NFL Predictions

[Damian WayLNKe]

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2. Washington Redskins

3. Dallas Cowboys

4. NY Giants

NFC North

1. Minnesota Vikings

2. Detroit Lions (Wild-card)

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Chicago Bears

NFC South

1. Carolina Panthers

2. Atlanta Falcons

3. New Orleans Saints

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks

2. St. Louis Rams (Wild-card)

3. Arizona Cardinals

4. San Francisco 49ers

AFC East

1. New England Patriots

2. NY Jets (Wild-card)

2. Buffalo Bills

4. Miami Dolphins

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. Cincinnati Bengals

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

4. Cleveland Browns

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts

2. Jacksonville Jaguars (Wild-card)

3. Tennessee Titans

4. Houston Texans

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs

2. Denver Broncos

3. Oakland Raiders

4. San Diego Chargers

Conference Finals

AFC: Baltimore @ New England

NFC: Phildadelphia @ Minnesota

Superbowl:

Baltimore d. Philadelphia

[Blitz]

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles

Dallas Cowboys [Wild Card]

New York Giants

Washington Redskins

NFC North

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Detroit Lions

Chicago Bears

NFC South

Carolina Panthers

Atlanta Falcons [Wild Card]

New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks

St. Louis Rams

Arizona Cardinals

San Francisco 49ers

AFC East

New England Patriots

Buffalo Bills

New York Jets

Miami Dolphins

AFC North

Cleveland Browns

Baltimore Ravens [Wild Card]

Cincinnati Bengals

Pittsburgh Steelers

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts

Tennessee Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Houston Texans

AFC West

San Diego Chargers

Kansas City Chiefs (Wild Card)

Denver Broncos

Oakland Raiders

Super Bowl

New England - 34

Hotlanta - 20

[Guest Wrestling_Man]

You know, I'm not gonna say that the Redskins will win because Joe Gibbs is back, (which is great) but anyway, the great thing about the NFL is that a couple of new teams come up every year and make a run. Unlike say baseball where you have those crappy Yankees winning every year, or the Lakers when they were at the best, sweeping the playoffs, the NFL gives you that variety. And, if I had to pick one team to win it all this year, and please don't hold me to this, I'd pick the Cincinnati Bengals.

[DMN in the House]

Anyone who picks the Chargers to finish out of the cellar in the AFC West knows NOTHING about the NFL.

They have LaDanian Tomlinson, arguably the best back in the league, but the have no passing game, their offensive line is shit, and their defense is weak. Phillip Rivers is not going to turn this team around.

[livid]

Anyone who picks the Chargers to finish out of the cellar in the AFC West knows NOTHING about the NFL.

They have LaDanian Tomlinson, arguably the best back in the league, but the have no passing game, their offensive line is shit, and their defense is weak. Phillip Rivers is not going to turn this team around.

←

Add to the fact that they have no defense, and you're right. Though, they could always finish 3rd or something, but nothing higher than that at all.

[matbar]

The Sporting News Rankings/Predictions.

A look at the NFL teams, from top to bottom, as training camps open:

1. Denver Broncos

This team won 10 games a year ago and made some bold moves in the offseason that should pay off.

2. Seattle Seahawks

Defensive improvements should make the Seahawks a better team, and they were pretty good a year ago.

3. New England Patriots

On paper, they're better than last season's Super Bowl club. But it's almost impossible to repeat no matter how prepared a team is.

4. Minnesota Vikings

The defense should be improved enough for this team to take it to the next level in Mike Tice's third year.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

A team that has been so close for three straight seasons added two difference-makers but lost some leadership.

6. Indianapolis Colts

If the Colts can get home-field advantage in the playoffs, Peyton Manning and Co. are capable of running the table.

7. Carolina Panthers

This team was absolute magic last year, but the Super Bowl runner-up will find it difficult to duplicate that success.

8. Green Bay Packers

With the incomparable combination of Brett Favre and Ahman Green, pencil in the Packers as automatic contenders.

9. Baltimore Ravens

A great running game and a stifling defense is a tremendous combination, but will the passing game improve?

10. Kansas City Chiefs

Hiring Gunther Cunningham to run the defense was a great move, but will that be enough?

11. St. Louis Rams

The offense should be fantastic, as usual, but the defense might allow as many points as the offense produces.

12. Tennessee Tians

As long as Jeff Fisher is the coach and Steve McNair is the quarterback, the Titans will be contenders.

