Seemed like the perfect time to release my NFL predictions for the upcoming season, after the Hall of Fame Game last night, where the Cowboys beat the Dolphins, 24-20.
Next weekend, the preseason resumes with all teams in action, and then, we can begin (but only begin) to get a better picture of what might happen, if some teams look like they have some problems, like the Bills revamped defense looking surprisingly vulnerable last preseason, which was a good indicator of what happened in the regular season. Or, perhaps, some key injuries. I'm certainly not saying it will happen, much less I want it to happen. But things like that do happen.
More likely, we will start to get a much better picture in the early weeks of the actual regular season. But for now, I will make predictions anyway, and see how they pan out. I will admit that I don't feel as confident looking into this new season as I did last season.
Okay, so, first off, I went back to my posts about predictions for last season, just to see how I did. Then, I figured those would either add some credibility in making predictions for this season, or perhaps rather completely detract from it.
In the AFC playoffs, I actually predicted the Patriots to beat the Texans and the Ravens to get past Denver in the divisional round, and the Patriots to lose to Baltimore in the AFC Championship, and that is exactly what happened! That was pretty cool!
But in the NFC, I predicted the Eagles and Saints to be powers to be dealt with, and man, was I ever wrong on both counts! Also, I thought the Packers were going to be way better than they ended up being, and underestimated San Fran and the Falcons.
My Super Bowl was Green Bay over Baltimore. As an "alternative" Super Bowl, I had the Patriots beating the Saints. Way off on that one, too! Hey, when I'm wrong, I'll admit it!
I got six of the eight division winners right, including all of the AFC teams. But the Eagles, again, was a ridiculous pick, in retrospect. Also, the Falcons won the NFC South, and the Saints, who I picked, did not even make the playoffs.
This season, I think a few trends will be inevitable. I see the NFC West as the new powerhouse division in the league, with two playoff teams last season likely returning to the playoffs, and another one - the St. Louis Rams, continuing to rise and become more of a force, possibly even a playoff team.
In the NFC East, I see another tight race, coming down to the finals weeks. Mostly, it will be between the Redskins, the Cowboys, and the Giants. I see the Redskins too closely linking their fate with RG3, and this time, they pay the price with an untimely injury. The division should go to either the Giants or the Cowboys. Looking at the schedules, it seemed that the Cowboys have a good chance to get off this season on the right foot, and a quick start may be what this team really needs to put it all together and take the division.
The NFC North still belongs to the Packers. The Vikings are getting better, true. But they're probably not yet ready to knock Green Bay from the top. Neither the Bears nor the Lions possess the consistency to be serious playoff contenders at the end of the day.
In the NFC South, the Falcons should still be the class of the division, although Tampa Bay really improved in the offseason. The Saints may have some weaknesses, but their offense is just so good, and they have some valuable experience, that it's hard to completely discount them. The Panthers may be able to do some things as well, although I just don't see them doing anything too serious, for some reason.
I see the Patriots dropping significantly in their level of play, and the Dolphins making a possible run to challenge the long dominance of the Patriots in the AFC East. It's hard to see either the Jets or the Bills as relevant in that division.
The AFC North may have been the class of the league over the last few seasons, sending three teams to the playoffs two seasons ago, and two last season, including the eventual Super Bowl champs. But that may no longer be the case. Baltimore lost a lot of people in the offseason, and the Steelers hardly made any moves, and probably need to stay healthy if they hope to be in he playoff race. As a result, Cincinnati may be able to position themselves not just for another playoff spot, but for the division title. And the Browns are improving, I think. Just not enough, or at least not so quickly, that it will result in the postseason, yet.
The Texans should still be able to hold off Indianapolis for the AFC South, but it really is just between those two teams. The Titans and the Jaguars just don't have what it takes to be contenders.
In the AFC West, the Broncos should emerge as one of the top teams in the league, provided they stay healthy. There really is likely to be no serious challenge to their supremacy. The Chargers have been reeling, and likely will continue to struggle this season. The Chiefs may be improving, but it will take a while. And the Raiders just can't be relied upon to be too serious.
So.....let me get started with my predictions for this season. True, I picked the wrong team to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Also, even though I did predict the Ravens, my prediction was that they would lose to those Cheeseheads in the big game. Instead, they beat the 49ers, and maybe I did not predict San Francisco because, well...I can't stand them and their bandwagon fans.
Yes, they made some impressive moves in the offseason, and are everyone's favorites to win it all this season. But, I just can't pick them, because I fear it will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Plus, there are a whole bunch of other teams out there, and I have to believe that one of them can beat San Fran before they reach the promised land. True, they only lost to the Super Bowl champions both of the prior two seasons. This season, perhaps it will be a third season. Or perhaps they will lose before that. But one way or another, I'm not picking them. Sorry.
NFC East:
1. Dallas Cowboys - 11-5
2. New York Giants - 9-7
3. Washington Redskins - 8-8
4. Philadelphia Eagles - 6-10
NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers - 12-4
2. Minnesota Vikings - 9-7
3. Chicago Bears - 8-8
4. Detroit Lions - 5-11
NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons - 12-4
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 10-6
3. New Orleans Saints - 8-8
4. Carolina Panthers - 6-10
NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers- 12-4
2. Seattle Seahawks - 11-5
3. St. Louis Rams - 9-7
4. Arizona Cardinals - 4-12
AFC East:
1. New England Patriots - 10-6
2. Miami Dolphins 8-8
3. New York Jets - 6-10
4. Buffalo Bills - 4-12
AFC North
1. Cincinnati Bengals - 9-7
2. Baltimore Ravens - 9-7
3. Pittsburgh Steelers - 8-8
4. Cleveland Browns - 7-9
AFC South
1. Houston Texans - 12-4
2. Indianapolis Colts - 10-6
3. Tennessee Titans - 6-10
4. Jacksonville Jaguars - 2-14
AFC West
1. Denver Broncos - 13-3
2. Kansas City Chiefs - 7-9
3. Oakland Raiders - 5-11
4. San Diego Chargers - 4-12
Playoff predictions: NFC Wildcard: Seahawks defeat Cowboys, Packers defeat Bucs; AFC Wildcard: Bengals defeat Colts, Ravens defeat Patriots
NFC Divisional Round: Seahawks defeat 49ers, Falcons defeat Packers AFC Divisional Round: Broncos defeat Ravens, Texans defeat Bengals
NFC Championship: Falcons defeat Seahawks,
AFC Championship: Broncos defeat Texans
Super Bowl XLVIII: Denver Broncos defeat Atlanta Falcons
PS - I gave myself a second chance, if you will, with an "alternative Super Bowl last year, so I will go ahead against this year. I made a point of not picking either team that I had picked in my original prediction, and will follow that rule. So, in the alternative scenario, I have the Seahawks defeating the Texans, running away with it toward the end. Seattle is a team on the rise, and it was hard predicting against them. Yes,I know how good the 49ers are, but Seattle has almost everything, and I still don't feel entirely comfortable picking Atlanta, since they traditionally don't pan out as a Super Bowl candidate. And in the AFC, it's hard to pick against Denver, especially with the offseason losses that Baltimore and New England suffered, the two teams that have met in the last two AFC Championship Games. if it's not Denver, then I would have to think that Houston would emerge, as they looked like world beaters for a good portion of last season, before a late season collapse.
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