NFL Computerized Power Ranks: Wild Card

In the Wild Card round, all of the home teams won, and the power ranks only got 2 games correct. Meanwhile, my 3 month old son and dog each got 3 games correct.

This week, there was no movement in the top 5, mostly because 4 of them had byes. The Giants win over Atlanta moved them up to 6th.

So with that said, let's get on to the predictions:
#3 49ers over #4 Saints - The Niners have a slight edge thanks to their stingy defense and great turnover ratio (compared to the sub-par Saints)

#1 Patriots over #26 Broncos - Yep, the Broncos are still #26 even after winning last week. On paper, this should be no contest, but last week's game shouldn't have been either

#2 Packers over #6 Giants - The Giants are closing the gap a little, but the Packers are just too much for them

#5 Ravens over #10 Texans - Bad matchup for the Texans here

Since my son picked the Lions last week, he had to repick the NFC. Here are his picks for this week:
Ravens over Texans
Broncos over Patriots
Giants over Packers
Saints over 49ers

My dog had the Steelers winning, so he had to repick one game. Here are his picks:
Ravens over Texans
Patriots over Broncos
Packers over Giants
49ers over Saints

Full Ranks:

Steve's 2011 NFL Predictions

Yes, believe it or not, I still contribute to this site occasionally, even though this is my first post since June and only my 3rd since I posted the final NFL computerized power ranks in February (I plan to do that again this year). I didn't even make baseball predictions. Needless to say, I've been pretty busy, which I'll probably get into more in the coming weeks. I couldn't skip making football predictions though. I think we have a pretty crazy season ahead. We'll see who actually hit the gym and the film study during the lockout and who didn't. As usual for me, I'm going to pick 6 teams to return to the playoffs from last season and 6 new teams.

AFC East
Patriots - Home Field
Jets - Wild Card
Bills
Dolphins

Unfortunately, I feel like the Patriots are going to come in angry over their loss to the Jets in the playoffs last year and just start destroying people like they did in 2007, with Ochocinco in the Moss role. Or it can totally backfire on them. Just because they've turned around some bad character guys like Randy Moss in the past, doesn't mean that a guy like Haynesworth isn't going to personally end their dynasty. I think the Jets will be good enough to be a wild card again this year, and they'll see if they can finally make it past the AFC Championship. The Bills and Dolphins are both going to suck, but I think the Bills will suck less because they have a better QB and new uniforms this year, which always oddly gives teams a boost.

AFC North
Steelers - First Round Bye
Ravens
Browns
Bengals

I think the Steelers run away with this one, with the Ravens and Browns fighting for 2nd. The Browns were feisty last year but Colt McCoy will really need to step up if they want to make a run at the playoffs. The Ravens still have some of their usual offensive issues (unless Ray Rice does as well as Ryan thinks he will) and their defense is still good, but I feel no longer elite. I think they'll hover around 8-8 and miss the playoffs. The Bengals very well could go 0-16.

AFC South
Titans
Texans - Wild Card
Colts
Jaguars

With Peyton Manning likely done for the year, the Colts are going to suffer. So, who is going to step up? Everyone loves the Texans, but they still have some huge issues, mostly on defense. I think one too many wild shootouts is going to cost them this year, but may still be good enough to grab a wild card in an AFC with only 2 or 3 elite teams. So I'm going with the Titans to win this division. If Matt Hasselbeck can at least stay healthy enough to give Jake Locker some quality clipboard time and Chris Johnson and Kenny Britt can get their hands on the ball enough I can see this team pulling off a division title with a more consistent defense than the Texans. The Colts are obviously going to be worse than in the past, but I can still see them finishing 7-9 with the pieces that they have. The Jaguars are a total mess. They should have October 9 circled on their calendar for an epic showdown with the Bengals.

AFC West
Chargers
Chiefs
Raiders
Broncos

The Chargers are an odd team. They always start the season crappy and make a comeback. Last year, their comeback was too late and they missed the playoffs, but they had a ton of injuries. The big question for them lies in their run game, but maybe it won't matter if Rivers can throw to healthy receivers all year. The Chiefs rise last year seemed like an anomaly, but I don't think they will have a huge drop. Everyone loves to write off the Raiders, but for the first time in a while I feel like they are headed in the right direction, maybe toward another mediocre season. They desperately need good QB play. The Broncos are going to be another absolutely awful team this year, especially if they make the mistake of benching Orton for Tebow due to fan request, even though their defense will most likely be costing them games.

NFC East
Eagles - First Round Bye
Giants - Wild Card
Cowboys
Redskins

The Eagles made the most moves in the offseason to make themselves into a Super Bowl favorite on paper, and I think they will deliver by grabbing a first round bye. I can also see this going horribly wrong, with an early season Michael Vick injury and possibly too many egos in the locker room. The Giants barely missed out on the playoffs last year, and this year they bring back another sold team. Also, with his brother out, Eli Manning has a chance to step out of Peyton's shadow and make a name for himself (even though he already won a Super Bowl). The Redskins are going with Rex Grossman and Tim Hightower as their offensive weapons. Shanahan will most likely not make it to the end of the season.

