An amazing 15-1 which I believe is the best I have ever done with my picks was my record last week. Surpassing even the local gurus who actually did pretty well. Just remember the farther into the season the more difficult it gets. Here we go with another week of picking who I think will be the winners. For the season I am now 21-11 having had a slow start in Week One. First up the Patriots travel to the undefeated Buffalo Bills. That's right I said Undefeated Bills whose Undefeated status will end today against New England. Although the Bills always play the Patriots with a lot of fire, it won't be enough. Patriots win and remain the undefeated team. Lions at the Vikings. The game is still in a Domed Stadium so the Lions will feel right at home. Too much speed on the Lions offense for the aging Vikings defense. Lions win. Eagles are at home against the Giants and it looks like Michael Vick will play. Not a good sign for Giants fans. This will probably be the game of the week. Tough hard nosed football but I am giving the edge to the Eagles only because they are home. Eagles win a close one. Panthers are at home against the Jaguars who are in search of a quarterback. When in doubt pick the team with the best QB and that would be Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers. Panthers win first game on the back of Cam Newton with another big day throwing the ball. The Bengals entertain the 49ers. If this game were in San Francisco I might pick it different. I am not fan of Marvin Lewis either but the Bengals will pull this one out. Bengals win at home. Saints at home against the 2-0 Houston Texans. This will be a measuring stick for both teams and may have an impact on both teams seasons down the road. Some might even say you are watching a Super Bowl Preview. This game will come down to which coach has his team better prepared. I believe there is something special about both teams this year and I believe the Texans will make the playoffs in light of their rivals the Colts being out of the picture. When two teams are this evenly matched you just got to go with the home team. Saints win in a close one. Miami at Cleveland. This should be excellent football weather in Cleveland this time of year which will make the Dolphins feel at home. Reggie is good about every three games so he is due for a breakout game. Make sure you are playing him on your Fantasy Team. Dolphins win on the wings of Reggie. Broncos on the road in Tennessee to face the Titans. Go with home team again. This one too close to call. Titans win.
For my next pick, I know you will think I am crazy. The Chargers are at home against the beat up 0-2 Chiefs. What did I say about the Chargers? This is just the kind of game they will choke on. San Diego is a 14 and a half point favorite to win today. Trust me on this, the 14 points I would take, if I were a betting person. Chiefs win in the biggest upset of the weekend and possibly the year. Ravens at the Rams. Home team again. Rams find a way to win. Jets at Oakland. A good test for the Jets on the road. Jets win and stay undefeated. Green Bay at Chicago. I know after the beat down the Saints gave Jay Cutler you are thinking cake walk for the defending Super Bowl Champions. Just remember, this is a Division game and the Bears are at home. Bears hang on win with a Robbie Gould field goal. Cardinals at Seattle....who cares! Okay I am going with the the Red Birds to win. Steelers at Indy.....The Colts are simply lost without their leader. Pittsburgh wins. Atlanta in a Division game at Tampa Bay. This is a must win in Mike Smith's eyes. Falcons win. Finally, the Redskins at Dallas. I know all you Dallas fans think Kitna is the answer. You would be wrong. Redskins win big in Big "D"
That's my picks this week what are yours? Challenge me..............
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Week 2 in The NFL
Not a good opening week for the Fan here.....6-10. Again I come from a fan's perspective. Games I should have won briefly were the Vikings, Panthers, Rams, and Steelers. Keep in mind what Phil Simms said on Showtimes' Inside the NFL....The first few weeks teams are just starting to gel and a whole lot can happen between Week One and Week Five. So don't get too high or too low on your team. On to the picks......
