NFL Predictions
We're less than two weeks away from the start of the NFL season. Hope is high for both local teams; one coming off an improbable Super Bowl run, the other executing a highly productive off-season, capped by landing a Hall of Fame QB.
Here are my predictions for the 2008/09 NFL Season:
AFC East
1) New England Patriots
2) New York Jets*
3) Buffalo Bills
4) Miami Dolphins
The Patriots are just too good not to win this division. The race for second will be a tough one, as the Bills will fight tooth and nail for a wild card berth with the Jets. Favre will help put them over the top in that battle, though. The Dolphins are still rebuilding, though the week one matchup of Favre vs. Pennington in Miami is certainly intriguing.
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-- Tim Fiorvanti
AFC West
1) San Diego Chargers
2) Denver Broncos
3) Kansas City Chiefs
4) Oakland Raiders
No one is stopping the Chargers. Drew Brees and LT are both coming back from injury, but no one will put up a serious fight in this division. The Raiders are awful, and the Chiefs are lacking a solid quarterback (sorry Mr. Croyle). The Broncos will have a thousand yard rusher, but Jay Cutler's health is a question mark, and how Cutler goes so goes the Broncos' season.
AFC North
1) Pittsburgh Steelers
2) Cleveland Browns
3) Baltimore Ravens
4) Cincinnati Bengals
This could get ugly, but Big Ben will lead the Steelers to a one or two game advantage on the improving Browns. The AFC is a deep conference, though, and the Browns will contend with 3-4 other teams for a wild card berth. The Ravens will improve upon last season's 5-11 debacle, but not enough. The Bengals, with injuries to both of their star WRs, will not be able to simply ride their running game, and they will struggle all season.
AFC South
1) Indianapolis Colts
2) Tennessee Titans*
3) Jacksonville Jaguars
4) Houston Texans
The top three in this division will be very close all season, and depending on Peyton Manning's health, any of the three could conceivably win the division, with the second place finisher likely grabbing the wild card. It's not impossible for the South to get both wild cards for a second straight season. The Texans should continue to hover around .500, and Matt Schaub to Andre Johnson should be fun to watch.
NFC East
1) Dallas Cowboys
2) New York Giants*
3) Philadelphia Eagles
4) Washington Redskins
There's no denying that Osi Umenyiora's injury could be devastating to the G-Men. The NFC East is tough with a capital T, and while Dallas is the clear favorite here, the other three teams could finish anywhere between 2-4 and no one would bat an eye. The Eagles will be in the thick of things as always, but the Redskins are still sorting things out under new head coach Jim Zorn.
NFC West
1) Seattle Seahawks
2) St. Louis Rams
3) Arizona Cardinals
4) San Francisco 49ers
The NFC West will continue to be one of the worst divisions in football. Until one of the other three teams steps up, the Seahawks should be the favorites by default again this year. If the Stephen Jackson saga ends soon, you might see some competition from the Rams. The Cardinals have the receiving weapons but Matt Leinart just can't step it up, leaving coach Ken Wisenhunt no choice but to give the job to Kurt Warner. And the Niners are starting J.T. O'Sullivan over their former number one pick, Alex Smith. 'Nuff said.
NFC North
1) Minnesota Vikings
2) Green Bay Packers*
3) Chicago Bears
4) Detroit Lions
The division is the Vikings' to lose this year. Adrian Peterson should continue to improve, which is scary. The Packers will likely struggle to re-establish an identity with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, and it will likely take a year for him to truly settle in. They will be right in the thick of the wild card hunt, because of weapons like Ryan Grant and Greg Jennings. The Bears have named Kyle Orton their quarterback, because they're entertained by the thought of rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic. The Lions will struggle, as Jon Kitna will not be as good as he was last season, but a glimmer of hope will shine in the Lions backfield in the form of rookie Kevin Smith.
NFC South
1) New Orleans Saints
2) Carolina Panthers
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4) Atlanta Falcons
The only sure thing in this division is that the Falcons will finish in last. A whole lot of rebuilding to do down in Georgia, and Matt Ryan is going to take a beating, in both a literal and figurative sense. Reggie Bush is not an every down back, but he will continue to improve and show flashes of absolute brilliance for the Saints, who will eke out a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The Buccaneers may start four QBs on offense, seeing as they make up about 30% of their roster. DeAngelo Williams will shine amongst an otherwise mediocre Panther team, which is unfortunate for Jake Delhomme, for whom this might be a do-or-die season.
* = Wild Card berth
WILD CARD
AFC
Jets d. Steelers
The Jets, if they make it to this point, will have made it through a tough AFC East division and persevered over a deep and competitive conference. They avenge their heartbreaking 2005 playoff defeat here against Pittsburgh
Patriots d. Titans
The penalty for playing in a tough division for the Pats is not having a bye and having to go on the road twice in order to get back to the playoffs. They get through this one with relative ease.
NFC
Giants d. Vikings
It won't be quite the drubbing they handed the Vikings the last time the two met in the playoffs, but the Giants knock off the dark horse Vikings and get themselves one step closer to repeating as champions.
Packers d. Seahawks
The Seahawks are in the playoffs by default, and despite the home field advantage, can't take down the Pack. Aaron Rodgers gets a street named after him (just kidding).
DIVISIONAL
AFC
Chargers d. Jets
LT and company are too strong for the Jets and Gang Green is sent packing.
Patriots d. Colts
The Pats go on the road and knock off the Colts, but this one goes down to the very end. Stephen Gostkowski shows a flash of Vinatieri-like clutchness and nails the game-winner as time expires.
NFC
Cowboys d. Packers
An offensive flurry gives the Cowboys a laugher of a victory in this one. Aaron Rodgers ave. is burned to the ground
Saints d. Giants
In a relatively close game, Hofstra alum Marques Colston catches two TDs and brings the Saints back to the NFC Championship game
CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
AFC
Chargers d. Patriots
The Chargers finally get themselves over the hump and establish themselves in the upper echelon of the AFC. The Chargers turn this into a high-scoring affair, and the Pats can't quite keep up, despite an epic Wes Welker performance.
NFC
Cowboys d. Saints
The Cowboys get themselves into the Super Bowl for the first time since 1996. The Saints get to the brink again, but can't quite measure up to Dallas.
SUPER BOWL
Cowboys d. Chargers
T.O. finally gets the title that he thinks he deserves, and Wade Phillips protects himself, at least for another season, from an impending Jason Garrett coup. Knowing Jerry Jones, however, you can never be quite so sure
