NFC EAST
1) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5): I think the Eagles are primed and ready for a big season in 2009. I like what the Eagles added to their offense (Macling,McCoy, Peters), and I think McNabb has enough weapons (Westbrook, Celek, Jackson, and Curtis) to create a lot of offense. The passing of Defensive Coordinator Jim Johnson is both tragic and troublesome. They will miss his schemes and presence. Also, losing Brian Dawkins will hurt, but I think the Eagles defense will do enough and get enough stops in big spots to get the job done. In a tough division, Philly is the best team and wins the East.
2) Dallas (10-6): The Cowboys are ready to get back into the playoffs. Dallas is a good team that fell apart down the stretch. They have a very good defense, and I think losing Terrell Owens won't be a major issue for the offense. Remember, TO had one of his worst seasons last year. Throw in the fact that Tony Romo will be without the distractions of Owens, and I expect a lot out of Romo this year. There wasn't a lot of noise out of Dallas this Summer and that is a good thing. The Cowboys get into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
3) New York Giants (8-8): Every expert thinks the Giants are the favorite in the NFC. On paper, that is true, but I just have a feeling about this. The Giants have been in the playoffs every year since 2005. It is hard to make the playoffs 5 years in a row. Not having a really viable replacement for Plaxico Burres will be an issue all year long for Eli and the Giant offense. I guess I going out on a limb, but I think the Giants take a step back this year. Maybe injuries play a role, or they just lose some close games, but I see the Giants missing out of the playoffs.
4) Washington Redskins (5-11): I am not a big fan of Jim Zorn as a NFL Head Coach. The Skins obviously wanted to upgrade their QB position and didn't, so there will be a lot of pressure on Jason Campbell this year. Their offensive line will struggle, and their defense can only do so much. The Redskins struggle in 2009, and it sets the stage for Mike Shanahan to become their new Head Coach in 2010.
2) Dallas (10-6): The Cowboys are ready to get back into the playoffs. Dallas is a good team that fell apart down the stretch. They have a very good defense, and I think losing Terrell Owens won't be a major issue for the offense. Remember, TO had one of his worst seasons last year. Throw in the fact that Tony Romo will be without the distractions of Owens, and I expect a lot out of Romo this year. There wasn't a lot of noise out of Dallas this Summer and that is a good thing. The Cowboys get into the playoffs as a Wild Card.
3) New York Giants (8-8): Every expert thinks the Giants are the favorite in the NFC. On paper, that is true, but I just have a feeling about this. The Giants have been in the playoffs every year since 2005. It is hard to make the playoffs 5 years in a row. Not having a really viable replacement for Plaxico Burres will be an issue all year long for Eli and the Giant offense. I guess I going out on a limb, but I think the Giants take a step back this year. Maybe injuries play a role, or they just lose some close games, but I see the Giants missing out of the playoffs.
4) Washington Redskins (5-11): I am not a big fan of Jim Zorn as a NFL Head Coach. The Skins obviously wanted to upgrade their QB position and didn't, so there will be a lot of pressure on Jason Campbell this year. Their offensive line will struggle, and their defense can only do so much. The Redskins struggle in 2009, and it sets the stage for Mike Shanahan to become their new Head Coach in 2010.
-The Cowboys won the division at 11-5, the Eagles finished second and earned a wild card with an 11-5 record, the Giants finished third at 8-8, and the Redskins finished last at 4-12.
-I really nailed this division well. I had the Eagles winning the division and the Cowboys getting the wild card, but the opposite actually happened. Both teams made the playoffs, so my predictions were pretty spot on.
-I would like to take credit for my second best prediction of 2009: The Giants missing the playoffs. As I said back in August, I just had a gut feeling the Giants were going to miss the playoffs. No one else picked that to happen, so I was going out on a limb and I nailed that pick.
-It was easy to see that the Redskins were going to be terrible and finish last in the division. That was as easy as it gets to predict.
