NFC:
East - Philly
North - Green Bay
South - New Orleans
West - Seattle
WC - Detroit, Arizona
AFC:
East - New England
North - Cincy
South - Indy
West - Denver
WC - San Diego, Baltimore
NFC Champ - Green Bay
AFC Champ - Denver
SB Champ - Green Bay
Biggest Disappointment - San Francisco. They appear to be a trainwreck right now.
My picks are rather vanilla but I think it's a rare year when things look pretty black & white on paper. Hope I'm wrong. Go Jags!
NFC
North- GB
South- NO
East- PHI
West- SEA
WC- ATL, SF
AFC
North- BAL
South- IND
East-NE
West- DEN
WC- KC, CIN
NFC champs: SEA
AFC champs: DEN
SB champs: SEA wins again
Me thinks we see a "surprise" team in the Super bowl. Enter San Diego
NFC:
East - Philly
North - Green Bay
South - New Orleans
West - Seattle
WC - Detroit, Arizona San Francisco
(if not SF, then Carolina)
AFC:
East - New England
North - Cincy
South - Indy
West - Denver
WC - San Diego, Baltimore
NFC Champ - Green Bay Seattle
AFC Champ - Denver Cincy
SB Champ - Green Bay Cincy
Biggest Disappointment - San Francisco Pittsburgh
. They appear to be a trainwreck right now.
Divisional Champions:
AFC:
East - New England Patriots
North - Cincinnati Bengals
South - Indianapolis Colts
West - Denver Broncos
Wildcards: San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs
NFC:
East - Philadelphia Eagles
North - Green Bay Packers
South - New Orleans Saints
West - Seattle Seahawks
Wildcards: Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers
NFC Champs: New Orleans Saints
AFC Champs: Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl Champs: New Orleans Saints
Biggest Disappointment: Dallas Cowboys
AFC
East: New England
North: Cincinnati
South: Indy
West: San Diego
Wild Cards: Denver, NY Jets
NFC
East: Philly
North: Green Bay
South: New Orleans
West: Seattle
Wild Cards: Arizona, Tampa Bay
AFC Champ: Cincinnati over San Diego
NFC Champ: Green Bay over New Orleans
SB: Green Bay over Cincinnati
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
OROY: Brandin Cooks
DROY: CJ Mosley
Interesting predictions.
Question: For those of you picking Cincy to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, why do you do so? What makes you think Dalton can improve upon his dismal post season performances to date to not only win a game in the playoffs, but to make it all the way to the dance?
Not saying you guys are off your rocker. Marvin Lewis is a good coach and Cincy is a good team overall.
But Denver and New England are also loaded, and frankly have better QBs than Dalton. What will make them fall to Cincy?
I think the offense will be better with Hue Jackson calling plays instead of Jay Gruden. I also love the combo of Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill.
Quote:I think the offense will be better with Hue Jackson calling plays instead of Jay Gruden. I also love the combo of Gio Bernard and Jeremy Hill.
Hue Jackson is a good offensive guy, and I like that RB combo, too.
I'm not sure if that will be enough to overcome those teams.
The way I see it, Denver and New England have to be considered the favorites unless Manning and Brady begin to show serious decline due to age.
I think Manning showed it in the Super Bowl and I think the way his injury is now, his arm gets progressively weaker as the season wears on.
Decline is more difficult to discern in Brady.
Regarding Brady. His comp %, yards, TD's and passer rating have declined each of the last two seasons. The AFC East is still weak, so they should waltz into the playoffs again. But I would be surprised if they make it to the Super Bowl.
NFC
Division Winners
Philadelphia
Green Bay
New Orleans
Seattle
Wildcards
Detroit
San Francisco
NFC Championship Game: New Orleans over Seattle. Under the assumption the game will be played in the Superdome.
AFC
Division Winners
New England
Baltimore
Indianapolis
Denver
Wildcards:
San Diego
Cincinnati
AFC Championship Game: New England over Denver.
Super Bowl # 49: New Orleans over New England.
Quote:Interesting predictions.
Question: For those of you picking Cincy to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, why do you do so? What makes you think Dalton can improve upon his dismal post season performances to date to not only win a game in the playoffs, but to make it all the way to the dance?
Not saying you guys are off your rocker. Marvin Lewis is a good coach and Cincy is a good team overall.
But Denver and New England are also loaded, and frankly have better QBs than Dalton. What will make them fall to Cincy?
Last season, I picked Cincinnati to advance to the Super Bowl, with San Francisco beating them at Met Life Stadium.
While I believe the Bengals have as much talent as any AFC Team and I certainly agree with you about Marvin Lewis, I'm not picking them to go to the Super Bowl this season for two major reasons:
1. Andy Dalton. The playoff loss to San Diego occurred for a number of reasons, including subpar Offensive Line play and a fumble lost around the Chargers 5 yard line. Even with all of that, Dalton needed to play much better. Until Dalton can at least get his team to an AFC Title game, it's hard to pick them against the likes of the Patriots and Broncos.
