NFL Predictions

[dylangemelli]

As many of you probably know, Im a huge sports person and so its that time of year to get the NFL predictions out there... Steve and I love to do this so I thought I would try to beat him to the punch since he started the football thread last year... Here's my rundown for picks this year...

AFC EAST
1. New England
2. New York Jets
3. Buffalo
4. Miami


I know that many think the East will be a joke but Im here to tell you thats not entirely true. While New England should definitely win the division, the Jets and Bills are on the come up... I am not saying they are at the level of being contenders, but they are both on their way... The Bills have a very strong defense and Josh Allen is actually progressing quite well... I do realize its Buffalo and they always find a way to fuck good things up, but there will be weeks when they pull off games you never expected and the same holds true for the Jets... Darnold is also progressing well and we all know they signed Leveon Bell which will help Darnold progress much quicker... Robbie Anderson is an excellent receiver and they may go 8-8 or even 9-7... Miami would be best to tank for Tua OR better yet, maybe tank for two years down the road for Trevor Lawrence, who I think will be extremely NFL ready when he's drafted...


AFC NORTH

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


This is a tough one for me because I do think Pittsburgh will still be very good but I think that Cleveland has too much talent on their team... They have a lot of hype, probably too much, but I also think the guys they have are so determined to win that they are going to be good enough to win the division... I would love to see Baltimore win the division but I just don't feel Lamar Jackson is the answer... I think adding Mark Ingram makes them very formidable, but I see them being in a lot of close games, mainly because of their defense, and I don't trust Jackson in those moments yet but I do hope he proves me wrong... The Bengals have a great running back in Mixon, but a.j. green is getting older and out of his prime and Andy Dalton is not gong to win you a super bowl or even a playoff game for that matter...


AFC SOUTH

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


This is one where I truly hope im wrong... Im a huge Marcus Mariota fan and want Tennessee to win this division but its just too loaded... I honestly think the Colts have the best team, but I have them at 2 based on Andrew Luck's health continuing to be an ongoing issue... Otherwise I would have them 1 in a very tight race with Houston... Houston has a very strong team... Watson is only getting better and DeAndre Hopkins is showing to be one of if not, the best receiver in football... He definitely deserves to be in the conversation... I think Nick Foles is fit for Philadelphia, but I don't see him winning much at all in Jacksonville... they have a lot of personality issues and I just don't like them to do much this year... Tennessee has the players to win... Derrick Henry was one of the best running backs in football the second half of the season and Delanie Walker is back from injury... Mariota has to stay healthy, which he hasn't been able to do most of his career... If he's healthy, they can make a run at the wild card...


AFC WEST

1. Kansas City
2. Los Angeles Chargers
3. Denver
4. Oakland


This division is Kansas City's to lose... The Chargers have a nice team but with Melvin Gordon holding out and Rivers winding down his career, its going to be tough... I think Rivers can still get it done but I feel that Kansas City has too much on offense... Their defense will put them in positions where they are vulnerable and the Chargers are a team that could exploit that, but I think Kansas City is just a bit too talented... Oakland is just a mess... Josh Jacobs is very intriguing as their running back but Antonio Brown is already causing problems... If would just not be a dick and just play, they would have a pretty decent team but as they stand, they wont do much of anything...


NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia
2. Dallas
3. New York Giants
4. Washington


Dallas could finish worse than this if Elliott continues to hold out but I don't think that will happen... I think that Dallas knows they have to have him to have any sort of a chance... The Eagles just have too much for anyone in this division... The Redskins don't have much of anything... The Giants get the nod on them simply because Saquan Barkley is so ridiculously good... Philadelphia will be one of the best teams in the NFC this year...


