2013, the Cowboys, and the NFL season prognos....predic...guesses

[erod]

OK, so before I wade into these murky waters, let's get a few things straight. I'm not a mathematician. I'm comfortable in my own skin, but I'm not going to add the numbers and make sure all the wins equal all the losses. Please understand and forgive my limitations in this regard. I am a simple man.

That said, I've given this some considerable thought. Here's my thoughts and predictions on the Cowboys and the 2013 NFL Season.

AFC West
Denver (11-5) - Not a great team, but a crappy division. Peyton trumps all in the West.
Kansas City (8-8) - Decent, but record is bloated because of the division.
San Diego (6-10) - Awful offensive line and defense.
Oakland (2-14) - Just putrid, this team.

AFC North
Cincinnati (11-5) - Yes, I'm buying in, but only because the division is weakening, and the conference is poor overall. These guys are talented and well-coached though.
Baltimore (10-6) - Wasn't great last year, and leaders Lewis and Reed are gone. Flacco supremely overpaid.
Pittsburgh (8-8) - The Steeler are in transition, and Roethlisberger can't save them.
Cleveland (6-10) - This is their chance to beat Pittsburgh if they can get the young-uns on the same page. But, they're still Cleveland.

AFC South
Houston (10-6) - They win it, but it'll be a struggle with Schaub yet again.
Indianapolis (8-8) - Last year was an illusion. Luck is really good, but roster is still young and not particularly talented.
Tennessee (5-11) - Not sure what the plan here is.
Jacksonville (4-12) - They lose because of the gawd awful helmets alone.

AFC East
New England (11-5) - Record bloated because of a ridiculous division.
Miami (7-9) - This is their chance to beat the Pats if they can get it together. Tannehill looks better.
Buffalo (6-10) - The roster is decent, but the quarterback situation is a mess.
NY Jets (3-13) - Nothing but a circus.

NFC West
San Fran (11-5) - Kaepernick will get knocked off his high horse, but the 49er defense will still win be strong enough to win the division. Tough division where everybody beats up everybody.
Seattle (10-6) - Much the same, Wilson will also struggle a bit his sophomore year, but the defense and power game will be too much for most.
St. Louis (9-7) - The Rams will be much improved, but suddenly, the West is too tough.
Arizona (6-10) - Nice roster, but the QB position is messy, and Palmer will wilt under the pass rush of this division as he tends to do.

NFC North
Green Bay (12-4) - Rodgers is simply the best QB in the game, and he'll roll through this division.
Detroit (10-6) - The considerable talent will finally kick in, and Reggie Bush will add what they need in the dome to get into the playoffs.
Chicago (8-8) - Lovie and Marinelli will be sorely missed, and Cutler is still Cutler.
Minnesota (5-11) - Peterson will get banged up as this team struggles with poor QB play.

NFC South
Atlanta (12-4) - Too much offense for this division and just enough defense.
New Orleans (10-6) - Also too much offense for this division, but a terrible defense. Rob Ryan will implode (if that's possible for that bloated belly). Lions edge them out for the wildcard.
Carolina (6-10) - I just don't believe in Cam Newton.
Tampa (5-11) - Shiano is losing this team already, and Freeman is regressing.

NFC East
Dallas (11-5) - The defense is improved, and the offensive weaponry is unmatched in the conference. It's all about the maturation of the offensive line.
Washington (8-8) - The RG3 magic vanishes his sophomore year, and the team returns to what it is.
New York (8-8) - Aging, predictable, and stale. The Giants look like the early 80s Cowboys.
Philadelphia (6-10) - Gadgetry gets them off to a good start, then Vick gets hurt, and Foles is a lost sheep in this offense. Defense is atrocious.

PLAYOFFS
Wildcard round
AFC - New England over Indianapolis, Baltimore shocks Houston
NFC - Seattle upsets San Fran in bloodmatch on the road, Dallas handles Detroit at home

Divisional round
AFC - Denver torches Baltimore for revenge, Cincinnati handles New England with relative ease
NFC - Dallas shocks the world by beating Green Bay in Lambeau, Atlanta repeats against Seattle

Championship
AFC - Cincinnati defense controls Peyton on a bitterly cold day
NFC - Atlanta outscores Dallas in a classic in the Peachy dome.

Super Bowl (two scenarios)
Atlanta wins its first Super Bowl, and Tony Gonzalez retires as a champion and the greatest TE of all time.
or......
In a blinding snowstorm, Cincinnati beats a more talented Atlanta team with a 27-yard knuckleball field goal in the waning seconds.

 

[Zordon]

If the Skins run game keeps chugging along than RG3 won't have a drop off. Plus their defense is getting their two best players back.

 

[erod]

If the Skins run game keeps chugging along than RG3 won't have a drop off. Plus their defense is getting their two best players back.

Perhaps, but the unknown is gone.

