These are some thoughts and predictions regarding the upcoming NFL season.
The New
Orleans Saints will reach double digit wins. Sean Payton’s return to the
sideline will be a marked improvement over last years’ revolving door of head
coaches. Plus Payton has had a year off to rest from the day-to-day grind of
NFL coaching. Under new defensive coordinator, Rob “Werewolf” Ryan, the Saints
defense should improve from its historically bad performance last season. I don’t think it will be a good defense, but
an improvement to below average should be worth a win or two.
The
Pittsburgh Steelers will not make the playoffs. They only scored 336 points
last year, finishing 22nd in the league in scoring between Buffalo
and Tennessee. Ben Roethlisberger is always hurt, has only two 4,000 yard
passing seasons in his career, and his career high in TD passes is 26.The
Steelers running back situation is in flux with Le’Veon Bell’s injury. The
Bengals and Browns have improved their teams since last season and despite
Baltimore’s crushing loss to Denver, the Ravens will contend for a playoff
spot.
Jacksonville,
Tennessee, and Indianapolis will all finish with double digit losses.
Jacksonville continues its futile struggle for .500 football. Tennessee will
start Jake Locker and Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB, and Indianapolis will regress
after last year’s 11-5 season. The Colts were the only team in NFL history to
have an 11-5 record, but post a negative point differential (the Colts allowed
387 points, but only scored 357). The AFC South teams also have to play the
teams of the NFC West. At best, the Jaguars, Titans, and Colts will beat
Arizona, but not Seattle, San Francisco, or even St. Louis.
Matthew
Stafford will throw for 5,000 yards and 30 TDs. He is entering his 5th
NFL season, and while he has had significant injury concerns, Stafford has
started 31 of 32 games in the past two seasons. He is also only just 25. He is
younger than both third year quarterbacks Colin Kaepernick and Andy Dalton. He
is also younger than Josh Freeman and Sam Bradford. He throws to the best wide
receiver in the game in Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush will be an improvement
at running back.
Jim
Schwartz, Ron Rivera, Mike Munchak, and Rex Ryan all enter this season on the
hot seat. Schwartz’s teams are comically undisciplined. Rivera’s in game managing
is atrocious. Rex Ryan believes that the only way to coach a team is to make
increasingly absurd claims about the greatness of his players and the team. By
raising the stakes again and again, Ryan’s proclamations about Super Bowl wins,
“incredible off-seasons,” and how pundits “don’t know our team” become more
absurd the Jets shuffle mediocre quarterbacks, have no offensive weapons, and
struggle to 5 wins. I would bet on Munchak as the first coached fired. The Titans have bad quarterbacks, a defense
that hired Gregg “Blitz, Blitz, and Blitz somemore” Williams to aid the
defense, and they haven’t shown any signs of being good for years.
Playoff Picks:
AFC East: New England
AFC North: Cincinnati
AFC South: Houston
AFC West: Denver
AFC Wildcards: Chiefs, Ravens
NFC East: New York Giants
NFC North: Green Bay
NFC South: New Orleans
NFC West: San Francisco
NFC Wildcards: Seattle, Atlanta
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