NFC NORTH

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

Chicago has such a strong defense and while Tribisky is not a star, he is continuously getting better and he's good enough to manage this team to have them in every game they play because their defense is so dominant... They have a rb by committee but all of their backs while not stars, are explosive play makers... Green Bay and Minnesota should be pretty close with one another... Green Bay is really tough to pick... They don't have the best defense or offensive line but have huge stars with Rodgers and Adams... Minnesota just bothers me... They are so loaded on offense... Cousins, Cook, Thielen, Diggs, Rudolph, yet they just find ways to lose... So I just cant see that changing... Detroit will keep their games competitive but they are just not quite up to the level of the others in their division


NFC SOUTH

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


Its no secret Im the biggest Saints fan on the planet but I do truly believe they have the best team in the NFC and perhaps football... Brees, Thomas and Kamara is just amazing and they finally have a top 10 defense along with a top 3 offense... I expect nothing less than a Super Bowl Appearance... This division is very strong though... Atlanta should be very tough, especially if Devonta Freeman can stay healthy... they are as inconsistent as it gets though and so i continued to flip flop them with carolina... I just dont trust cam newton's shoulder enough... If hes healthy, they may have a shot at the wild card but the NFC is too loaded and I just dont see it... Tampa Bay is very hit and miss because Jameis Winston is incredibly inconsistent...


NFC WEST

1. Los Angeles Rams
2. Seattle
3. San Francisco
4. Arizona


Seattle has a real chance to sneak up on the Rams this year... The Rams have a very strong team... One of the best in football however I just have a feeling there is more wrong with Todd Gurley's knee than they lead on... They have very strong receivers that go three deep and while their defense is not the best, they do have aaron donald who is the best defensive player in football so I still think they will win the division but the Seahawks will be tough... The Seahawks have one of the best defenses in football and were also one of the best rushing the ball... Not to mention Russell Wilson, who just always finds a way to win... The 49ers and Cardinals will have their weeks when they can beat any body but they are just not quite to the upper level yet but they have the talent to get there eventually...




Should be an amazing year of football!!

 

[awm1981]

Not much id argue. I still think Pittsburgh comes out on top Cleveland is talented but still gonna need a good season to mess.

Also I think Carolina supplants Atlanta and challenges New Orleans for the division.

This is the first year though in ages where I dont think there is a clear cut Superbowl path for anyone. Im from Boston so obviously I love the Pats but until they figure out their offense (getting Josh Gordon back may be a huge help) they will win the AFC East but I think they are a 10-6/11-5 team most likely.

Chiefs are loaded but I still wonder on Mahomes decision making late in games. Hes a generational talent but he still makes those "WTF?" plays where you wonder what he was thinking. Also they have Andy Reid.....enough said...

New Orleans looks great as long as Brees doesnt taper off like last year.

I dont think the Rams have it in them. Too soft. Goff seems fragile mentally, gurley is fragile physically, and who knows if Cooks/Cupp/Woods can repeat what they did last year. We will see.

THing is you could see a run from Indy, Houston, Atlanta, Carolina, Green Bay, etc so really looking forward to the season!

 

[stevesmi]

I think there will be A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT INJURIES this season to some marquee players. and many won't be contact injuries. I also think there will be MANY surprises. just like how nobody picked the Rams 2 years ago, they absolutely sucked the year prior then they turned it around overnight. same with Bears last year.

I will make my predictions simple



teams that are expect to be great but will dissapoint:
Eagles: Wentz can't stay healthy, they lose him they are finished
Colts: Last year was a fluke, weak schedule and Luck played out of his mind.. fall back year
Packers: Rodgers even healthy their talent around him is awful
Browns: when they start losing games their primadonnas will start pointing fingers, see a train crash coming
Chargers: fall back year coming, look at all their injuries already. Rivers isn't getting younger
Bears: easy schedule last year and a lot of lucky bounces, expect a fall back year too.. maybe only 9 wins vs. 12


teams that are expcted to suck but will be much better:

Bills/Jets: Josh Allen/Sam Darnold if they are legit will carry their teams to 9 or 10 wins. i hope i am wrong and they ends up sucking but this is their time 2nd year.. both teams could easily end up with 5 wins if they suck
Jags: they have a lot of talent and if Foles works his magic they can win their division. I don't trust Foles until the playoffs lol
Bucs: Arians and Winston together could be magical
Carolina: if they keep Newton healthy they can easily get back to playoffs, he is a beast
Seattle: this is the first year in a long time they aren't in the top 12 for super bowl odds. when you have russell wilson you should never be counted out!

