You've got questions. I've got answers. If not, I'll make them up. Each Thursday at 1 p.m. EST, I answer your queries on all things related to the NFL. If you have a question, send it over to NFLMailbag@aol.com. Don't forget to include your name and location. Click here for the archives. Rock'n'roll.How will the Jacksonvile offensive be affected by the loss of both starting offensive guards? Is the running force with Freddie and MJD gonna be slowed down?
- Michael Gus, Kissimmee, FL
It, um, doesn't really look good now that Vince Manuwai and Maurice Williams have both been placed on the IR. I really like Fred Taylor, and was glad to see him get the recognition he's deserved last year, but he is 32, and he and Maurice Jones-Drew really struggled against a physical Titans team. Which is a troublesome sign, as the Jaguars have built an identity on being a physical team on both sides of the ball. But if you take away that dimension to their offense, things don't look very good, especially if Jerry Porter's bum hammy keeps rearing its ugly head. Do you really trust David Garrard to carry a team for an entire season if the Jaguars can't get their run game figured out? I certainly don't. And the Jags face some physical defenses this year in Buffalo, Tennessee again, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Chicago, Green Bay, and Baltimore.
Does the Pats' soft schedule still make them favorites to win the division, or at the very least a wild card? Does 9-7 seem possible?
- James Kim, Providence, RI
I honestly don't think the Patriots' schedule is all that soft. There are easy spots, for sure, but there are also challenges. That being said, I've thought the Bills had the makings of a good team before they blew out an overrated Seahawks team, and I certainly think they have the talent to take the division now. The one obvious knock on Matt Cassel is his lack of experience. In any starting role. Ever. And forgive me for being cliche, but that's a big factor. He looked good against the Chiefs, but I don't expect that to continue as teams get film on him and the temperature drops. And this isn't the world-beating team we've known recently. The linebackers and secondary are seriously flawed. In the NFC, they might be a division winner, but I don't think the Patriots see the playoffs this year. A 9-7 record is possible, but is that even going to be enough for a wild card spot in the AFC?
Should Browns fans prepare themselves for a letdown after last year's 10-win effort? The team looked awful all preseason, and they struggled on both sides of the ball against the Cowboys.
- The Ghost of Modell, Akron, OH
Yeah, I'm pretty sure nothing good ever happens to the Browns, and this year shouldn't be an exception. Notice that last year, as the season went on, Derek Anderson regressed. A lot. That's not a fluke, that's teams learning his tendencies. And the defensive side of the ball is still sort of a mess. Shaun Rogers is not going to play a complete season for anyone to his potential, and he was the cornerstone of this so-called defensive fortification. And without his pressure up the middle, the Browns' absolutely demolished secondary -- troubled even more with the injury to Sean Jones -- isn't going to stand a chance against a lot of offenses.
What will happen to both the Seahawks' offense now that Deion Branch and Bobby Engram are both banged up, D.J. Hackett is with the Cats and Nate Burleson is out for the season? I believe Branch and Engram were dinged up before Cincinnati took back Chris Henry; should the Seahawks have made a play on him? Are there free agent WRs that Seattle can sign to revamp their offense?
- SoulCitySigma1914, Greensboro, NC
The Seahawks were wise to stay away from Henry -- Seattle is too close to Vancouver, the Amsterdam of North America, for Henry to not go all blaze happy and smoke all of the weed he can get his hands on. But they're in trouble. Branch and Engram will return eventually, but their long-term value is in doubt. Branch in particular has been one issue after another since arriving from New England. Another key injury has been Ben Obomanu, who was slated to start the season as the team's third receiver, but he's on the IR as well. The Seahawks for too long have been feasting on the good luck of playing in the league's weakest division, and it seems as if their fortunes are starting to reverse. Eric Moulds and Joe Horn are the biggest names out there, but their ability at this point in their careers is beyond questionable. There's also Doug Gabriel, but nobody the Seahawks bring in at this point is going to be anything more than a less-than-adequate scotch-tape job.
Shouldn't Vince Young just be a man? I mean, c'mon, he's getting paid money the rest of us can only dream of and he's not happy? What's wrong with him?
- Bryan Tucker, Nashville, TN
Actually, no. I don't purport to know what is wrong with Young, if anything, but it's not right to just tell him to "be a man," a sentiment I've heard too many times over the last few days. It's ridiculous. He's a human like the rest of us. Humans have different sensitivities. Money doesn't alter what's inside your head, and some people have real biological issues that require outside forces to balance. Just because he was blessed with an amazing ability to play football doesn't mean he was blessed with the ability to deal with the constant surveillance, scrutiny, and criticism that comes with being a high-profile football player. That's not something you can just learn. And it's not right for anyone to bash him, because I'd like to see his detractors under the same pressure and see how they respond. Yes, NFL players are compensated very, very well. But that's because the job is more than the game. It's about being an ambassador and spokesperson for the league, it's about being a public figure, and some people don't have it in their DNA to handle that. If Young can't, I hope he finds happiness elsewhere in life and wish him the best.
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