#Middlebury #Sports #NFL
By Mark Vasto
I don’t know about you, but this summer seemed especially boring in the world of sports. Save for Aaron Judge’s first half, Dale Earnhardt’s retirement, Kyle Bush’s trifecta, Mayweather-McGregor and Federer’s win at Wimbledon, there was not a lot going on.
Luckily, the NFL is back. I’m not going to give any fantasy predictions, but these are three things I’d hang my hat on for the upcoming season:
Most Valuable Player: Eli Manning, QB, New York Giants – New CBS color commentator Tony Romo (who booted Phil Simms from the gig) got it right when he hailed Manning in a preseason interview with New York Newsday.
“He’s a legend of the game, and he’s still playing,” Romo said. “The good ones play through [rebuilding years] and come out of it with a good team on the end. … I think Eli is one of those.”
Manning is a fierce competitor, even though his demeanor seems to indicate otherwise. Nobody takes a sack as well as Manning … it’s almost at the level of martial arts. Whenever he’s hit, he rolls with it and hits the ground on his terms. That’s why he never missed a start in 14 seasons. Also, it’s pretty easy to see whether or not the Giants will win any game. If Eli comes out firing and making completions, hitting that window, the Giants almost always win. They’re one of the Super Bowl favorites this year, and he’s a huge reason why.
Dud of the Year: Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys – The NFL history books are littered with tales of quarterbacks who had one great season (think Matt Leinart, Scott Mitchell or Ken O’Brien) and were never able to do it again. History shows that in order to be worth anything in this league, you have to do it at least twice.
Prescott did it very well once, but now he has no running game with Ezekiel Elliott suspended for six games. Defenses can lay back and concentrate on stopping the pass. How Prescott reacts will determine whether or not the Cowboys made the right move in handing the franchise over to him. Personally, I think he is up to the task, but if I had to bet, he’d be the guy I’d be least surprised by having a bad year.
Super Bowl Pick: New York Giants defeat New England Patriots – In addition to the potent Manning-Beckham Jr. attack, the Giants will have one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the league. I see them passing Green Bay in the playoffs in order to get New England, a juggernaut that defies description.
Looking at their schedule, it’s not a stretch to see the Giants, 11-5 last year, improving to 14-2, and if they don’t, it would be a major letdown. Really, the only tough teams on their schedule are the Seattle Seahawks and the Oakland Raiders. The Giants will battle every NFC East team, and although a loss to the Cowboys, Redskins or Eagles away certainly could be in the cards, this team is playoff-bound if it gets its running game together.
As far as New England goes? As long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are alive, there is no real compelling reason to choose any other team coming out of the AFC. I have them beating either the Chiefs or the rotten Raiders in the AFC championship. The rest is up to God and Tom Brady.
Mark Vasto is a veteran sportswriter who lives in New Jersey.
(c) 2016 King Features Synd., Inc.
