Last year I successfully picked the Packers in the preseason as my Super Bowl Champions. This year I hope to flex my sports muscle again and pick the team that will win it all. Here goes nothing.
AFC
Division Champs:
North: Steelers
South: Texans
East: Patriots
West: Chargers
-In the North, the Steelers look poised to dominate. I have been picking the Ravens for years, and every time I do, they fall short of my expectations. This year they look worse than they did last year, having gained little and only gotten older. That is exactly the same case with the Steelers. The Steelers are a team who know how to win. They shock me year after year. Their luck has to run out eventually, and it did last season, when they actually came up short in the big game for the first time in three attempts and only the second time in their franchise history, despite their trophy case filled with six Lombardis. They will win this division, but I'm not sure how I feel about their ability to go all the way this year. The Bengals are in shambles, having lost their franchise QB, their two stud WRs, and one of the better CBs in the league. Look for them to be near the top of the race for Andrew Luck. They will look like the Panthers of this past season, who drafted Clausen in the 2nd round and then took Cam Newton first overall the next year. Dalton has a lot to prove to try to win enough games to maintain both his own status as "Bengals QB of the future" and also to keep his team above dead last so Mike Brown isn't tempted to take Luck. The Browns are actually a little scary; they have a good RB in Peyton Hillis, a QB with a lot of promise in Colt McCoy, and a new head coach who knows how to win. They won't be a major factor this year, but the Ravens and Steelers are only getting older, and the Browns might be a force to be reckoned with in 2012 and beyond.
-Much like the Ravens, I have been picking the Texans for at least two years. That has bitten me in the rear. They started last season strong, then hit the brakes hard. However, amid reports that Peyton Manning might need a third surgery and may miss significant time this season, the division is now up for grabs. The Titans are slightly in position to take it, now that Matt Hasselbeck has made his way out of Seattle and into Tennessee. But the Titans just don't have enough to match up against the Texans. The Colts are nothing without Peyton, and I am going to predict that even if he just misses two to four weeks, they will not win the division, and probably won't make the playoffs. The Texans added necessary parts, such as Wade Phillips at Defensive Coordinator, and Jonathan Joseph at CB. Wade's new 3-4 defense, with Mario Williams moving from DE to OLB, looked sharp this preseason. The offense remains one of the most explosive and intriguing in the entire NFL, with Schaub under center and Andre Johnson and Arian Foster being two of the top players at their position. However, look for Arian Foster to have less of a fantastic year; he lost his fantastic lead blocker, FB Vonta Leach, to the Ravens in free agency.
-The Patriots looked so good last year that I couldn't believe they lost in the playoffs, period. Steelers fans should be thankful that the Jets made their path to the Super Bowl a lot easier than it would have been; everyone knows the Steelers always blow it against the Patriots, even in years when the Pats aren't incredible in all aspects of the game. The only real thing the Patriots don't have going for them is a go-to RB, but that works incredibly well with their pass-first system and is basically a non-factor anyway. Their defense is a little bit scant in some areas as well, but they must know what they are doing if they decided to cut Pro Bowler (and notorious headhunter) Brandon Meriweather. They have added depth at WR (enough so to cut Brandon Tate) and took a chance, and a good one at that, on Albert Haynesworth at DT. I don't see them making the same mistakes in the playoffs as they did last year. As for the rest of the division, the Jets' loud-mouth head coach Rex Ryan claims "this is the best team I have had as a head coach." Well, Rex, you have been a head coach for two full seasons, so that can't be that hard. And considering the fact that your fashion model QB (see GQ, summer 2011) has only gone backwards in productivity and your RBs are little more than old legends out of gas and young gambles gone wrong, I'd say that your offense isn't quite where it needs to be to win the big one. Don't get me wrong, I am high on Holmes and Burress, and Mason was a great addition at WR, but when you had a younger yet still more proven set of WRs last year, you didn't win it all. Good luck congratulating all two other members of Revis Island (Mayor Bloomberg and Mr. Revis himself) on that shiny Defensive Player of the Year award, but I'm gonna say it'll be hard to break the news to them that you have failed to even make the AFC Championship, let alone lose it for a third consecutive year.