First up the Lions have the Chiefs at home. Lions are looking good as I predicted and the Chiefs are still looking for an identity. Lions win at home. Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh and although it won't be freezing temperatures the Steelers at home should get well against Seattle. Steelers win. The Raiders are at Buffalo and traditionally the Raiders do poorly on the East Coast. The Bills look to be a possible dark horse in the AFC. Bills win at home. Green Bay at Carolina. Panthers have a long way to go to even be considered in the same breathe as the Packers. Packers win easily. I know the Ravens were pumped up against the Steelers last week at home. I also know that the Titans are at home on Sunday. Neither of these will be a factor this week. Ravens will still win. Too much defense(Ravens) for a team(Titans) that only has one real weapon right now on offense. That soon may change. If the Titans don't start turning it around soon look for Hasselbeck to get the hook in favor of Jake Locker the rookie QB. Could be this week, if things get out of hand early against the Ravens. Although I am extremely disappointed in the Browns for giving one away(Colt McCoy looked like a rookie) , I don't see that happening in Indy this week against the Colts. I know most of the people that are supposed to know more than we fans do, believe the Colts will bounce back even with the Gray One at QB, but I believe the Colts are in danger of mentally losing it because their leader who has never missed a game(until last week)over the last 13 Seasons is still standing on the sideline. Barring a miracle comeback by Manning the Colts will be this season's Train Wreck. You won't want to watch but you won't be able to take your eyes off of them either. Browns win a close one and McCoy gets his game back. Tampa Bay at Minnesota. Last week the Vikings reminded me of an old team. Old as in when the game is in the 4th Quarter you simply don't have any gas left in the tank. Tampa Bay brings a lot of young "Bucs" with them this week. Look for Donovan McNabb to fold again. Bucs win. Redskins at home again against the Cardinals. Washington looks solid and Grossman is managing the game without any stupid turnovers. Redskins win at home.
Saints at home against "THE" "BEARS". The Saints were better than they showed last week and the Bears were not as good as they appeared to be against the Falcons. Drew Brees will find a way to attack the Bear "D" and the Saints defense will be just tough enough to hold Matt Forte in check. Saints win a big one at home. Jets entertain the Jaguars. Although the Jags surprised me last week I don't think the Jets defense will be so giving. Jets win. Dallas at San Fran. The 49ers looked okay in their win last week, however, Dallas looked mighty impressive in their loss. Look for Dallas to come out strong and run away with this one early. Cowboys win on the road. Chargers at New England.....I don't care what happens...what did I say? I am not picking the Chargers and especially this week. Patriots show who is the team to beat. Bengals at the Broncos. I am not giving up on Denver yet. I am also not sure if Cincinnati won last week or Cleveland lost. Broncos win at home. Texans at Miami. The Dolphins are another team that looked pretty good in defeat but I believe the Texans are on a mission this year. Texans win in a very good battle. Eagles travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons....another team that was not as bad as they showed last week. Look for Matt Ryan to get on track. Falcons win their home opener. St Louis at New York. Rams are just too beat up and the Giants will be at home. Eli and company will take this one away from the Rams. Giants win. That's a wrap for week two...How about you???
First up the Lions have the Chiefs at home. Lions are looking good as I predicted and the Chiefs are still looking for an identity. Lions win at home. Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh and although it won't be freezing temperatures the Steelers at home should get well against Seattle. Steelers win. The Raiders are at Buffalo and traditionally the Raiders do poorly on the East Coast. The Bills look to be a possible dark horse in the AFC. Bills win at home. Green Bay at Carolina. Panthers have a long way to go to even be considered in the same breathe as the Packers. Packers win easily. I know the Ravens were pumped up against the Steelers last week at home. I also know that the Titans are at home on Sunday. Neither of these will be a factor this week. Ravens will still win. Too much defense(Ravens) for a team(Titans) that only has one real weapon right now on offense. That soon may change. If the Titans don't start turning it around soon look for Hasselbeck to get the hook in favor of Jake Locker the rookie QB. Could be this week, if things get out of hand early against the Ravens. Although I am extremely disappointed in the Browns for giving one away(Colt McCoy looked like a rookie) , I don't see that happening in Indy this week against the Colts. I know most of the people that are supposed to know more than we fans do, believe the Colts will bounce back even with the Gray One at QB, but I believe the Colts are in danger of mentally losing it because their leader who has never missed a game(until last week)over the last 13 Seasons is still standing on the sideline. Barring a miracle comeback by Manning the Colts will be this season's Train Wreck. You won't want to watch but you won't be able to take your eyes off of them either. Browns win a close one and McCoy gets his game back. Tampa Bay at Minnesota. Last week the Vikings reminded me of an old team. Old as in when the game is in the 4th Quarter you simply don't have any gas left in the tank. Tampa Bay brings a lot of young "Bucs" with them this week. Look for Donovan McNabb to fold again. Bucs win. Redskins at home again against the Cardinals. Washington looks solid and Grossman is managing the game without any stupid turnovers. Redskins win at home.
