If You Had to Predict the NFL Season Right Now

[Hostile]

If you had to predict the season right now, what would your crystal ball say to you? Which division winners and/or from last year fall? Who are the new division champs as you see it and why?

Starting in the AFC

The Chargers will hold on to the West, but are not as good as last year's team. LaDanian Tomlinson is once again the ultimate weapon, but their defense lets them downa little. The Chiefs drop the most and end up really missing Trent Green, the Raiders improve the most, but still come in last. Duante ends up being their starter most of the year. The Broncos are one of the Wildcards in the AFC and once again RBs in Denver pile up stats.

The Colts run away with the South again and Manning returns to his MVP caliber stats years because of the addition of Anthony Gonzalez and the maturation of Joseph Addai. The Titans and Jags fight for 2nd in the division at a game over .500. Vince Young has a sophomore slump at the end of the season after a great start. The Jaguars are a team that goes only as far as their defense and Muarice Jones-Drew can carry them. Matt Schaub has a terrible year and Texans fans are pissed. Another top 5 pick is in the cards for Houston, RB is the aim.

The Bengals replace the Ravens as the North division winner behind an MVP performance by Carson Palmer. The Ravens miss the playoffs though their defense is once again, one of the NFLs elite. The Steelers improve and challenge the Ravens for 2nd in the division, but fall short by virtue of a lesser defense. The Browns are a train wreck and gift Dallas a top 3 pick in 2008 Draft. Brady Quinn is the QB by week 10 but he can't duplicate Vince Young heroics.

The Patriots are not only the class of the East, but the entire NFL. Tom Brady has the best passing year of his career, but an aging defense shows signs of wear at the end making for a lot of playoff intrigue. The Jets are once again a wildcard team but finish behind the Patriots by more than a game. Losman and the Bills give the Jets a run for their money at the end, but Bledsoe's replacement in Buffalo is the only replacement who doesn't make the playoffs. I wonder what the Dolphins will look for with the overall #1 pick? Jason Taylor is the lone star in Miami.


Now the NFC

The Seahawks will again win the West, but only by a tie breaker over the 49ers. Sean Alexander will return to close to pre-injury days, but the true heroes are their LBs and improved pass rush. The 49ers will however, miss the playoffs by a slim margin. They are a team on the rise while Seattle is on the decline. Everybody's surprise team, the Cardinals, isn't. Once again, they can't run the ball, and though they score points through the air, they give them up there too. They and the Rams exchange elbows for the best seat in the basement. The Rams keep them in the basement on the legs of Stephen Jackson who has a great year. This division is the tightest race top to bottom.

The Saints will not repeat as South champs, but will be a wildcard. The new champs will be the Panthers behind a zone blocking running attack designed to control the clock and not make mistakes. The Saints find that the rest of the NFL has caught on and have to make 2nd half adjustments. The Buccaneers finally decide on a QB, but it doesn't help them. The lone bright spot for the Bucs is that they are not the Falcons who are a complete train wreck. Will Brohm reunite with Petrino to be their next QB? Bet on it.

The Bears repeat in the North and are still the only team worth a flip in the division. QB controversy continues in the Windy city with calls for Griese going unheeded once again. Brett Favre plays his last game as a Packer in a fight for 2nd place in the division with the Lions. John Madden begins his campaign to introduce Brett at the Hall of Fame in 5 years. Favre and the Packers don't win the 2nd place slot though. The Lions and their improved passing attack move them up the ladder to where they can almost see the Bears up ahead. The Vikings stink and sink like the love boat party cruise idea. Adrian Peterson is the lone bright spot.

The Cowboys replace the Eagles as the East Division champs behind a swarming defense and matchup problem creating offense. The Eagles however secure a wildcard berth thanks once again to their defense. The Commanders and Giants swap places from 2006 as the Giants realize just how important Tiki really was. The Commanders have a roller coaster season as they stick with Jason Campbell through thick and thin. Their defense again can't pressure the QB and it keeps their offense predictable. The Giants inner turmoil simply drags them to the bottom.

 

[Rampage]

agree except i don't think cincy will beat out baltimore

 

[WarC]

I like your analysis Hostile, I wouldn't change much with it.

I like the Lions this year in the NFC North, though the Wisconsinite in me is pained to admit it. I think Chicago will drop off this year, maybe pull an 8-8 or 9-7. I think they've lost too many key coaches and players. Their offense will fail them IMO. I will be surprised if the Packers go 8-8 this year.

