Predict the NFL Standings

Make your early NFL standings predictions. Just before the season starts, maybe we should do our final predictions and make a contest out of it.

AFC

East

New England 12-4
Miami 10-6
NY Jets 7-9
Buffalo 5-11

North

Baltimore 10-6
Cincinnati 7-9
Pittsburgh 6-10
Cleveland 4-12

South

Indianapolis 11-5
Tennessee 9-7
Jacksonville 8-8
Houston 7-9

West

Kansas City 11-5
Denver 11-5
Oakland 6-10
San Diego 3-13

NFC

East

Philadelphia 13-3
Dallas 9-7
Washington 8-8
NY Giants 4-12

North

Minnesota 10-6
Green Bay 9-7
Detroit 7-9
Chicago 6-10

South

Carolina 10-6
Atlanta 9-7
New Orleans 8-8
Tampa Bay 7-9

West

Seattle 11-5
St. Louis 10-6
Arizona 5-11
San Francisco 3-13

Buffalo won't finish worse then the 6-10 record they had last year.I would bet money on it.

I will NOT accept that bet. :)

I thought I had them at 6-10 again, but apparently not. Screw changing it.

LOL,well atleast you had prediction wins-losses right.More then half the people who do predictions have W-L numbers that don't add up.

LOL,well atleast you had prediction wins-losses right.More then half the people who do predictions have W-L numbers that don't add up.

Yeah, I looked at it afterwards and made a couple changes just so it would add up.

Looks like I'm the only one putting my predictions out. :D

I'll just throw out what I think the playoff seeds will be:

AFC
1. Indianapolis
2. Denver
3. New England
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston
6. NY Jets

NFC
1. Philadelphia
2. Minnesota
3. Seattle
4. Carolina
5. Detroit
6. Dallas

Don't be suprised if NE pulls the same stunt they did after winning their first Super Bowl, and ends up barely being over .500.

I'll just throw out what I think the playoff seeds will be:

AFC
4. Cincinnati
5. Houston


NFC

2. Minnesota
5. Detroit




:lol :lol:


I'll have my predictions up later tonight.But Detroit? :joker: Houston? :joker: And Minny will obviously choke again.

What's so funny? This isn't the MLB playoffs we're talking about....half the teams in the NFL playoffs each year come out of no where and make the playoffs anyway.

Everyone laughed when I had Carolina in the playoffs in my predictions last year.

Ok, yeah Ill bite. Here are my playoff team predictions because I dont want to put all the work into predicting exact records and making sure they all match up properly.

AFC
1. Indianapolis
2. New England
3. Kansas City
4. Baltimore
5. Denver
6. Jacksonville

NFC
1. Philadelphia
2. Seattle
3. Carolina
4. Minnesota
5. Green Bay
6. St. Louis

The Buffalo Bills will take it again this upcoming season.

Dug up from the last thread...

NFC

East
1- Eagles (10-6 to 12-4). I think their off-season loses at CB blunt their gains. Still the best of their division and one of the best in the division.
2- Redskins (8-8 to 10-6). The defensive line flat-out sucks and will limit them, but Gibbs will get the offense humming enough to fight for a WC berth.
3- Cowboys (7-9 to 10-6). Parcells is a great coach and will get the most out of the team, but the bottom line is that their just isn't a whole lot of talent to work with on either side of the ball. Smoke and Mirrors can only get you so far.
4- Giants (3-13 to 6-10). Rookie QB and bad lines don't mix. Add in some bruised egos by vets and you have a potent mixture for failure.

North
1- Vikings (10-6 to 12-4). As good of an off-season as any team in the league. Made great strides shoring up a so-so defense and made a potent offense downright scary with the return of Bennett and additions of Wiggins and Robinson. Have improved each and every year under Tice, should take the next step.
2- Packers* (9-7 to 11-5). Had the division crown for only a single play last year, but it was the one that mattered most. Won't give up without a fight, but didn't keep up with an improving division. If they don't hold off the Vikes, should be a favorite for a Wild Card berth.
3- Lions (6-10 to 8-8). Improving quickly, but still have a ways to go. Tons of youth at key positions that will need time to acclimate.
4- Bears (6-10 to 8-8). Headed in the right direction, but will take 2 steps back before taking 3 steps forward. Woefully inexperienced coaching staff, new offense, new defense and a glut of new starters will cause considerable growing pains.

South
1- Panthers (9-7 to 11-5). Played their cards right last year, but overachieved some. Rebuilding the line for a run-based team is a head scratcher that doesn't bode well.
2- Tampa Bay (7-9 to 9-7). Without a doubt, this is now Gruden's team. An old team without one discernable position of strength left. Gruden is a great coach, but his ego may be getting the better of him.
3- Atlanta (6-10 to 8-8). All aboard the Vick-hype express!! Destination: disappointment. Why on earth anybody would try to shoehorn Vick into a West-Cost-Offense (a premium on timing and accuracy, Vick's weakest attributes) is beyond me.
4- New Orleans (6-10 to 8-8). By all accounts, they should make the play-offs. Saints just routinely end up less than the sum of their parts. Good 'stats', bad 'team'.

West
1- Seattle (9-7 to 11-5). A team of contrasts. Awesome at home, terrible on the road. Great in the secondary, terrible on the line. Have an explosive offense that will off-set a marginal defense (well, half is so-so and the other half great) to win their division.
2- St. Louis* (8-8 to 10-6). Offense should be strong, even with the erratic Bulger in charge. However, defense looks suspect. If Little does go (suspension and/or jail), then this DL is attrocious. Even if he stays, it is still poor. If they had a savvy coach that could hide weaknesses, they could get by. They have Martz.
3- Arizona (5-11 to 7-9). Cards have too many holes to fix overnight, and Green is not capable of a Parcells-like fix.
4- San Fran (4-12 to 6-10). Even if the defense proves solid, no offense in the NFL is more challanged than the Niners. Not even Ricky Williams proved able to carry a team all by himself. Barlow is no Williams.