Saints at home against "THE" "BEARS". The Saints were better than they showed last week and the Bears were not as good as they appeared to be against the Falcons. Drew Brees will find a way to attack the Bear "D" and the Saints defense will be just tough enough to hold Matt Forte in check. Saints win a big one at home. Jets entertain the Jaguars. Although the Jags surprised me last week I don't think the Jets defense will be so giving. Jets win. Dallas at San Fran. The 49ers looked okay in their win last week, however, Dallas looked mighty impressive in their loss. Look for Dallas to come out strong and run away with this one early. Cowboys win on the road. Chargers at New England.....I don't care what happens...what did I say? I am not picking the Chargers and especially this week. Patriots show who is the team to beat. Bengals at the Broncos. I am not giving up on Denver yet. I am also not sure if Cincinnati won last week or Cleveland lost. Broncos win at home. Texans at Miami. The Dolphins are another team that looked pretty good in defeat but I believe the Texans are on a mission this year. Texans win in a very good battle. Eagles travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons....another team that was not as bad as they showed last week. Look for Matt Ryan to get on track. Falcons win their home opener. St Louis at New York. Rams are just too beat up and the Giants will be at home. Eli and company will take this one away from the Rams. Giants win. That's a wrap for week two...How about you???
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Week One in the NFL
If you read my blog last year then you know I think it's a waste of time to pick scores. Ultimately, the team that has the higher score wins and that's all that matters. I am not a place for you to figure out your morning line. I am just a guy who loves football and competition. Having said that, if you have been to my Saints blog www.saintsfootballfanatic.blogspot.com, you know I already picked Thursday's winner. As much as I love my Saints, I call 'em like I see 'em. Right out the gate we have some great match ups today. Atlanta has to travel to Chicago. Great time of year for the Falcons to be playing in the Windy City. Falcons win. Steelers travel to Baltimore. Pittsburgh too much for the Ravens. Steelers win. Chiefs at home against the Bills. Chiefs start fast and win this one. Texans entertain the Colts. I know everyone thinks Indy doesn't stand a chance....And they would be right. Texans overpower the Manning-Less Colts. Eagles at St. Louis. This is one I am going to give to the home team. I believe if the Eagles are to gel then it will take a few games to do so. The Rams have a year of Sam Bradford under fire behind him. He performed at a high level and completed 60% of his passes in 2010 as a rookie. Not too shabby. Rams win a close one. Lions at Tampa Bay. Give this to the Lions. Jim Schwartz has built a very aggressive and fast team. The Bucs will simply be outmatched today. Lions win. Titans at Jaguars. Titans & Chris Johnson run away with it. Bengals go to Cleveland to begin an unprecedented season of losing. Browns win...destroy Bengals...It's not even close. Redskins at the Giants. Rex Grossman just doesn't go away. There has got to be something to it. Redskins win at home in a hard fought battle. Chargers at home against the Vikings. Donovan McNabb has his way with the Chargers defense. San Diego begins it's decline today. Vikings win in an upset. In the Battle of "Who Cares Bowl" the Seahawks defeat the 49ers in Frisco. Panthers at Cardinals. Today we see what Panthers Coach Ron Rivera really has planned for Cam Newton. I am going with the Panthers in an upset. Carolina gets off to a good start with first win. Cowboys at the Jets. Jets show why they are Super Bowl Material. Jets win. Patriots at Miami. Dolphins new RB/KR Reggie Bush will show flashes today but that will not be enough to keep the Patriots from winning this one. Patriots win. Finally, in the last game of the first weekend, the Raiders travel to Mile High to play the Broncos. Broncos win. Coach John Fox even finds a couple plays for Tim Tebow to flash his talent. Well, that's my picks for this week what's yours?
Saturday, September 10, 2011
How the Playoffs Shake Out................
