Chicago Blackhawks vs. Detroit Red Wings Series Preview

During the regular season the Chicago Blackhawks were the best team in the NHL. One would argue that the only team in the Western Conference that could possibly beat the Hawks in a playoff series was the Anaheim Ducks considering their 2-0-1 record against them in the regular season.

While the Hawks were coasting to a 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Wild, the Detroit Red Wings were locked in a battle with the Ducks in a grueling seven games series that needed overtime in four of those contests.

During this series the Red Wings needed to travel across three time zones numerous times. There is a reason why they are being moved to the Eastern Conference next season. That is what makes this matchup between the Hawks and Wings so enticing is that it will be the last time they play each other in the playoffs barring a Stanley Cup Final.

Anthony Rizzo's New Deal

Anthony Rizzo, like the Cubs' bullpen, struggled mightily through the month of April as he posted just a .224 batting average with an OBP of .315. He still managed to hit eight home runs which is enough to lead the team.

It seems that the weather has been heating up in the month of May as has Rizzo's bat who is hitting .439 for the month and getting on base at a .477 clip.

It seems Rizzo now has another reason to celebrate the month of May with his new 7 year $41 million dollar deal.

Anthony Rizzo hope to hit many home runs in a Cub uniform.
(Credit: bengrey Wiki Commons Fair Use)

Ken Rosenthal broke news of the deal on Twitter as it seems the Cubs got a steal for what hopes to be the power left handed first baseman for the future.

The parameters are very team friendly as there is no no trade clause in the deal. Thankfully Jim Hendry was not in charge of this signing. There are two club options that could bring the deal to 9 years for $68 million with escalators that could max it at $73 million. Not to bad if he pans out.

This means that the Cubs have both Starlin Castro and Anthony Rizzo shored up for awhile and they can begin building the team around them.

I like the deal personally. I think we just solidified 1st base for years to come. What do you think of it?

The New Look Bears

By Darren Zaitlen

Phil Emery is etching his name into Chicago Bears history with the hire of Marc Trestman as the new head coach of the franchise. Along with the firing of Lovie Smith it seems that almost every coach/assistant is going out the door as well.

We have come to find out that Mike Tice has been let go and been replaced with Aaron Kromer who was the offensive line coach in New Orleans. He also served as the interim head coach for the first six games of the season. In case you didn't know,the New Orleans Saints run a pretty good offense down there that has given up very few sacks over the years and scored points in bunches. Kromer will replace Tice as the offensive coordinator as well as the offensive line coach.

Week 1: Bears vs. Colts Preview

It's less than one hour to kick-off between the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. Most Bears fans would agree that this is one of the most anticipated season openers in a long time. Here are our predictions for week one.

Darren: Colts receiver Austin Collie is out this week, leaving the Colts thin at the wide receiver position. Donnie Avery steps in opposite Reggie Wayne. For the Bears, Brian Urlacher is playing in today's game and while we're not sure how injured his knee is, he can probably still be effective at 70 percent due to the Colts needing to game plan for him.

On display today will be the Colts' new 3-4 defense as well as the Jay Cutler-to-Brandon Marshall connection. I think the Bears are able to run the ball today while mixing in some big play-action passing plays to ensure a victory.

AFC East Preview and Predictions

By Matt Gentile 

Football season is finally underway, and you know what that means. It’s time to make predictions that never pan out. 

Darren Zaitlen gave you his insight on the NFC East. So, let's take a look at the AFC East. 

The New England Patriots ran away with the AFC East in 2011, making a deep run into the playoffs. The New York Jets, Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills all failed to make it into the post season. But those three teams did make some key acquisitions this offseason that they hope will close a very large gap.

New England Patriots (13-3)

The Patriots cruised through the regular season on their way to Super Bowl XLVI, where they lost yet again to the New York Giants. Quarterback Tom Brady led another high powered offense that finished third in points (512) and second in total yards. Most of the yards came through the air, with Brady throwing for 39 touchdowns and a career-high 5,084 yards.