AFC

East
1- Patriots (10-6 to 12-4). Gotta show love for the champs. Tough to repeat, but tougher to not give them their due.
2- Jets* (9-7 to 10-6). I think they are a sleeper this year. They have invested a ton in their defensive line, if they can perform up to par it will help shield a so-so secondary. Pennington is back and will have more to work with as well. My darkhorse pick for a Wild Card berth.
3- Miami (7-9 to 9-7). Took a step back. O-Line is in disarray, Ogunleye's situation looks ugly, Boston is a total headcase and Feely is no savior.
4- Bills (5-11 to 7-9). Tough to be too optimistic with a rookie head coach. Could surprise if the offense steps up and defense maintains a high level of performance. Need to show a dramatic improvement in pass blocking.

North
1- Ravens (8-8 to 10-6). Virtually win by default. Defense is top-notch as is the running game. Passing game flat-out blows. Boller looks more athlete than QB and has virtually nothing to work with (Heap is it).
2- Steelers (6-10 to 8-8). I don't think they were as bad as they seemed last year, injuries across the o-line decimated them. Will still struggle to reach .500, but that may be good enough to win the division.
3- Bengals (6-10 to 8-8). The Palmer era begins and with it come the growing pains of a young QB. Will be hard pressed to match last year's record.
4- Browns (4-12 to 6-10). Inept, Cleveland be thy name. Questions abound all over the place, just easier to list off their strengths. ______ Here endeth the reading.

South
1- Indy (9-7 to 11-5). Took some $$ hits keeping Manning, but still didn't lose as much as their closest rival. Solid team, but not a dominate one.
2- Tennessee (8-8 to 10-6). The window to the Super Bowl is closing fast. If it hasn't closed already. They now live and die by the oft-injured arm of McNair. The defense will miss the double-team that Kearse draws.
3- Houston (7-9 to 9-7). Could/should be a surprise team this year. Offense has the ingredients to get the job done and the defense brought in some key players. May even make a run at the division title.
4- Jacksonville (6-10 to 8-8). Improving fast, still a work in progress. Del Rio and Leftwich are both learning on the job.

West
1- Denver (9-7 to 11-5). Tough call. Lost Portis, but can get by with a Runningback-by-committee. Lost Sharpe, but Plummer will have another year in the system. Lost McCaffrey, but he was marginal and Lelie should improve. Lost Mobley, but drafted Williams. Lost Gold, but added Bailey. Lost Berry, but added Lynch. In all, I give the benefit of the doubt to Shanahan and think he gets them the division.
2- KC* (8-8 to 10-6). Overachieved last year and were helped by a soft schedule. Not as fortunate this time. Defense remains an eyesore and the offense took a hit with Tait's departure.
3- Oakland (6-10 to 8-8). Made a lot of noise, but not as much improvement. Washington and Sapp have nothing to play for but paychecks at this point. They do not off-set the talent that was lost. Offense wants to go to a running attach, but lack the RBs to do it. I expect them to be better than last year, but not significantly so. 8-8 looks like their ceiling to me.
4- San Diego (3-13 to 5-11). If it was not for Tomlinson, this team would struggle to cross the 50-yard line all year on their way to a 0-16 season. They have maybe a half dozen (AT MOST) guys that would be sure to start on any other team. Heck, they have some starters that might not make other team's rosters.

Alright, I had a complete mental lapse and forgot Palmer was named starting QB....perhaps I shouldn't have picked them to make the playoffs.

The Buffalo Bills will take it again this upcoming season.


HAHAHA you are such a riot Leafaholix,have fun watching the CFL...


My Playoff predictions:


AFC
1.Indianapolis
2.New England
3.Baltimore
4.Oakland
5.Kansas City
6.Jacksonville

NFC
1.Philadelphia
2.Green Bay
3.New Orleans
4.St.Louis
5.Seattle
6.Carolina

HAHAHA you are such a riot Leafaholix,have fun watching the CFL...
Oh, I do have fun watching the CFL.

That's why I'm a CFL fan and not a NFL fan.

6.Jacksonville


I'd love for it to happen. :handclap:

But I think my Jags are a year away from making the playoffs.

Oh, I do have fun watching the CFL.

That's why I'm a CFL fan and not a NFL fan.


As long as you didn't say the CFL is better then the NFL,or I may have **** my pants laughing so hard.

As long as you didn't say the CFL is better then the NFL,or I may have **** my pants laughing so hard.
The product on the field is as good as the NFL for me.

If not better.

But, I'm not a fan of the NFL. I'll watch when I have $ on a game or if it has to do with fantasy football. Other than that, I don't care much for the 4-down style of football.

I've got a perfectly fine football team in Toronto that I cheer for. I don't need to cheer for a $800,000,000 team that's packed with 40 buffoons that go around thinking their the **** because they make $15,000,000.

The CFL is as exciting as the NFL. The average player in the CFL isn't as good as the average NFL player... they get paid much less... there are fewer teams... and there isn't as large of a "fan base", due to the difference in population (34,000,000 to 250,000,000). But the product on the field is as exciting as the NFL for fans and if you manage to go out to Saskatchewan or Montreal to catch a game, there are 50,000 fans screaming and hollering for the team they've grown up watching.