In the NFC the Packers & Saints get the bye and in the AFC the Steelers & Jets get the bye. The Wildcard weekend has the Falcons over the Lions and the Eagles over the Rams in the NFC. In the AFC Chiefs bow to the Ravens and the Patriots show the Texans the way home for the Holidays. In the Divisional Round the Steelers once again have the Ravens number as Ray Lewis finally calls it quits realizing there will not be another Super Bowl in his future. Steelers move on. Jets too much for the Patriots & headed to Pittsburgh for the AFC Championship Game. After the game Jets' Coach Rex Ryan says plenty of butts left to kick, quote "we are just getting started". On the NFC side Green Bay hands the Falcons another bitter defeat this time on the frozen tundra of Lambeau. Coach Mike Smith can't believe it; starts on a three day binge, drinking red bull while he watches the game film over and over. The Saints at home with too many unselfish players for the Dream Team Philly to handle. Vick is kept in check as New Orleans finds it's rhythm on defense. In the city of Three Rivers the Jets come out on top earning their 1st trip to the Super Bowl since Joe Namath was the QB. In Green Bay in a rematch of the first game of the season the Saints final prove they can win in the cold. In frigid conditions Drew Brees hooks up with Lance Moore for the winning touchdown with less than a minute left on the clock. Aaron Rodgers tells reporters after the game quote "Maybe there is something to that Mini-Camp stuff. I plan on getting with Drew after the season and find out how he put that thing together".
In the first Super Bowl in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, the temperature is a pleasant 72 degrees while conditions outside are less than tolerable. Thank goodness for Domed Stadiums. Saints consider themselves the home team being indoors and of course the large number of Who Dats that turn out to see the boys win another one. Jets defense is good but the Saints this year have a healthy stable of running backs and are able to mix it up just enough to keep the Jets off balance. Saints pull away in the second half and win by two touchdowns. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton is heard saying after the game "Who's butt got kicked?"
Saints take home second Lombardi trophy in three years. Saints Fans now heard cheering "THREE DAT!!!"
Well, that's a look into my Crystal Ball. What does yours say? Challenge me throughout the season to see if you can top my picks each week.
In the first Super Bowl in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium, the temperature is a pleasant 72 degrees while conditions outside are less than tolerable. Thank goodness for Domed Stadiums. Saints consider themselves the home team being indoors and of course the large number of Who Dats that turn out to see the boys win another one. Jets defense is good but the Saints this year have a healthy stable of running backs and are able to mix it up just enough to keep the Jets off balance. Saints pull away in the second half and win by two touchdowns. Saints Head Coach Sean Payton is heard saying after the game "Who's butt got kicked?"
Saints take home second Lombardi trophy in three years. Saints Fans now heard cheering "THREE DAT!!!"
Well, that's a look into my Crystal Ball. What does yours say? Challenge me throughout the season to see if you can top my picks each week.
AFC 2011 Predictions................
Now I'll turn my attention to the AFC. 1st up the AFC South..........In any other year we'd be talking about the Colts making another run. Unfortunately for the Colts this is not one of those years. This will be a highly unusual year for Indy. Peyton Manning's injury is apparently more serious than when we were first informed of it. Just recently having another operation on his neck. My first question as I stated a few weeks ago is "what in the Hell was Bill Polian thinking during the draft this year?" Instead of drafting a quality back up for Manning he decided that Curtis Painter could handle the job? You have a Hall Of Fame QB in Manning however he IS only human. Considering this will be his 14th season some preparation should have at least been thought about for the future of the team. If Manning is out for the season, the Colts will be lucky if they can produce an 8-8 record. Texans will win the Division. If not now then never. Titans will come in a close second. The new coach Munchak will have them ready with all of the distractions finally gone. Jacksonville will finally say goodbye to Jack Del Rio which they should have done a couple years ago. Too little to late was the move to finally say goodbye to the mediocre play of David Garrard. Garrard has always been inconsistent and Del Rio waited a couple seasons too long to get rid of him. Luke McCown is not the answer and probably the rookie Blaine Gabbert will start before the season is out. Again for Del Rio it will be too late. Indy and Jacksonville will fight for the cellar spot this year.
The AFC North will come down to the Steelers and Ravens again. The Browns are still about a year away from being competitive and losing Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan to the Cowboys did not help. The Bengals are in complete disarray.... But what else is new. Why hang on to a QB that doesn't want to be there is beyond me. Someone would have given up a player and/or draft pick for Carson Palmer. Again look at who we are talking about...The Bengals! This should be Marvin Lewis' last year. Really two years ago should have been Marvin Lewis' last year.....Once again though we are talking about THE BENGALS!!! Steelers will win the Division. Ravens will follow in second place and a Wildcard spot in the playoffs. Browns come in third and well you already know where the Bengals finish.