Now that I have gotten that out of my system, let's recognize that the Bills are making the right moves but still headed nowhere. Releasing players that are total busts is a great thing to do. Sticking with Fitzgerald at QB was great, for now. Losing the underproductive Lee Evans was great; he was a great WR in a terrible situation. Your WRs look great now too. However, there are still major flaws in just about every spot on the depth chart. My heart wants you to win games, Buffalo, but you are going to need Tom Brady to retire and Revis to take money elsewhere to get back in the playoff hunt. The Dolphins are always one of those "which side of the middle ground will they be on this year?" teams. Honestly, it doesn't matter. Point is, they are going to miss the playoffs. They should have tried harder for Kyle Orton or a different QB. I admire them for sticking with Henne though; he had a great preseason. However, when making decisions, I tend to base them on LAST year's performance, and not the performance of the upcoming preseason that I haven't witnessed yet. Good try though. Your franchise has less changes to make than the Bills to become relevant, but I don't think that time is near enough yet to matter, other than to upset a few big teams in the regular season.
-The West is filled with mediocrity. It's hard to look the Chargers in the eye and tell them that they are not going to win the division. With Rivers under center and Vincent Jackson back and ready to wreck defenses and opposing fantasy teams, this team looks good. I don't like their RB system only because I feel like they don't know who they like more. Tolbert and Mathews are both great, but I wish they would use one as a game-breaker and the other as the 3/4ths of the time guy. When used properly, they could have something great going on. But I don't think that they are prepared to have that great thing just yet. Their defense is always pretty good, and it might take a step down this year, but you don't need a stellar defense in the AFC West. The Chiefs had a great season last year, and the reality is that perhaps they should have that again. Their running game can only get better after adding FB galore Le'Ron McClain, but they really need to use Jamaal Charles more. They could drive defenses insane with a mix of power with McClain and Jones and speed and shiftiness with Charles and McCluster. I just don't really like Todd Haley as a head coach. He is doing it wrong, somewhere. I like the addition of Steve Breaston, and their defense has quite a few standouts, but I just feel like Haley is the reason they will blow it. The Broncos shouldn't have been quite as bad as they were last year, but their season was a total failure. Von Miller is going to be amazing for them, but they didn't do enough in the offseason to be considered a threat at all. And the Raiders are back to being the Dolphins of the West: which side of the NFL will they be on, the upper half or the lower half? Don't matter, they are going to finish right in the middle of the pack.
Wild Cards:
Ravens
Jets
-Although this may depend on when Manning comes back, these are the easy choices to make, basically because these are teams ready to win, but with great teams in their division. The Chiefs should be on the radar, but the Ravens and Jets are built to win now, at least enough to make it to the playoffs as wild cards then bite the inevitable "we aren't good enough to hang" bullet.
NFC
Division Champs:
North: Packers
South: Falcons
East: Eagles
West: Rams
-The Packers play in a good division. They also made it to the Super Bowl last year with 15 players on IR. They know what they are doing. They have a good competition going in the backfield, with James Starks pushing Ryan Grant. That will help their overall productivity. The don't need to run the ball very often anyway, because their passing game is still led by superstar QB Aaron Rodgers. Their WRs haven't changed, and their defense remains solid enough to more than support the offense. The will need to prove themselves early in division play though, because everyone else has a reason to beat them, and all three teams have the potential to do it. I like the Bears a whole lot. Matt Forte is incredible, but he isn't an every-down back. Marion Barber is exactly what they needed. He runs hard and plays physical and will give a dimension to their ground game that was desperately needed. Roy Williams playing in Mike Martz's offense again is a real threat, and with Johnny Knox only getting better, the only real question in their passing game is whether or not Jay Cutler can stay accurate. I'm pretty sure even I can get through a game at QB without throwing four interceptions to the same player. Especially when that player is DeAngelo Hall. The best part about the Bears remains their Urlacher-led defense. They are built to play in all situations and will be the biggest factor in whether or not they win. The Lions are such a great team. Their potential is through the roof. If Stafford stays healthy, I see them as a wild-card team. Their offense is filled with young, incredible talent, and their defense is filled with both young studs (Whaddup Ndamukong Suh) to underrated veterans such as Steven Tulloch and Kyle Vanden Bosch, both Tennessee LB outcasts. The real loser in this division is the Vikings, who are missing both Williamses in the first two weeks and really have very little going for them other than Adrian Peterson. Donovan McNabb might end up being a great stopgap before Christian Ponder needs to step up to the plate, but losing Sidney Rice was terrible for them. Their defense still looks alright on the surface, but needs to mesh together like they did two seasons ago in order for them to slow the great offenses in their division.
