The city is a little bit crazy. Media from all over the nation is in town and downtown looks like a circus. Indy is used to hosting big sporting events like this. After all, we do get the NCAA Final Four about every 3-5 years. There is a little magic in the air. Even though it might be the fact that we are living in the past with the Colts 2007 Super Bowl victory, today marks a day of freshness. Summer has come and gone, and its time to strap on the pads and get down to the gridiron. In favor of today opening the season, I figured I should make some NFL Picks. But first, a little something for my Chicago Bear buddies:
Disclaimer #1: I am 5'11" and 160 pounds. Other than the fact that I helped take my fraternity to an all-campus flag football championship 7 years ago with my blazing speed and great hands at WR, I really know NOTHING about football. So take this all with a grain of salt.
Disclaimer #2: I'm not here to echo what all the ESPN analysts and radio shows say. That would be worthless...so I hope to have a couple of surprises just to have surprises.
To the picks....
AFC East
1. New England Patriots
2. Buffalo Bills
3. New York Jets
4. Miami Dolphins
No surprises here. Probably the easiest division of all to pick. If Randy Moss were joining any other team, he'd be a cancer and wreck the franchise. But, I just have this feeling that Mr. "Vagrant-Looking" Belichick will have Moss on his best behavior and contributing a ton. The Pats are a can't miss this year with Brady at the healm and solid WRs for the first time in his career. I really expect Stallworth to be great. Maroney will be a top RB although I expect him to wear down as the season progresses. But by that time the division will be wrapped up and he'll be given ample rest for the playoffs.
I hear the analysts liking the Jets and not the Bills. It's just a hunch that the Bills will pretty solid this year. I really like Lee Evans and I hope Marshawn Lynch has a solid rookie season. JP Losman...maybe this is the year he figures it out. I could see the Bills snagging 2nd place in this division as people look past them. This all despite the fact that the Bills have the 2nd hardest schedule in the NFL based on last seasons records.
AFC North
1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns
A very tough division to predict. I wanted to pull out one of my surprises and not put Baltimore in first place, but I just can't go against that defense. Cincy seems like the team on my first opinion to swipe the division, but I just can't give that defense a shot. Sure Palmer, Rudi, Chad, and TJ are exciting, but they have too much flash and not enough muscle (this coming from a Colts fan - lol). I expect it to be a close division. I do expect a wild card from this division, so see my playoff predictions below.
AFC South
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Houston Texans
Shocker here. One of these years Indy will not win the South, but I don't see it being this year unless Manning goes down. Tennessee is getting very good again, but the Madden Curse might bite Vince Young in the butt. I don't really need to explain why the Colts will win this division, but it will be closer than years previous. The Colts defense will be shakier than last year.
AFC West
1. Denver Broncos
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders
I did what? I picked Denver over SD? Yep. I even think I am crazy myself. But, that Denver defense (especially the secondary) will be tough. Its not as tough up front, but Champ Bailey and Dre Bly won't give up any big plays, and if they do, John Lynch will snap the WRs head off. I just know with the NFL, there are always surprises and this is one I am predicting. SD might start slow with an entire new coaching staff. LT can not repeat last year. Just can't. I see SD making it in as a wild card.
AFC Playoffs
Byes: New England and Baltimore
Wildcard: San Diego over Indianapolis
Wildcard: Denver over Cincinnati
AFC Divisional Round
New England over San Diego
Baltimore over Denver
AFC Conference Round
New England over Baltimore
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Washington Redskins
4. New York Giants
I like the Eagles here with Dallas being close. Neither Washington nor NYG can really compete. I expect the Giants to be downright awful this year. Eli will struggle without Tiki. Philly looks really strong if McNabb and Westbrook are healthy all year and I am going to count on that being true. Dallas will be strong, but expect Romo to have his ups and downs. I see Dallas getting in as a wildcard.
NFC North
1. Chicago Bears
2. Detroit Lions
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Minnesota Vikings
The Bears should take a cupcake walk to this division win, but their overall schedule looks somewhat tough to me although its ranked as the second easiest schedule in the entire NFL. San Diego, Denver, Philly, and Dallas are tough out of division games. But the other teams in the North have those same games. So while the Bears can win a few of those, the other teams can not. And the Bears should beat up on the Lions, Pack, and Vikings. I see this being an easy division once again. Detroit will improve the most with underrated Jon Kitna leading for a second year.
NFC South
1. Carolina Panthers
2. New Orleans Saints
3. Tampa Bay Bucs
4. Atlanta Falcons
Wow how quickly one year can put 99.9% of the nation on the New Orleans Saints bandwagon. Don't get me wrong, I love this team too...but primarily because of Drew Brees. Brees and I graduated in the same class at Purdue and therefore I was able to follow him closely. I was a huge fan at Purdue, then in SD, and now in New Orleans. BUT, I have this feeling that New Orleans really is not that good and that they will struggle being the hunted team rather than the under dog. Brees will put up great numbers. Bush will be a highlight reel. But defense will let them down. They are relying on Jason David assisting in the secondary. As a Colts fan, I say good luck to that. Carolina was the preseason darling the last few years and disappointed each year. Now no one likes them. Watch that be fuel, and watch Delhomme and Steve Smith rekindle their magic and for the defense with Julius Peppers (thats the second UNC defensive player shout-out in this blog) tear though the division. I like the Panthers to take the South. This should be a surprise to "ESPN America".
NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. St. Louis Rams
4. Arizona Cardinals
Wow....the 49ers? Yes I suppose. I wanted a surprise pick here and I went with it. Mike Nolan can coach. I liked what I saw from San Fran in spurts last year and I think they can make a move. Seattle will be awfully hard to dethrone, but I think just maybe SF can do that. It might take another injury to Shaun Alexander or Matt Hasselbeck. That would not surprise me. For no other reasons rather than to be different, I'll take the 49ers. The Rams can be really tough and maybe I should have taken them. There is a lot of MVP hype about Stephen Jackson and expectations are high. Arizona will score and score and score, but there will be more scoring against them. Flashiness will not prevail in the desert.
NFC Playoffs
Byes: Chicago and Philadelphia
Wildcard: New Orleans over San Francisco
Wildcard: Carolina over Dallas
NFC Divisional Round
Philadelphia over Carolina
Chicago over New Orleans
NFC Conference Round
Philadelphia over Chicago
SUPER BOWL PREDICTION
New England over Philadelphia (vomit vomit vomit)
I hate the Patriots. They are too loaded this year and it will take major injuries to derail them.
It's going to be real fun at the end of this season to come back and find how terribly wrong I was on all these picks. If you want a sure thing....maybe pick against me.
No comments:
Post a Comment