NFC North
Packers - Home Field
Lions - Wild Card
Bears
Vikings

The defending Super Bowl champs are not getting much attention early in the year despite the fact that they bring back almost the same team injury free. Last year, the Packers barely snuck into the playoffs but I feel like they will dominate the NFC this year. We'll see if Michael Vick can win in Lambeau in January again. Call me crazy, but I think the Lions can make the playoffs this year as a wild card. The key is Matthew Stafford's health. He has been impressive when healthy, and the Lions have some weapons with Jahvid Best and Calvin Johnson. Throw in an improving defense, and why can't the Lions make it? The Bears first round bye of last year still seems like a fluke to me, and I think they will be back to a 6 or 7 win team this year. The Vikings have less drama this year but haven't fixed too many of their issues, other than the Metrodome roof.

NFC South
Falcons
Saints
Buccaneers
Panthers

I know its a little crazy to pick a team to repeat as division champ in this division, but I'm going on limb and predicting the Falcons to return to the playoffs as division champs. The Saints played the Packers tough on Thursday, but I'm wondering if the Packers cut through their defense because the Packers are good or the Saints are really bad...I'm thinking the latter. It could be an epic season in fantasy for Drew Brees owners. Tampa was another team that seemed flukey last year. They will be in the playoff hunt but probably won't make it again this year. The Panthers are going to throw Cam Newton out there day one, who hasn't really proven that he can even play QB at all. We'll see how that goes for them...

NFC West
Rams
Cardinals
49ers
Seahawks

I think I need to give this putrid division to the Rams. Sam Bradford has a year under his belt and almost took the Rams to the playoffs last year, and I think they'll be even better this year. The Cardinals adding Kevin Kolb was a step in the right direction, but he hasn't really proven himself to be a good NFL starter yet. In most divisions, I'd pick the Cards for last, but this is the NFC West. The Niners are actually going to start Alex Smith yet again this year. How is this going to end? Is Smith going to have a big retirement ceremony and have the #11 retired 12 years from now after 18 consecutive seasons of guiding the Niners to no more than 8 wins and no playoff appearances? I don't get it. I'm sure Harbaugh would like to be reunited with Andrew Luck, though. Unfortunately for him, there are teams like the Jaguars and Bengals in this league too. The Seahawks consciously went out and acquired Tarvaris Jackson to be their starter. For that alone, I'm predicting them to finish last. Maybe Pete Carroll was afraid Seahawks boosters paying a better QB would look too suspicious and he would be caught again.

So here is my playoff summary:
6 Teams returning: Patriots, Steelers, Jets, Eagles, Packers, Falcons
6 Teams out: Colts, Chiefs, Ravens, Bears, Seahawks, Saints
6 Teams new to playoffs: Titans, Texans, Chargers, Lions, Rams, Giants

Playoff Predictions
Jets over Titans
Texans over Chargers (playoff choker reputation)
Giants over Rams
Lions over Falcons (playoff choker reputation)

Patriots over Texans
Steelers over Jets
Packers over Lions
Eagles over Giants

Patriots over Steelers
Packers over Eagles

So in Super Bowl XXXI rematch, I'm picking the Packers over the Patriots

MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Coach of the Year: Mike Munchak

I guess you want an NFL Preview

The NFL season begins tomorrow evening, with a game between the Packers and the Saints. I am going to run through this quickly, like the Big Ten preview last week. 

NFC West

Rams

Seahawks

49ers

Cardinals

The hype train is coming on strong for the Cards, and I don't know why. They added Kevin Kolb, but lost their non-Fitzgerald receivers, their defense is weaker and they don't have a running game. The Rams are, somehow, the most complete team, while I like the Seahwaks defense, and think the 49ers are just better than Arizona.

NFC North

Packers

Lions

Bears

Vikings

I don't think the Pack is as elite so much as they got hot at the right time last year. That said, the Bears took a step back and the Lions are better but not yet good. The Packers will run away with the division.

NFC South

Falcons

Saints

Buccaneers

Panthers

Of course, the Panthers might be the division champs, given the way this division usually works. That said, I really like the Falcons. Adding Julio Jones gives the Falcons a more diverse offense, and their defense got a lot of work. The Saints just don't scare me. I would pick the Bucs to get 2nd before picking the Saints to win.

NFC EAST

Eagles

Cowboys

Giants

Redskins

The Eagles probably won't take down the division. Too much hubris. But too much talent for me to take another team.The Cowboys might make it back to the playoffs if they can stay healthy. The more I read about the Giants, I worry about their prospects, but my gut tells me they will be at least relevant. The Redskins will be irrelevant.

AFC WEST

Chargers

Raiders

Chiefs

Broncos

Doesn't it kill you to see the Chargers or Raiders at the top of the list? I think the Chiefs will struggle against a tougher, 1st place schedule, and the Broncos are going to struggle without a running game The division as a whole will be much better than anyone expects, though.

AFC NORTH

Ravens

Browns

Steelers

Bengals

WHAT?! Did I just do this because I have developed a disdain for Pittsburgh? Maybe. But I think Ray Rice is going to run his way to the playoffs. I am a HUGE Colt McCoy fan, and I really think that he might be the quarterback to turn the Browns around, even if it is a brief turn around. It's a young, hungry defense that will only mean an improvement. The Steerlers are getting older, especially on D, and they don't seem to want to try to infuse youth. If they struggle this year, it will only be for one year. The Bengals continue to have cool helmets.