In the AFC East a battle for the Division will come down to New England and the Jets. I know pre season doesn't mean anything but the way the Lions dismantled the Patriots' offensive line I am going with the Jets to win the Division this year with New England getting the WildCard spot for the playoffs. Miami and Buffalo will finish 3rd & 4th respectively. Reggie will have a good year for the Dolphins but it won't be enough of a boost to get them to the promise land this year. Buffalo rebuilding again.
Finally, the AFC West. As I stated earlier don't expect me to pick the Chargers for anything. Too many blown opportunities. Look for the Chiefs to make a run for it this year with the Broncos chasing close behind. With new Head Coach John Fox the Broncos are talented enough to make a run at it as well. If Fox can overcome his poor quarterback evaluation and get Tim Tebow some snaps Denver just might give Kansas City a run for their money. Fox doesn't like running QB's. Get over it John and you might have a winning season. Look for the San Diego Chargers to implode and bring an end to the Norv Turner era. Norv can go back to doing what he does best....a coordinator position. Raiders will be improved but not enough and will drag up the rear again this year.
Well, there you have it........My Predictions for the year. What's yours? Tonite my picks for the winners and losers in the playoffs and eventual Super Bowl.
The AFC North will come down to the Steelers and Ravens again. The Browns are still about a year away from being competitive and losing Defensive Coordinator Rob Ryan to the Cowboys did not help. The Bengals are in complete disarray.... But what else is new. Why hang on to a QB that doesn't want to be there is beyond me. Someone would have given up a player and/or draft pick for Carson Palmer. Again look at who we are talking about...The Bengals! This should be Marvin Lewis' last year. Really two years ago should have been Marvin Lewis' last year.....Once again though we are talking about THE BENGALS!!! Steelers will win the Division. Ravens will follow in second place and a Wildcard spot in the playoffs. Browns come in third and well you already know where the Bengals finish.
In the AFC East a battle for the Division will come down to New England and the Jets. I know pre season doesn't mean anything but the way the Lions dismantled the Patriots' offensive line I am going with the Jets to win the Division this year with New England getting the WildCard spot for the playoffs. Miami and Buffalo will finish 3rd & 4th respectively. Reggie will have a good year for the Dolphins but it won't be enough of a boost to get them to the promise land this year. Buffalo rebuilding again.
Finally, the AFC West. As I stated earlier don't expect me to pick the Chargers for anything. Too many blown opportunities. Look for the Chiefs to make a run for it this year with the Broncos chasing close behind. With new Head Coach John Fox the Broncos are talented enough to make a run at it as well. If Fox can overcome his poor quarterback evaluation and get Tim Tebow some snaps Denver just might give Kansas City a run for their money. Fox doesn't like running QB's. Get over it John and you might have a winning season. Look for the San Diego Chargers to implode and bring an end to the Norv Turner era. Norv can go back to doing what he does best....a coordinator position. Raiders will be improved but not enough and will drag up the rear again this year.
Well, there you have it........My Predictions for the year. What's yours? Tonite my picks for the winners and losers in the playoffs and eventual Super Bowl.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
NFC 2011 Predicitions..................
Well, It's that time a year again when all of the prognosticators bring out their Crystal Balls including yours truly. Last year including the playoffs I had a 157-99 record with regards to my picks, however, my predictions for the Division winners as well as the Super Bowl was off just a tad. I did pick the Packers to be in the NFC Title game but instead of the Packers going to the Super Bowl I picked the Saints. On the AFC side I believe I finally have learned a powerful lesson....DON'T PICK THE CHARGERS! to win anything. San Diego continues to baffle everyone. Anyway, This is the NFC picks today. I'll talk about the Chargers when I do my AFC picks.
