Rest of Pre-Season NFL Picks

Hey guys, sorry I didn't follow up on my other division picks sooner. Been super swamped with, ya know, school... Anyways, now that we're already into the NFL season I'm going to quickly give my pre-season picks, with a lot less detail than before.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals 10-6: Defense loaded with talent, upgraded at RB via NFL draft, and has an Elite WR.

2. Baltimore Ravens 9-7: People underestimate this team every year, even after winning Super Bowl. They lost Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, but upgraded many other defensive positions. Biggest question is who will catch passes from Flacco.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7: A healthy Big Ben will make this team a playoff contender again. Aging but still solid defense. Biggest question is their offensive line.

4. Cleveland Browns 7-9: Will have a vastly improved offense with young playmakers Trent Richardson, Josh Gordon, and Jordan Cameron. Defense very underrated. But still have Brandon Weeden as their QB. That can only get them so far.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers 11-5: This offense is loaded with weapons and the game's best QB. Their defense will improve after an embarrassing performance last post-season. Can the offensive line hold up for Rodgers though?

2. Detroit Lions 9-7: Reggie Bush adds a much needed running element to a team that certainly excels throwing the football. This defense is also underrated severely, with the biggest strength being that beastly defensive line.

3. Chicago Bears 8-8: Still has a solid defense. Still has Brandon Marshall and Matt Forte. Still has Jay Cutler... And that can only get you so far.

4. Minnesota Vikings 6-10: Sure they have Adrian Peterson. But in a tough division, you can't win with Christian Ponder as your QB. Last year was a fluke.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans 12-4: Dominant defense. Dominant running game. Good enough passing game to get by. This team will contend for the Super Bowl.

2. Indianapolis Colts 9-7: This team seems to have a flare for the dramatic. Luck will find a way to win games that the Colts shouldn't win. But I'm skeptical of their defense and running game.

3. Tennessee Titans 6-10: A much improved offensive line might be just what the Titans needed to get Chris Johnson going again. Then again, maybe not. And they still have Jake Locker starting.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-13: Worst quarterback situation in the league. Okay maybe Oakland does. Point is, what does this team have? If MJD does not comeback 100% and his old dominant self, then the answer is nothing.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons 12-4: Same great offense from a year ago, but upgraded tremendously with the acquisition of Steven Jackson at RB. A solid, yet unspectacular D makes this team a Super Bowl contender.

2. New Orleans Saints 10-6: Gut feeling that with Sean Payton back, the Saints become the best offense in football again. Their defense CAN NOT be worse than last year's pathetic effort. This team will contend for the playoffs yet again.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 8-8: I don't trust this team and I don't know why. I love the additions they made to their defense, mainly with getting Darrelle Revis. But I think it's because I don't view QB Josh Freeman as a leader, or as a very effective football player.

4. Carolina Panthers 7-9: A much improved defense to go along with the continued development of QB Cam Newton should have Carolina contending for the playoffs for much of the season, but ultimately they'll fall short.


Now on to the Playoff Prediction portion of this article. Here are my six playoff teams in each conference:

AFC                                    NFC
1. Texans                          1. 49ers
2. Broncos                        2. Falcons
3. Patriots                         3. Packers
4. Bengals                        4. Cowboys
5. Ravens                         5. Seahawks
6. Steelers                        6. Redskins

Super Bowl Pick: Seattle Seahawks over Houston Texans

And yeah, it's a homer pick! Do I care? No. This is after all a Seattle Sports blog. I think I speak for everyone here when I say there's more than a legit chance of this happening. Go Seahawks! And let there be football again!

NFL Pre-Season Picks- AFC East and NFC East

A double whammy today as we tackle both the AFC and NFC East divisions. The AFC East has long been dominated by the New England Patriots, under the leadership of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. However, the Patriots might enter the season with the most question marks in a long time. Aaron Hernandez is now out of the NFL, Wes Welker is in Denver, Rob Gronkowski is still recovering from back and wrist injuries, and the defense is still very young. For 2013 this is what I see:

1. New England Patriots 10-6

Yes, the Patriots have tons of question marks. But they can overcome it. For one, this is still a very weak division. They still have by far the best quarterback in Tom Brady. And I believe some younger weapons will emerge, specifically Danny Amendola, Shane Vereen, and Kenbrell Thompkins. Plus, I don't believe that Gronk will miss significant time. And let's not forget this team can RUN the football about as well as anybody. I'll grant you that the defense is still young and experienced, but I do believe that it's talented, and still believe that it will be playing from ahead in more games than not.

