Everybody always makes predictions and I know what you're saying, "The season didn't even start yet. We should wait until they play the games first." Blah blah blah. Although you never really know what to expect from the NFL these days, it's always fun to pretend and make your own predictions on what you think will happen.
So, let's get right to it!
AFC East - New England Patriots
Even with that defense being as bad as it is, we forget The New England Patriots have Tom Brady. The man has yet to miss the playoffs. And now he has a TON of new weapons to throw to.
Let's be real, nobody in this division can stop New England. Miami is starting a rookie QB who'll probably be shown the bench in Week 3, or 4. The Buffalo Bills have an unhealthy habit of starting off strong, but never being able to finish that way. And The New York Jets, well the only reason they even stay in some of their games is because of their defense. The Mark Sanchez project has run its course. I think this team will have a better shot at winning the division if they start Tebow. I mean, did anybody else see how badly this team played in the preseason? Either they're really going to be that bad, or we've all been fooled and this team will surprise everybody.
AFC West - Denver Broncos
Two words: Peyton Manning. People have been criticizing Manning for quite some time as to if he would have any juice left in the tank. I think his play this preseason shut down a good portion of his critics. I mean, come on, it's Peyton Manning. It's not Brett Favre coming out of retirement.....again.
Back to the point, Manning pretty much has everything he didn't have in Indy: a solid running game that finished first last season, a good defense, and an O-Line that will give him time to throw. The Raiders won't be winning again. With Palmer at the helm, they....well let's just say they were better off waiting for Jason Campbell to return from his injuries. X them out. Even though their defense is going to be beastly this season, The Chiefs don't have the offensive consistency to back it up. X them out of the equation as well. And now we have the San Diego Chargers. This may be the one team to give Denver a challenge. Why? Because Peyton Manning doesn't do so well against The Chargers. He's 3-5 against them in the regular season and 0-2 against them in the playoffs. If any team is going to be a threat to Peyton Manning and The Broncos, I think it very well may be San Diego.
AFC North - Baltimore Ravens
This was tough for me to choose. The Ravens had a great season, but came up just a little short against New England. I still think they should've won that game, but whatever. Nonetheless, looking at the schedules of both Baltimore and Pittsburgh, I think Baltimore can make an early run with 3 of their first 4 games being at home. Steelers are on the road in 3 of their first five games. And of course, we have to keep an eye on the one-on-one matchups which are always fun to watch. I think Baltimore has the edge in defense here. I think their defense is every bit as powerful as Pittsburgh's. Flacco has a lot to prove this season when he said he should be mentioned in the main crop of QB's. I think he will be fine, but Pittsburgh will always be right there ready to move up if they make any sort of mistake. The Steelers haven't lost a step like people have said.
The Browns are starting this Brandon Wheedon kid. I still say Colt McCoy is a better Quarterback, but I guess Cleveland will learn from their mistake. The Bengals had a breakout season making the playoffs despite having Pittsburgh and Baltimore in their division. This team is capable of holding their own against those two powerhouses, but winning is a whole other story.
AFC South - Houston Texans
With a healthy Matt Schaub, this team can go places. With a healthy Matt Schaub, Houston might have gone to the Super Bowl last season. They really are that good. They're a complete team: they have the QB, the superstar wide receiver, the superstar running back, and a very, very physical defense that finished in the top 5 last season. They're ready to make it all the way and no team in this division can stop that. It all depends on whether or not Schaub stays healthy.
Jacksonville has Blaine Gabbert. Enough said. The Colts are starting over with Andrew Luck, and as good as he has looked in the preseason, I don't see Indy making the playoffs. The Tennessee Titans may be a viable opponent now that Jake Locker is starting. This guy is the real deal.
Wild Card: Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers
So, here's how I see the overall ratings stacking up for the AFC.