-The South looks great. All of the teams that aren't located in North Carolina are in the playoff hunt. A lot of people have been picking the Saints to go to and/or win the Super Bowl. I don't really see that happening. They have a great team. But the Falcons seem better to me. Adding Julio Jones was by far the best moment of the draft, and it was also the right thing for that team to do. Giving the team a fantastic receiving threat opposite superstar Roddy White was essential this offseason. It will be hard for people to cover White, Jones, future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, and speedster Harry Douglas all at the same time. Oh yeah, while trying to worry about carrying machine Michael Turner at the same time. Matt Ryan goes to bed every night with a smile on his face. The Falcons still have a solid defense on their side, and a reliable kicker in Matt Bryant. The NFC may go through Atlanta this year. Another team that has incredible potential is Tampa Bay. It will be tough for them to win games against the Saints, who still have Drew Brees and a plethora of receiving threats and great RBs. The Tampa defense is their weak spot, mainly because they play against such amazing offenses. But Josh Freeman is a superstar in the making. He can run, he can pass, he can lead. My feel-good player of the year is definitely Josh Freeman. His team also has LeGarrette Blount and Earnest Graham in the backfield and a great corps of young WRs for Freeman to throw to. Having Kellen Winslow at TE helps a lot too. Their offense does not need work. Their defense is above average. If they played in the NFC West, they would be going 6-0 in the division. Unfortunately for them, they don't, and must ward off great teams and will struggle to survive. As for the Panthers, Cam Newton will be fun to watch develop in the NFL. I feel bad for Steve Smith, but at least he made money throughout his career. If I was a Carolina fan, I would sit around in my tear-stained Julius Peppers jersey all day while crying and remembering better days.
-The NFC East. Home of my Eagles. You know I'm gonna tell you that they are fantastic. They added the right pieces on defense; it will be hard to pass against Nnamdi Asomugha AND Asante Samuel AND Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. However, their defense is young at LB and safety, which might be a little rough if they can't buckle it down. Their defensive line looks great though, having added D-line coach Jim Washburn and great linemen Cullen Jenkins and Jason Babin. Their offense would be ridiculous if there wasn't a huge question mark at O-line. With a great offensive line, they would be perhaps one of the best offenses in recent years. Their WR depth is great; deep threat Desean Jackson, go-to guy Jeremy Maclin, Pro Bowler Steve Smith, third-down man Jason Avant. Their running backs look great as Shady McCoy has that big-play ability on every down, Ronnie Brown will step in and pound the ball, and Dion Lewis is a great guy to come in and give Shady a breather. Brent Celek remains one of the better receiving tight ends in the league. And in case you are worried about fantasy maniac Michael Vick getting hurt any time soon, don't be, because the quarterback with the highest passer rating in 2010 is backing Vick up. This team WILL win the division. The Giants look like a nice second-place team, although the Cowboys might have something to say about it. The Cowboys don't have enough depth at RB in my opinion, nor is their defense getting any better. Their biggest threat is their passing game, and with Romo at QB, it's mediocre. The Giants will miss Umenyiora for as long as he is out, and losing Kevin Boss was terrible. Steve Smith jumping ship for their division rival didn't help either. They will have a lot to prove if they want to make it to the playoffs. As for the Redskins, they will be in a tight race with the Bengals to win the rights to Andrew Luck. They don't have a lot going on for them. Their RBs are all half-decent. Their QB situation is ugly. Their defense is probably better without Haynesworth, but still either old or sub-par. They don't have hope in 2011.
-The NFC West is a craphole. The Seattle Seahawks actually managed to make it to the playoffs with a losing record. This year will be different for two reasons: The Rams will do slightly better, allowing them to take their mediocrity into the playoffs, and the Cardinals now have Kevin Kolb, a man with a losing record as a starter but who isn't named Anderson or Skelton. The Cardinals defense is abysmal, however, and will likely get burnt even by Tarvaris Jackson and the Seahawks. The Rams only have to suffer through getting obliterated by the AFC North in order to win almost all of their division games and skate into the playoffs. I do want to add, however, that the 49ers have slight potential under Jim Harbaugh. He might be able to spark Alex Smith enough to win games. Frank Gore is a great running back, Braylon Edwards was a nice pickup, and they still have a defense led by Patrick Willis. Their defense is somewhat underrated. Watch out for them, as only a few things need to happen for THEM to be the 7-9 team to make the playoffs in 2011.