AFC SOUTH

Texans

Colts

Titans

Jaguars

Now that Peyton Manning is out for week 1, I wonder when he will be back, and when he does come back, when he will be effective. The Colts are lost without him. The Titans and Jaguars are also reexamining their QB situation this season, while the Texans are the only team with any stability. I don't think Arian Foster will be as strong this season as last, but he is going to be complimented by Ben Tate.

AFC EAST

Jets

Patriots

Bills

Dolphins

The Dolphins might be the worst team in football. The Bills, at least, have some youth on offense and a QB that they didn't actively try to replace this offseason. I like the Jets to win this division, owing in large part to their relative age compared to the Patriots.

PLAYOFFS

Rams over Saints

Packers over Cowboys

Patriots over Texans

Ravens over Raiders

Falcons over Rams

Packers over Eagles

Ravens over Chargers

Patriots over Jets

Falcons over Packers

Ravens over Patriots

Interesting. I don't ever look that far ahead when trying to figure out the post season, so a Ravens-Falcons Super Bowl surprises me too. I will take the Falcons to win.

Julio Jones as Rookie of the Year, Ray Rice for MVP. And there you have it.

Doomsday is HERE!

The NFL CBA expires at midnight. The Lockout is here. Oh, work is still being done at the negotiating table, but according to most with more knowledge than me, the CBA will expire, and it will be a Lockout.
If you talked to me a few days ago, I would have said there is almost no chance that there was a season in 2011. The owners still had 4 billion in revenue from TV deals coming their way, and they didn't have to distribute it to the players. That money is no longer coming their way, and I now feel that the owners will come to the table with a more genuine willingness to negotiate.
Still, what happens if the season DOES get canceled?
- You see your family on weekends. Perhaps some fall foliage is in your future?
- Brett Favre smiles smugly that without him, football cannot go on.
- College football programs which traditionally do not do well when sharing a major city with an NFL franchise suddenly have better gate and more attention. Think Minnesota, Washington and Georgia Tech.
- Soccer, the only major weekly sport makes brief inroads in the US for once. But the EPL, because MLS sucks.
- Mark Schlereth and Merril Hoge discuss corporate law!
- Bud Light's ad budget goes way, way down.
- Minnesotans will find that people from Wisconsin are really quite pleasant and have great ideas about frying food.
- Rex Ryan will still be on ESPN every day.
- Without fantasy football to be discussed and analyzed and tinkered with, workplace productivity will be increased, and the economy will be turned around.

I for one would be interested in seeing some other sports, hockey, college basketball, etc get a little more publicity without football. It would be good, eventually, for the NFL, knowing that they need to keep putting out a good product if other sports increase their popularity. We'll see what happens.

The Super Bowl Prediction

As you are well aware, I have been dreadful with my picks so far this post season, but I'm not going to let things die.No no, I am going to pick a winner in the Super Bowl.

Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh Steelers: I am pretty proud of myself on the Packers. I picked them to make it to the Super Bowl before the season began, which is great. That said, they are definitely not the best team in this game. I have heard Steelers fans state that they worry about the Packers, but I assure you, they have nothing to be worried about. Sure, the Packers can score with alacrity, but unlike some teams, they can be cowed by a good defense. Their Championship game victory demonstrated that. They needed a BJ Raji touchdown to win against Chicago because, after the first drive of the game, the Packers were slowed by the Bears defense.
As for the defense of the Packers, it consists of a good linebacking corps, a thin defensive line and mediocre defensive backs. Those talented linebackers are good against teams that rely on edge running or passes to linebackers, and thereby can help shut down the remainder of an opponent's offense. Rashard Mendenhall is a powerful runner that can go to the heart of an opposing defense, and isn't really known for being a major threat to catch the ball out of the backfield. In a game of matchups, Ben Roethlisberger's tendency to go to wide receivers and their bulldozer like running game plays well against the Packers. And frankly, Roethlisberger is a better quarterback than Caleb Hanie, and Hanie did pretty well last weekend.
Not only that, but the Steelers are good at holding onto the ball. This keeps the ball out of the Packers' hands. In this case, the best defense may be a good offense. I have a feeling that this will be a close game, but at the same time one of those games that never seems as close as it actually is.
Final Score: Pittsburgh 24, Packers 13
Winner:

A look at the Championship Round

I have done such a bang up job with all these predictions so far, I have decided to follow through with the Championship games. I was 50/50 last week, and frankly, there's only one way to go from here.

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears: I picked the Packers to go to the Super Bowl at the very beginning of the season, and it would be hypocritical to bail on them now (even though I picked the Falcons last week). The Packers have the hottest QB in the game right now and solid linebackers, the QBs of the defense. The Bears have a great defense. I think the Packers' possession of players that can direct traffic on both sides of the ball will overcome Chicago's most obvious strength, which resides on only one side of the ball The Packers have overcome their early season injury problems and are now unbeatable.... in the NFC

Pick:

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers: It says a lot that there is a reasonable chance that this game could be the higher scoring of the two games this weekend. The Steelers have been impressive all season, whereas the Jets came on late. The Jets beat the Steelers in a game that Pittsburgh was missing key components like Troy Polamalu. If you look at the course of the season, the Steelers have been obviously better. That said, every round so far has included a game where the "obvious winner" ended up losing (I'm talking, of course, about the Saints and Patriots). No real in depth analysis here. The Steelers seem like the most obvious pick this week, which means I am picking the Jets.
Pick:

That's right, I am picking a Favre Bowl. Wouldn't it be fitting? A game in which Brett Favre gets all the attention, even when he's not playing? Overshadowing Aaron Rodgers and both his former teams. Yep, this one is bound to happen.