13. Dallas Cowboys

They passed on some opportunities to improve themselves, but they will remain a tough team to beat in every game.

14. Washington Redskins

Could Joe Gibbs have the same kind of impact on the Redskins that Bill Parcells had on the Cowboys a year ago?

15. Miami Dolphins

Ricky Williams' loss is a huge blow, but a veteran defense and an easier schedule down the stretch will keep the team in playoff contention.

16. Atlanta Falcons

With a healthy, improving Michael Vick and more offensive weapons, the Falcons can't help but contend for the division title.

17. Cincinnati Bengals

They are a mystery team because Carson Palmer is their starting quarterback, but they have Jon Kitna to fall back on.

18. New Orleans Saints

The offense remains explosive, but the concern is whether the defense will be sufficiently improved to make a difference.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Massive changes have made it hard to know what to expect. This team will be unlike any previous one in Tampa.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

In Jack Del Rio's second year, this team has as much potential for improvement as any team in the league.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers never stay down for long. If they can get the running game going again, they will contend.

22. Detroit Lions

This is a team with as much young talent as any team in the league, and the Lions will begin to show it this year.

23. Chicago Bears

The Bears could take a year while Rex Grossman matures and the team gets used to Lovie Smith's systems.

24. New York Jets

A healthy Chad Pennington will give this team a boost, but the defense might not be good enough to hold up its end.

25. Oakland Raiders

This is a tough team to figure. The Raiders could bounce back big or continue to look like a team of has-beens.

26. Houston Texans

This is a team on the rise, but the Texans still have a lot of young players who are learning what it takes to succeed.

27. Buffalo Bills

The Bills have some talent, but they face an adjustment period on offense with a new head coach.

28. Arizona Cardinals

Dennis Green should give this team a kick in the right direction, but the Cardinals still don't have enough juice.

29. Cleveland Browns

Jeff Garcia to Kellen Winslow will be a nice combination, but the Browns still have a lot of questions.

30. New York Giants

The acquisition of rookie Eli Manning was great, but the Giants and new coach Tom Coughlin will take some lumps.

31. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers have a lot of holes on offense and defense, and a lot of young players learning as they go.

32. San Francisco 49ers

This is a rebuilding year after the departures of Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens, and it should be very evident on most Sundays.

AFC playoff teams: Broncos, Chiefs, Colts, Patriots, Ravens, Titans.

NFC playoff teams: Eagles, Packers, Panthers, Rams, Seahawks, Vikings.

AFC championship game: Broncos over Patriots.

NFC championship game: Seahawks over Vikings.

Super Bowl XXXIX: Broncos over Seahawks.

Senior writer Dan Pompei covers the NFL for Sporting News. Email him at pompei@sportingnews.com.

The Link

[mattman1624]

AFC:


East: New England

North: Baltimore

South: Indianapolis

West: Kansas City


Wild Card(s):

Oakland

Tennessee


NFC:


East: Philadelphia

North: Minnesota

South: Atlanta

West: Seattle


Wild Card(s):

Green Bay

Carolina


AFC Title Game: New England over Oakland

NFC Title Game: Philadelphia over Atlanta


Super Bowl: Philadelphia over New England

[oldskool]

Let me get this straight, Atlanta and Buffalo are BOTH implementing new offenses with new head coaching, but Atlanta is ranked 11 spots higher in the Sporting News rankings?

Insanity, I tell you!

Carolina should be a bit higher than 7th in that ranking, I feel.

Maybe I'm biased, but a virtually unchanged defense, extra weapons on offense (Foster's proven himself on the biggest stages of them all, drafting of Colbert and Carter at WR, Steve Smith has another season to mature and get that much better (not to mention Chris Gamble being able to help Rod Smart on kick/punt returns, leaving the offense's #1 WR on the bench for special teams plays)

Minnesota will not be as good as everyone's saying they will be. Even with Robinson on the other side, they'll still double-cover Moss, and another receiver to throw to just means Moss will get pissed and pull a Keyshawn, begging for the ball.

Tice and Culpepper will cave to his demands and just throw him the ball.

Sure he'll make some miracle catches, but that's also going to lead to a lot of INTs. I also think Culpepper will get beat up a bit more this year, scrambling around trying to make the big play pass to Robinson or Moss rather than taking a shorter gain.

[gunnar hendershow]

Denver?

DENVER?!

Was that writer on crack?