I'd much rather keep the NFL out of Toronto.

Ok, yeah Ill bite. Here are my playoff team predictions because I dont want to put all the work into predicting exact records and making sure they all match up properly.

AFC
1. Indianapolis
2. New England
3. Kansas City
4. Baltimore
5. Denver
6. Jacksonville

You do know that is impossible right? The seeding would have tog o like this...


Indy
KC
Baltimore
Jacksonville
New England
Denver

if you manage to go out to Saskatchewan or Montreal to catch a game, there are 50,000 fans screaming and hollering for the team they've grown up watching.

I'd much rather keep the NFL out of Toronto.
I find that funny since the Als and Riders combined capacity is barely 50, 000

I find that funny since the Als and Riders combined capacity is barely 50, 000
I was under the impression the Als attendance was much higher.

Well, it's always sold-out.

And I'm looking forward to Varsity stadium here in Toronto in 2007, it's going to be a hell of a place to watch the Argos play. Perfect location... and the best part is that it's outdoors.

AAAAAAAAAAARGOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS!

You do know that is impossible right? The seeding would have tog o like this...


Indy
KC
Baltimore
Jacksonville
New England
Denver

Actually, Indy and Jacksonville are in the same division. He had it right.

HAHAHA you are such a riot Leafaholix,have fun watching the CFL...


My Playoff predictions:


AFC
1.Indianapolis
2.New England
3.Baltimore
4.Oakland
5.Kansas City
6.Jacksonville

NFC
1.Philadelphia
2.Green Bay
3.New Orleans
4.St.Louis
5.Seattle
6.Carolina

Kinda funny. You dis Minnesota for choking, but then put New Orleans in the play-offs. It was a friggen extra point for crying out loud. After one of the most spectacular plays in recent years to boot. They are just a team that has consistently found a way to blow it. Minnesota at least typically waits until the NFC Championship to cough it up.

You knock Houston, but put Jacksonville in. They were only a game apart last year and Houston was riddled with injuries. Houston added more talent in the off-season and has the far more experienced coaching staff.

Kinda funny. You dis Minnesota for choking, but then put New Orleans in the play-offs. It was a friggen extra point for crying out loud. After one of the most spectacular plays in recent years to boot. They are just a team that has consistently found a way to blow it. Minnesota at least typically waits until the NFC Championship to cough it up.

You knock Houston, but put Jacksonville in. They were only a game apart last year and Houston was riddled with injuries. Houston added more talent in the off-season and has the far more experienced coaching staff.


Jacksonville easily has the more talented team.Leftwich is a better QB then Carr,Fred Taylor is a top 10 RB,they added Reggie Williams at wideout to pair up with Jimmy Smith,and Jacksonville has the best defensive tackle combo in football and the funny thing is that they are only 25,and 26.They have a decent LB core,and while they secondary is average,Del Rio is a players' coach.

And just because I put NO in there doesn't mean they'll make it out of round 1.And anyway,I'll take Aaron Brooks,Deuce McCallister, and Joe Horn over Culpepper,Bennet and Moss anyday..

Brooks>Culpepper
McCallister>>Bennet
Horn<Moss

The defenses are about the same also.And JCD,missing 1 XP isn't as bad as going 6-0 and then missing the playoffs...especially when you lose against the Cardinals on a last second play ;)

Jacksonville easily has the more talented team.Leftwich is a better QB then Carr,Fred Taylor is a top 10 RB,they added Reggie Williams at wideout to pair up with Jimmy Smith,and Jacksonville has the best defensive tackle combo in football and the funny thing is that they are only 25,and 26.They have a decent LB core,and while they secondary is average,Del Rio is a players' coach.

Disagree, I think it is half dozen on one, six on the other. Neither team has a notable advantage on the other. Both are teams on the rise.

-While Leftwich may be better than Carr in time, Carr is better today.
-HB favors Jacksonville, but Davis was impressive as well. Both have good back-ups too.
-WR is a wash. Smith is not the player of old, Andre Johnson was better last year and that gap will only widen. Williams is a rookie (and a bit of a reach), Edwards is a mediocre slot reciever and nobody else is of significance. Both Gaffney and Bradford are best as slot receivers. While neither is as good as Williams could be, both are better than Edwards.
-Brady is an extra tackle in decline, Breuner is his equal. Texans also have Joppru and Miller fighting for the receiving TE position while Jacksonville have a whole lot of nothing in that department. This strongly favors Houston.
-OL favors Houston. Pitts, Wade, Wiegert, Brown and McKinney trump Pearson/Salaam, Williams, Manuwai, Naeole and Meester.
-Stroud and Henderson are exceptional. Best? Maybe, but there is some strong competition out there (Eagles, Panthers and Vikes for example). Douglas and Brackens are more name than performance. Payne, Smith and Walker are solid starters for a 3-4. Each has the size to hold up against the run and can push the pocket. While Jags are better, the margin isn't as great as you might think.
-Houston is much better than Jacksonville at LB. It isn't even close. Sharper is head and shoulders above anybody else. Add in Wong and Forman (two solid vets) and Babin (high-end 3-4 OLB) and Peterson-Ayodele-Favors fall short.
-Darius and Grant are better than Coleman and Brown. If Coleman doesn't make the conversion to safety, they are much better.
-CB favors Houston. By a very wide margin. Mathais and Boldin just can't compare to Glenn and Robinson. Niether have much depth.
-Staley and Brown are a much better kicker combo than Hanson and whichever rookie/journeyman Jacksonville keeps.