The Divisional Round; A preview

Last week, I gave a quick little blurb about every game for the wild card weekend. I thought it might be nice if I carried that through to the Super Bowl. I should note that I went 1/4 last weekend. Oops.

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers: I have been extraordinarily impressed by the Steelers this year. Even without a quarterback for the first quarter of the season, the Steelers just kept winning. They have had injuries on the line and in the secondary, and they keep plugging away. In short, they are just a complete team that can recover from a weakness in a major area of team Barring a complete collapse, they should win this game. Of course, when  they do lose, it's because a team-wide collapse. They won't do that at home against the Ravens.

Pick:

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons: I know how hard it can be for teams to overcome injuries. Some of them struggle for a little while to come back and then it seems like they aren't missing anyone.The Packers are that team. They really languished as someone new every week went down,  but now they are strong, playing as a cohesive unit once again. It's the team that I picked to go to the Super Bowl early on this year. That said, I think the Falcons will win, but if the Packers DO win, I think they go to the Super Bowl.
Pick:

Seattle Seahawks at Chicago Bears: I am going to take that as a personal victory, picking the Seahawks to put up a fight against the Saints. That said, I am just as adamantly picking the Seahawks to not put up much fight against the Bears. I think it will be like, 20-6 with a Hester touchdown and a defensive touchdown. Or something like that. I don't trust Cutler in a big spot, but I do trust the defense and special teams for the Bears.
Pick:

New York Jets at New England Patriots: This is the week's Chiefs/Ravens. I expect an absolute bloodbath. The Jets were handed victory by the Colts, and are simply no match for a far superior team on the road. The Jets are doing a lot of talking, while the Pats are doing a lot of preparing. The Pats could probably do a little film study on the Steelers or Ravens if they wanted to, if the game is going to go as I expect. There is no facet of the game where I think the Jets are a better team.
Pick:

NFL Computerized Power Ranks: Week 17

The NFL regular season is all wrapped up and the final regular season power rankings are in, but just like in previous years, they will continue to be updated throughout the playoffs.

The Patriots, who could have rested some starters in their final week, decided instead to kill Miami to further tighten their death grip on the #1 spot. The Falcons, who wrapped up home field in the NFC, remain at #2. Somehow, the Ravens' narrow win over Cincinnati was more impressive than the Steelers destroying Cleveland, and the Ravens jumped them for the #3 spot. The Packers moved up to the #5 spot for getting into the playoffs by beating the Bears (who fell to #11).

On the bottom side, Carolina and Denver stayed in their usual spots on the bottom, while Buffalo moved down to #30 for losing to the Jets. The Browns completely tanked at the end of the year, costing Eric Mangini his job and sending the Browns plummeting to #29. And yes, even though they won this week and moved up 2 spots, your NFC West Champion Seattle Seahawks are heading into a home playoff game ranked in the bottom 5 at #28. How great (and accurate) is that?

We had a few big swings this week. The biggest gainers were the 49ers, who stomped the Cardinals for the 2nd time this year and moved up 9 spots to finish at their season high #18. The Texans jumped 8 spots for finally getting a win, and the Jets moved up 7 as they got a nice win for their confidence over Buffalo. The biggest losers were the above mentioned Browns, followed by the above mentioned Bears, and the Jaguars, who did everything in their power to lose the AFC South over the past few weeks.

The power ranks could be a useful tool for picking playoff winners, so let's see what the rankings picked this week:
#5 Packers over #10 Eagles
#13 Saints over #28 Seahawks
#3 Ravens over #12 Chiefs
#6 Jets over #8 Colts

That's right. The rankings are predicting that all 4 road teams will win this week, though the Jets/Colts and Packers/Eagles are pretty close so the lower ranked team could get a home field advantage bump.

Before getting to the full ranks, you are probably wondering why I have a picture of a dog wearing a Broncos bandanna as my picture this week. Since I am using a scientific formula to rank the football teams all season, and using it to pick the winners this week, I decided to also make some low tech picks. I have some mini plastic helmets so I let my 2 year-old male Golden Retriever, Jake, pick the winner by putting the 2 helmets on the floor and seeing which one he takes the most interest in. Kind of like Paul the World Cup octopus minus the suckers. Here were his playoff picks. I'm surprised he turned his back on his pick from 2 years ago, the Ravens:

Jake's picks:
Eagles over Packers
Seahawks over Saints
Jets over Colts
Ravens over Chiefs

Eagles over Bears
Falcons over Seahawks
Patriots over Jets
Steelers over Ravens

Eagles over Falcons
Steelers over Patriots

Steelers over Eagles

Yep, I'm surprised he picked Michael Vick to go so far too. Guess there are no hard feelings from the dog community.