2. Miami Dolphins 7-9 

Many people believe that the Dolphins are the sleeper team to watch out for in the AFC East. The positives are that Ryan Tannehill actually looked competent last year at quarterback, and should only continue to grow. They signed Mike Wallace to be Tannehill's deep threat. And personally, I believe that RB Lamar Miller is set up for a breakout season, after the departure of Reggie Bush. But the fact remains, those weapons aren't as good as New England's, and although their defense will be solid, I'm not sure that it will be much better than the Patriots, if at all. This team will make strides, but is still too young to seriously compete.

3. Buffalo Bills 6-10

This is still a team in the rebuilding process. But I'm starting to like the pieces they have put together. EJ Manuel may not be special, but I think he can develop into a quality NFL starter. CJ Spiller broke out last year, and will break out all the way this season, as he is now locked and loaded as the feature RB. Stevie Johnson is a quality WR, but probably more suited to being a number two guy, but the drafting of Robert Woods should open up the coverage for Johnson. I wouldn't be shocked if they actually finished second in this division.

4. New York Jets 4-12

What an absolute mess of a situation. They are still trying to convince themselves that Mark Sanchez is capable quarterback. But Geno Smith will start now that Sanchez is hurt. Either way, this team is void of offensive weapons to help out the young QB. The defense should be alright, but the offense will be so pathetic that it will wear down their defense over the season.



NFC EAST: The Washington Redskins, led by RG3, took the league by storm last season and made an improbable run to the playoffs, winning seven straight games to close the year. The Dallas Cowboys disappointed yet again, and seem to fit the definition of mediocrity perfectly.

1. Dallas Cowboys 10-6

Believe it or not, I'm falling for the Dallas Cowboys this season. I have no reason to, since all they show is self-destruction constantly in the final month of seasons. But a couple of factors to keep in mind. Tony Romo is going to have more control of the offense this year, and before you laugh at that consider that he is an extremely productive regular season quarterback. Perhaps this is the year DeMarco Murray stays healthy? If so, they'll have a respectable ground game. Dez Bryant is a beast, and will challenge Calvin Johnson for the best WR in football this season. And Miles Austin and Jason Witten aren't dead yet. I think the defense will be better than people think. It's just a gut feeling, but I think this is the Cowboys year.

2. Washington Redskins 10-6

I love RG3. I really do. And if there is a team I'd root for in this division it'd be the Redskins because of him. But you have to be at least a tiny bit concerned that he won't come back as the same player. I believe in his passing. But what made it so difficult for defenses was that they had to chase down one of the fastest players in the NFL. I'm not convinced he'll be able to run it like he did a season ago. True, they still have Alfred Morris at RB, and potentially Pierre Garçon back and fully healthy. Plus, if they could ever get Brian Orakpo to stay healthy, then he brings a lethal dimension to this defense. The bottom line is that I think the expectations are way to high on this team, on this quarterback. They'll finish just short.

3. Philadelphia Eagles 7-9

Count me as a slight believer in Chip Kelly and Michael Vick this season. I think Kelly's offense will throw defenses off. Plus, it's not just about the system. It's about who they have running it. Michael Vick will be extremely effective as long as he stays healthy. LeSean McCoy will re-emerge as an elite RB, as will DeSean Jackson to a lesser degree at WR. The defense might be weak, but I think this team is capable of winning a few shootouts.

4. New York Giants 6-10

Something just doesn't smell right this year for the Giants. Perhaps it's the fact that they've lost several quality players to injuries in the pre-season. Perhaps it's the fact that unproven David Wilson is the only quality RB on the depth chart until Andre Brown returns from his broken leg. Perhaps it's the fact that Eli Manning is still wildly inconsistent and has only Victor Cruz as a reliable weapon (Hakeem Nicks is just one of those players who will always be hurt). Maybe I'm wrong. But I got a horrible gut feeling this season is going to go south for the Giants in 2013.