In all, while Jacksonville is better at safety, DL and RB, Houston is better at LB, TE, CB and OL. Toss in the coaching advantage of Capers and I don't see how Jacksonville is so much better. Del Rio may be a players coach, but Capers is a good coach. If one of those teams is going to break out, I will take the one with more experienced QB, a more experienced coach, the better offensive line and the deeper defense.

And just because I put NO in there doesn't mean they'll make it out of round 1.And anyway,I'll take Aaron Brooks,Deuce McCallister, and Joe Horn over Culpepper,Bennet and Moss anyday.

Would that be based off a bias or performance though?

Brooks>Culpepper
You have got to be kidding. Now, tell me, where does Brooks prove better? As a passer? No, Culpepper is both more productive and carries a better rating. As a runner? No, again Culpepper wins. Gotta be results? No, because Brooks has led the Saints absolutely nowhere. In fact, in the one and only play-off run of Brooks career, the Culpepper-led Vikings mopped the floor with them. Culpepper was Player of the Game. Brooks has absolutely nothing on Culpepper. NOTHING.

McCallister>>Bennet
That is a no brainer. Bennett can't hold a candle to McAllister. Not that Bennett isn't a good back, but McAllister is one of the best. If you look for depth though, Saints have none while Vikes have both Smith and Williams waiting in the wings. Heck, Vikes 4th back Moore would be the Saints top back-up.

Horn<Moss
Another no brainer. The gap between these two is greater than the gap between McAllister and Bennett. Moss is the best in the game, Horn is in decline.

If you want to look past them, Saints close the gap some at the 2nd WR spot, but Vikes get it back with depth. Stallworth is potentially better than anything the Vikes can offer. Then again, the Saints don't have much else (an aging Crowell who didn't play last year) while the Vikes run 4-deep with Burleson, Campbell and Robinson.

There are more than just three players on each side.

Vikes offensive line is better than the Saints. Birk is one of the best in the league, McKinnie and Liwienski are Pro-Bowl caliber while Dixon and Rosenthal are adequate. Bentley is one of the best guards in the league and should be a great center, but none of Riley, Gandy, Holland or Jacox are noteworthy. TE is a saw-off, Saints have the better depth while Vikes have the best overall individual.

The defenses are about the same also.

Strongly disagree here.

Williams, Hovan, Udeze and Mixon (with Johnston, Scott and Martin off the bench) are on par with Sullivan, Young, Howard and Grant (with Smith, Bryant and Smith off the bench).

Claiborne, Thomas and Henderson are at least as good as Huff, Rodgers and Hodge. Vikes have the advantage of youth and depth though.

Up to this point, it is pretty close. Vikes blow the doors off once you add in the secondary.

Chavous and Russell are an excellent pair of playmaking safeties, Jones is decent for the Saints but the other spot is up for grabs. Vikes win hands down.

Vikes second CB (Williams) is as good as the Saints best (Thomas), they just don't have an answer for WInfield. Heck, Vikes stack up pretty well to the Saints WITHOUT Winfield. Add him in and it is a landslide.

Saints have the edge with kickers. Though that is marginal. Depends on if the 40-year-old Carney has anything left and if the young Elling can improve on a so-so rookie season. Berger and Bennett are about equal.

And JCD,missing 1 XP isn't as bad as going 6-0 and then missing the playoffs...especially when you lose against the Cardinals on a last second play :joker:

The 'Aints have a proud tradition of choking versus one season for the Vikes.

Vikes blew their hot start by playing down to lesser teams. Replay the last two minutes of that Cards game a hundred times and you won't see that same result again. Just an FYI, it wasn't a last second play, it was the last second. After recovering a fumbled snap. That was preceeded by two sacks. That was set up by a 30-yard pass interference call. On a drive that wouldn't have even happened if Kleinsasser didn't fumble the on-side kick recovery. It was a fluke. Every item of chance fell in the Cards favor. Vikes still choked, but it was a bizarre set of events.

I'd have to say that Kris Jenkins and Brentson Buckner are a better defensive tackle combo than Stroud and Henderson. Not to mention the entire defensive line. Jenkins is the best defensive tackle in the game, and Buckner is incredible in his own right.

I had an off year last year, which means i'm due for a good year...
LAST YEAR...the only teams i had correctly in the playoffs were...kansas city, tennessee, seattle, green bay...4/12...in 2002-03 i was 10/12...so now i'm coming back with a vengance....

DM03's not even close to official season picks
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks...I think theyre the best team in the NFC...and as to the race to home field, they're gonna get home field the way the Eagles have the past three years...cupcake division games...Seattle was a team on the rise and added two pro bowlers, wistrom and bobby taylor.
2. Carolina Panthers...The same team that won the NFC last season is almost 100% back. Home field advantage, John Fox is one of the best coaches in the league. A major liability is if Stephen Davis gets hurt, heck they fought thru that last year too.
3. Green Bay Packers...Defensive weakness, maybe. Deeper on the defensive line than you are led to believe, rookies from a year ago (Lee, Peterson) will see time. Nick Barnett entering a 2nd year, Diggs still steady, however someone should shoot Hannibal Naivies. The secondary will still be good if McKenzie comes back. The bottom line is they have the best running game in football, will win a lot of games late and hold onto leads by running down the clock. As long as Favre puts on a jersey, I'll still believe.
4.Philadelphia Eagles...Everyone is ready to hand them the keys to the NFL. Think again. A very ugly division race, they'll actually have competition in the east, and I'm not sure they'll win the east yet. Terrell Owens is bound to stir up some trouble, their defense will be five times less aggressive with two soft cornerbacks starting in place of pro bowlers Vincent and Taylor.
5.Minnesota Vikings...Rounding out the top five teams in the NFC. The Vikings are on the upswing for certain, defense has been improving steadily over the last two seasons. I noticed it at the end of 2002, Randy Moss started to shut up and acted his age, followed it up with a standout 2003, if he can keep it up, no reason he can't be an MVP-type player again.
6. Detroit Lions...why? because I can. Chances are I'll have them missing the playoffs. Another year and this team will be dangerous. Marriucci is an outstanding coach and will get his bunch of young stars to mature quickly. OTHER possible NFC wild card teams...Washington, Chicago, Dallas.