NFC NORTH
1) Chicago Bears (12-4): The Bears added Jay Cutler and that trade will pay off for the Bears in 2009. Forget about the receivers, a big time QB will improve the offense and the receivers, and Cutler is that big time QB. He has good weapsons around him (Hester, Forte, and Olson), and a good offense will help that defense. The Bears will win the NFC North, and Cutler will be an MVP candidate.
2) Green Bay Packers (10-6): The Packers are back for a bounce back year in 2009. Aaron Rodgers is the real deal, and they improved their defense (Raji, Mathews, new DC). The Packers schedule is favorable, and I think they will battle it out with the Bears for the division title all the way into December. Green Bay gets back to the playoffs in 2009.
3) Minnesota Vikings (8-8): The whole Brett Favre saga was draining on every one in the organization. Even if Favre signed with the Vikings, I still don't think they would have made the playoffs. Now they are stuck with Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Their defense is getting older and it is hard to keep that level of play on the defensive side going every year. The Vikings take a step back and miss the playoffs.
4) Detroit Lions (3-13): When you go 0-16 and clean house, the only place to go is up. The Lions are building a new program in Detroit, and new coach Jim Schwartz needs time to develop his program. Add in first overall pick, Matthew Stafford and any amount of victories will be considered a success. Detroit is a few years away, but in the NFL who knows. I think 3 wins would be a good stepping stone for the Lions in '09.
1) Chicago Bears (12-4): The Bears added Jay Cutler and that trade will pay off for the Bears in 2009. Forget about the receivers, a big time QB will improve the offense and the receivers, and Cutler is that big time QB. He has good weapsons around him (Hester, Forte, and Olson), and a good offense will help that defense. The Bears will win the NFC North, and Cutler will be an MVP candidate.
2) Green Bay Packers (10-6): The Packers are back for a bounce back year in 2009. Aaron Rodgers is the real deal, and they improved their defense (Raji, Mathews, new DC). The Packers schedule is favorable, and I think they will battle it out with the Bears for the division title all the way into December. Green Bay gets back to the playoffs in 2009.
3) Minnesota Vikings (8-8): The whole Brett Favre saga was draining on every one in the organization. Even if Favre signed with the Vikings, I still don't think they would have made the playoffs. Now they are stuck with Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Their defense is getting older and it is hard to keep that level of play on the defensive side going every year. The Vikings take a step back and miss the playoffs.
4) Detroit Lions (3-13): When you go 0-16 and clean house, the only place to go is up. The Lions are building a new program in Detroit, and new coach Jim Schwartz needs time to develop his program. Add in first overall pick, Matthew Stafford and any amount of victories will be considered a success. Detroit is a few years away, but in the NFL who knows. I think 3 wins would be a good stepping stone for the Lions in '09.
-The Vikings won the division at 12-4, the Packers got a wild card at 11-5, the Bears finished third at 7-9, and the Lions finished last at 2-14.
-I made my selections when it looked like Favre wasn't going to play for Minnesota. I have to admit that I thought the Vikings wouldn't make the playoffs even if Favre played for them. I was way off on my Minnesota pick.
-It wasn't a shock that Green Bay made it to the playoffs. It was easy to see that they would be a bounce back team in 2009.
-I really screwed up the Bears pick in 2009. I thought Jay Cutler was going to come in and tear it up and lead the Bears to the division. It was evident that the Bears needed a lot more than Jay Cutler because they were very disappointing all season long.
-The Lions were easy to pick. You knew it couldn't get any worse then 0-16, but you knew they were going to struggle and finish last.
NFC SOUTH
1) Atlanta Falcons (11-5): I struggled with who would win this division in 2009, but I settled on the Falcons. Matt Ryan is the goods at QB, and having Michael Turner will help that offense. Don't forget that they added TE Tony Gonzalez. The trio of Ryan, Turner, and Gonzalez with Roddy White is a nice group of offensive skill players. John Abraham is a force on defense. The Falcons won't sneak up on anyone this year, but in a wide open division, I think they will get the job done and win the South.
2) New Orleans (9-7): I originally had the Saints penciled in as my division winner, but I changed that. I picked the Saints to get very far last year, and they burned me. I am not going to invest in them again. They will be good, especially on offense (Brees, Thomas, Bush, Colston, Moore, and Shockey), but I am not sold on their defense. I know they added a good DC in Greg Williams, but I'm still not sold. I see the Saints leading the division all year, then fading at the end. No playoffs for the Saints in '09, and Sean Payton on the hot seat.