1. New England Patriots
2. Houston Texans
3. Denver Broncos
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Tennessee Titans
NFC East - New York Giants
As much as I hate to admit this, I can't see The Giants not making the playoffs. Their schedule is extremely brutal, but they did win the Super Bowl last season. This entire team now has an identity. They aren't just a team that gets by on luck anymore, but this season will say alot about them. Let's see if they can make it back to the promise land.
As far as competition is concerned, I think it will forever be the Dallas Cowboys. The Redskins are starting over with RG3, but I wouldn't be surprised if they win 6-7 games themselves. The Eagles are good, but Vick can't seem to stay healthy. They finished so strong last season, people had them already winning the division this season. But I don't share everybody's sentiments. Vick is already banged up and the NFC East plays the AFC North this season and that means games against Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Cincy. I don't think Philly is complete enough to get past that. That brings us back to Dallas. Their defense has gotten better and when Romo has all the pieces around him, they can be tough to beat. Dallas, for all we know, should've swept New York last season, but it didn't happen. This is a whole new season. I understand New York are the defending champs, but Dallas can be the team to beat them. But they need to turn up the intensity this season. With all the other good teams in the NFC, Dallas needs to win the division to get in the playoffs.
NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
Jim Harbaugh gave this team an extreme makeover. The defense was outstanding and Alex Smith was a great game manager. He didn't throw for an insane number of yards, but he managed the game with great efficiency. This team was a number of fluky plays away from a Super Bowl bid, maybe even a Super Bowl Championship. They can only go up from here, and I think that's what this team will do. I think alot of people expect this team to hit a slump after such a great season, but I beg to differ, this team has the tools to be a contender for years to come.
The Rams are not even in this discussion. Their season ended before it even got started. The Cardinals have a solid receiving core and an a solid defense, but their only bane is that at the Quarterback position. And I don't know how long it's going to take for them to see that Kevin Kolb is not the answer. The Seahawks have a solid shot, but I figured they would start Matt Flynn, but they chose to go with Russell Wilson. I don't how wise of a move that is, but I wouldn't be surprised if it backfires in their face.
NFC North - Green Bay Packers
As long as The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, they won't be going anywhere anytime soon. The Packers offense is still one of the best in the NFL, one that's hard to stop, and their defense may not be amazing, but they get the job done when they have to. Their promising season ended in disappointment, but they have the chance to rebound this season. They have a good slate of Home games early on in the season, and Green Bay plays well at Home.
The Packers only competition is the Chicago Bears. The main reason Chicago missed the playoffs last season is because Jay Cutler got injured. With Jay Cutler healthy and at the helm, The Bears are dangerous. Cutler is an essential QB that has amazing command of the offense and with Brandon Marshall back with him, the rest of the league better watch out. The Vikings are going to have Adrian Peterson back, but that won't be enough. The Detroit Lions had a good season last season, but I don't think they'll repeat their success.
This division is going to go through Chicago and Green Bay. Chicago has more winnable games that Green Bay, but head-to-head, I'm giving a slight edge to Rodgers and Co. The Bears should win this division, but that's why we play the games.
NFC South - New Orleans Saints
Experts and other critics have suspended thoughts of The Saints being as good as they were last season not only because of the scandal, but then we have the absence of Sean Payton, Gregg Williams, and several other players and front office people. But we all forget, The Saints have Drew Brees. Doesn't matter who's coaching him, Drew Brees will continue to put up the numbers that we know he can put up. And let's not forget that they went unbeaten at Home last season. They transform into this super powered Behemoth when they're at Home. They're almost unstoppable.
The other teams in this division have gotten better, but not enough to match up with New Orleans. I think Cam Newton and his boys are going to have a repeat of last season. Newton puts up insane numbers, but defense lets him down in the end. The Tampa Bay Bucs added some new pieces, but they always seem to be the team that "almost made it." I don't see them going anywhere either. The Atlanta Falcons are the only threat, but even then I think New Orleans beats them in every category. As good as Matt Ryan and Co. are, when it comes down to New Orleans and Atlanta, New Orleans has their number.
