For the past two weeks, I have been doing a series, documenting each division and where everyone will finish in that division. Here are my final predictions for each division!
AFC East z-New England (15-1) x-New York (10-6) Buffalo (9-7) Miami (3-13)
AFC North y-Pittsburgh (12-4) Cleveland (10-6) Cincinnati (8-8) Baltimore (2-14)
AFC South y-Indianapolis (12-4) x-Jacksonville (10-6) Tennessee (9-7) Houston (8-8)
AFC West y-San Diego (9-7) Denver (8-8) Oakland (6-10) Kansas City (2-14)
NFC East z-Dallas (13-3) x-Philadelphia (9-7) New York (8-8) Washington (5-11)
NFC North y-Minnesota (10-6) x-Detroit (10-6) Green Bay (7-9) Chicago (4-12)
NFC South y-New Orleans (11-5) Tampa Bay (9-7) Atlanta (6-10) Carolina (5-11)
NFC West y-Seattle (10-6) Arizona (9-7) San Francisco (5-11) St. Louis (2-14)
*z = Clinched Home-Field Advantage, y = Clinched Division, x = Clinched Wild Card Spot
Well, here are my division winners and wild cards for each conference: (In parentheses next to each team is their seeding in the post-season)
So, here are my playoff predictions for the 2008 season!
Wild Card
AFC Jaguars at Colts = Colts Jets at Chargers = Jets
NFC Eagles at Vikings = Vikings Lions at Seahawks = Seahawks
Divisional
AFC Colts at Steelers = Steelers Jets at Patriots = Patriots
NFC Vikings at Saints = Saints Seahawks at Cowboys = Cowboys
Conference Championships
AFC Steelers at Patriots = Patriots
NFC Saints at Cowboys = Cowboys
Super Bowl XLIII Cowboys vs. Patriots (from Tampa, FL) = New England Patriots
So, the way I see it, the Patriots will be the Super Bowl 43 Champions.
Any disagreements? Who do you pick to be champ? Lemme hear what you guys and gals have to say! Have a great weekend, everyone, and enjoy the first Sunday of the season!
This is the seventh post of a two-week series I will be doing, discussing every team by division and how I see their 2008 NFL season playing out. Today, we are discussing the NFC South division, which is populated by the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Let’s get started!
New Orleans Saints The Saints are undoubtedly and undeniably the favorite to win the division this season. They did so much to increase their offense and defense this off-season. We’ll get to that in a moment. Drew Brees was the offense’s most consistent and productive player last season. Now, he has all of his targets, and then some, all 100% healthy and ready to go. Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister will both be solid, but I think they will contribute most of their game in different ways. I expect Bush to line up in the receiver slot, or as a receiver out of the backfield, where he can maneuver around defenders and should get 500+ yards receiving. I expect McAllister to donate most of his production to the running game, which makes sense considering he’s a running back. I like his every-down rusher ability better than that of Reggie Bush’s. Bush is better off being a 3rd-down back and the afore mentioned slot wideout. Marques Colston, Robert Meacham and Jeremy Shockey have easily one of the Top 5 QBs in the league throwing to them, and if everyone can keep away from injury, the offense will be one of the most powerful in the league. The defense also upgraded. LB, Jonathan Vilma came over from the Jets, and I expect him to be a solid contributor. He should get anywhere from 70-90 tackles this season, and I see him playing a big role in the passing defense also. He can be fast when he wants to be, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him running an interception into the endzone. The Saints play in an increasingly tough division, but I see them pulling it off.