In the NFC, I like our 'boys to go the distance and meet either the Panthers or the Saints in the Title Game. I believe the Panthers are a better team than they have exhibited the last two seasons, and I think the Saints are just excellently coached, with the weapons to win games on offense even if their defense is just average.

I can't help but see another Indianapolis/New England AFC Title Game, though the Chargers and Bengals are in the thick of it too.

 

[Crown Royal]

My predictions reflect the fact that NFL Parity caused by the cap and CBA was a decade of anomolies, and that period is over, thanks to revenue from TV prices.

AFC

1. West - The chargers win because they have steadily collected tallent over the last few years, but their front office and coaching changes will weaken them significantly. The Broncos and Chiefs fight for second place and the first wildcard, but the coaching and talent aquisition of Mike Shanahan overcomes the Greenless and Edwardfull chiefs. The raiders continue to be atrocious, but get a lot of sacks.

2. South - The colts continue to be the class of the division with a Dungy coached team that will always be competitive. Joseph Addai improves and you get a little of that Triplet magic, but without Dominic Rhodes, you hope he doesn't get injured. No wild card in this division, the Titans are meh, kept afloat by one of the better coaches in the league and a QB who can sometimes perform miracles, but still has to continue learning. The Jags have defense and a running attack, but even as someone who used to be intrigued by Byron Leftwich, it seems that their QB search will need to continue. The Texans will be fighting the Cards/Lions for the reign of perpetual losers.

3. North - Carson Palmer and a better offseason without too much hooplah propels the Bengals to win the division. The Ravens sniff it, but as much as I like McNair, this team will suffer as the Titan teams used to - pretty good, but not necessarily special. The Steelers will look different, and while obviously rebuilding, will start to have that organized look that the 49ers had a couple of years ago. They will start to look like someone who will be good next year. Crennel becomes a scapegoat for the Browns.

4. East - I'm buying into the Pats dominance. They just have everything you need. But the Jets continue to look good under a solid head coach who demands nothing but the best. Their young OL is a year older with more experience and these guys will come to play. Losman doesn't get anybetter and the Bills look like a team that will be bad for a few more years. Miami will continue to pay for poor drafting, which included Ronnie Brown, workout warrior.

NFC

1. West - Mike Nolan's team finally emerges, something that you could see would happen when he first got there. The only concern they have is whether their current OC will continue teaching as Norv did. The Seahawks do make a last hurrah as a wild card team, but Holmgren might be done as he sees this team finishing. The rams make a strong try at the beginning of the season, but they still have a lot of building to do on defense. Perhaps by predicting the talented Cardinals will suck, they will finally live up to their roster. I've predicted them to win for the last 2 seasons and they continue to fail to do so - let's see if the opposite occurs.

2. South - A relatively poor division we have here. Saints will probably get the nod based on excellent coaching and offense, but their defense will probably lose some of last year's steam. The Panthers might take the wild card, but there is going to be talk of a QB controversy as fans get tired of Delhomme surviving on toughness and the virtue of steve smith. Gruden needs to go - he took a dungy team to the superbowl and hasn't done anything since the Raiders. Poor Petrino got himself into more than he bargained for, but I still think he will finish better than TB.

3. North - Another talentless division. The Bears will take it all, just because of the lack of competition. But they need a new QB, Sexy Rexy Grossman is just Drew Bledsoe with less age and a blanker expression. The lions look a little better, and actually finish better than they have in years, but they still have a way to go. The vikings have nothing and Favre throws interceptions.

4. East - Anywhere else I will constantly take the stand that the Eagles, until beaten, are the class of the division. But for the sake of optimism and fandom, I will take Your Dallas Cowboys to win the division. The eagles will still be a wild card - say what you want about McNabb, but more times than not he puts the team in position to win. The Commanders win just enough for Jason Campbell to be the starter again next year when Gibbs is gone, but, like Carter, he will prove to be just good enough to break your heart. The Giants, with their team of crying sissies, will faulter due to their OL that is again fractured, Eli who will never be the Manning he was billed to be, and a defense that just doesn't match the grit of its head coach.