NFL Pre-Season Picks-NFC West

Today we'll go over the NFC West, which in my opinion is the toughest division in all of football. Last season the 49ers seemed to be the heavy favorite, and played like it for much of the season. Once Colin Kapernick took over at QB, a playmaking dimension was added to the offense, making them much more difficult to stop. But they didn't run away with the division, as the Seattle Seahawks wound up winning seven of their final eight games to finish only a half game behind the 49ers for the division title. This division is home to the game's best current rivalry, and EVERY team in this division wants to play similarly. They all want to impose their will on defense. Here are my picks for the NFC West:

1. San Francisco 49ers 12-4

As much as it pains me to write this, I believe the 49ers will take the division title yet again. Obviously their defense is elite, especially in their front seven. But I believe this will be an extremely efficient offense. Much has been said this offseason about Colin Kaepernick. "He's going to be the greatest QB of all-time."But for as much talent as he may have, it still won't be enough to overcome what this offense truly is. A ball-control, smash-mouth, run-first offense. With Michael Crabtree out for several months, it leaves only Anquan Boldin and Vernon Davis as the only truly reliable weapons that Kaepernick can throw too. And Boldin has lost more than a step, even though he still has terrific hands. The point is, this offensive line is one of the best in the game, and Frank Gore is still effective as a runner. Kaepernick doesn't need to explode for this team to succeed. Perhaps most importantly however, the schedule sets up more favorably for the 49ers than it does the rival Seahawks. The 49ers get the majority of their tough non-division games at home, whereas the Seahawks do not.

2. Seattle Seahawks 11-5

Don't misunderstand what I'm saying here. By putting the Seahawks at second in the division, it doesn't mean that I think they're inferior to the 49ers. What it really boils down to for me is that the schedule appears less favorable for the Seahawks because they have to play non-division teams like the Texans, Colts, Giants, and Falcons all on the road. This is still an elite team in the NFL, boasting the best defense in the NFL, a rising star at QB(Russell Wilson), an elite beast of a RB(Marshawn Lynch), and a solid, if unspectacular, group of receivers, even without Percy Harvin. In fact, if anything, this tough schedule will make the Seahawks more battle tested, and more able to win road games come postseason time. Plenty of teams can reach the Super Bowl from the WildCard spot. Why can't the Hawks?


3. Arizona Cardinals 8-8

This is going to be a vastly improved football team in 2013 for two main reasons. The first is that the revolving circus of quarterbacks is gone from a season ago, and Carson Palmer has entered as the clear number one guy. I don't believe there was a worse group of QB than the trio of Kevin Kolb, John Skelton, and Ryan Lindley. And that includes guys like Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, and Christian Ponder. Palmer may not be what he once was, but he'll seem like a Pro-Bowler compared to what they have. His presence will elevate Fitzgerald back up to being one of the elite WR again. The other main reason is that Bruce Arians is the new head coach. Arians took a previously sorry team in the Colts, and turned them into the biggest overachieving team in the league, and a playoff team. And I would argue that this Cardinals team has as much talent or more than that Colts team had. I believe the defense is certainly better than last year's Colts team. I also believe that the RB and WR are fairly identical. The only difference might be that Andrew Luck is a better QB than Palmer. But still, there's more than enough talent for Arians to turn this team into a surprise playoff contender.

4. St. Louis Rams 6-10

The St. Louis Rams were the best team in this division last year. "What? That can't be true. What are you talking about? The Rams finished in third place." True enough, but the Rams did have the best record in the division last season, going 4-1-1. They also had some heartbreaking losses last year which changed the perception of the team. But here's the thing. They got better. Offensively, they added the electrifying Tavon Austin via the draft, and the massive, yet fast TE Jared Cook from Free Agency. Pair them with Chris Givens who emerged slightly last year(I actually think he will break out in a big way this season), and you got a pretty potent passing attack. But the fact remains that they did lose workhorse RB Steven Jackson. Plus, Sam Bradford is still the worst QB in this division, in my humble opinion. Their defense may be stout, and in another division they may be able to compete for the title, but in this division I don't see them being able to beat out the other three teams.