Here are the full ranks:
1. Patriots - 85.03 - Even
2. Falcons - 76.99 - Even
3. Ravens - 74.53 - +1
4. Steelers - 73.88 - -1
5. Packers - 65.00 - +4
6. Jets - 64.77 - +1
7. Buccaneers - 64.52 - +4
8. Colts - 64.11 - +2
9. Chargers - 60.87 - +3
10. Eagles - 60.28 - -4
11. Bears - 59.96 - -6
12. Chiefs - 59.25 - -5
13. Saints - 59.05 - -5
14. Lions - 58.38 - Even
15. Giants - 55.70 - Even
16. Raiders - 51.53 - Even
17. Cowboys - 45.88 - +1
18. 49ers - 42.61 - +9
19. Rams - 41.35 - -2
20. Titans - 40.67 - Even
21. Texans - 40.50 - +8
22. Dolphins - 36.94 - +2
23. Bengals - 36.63 - +2
24. Redskins - 36.41 - -1
25. Jaguars - 35.45 - -6
26. Vikings - 33.34 - -4
27. Cardinals - 33.08 - -1
28. Seahawks - 32.99 - +2
29. Browns - 32.26 - -8
30. Bills - 31.86 - -2
31. Broncos - 28.21 - Even
32. Panthers - 24.69 - Even

Ryan's 2010 NFL Predictions

We had Steve's NFL preview last weekend, and now, this week, it's time for me. More and more, I like teams that have good youth at the skill positions, but a solid, veteran quarterback. But the key is, it has to be GOOD youth, and not just "youth". Without further ado, let's break it down.


AFC East
New England Patriots
New York Jets
Miami Dolphins
Buffalo Bills

I don't like the Jets as much as some do. sure, they made a post season run, but they really only made the playoffs last year because Indy gifted them a win. I think this division will be tight and very competitive, which will be a problem for the Jets and Dolphins, because teams from weaker divisions, like the North, will be able to accumulate more wins and get into the playoffs. The Patriots should be able to put up enough points that the Dolphins can't keep up. The only way this goes the way of the Jets is if Shonn Green is as good as advertised, and probably a little better.

AFC NORTH
Balitmore Ravens - 1st Round bye
Cincinnati Bengals - Wild Card
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cleveland Browns

I think it's funny that it took until AFTER offensive guru Brian Billick was out of town for the team to figureo out how to move the ball. Joe adds a new target in Anquan Boldin and still has Ray Rice to rely on. And yes, the defense is going downhill, but it's still good, just not elite as it once was. I think Bengals will also be able to move the ball with alacrity, especially now with a real live tight end to throw the ball to in Jermaine Gresham. They will get into the post season, but only as the last place team in, thanks to defensive issues. I think the Steelers are in a lot of trouble. Their O-Line isn't good, their defense is suspect and they are starting Dennis Dixon for the first two weeks of the season. In Cleveland, the Colt Countdown has already begun.

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts - Home Field
Tennessee Titans - Wild Card
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans

I really think the Colts are due for a collapse, seeing as they have no running game and the defense is always inconsistent (though I LOVE that they picked so many LB's in this year's draft), but I think the other teams in the AFC South are going to be hamstrung by their own incompetence. I think in Tennessee, the issues are with their defense, not with Vince Young, who I think is a perfect complement to Chris Johnson out of hte backfield. The Jaguars are always the Colts' Achilles heel and have a good running game and are always feisty on defense. They may surprise a bit this year. Everyone seems to think this is the year the Texans break through, but just look at what has gone wrong. Their two needs were secondary and an enhanced running game. Their starting cornerback, Dunta Robinson took off, and the running back they drafted, Ben Tate, blew up his ankle. I figure everything else has gone wrong for them, so why not put them in last place.

AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs
San Diego Chargers
Oakland Raiders
Denver Broncos

I fully expect crazy things to happen in the AFC West, where every team could end up 8-8 or 7-9. The Chiefs are my pick as a sleeper this year, perhaps because I am insane, but I have my reasons. This year, they aren't going to be hamstrung by trying to put Larry Johnson in the lineup and can depend on Jamaal Charles (and Thomas Jones) for the entire season. The coaching staff improved, and the defense will follow suit. They will have two real receivers for the entire season in Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe, and they have a dynamic new offensive component in newly drafted Dexter McLuster. The Chargers are on a slippery slope and Philip Rivers has nobody to throw to. The Raiders will benefit from an improved defense and a quarterback who cares. The Broncos will likely be one of he worst teams in the league.


NFC East
New York Giants - 1st Round bye
Dallas Cowboys - Wild Card
Philadelphia Eagles - Wild Card
Washington Redskins

I think Steve and I had similar thoughts here, in that this could be a division that puts three teams in the playoffs. I think the AFC South will be weaker than Steve does, so I am comfortable giving a spot to the Eagles, who will benefit from dynamic playmakers away from the quarterback position. Ahead of them, however, will be the Giants and their balanced attack. I think the defense will be better too, because Tom Coughlin won't let it be as bad as it was. The Cowboys can't be as good as they were last year. People will expect Miles Austin now, and will be able to key on him. The Cowboys D needs to be healthy. The Redskins just don't have the right personnel on defense and still haven't done anything to address the offensive line, which will be the problem for McNabb, more than his receiving corps or his running backs, whose average age is 74.

NFC North
Green Bay Packers - Home Field
Minnesota Vikings
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions

This year is the Packers' to lose. I had a few extra days to see what would happen in this division, and the Vikings may be out their two top receivers from last year, they no longer have Chester Taylor, and their defense will not be as strong as last year, owing the injury to EJ Henderson last season, which I am not comfortable that he is fully returned from, the fact that their secondary isn't any better and, well, that's about it. The Packers will be able to score at will, and they addressed their offensive line, which was a drastic need. The Lions and Bears are probably going to finish with about the same record. I just have them in the order they are at to be different from Steve.