Wild Card: Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons
So, here how I see the NFC stacking up when all is said and done.
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New York Giants
5. Chicago Bears
6. Atlanta Falcons
AFC Championship Prediction: Denver Broncos vs New England Patriots
Let's be honest here, Peyton Manning is the savior of this Broncos team. The Colts team that he consistently led to the playoffs had no solid run game and an aggressive defense. These are essential tools you will need to move forward in the playoffs and if the Broncos could make it to the second round with Tebow, imagine how far they can go in the playoffs with Peyton Manning. There in lies the question, how does Peyton Manning do with this new team against Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and New England? I think they can get to the AFC Championship with this team.
As for the reason as to why I have New England here is because I see Peyton Manning and his crew taking Houston out of the playoffs before they can even see the AFC Championship game. I gave Houston the #2 seed and Denver #3. I see Denver beating whoever they face in the first round and going to Houston. And when it comes down to the Houston Texans vs Peyton Manning, I'm taking Peyton Manning every time.
New England is here basically because I think The Broncos will take Houston down. The Patriots have Tom Brady but they also have an easy schedule. How convenient. They always seem to have an easy schedule. And when it comes to a home game, New England is visibly hard to go up against. I mean look at last year's AFC Championship game. Baltimore should've gone to the Super Bowl, but the Homefield Advantage is a factor because you get those calls when you play at home. And if by some weird twist of fate, Houston and Denver don't make it to the AFC Championship, it's gotta be New England winning again. But not this year, Peyton Manning is out to shut a lot of people up and it starts with this.
Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning, once again, for the AFC Championship. Could you dream up any scenario better than that?
NFC Championship Prediction: San Francisco 49ers vs Chicago Bears
Don't adjust your monitor. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The Chicago Bears will take on San Francisco. Before people jump on me, let's look at this for a second.
I already don't have The Giants repeating, and I have them facing Chicago in the first round of the playoffs. The Bears defense will be more than enough to slow The Giants offense down. And I know how The Giants have a habit of finishing the season strong and getting into the playoffs, but Jay Cutler and these Bears are of a different breed and can overpower The Giants. I think this team is ready to bounce back from the loss against Green Bay in the NFC Championship game a couple years ago. Besides, the last time The Giants entered the playoffs as Super Bowl Champions, they lost in the first round to Philly. Nonetheless, I see them getting past New York and knocking off Green Bay in Green Bay.
The Niners are an exceptionally gifted team and I believe this team can get back to the NFC Championship with this defense, this run game and with Alex Smith managing the game. Like I said before, Jim Harbaugh has changed this team and they are better than people have expected. They upset New Orleans and probaly should've beaten New York. But I see the rematch that everybody wants and that is New Orleans vs San Francisco, and I see the same result happening. The Niners defeat The Saints. I mean, I like Drew Brees and The Saints, and I understand how good New Orleans is at Home, but I think The Niners are that much better.
That being said, I see Chicago traveling to San Francisco for a classic NFC Championship game.
Super Bowl Predictions: Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers
People can call me a Homer all they want, but I understand how good The Broncos are. A lot of people underestimate how good certain teams can be. The Broncos with a good QB probably would've beaten New England and maybe Baltimore. But with Peyton Manning, the possibilities are endless. Manning is going to have a phenomenal comeback season and cap it off with winning his second Super Bowl Championship.
I respect The Niners and Jim Harbaugh for what they've accomplished, but when you face somebody like Peyton Manning, it's a tall task. But their only saving grace is that Peyton is only 1-1 in the Super Bowl. The Niners have that no nonsense, rugged defense, but I saw what Manning did to said defense in the preseason.
The pieces are there. All Denver has to do is make the right moves and hope to not get checkmated earlier than they want.
Feel free to Comment.
By Gerald "Showstopper" Prophete
No comments:
Post a Comment