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.

NFL Pre-Season Picks-AFC West

Hey guys. Thanks for all the positive feedback on my Quarterback rankings list. I'm back today to deliver my preseason picks for each division and ultimately give my postseason predictions.

Today we'll start with the AFC West. A season ago this division was no contest. The Denver Broncos, with the newly acquired Peyton Manning, were the class of the division finishing 13-3 and six games ahead of second-place San Diego. For the 2013 season, this is what I forecast:

1. Denver Broncos 13-3

Clearly Denver is still the class of this division. Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks still in the game. They already had a potent offense, but added to it with the signing of Wes Welker and the drafting of Montee Ball. The defense was a top-flight unit last year, and probably should be again this season. Although the loss of Elvis Dumervil, in addition to Von Miller for six games, will greatly reduce their pass rush. But the fact remains, with how great the offense is, this defense will be playing with the lead in most games, which benefits them tremendously.

2. Kansas City Chiefs 8-8

A year ago the Kansas City Chiefs were the worst team in the NFL, finishing at 2-14. Much of that had to do with atrocious quarterback play and shoddy coaching from Romeo Crennel. Enter Alex Smith and Andy Reid. Sure, Alex Smith will never live up to his number one pick billing, but he's still much better than the awful combination of Matt Cassel and Brady Quinn. And Andy Reid is the type of coach who can "remake" or "revive" if you will a quarterbacks career. It also doesn't hurt that he has an elite RB(Jamaal Charles) and probably the best WR he's ever played with in Dwayne Bowe. The defensive unit has many more playmakers than the average fan knows about. When Eric Berry is on the field, he is an elite, impact safety. They also boast other playmakers in Tamba Hali, Brandon Flowers, and Derrick Johnson. Expect this team to improve, and possibly fight for the final wildcard spot.

3. San Diego Chargers 5-11

The Chargers have fallen from grace in recent years. Gone are the glory days with LT, Vincent Jackson, Norv Turner, Marty Schottenheimer, and dare I say Philip Rivers. Rivers has clearly declined as his talent has vanished around him. This current Charger team features an uninspiring offense, with mediocre WR, a talented yet extremely brittle RB (Ryan Mathews), and a horrid offensive line. This offense won't be able to win many shootouts. But the problem is, they'll most likely be in shootouts because the defense is also just average at best. Sure, Manti Te'o and Dwight Freeney are welcomed additions, but the secondary is way too weak and will be torched by solid quarterbacks.

4. Oakland Raiders 2-14

There's not much to say with this team. Other than the fact that they have the absolute WORST roster in the NFL. When people get excited about the prospects of Terrelle Pryor starting, a guy taken in the Supplemental Draft who is horribly inaccurate, you know you're in a rough situation. They literally have NO ONE on their roster that fans should be excited about. Please don't come at me with Darren McFadden.

QB No. 1 on Top 20 Countdown!

Here it is folks! After nearly three long weeks of rankings, my number one QB is......Aaron Rodgers! Hard to imagine that it was actually a tough choice whether to keep Brett Favre or move on with the younger Rodgers six years ago, after seeing the level at which he plays right now. To me, Rodgers offers the best combination of accuracy, arm strength, and athleticism from the quarterback position.

Rodgers has started for the Packers for five full seasons now, and is already a 3-time Pro Bowler, as well as Super Bowl Champ and MVP. Oh, and he's also won league MVP back in 2011. He's posted an astounding 3.8 TD:INT ratio for his career. And in four of the five seasons Rodgers has passed for greater than 4,000 yards, with the lone exception in 2010, missing out by less than 80 yards. All he did to follow up his Super Bowl victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers was go out and win MVP in 2011, posting ridiculous numbers (4,900 total yards, 48 TD, and only 6 INT!).

Many consider last season a down year for Rodgers. A down year? The dude accounted for 41 TD, 4,500 yards, and only 8 INT! Just goes to show how high expectations have become for the Green Bay QB. There are questions about his leadership, but I don't see it. Sure, sometimes Rodgers is caught on the sideline ripping a teammate. Big deal? Tell me which quarterback DOESN'T do that, and I'll tell you that that quarterback is not elite. Last year he was undoubtedly average by his standards in the playoff loss to the 49ers. There was no excuse for his performance, yet I got news for you. He could've thrown for 600 yards and 6TD and they still would've lost. That's because the Packer defense couldn't stop the nosebleed that Colin Kaepernick was dealing them.