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
New Orleans Saints
Carolina Panthers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Matt Ryan has won me over. I think he will be better than last year, more his rookie season form. I also expect the Saints to struggle on defense, where there are a few holes, particularly in the secondary. I think teams will start to play them like teams are playing the Colts now: complete ball control. A team like the Falcons or the Panthers, who each get to play them twice a year, can beat the Saints by keeping the ball on the ground and out of Drew Brees' hands. If this happens enough, the Saints could become very ordinary. I almost put the Bucs ahead of Carolina, but the Panthers ground game will be too good, I think.

NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks
Saint Louis Rams

The 49ers will run over this division, but get beat up in their non conference schedule. Their defense is the selling point, and I suspect their offense will languish. Frank Gore is a near certainty to get hurt, and Alex Smith is still trying to figure out how to be a pro quarterback, but the rest of the division is still just so bad. The Cardinals should be in last place, but they also play in a division with two of the most pitiful teams in football. Their offense won't be AS bad as it could be. They still have a ton of receivers and some options to run with. The Seahawks could turn it around soon, but they are in desperate need of talent on the offensive side of the ball. The Rams... ugh.

Wild Card Playoffs
Titans over Chiefs
Patriots over Bengals
Eagles over 49ers
Falcons over Cowboys


Divisional Playoffs
Colts over Titans
Ravens over Patriots
Packers over Eagles
Falcons over Giants

Conference Championships
Colts over Ravens
Packers over Falcons

Super Bowl
Packers over Colts


Awards
MVP - Aaron Rodgers, Packers
Coach of the Year - Todd Haley, Chiefs
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Dexter McLuster, Chiefs
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Brandon Spikes, Patriots

Steve's 2010 NFL Predictions

Last year, I kicked off my NFL Predictions by mentioning the fact that on average, 6 of the previous year's playoff teams return to the playoffs the following year, and 6 do not. I made my picks based on this last year, so it led to some crazy guesses. Well, guess what actually happened? 6 teams returned to the playoffs, and 6 did not. I didn't do an excellent job picking which teams were staying/going/replacing, but I'm going with that theory again this year, with one catch. I'm going to go with 7 returning, 5 not returning, and here's why: At first glance, it seems like the AFC South and NFC East are both deep enough to have 2 wild cards each, but the problem is they are playing against each other this year. Because of this, I think it will be almost impossible for 2 teams in both of those divisions to grab all of the wild card spots.

AFC East
1. Dolphins
2. Jets
3. Patriots
4. Bills

It seems like everyone just wants to hand the Jets the AFC East title this year after sneaking into playoffs last year and making it all the way to the AFC title game. They may have one of the best defenses in the league, but their offense concerns me, with a below average starting QB that may have a sophomore slump and legendary RB who is now kind of over the hill. The Patriots are still going to be a wonderful offensive team, but their defense is just another year older, and their dominant days seem to be over. So what does that leave us for the AFC East? Maybe the most balanced team in the division, the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins made a surprise playoff run in 2008 and seem to be poised to head back again this year with a more mature Chad Henne at QB (who seems much more capable than Sanchez at this point). The Dolphins D, however, could be their downfall, but there are much worse in the NFL. The Bills are trying to invent a time machine to go back to 1990.

AFC North
1. Ravens
2. Bengals
3. Steelers
4. Browns

The Ravens Defense is still one of the best in the NFL, and with youngsters Ray Rice and Joe Flacco leading the offense, they are much more well rounded than some Ravens teams in the past. The Bengals seemed like kind of a fluke to me last year, and are still extremely volatile on and off the field (tons of arrests, TO and Ochochinco). The Steelers are going to suffer without Big Ben for the first few games, and we'll see how he plays when he returns. Remember how he was after the motorcycle accident? The Browns are hoping to get something going. At least in November Cleveland fans can turn their focus towards the Cavs and King Ja....oh nevermind.

AFC South
1. Colts - 1st Round Bye
2. Texans - Wild Card
3. Titans - Wild Card
4. Jaguars

Last year, I stupidly picked the Colts as one of the 6 teams from the previous year to miss the playoffs, and they went to the Super Bowl. I won't make that mistake again this year. Even though they lost the Super Bowl, and Super Bowl losers tend to suck the following season, I think the Colts are a mature enough team that last year's Super Bowl loss will only motivate them to make it back again this year and win it this time. The Texans are still a team on the rise but have yet to make the playoffs in their first 8 seasons. They have a powerful passing attack but suffered running the ball a little last year when Steve Slaton had a sophomore slump. This year they are going with Arian Foster, and they still have an improving defense led by Mario Williams. My pick for the Titans to get the last wild card is 100% dependent on Chris Johnson staying healthy all season. He basically is the Titans, and everyone else is just an accessory. The Titans were sleeping for the first 6 weeks or so last year but really turned things around. Teams that finish strong tend to do well the following year. The Jaguars are capable of being dangerous offensively, but aren't all that great defensively. Unlike most last place teams, they'll be pretty competitive this year, but the rest of the AFC South is just too talented.

