Why are you optimistic?

Keeping it pretty light this morning, but I was thinking on the way in how the offseason and pre-season always leaves you with a sense of optimism about your team.

I'm a Raiders fan, and I am optimistic a few reasons.

1. Darren McFadden can't keep getting injured
2. Our wide receivers are an exciting bunch
3. Palmer will have had plenty of time to settle in
4. We're in a very close division

So, ignore the negatives (there are plenty probably) and just say why you are optimistic that this may be a good season for your team!

As a Pats fan I am very optimistic, and being a Norwich fan has also installed that in me.

My reasons:

1. Tom Brady now has a deep threat to throw to, as well as other pieces.
2. We have a young defence, who have the potential to be exciting.
3. In Ridley, Vereen and Woodhead we have an explosive backfield.
4. We will win the AFC East pretty much nailed on.
5. We are arguably the best team on paper in the AFC, and hopefully another Super Bowl is on.

As a Bucs fan:


1. We have the best guard in the league in Carl Nicks
2. Vincent Jackson appears to be as good as advertise
3. It would be physically impossible for the defense to be worse than it was during the last six or so games of the season. The D has to be better than last year by default.

I'm very optimistic after last year. Super Bowl and Champions League victories after it looked like neither team would win anything in November.

My reasons:

1. Our O line. Pieced together and held strong through the stretch and playoffs is fully fit and still together.

2. Bradshaw, Ware, Hynoski and Wilson. Very excited to see our backfield in action this year. Maybe Ware will have a better time out of Jacobs' shadow, or at least he can be a Kevin Faulk style 3rd down receiving back.

3. The D line is just awesome. Tuck, JPP, Osi and Canty will all be fit at the same time as each other and we'll have better LBs picking up the pieces of the DLs carnage.

4. Nicks and Cruz. Top tandem in the league. Hixon will get more field time in Manningham's absence and hopefully Jernigan and Randle can show promise in the roles TC gives them.

5. Our DBs, Phillips, Webster, Rolle, Thomas and Amukamara. That sounds like a great set of DBs. Having Thomas back is like a new signing and Amukamara should have his breakout year.

6. Just like the late 80s/early 90s Giants, this late 00s/10s team is made up of fighters who don't know how to quit. Just substitute LT, Banks, and Carson for Tuck, JPP and Osi. This team is the ultimate underdog. We'll let the Cowboys, Eagles and Jets grab preseason headlines because come January we'll be top dogs in NYC and the NFC East.

I was very optimistic about my Cowboys until I read Mockingjays Giants write up

Still we have upgraded our biggest weakness with 2 DB's
Rest of our D is in decent shape

Demarco looks the real deal at RB , WR's look good
O line is OK
Can Romo win in December ?

49ers

1. We have one of the top head coaches in the league in Jim Harbaugh
2. Our defence is probably going to be in the top 5 again, returning 10 of 11 starters I think.
3. We have 4 running backs capable of sharing the load, Gore/Hunter/Jacobs/James and now have some real wide receivers
4. Alex Smith has a full offseason under Harbaugh, might surprise some people again
5. We play in the NFC West

Rams

1. We have a new head coach with experince
2. Bradford should be fit for the start of the season
3. Surely we can't get any worse
4. Defence hopefully have learned how to tackle

adams_legend wrote:Rams

1. We have a new head coach with experince
2. Bradford should be fit for the start of the season
3. Surely we can't get any worse
4. Defence hopefully have learned how to tackle

You could descend to Jaguars level?

I'm optimistic because the regular season hasn't started yet.

Titans:

1. It looks as though Jake Locker is going to start, giving us one of the most exciting (perhaps not the most polished :p) QB's in the league.

2. Chris Johnson without the holdout crap looks like he's out to prove people wrong, he could be very scary with a chip on his shoulder.

3. Britt seems to be out of it early enough to let Kendal Wright get a very decent amount of snaps (also Nate Washington is going to have a big season imo - sneaky fantasy sleeper worth picking up).

4. A young LB team that could really push through this year and set out a marker to be one of the best in the league for years to come.

5. We're in the AFC South, so at least 4 easy wins predicted this season .

Edit 6. Just seen Amano is out for the season, surely good news to get rid of the worst center in the league!

I'm Optimistic because

1. We're the 15-1 Green Bay Packers.
2. Did you see Aaron Rodgers last year?
3. We have the best receivers in the league.
4. Nick Perry should take some of the heat off Clay Matthews and allow him to get to the QB.
5. I'm not sure it is possible to concede so many yards so often in consecutive years

Let me fix this for you

crazy_dave23 wrote:I'm Optimistic because

1. We're the 15-1 one and done Green Bay Packers.
2. Did you see Aaron Rodgers last year?
3. We have the best receivers in the league.
4. Nick Perry should take some of the heat off Clay Matthews and allow him to get to the QB.
5. I'm not sure it is possible to concede so many yards so often in consecutive years

I'll be honest I'm already out of optimism for this season.

Derbyblue wrote:I'll be honest I'm already out of optimism for this season.

No negativity on this thread!

There must be something you are looking forward to? Even if it does appear your top pick is off for surgery already...

Why am I optimistic


1.Things can't get much worse than last year.

sodhat wrote:

Derbyblue wrote:I'll be honest I'm already out of optimism for this season.

No negativity on this thread!

There must be something you are looking forward to? Even if it does appear your top pick is off for surgery already...

Apologies I'll leave after this post, I would copy Thomond's choice and say it can't get worse than last year but it looks like it really can do, I guess the one benefit is eventually these consistent early picks have to be turned into something.