 

[Hoov]

AFC- chargers, pats, colts, steelers, wc - bengals, broncos

NFC - saints, 49ers, bears, cowboys, wc- eagles, seahawks

 

[Yeagermeister]

One team will win the Super Bowl and 31 teams won't

 

[Roughneck]

AFC:

East - Patriots
North - Ravens
South - Colts
West - Broncos
WC - Bengals, Chargers

NFC:

East - Cowboys
North - Vikings
South - Saints
West - 49ers
WC - Eagles, Rams

 

[blindzebra]

AFC:

West SD, DEN WC

South IND

North BAL

East NYJ, NE WC...I'm not buying the hype.

NFC:

West STL, SEA WC

South NO, CAR WC

North CHI by default

East Dallas by a lot, I'm not buying the Eagle hype either.

 

[Vintage]

I had the misfortune of being granted the priviledge of watching the Packer scrimmage they host every year, courtesy of local Fox programming (woot).

I was actually surprised by Farve. Granted Woodson and Harris weren't playing, Farve looked accurate.

Admittedly, I didn't watch the entire thing, but I did watch the first half of it. Farve threaded the needle when he needed to; put air underneath the ball when needed, and in general, did not look like the Farve I've seen the past two years. Granted, it was a scrimmage, but I was surprised.

OTOH, Rodgers looked like a rookie. Bad decision making (forcing it into triple coverage too much), poor pocket presence, hanging onto the ball too long, etc. He actually looked a bit more confortable out of the pocket. But it could have been the fact that it was nearing 11:00 pm and I was utterly exhausted beyond belief. So grain of salt with that observation, please.

The one thing that really stood out was Brandon Jackson's hands. He is going to be a nice fit for their offense. They motioned him out into the slot and he ran a post route and made a nice diving catch.

Either their running attack was putrid; or their run defense was stout. I am leaning toward the former.


Edit: I forgot to include the reason I posted this.... I don't see the Packers finishing above .500 this year. 6-7 wins is likely.

 

[CATCH17]

Colts still have a lot of question marks on defense.

Even though their defense turned it on and was incredible in the playoffs it still hurt them very badly in the regular season.

I wont believe its not a problem until I see it with my own eyes.

Also the only pick I disagree with is having us winning the NFC East.

On paper we are the best team in the NFC East and maybe even the entire NFC. I just refuse to believe we can take the East away from Philly until we actually do it.

Last year it was ours and we just gave it away.

Dallas's biggest opponent is themselves. If we dont beat ourselves we'll win the division.

Until then the NFC East belongs to Philly.

 

[theebs]

I think its too early for this, this is stuff for that long 12 day stretch from the last preseason game to the first real one.

I do think one team that doesnt get talked about at but imo is going to be very good is Seattle. I think they have an outstanding team. They are under the radar right now, but I think if they stay healthy they may have home field, but again I think its too early for this stuff.

 

[Vintage]

I think its too early for this, this is stuff for that long 12 day stretch from the last preseason game to the first real one.

I do think one team that doesnt get talked about at but imo is going to be very good is Seattle. I think they have an outstanding team. They are under the radar right now, but I think if they stay healthy they may have home field, but again I think its too early for this stuff.

The thing you have to like about them is the experience they have at the skill positions offensively (QB, RB, WR, LT).

Defensively, they do a good job or rotating players upfront.

At LBer, they have some playmakers in Peterson and Tatupa (and to a lesser extent, Hill).

They are a very solid team. Deon Grant should solidify their FS spot; Babineaux their SS spot. If they can stay healthy (at CB particularly) and get better play from them (Trufant in particular) with the progression of Jennings, they have a chance to run thru the NFC again.

 

[Stash]

Not a list but a quick comment:

I agree that I think the Vikings are going to be bad - really bad.

Looking at their schedule, that Team could collapse midway through the season with that bum Childress getting fired and an interim handling things the rest of the way.

I've never seen such arrogance from a coach who's accomplished zero in the NFL.

 

[Hostile]

I think its too early for this, this is stuff for that long 12 day stretch from the last preseason game to the first real one.

I do think one team that doesnt get talked about at but imo is going to be very good is Seattle. I think they have an outstanding team. They are under the radar right now, but I think if they stay healthy they may have home field, but again I think its too early for this stuff.

I'm bored at work Theebs. Humor me.

 

[AtlCB]

AFC
East - Patriots
South - Indy, Jags
Central - Cincy, Balt
West - San Diego

NFC
East - Dallas, Philly
South - NO, Car
Central - Chi
West - StL

 

[2233boys]

Starting in the AFC

Don't trust Nrov in the west, I was so glad Dallas didn't hire him... But I still think they win that division, with the Broncos taking second.