Wild Cards:
Saints
Lions
Yeah, I know. There's a lot of other teams I could pick here. It would be easy to say the Bears are going, or the Bucs, or even the Giants. But I honestly believe that Stafford will easily lead the Lions into a wild-card spot if he stays healthy. The NFL is not ready for a healthy Stafford. No one truly realizes what he can do, what that team can do. They will find a way to sneak into the playoffs. The Saints are one of those definite picks. Easy choice. But the Saints need to watch out for teams such as the Lions, as I feel like the Saints are high on themselves and might screw it up again this year, just like they did last year against the worst team to ever make the playoffs.
2011 Playoff Picture
NFC Championship: Falcons over Saints
AFC Championship: Patriots over Steelers
Super Bowl XLVI: Patriots over Falcons
-The more I simply look into football, the more respect I have for Belichick, other than the fact that he is a cheating pile of crap. But he knows how to get it done even without Spygate, which is why I don't hold that against him as much as I should. It would hurt me to see the Patriots win the Super Bowl, but they have a team ready to do it. However, the rest of the AFC looks ready to lose hard against the NFC in the Super Bowl, so if the Pats somehow blow it, I can see the Falcons or really any of the NFC playoff teams winning it. It should be a great year, and I can't wait to see how it kicks off tomorrow night in what should be a great match-up.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Andrew Luck Sticks With Stanford
Today the expected first overall pick of the NFL Draft declared that he would stay with his college team for another year. Andrew Luck was the clear front-runner in the race to be No. 1 overall this April, and the Panthers had been ready to take him and allow him to (hopefully) turn the team around, much like 2010's first overall, Sam Bradford, did in St. Louis.
Perhaps Luck decided he did not wish to play for the Carolina Panthers. I don't blame him, considering the sorry state of the team and the extremely low level of talent at virtually every position. I think that this is possibly the only conclusion to why he would forgo his entrance to the league and thereby his entrance to the world of the rich. It would make more sense for him to announce this with his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, signed and ready to go for another year. But with Harbaugh looking likely to be anywhere but Stanford next season, Luck probably just announced this to avoid becoming a Panther.
At least, that is my take. The question is, who do the Panthers go with now? Although the draft will be deep with talent at the QB position, the quarterback other than Luck with the potential to go No. 1 overall is Missouri's Blaine Gabbert. He may be a little rougher around the edges than Luck would have been, but he still has the potential to become a great QB in the NFL. But with the Panthers using a second-round pick on Jimmy Clausen last year, it's somewhat unlikely that they will take Gabbert, as he isn't as clear of a first overall pick than Luck. Especially considering the Panthers don't have a second rounder this year. So they had better choose wisely.
My thought is that perhaps they could trade the first pick and end up with a nice first rounder and a second rounder. That would help improve the team more than one player will.
A lot of people figure that they will take Georgia WR A.J. Green. Green is one of the most talented WRs to play the game at the college level in a while. Jimmy Clausen would sure look a lot better throwing to Steve Smith and A.J. Green.
Perhaps Luck decided he did not wish to play for the Carolina Panthers. I don't blame him, considering the sorry state of the team and the extremely low level of talent at virtually every position. I think that this is possibly the only conclusion to why he would forgo his entrance to the league and thereby his entrance to the world of the rich. It would make more sense for him to announce this with his college coach, Jim Harbaugh, signed and ready to go for another year. But with Harbaugh looking likely to be anywhere but Stanford next season, Luck probably just announced this to avoid becoming a Panther.
At least, that is my take. The question is, who do the Panthers go with now? Although the draft will be deep with talent at the QB position, the quarterback other than Luck with the potential to go No. 1 overall is Missouri's Blaine Gabbert. He may be a little rougher around the edges than Luck would have been, but he still has the potential to become a great QB in the NFL. But with the Panthers using a second-round pick on Jimmy Clausen last year, it's somewhat unlikely that they will take Gabbert, as he isn't as clear of a first overall pick than Luck. Especially considering the Panthers don't have a second rounder this year. So they had better choose wisely.