 

[awm1981]

I think there will be A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT INJURIES this season to some marquee players. and many won't be contact injuries. I also think there will be MANY surprises. just like how nobody picked the Rams 2 years ago, they absolutely sucked the year prior then they turned it around overnight. same with Bears last year.

I will make my predictions simple



teams that are expect to be great but will dissapoint:
Eagles: Wentz can't stay healthy, they lose him they are finished
Colts: Last year was a fluke, weak schedule and Luck played out of his mind.. fall back year
Packers: Rodgers even healthy their talent around him is awful
Browns: when they start losing games their primadonnas will start pointing fingers, see a train crash coming
Chargers: fall back year coming, look at all their injuries already. Rivers isn't getting younger
Bears: easy schedule last year and a lot of lucky bounces, expect a fall back year too.. maybe only 9 wins vs. 12


teams that are expcted to suck but will be much better:

Bills/Jets: Josh Allen/Sam Darnold if they are legit will carry their teams to 9 or 10 wins. i hope i am wrong and they ends up sucking but this is their time 2nd year.. both teams could easily end up with 5 wins if they suck
Jags: they have a lot of talent and if Foles works his magic they can win their division. I don't trust Foles until the playoffs lol
Bucs: Arians and Winston together could be magical
Carolina: if they keep Newton healthy they can easily get back to playoffs, he is a beast
Seattle: this is the first year in a long time they aren't in the top 12 for super bowl odds. when you have russell wilson you should never be counted out!

What about your Dolphins Steve??

 

[stevesmi]

What about your Dolphins Steve??

if Rosen ends up being great they could win more games than people think. if not they will be sellers before the trade deadline and trying to acquire more picks to get a QB. there are going to be 3-4 solid franchise QB's next draft and they have 12 picks already

I like the rebuild strategy they are doing so far. gonna have a lot of cap space and won't be shelling out 30M+ a year on a QB like other teams. Rosen costs 2M a year towards the cap and a rookie QB will cost peanuts until his 6th year. they are gonna get things turned around with all that cap space

the one thing we both know is that week 2 game in Miami the Pats will lose. i will be happy winning that one and going 1-15 to lock up Tua with the 1st pick. that is our yearly super bowl at home vs. the pats lol

i don't like college football but i will be watching those top QB's this year. i think it will be the best QB draft upcoming we have seen in a long time. Fromm, Herbert and Tua are all gonna be future stars

 

[P0N]

Hey, I like the chances you're giving the Bears!

 

[stevesmi]

Hey, I like the chances you're giving the Bears!

the bears will hinge on how much better trubisky plays. he needs to get way better if they are going to go anywhere in the playoffs.. their division sucks.. I don't see detroit or minnesota doing a thing this year cause their QBs are overpaid mediocre players

 

[Hollywood305]

I have season tix to the Dolphins and they will be a lot better than the Jets and Bills...Gase is the Jets coach, dude is trash. That team will implode by week 7.

New Orleans will recess this year as will KC...

Biggest bust will be the Browns...this isnt the NBA you dont add 3 players and become a contender...this team has won like 8 games in the past 3 yrs smh

Superbowl will be Pats v Eagles

 

[stevesmi]

.Gase is the Jets coach, dude is trash.

most overrated 'qb guru' if there ever was one. peyton manning even made Jim Mora look good, so no clue how Gase gets credit for him

 

[awm1981]

I have season tix to the Dolphins and they will be a lot better than the Jets and Bills...Gase is the Jets coach, dude is trash. That team will implode by week 7.

New Orleans will recess this year as will KC...

Biggest bust will be the Browns...this isnt the NBA you dont add 3 players and become a contender...this team has won like 8 games in the past 3 yrs smh

Superbowl will be Pats v Eagles

A lot better??