AFC
1. New England Patriots...the team to beat, period. I had them missing the playoffs in both of their super bowl years, but I also had them missing the year after their super bowl. Will Corey Dillon behave himself? Belichek will not let this team be overconfident after this past title.
2.Indianapolis ColtsI'm not confident about this team, but there really aren't many quality teams in the AFC. Didn't really improve...lost a key guy from the defense, Marcus Washington. No real draftees looking to contribute. Still posess an electric offense which will win them some crucial games. 11-5, maybe 10-6 good enough to earn the #2 seed.
3. Baltimore Ravens...Defense wins games. Offensive questions, if Boller can get into rythym (i'm saying he won't). An upgrade at reciever in Kevin Johnson. Jamal Lewis still a great rusher if he plays (what's up with his drug charges anyway)
4. Kansas City Chiefs...What a lame division. I'm not that confident in Kansas City's defense. Denver could be the best team in the west, but i don't trust Jake Plummer. I'd be putting longshot money on the Raiders to pull it out, given the acquisitions of Sapp, Washington, but Norv Turner won't lead this team to the playoffs.
5. Tennessee Titans...Steve McNair wins games. This team's been 'down' before, and surely enough Steve McNair has come out of nowhere, despite playing with one functioning arm and leg, to lead this team to victory. Lost some key parts, however, and Eddie George's return is key.
6. ???? All up for grabs and I'm sick of typing. The Bills upgraded their defense (Gildon, Vincent to replace Winfield), but have QB/offensive line emergencies. The Jets are due to surprise and annoy everyone, but lost veterans Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones, Szott, Garnes and Curtis Conway. The Bengals surprised everyone last year, but have a 1st year QB making the start. The Steelers return a good core from last year minus gildon, IMO this is Cowher's last stand. The Broncos will certainly pull a 1,000 yard rusher out of nowhere again, but still have Plummer throwing the ball to the other team. The Raiders bulked up on their defensive line and have the best Kicker-Punter combo in the league (thats how the bears won the division 3 years ago), but lost versatility in Garner. I think Miami will be better off with AJ Feeley, though I hear he sucked at mini camp, has a good reciever in Boston. Miami will linger and give it up in December as per always. Jacksonville and Houston have good, young cores that could sneak up on a lot of teams. Cleveland...heck, who knows, this is the NFL..as long as youre not a charger fan your team has a shot to make the afc playoffs

I was under the impression the Als attendance was much higher.

Well, it's always sold-out.
Its also the smallest stadium in north american professional sports.

Actually, Indy and Jacksonville are in the same division. He had it right.
right, my bad. Its just so stupid to have the colts in the south.

I had an off year last year, which means i'm due for a good year...
LAST YEAR...the only teams i had correctly in the playoffs were...kansas city, tennessee, seattle, green bay...4/12...in 2002-03 i was 10/12...so now i'm coming back with a vengance....

DM03's not even close to official season picks
NFC
1. Seattle Seahawks...I think theyre the best team in the NFC...and as to the race to home field, they're gonna get home field the way the Eagles have the past three years...cupcake division games...Seattle was a team on the rise and added two pro bowlers, wistrom and bobby taylor.
2. Carolina Panthers...The same team that won the NFC last season is almost 100% back. Home field advantage, John Fox is one of the best coaches in the league. A major liability is if Stephen Davis gets hurt, heck they fought thru that last year too.
3. Green Bay Packers...Defensive weakness, maybe. Deeper on the defensive line than you are led to believe, rookies from a year ago (Lee, Peterson) will see time. Nick Barnett entering a 2nd year, Diggs still steady, however someone should shoot Hannibal Naivies. The secondary will still be good if McKenzie comes back. The bottom line is they have the best running game in football, will win a lot of games late and hold onto leads by running down the clock. As long as Favre puts on a jersey, I'll still believe.
4.Philadelphia Eagles...Everyone is ready to hand them the keys to the NFL. Think again. A very ugly division race, they'll actually have competition in the east, and I'm not sure they'll win the east yet. Terrell Owens is bound to stir up some trouble, their defense will be five times less aggressive with two soft cornerbacks starting in place of pro bowlers Vincent and Taylor.
5.Minnesota Vikings...Rounding out the top five teams in the NFC. The Vikings are on the upswing for certain, defense has been improving steadily over the last two seasons. I noticed it at the end of 2002, Randy Moss started to shut up and acted his age, followed it up with a standout 2003, if he can keep it up, no reason he can't be an MVP-type player again.
6. Detroit Lions...why? because I can. Chances are I'll have them missing the playoffs. Another year and this team will be dangerous. Marriucci is an outstanding coach and will get his bunch of young stars to mature quickly. OTHER possible NFC wild card teams...Washington, Chicago, Dallas.