First up......The NFC South......By far the best all around Division in the NFC if not the entire league. Only the rebuilding Panthers will not be good enough to challenge for the Title but they will win some games. The Panthers along with their new Head Coach Ron Rivera and number one draft choice Cam Newton will make some waves this year but will have trouble, in a very solid division, getting a division win. Look for the Panthers to finish no better than .500 and that would be a great accomplishment for a first year coach. Next up the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers who will show improvement but unfortunately so will the two other contenders in the South. If the Buccaneers were in another Division they might have a better opportunity. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay they have to face Atlanta and New Orleans twice a year. Reminds me of the days when The Jim Mora led Saints had to face the 49ers and Rams twice a year...not an easy task. Bucs will finish above .500 for the second consecutive year but will need a little luck to make it into the post season. Atlanta will be a force to be reckoned with again this year. It should be another neck and neck race with the Saints to the finish line. Only this year the Saints will win the race and the Division with an 11-5 record Atlanta will fall to 10-6 and a playoff wild card. New Orleans will position itself for another Super Bowl run with home field advantage.
Next up the NFC North......The big question will be is it Green Bay's turn for a Super Bowl hangover or will they be the next New England Patriots and repeat? The Packers are loaded on offense and defense and I expect them to win the Division easily. My surprise team of the year will be the Lions who have quietly under Jim Schwartz built a very solid and FAST team on both sides of the ball. If Detroit QB Matthew Stafford can stay healthy for an entire season look for the Lions to challenge for that last wild card spot. The Bears under Lovie Smith have been consistent but have not been able to get back to the big game since 2006. There is a lot of off the field things going on in Chicago. A lot of players whining about their contracts. It seems to be more about the individuals than the team. The question here is can Lovie Smith bring the Bears together when the real bullets start to fly. If not it could be a long season in the Windy City. The Vikings once again have brought in yesterday's star QB. Can Donovan McNabb resurrect his career once again? Two things have always plagued McNabb.....Injuries and Inconsistency. If he can't get away from either then the Vikings will finish last in the Division and He won't and they will...finish last. One final word on last year's QB Farve......don't count on him fully retired just yet. Should a team say around mid-season or later with a good chance to make the playoffs lose their starting QB, I would say it's better than 50-50 that Favre would come back for that kind of opportunity. He's definitely not coming back for a full season, that I am certain of.
Now to the NFC East where everyone is talking about the Dream Team in Philly. Talent wise the Eagles really have everyone out matched in their Division. I would probably give the nod to Andy Reid for the best Coach as well. But Andy Reid's coaching abilities will truly be tested this year. Can he corral all of those egos in one locker room? It should be an interesting season to say the least for Philadelphia Fans. The Eagles will win the NFC East. Dallas will follow up in second place but will not be strong enough to get to the playoffs and will give Jerry Jones fits because it will be the second consecutive "home for the holidays" for the Cowboys. The Giants are so beat up with injuries this could be Tom Coughlin's swansong considering the short leash on Big Apple coaches. Giants will finish last. The real "unknown" in this division is the Redskins and only because of the coach do I say this. He is a proven winner and could turn things around. But Really Mike is Rex Grossman the best you can do at QB? Maybe Grossman has matured. Only time will tell. If so then the Skins may challenge Dallas for the number two spot.
Finally, the NFC West.........I saved the worst for last. Let's hope that another 7-9 team doesn't win the Division and make the playoffs. That shouldn't be the case with the resurging Rams. This should be a breakout year for Sam Bradford. The Rams organization is another one that has quietly been building a real good football team and should be extremely competitive this year. Rams will win the Division. Finishing a close second will be the Seahawks. I lean in their direction because I believe Pete Carroll has finally found a place he can coach in the big leagues. The Seahawks even though with a new QB will be better than last year and will challenge for the Division. The Cardinals are most people's pick to either win or place 2nd. Unfortunately, you can't win with Larry Fitzgerald alone. Kevin Kolb still looks like he's adjusting to Ken Whisenhunt's version of the West Coast offense. The 49ers...what can you say??? Re-building time. When Jim Harbaugh brought in washed up quarterback Daunte Culpepper for a tryout you know things are bad at the QB position. You've heard it over and over...this is a quarterback driven league and without a quality QB you just can't win that many games. Harbaugh has resigned himself to the fact that the best QB in his stable this year is Alex Smith. If that doesn't say to the 49er faithful "don't get your hopes up" nothing will.
Look for my AFC picks coming soon......
