round in 2007. Well, they finally got what they were looking for as he blossomed with Favre as his quarterback - resulting in Pro Bowl season in 2009.

3. Dallas Cowboys (Tony Romo, Marion Barber, Miles Austin) - Miles Austin came out of nowhere last season to team with Romo and Barber to bring back memories of the original Cowboy Triplets (Aikman, Smith and Irvin). The Boys ranked #2 in the NFL in total yards last season and should once again have no problem moving the ball in 2010.

2. Indianapolis Colts (Peyton Manning, Joseph Addai, Reggie Wayne) - The Colts have found themselves towards the top of this list each year since Edgerrin James teamed up with Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison back in 1999. Eleven years later, a couple of the names have changed but the results have been the same. Joseph Addai took over for James in 2006 and Reggie Wayne moved out from under Marvin Harrison's shadow completely in 2009 as they, along with Manning, helped lead the Colts to a Super Bowl appearance last season.

1. Baltimore Ravens (Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin) - I know this combo is unproven as a unit with Boldin yet to play a down for the Ravens, but I love the potential of these three in the 2010 NFL season. Flacco built on an impressive Rookie campaign in 2008 by passing for over 3600 yards and 21 touchdowns in 2009. Ray Rice, also in his 2nd season last year, had over 2000 yards from scrimmage. If Boldin can quickly develop chemistry with Flacco, look for this group to put up some very impressive totals this season.

A. K. Leonard writes a Fantasy Sports Blog at http://www.h2hfantasysports.com with the latest in Head to Head Fantasy Sports news, tips, advice and recommendations.

The Baltimore Ravens are getting very excited for the 2010 NFL season and how it may play out. They have a core group of young, talented offensive players, finally picking up the lagging spot of the club that has existed for years. Meanwhile, defensively the team expects to be as stout as ever, making them a formidable unit that can challenge anyone.

The team is of course headed up by future Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis. Prior to last season there had been rumors that Lewis was nearing the end of his career. However, last year he was rejuvenated on the field, and had one of his best seasons in recent memory. With the rest of the talent on defense, this makes the Ravens the same old, in your face, smash mouth, tough and rugged defensive unit that everyone always expects.

The offense though may be better than it has ever been. Quarterback Joe Flacco has continued to improve, and is ready to become one of the premier players at his position in the league. The same can be said for running back Ray Rice, who seems ready to take the league by storm and showcase his great combination of talents.

Plus, they finally have a star wide receiver, with the acquisition of Anquan Boldin from the Cardinals. A late offseason pickup also added former Bengals and Seahawks receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the team too.

With the Ravens, the story used to be that you could win by just scoring a few points against that rigid defense, because the offense was second tier. But now the offense is first rate, which makes the team a very scary proposition for other opponents around the league to have to square off against.

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The Baltimore Ravens have rebounded from a disappointing 2007 season with back-to-back playoff appearances. A strong running game and a dominant defense have helped them achieve their recent success. However, the organization has acknowledged that the passing game must improve in order to take the next step, and it has brought in Anquan Boldin to help make that happen. In this article, we'll take a quick look at the offense and the defense. Then, I'll make my prediction on Baltimore's finishing position in the AFC North.

Offense: Third-year quarterback Joe Flacco has impressed through his first two seasons. He threw for 3,613 yards and 21 touchdowns with 12 interceptions last season. He was on pace for even better numbers before leg and hip injuries limited him down the stretch. With his size and great arm strength, Flacco has the potential to become an elite passer. He has already shown that he is a winner, leading the Ravens to three playoff victories in five career playoff games. More wins will most certainly follow as he continues to mature. We could see him take a huge stride in 2010 with the addition of Boldin, who finally gives the Ravens a true No. 1 receiver.

Despite dealing with injuries, Boldin hauled in 84 passes for 1,024 yards last season. He and Derrick Mason, who is coming off a 73-catch, 1,028-yard season, should help the offense improve on the 213.7 yards per game it averaged through the air in 2009.

Boldin and Mason will certainly get their opportunities to star as defenses stack the box in hopes of limiting Ray Rice. Rice is coming off a Pro Bowl season, during which he amassed 2,041 total yards from scrimmage. 1,339 of those yards came on the ground.

Tackles Michael Oher and Jared Gaither lead a formidable offensive line.

Defense: Baltimore ranked No. 3 in the NFL in scoring defense last season, giving up only 16.3 points per game. Baltimore also ranked No. 3 ranked in terms of total defense, giving up just 300.5 yards per game.

Middle linebacker Ray Lewis continues to be the emotional leader of this unit. He teams with fellow linebackers Terrell Suggs and Jarret Johnson, and defensive lineman Haloti Ngata and Kelly Gregg, to anchor one of the best front sevens in football. Draft picks Sergio Kindle and Terrence Cody add additional depth.

Safety Ed Reed was contemplating retirement while dealing with a painful nerve impingement. But that talk has subsided, and it appears the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year will be back to lead Baltimore's secondary.

