2013 NFL Predictions thread (You can even pick the Broncos!)

Not sure I'm buying Cardinals stock yet, even though Palmer IS an upgrade over what they were trotting out last year.
Cheifs, I'd be stunned if they weren't at least 3 wins better, just b/c of the significant QB and coaching upgrades.
Eagles - I'm looking forward to watching them. I figure some better luck with turnovers will lead to an improvement, but I'm not sure how many games.

 

Division winners
NFC East - Giants
NFC North - Packers
NFC South - Panthers
NFC West - Niners

AFC East - Patriots
AFC North - Steelers
AFC South - Colts
AFC West - Broncos

NFC Wild Card 1 - Falcons
NFC Wild Card 2 - Seahawks

AFC Wild Card 1 - Ravens
AFC Wild Card 2 - Texans

Playoff predictions
NFC Wild Card Game 1 - Panthers beat Seahawks
NFC Wild Card Game 2 - Giants beat Falcons
AFC Wild Card Game 1 - Steelers beat Texans
AFC Wild Card Game 2 - Ravens beat Colts

NFC Divisional Game 1 - Packers beat Panthers
NFC Divisional Game 2 - Giants beat Niners

AFC Divisional Game 1 - Steelers beat Patriots
AFC Divisional Game 2 - Broncos beat Ravens

NFC title game - Packers beat Giants
AFC title game - Broncos beat Steelers

Super Bowl - Packers beat Broncos

MVP - Cam Newton
Defensive player of the year - J.J. Watt
Offensive player of the year - Newton
Coach of the Year - Chuck Pagano
Offensive rookie of the year - Tavon Austin
Defensive rookie of the year - Star Lotulelei
Comeback player of the year - Tony Gonzalez
First coach fired - RON RIVERA, Carolina Panthers

 

What leads you to believe the Cardinals will be better?

I think the Chiefs will be the most improved team this season... But they will still suck.

 

No place to go but up for the Chiefs, Cardinals, Eagles, etc.

I do think the additions of new head coach Bruce Ariens and quarterback Carson Palmer will help the Cardinals. How much improvement? Hard to say.

Here would an interesting prediction: which team will finish with the WORST record? My pick might be the New York Jets. Other nominees might be Jacksonville and Philadelphia.

 

You REALLY like the Steelers' rookies, don't you?

To be fair, Mike Tomlin seems to love Bell and Thomas, too.

 

Here's the shell...

Division winners
NFC East - Washington
NFC North - Green Bay
NFC South - Atlanta
NFC West - SF

AFC East - New England
AFC North - Baltimore
AFC South - Houston
AFC West - Denver

NFC Wild Card 1 - Detroit (part of this is total homerism but I do think they improve over last year)
NFC Wild Card 2 - NY Giants

AFC Wild Card 1 - Buffalo
AFC Wild Card 2 - Pittsburgh

Playoff predictions
NFC Wild Card Game 1 - Giants over SF in a close game reminiscent of the NFC title game that put the Ginats in Super Bowl XXV
NFC Wild Card Game 2 - Washington over Detroit in an ugly game reminiscent of the NFC title game that put Washington in Super Bowl XXVI
AFC Wild Card Game 1 - Pitts over Houston because the Texans never catch a break
AFC Wild Card Game 2 - Baltimore over Buffalo

NFC Divisional Game 1 - Giants over Atlanta
NFC Divisional Game 2 - Green Bay over Washington as a member of the Menominee nation spends the entire game giving Dan Snyder a death stare

AFC Divisional Game 1 - New England over Baltimore
AFC Divisional Game 2 - Denver over Pittsburgh

NFC title game - Giants over Green Bay
AFC title game - New England over Denver in the most overhyped QB matchup since the last time those QBs matched up.

Super Bowl - Giants over New England as Bill Simmons weeps silently for three weeks afterward

MVP - Aaron Rodgers
Defensive player of the year - JJ Watt
Offensive player of the year - Calvin Johnson (homer pick, sorry)
Coach of the Year - J. Harbaugh
Offensive rookie of the year - Eric Fischer (not really, but I still think it's cool a CMU kid was the No. 1 draft pick)
Defensive rookie of the year - The Honey Badger (but he won't care)
Comeback player of the year - Troy Palamalu recovering nicely from his contusion of the birth certificate http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000226350/article/troy-polamalu-has-contusion-of-the-birth-certificate

First coach fired - Rex Ryan, because I have no idea how he wasn't fired after last season

 

Tony Romo Practicing For First Time Since Surgery To Remove Ovarian Cyst
this may alter some predictions






http://www.theonion.com/articles/tony-romo-practicing-for-first-time-since-surgery,33253/

 

Division winners
NFC East - N.Y. Giants
NFC North - Green Bay
NFC South - Atlanta
NFC West - San Francisco

AFC East - New England
AFC North - Cincinnati
AFC South - Houston
AFC West - Denver

NFC Wild Card 1 - Seattle
NFC Wild Card 2 - Washington

AFC Wild Card 1 - Baltimore
AFC Wild Card 2 - Miami

Playoff predictions
NFC title game - Seattle at Atlanta
AFC title game - Cincinnati at New England

Super Bowl - Atlanta over New England

MVP - Matt Ryan
Defensive player of the year - Geno Atkins
Offensive player of the year - Tavon Austin (a reach, but he's that special IMO)
Coach of the Year - Joe Philbin
Offensive rookie of the year - Tavon Austin
Defensive rookie of the year - Barkevious Mingo
Comeback player of the year - Rashard Mendenhall
First coach fired - Rex Ryan

 

Good call.

 

It will be interesting is any improvements done to the Cardinals will be shown in the W-L record. Even if they're significantly improved they're in a division with three teams, two of which are legitimate Super Bowl contenders and a Rams team that could make the playoffs this season.

 

Division winners
NFC East - Redskins
NFC North - Vikings
NFC South - Saints
NFC West - 49ers

AFC East - Patriots
AFC North - Steelers
AFC South - Colts
AFC West - Broncos

NFC Wild Card 1 - Packers
NFC Wild Card 2 - Falcons

AFC Wild Card 1 - Ravens
AFC Wild Card 2 - Texans

Playoff predictions
NFC Wild Card Game 1 - Redskins over Packers
NFC Wild Card Game 2 - Vikings over Falcons
AFC Wild Card Game 1 - Colts over Texans
AFC Wild Card Game 2 - Steelers over Ravens

NFC Divisional Game 1 - 49ers over Redskins
NFC Divisional Game 2 - Saints over Vikings

AFC Divisional Game 1 - Broncos over Steelers
AFC Divisional Game 2 - Patriots over Colts

NFC title game - 49ers over Saints
AFC title game - Broncos over Patriots

Super Bowl - 49ers over Broncos

MVP - Peyton Manning, Broncos
Defensive player of the year - Aldon Smith, 49ers
Offensive player of the year - Drew Brees, Saints
Coach of the Year - Leslie Frazier, Vikings
Offensive rookie of the year - Eddie Lacy, Packers
Defensive rookie of the year - Ezekiel Ansah, Lions
Comeback player of the year - Percy Harvin, Seahawks
First coach fired - Jason Garrett, Cowboys