 

[Mobster]

Means nothing to me.

 

[stevesmi]

Means nothing to me.

the NFL is the most amazing sport to watch. the problem with those of you who don't like it is you don't understand the game. once you learn the game you will fall in love with it. the strategy aspect is fun to watch, the casual fan has no clue about any of it they just watch the ball

 

[awm1981]

Means nothing to me.

Yea its a US thing. Its branching out globally but I feel the same way about cricket, rugby, soccer, etc. I see a lot of the people I work with globally going crazy over these sports and im like "WTF?"

It also comes down to having a horse in the race. If you have a team locally or close by you typically will route for them. If not based in the US then its more difficult as you have to latch on to a team that you have no real ties to.

 

[Mobster]

I watch next to no sports. On the rare occasion I'v been to a life event it's a LOT more fun.

 

[Hollywood305]

I watch next to no sports. On the rare occasion I'v been to a life event it's a LOT more fun.

Mobster watches strongman contests naked in an ice bath chanting nordic songs like a bard from Skyrim

- - - Updated - - -

A lot better??

The Jets and Bills have no talent...the Phins just had dog shit coaching the last 4 yrs, 10 really

Yes Leveon Bell is legit but they have arguably the worst coach in the NFL and def is suspect

 

[dylangemelli]

Mobster watches strongman contests naked in an ice bath chanting nordic songs like a bard from Skyrim

- - - Updated - - -



The Jets and Bills have no talent...the Phins just had dog shit coaching the last 4 yrs, 10 really

Yes Leveon Bell is legit but they have arguably the worst coach in the NFL and def is suspect

the bills have one of the better defenses in the league dude... the jets have no talent? are you serious? the dolphins are in a total rebuild and are clearly going for the number 1 pick... i realize you have season tickets but you have to be realistic... you think josh rosen or fitzpatrick is worth a shit? i mean, darnold is legit and very suitable for the nfl and robbie anderson is a very legit receiver... bell is going to make things really nice for darnold as well... i dont see how the dolphins win more than 3-4 games, 5 at the very most... im all about team loyalty but your speaking from the heart bro and not on facts... they dont have shit on their roster...

 

[RickRock]

I was about to say the same thing about the bears lol. We will see what happens but chicago likes to let us down. That field goal miss last year stung a little

 

[RoySimpson]

Tom Brady will win another Super Bowl. Josh Gordon is going to kill it this season!

 

[Hollywood305]

the bills have one of the better defenses in the league dude... the jets have no talent? are you serious? the dolphins are in a total rebuild and are clearly going for the number 1 pick... i realize you have season tickets but you have to be realistic... you think josh rosen or fitzpatrick is worth a shit? i mean, darnold is legit and very suitable for the nfl and robbie anderson is a very legit receiver... bell is going to make things really nice for darnold as well... i dont see how the dolphins win more than 3-4 games, 5 at the very most... im all about team loyalty but your speaking from the heart bro and not on facts... they dont have shit on their roster...

The Detroit Lions at one point had Megatron, Stafford, Burleson, Reggie Bush, Suh, Farley and a slew of other talented players and they couldnt do jack shit cuz their coaching staff was beyond inept...name 3 worse coaches in the NFL besides Gates...

 

[dylangemelli]

The Detroit Lions at one point had Megatron, Stafford, Burleson, Reggie Bush, Suh, Farley and a slew of other talented players and they couldnt do jack shit cuz their coaching staff was beyond inept...name 3 worse coaches in the NFL besides Gates...

Thats the lions... thats expected

 

[Hollywood305]

Thats the lions... thats expected

Haha touche...but the Jets arnt much better

 

[stevesmi]

In this league you need a great QB to go anywhere who is not only great but also CLUTCH. look at the eagles 2 years ago. Foles was playing lights out and took them all the way to the super bowl and won it. it is just like in hockey getting a hot goalie in the playoffs that stops 49 of 50 shots in the game and puts his team on his back.