AFC West
1. Chargers - Home Field
2. Raiders
3. Broncos
4. Chiefs

Last year I started my comments with, "Wow, what a bad division." This year, I'm going to say, Wow, what a bad division. The Chargers are still the class of this division and will probably wind up with home field throughout the AFC playoff thanks to scheduling alone. Just think, they play 6 games against their own division, and 4 against the NFC West. They could get 10 easy wins just by beating up the bad West division teams. I think the Raiders have made some steps to improve themselves, bulking up their defense through the draft, signing a semi-competent QB, and not firing the entire coaching staff. They will probably only be 7-9 at best, but that's good enough for 2nd in this division. In Denver, even though Kyle Orton is the best QB currently on their roster, the fans will be frothing at the mouth for Tim Tebow. As soon as the Broncos begin to struggle, its going to be Tebow's team prematurely, and the Broncos will pay for it in the standings. The Chiefs are moving in the right direction but they have a long, long way to go to become relevant again.

NFC East
1. Cowboys - 1st Round Bye
2. Giants - Wild Card
3. Redskins
4. Eagles

The Cowboys finally seem to have some order, and I think they will have another great regular season just like last year, especially with their old nemesis, the Eagles, probably taking a step back this year. The Giants are coming off of a rough season, but I think they will rebound this year enough to make the playoffs again. Are they Super Bowl quality like in 2007? probably not. The Redskins were going to be my 2nd Wild Card pick until I realized that it might not be possible with the AFC South and NFC East beating up on each other all season, but I think they will fall just short. Mike Shanahan is going to try to prove to everyone he shouldn't have been fired in Denver and Donovan McNabb should have a chip on his shoulder for being run out of Philly. The Eagles could definitely be a good team this year too, but I think they will have some trouble adjusting to Kevin Kolb and their defense is getting older.

NFC North
1. Packers
2. Vikings - Wild Card
3. Lions
4. Bears

I think Brett Favre has probably had it. He won't completely suck, but I think he was seriously considering retiring this year....for real this time. The Vikings still have a strong defense and I think will be able to at least get a wild card spot even if Favre turns into an interception machine this year. The Packers have some defensive issues, but they are turning into one of the best offensive powerhouses in the NFL. They are going to be eager to get some revenge on Favre and the Vikings this year as Aaron Rodgers is turning into one of the NFL's best QBs. The Lions are moving forward while I think the Bears are moving backwards. Maybe it doesn't make much sense to pick the Lions for 3rd, but who cares? Neither will be good this year so I'll go on a limb. The Bears defense is deteriorating and their offense hasn't been anything to write home about my entire life.

NFC South
1. Saints - Home Field
2. Falcons
3. Panthers
4. Buccaneers

I know this is the goofy division where the last place team rebounds and wins the division title the following year, but if Tampa can find a way to win this thing I will be beyond stunned. The Saints are bringing most of their Super Bowl winning team back this year and I think will finally be the first team to repeat in this crazy division. The Falcons looked good early last year, but faded late. I think they will take a step back this year and be only a 7-9 or 8-8 team. The Panthers are a mess, but they have some good RBs. Getting rid of Jake Delhomme may have been a positive, but replacing him with Matt Moore probably neutralizes that. Tampa has a very strong chance of being the worst team in the NFL this year. John Gruden probably has no regrets over his firing.

NFC West
1. 49ers
2. Seahawks
3. Cardinals
4. Rams

The 49ers are ready to take back what is rightfully theirs, control of the NFC West. They will be far from a great team this year, but considering their competition, they seem like the obvious pick to win it this year. The Niners have one of the better defenses in the NFL and 3 big offensive weapons in Frank Gore, Vernon Davis, and Michael Crabtree. Their only concern is going to be the play of Alex Smith, who has had a serious up and down career since being drafted #1 overall in 2005. If he can play this year, like he did late last year, the Niners should make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. One thing we need to keep in mind with Seattle is that Pete Carroll is not a good NFL coach. His personality is perfect for college, but it failed miserably in New England. Seattle has been beat up over the past few years, but now I feel that is mostly because of age instead of bad luck. The Cardinals are going to miss Kurt Warner immensely, especially based on the way Matt Leinart has played this preseason. They also lost a lot of key players on both sides of the ball, and are probably doomed to be the Cardinals again. The Rams are going to try out Sam Bradford from the start, but they have a lot of work to do to get back to being competitive again.

Playoffs
7 returning teams: Ravens, Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, Packers, Vikings, Saints
5 new teams: Dolphins, Texans, Titans, Giants, 49ers
5 teams getting the boot: Patriots, Jets, Bengals, Eagles, Cardinals

Wild Card Playoffs
Ravens over Titans
Texans over Dolphins
Giants over 49ers
Packers over Vikings (how awesome would this be?)

Divisional Playoffs
Colts over Ravens
Chargers over Texans
Packers over Cowboys
Saints over Giants

Conference Championships
Colts over Chargers
Packers over Saints

Super Bowl XLV
Colts over Packers

Awards
MVP - Phillip Rivers, Chargers
Coach of the Year - Tony Sparano, Dolphins
Offensive Rookie of the Year - C.J. Spiller, Bills
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Rolando McClain, Raiders

Steve's 2010 MLB Predictions

I don't know what it is with me and this time of the year when it comes to sports writing. The original Is It Sports? site died at this time of the year in 2006 when I pretty much just stopped posting new things on it, which caused Ryan to start this site. It's not like it isn't exciting time of year. You have March Madness, Spring Training, the start of the NBA and NHL playoffs, etc. In 2006, I was preparing to move to a new city, but this year, I have basically no excuse. Oh well, I'll pretend to blame the amazing Arizona spring time weather.