My thought is that perhaps they could trade the first pick and end up with a nice first rounder and a second rounder. That would help improve the team more than one player will.
A lot of people figure that they will take Georgia WR A.J. Green. Green is one of the most talented WRs to play the game at the college level in a while. Jimmy Clausen would sure look a lot better throwing to Steve Smith and A.J. Green.
Vince Young is Out in Tennessee
For those of you who haven't followed the Titans' situation, the crux of the story is that quarterback Vince Young and head coach Jeff Fisher have not been able to coexist. Fisher has benched Young on multiple occasions, often choosing the ancient (by everyone's standards except Brett Favre, Vinny Testaverde, and kickers and punters) journeyman quarterback Kerry Collins over Young. Young is psychologically unstable, with emotional issues and even borderline depression. He gets upset when things are not perfect, and he is no Tom Brady, so things tend to be everything but perfect for Young.
Needless to say, this led to multiple confrontations with Fisher about Young's performance and off-the-field issues. It got to the point where Fisher ended Vince's 2010 season by publicly berating him and placing him on injured reserve.
Given that Fisher's contract has a clause that allows him to choose his quarterback (probably a very good clause for a head coach to have in his contract), Titans owner Bud Adams had to choose whether he thought the organization was better off with Fisher or with Young. Today, Adams chose Fisher.
Well, sort of.
Adams announced that Young would not return to the Titans' roster for the upcoming season. He has said that he is still evaluating Fisher as a coach before making his decision on that subject. But all indications are that Fisher will return in 2011.
This leads to questions. The two most prominent questions are who will be the Titans' QB next year, and which team will end up with Vince Young?
Vince Young could certainly find a job as a starter in the NFL. There are a great number of teams with QB issues, as there always are. Part of me thinks he might end up in Minnesota, as he is a much better option than Tarvaris Jackson. But Joe Webb had a promising finish to 2010, so he may be tagged as the man for the Vikings.
If you ask me, the Titans will make a play for Denver QB Kyle Orton, who is looking closer and closer to being on a flight out of Denver. Orton has made a career out of throwing to nameless receivers, and he's done a great job at it. With WR Kenny Britt on the rise in Tennessee, a QB like Orton will lead to great numbers in the passing game for Tennessee. That will also open the running game for the Titans. Which is a scary thought, considering their RB is Chris Johnson, the man who runs 80% of Usain Bolt's world record speed... with full pads and uniform on.
Needless to say, this led to multiple confrontations with Fisher about Young's performance and off-the-field issues. It got to the point where Fisher ended Vince's 2010 season by publicly berating him and placing him on injured reserve.
Given that Fisher's contract has a clause that allows him to choose his quarterback (probably a very good clause for a head coach to have in his contract), Titans owner Bud Adams had to choose whether he thought the organization was better off with Fisher or with Young. Today, Adams chose Fisher.
Well, sort of.
Adams announced that Young would not return to the Titans' roster for the upcoming season. He has said that he is still evaluating Fisher as a coach before making his decision on that subject. But all indications are that Fisher will return in 2011.
This leads to questions. The two most prominent questions are who will be the Titans' QB next year, and which team will end up with Vince Young?
Vince Young could certainly find a job as a starter in the NFL. There are a great number of teams with QB issues, as there always are. Part of me thinks he might end up in Minnesota, as he is a much better option than Tarvaris Jackson. But Joe Webb had a promising finish to 2010, so he may be tagged as the man for the Vikings.
If you ask me, the Titans will make a play for Denver QB Kyle Orton, who is looking closer and closer to being on a flight out of Denver. Orton has made a career out of throwing to nameless receivers, and he's done a great job at it. With WR Kenny Britt on the rise in Tennessee, a QB like Orton will lead to great numbers in the passing game for Tennessee. That will also open the running game for the Titans. Which is a scary thought, considering their RB is Chris Johnson, the man who runs 80% of Usain Bolt's world record speed... with full pads and uniform on.
Big Ben is Engaged
Yep. That's right. The accused sex offender got engaged over the holidays to a girl who graduated from Laurel High School in 2004. I don't know much else to say about this, other than let's see how this goes. It could be very fun to sit back and watch it all play out. Let's hope he doesn't mess this up.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
About the Saints
Yesterday I posted my thoughts on how the playoffs will play out. I'm not gonna revise those predictions, but the Saints have suffered two huge blows to their backfield that will probably greatly affect their ability to run the football, thus changing their chances to go to the Super Bowl.