Regular Season Prediction: 11-5, 1st in NFC South, #2 seed in NFC playoffs
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Buccaneers made a good move in drafting Aqib Talib to enhance their already powerful pass defense. I think that’s a problem, though. They got into the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, and if they were playing in any other division in football, they wouldn’t have even gotten a wild card last season. They drafted the wrong guy in my opinion. Jeff Garcia is getting too old to efficiently lead a team on a playoff run. Of course, the same argument could be made for Brett Favre, but Favre is great. Garcia is average at best. Let’s be honest, he won’t take any team to the Super Bowl throwing only 13 TDs a year. He needs to step it up, and get 20-25 touchdowns. At least then, he gives his team a lift in the passing game. Earnest Graham came in to start for the injured Carnell Williams, who is now injured again, and will not be playing until at least week 6. In one year, he lost his starting spot. Is it safe to call him a bust? Not yet? Mark my words, in two years, we can and will be able to. The Bucs missed out on picking up Pro Bowl DE, Jared Allen. If they had gotten him via trade from the Chiefs, I would pick the Buccaneers to win the South. But since they didn’t their running defense has reason to worry. I can still see them making the post-season, but they’ll need to win just one more game than I have them winning.
Regular Season Prediction: 9-7, 2nd in NFC South, no playoffs
Atlanta Falcons Matt Ryan is the scheduled Falcons’ opening day starter, and this was the best move they’ve made in a long time. I don’t believe in the whole voodoo thing about waiting for your rookie QB to be in the system for a year before starting him. Ryan has obviously adjusted to the system just fine, and they made the best move for the future of their franchise by starting him immediately. Ben Roethlisberger was a starter by week 3 in his rookie season, and he ended up in the AFC Championship Game. Better things happen if you start your new quarterback stud quickly. Michael Turner has to be the question mark of the offense right now. It seems to me he is built more to be a punt returner and 3rd-down back. How he’ll do as a starter is yet to be seen, but I can’t go out on any limb and make the call one way or another. Eh, yes I can. I expect him to be decent, and he’ll progress as he gets older. Turner should also be a strong option on screens and passes to the RB. The release of WR Joe Horn will ultimately hurt the production of the offense, even though he didn’t do a whole lot in 2007. It’s now Roddy White and only Roddy White. He’s the only major target the QB has downfield. Ryan and White should combine for a pretty good duo in 2008, but nothing serious as of yet. They need to get another big-time wideout to compliment White before they can talk about the playoffs.
Regular Season Prediction: 6-10, 3rd in NFC South, no playoffs
Carolina Panthers Jake Delhomme is always on my DO NOT KNOW list. I simply can’t place what this guy will do each year. Some seasons, he’ll get you to a Super Bowl, and some seasons, he’ll throw 20 interceptions, and of course, some years, he’ll get injured and not do anything. Jonathan Stewart is a strong ROTY candidate and favorite. I expect him and Williams to be another good NFL RB duo, and he could be the Rookie of the Year. I see Stewart doing good, especially if Delhomme goes down, because the Panthers will then have less to do in the passing game, and would help out the running game big time. Steve Smith also needs to be sensational, and hope that Delhomme stays healthy. If Delhomme goes down, the entire team, player by player, is affected. Smith’s production will go down, and he’s the most productive player on that offense. This team will be in a world of hurt if Delhomme can’t stay healthy. Dan Morgan, quite possibly the greatest Panther of all-time, retired in the off-season after being traded to New Orleans. To replace him, the Panthers drafted Dan Connor, a strong linebacker from Penn State. In a few years, he could be the leader of that defense. But, as of now, the team’s playoff chances all rest on Delhomme’s staying injury-free. Matt Moore has potential, but he won’t be the next QB to lead the Panthers to a Super Bowl. If Delhomme stays healthy, this team can be a force to reckon with in that division, but since I doubt he will stay healthy for 4 long months, I see this team losing double-digit games.
Regular Season Prediction: 5-11, 4th in NFC South, no playoffs
Let me hear what you think. Check back in tomorrow for my NFC West preview!