Don't rule out a quarterback controversy, too, which could tear that team and fan base apart. Cousins might be the better of the two.

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

Until they can prove otherwise...

My Prediction is 8-8 for the Cowboys.

 

[StarBoyz83]

Look really good and well thought out. But i dont raiders will be that bad. I dont think lions will be that good. And I think saints will be better than atlanta and make the playoffs. Plus I think colts and bears will ba a 9 or 10 win team.

 

[boysfanindc]

I don't see the Skins as a 8-8 team, they where hurt by injuries last year and still won the division. One of us is going to be 10-6 and the other 11-5, it will be a dog fight all year if both teams remain healthy.

The only other thing I see potentially hurting the skins would be the secondary, the rest of he team in solid.

 

[Beats_By_Zeke]

No way there would be a quarterback controversy with that team. RG3 is the messiah and will never be benched with that fan base

 

[erod]

Look really good and well thought out. But i dont raiders will be that bad. I dont think lions will be that good. And I think saints will be better than atlanta and make the playoffs. Plus I think colts and bears will ba a 9 or 10 win team.

Raiders are in QB hell. The Lions are really talented, and Suh is starting to really play. Bush will help them. Saints could do well, but holy moly, their defense might be the worst in the league, especially with Will Smith lost for the season. Colts are still so young, and Wayne may drop off. I don't trust Cutler to cut my yard.

But the NFL is always wildly unpredictable, especially these days.

 

[erod]

No way there would be a quarterback controversy with that team. RG3 is the messiah and will never be benched with that fan base

I was just there, and you'd be surprised. There's an undertone growing for Cousins, especially from those who don't like all of RG3's self promotion at such an early stage of his career.

 

[hornitosmonster]

Running QB's are going to get punished this year. Although the rules protect QB's they also allow running QB's to get hit. Expect the beating Balti gave to Capernick to become the norm.

 

[Idgit]

Giving you a 'like,' erod, just because I like your creative thread titles.

 

[Future]

Perhaps, but the unknown is gone.

Don't rule out a quarterback controversy, too, which could tear that team and fan base apart. Cousins might be the better of the two.

Reach of the millenium right there.

 

[erod]

Reach of the millenium right there.

The Commanders are going to flip Cousins for some serious draft picks next offseason, unless he takes over after another RG3 injury.

 

[Califan007]

I was just there, and you'd be surprised. There's an undertone growing for Cousins, especially from those who don't like all of RG3's self promotion at such an early stage of his career.

Oh please lol...you couldn't be more wrong if you tried.

At BEST, there is a segment of the fan base that wants Cousins to start because they want to be extra-extra-extra cautious about RG3's health and believe the team and Cousins are good enough to win games in Griffin's absence. Well, that is before Cousins himself got hurt lol...Right now RG3 is the healthier of the two.

 

[Future]

The Commanders are going to flip Cousins for some serious draft picks next offseason, unless he takes over after another RG3 injury.

Yea, but that doesnt mean there is a controversy....

 

[Idgit]

The Commanders are going to flip Cousins for some serious draft picks next offseason, unless he takes over after another RG3 injury.

They are. How much does it suck that they found a blue-chip QB, another potential red/blue chip QB, and a blue chip product-of-the-system RB, all in the same draft.

If Cousins nets them back some of the picks they hemorrhaged to get RGIII in the first place, it's going to tick me off. Talk about striking gold.

 

[Zman5]

Until they can prove otherwise...

My Prediction is 8-8 for the Cowboys.

+1

 

[Zordon]

Perhaps, but the unknown is gone.

Don't rule out a quarterback controversy, too, which could tear that team and fan base apart. Cousins might be the better of the two.

This is what you're depending on? Magic disappearing and a QB controversy to appear out of thin air? Yikes...I hope I'm wrong but I see enough evidence that shows the Skins are going to be a formidable foe again this year. They are every year, even when they're bad.

 

[erod]

This is what you're depending on? Magic disappearing and a QB controversy to appear out of thin air? Yikes...I hope I'm wrong but I see enough evidence that shows the Skins are going to be a formidable foe again this year. They are every year, even when they're bad.

RG wasn't that good last year. He was far behind Luck and Wilson, even before he got hurt. He struggled. He only lit it up in Dallas against Ryan and our misfit toys.

 

[SkinsHokieFan]

RG wasn't that good last year. He was far behind Luck and Wilson, even before he got hurt. He struggled. He only lit it up in Dallas against Ryan and our misfit toys.

Wah? 3200 yards, 20 TDs, 5 INTs, 102 Rating, and 65.6% completion percentage is struggling for a rookie?

Luck had 4300 yards, 23 TDs, 18 INTs, 76.5 rating and completed a mere 54% of his passes

As for your predictions, agree with many of them except for the NFC South (I think the Saints come back and take that division) the East, obviously, and I think Cinci gets to the Superbowl to play the 49ers