THAT IS what you need and unfortunately for most of the league, that is what you have to have to win consistently. it is the way the league rules are set up today, it is all about QB and QB only. hence why you will be seeing them making 40 and 50M over the next few years per year and why RB's don't make shit. a great RB doesn't win you jack shit when there is 2 minutes left and you are down by 4 with 1 timeout.

the NFL is still fun to watch but everyone needs to be honest with themselves and ask a simple question. does my team have a great bonafide franchise QB? if the answer is no then you should not expect them to go anywhere. they MIGHT squeak into the playoffs on 9 or 10 wins thanks to a lot of nice breaks, but then what? they will be 1 and done.

who were the 4 QB's that made it to the conference title games?

Mahomes
Brady
Brees
Goff

does anyone want to argue that the first 3 are the top 3 QB's in the NFL probably in order too? all future hall of famers hands down. and Goff had 32 TD's and 12 INT's, 65% completion and threw for 4500 yards and 100+ rating. he had a helluva year so i would put him as a top 5 QB too.

my question is what QB's will surprise this year? that will be the fun part of this season. cause there will be a handful which take it to the next level

 

[Hollywood305]

In this league you need a great QB to go anywhere who is not only great but also CLUTCH. look at the eagles 2 years ago. Foles was playing lights out and took them all the way to the super bowl and won it. it is just like in hockey getting a hot goalie in the playoffs that stops 49 of 50 shots in the game and puts his team on his back.

THAT IS what you need and unfortunately for most of the league, that is what you have to have to win consistently. it is the way the league rules are set up today, it is all about QB and QB only. hence why you will be seeing them making 40 and 50M over the next few years per year and why RB's don't make shit. a great RB doesn't win you jack shit when there is 2 minutes left and you are down by 4 with 1 timeout.

the NFL is still fun to watch but everyone needs to be honest with themselves and ask a simple question. does my team have a great bonafide franchise QB? if the answer is no then you should not expect them to go anywhere. they MIGHT squeak into the playoffs on 9 or 10 wins thanks to a lot of nice breaks, but then what? they will be 1 and done.

who were the 4 QB's that made it to the conference title games?

Mahomes
Brady
Brees
Goff

does anyone want to argue that the first 3 are the top 3 QB's in the NFL probably in order too? all future hall of famers hands down. and Goff had 32 TD's and 12 INT's, 65% completion and threw for 4500 yards and 100+ rating. he had a helluva year so i would put him as a top 5 QB too.

my question is what QB's will surprise this year? that will be the fun part of this season. cause there will be a handful which take it to the next level

Lamar Jackson, David Carr, Josh Rosen (sleeper)

 

[dylangemelli]

Lamar Jackson, David Carr, Josh Rosen (sleeper)

david carr? he hasnt played in quite some time... you mean derek i assume... of the three you listed, hes the only one i think will do much of anything... jackson cant throw and now that everyone has seen him play i dont think he will do much of anything to be honest.. i hope he does because i like the ravens a lot but qb's that play his style never last... i honestly think rosen was the worst of the hyped qb's from last years draft... i dont know why the dolphins even bothered to be honest... i dont think he'll ever be a starter but more a backup... i honestly think the best thing the dolphins could do is try to get the number 1 pick the next TWO drafts and build that roster back up so that when brady retires, they could be the next team in the afc east...

- - - Updated - - -

In this league you need a great QB to go anywhere who is not only great but also CLUTCH. look at the eagles 2 years ago. Foles was playing lights out and took them all the way to the super bowl and won it. it is just like in hockey getting a hot goalie in the playoffs that stops 49 of 50 shots in the game and puts his team on his back.

THAT IS what you need and unfortunately for most of the league, that is what you have to have to win consistently. it is the way the league rules are set up today, it is all about QB and QB only. hence why you will be seeing them making 40 and 50M over the next few years per year and why RB's don't make shit. a great RB doesn't win you jack shit when there is 2 minutes left and you are down by 4 with 1 timeout.

the NFL is still fun to watch but everyone needs to be honest with themselves and ask a simple question. does my team have a great bonafide franchise QB? if the answer is no then you should not expect them to go anywhere. they MIGHT squeak into the playoffs on 9 or 10 wins thanks to a lot of nice breaks, but then what? they will be 1 and done.

who were the 4 QB's that made it to the conference title games?