AFC
1. New England Patriots...the team to beat, period. I had them missing the playoffs in both of their super bowl years, but I also had them missing the year after their super bowl. Will Corey Dillon behave himself? Belichek will not let this team be overconfident after this past title.
2.Indianapolis ColtsI'm not confident about this team, but there really aren't many quality teams in the AFC. Didn't really improve...lost a key guy from the defense, Marcus Washington. No real draftees looking to contribute. Still posess an electric offense which will win them some crucial games. 11-5, maybe 10-6 good enough to earn the #2 seed.
3. Baltimore Ravens...Defense wins games. Offensive questions, if Boller can get into rythym (i'm saying he won't). An upgrade at reciever in Kevin Johnson. Jamal Lewis still a great rusher if he plays (what's up with his drug charges anyway)
4. Kansas City Chiefs...What a lame division. I'm not that confident in Kansas City's defense. Denver could be the best team in the west, but i don't trust Jake Plummer. I'd be putting longshot money on the Raiders to pull it out, given the acquisitions of Sapp, Washington, but Norv Turner won't lead this team to the playoffs.
5. Tennessee Titans...Steve McNair wins games. This team's been 'down' before, and surely enough Steve McNair has come out of nowhere, despite playing with one functioning arm and leg, to lead this team to victory. Lost some key parts, however, and Eddie George's return is key.
6. ???? All up for grabs and I'm sick of typing. The Bills upgraded their defense (Gildon, Vincent to replace Winfield), but have QB/offensive line emergencies. The Jets are due to surprise and annoy everyone, but lost veterans Mo Lewis, Marvin Jones, Szott, Garnes and Curtis Conway. The Bengals surprised everyone last year, but have a 1st year QB making the start. The Steelers return a good core from last year minus gildon, IMO this is Cowher's last stand. The Broncos will certainly pull a 1,000 yard rusher out of nowhere again, but still have Plummer throwing the ball to the other team. The Raiders bulked up on their defensive line and have the best Kicker-Punter combo in the league (thats how the bears won the division 3 years ago), but lost versatility in Garner. I think Miami will be better off with AJ Feeley, though I hear he sucked at mini camp, has a good reciever in Boston. Miami will linger and give it up in December as per always. Jacksonville and Houston have good, young cores that could sneak up on a lot of teams. Cleveland...heck, who knows, this is the NFL..as long as youre not a charger fan your team has a shot to make the afc playoffs

Good thoughts. A couple items:

1) I don't think Wistrom ever made a Pro Bowl. IMO, he is a vastly over-rated player. Still a good starter, but not a gamebreaker. He is an all-out effort guy. Without Little (or Carter) on the other side drawing double teams, I think he is in for a fall. He struggles to reach double-digit sacks as-is, so I think 8 is about his ceiling. Still a good and needed addition, but he isn't going to play to the level of his contract.

2) I wouldn't call Vincent for Winfield an upgrade. Vincent is a great leader, but age is showing as a CB. He might make more INTs, but is a step down in coverage. A notable one IMO.

3) And last but not least, you have got the Vikes and Packers flipped :D Packers had the division title for only a single play last year, the last of season.

I wouldn't call Vincent for Winfield an upgrade. Vincent is a great leader, but age is showing as a CB. He might make more INTs, but is a step down in coverage. A notable one IMO.

3) And last but not least, you have got the Vikes and Packers flipped :D Packers had the division title for only a single play last year, the last of season.

Vincent is an upgrade for the Bills, I think that team needs a veteran leader.

The Packers and the Vikings, as even as it gets, I'm taking Green Bay.

The product on the field is as good as the NFL for me.

If not better.

But, I'm not a fan of the NFL. I'll watch when I have $ on a game or if it has to do with fantasy football. Other than that, I don't care much for the 4-down style of football.

I've got a perfectly fine football team in Toronto that I cheer for. I don't need to cheer for a $800,000,000 team that's packed with 40 buffoons that go around thinking their the **** because they make $15,000,000.

The CFL is as exciting as the NFL. The average player in the CFL isn't as good as the average NFL player... they get paid much less... there are fewer teams... and there isn't as large of a "fan base", due to the difference in population (34,000,000 to 250,000,000). But the product on the field is as exciting as the NFL for fans and if you manage to go out to Saskatchewan or Montreal to catch a game, there are 50,000 fans screaming and hollering for the team they've grown up watching.

I'd much rather keep the NFL out of Toronto.

brutal.

brutal.
Yes, me prefering the CFL brand of football over the NFL brand is "brutal".

I got it, thanks for coming out.

NFC

EAST
Philadelphia 11-5
Washington 10-6
Dallas 9-7
NY Giants 4-12

NORTH
Minnesota 10-6
Green Bay 10-6
Detroit 6-10
Chicago 6-10

SOUTH
Atlanta 11-5
Carolina 9-7
Tampa Bay 9-7
New Orleans 7-9

WEST
Seattle 12-4
St. Louis 9-7
Arizona 5-11
San Francisco 2-14

AFC

EAST
New England 13-3
Miami 11-5
Buffalo 9-7
NY Jets 8-8

NORTH
Baltimore 11-5
Cincinnati 9-7
Pittsburgh 6-10
Cleveland 6-10

SOUTH
Indianapolis 12-4
Jacksonville 9-7
Tennessee 8-8
Houston 6-10

WEST
Kansas City 11-5
Denver 9-7
Oakland 8-8
San Diego 5-11

NFC
Philly
Seattle
Atlanta
Minnesota
Detroit
Carolina

AFC
New England
Kansas City
Indianapolis
Cinci
Miami
Denver


BTW: I am loving all of the Detroit picks. Im telling you, this team is going to be soooo much better.