3) Carolina Panthers (8-8): I think that crushing loss to Arizona last year will have an effect on this team. You know they will play hard, run the ball, and play solid defense, but I think the pressure will be on Jake Delhomme. I don't trust Delhomme, and the Panthers will take a step back in 2009 and miss the playoffs.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12): The Bucs collapse at the end of last season was brutal, and it lead to the firing of Jon Gruden and the beginning of the Raheem Morris Era. I don't know if I can buy into Morris as a bonafide Head Coach in the NFL. I think the Bucs are rebuilding. I think they will start out slow, and maybe show some progress as the season goes on, but the Bucs are in for a rough 2009.
1) Atlanta Falcons (11-5): I struggled with who would win this division in 2009, but I settled on the Falcons. Matt Ryan is the goods at QB, and having Michael Turner will help that offense. Don't forget that they added TE Tony Gonzalez. The trio of Ryan, Turner, and Gonzalez with Roddy White is a nice group of offensive skill players. John Abraham is a force on defense. The Falcons won't sneak up on anyone this year, but in a wide open division, I think they will get the job done and win the South.
2) New Orleans (9-7): I originally had the Saints penciled in as my division winner, but I changed that. I picked the Saints to get very far last year, and they burned me. I am not going to invest in them again. They will be good, especially on offense (Brees, Thomas, Bush, Colston, Moore, and Shockey), but I am not sold on their defense. I know they added a good DC in Greg Williams, but I'm still not sold. I see the Saints leading the division all year, then fading at the end. No playoffs for the Saints in '09, and Sean Payton on the hot seat.
3) Carolina Panthers (8-8): I think that crushing loss to Arizona last year will have an effect on this team. You know they will play hard, run the ball, and play solid defense, but I think the pressure will be on Jake Delhomme. I don't trust Delhomme, and the Panthers will take a step back in 2009 and miss the playoffs.
4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12): The Bucs collapse at the end of last season was brutal, and it lead to the firing of Jon Gruden and the beginning of the Raheem Morris Era. I don't know if I can buy into Morris as a bonafide Head Coach in the NFL. I think the Bucs are rebuilding. I think they will start out slow, and maybe show some progress as the season goes on, but the Bucs are in for a rough 2009.
-The Saints finished first with a 13-3 record, the Falcons finished second with a 9-7 record, the Panthers finished third with an 8-8 record, and the Buccaneers finished last at 3-13.
-I nailed the Panthers and Bucs perfectly. I had a feeling that the Panthers wouldn't bounce back from that horrific playoff loss to Arizona the year before. I thought Raheem Morris was way in over his head in Tampa, and I was correct on that one.
-I had the Saints winning the division all summer long. I even wrote it on my piece of paper where I make my rough draft of my picks. For some reason at the last second, I over-analyzed it and I picked the Falcons to win the division. I don't know why, but I didn't think the Saints were going to make the playoffs, and I was completely off with that one.
NFC WEST
1) Seattle Seahawks (10-6): I love the Seahawks as a bounce back team to win the NFC West. Matt Hasselback is back and healthy, and I love their WR Corps (Houshmanzadah, Burleson, and Branch). Their defense should rebound from a bad year in 2008. Also, they have one of the rare home field advantages left in the NFL. Jim Mora will do a nice job with this team, and he will be considered a coach of the year candidate by November. Seattle rebounds and wins the weak NFC West.
2) San Francisco 49ers (8-8): Mike Singletary will be able to motivate this team, and they will play hard. Their problem will be the QB spot. If it is Shaun Hill or Alex Smith, I don't see them getting the production they need to make the playoffs. The Niners could suprise this year, but I think they are a year away.
3) Arizona Cardinals (7-9): The annual "Super Bowl Hangover" hits the Cards this year. All of a sudden the Cardinals are relevant, and I think they take a step back this season. I think Kurt Warner will have trouble staying healthy-just a hunch- and I think they will get a lot of teams' A-Game. The Cards struggle and miss out on the playoffs.