These are my predictions on each NFC team’s 2008 campaign. I will say below each team their record, whether or not they make the playoffs, and what seed they are if they do make it. Here are my predictions for the 2008 NFL regular season! (If two teams in the same division finish with the same record in my predictions, the team higher in the standings wins the tie-breaker)
NFC North Minnesota 10-6, NFC North Champs, No. 4 seed Detroit 10-6, NFC Wild Card, No. 6 seed Green Bay 7-9, no playoffs Chicago 4-12, no playoffs
NFC South Tampa Bay 11-5, NFC South Champs, No. 3 seed New Orleans 11-5, NFC Wild Card, No. 5 seed Carolina 6-10, no playoffs Atlanta 5-11, no playoffs
NFC East Dallas 15-1, NFC East Champs, No. 1 seed New York Giants 9-7, no playoffs Philadelphia 8-8, no playoffs Washington 5-11, no playoffs
NFC West Seattle 12-4, NFC West Champs, No. 2 seed Arizona 6-10, no playoffs St. Louis 4-12, no playoffs San Francisco 2-14, no playoffs
Let me hear your thoughts! Don’t forget to check out the AFC post as well!
The NFC is a question mark as of right now, and as I see it, is completely up for grabs. So, I have decided to take the task of deciding the NFC’s team to beat this year. For the next week, I will be looking at each NFC team in alphabetical order to find out who really is the NFC favorite heading into the 2008 season.
I will rank each team’s chances on a 1-10 scale, 1 being the worst chance of winning the conference, 10 being the best chance of winning the conference. The team with the worst chance will get a 1, while the team with the best chance will get a 10.
Today I will be discussing the Washington Redskins, New Orleans Saints, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.
Redskins The Redskins have some problems heading into the season. The major one being that they made their big run without current starting QB, Jason Campbell.
Campbell, despite what experts say, has not impressed me yet. I honestly don’t think he’s THAT good of a QB. He was only 5-7 as a starter this year, and that’s not impressive. I don’t see one element of his gameplay that is impressive enough for me to pick them to win.
Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts make for a good 1-2 running back punch. That kind of efficiency is hard to come by. I see their production dwindling off, however, because that division they play in is too tough for them too win it. I would be surprised if they were able to pull of a winning record.
Santana Moss has always been an extremely solid go-to wide receiver. That fact will not change until he retires, and no matter who’s throwing too him, you can expect him to be invited to the Pro Bowl. His success will depend on how well Campbell does after returning from his injury.
Scale: 4
Saints The Saints have by far had the best off-season in the NFL. Drew Brees now doesn’t just have one offensive weapon to work with in Marques Colston. You may ask me why I say he only had one; well, that’s’ because Colston is the only one who stayed healthy all last year. Reggie Bush and Deuce McAlister were injured for portions of last year, which probably is the reason why the missed the playoffs.
Now that Deuce and Reggie are healthy and better than ever, this team will be a full-on, in-your-face force. Not to mention the offensive addition of Pro Bowl TE, Jeremy Shockey, which will undoubtedly make the offense’s yards per game shoot up and Brees will have one more target to throw to if he is being hurried.
The defense has been seriously upgraded with the addition of LB Jonathan Vilma. He is a physical beast, and will lead the team in tackles, and probably sacks as well. Do not underestimate the Saints. As of now, that is a warning, but before long, they are going to turn that into a dominant threat.
Scale: 8
Seahawks The Seahawks have always been in contention with Matt Hasselbeck as the starter, and things don’t seem to be changing just yet, so keep the Hawks in mind.
Hasselbeck’s “title window” is closing, and fast. He is 31 years old at still without that Super Bowl title. He needs that one running back that will stay healthy all year long and keep them in contention once the post-season arrives. Hasselbeck has a history of under-performing in big games, but that could all change this year if Julius Jones stays healthy.
Jones was a fine addition by the Seahawks, and if him and Maurice Morris can team up and make a 1-2 punch running system, that will be a backfield to be afraid of if you are a defensive coordinator.
Patrick Kerney, Lofa Tatupu, Marcus Trufant, Julian Peterson and Leroy Hill have already made that defensive unit an incredibly strong and fearsome one. Don’t expect any of that to change this year. I see Kerney being in the running for MVP at the end of the season.