Mahomes
Brady
Brees
Goff

does anyone want to argue that the first 3 are the top 3 QB's in the NFL probably in order too? all future hall of famers hands down. and Goff had 32 TD's and 12 INT's, 65% completion and threw for 4500 yards and 100+ rating. he had a helluva year so i would put him as a top 5 QB too.

my question is what QB's will surprise this year? that will be the fun part of this season. cause there will be a handful which take it to the next level

mayfield wont be a shocker to anyone but i think hes due for a big year... unexpected progress, i think will be josh allen and darnold... those two i believe will take big steps forward this year... most people expect darnold to end up being great... not so much on allen and i was never high on allen but he looks really good thus far... i guess we'll see.. it is buffalo we are talking about here... i think trubisky is going to be a lot better and expect him to continue to progress quite well... i dont think any of these guys are going to be like brady, brees, rodgers types but i do think they are going to have nice careers...

 

[stevesmi]

josh allen has never been accurate and darnold is a turnover machine. they were that way in college and that way last year as rookies. if they fix their issues they will be good QB's but usually players are consistent so i expect more of the same. i don't think you can fix either issue.

Rosen problem is he has a lot of talent but he will throw a couple really bad passes per game that you scratch your head at. not sure if that is something that can be fixed with experience, we will see

Lamar Jackson is a playmaker and the Ravens were dead last year before he came in and led them to the playoffs. NOBODY had them winning their division, everyone was sucking off the steelers and look what happened. having said that this is a passing league and i don't think running for 200 yards and throwing for 150 is going to win a lot of games ESPECIALLY if the team falls behind. you gotta be able to score in 4 or 5 plays

 

[awm1981]

I just dont see it from any of the young QBs. Other than Mahomes the rest dont overly impress me.

Just looking at the top 10 QBs under the age of 25 you have:

1) Mahomes - stud
2) Goff - did you see him against the pats? Loaded team, high powered offense, but looks to fade in the spotlight - potential stud
3) Deshaun Watson - injury risk, great when on the field, looks to run too much and we see what happens to those guys - potential stud high risk
4) Baker Mayfield - looks good lets see what he can do with some talent - potential stud
5) Marcus Marriota - next....
6) Mitch Trubisky - next......
7) Sam Darnold - next.....
8) Jameis Winston - next......
9) Josh Rosen - next.............
10) Josh Allen - next..............

Next meaning I dont even want to talk about them they are dog shit.

I see nothing from these young guys other than Mahomes with some potential upside with Goff and Mayfield. Watson is good but again hes hurt alllllll the time.

 

[stevesmi]

I wish Baker Mayfield and his crew in Cleveland would win some games before opening their mouths

OBJ hasn't won shit in the NFL his entire career, neither has Landry. none of them have won a single playoff game no joke yet they talk trash like crazy. Tom brady talks zero trash and look at how much he has won. you look like a fool when you talk shit and can't back it up

 

[awm1981]

I wish Baker Mayfield and his crew in Cleveland would win some games before opening their mouths

OBJ hasn't won shit in the NFL his entire career, neither has Landry. none of them have won a single playoff game no joke yet they talk trash like crazy. Tom brady talks zero trash and look at how much he has won. you look like a fool when you talk shit and can't back it up

Yea my thing is other than Mahomes none are a sure shot. They could all be Pro-bowlers or they could all be flops. My thing is I think this is more of the 2011 draft class string of QBs.

Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert, Christian Ponder. Or the Tannehill (sorry), EJ Manuel, Brock Osweiler, Geno Smith, Brandon Weedon, Paxton Lynch, Johnny Manziel guys.

None of them have shown me anything yet other than Mahomes that makes me think they are really special talents.