Tom Brady is on a mission for his fourth ring in 2012.
(credit: Jeffrey Beall/Wiki Commons fair use)

Perhaps the biggest accomplishment came from tight end RobGronkowski. The Gronker had over 1,300 yards receiving and caught an astonishing 17 touchdown receptions, a record for tight ends. It appears this offensive juggernaut is poised for another explosion in 2012. The acquisition of Brandon Lloyd provides Brady with a weapon on the outside to go along with Gronkowski, Aaron Hernandez and the reliable Wes Welker.   

If there is one weakness, it’s on defense. This unit wasn’t as bad as many analysts thought. They were 15th in total yards allowed and hauled in the second most interceptions in the NFL. However, their weakness was on third down, where they allowed opposing offenses to convert about 43 percent of the time (fifth most in NFL). The defense also was 31st in total yards allowed.

But Bill Belichick, who made his bones as a defensive guru, didn’t sit back this offseason and let that side of the ball go untouched. He drafted pass rushing specialist Chandler Jones, linebacker Dont’a Hightower and safety Tavon Williams to shore up the defense.

They might not be a dominant unit, but they can certainly do enough not to lose games. Belichick and Brady just might have enough to win their fourth Lombardi Trophy this year.

Prediction: 12-4

NFC East Preview and Predictions

By Darren Zaitlen

At long last the NFL season is here.

With a divisional match-up between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants set to go Wednesday night at MetLife Stadium, it seemed appropriate to preview the NFC East. There are a lot of intriguing story lines and personalities strewn throughout all four teams in this highly contested division.

New York Giants (9-7):

2011 was a year where Eli Manning took the next step in becoming an elite quarterback and the emergence of Victor Cruz as a play-maker alongside Hakeem Nicks allowed New York to weather the storm until their defense picked up steam towards the end of the season and carried them through the playoffs to a Super Bowl victory. The Giants were clutch when they needed to be while the rest of their division floundered in mediocrity.

Fast forward to this year where not much has changed with the 2012 New York Giants. There were some additions and subtractions like every team but the Giants still have Eli, Cruz, Nicks, and Ahmad Bradshaw to provide an electric, deep threat, offense. Their defense is shored by one of the fiercest front fours in the league with Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.

Can Eli and the Giants repeat?
Wiki Commons Fair Use

However, their linebacking corps are satisfactory at best and their secondary seems to be riddled with injuries every year as Prince Amukamara went down with another foot injury this preseason. Of course the secondary doesn't need to be lights out if the front four is generating constant pressure.

The Giants are something of an enigma every year. During their two Super Bowl runs, they started out slow, finished strong and somehow found a way to sneak into the playoffs. This year could be different as teams have had a whole off-season to find ways to develop blocking schemes against their defensive front. This could lead to shootouts where Eli Manning is forced to put up 30 points in order to win.

Of course this offense has that potential and it will be interesting to see how the Giants will fare this year. I think a powerful offense mixed with a defense that is good enough to cause some turnovers results in a winning season for the Giants.

Prediction: 10-6

Should the Chicago Bears look at Bryant McKinnie?

By Matt Gentile

[UPDATE: Bryant McKinnie agrees to a restructured contract with the Baltimore Ravens, according to Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.]

Veteran left tackle Bryant McKinnie could be released today after failing to restructure his contract with the Baltimore Ravens.

McKinnie was supposed to earn $3.2 million this season but was willing to take a pay cut. It appears the Ravens wanted to shed a bit more than he hoped. The one-time pro bowler told The Baltimore Sun’s Aaron Wilson that he was no longer with the team, but there has been no official announcement.

However, he also told the NFL Network’s Albert Breer that things are “not officially over yet” after getting another phone call from the Ravens.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport listed the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears as possible destinations for McKinnie if he’s in fact cut.

Of course, Bears fans have already taken their voice to Twitter about getting McKinnie. It seems like a lot of fans would support the move given the lackluster preseason from J’Marcus Webb and Chris Williams.