Again, what separates Rodgers from the other elite QB to me is his combination of arm strength, athleticism, and accuracy. Sure, Brady, Peyton, and Brees have the accuracy, arm strength, and the intelligence, but Rodgers is way more athletic than any of them, and can avoid way more sacks. Plus, he is the one QB in the top 4 who is still in the prime of his career. That's the key distinguisher. Again, I love Brady, Peyton, and Brees, but they've all seen their best years come and go. What's scary is that Rodgers still might be able to top his incredible 2011 season, because again, it's only his 6th season as the Packers QB.

Projections: 4,700 yards, 44 TD, 9 INT

Thanks to those that followed my ranks daily over the past three weeks, I appreciate it, and I look forward to getting back to a new topic soon. Leave comments to any of the articles I've posted and I'll respond! Peace out.

QB No. 2: Tom Brady

Truly one of the most difficult choices to make was deciding who will go number one. Do I go with the veteran, 3-time Super Bowl Champion, and one of the top five greatest quarterbacks of all-time? Or do I go with the younger, big armed QB, who also happens to be a Super Bowl Champion? In the end, I decided that the number two spot belongs to Tom Brady.

Brady orchestrates the highest-octane offense in all of football, and executes it to perfection with incredible efficiency and poise. The Patriots take pride in running the most amount of plays per game in the NFL. All that time with the football demands that you be a good protector of it, which Brady is. He's been top five in passing attempts the last two seasons, yet has only thrown 20 INT total, among the lowest of starting NFL QB during that span.

And then, of course, there's what Brady has accomplished over his career. He's a 2-time MVP, 3-time SB champion, 2-time SB MVP, 8-time Pro Bowler, and record-holder for single-season passing TD with 50. But he's not invincible. And if we're nitpicking, he hasn't won a Super Bowl since 2004. He's been to two since that time. But his team was upset by the New York Giants in both Super Bowls. He's actually played poorly more often then not in playoff games since 2008. And if we're being perfectly honest here, Brady was outplayed by Joe Flacco in back-to-back playoff seasons, yet the Patriots won the first meeting because of...Lee Evans...Billy Cundiff, a story for another time.

But alas, that's truly nitpicking. Brady is the most accurate, most efficient, and honestly might be the most competitive QB in the NFL. Together, that's a winning formula. Sure, he hasn't hoisted the Lombardi trophy since '04, but Super Bowl victories are hard to come by. I think it just says enough that he always has his team playing in January EVERY SINGLE SEASON. He doesn't have the nod over my number one QB, but I wouldn't fight anyone who would argue for Brady at one.

QB No. 3: Peyton Manning

My number three quarterback coming into the 2013 season is going to be Peyton Manning. Manning has seen it all in his 16-year career. He is a 4-time MVP, a 12-time Pro Bowler, and perhaps most importantly a Super Bowl Champion, and MVP in that particular SB. He's thrown for over 4,000 yards in 12 of the 14 seasons that he's actually played in. His MVP seasons were spectacular, especially the '04 campaign. That year he threw for 4,500 yards while tossing 49 TD and only 10 INT! (At the time, he broke the single-season TD record)

The bugaboo for Peyton has always been the postseason. I don't think many people could argue for someone other than Peyton Manning as the greatest REGULAR SEASON QB in NFL history. Maybe Brett Favre. Maybe. But for all his greatness, and everyone acknowledges his greatness, he's only managed nine playoff wins compared to eleven losses. Dumbfounding, no? And it's not as if the talent hasn't been great around him. Okay, the first couple of playoff appearances are excusable. But once the years of Harrison, Wayne, and Clark arrived, he couldn't ask for better weapons. In his peak years in Indy, '02-'10, he could only manage two Super Bowl appearances. I honestly can't figure out why, but he does seem to be worse in playoff games. He seems to make more mistakes then we're used to seeing, more turnovers. Even last year, with the Broncos, Manning and the Broncos were heavily favored against the Baltimore Ravens at home. He played fairly well, but threw two costly INT. One of which set up the game-winning FG for Baltimore. This season the Broncos added Wes Welker, who should contribute to an already stacked WR corps. The pressure is once again on Manning because the Broncos are heavy favorites to reach the Super Bowl, and one of the favorites to win it all.

Let's not get it twisted. I love Peyton Manning. It's just that when you're ranking guys in the top three you have to nitpick a little bit. The only reasons I can dock Peyton from being number one or two have to do with his age/injury concerns over his neck, as well as his playoff performances. Both in the past and recent appearances. This guy is without question a first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the "good" guys in the sport, and personally one of my favorite QB I've had the privilege to watch over the years. But for the 2013 season, I believe there are two guys that I'd rather have.

Projections: 4,750 yards, 44 TD, 13 INT