^ unless they all turn out to be Tim Couches :P

But yeah, there is one series reason for optimism: bearing in mind what the Rams got for flipping the no.2 pick for someone desperate for a QB, imagine the haul you'll receive for traing the no.1 pick you'll own for a team desperate for Matt Barkley?

Ah taking a USC QB in the first round, it always works out well.........

Take Tyler Wilson

Thomond wrote:Ah taking a USC QB in the first round, it always works out well.........

Take Tyler Wilson

Hey, name one time that didn't work out.

Except Mark Sanchez.
And Matt Leinart.
And Carson Palmer.




And Todd Marionvich.

Then again... bearing mind that fantastic track record - doesn't seem like a USC first-round QB is the perfect pick of such a snakebitten franchise?

Palmer was decent for a while to be fair it was the drama in Cincy which led to his demise there. Matt Cassel is arguably the best after that and he wasn't first round.

well, if by "drama" you mean "had his knee completely destroyed". but it's still a USC QB who never lived up to the billing, even if it was for injury reasons rather than sucking reasons

I mean more for the whole "won't play trade me thing" that qualifies as drama

As a Vikings fan, not optimistic about this season at all Best hope is going 8-8. However we do still have Jared Allen(If I was him I'd ask for a trade)

No offence but 8-8 is probably as optimistic as it gets for the Vikes!

I'm being very optimistic with 8-8! Why did I choose to support the Vikings

Supporting the best teams is boring, glory hunters annoy me personally. Bucs will be around 7-9 or so but sure it doesn't matter can't get much worse for them than last year.

Thomond wrote:Supporting the best teams is boring, glory hunters annoy me personally. Bucs will be around 7-9 or so but sure it doesn't matter can't get much worse for them than last year.

While I agree glory hunters are annoying, supporting a best team (ie. Pats like I do) you have to enjoy the good times. Because there will be bad times further down the road, and tough seasons, so I gotta enjoy it while it lasts

But when you start supporting a team in a new sport(for you) you usually support one of the best teams- the Vikings were good two years back and now they're not but that's the NFL for you;and I like it. The best teams aren't the best forever which is good

Well I support the Bucs as I have ties to the area, but if it wasn't them it probably would have been the Chiefs like them a lot.


You can enjoy perrenial success in the NFL (Steelers probably the closes to be ing good year in year out for a long time) but it's hard to achieve.

I don't really mind tbh, I'm more of an NFL fan than a Vikings fan

Redskins fan. Reasons to be optimistic:-

1. RG3
2. RG3 is not Rex Grossman
3. RG3 is not John Beck
4. RG3 is not Jason Campbell
5. RG3 is not Mark Brunell
6. RG3 is not Shane Matthews
7. RG3 is not Danny Wuerfel
8. RG3 is not Tony Banks or Patrick Ramsey or Jeff George or any of the other myriad of awful QBs that have played for us over the last 20 years!!!

Number-25 wrote:Redskins fan. Reasons to be optimistic:-

1. RG3
2. RG3 is not Rex Grossman
3. RG3 is not John Beck
4. RG3 is not Jason Campbell
5. RG3 is not Mark Brunell
6. RG3 is not Shane Matthews
7. RG3 is not Danny Wuerfel
8. RG3 is not Tony Banks or Patrick Ramsey or Jeff George or any of the other myriad of awful QBs that have played for us over the last 20 years!!!

RG3 played three series. Slow your roll. I'm also pretty concerned with the Redskins OL, the outside zone run game needs absolutely solid line play, and were struggling to get it done early on.

If I were a Skins fan, the front seven o nD would definitely be my no.1 reason to be optimistic.

Oh don't you worry GurTPL, I've been around the NFL block long enough to know that one, or even several, nice showings in preseason don't mean much. This thread is about optimism though, not realism. Fact is, us Redskins fans have been feeling optimistic about RG3 from the second we drafted him. His college career and outstanding skillset alone demand that optimism. My point is that when you've had the litany of awful QBs that we have, then you'd have to he made of stone not to feel excited about RG3.

As for our defensive front 7, you're right, it's looking like it could be very good but it was good last season too and we only won 6 games. RG3 and an improved offense are what will turn us into a team that can contend....... if we can pull it all together.

I wonder if this guy is optimistic for the Browns season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBDMMVctu8

Number-25 wrote:My point is that when you've had the litany of awful QBs that we have, then you'd have to he made of stone not to feel excited about RG3.

Well, as a Bucs fan, I had to take a little offense on behalf of Brad Johnson :P

MockingJay33 wrote:I wonder if this guy is optimistic for the Browns season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRBDMMVctu8

Factory of Sadness will be back this year I think...

To think we could have traded up and had RGIII... He had a lucky escape.

GurTPL wrote:

Number-25 wrote:My point is that when you've had the litany of awful QBs that we have, then you'd have to he made of stone not to feel excited about RG3.

Well, as a Bucs fan, I had to take a little offense on behalf of Brad Johnson :P

Haha! Yeah, Brad Johnson only adds to the QB pain that we have suffered down the years - he was the one quality guy we've had in that time and what did we do? We chased him away and replaced him Jeff George. Jeff freakin George!!!!!!

Johnson was decent, wasn't great like. As of now probably the best the Bucs have had but that says more about the Bucs than anything. Doug Williams a close 2nd.

As a Saints fan, I'm optimistic to be playing again after the terrible off season, and how the team responds to a new coach's ideas, oh and we have Drew Brees.

Plus all the replays of tackles made by the Saints, checking that nothing dodgy went on.