The Colts win the south with the Titans finishing second.

I think the Ravens and Steelers take the top two spots in the North with the Steelers taking the second wild card

Pats win with the Jets taking second, possibly challanging for one of the wildcards

Now the NFC

I think the 49ers take the West with the Rams as the wild card in second

I think the Panthers win a weak South

The Bears win the north and the Vikes second possibly challanging the Rams for the Wild Card.

In the east until beaten the Eagles are the top of the division, so they are first with Dallas winning a Wild card spot outright, allowing the Vikes and Rams to fight for the second wild card

 

[Crown Royal]

why is it when I try to click page two it takes me back to one?

 

[Crown Royal]

Oh, someone must have deleted their post.

 

[superpunk]

My summary

In the NFC, The division winners break down like this - Eagles, Lions, Seahawks and Saints - the wildcards go to Dallas and St. Louis.

In the East, we give Philly a run for it, but come up just shy at the end, while Washington finishes a game behind us, and just out of the palyoff picture, while New York is the worst team in the NFC.

In the North, the Bears can't manage to overcome Grossman's inconsistent ineptitude, while Martz' great show on turf takes over and Marinelli finally motivates that defense to play as a team. Minnesota finished behind Chicago, with a defunct Pack bringing up the rear.

In the West, Seattle surges to an NFC best 13-3 record behind a fantastic performance by Matt Hasselbeck, and the league's 2nd best defense. The Rams take the wild card, while the 49ers and Cardinals finish at 5-11 and 6-10.

In the South, the Saints walk away with it again with a 12-4 record. Carolina manages 9-7, but sits on the outside looking in with Washington and super-bust Dwayne Jarrett. They played football in Tampa Bay, but noone cared and Atlanta is picking in the top 5 of next April's draft.


In the AFC, the division winners will be New England, Baltimore, Jacksonville and Denver. The wildcards go to San Diego and Cincinnati.

In the East, it's no contest. The Pats finish 13-3, while the Bills miss the playoffs around 10-6 or 9-7, with the Jets and Phins somewhere around 6 wins apiece.

In the South, Manning can't carry it all and might end up missing time for the first time in a long time. Neither super bowl team makes the playoffs, while the Jags ride the league's #1 rushing attack into the playoffs. Neither Houston or Tennessee tops 5 wins.

In the North, Baltimore's strong defense continues and McNair recaptures some magic to lead them to a league-best 14-2 record. Cincinatti's defense team (almost entirely made up of attorneys, or professional liars) is dreadful again and gets them to 10-6. The Steelers finish at 9-7 in the league's toughest division, with Cleveland at a surprising 7-9.

In the West, Norv strikes the Chargers, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at least 5 times. LT reverts back to being just "really" good. Denver, OTOH explodes to a 12-4 record with a much improved pass defense and pass rush. The Raiders actually improve to 7-9, with the Chiefs in the basement at 5-11.

 

[coach316]

AFC West - Broncos get the wild card, Chargers finish at 12-4. Chiefs lose wild card to Steelers on tie breaker.

Chargers
Broncos
Chiefs
Raiders

AFC North - Steelers get the wild card on a tie breaker over Bengals and Chiefs, Ravens drop from 13-3 to 11-5

Ravens
Steelers
Bengals
Browns

AFC East - Patriots not as good as everyone predicts but with the horrible division will be only team in division with winning record. 11-5 or 10-6

Patriots
Jets
Bills
Dolphins

AFC South - Indy has home field advantage throughout playoffs. Vince Young not enough to carry Titans past the Jags as they are more talented from top to bottom than the Titans right now.

Colts
Jags
Titans
Texans

NFC West - Seahawks still the team to beat in an awful division, 49ers make run at wild card but miss.

Seahawks
49ers
Rams
Cardinals

NFC North - Chicago slips a couple notches and won't be as feared in the NFC as they were a year before. Lions manage a wild card spot. With or without Favre and no running game, the Packers will be awful.

Bears
Lions
Vikings
Packers

NFC East - Cowboys take the division managing to avoid the December flop. Eagles secure wild card. Commanders and Giants fight over the basement.

Cowboys
Eagles
Commanders
Giants

NFC South - Panthers regain control of the South. Saints prove to be a fluke and return to their ways of a losing record but not by much. Bucs go 8-8 thanks to stability in the QB position finally. Falcons are a wreck.

Panthers
Buccaneers
Saints
Falcons