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Okay, I think we can officially move on now. 2015! New stuff will happen!
So here's how I see the regular season shaking out:
|
AFC
|
NFC
|
||||||
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
|
New England Patriots (1)
|
13
|
3
|
0
|
Philadelphia Eagles (3)
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
|
Miami Dolphins (6)
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
Dallas Cowboys (5)
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
|
Buffalo Bills
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
New York Giants
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
|
New York Jets
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
Washington Redskins
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
|
Baltimore Ravens (3)
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
Green Bay Packers (1)
|
13
|
3
|
0
|
|
Pittsbugh Steelers
|
10
|
6
|
0
|
Minnesota Vikings (6)
|
9
|
7
|
0
|
|
Cincinnati Bengals
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
Detroit Lions
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
|
Cleveland Browns
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
Chicago Bears
|
5
|
11
|
0
|
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
|
Indianapolis Colts (2)
|
13
|
3
|
0
|
Atlanta Falcons (4)
|
9
|
7
|
0
|
|
Houston Texans
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
New Orleans Saints
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
|
Jacksonville Jaguars
|
6
|
10
|
0
|
Carolina Panthers
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
|
Tennessee Titans
|
3
|
13
|
0
|
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
|
4
|
12
|
0
|
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
Team
|
W
|
L
|
T
|
|
Denver Broncos (4)
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
Seattle Seahawks (2)
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
|
Kansas City Chiefs (5)
|
11
|
5
|
0
|
Arizona Cardinals
|
9
|
7
|
0
|
|
San Diego Chargers
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
St. Louis Rams
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
|
Oakland Raiders
|
5
|
11
|
0
|
San Francisco 49ers
|
7
|
9
|
0
|
More importantly, let me say that I believe there will be 8 true contenders for the Super Bowl. Let's look at those 7 teams:
AFC
Baltimore Ravens: I feel like this might be the most complete team in the AFC. Their main weakness? Their receiving corps, which can best be described as a 36-year-old Steve Smith and question marks. Then again, their WRs haven't been world beaters in recent years, and Joe Flacco and the offense have still been pretty efficient. As long as that continues, this team has as good a shot as any other in the AFC.
Denver Broncos: I can sense your skepticism, after all, I'm the guy that posited Manning would retire after he looked completely incapable of chucking the ball more than 7 yards downfield in the playoff loss to the Colts. Some people will gloss over that because of the running game. I'm glossing over it because of their defense. This should be a top-5 defense, both with a strong pass rush AND a strong secondary. When you have both of those things, you are a contender unless your quarterback is subpar (see the Bills and the Jets). That being said, I still don't believe Manning can make it through a full season remotely intact, so I believe this team will come up short in the end.
Indianapolis Colts: Terrific quarterback, an orgy of offensive weapons, and a decent pass defense. But that run defense remains an eyesore, and it's not going to get much better. The Colts are still a "we hope we can win a shootout because we have Andre Luck" team, and while that should be enough to have a very successful regular season, it's not a recipe for 3-4 straight playoff wins to top it all off.
New England Patriots: You cannot count this team out with Belichick and Brady. That being said, they lost a tremendous amount of talent from this secondary. Even if Mal...Malcolm...Malcolm Bu...that guy from the Super Bowl is everything they think he is, he's not Revis. And that means this secondary is going to give up yards. Lots of yards. And points. And the Patriots have yet to win a Super Bowl with a paper-thin secondary. Usually those Patriots teams are the ones that bow out on the early side in the playoffs.
NFC
Green Bay Packers: They have Aaron Rodgers. And while losing Jordy Nelson hurts, they still have plenty of talent at the skill positions. Their offensive line is good. Their defense is...okay. Frankly, I still believe their biggest problem is how they matchup poorly with Seattle.
Dallas Cowboys: With that offensive line, they will make life difficult for their opponents. And while I still have concerns about their defense, it should be a little less smoke and mirrors covering for deficient talent than last season. If they can continue controlling the tempo of games and running the ball down opponents' throats, they should be in the thick of things come January.
Philadlephia Eagles: I'm on the fence about the Eagles. I believe they will have a very good season (while I am not a member of the Sam Bradford bandwagon, he is a substantial upgrade over Foles and Sanchez), I'm not sure they match up particular well with any of the other contenders save the Cowboys. But their defense should be improved and their offense should put lesser teams away.
Seattle Seahawks: Offensively, they should be better, Jimmy Graham is a perfect addition for this offense. He shines in the red zone and will give Wilson a great target he can trust in more completely than his stable of wide receivers. Defensively, they may take a step back in the secondary, but a step back from elite is still very good. And their front seven should be better and will be much deeper, which should make their pas rush more like 2013 and less like 2014. This remains the most complete team in the league, and outside of the Cowboys, they match up very well with the other NFC contenders.
So here's how I see the playoffs shaking out.
|
WILD CARD ROUND
|
|
|
AFC (3v6)
|
Ravens over Dolphins
|
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AFC (4v5)
|
Broncos over Chiefs
|
|
NFC (3v6)
|
Eagles over Vikings
|
|
NFC (4v5)
|
Cowboys over Falcons
|
|
DIVISIONAL ROUND
|
|
|
AFC (1v4)
|
Patriots over Broncos
|
|
AFC (2V3)
|
Ravens over Colts
|
|
NFC (1V5)
|
Packers over Cowboys
|
|
NFC (2V3)
|
Seahawks over Eagles
|
|
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
|
|
|
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
|
Ravens over Patriots
|
|
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
|
Seahawks over Packers
|
|
SUPER BOWL
|
|
|
SB XLVII
|
Seahawks over Ravens
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I really wasn;t going to do this. I had an alternate scenario all mapped out with Seattle losing in the divisional round. My thought process was that it's just so physically, mentally, emotionally taxing to go to the Super Bowl in consecutive years, to predict them to do it again seems the height of arrogance.
But then I looked, and I found I didn't really believe in the playoff results I listed, I was working the scenario to find a believable way the Seahawks wouldn't make it back to the big game. It really comes down to the fact that I don't believe either the Eagles or the Packers will beat the Seahawks in the playoffs. And while I believe Dallas can do it, I'm skeptical they'll be as good as they were last season.
As for the AFC, like I said above, I believe Baltimore is the most complete team in the AFC, and if they get the Pats again, I believe they will win that game. That being said, if the Patriots don't have to face the Ravens, I don't see any other AFC team taking them out, even with their decimated secondary.
So here I go. This will be the third time in a row I've picked Seattle to win the Super Bowl before the season started. In both of the previous years I have nailed the Super Bowl matchup, and I was one yard away from getting the result of the game right as well. Hopefully I'll be similarly successful this season too.
Happy 2015 NFL Season everyone!
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