First up......The NFC South......By far the best all around Division in the NFC if not the entire league. Only the rebuilding Panthers will not be good enough to challenge for the Title but they will win some games. The Panthers along with their new Head Coach Ron Rivera and number one draft choice Cam Newton will make some waves this year but will have trouble, in a very solid division, getting a division win. Look for the Panthers to finish no better than .500 and that would be a great accomplishment for a first year coach. Next up the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers who will show improvement but unfortunately so will the two other contenders in the South. If the Buccaneers were in another Division they might have a better opportunity. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay they have to face Atlanta and New Orleans twice a year. Reminds me of the days when The Jim Mora led Saints had to face the 49ers and Rams twice a year...not an easy task. Bucs will finish above .500 for the second consecutive year but will need a little luck to make it into the post season. Atlanta will be a force to be reckoned with again this year. It should be another neck and neck race with the Saints to the finish line. Only this year the Saints will win the race and the Division with an 11-5 record Atlanta will fall to 10-6 and a playoff wild card. New Orleans will position itself for another Super Bowl run with home field advantage.
Next up the NFC North......The big question will be is it Green Bay's turn for a Super Bowl hangover or will they be the next New England Patriots and repeat? The Packers are loaded on offense and defense and I expect them to win the Division easily. My surprise team of the year will be the Lions who have quietly under Jim Schwartz built a very solid and FAST team on both sides of the ball. If Detroit QB Matthew Stafford can stay healthy for an entire season look for the Lions to challenge for that last wild card spot. The Bears under Lovie Smith have been consistent but have not been able to get back to the big game since 2006. There is a lot of off the field things going on in Chicago. A lot of players whining about their contracts. It seems to be more about the individuals than the team. The question here is can Lovie Smith bring the Bears together when the real bullets start to fly. If not it could be a long season in the Windy City. The Vikings once again have brought in yesterday's star QB. Can Donovan McNabb resurrect his career once again? Two things have always plagued McNabb.....Injuries and Inconsistency. If he can't get away from either then the Vikings will finish last in the Division and He won't and they will...finish last. One final word on last year's QB Farve......don't count on him fully retired just yet. Should a team say around mid-season or later with a good chance to make the playoffs lose their starting QB, I would say it's better than 50-50 that Favre would come back for that kind of opportunity. He's definitely not coming back for a full season, that I am certain of.
Now to the NFC East where everyone is talking about the Dream Team in Philly. Talent wise the Eagles really have everyone out matched in their Division. I would probably give the nod to Andy Reid for the best Coach as well. But Andy Reid's coaching abilities will truly be tested this year. Can he corral all of those egos in one locker room? It should be an interesting season to say the least for Philadelphia Fans. The Eagles will win the NFC East. Dallas will follow up in second place but will not be strong enough to get to the playoffs and will give Jerry Jones fits because it will be the second consecutive "home for the holidays" for the Cowboys. The Giants are so beat up with injuries this could be Tom Coughlin's swansong considering the short leash on Big Apple coaches. Giants will finish last. The real "unknown" in this division is the Redskins and only because of the coach do I say this. He is a proven winner and could turn things around. But Really Mike is Rex Grossman the best you can do at QB? Maybe Grossman has matured. Only time will tell. If so then the Skins may challenge Dallas for the number two spot.
Finally, the NFC West.........I saved the worst for last. Let's hope that another 7-9 team doesn't win the Division and make the playoffs. That shouldn't be the case with the resurging Rams. This should be a breakout year for Sam Bradford. The Rams organization is another one that has quietly been building a real good football team and should be extremely competitive this year. Rams will win the Division. Finishing a close second will be the Seahawks. I lean in their direction because I believe Pete Carroll has finally found a place he can coach in the big leagues. The Seahawks even though with a new QB will be better than last year and will challenge for the Division. The Cardinals are most people's pick to either win or place 2nd. Unfortunately, you can't win with Larry Fitzgerald alone. Kevin Kolb still looks like he's adjusting to Ken Whisenhunt's version of the West Coast offense. The 49ers...what can you say??? Re-building time. When Jim Harbaugh brought in washed up quarterback Daunte Culpepper for a tryout you know things are bad at the QB position. You've heard it over and over...this is a quarterback driven league and without a quality QB you just can't win that many games. Harbaugh has resigned himself to the fact that the best QB in his stable this year is Alex Smith. If that doesn't say to the 49er faithful "don't get your hopes up" nothing will.
Look for my AFC picks coming soon......
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