Today the Saints placed their best rusher on injured reserve. Pierre Thomas sat out Week 17 and missed a large part of the season due to injury. He follows the path of talented rookie RB Chris Ivory, who was placed on injured reserve by the Saints yesterday. For those of you who are keeping track, the only "running back" of significance left on the Saints' roster is Reggie Bush.
I think this will have an impact on their ability to go deep into the playoffs. This is terrible for everyone but Patriots' fans (at least following my perspective) because I thought the Saints had the best chance to stop the Patriots from winning another Lombardi.
But for those Eagles fans out there, keep in mind I had them losing to the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. So this makes things brighter for the Eagles and the rest of the NFC teams.
Today the Saints placed their best rusher on injured reserve. Pierre Thomas sat out Week 17 and missed a large part of the season due to injury. He follows the path of talented rookie RB Chris Ivory, who was placed on injured reserve by the Saints yesterday. For those of you who are keeping track, the only "running back" of significance left on the Saints' roster is Reggie Bush.
I think this will have an impact on their ability to go deep into the playoffs. This is terrible for everyone but Patriots' fans (at least following my perspective) because I thought the Saints had the best chance to stop the Patriots from winning another Lombardi.
But for those Eagles fans out there, keep in mind I had them losing to the Saints in the NFC Championship Game. So this makes things brighter for the Eagles and the rest of the NFC teams.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Rich Rodriguez fired
After just three seasons at the University of Michigan, RichRod has been fired as the head coach of the school's football program. Despite having his best season yet, his team still underperformed, having a terrible defense and still barely scraping up a winning record, ending the season at 7-6. Rodriguez had one of the best players in the nation in Denard Robinson, but he failed to produce a better-than-average supporting cast for Robinson, and pretty soon opposing teams knew they could tear up the Michigan defense and knew they just had to slow Robinson to shut down the offense.
The nail was probably slammed into Rodriguez's coffin when his team suffered through a 38-point loss in the Gator Bowl, losing to Mississippi State, 52-14. The loss was an unnecessary and disappointing game for the fans of college football's winningest program.
Rodriguez finished his three years at Michigan with a record of 15-22. This is very disappointing for a coach who nearly made it to the national championship game with West Virginia and who fled after a head coaching record of 60-26 in Morgantown.
The nail was probably slammed into Rodriguez's coffin when his team suffered through a 38-point loss in the Gator Bowl, losing to Mississippi State, 52-14. The loss was an unnecessary and disappointing game for the fans of college football's winningest program.
Rodriguez finished his three years at Michigan with a record of 15-22. This is very disappointing for a coach who nearly made it to the national championship game with West Virginia and who fled after a head coaching record of 60-26 in Morgantown.
Playoffs and Predictions
The playoffs will begin this weekend! How exciting. Wild card weekend will be interesting, with games such as 7-9 Seattle hosting the 11-5 defending champion Saints as well as the AFC Championship Game rematch between the Colts and Jets. For those of you who are not yet fully aware of the playoff teams and their seeds, here they are.
AFC:
1) New England Patriots
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
3) Indianapolis Colts
4) Kansas City Chiefs
5) Baltimore Ravens
6) New York Jets
Four 2009 AFC playoff teams return, joined by the Steelers and Chiefs. Congratulations is in order for the Chiefs seizing their division out of the blue.
NFC:
1) Atlanta Falcons
2) Chicago Bears
3) Philadelphia Eagles
4) Seattle Seahawks
5) New Orleans Saints
6) Green Bay Packers
It almost seems as if the gist of the NFC playoffs is "which one of these teams can be the Pats in the Super Bowl?" The answer is, most likely, the Saints.
Now, I am not one to say "this is GOING to happen." We all know anything can happen in sports. But it is pretty freakin' hard not to just say "The Patriots are winning it this year." They are well ahead of the rest of the AFC, and for some reason, the best teams in the NFC just seem to each have a weak point that will be their downfall.