[matbar]

oldskool Posted Today, 04:20 PM

  Let me get this straight, Atlanta and Buffalo are BOTH implementing new offenses with new head coaching, but Atlanta is ranked 11 spots higher in the Sporting News rankings?

Insanity, I tell you!

Remember, Atlanta has something the Bills don't have...Mike Vick.

damshow Posted Today, 07:36 PM

  Denver?

DENVER?!

Was that writer on crack?

Woah! come on now. Denver will have the best D in the league this year hands down. Nobody can stop Danvers D with Champ and Lynch in the secondary, Raylee Johnson, Luther Eliss, Trevor Pryce, and Pope on the line, and 1st round pick D.J. Johnson, Al Wilson, and J. Sykes in the LB slots. There is no better D then that.

On the Offencive side of the ball, they only need a 3 WR, and Tim Brown can fill that spot (He narrowed his choices to Denver and Tampa). At Running Back, their stacked. Hurst, Anderson, Bell, and Quinton "Smalls" Griffen.

There will be no stoping the Broncos this year...Projected 13-3 record.

...of corse this can be because I live in Denver...

[DMN in the House]

Bronco's will finish 3rd in the AFC West.

Eventually their 'plug 'em in' running game will fail, I predict its this year.

Lynch has slowed down considerable. The Raiders got the better Tampa Bay castoff. If you're expecting the second coming of Steve Atwater, don't.

Jake Plummer is still Jake Plummer. I predict 16 interceptions against 15 TDs.

7-9 to 9-7, missing the playoffs.

Of course, I am a Raider fan.

[Maxx]

Dude...Jake didn't have those numbers last year and didn't throw up stats like that in Arizona every year either. He's a good quarterback when he's A: Protected and B: Has more than one recieving option like he does in Denver.

[cthemason]

Minnesota will not be as good as everyone's saying they will be. Even with Robinson on the other side, they'll still double-cover Moss, and another receiver to throw to just means Moss will get pissed and pull a Keyshawn, begging for the ball.

Tice and Culpepper will cave to his demands and just throw him the ball.

Sure he'll make some miracle catches, but that's also going to lead to a lot of INTs. I also think Culpepper will get beat up a bit more this year, scrambling around trying to make the big play pass to Robinson or Moss rather than taking a shorter gain.

←

Moss didn't have a problem without Robinson last year so adding him can only help the Vikings.

But you are right to a degree about Culpepper, too often he goes for the big play but he's been getting smarter with the ball every year and I expect this year to be no different.

[VerbalPuke]

Luther Eliss

Luther Ellis is old and broken down, he will not make much of an impact this season. He provides nice depth, but he is injury prone and past his prime.

[matbar]

Luther Eliss

Luther Ellis is old and broken down, he will not make much of an impact this season. He provides nice depth, but he is injury prone and past his prime.

←

Thats what people said about Neil Smith when he came to Colorado, but he had 3 very productive seasons. Ellis wont be any different. Look at Bert Barry last year. 33 year old geting 11.5 sacks

[Guest Takayamanofear]

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles

2. Washington Redskins

3. NY Giants

4. Dallas Cowboys

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers

2. Chicago Bears (Wildcard)

3. Detroit Lions

4. Minnesota Vikings

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons

2. New Orleans Saints (wildcard)

3. Carolina Panthers

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks

2. St. Louis Rams

3. Arizona Cardinals

4. San Francisco 49ers

AFC East

1. New England Patriots

2. NY Jets (wildcard)

3. Buffalo Bills

4. Miami Dolphins

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Baltimore Ravens

4. Cleveland Browns

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts

2. Tennessee Titans

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

4. Houston Texans

AFC West

1. Denver Broncos

2. Kansas City Chiefs (Wildcard)

3. Oakland Raiders

4. San Diego Chargers

Conference Finals

AFC: Broncos @ Patriots

NFC: Falcons @ Eagles

Superbowl: Patriots over Eagles

[VerbalPuke]

Thats what people said about Neil Smith when he came to Colorado, but he had 3 very productive seasons. Ellis wont be any different. Look at Bert Barry last year. 33 year old geting 11.5 sacks

The problem is that Ellis hasn't been productive since 1999, and I doubt much is going to change going into this year. As for Bert Berry, he is a DE, not a DT, so Ellis isn't going to be racking up sacks like Mr. Berry. Don't expect much from Luther, other than a great veteran to have on the team.