2) I wouldn't call Vincent for Winfield an upgrade. Vincent is a great leader, but age is showing as a CB. He might make more INTs, but is a step down in coverage. A notable one IMO.




If Winfield didn't sign with the Vikes would you still have the same opinion?Troy Vincent on Antoine Winfield is a huge improvement for the Bills.We needed a playmaking corner to get picks.Antoine Winfield's hands are literally made of stone.The Coaches went over every gametape and of all the balls the secondary should have grabbed for INT's,Winfield accounted for almost 75% of them.

We already have our young coverage CB in Nate Clements who is younger,bigger and better in almost all aspects then Antoine Winfield.Antoine's tackling skills are his best asset,but when he can get manhandled by physical WR's he is very ineffective.Winfield's a nice corner,but he isn't elite.I don't even think he is pro bowl worthy and that was even my opinion when he was in Buffalo,I'm not just saying it now because he doesn't play for Buffalo.

I had an off year last year, which means i'm due for a good year...
Is your name Eric Moulds? :lol I have Moulds in my keeper league. Odd years are bad, even years are good. I've decided to start trading him after good years and re-acquire him when his stock goes down to build my franchise.

If Winfield didn't sign with the Vikes would you still have the same opinion?

Absolutely. Odd how the Bills went from "the best starting CBs in the league" to having one easily replaced by an 33 year CB in his golden years though...

Troy Vincent on Antoine Winfield is a huge improvement for the Bills. We needed a playmaking corner to get picks. Antoine Winfield's hands are literally made of stone. The Coaches went over every gametape and of all the balls the secondary should have grabbed for INT's,Winfield accounted for almost 75% of them.


Lets not get carried away with Vincent's playmaking ability. The guy has not had more than 3 INTs in a year since 2000. Not to mention he had the benefit of a great pass rush in front of him. Vincent is better than Winfield at coming down with the ball, but he is not great at it.

The last three years, Eagles have been one of the top-5 pass-rushing teams twice and top-10 the other; they average 12 wins per seasons, forcing team to throw in them to catch up. Vincent has 8 total INTs, just under 3 per season. Over that same span, Bills cracked the top-10 (tied with the Eagles) only once; they also failed to register a single winning season, so teams were not forced to come back very often. Winfield has 3 INTs, one per year on the average. We are talking about a difference of 1 or 2 picks per year under near-ideal versus near-worst case situations.

Is 1 or 2 more INTs with 10 more big plays against though? Winfield won't grab INTs, but he is a better cover corner than Vincent at this point. Winfield is at least in a position to drop the INT, Vincent doesn't have the wheels to keep up as well anymore.

Where Vicent has a big edge is leadership. He is the guy you love to have on the team. He is a tremendous teacher and helps players develop.

We already have our young coverage CB in Nate Clements who is younger,bigger and better in almost all aspects then Antoine Winfield. Antoine's tackling skills are his best asset,but when he can get manhandled by physical WR's he is very ineffective. Winfield's a nice corner,but he isn't elite.

If Clements is so much better, than why was Winfield your top CB? Clements is a good CB, but he really isn't a factor here. You need at least two CBs on the field. Clements-Winfield is a better duo than Clements-Vincent.

Winfield isn't an elite CB, but he is one of the better ones in the league. The tier just below elites.

I don't even think he is pro bowl worthy and that was even my opinion when he was in Buffalo, I'm not just saying it now because he doesn't play for Buffalo.

BS. I distinctly remember you calling Winfield and Clements the best starting CBs in the league. Don't even try that garbage. It was a year ago, back when you were talking smack about the Bills Super Bowl chances and got on my cases for daring to say that any gains on defense were off-set by some serious hits on offense.

Is Winfield an elite shut-down CB that takes away half the field? No. Only a handful of them even in the league. Is he a big playmaker? No, he has hands of stone. Is he a reliable cover corner? Absolutely. He can match-up 1-on-1 with most receivers and doesn't blow his assignment very often. He excels in run support and is as intimidating a hitter as you will find at CB, despite his size.

Is he a better player than Vincent? At this point, yes. You are not getting the Pro-Bowl version of Vincent, you are getting the 33 year old version coming off an injury who has lost a step or two. Vincent's presence will be felt in the locker room, but Winfield's absence will be felt on the field.

AFC East:

1. New England
2. Miami
3. Buffalo
4. NY Jets

AFC North:

1. Baltimore
2. Cleveland
3. Cincinnati
4. Pittsburgh

AFC South:

1. Indianapolis
2. Tennesee
3. Jacksonville
4. Houston

AFC West:

1. Kansas City
2. Oakland
3. Denver
4. San Diego

NFC East:

1. Philadelphia
2. Washington
3. Dallas
4. NY Giants

NFC North:

1. Green Bay
2. Minnesota
3. Detroit
4. Chicago

NFC South:

1. Atlanta
2. Tampa Bay
3. Carolina
4. New Orleans

NFC West:

1. Seattle
2. St. Louis
3. Arizona
4. San Francisco

Playoff Seedings:

AFC:

1. Indianapolis
2. New England
3. Kansas City
4. Baltimore
5. Cleveland (my surprise team of the year)
6. Tennesee

NFC:

1. Seattle
2. Philadelphia
3. Green Bay
4. Atlanta
5. St. Louis
6. Tampa Bay

AFC

East
New England 13-3
Buffalo 10-6
Miami 9-7
NY Jets 8-8

North
Baltimore 11-5
Cincinnati 10-6
Pittsburgh 7-9
Cleveland 7-9

South
Indianapolis 11-5
Houston 10-6
Tennessee 9-7
Jacksonville 8-8

West
Kansas City 12-4
Oakland 10-6
Denver 9-7
San Diego 5-11

NFC

East
Philadelphia 13-3
Dallas 11-5
Washington 9-7
NY Giants 8-8

North
Minnesota 11-5
Green Bay 10-6
Chicago 8-8
Detroit 7-9

South
Atlanta 12-4
New Orleans 11-5
Carolina 9-7
Tampa Bay 6-10

West
St. Louis 12-4
Seattle 11-5
San Francisco 5-11
Arizona 4-12

AFC
1)New England
2)Kansas City
3)Indianapolis
4)Baltimore
5)Buffalo
6)Oakland

NFC
1)Philadelphia
2)Atlanta
3)St. Louis
4)Minnesota
5)New Orleans
6)Seattle

NY Giants 8-8

LOL, you can't be serious....you think a team that will have the least confident QB in the league as well as a rookie QB, not to mention one of the worst offensive lines in the entire league is going to go .500?

How are all these people predicting Atlanta to be a playoff team next year? Vick doesn't play defense.

LOL, you can't be serious....you think a team that will have the least confident QB in the league as well as a rookie QB, not to mention one of the worst offensive lines in the entire league is going to go .500?

Good points but if Warner is the QB and is on his game then they certainly have enough weapons to be 8-8.Shockey,Toomer,Barber all healthy along with Strahan anchoring the defense.This team could go 8-8 if things fall into place along with a new coach philosophy.I think dallas has less on offense but more defense especially with the hard hitting Roy williams.I had to predict a bad season for Tampa because they gutted their D letting Sapp and Lynch just walk(especially lynch)puts alot of pressure on Simeon Rice.

How are all these people predicting Atlanta to be a playoff team next year? Vick doesn't play defense.

True but Vick didn't play D two years ago and look what happened.With the receiving corps being bolstered this Atlanta team could win the division.

2) I wouldn't call Vincent for Winfield an upgrade. Vincent is a great leader, but age is showing as a CB. He might make more INTs, but is a step down in coverage. A notable one IMO.

Winfield is a good cornerback, but he was just as successful as Ruben Brown in somehow fabricating an elite reputation. That guy has driven me crazy the last couple of seasons. He gets burned deep one-on-one at least three times per game and can't get a pick to save his life. He's strong in run support, but as an overall CB, I peg him as above-average and nothing more. Weighing playmaking ability, run support, pass coverage, etc. equally, I don't think Vincent will be a significant upgrade, but we won't miss Antoine a bit. The age factor is obviously a concern but that's the nature of the FA beast I guess. I give Vincent two more quality seasons, so hopefully Thomas or McGee hit their potential.

Good points but if Warner is the QB and is on his game then they certainly have enough weapons to be 8-8.Shockey,Toomer,Barber all healthy along with Strahan anchoring the defense.This team could go 8-8 if things fall into place along with a new coach philosophy.I think dallas has less on offense but more defense especially with the hard hitting Roy williams.I had to predict a bad season for Tampa because they gutted their D letting Sapp and Lynch just walk(especially lynch)puts alot of pressure on Simeon Rice.

Warner has not won a game in over two years now. He is 0-9 with 4 TDs to 12 INTs. This is not the MVP-Warner people remember, this is a used up Warner that has flat-out sucked for 2 years. Coaching helped kill him, but he is dead just the same.

I think the NYGs have very little chance of seeing a .500 season.

Winfield is a good cornerback, but he was just as successful as Ruben Brown in somehow fabricating an elite reputation. That guy has driven me crazy the last couple of seasons. He gets burned deep one-on-one at least three times per game and can't get a pick to save his life. He's strong in run support, but as an overall CB, I peg him as above-average and nothing more. Weighing playmaking ability, run support, pass coverage, etc. equally, I don't think Vincent will be a significant upgrade, but we won't miss Antoine a bit. The age factor is obviously a concern but that's the nature of the FA beast I guess. I give Vincent two more quality seasons, so hopefully Thomas or McGee hit their potential.

You can say the same thing about Vincent though. He got a lot of attention because he was on an elite defense, but his game didn't match the publicicity. Especially the past few seasons. I am willing to be you will miss Winfield more than you realize. You guys didn't think you would miss Price or Centers either.

Oakland makes the Super Bowl as the second seed in the AFC, spurred by 2004 MVP Rich Gannon. :)

You can say the same thing about Vincent though. He got a lot of attention because he was on an elite defense, but his game didn't match the publicicity. Especially the past few seasons. I am willing to be you will miss Winfield more than you realize. You guys didn't think you would miss Price or Centers either.



Actually we didn't miss Price that much.Even with Peerless there,we still would have sucked because Drew was horrible last year.I just hope we can get the true elite CB on our team,Nate Clements locked up for another 5 years.Every publication has Clements as a top 10 CB,and I strongly believe he'll be in the Pro Bowl.

Actually we didn't miss Price that much.Even with Peerless there,we still would have sucked because Drew was horrible last year.I just hope we can get the true elite CB on our team,Nate Clements locked up for another 5 years.Every publication has Clements as a top 10 CB,and I strongly believe he'll be in the Pro Bowl.

Every publication?

Lets start with one. Show me a publication that has him as a top-10 CB. I can't find them. More to a point, show me any that have him ahead of Winfield.

This is as far as I'm going with predictions right now: Arizona and Detroit games are going to be fun to watch. They both have potentially dynamite offences and equally terrible defenses. It'll be interesting to see if Harrington and McCown can produce given the weapons at their disposal.