That being said, here is how I see it all playing out:
Wild Card Weekend:
Jets (6) over Colts (3)
Ravens (5) over Chiefs (4)
Eagles (3) over Packers (6)
Saints (5) over Seahawks (4)
Divisional Round:
Patriots (1) over Jets (6)
Steelers (2) over Ravens (5)
Eagles (3) over Bears (2)
Saints (5) over Falcons (1)
Championship Round:
Patriots (1) over Steelers (2)
Saints (5) over Eagles (3)
Super Bowl XLV:
Patriots over Saints
The AFC is a lot easier to predict than the NFC. It's almost as though anything can happen in the NFC. The Packers are hot, and could easily make it to the Championship Round or even the Super Bowl. If the Eagles can fix their offensive line problems and deal with their young, injury-plagued defense, they can return to being a legitimate threat for the Lombardi. The Bears and Falcons have potential, as they have sealed byes. But much like the 2006, Super Bowl-appearing Bears, these current Bears rely on a boom-or-bust QB. If Cutler continues his hot streak, they will roll because their defense is one of the best. But if he throws four picks to Asante Samuel like he did to DeAngelo Hall this year, the Bears will once again wonder if Cutler was the right move for them (especially considering Orton's incredible year for less-than-mediocre Denver).
The games to watch this weekend are the Ravens-Chiefs and Eagles-Packers games. It may sound crazy, but if the Ravens or Chiefs manage to win the game and stay healthy, I think they might be able to compete against New England. Something tells me that the Pats will practice poorly and expect to roll their opponent, and the Ravens and Chiefs both have the underdog potential to enter that game and surprise everyone. I think the Chiefs have a better chance against the Pats than the Ravens do (yeah, I said it). You gotta figure that the Patriots are scoring on any defense. So the Ravens biggest aid, their D, becomes invalid against the Patriots. The Chiefs are better on offense than on defense; Matt Cassel will look to prove himself against his former team. Dwayne Bowe is one fire and could easily tear up the Patriots' secondary. And Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are a great one-two punch that nicely accompanies Cassel and the passing offense. So I'm rooting for the Chiefs on this one.
The Packers could easily enter their game this weekend and upset the Eagles. I expect them to put up some points against the Eagles. But it's pretty easy to see that the Eagles won't have to worry about a running game from the Pack and they can use that to their advantage. I expect a large number of Philly's signature blitz packages to shake up Rodgers and make him use all of his receivers. If Vick is entirely healthy, he can take apart the Packers' D. But Shady McCoy needs to get rolling and aid the passing game. He has been shifty and speedy this year, often breaking off large runs. If he can get the ball in his hands and do some damage with it, the Pack won't be able to handle the dual threat presented by Vick on top of Shady.
The Saints are finally healthy (enough) this year and look better than even the consistently healthy Falcons. The Saints were a non-factor early in the season, flying under the radar despite being the defending champs. But now that they have Reggie Bush back, they can make a statement in the playoffs. They aren't as great as they were last season, but they look ready to take the NFC throne once again. Brees just needs to play smart and avoid the interceptions that have plagued him of late. They are perhaps the most complete team in the league outside of the Patriots and can count on another Super Bowl berth if their play their cards right.
There it is. We will see how it all actually plays out, but this is how I see it happening. I hope I'm wrong, but it would be amazing if I got each game correct. Let's just sit back and watch.
Getcha popcorn ready.
AFC:
1) New England Patriots
2) Pittsburgh Steelers
3) Indianapolis Colts
4) Kansas City Chiefs
5) Baltimore Ravens
6) New York Jets
Four 2009 AFC playoff teams return, joined by the Steelers and Chiefs. Congratulations is in order for the Chiefs seizing their division out of the blue.
NFC:
1) Atlanta Falcons
2) Chicago Bears
3) Philadelphia Eagles
4) Seattle Seahawks
5) New Orleans Saints
6) Green Bay Packers
It almost seems as if the gist of the NFC playoffs is "which one of these teams can be the Pats in the Super Bowl?" The answer is, most likely, the Saints.
Now, I am not one to say "this is GOING to happen." We all know anything can happen in sports. But it is pretty freakin' hard not to just say "The Patriots are winning it this year." They are well ahead of the rest of the AFC, and for some reason, the best teams in the NFC just seem to each have a weak point that will be their downfall.