4) St. Louis Rams (4-12): The Steve Spagnuolo Era begins in St. Louis. The Ram defense was awful last year, and I think Spags will help them a little bit, but he needs more time to build it. Steven Jackson could have a big year, but I think Marc Bulger will struggle. I think the Rams are a year away from making a playoff push.
1) Seattle Seahawks (10-6): I love the Seahawks as a bounce back team to win the NFC West. Matt Hasselback is back and healthy, and I love their WR Corps (Houshmanzadah, Burleson, and Branch). Their defense should rebound from a bad year in 2008. Also, they have one of the rare home field advantages left in the NFL. Jim Mora will do a nice job with this team, and he will be considered a coach of the year candidate by November. Seattle rebounds and wins the weak NFC West.
2) San Francisco 49ers (8-8): Mike Singletary will be able to motivate this team, and they will play hard. Their problem will be the QB spot. If it is Shaun Hill or Alex Smith, I don't see them getting the production they need to make the playoffs. The Niners could suprise this year, but I think they are a year away.
3) Arizona Cardinals (7-9): The annual "Super Bowl Hangover" hits the Cards this year. All of a sudden the Cardinals are relevant, and I think they take a step back this season. I think Kurt Warner will have trouble staying healthy-just a hunch- and I think they will get a lot of teams' A-Game. The Cards struggle and miss out on the playoffs.
4) St. Louis Rams (4-12): The Steve Spagnuolo Era begins in St. Louis. The Ram defense was awful last year, and I think Spags will help them a little bit, but he needs more time to build it. Steven Jackson could have a big year, but I think Marc Bulger will struggle. I think the Rams are a year away from making a playoff push.
-The Cardinals won the division at 10-6, the Niners finished second at 8-8, the Seahawks finished third at 5-11, and the Rams finished last at 1-15.
-I was wrong again on the Seahawks. I really thought that Seattle would bounce back and win the division. I was way off on this pick.
-I nailed the 49ers. They finished exactly the way I thought they would finish.
-I thought Arizona was going to have the Super Bowl hangover, and I was dead wrong. Once again I doubted Kurt Warner and the Cardinals and they made me pay.
-It was easy to pick the Rams to finish last, and they wish they won 4 games like I predicted.
***My 2009 Playoff Predictions****
2009 NFC Playoff Predictions:
1) Chicago (12-4)
2) Philly (11-5)
3) Atlanta (11-5)
4) Seattle (10-6)
5)Dallas (10-6)
6)Green Bay (10-6)
1) Chicago (12-4)
2) Philly (11-5)
3) Atlanta (11-5)
4) Seattle (10-6)
5)Dallas (10-6)
6)Green Bay (10-6)
***I went 0 for 4 on my division winners, but I got 3 out of 6 playoff teams correctly predicted.
Wild Card Round:
3-Atlanta over 6-Green Bay (Matt Ryan gets his first playoff victory)
5-Dallas over 4-Seattle (Dallas gets first playoff win since 1996)
Divisional Round:
1-Chicago over 5-Dallas (Cutler gets his first playoff win)
2-Philly over 3-Atlanta (Philly gets to 6th NFC Title game since 2001)
NFC Championship:
2-Philly over 1-Chicago (Reid and McNabb win the NFC Title for the late Jim Johnson)
Wild Card Round:
3-Atlanta over 6-Green Bay (Matt Ryan gets his first playoff victory)
5-Dallas over 4-Seattle (Dallas gets first playoff win since 1996)
Divisional Round:
1-Chicago over 5-Dallas (Cutler gets his first playoff win)
2-Philly over 3-Atlanta (Philly gets to 6th NFC Title game since 2001)
NFC Championship:
2-Philly over 1-Chicago (Reid and McNabb win the NFC Title for the late Jim Johnson)
***I nailed the fact that Dallas would win their first playoff game since 1996.
***I was way off with Chicago in the NFC Championship.
***Philly didn't make the NFC Title Game and they were knocked out in the Wild Card round.
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