2. DT Geno Atkins is coming off a torn ACL and remains a major question mark.
Quote:Regarding Brady. His comp %, yards, TD's and passer rating have declined each of the last two seasons. The AFC East is still weak, so they should waltz into the playoffs again. But I would be surprised if they make it to the Super Bowl.
So much will depend on the health of Gronk.
Because the AFC East doesn't have another team that looks like a playoff team, I think that New England will be the # 1 seed in the AFC. While that wouldn't guarantee a Super Bowl berth, it increases the odds.
Quote:NFC
Division Winners
Philadelphia
Green Bay
New Orleans
Seattle
Wildcards
Detroit
San Francisco
NFC Championship Game: New Orleans over Seattle. Under the assumption the game will be played in the Superdome.
AFC
Division Winners
New England
Baltimore
Indianapolis
Denver
Wildcards:
San Diego
Cincinnati
AFC Championship Game: New England over Denver.
Super Bowl # 49: New Orleans over New England.
I'm in agreement with this entire prediction.
(the part I'm most uncertain about is whether or not KC can sneak into the wildcard ahead of SD or Cinncy.)
Quote:So much will depend on the health of Gronk.
So true. I think one or more of
Amendola/Dobson/Thompkins/LaFell will have to turn in a really solid year as well.
Having Edelman as the only effective receiver in several games hurt them last year.
Quote:I'm in agreement with this entire prediction.
(the part I'm most uncertain about is whether or not KC can sneak into the wildcard ahead of SD or Cinncy.)
It would be nothing short of amazing if we were 100 % correct or very close. There's almost always a team that ends up being a major surprise.
You are probably more confident in KC than I am, Their Offensive Line is the unit that I have significant doubts about.
The AFC team that I think has the best chance to sneak in is Pittsburgh. Off the top of my head, I can't recall the last time the Steelers didn't make the playoffs 3 straight seasons. They currently haven't made it two straight seasons, though they came ultra close in 2013, despite an 0-4 start. The combo of the Steelers coaching and Big Ben gives them a realistic chance to break through this season.
Quote:So true. I think one or more of Amendola/Dobson/Thompkins/LaFell will have to turn in a really solid year as well.
Having Edelman as the only effective receiver in several games hurt them last year.
For sure, the Patriots didn't have enough healthy proven weapons last season.
Kenbrell Thompkins probably has the greatest upside of the WR's you mentioned. With a full off-season now under Thompkins belt, plus another training camp and pre-season, he could emerge as an NFL breakout player. Especially with Tom Brady being the Patriots QB.
Quote:It would be nothing short of amazing if we were 100 % correct or very close. There's almost always a team that ends up being a major surprise.
You are probably more confident in KC than I am, Their Offensive Line is the unit that I have significant doubts about.
The AFC team that I think has the best chance to sneak in is Pittsburgh. Off the top of my head, I can't recall the last time the Steelers didn't make the playoffs 3 straight seasons. They currently haven't made it two straight seasons, though they came ultra close in 2013, despite an 0-4 start. The combo of the Steelers coaching and Big Ben gives them a realistic chance to break through this season.
The surprise risers and fallers are one of the funnest parts of the NFL season for me. Impossible to predict and exciting to watch. I love it.
I left the Steelers off the list because I watched their "ones" struggle mightily in week three of the preseason on both sides of the ball. They certainly have the talent to make a run though.
You have a good point on KC.
Quote:For sure, the Patriots didn't have enough healthy proven weapons last season.
Kenbrell Thompkins probably has the greatest upside of the WR's you mentioned. With a full off-season now under Thompkins belt, plus another training camp and pre-season, he could emerge as an NFL breakout player. Especially with Tom Brady being the Patriots QB.
Yep. Thompkins is the most likely of the 4 I listed to be Brady's "other go-to guy."
Quote:Last season, I picked Cincinnati to advance to the Super Bowl, with San Francisco beating them at Met Life Stadium.
While I believe the Bengals have as much talent as any AFC Team and I certainly agree with you about Marvin Lewis, I'm not picking them to go to the Super Bowl this season for two major reasons:
1. Andy Dalton. The playoff loss to San Diego occurred for a number of reasons, including subpar Offensive Line play and a fumble lost around the Chargers 5 yard line. Even with all of that, Dalton needed to play much better. Until Dalton can at least get his team to an AFC Title game, it's hard to pick them against the likes of the Patriots and Broncos.
2. DT Geno Atkins is coming off a torn ACL and remains a major question mark.
Cincy is loaded with talent. But, I gotta agree with you D6 in thinking the Ravens probably get back on top.
Geno Atkins is an unanswered question right now. I hope he returns to form. That guy was a monster before the injury.
Marvin Lewis has definitely changed the culture there from the old "Bungles" era. But, I'm not so sold on him during postseason play. After all, he did lose 2 home playoff games before Andy Dalton was even in the league. Those teams, led by Carson Palmer, we're very talented also across the board. Lewis seems to make a lot of questionable decisions in playoff games.
For 2014, it wouldn't shock me a bit to see a "repeat" of 2011 when 3 AFCN teams made the playoffs (Ravens, Steelers WC, Bengals WC). Neither the Steelers or Ravens made it last year. Prior to that, I can't remember the last time neither of those teams were not in the postseason?