That being said, here is how I see it all playing out:
Wild Card Weekend:
Jets (6) over Colts (3)
Ravens (5) over Chiefs (4)
Eagles (3) over Packers (6)
Saints (5) over Seahawks (4)
Divisional Round:
Patriots (1) over Jets (6)
Steelers (2) over Ravens (5)
Eagles (3) over Bears (2)
Saints (5) over Falcons (1)
Championship Round:
Patriots (1) over Steelers (2)
Saints (5) over Eagles (3)
Super Bowl XLV:
Patriots over Saints
The AFC is a lot easier to predict than the NFC. It's almost as though anything can happen in the NFC. The Packers are hot, and could easily make it to the Championship Round or even the Super Bowl. If the Eagles can fix their offensive line problems and deal with their young, injury-plagued defense, they can return to being a legitimate threat for the Lombardi. The Bears and Falcons have potential, as they have sealed byes. But much like the 2006, Super Bowl-appearing Bears, these current Bears rely on a boom-or-bust QB. If Cutler continues his hot streak, they will roll because their defense is one of the best. But if he throws four picks to Asante Samuel like he did to DeAngelo Hall this year, the Bears will once again wonder if Cutler was the right move for them (especially considering Orton's incredible year for less-than-mediocre Denver).
The games to watch this weekend are the Ravens-Chiefs and Eagles-Packers games. It may sound crazy, but if the Ravens or Chiefs manage to win the game and stay healthy, I think they might be able to compete against New England. Something tells me that the Pats will practice poorly and expect to roll their opponent, and the Ravens and Chiefs both have the underdog potential to enter that game and surprise everyone. I think the Chiefs have a better chance against the Pats than the Ravens do (yeah, I said it). You gotta figure that the Patriots are scoring on any defense. So the Ravens biggest aid, their D, becomes invalid against the Patriots. The Chiefs are better on offense than on defense; Matt Cassel will look to prove himself against his former team. Dwayne Bowe is one fire and could easily tear up the Patriots' secondary. And Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones are a great one-two punch that nicely accompanies Cassel and the passing offense. So I'm rooting for the Chiefs on this one.
The Packers could easily enter their game this weekend and upset the Eagles. I expect them to put up some points against the Eagles. But it's pretty easy to see that the Eagles won't have to worry about a running game from the Pack and they can use that to their advantage. I expect a large number of Philly's signature blitz packages to shake up Rodgers and make him use all of his receivers. If Vick is entirely healthy, he can take apart the Packers' D. But Shady McCoy needs to get rolling and aid the passing game. He has been shifty and speedy this year, often breaking off large runs. If he can get the ball in his hands and do some damage with it, the Pack won't be able to handle the dual threat presented by Vick on top of Shady.
The Saints are finally healthy (enough) this year and look better than even the consistently healthy Falcons. The Saints were a non-factor early in the season, flying under the radar despite being the defending champs. But now that they have Reggie Bush back, they can make a statement in the playoffs. They aren't as great as they were last season, but they look ready to take the NFC throne once again. Brees just needs to play smart and avoid the interceptions that have plagued him of late. They are perhaps the most complete team in the league outside of the Patriots and can count on another Super Bowl berth if their play their cards right.
There it is. We will see how it all actually plays out, but this is how I see it happening. I hope I'm wrong, but it would be amazing if I got each game correct. Let's just sit back and watch.
Getcha popcorn ready.
Week 17 just ended; 60% prediction rate
With the regular season wrapped up, I can inform you I finished the season with a 60% on my weekly game predictions. That kind of sucks, in my eyes, but when you consider a lot of coaches finish worse than .500 in winning percentage throughout their careers, I'll take it. It was my first year of trying to guess every game, so 60% isn't all that bad. I will look forward to improving next year.
Sorry
It's been a long time since I have posted. I would like to ask for forgiveness from all of you. School and other things got the best of me and the blog got the boot. But not for the time being. I'll start now and see how busy I am with this upcoming semester.
I would also like to thank you all for the support I have received, both when I was blogging and after. Whether you tell me or tell others, it's nice to hear that people actually read this thing. I love posting my thoughts on sports and it's great that you all take the time to read them. Thanks a bunch.
I would also like to thank you all for the support I have received, both when I was blogging and after. Whether you tell me or tell others, it's nice to hear that people actually read this thing. I love posting my thoughts on sports and it's great that you all take the time to read them. Thanks a bunch.
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