Prediction: 1st AFC North - Bringing in Boldin should instantly improve a passing attack that was lacking playmakers. Since Baltimore already has a strong running game, and one of the NFL's best defenses, I don't see anyone standing in their way of an AFC North title. Pittsburgh must deal with the suspension of Ben Roethlisberger, and it is hard to imagine Cincinnati not dealing with chemistry issues after signing Pacman Jones and Terrell Owens.

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The wide receiver is a position that seems to grow in importance with each season. Many savvy GMs have bypassed the traditional RBs in the first two rounds of their drafts, going with one WR and one QB, or even two WRs. Today we'll look at the top 10 fantasy wide receivers going into the 2009 season.

10. Brandon Marshall. The Broncos WR is at a disadvantage with the loss of quarterback Jay Cutler, but Josh McDaniels should still be effective offensively, and should look at Marshall as his go-to receiver. This is a riskier play, but the fact that Marshall has topped 100 receptions in each of his last two seasons gives him too much upside to pass up. Extra points for Marshall in points per reception leagues.

9. Roddy White. White may very well rank higher than 9 for WRs this coming season, but last year's breakout doesn't have enough consistency to warrant him a higher position on the list. Matt Ryan will continue to improve. The addition of Tony Gonzalez should substantially enhance the Falcons' offense. While Gonzalez may see some end zone action that White previously saw, look for the defensive attention Gonzalez gets to create opportunities for White. Look for White to post his third straight 1200+ yard season in the process.

8. Reggie Wayne. Traditionally one of the safest options at WR, Wayne's numbers were a bit off last year as compared to seasons past. A slow start on Peyton Manning's part factored into this, in addition to a minor injury and a growing chemistry between Peyton Manning and Dallas Clark. Last season can be considered an off year for Wayne, who finished 10th in total yards with 1145 (compared to 1510 the year before), and only pulled in 6 TDs (compared to 10 the year before). For these reasons, Wayne slides down from top 4 to #8, but could easily bounce back this season.

7. Greg Jennings. What's not to like about 1292 yards and 9 TDs? Jennings was the clear #1 option in the Green Bay offense over Donald Driver, and Aaron Rodgers is a more than capable quarterback. Jennings posted 12 TDs in 2007, and seems to find the end zone with ease.

6. Steve Smith. Despite missing two games last season, Smith still managed to finish third in the NFL in receiving yards (1421), and his 6 TDs balance out these numbers very nicely. An extremely talented running back duo in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart may keep Smith's TD total down a bit, but at 30 years old, Smith is in his prime and should be as reliable as anyone else at the wide receiver position.

5. Anquan Boldin. Coming off of a huge season in Arizona, there's nothing not to like about Anquan Boldin - when healthy that is. Boldin scored 11 TDs and caught for 1038 yards, all in 12 games. On a per game basis, no one was better than Boldin in terms of TDs, and his yards per game stood at fourth best in the NFL. Boldin's only concern is his health. The wide receiver has missed 4 games in each of the last two seasons. The loss of Boldin come playoff time (this happened last year) could be devastating to any fantasy GM.

4. Calvin Johnson. If talent were a consideration, he'd be top 3. But Johnson plays for the Lions, which will limit his effectiveness one way or another. The loss of Roy Williams to the Cowboys only meant more opportunities for Johnson, who finished with an extraordinary 1331 yards and 12 TDs (tied for the NFL high). Johnson will be just 24 years old this season and may very well improve. Anyone looking for upside may want to set their sights on Johnson. Scary!

3. Andre Johnson. Johnson led the NFL in receiving yards last season, with an incredible 1575. He seems to improve with each year. His 8 TDs were a bit low, but anyone in a PPR league would gladly overlook this, as he led the NFL in receptions with 115. Johnson missed half the 2007 season due to injury, but has otherwise been healthy through his career. When on the field, he's simply one of the best.

2. Randy Moss. Moss could easily carve out his role as #1, but the inconsistency he's displayed in seasons past (2008, 2006) makes him a bit risky. His 2007 performance with Tom Brady has fantasy GMs drooling over his potential, but there's still a bit of risk built in. No one in recent memory has been better than Randy Moss was in 2007. If you believe he'll return to form with Brady back in action, you may want to rank him at #1.

1. Larry Fitzgerald. I'm all about reaching for a wide receiver who I know I can count on week in and week out. And to me, that's what Larry Fitzgerald is all about. Fitzgerald had an NFL-high 12 TDs in 2008, and finished second in receiving yards with 1431. He had an incredible end to the 2008 season, scoring 13 TDs through the end of the regular season and the playoffs. He has a great attitude about the sport, and has only missed four total games through his five year career.

To me, that's what a #1 pick is all about.

Keep an eye on Terrell Owens, Dwayne Bowe, and Wes Welker.

Jesse Boskoff is the founder of RootZoo, an interactive social sports platform with a highly active sports forum, the largest database of sports trivia questions online, fantasy football leagues, sports videos, and much more. He's an avid baseball and tennis fan, and loves all sports.