Scale: 7
Vikings The Vikings have a battle for starting QB as it seems between John David Booty and Tarvaris Jackson. I don’t know what is going on in their camp right now, so I can’t give an edge to either one. However, I would rather have JDB starting, just for the fact that he has won at the college level and has proven himself worthy of a starting role in that offense.
Adrian Peterson is undeniably the key to the offense. If they didn’t have him, they would have half as many wins as the did with him. Peterson will have another electrifying year, and quite possible set the single-season rushing record.
The biggest addition in the off-season has to be Jared Allen, the Pro Bowl DE. Kansas City thought that he would be a problem in terms of crime, but Allen has said over and over that he is past those days. I believe him. If you don’t, he’ll sack you! (HAHA)
The defensive and offensive lines are incredibly bulked with guys who can steamroll the best of them. Watch out for the Vikes.
Scale: 7
So, after a week’s worth of discussing the NFC, I have come to a conclusion on who the favorite in the National Football Conference is.
The Giants have finally dealt away TE Jeremy Shockey. In what seemed to me an unexpected move, New York traded him to the New Orleans Saints today for 2 draft picks.
This is insane! What a dumb trade by the Giants! Shockey is worth a 1st round pick, and they settled for less because they were in a hurry. HA! That’s whatcha get I guess for being an ####.
The Saints have just pulled off the steal of the century by landing Shockey. The offense in Nawlins is absolutely frickin’ loaded! The Saints are undoubtedly, undeniably the favorite in the NFC South this season.
Here is their schedule:
1. TB 2. @ WSH 3. @ DEN 4. SF 5. MIN 6. OAK 7. @ CAR 8. SD (London) 9. BYE 10. @ ATL 11. @ KC 12. GB 13. @ TB 14. ATL 15. @ CHI 16. @ DET 17. CAR
If you ask me, that looks like an 11-5 or 12-4 record. You don’t have to ask me though, because that’s why I’m here, to tell you. The Saints are making the playoffs guaranteed. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the Saints are gonna be one of the Vegas favorites come September.
At the same time as this helps the Saints, we need to look at the Giants and see if this really does hurt them.
Here is their schedule for 2008:
1. WSH 2. @ STL 3. CIN 4. BYE 5. SEA 6. @ CLE 7. SF 8. @ PIT 9. DAL 10. @ PHI 11. BAL 12. @ ARZ 13. @ WSH 14. PHI 15. @ DAL 16. CAR 17. @ MIN
That looks like about a 9-7 season without a playoff berth. there is too much competition in the NFC Wild Card for them to make it, and I’m pretty sure that it’s common sense the Cowboys are gonna win the division. Minnesota, Green Bay, Arizona, Philly, and Tampa Bay all have better shots at the playoffs that the Giants do without Shockey.
They have pretty much based this trade on a foolish decision to go with the Tight End who made one big catch. Kevin Boss (I think it’s Kevin, right?) made a good play in the Super Bowl that got the Giants way downfield in order to win the game.
Okay, to give credit where credit is due, he was wide open, and the defender pretty much fell on his face like an ostrich, so it was less impressive than some people seem to think.
Giants fans, beware, I’m not saying Boss is a bad tight end, in fact I do think he’s pretty good, but don’t get your hopes up for him being a Player of the Year candidate like Jeremy Shockey would be.
That’s all I got for this topic, let me hear your thoughts.
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I am Mike Greenspire and I am a sports blogger for FOX Sports and I love the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and NASCAR! I was born and raised in the city of Pittsburgh, PA, so naturally I am a die-hard fan of the Pens, Buccos, and Steelers. Since Pittsburgh basketball is long gone, my favorite team in the NBA is the Orlando Magic. Please leave a comment on my blog, I love feedback. My blog is fun, and I enjoy writing it, and I hope that you will enjoy reading it! Thanks!
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