Speaking of Arizona spring time weather, unfortunately for me, the major league season has already started and now I am stuck with only the D-Backs playing locally instead of half of the entire sport. This year, I went to 4 spring training games. I saw my first ever tie when the White Sox played the Reds in Goodyear. I saw the Swinging' A's win twice in 3 days in Phoenix, beating the Diamondbacks and the Cubs. To finish the season, I went to my 100th ever White Sox game in Glendale against the Royals. They were winning when they had their starters in, but by the end of the game, every single player on the Sox was literally wearing a number in the 80s or 90s. I think AJ Pierzynski may have rounded up a bunch of starters and left early to go watch Wrestlemania, which was happening about 3 miles away. So it was a little disappointing to see them lose that game, but hey, its only spring.

So now, here are my picks. Hopefully I didn't gain any inside info by making them 2 weeks into the season. If I picked the current standings as my order of finish, I would probably be very, very wrong....

NL EAST
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
New York Mets
Washington Nationals

You'd have to think that the Phillies are the clear favorite to win the NL Pennant again this year. They are one of the only NL teams with an AL-caliber offense and now adding Roy Halladay to their rotation makes them even tougher to beat. The Braves, I think, have a good chance to climb to the top of the scrap heap of mediocrity in the NL and maybe steal the wild card spot. The Marlins always seem to be better than they look on paper, but usually just don't have the experience to get over the hump. The Mets are set for another disappointing season. I called their collapse in this preview last year and I'm pretty proud of it. The Nationals are....vomit inducing...but so are Philadelphia fans.

NL CENTRAL
St. Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs
Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates

The Cardinals are one of the major bang for the buck success stories of the past decade, and I think they look solid again this year. It's obvious that Matt Holliday is an NL-only legend after returning back to his Colorado days after being traded to St. Louis this year, and the Cards pitching staff is solid, but not too flashy. The Brewers remind me of the poor man's version of the Cardinals. They have 2 big time hitters (Fielder and Braun) fill the gaps with other decent players, and have a not-so flashy but serviceable rotation (but not nearly as good as the Cards). The Cubs did basically nothing to improve their team this offseason, and they are an older team that now is just older and still not as good as the Cardinals. Third seems about right in the division. The Reds probably have the most upside of the bottom 3 teams, but will probably finish at least 15 games below .500. The Astros are getting a bad rap early this season, and they aren't very good, but they are probably still better than the Pirates, who I am sure will find a way to get into last.

NL WEST
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Diego Padres

I like the Giants this year...a lot. They have the best pitcher in baseball backed up by an above average rotation. Offensively, all they need to be is a little better than last year to make the playoffs, considering how their pitching carried them all year. Can adding Aubrey Huff and Mark DeRosa make them that little bit better? The Rockies are coming off another nice season and finally seem to have a balance between pitching and hitting. They are my pick for the NL Wild Card this year. The Dodgers are much better offensively than the Giants but their pitching scares me. Chad Billingsley is very good at being mediocre, and Vincente Padilla....really? The Padres won't be very good. Run Adrian Gonzalez, run.

AL EAST
New York Yankees
Boston Red Sox
Tampa Bay Rays
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

The Yankees are just too good. I think we're stuck in one of those "Yankees are unstoppable, why bother even playing the season?" runs of years. How....depressing. The Red Sox are off to a slow start, but they still have what it takes to be 2nd in this division and probably win the wild card too, thanks to the rest of the AL not being so great. The Rays will probably be the Red Sox top competition for the wild card this year, but I still feel like their 2008 run was kind of a planet's aligning experience. They will need to spend some more money if they want to be competitive in this division for a prolonged period. The Blue Jays and Orioles are both not so good. I think the Orioles are relying too heavily on young players that haven't really proven themselves to be very good so far, and the Blue Jays are doing the same thing to a lesser extent. So in toss up, I take Toronto for 4th.

AL CENTRAL
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals
Cleveland Indians

I admit this year that the Twins are probably the best team in this division, and maybe they will be even more than just winning this division by default like they usually do when no one else is too good. Ergh....I guess I get to watch the Twins waste the AL Central's playoff spot yet again this October....The Tigers scarily fade every year in September, and I don't really see a reason why they won't again this year. Unlike in 2006, they won't be good enough to still make it as the wild card even after choking away the division. On to the White Sox, I'm getting a little tired of Kenny Williams just throwing together a completely random team every year and making moves for the sake of making moves. I don't think the Sox will be any more than mediocre (if even that) this year, but hey, they look somewhat impressive on paper, right? At least this year a healthy amount of their players were born in the 80s and could potentially all hit their primes together in the next 2 or 3 years. I just hope the random players thrown in with them in the future are decent and not absolutely washed up. I think the Royals are trying their best to be competitive, and could challenge the White Sox for 3rd. Are the Indians doing this on purpose to have Major League 4 based on them?

AL WEST
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Texas Rangers
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners

I'm not going to pick against the Angels in this division until one of these other 3 teams proves to me why I should not. The Rangers were surprisingly good last year, despite having no pitching. If Rich Harden can stay healthy and Scott Feldman can develop more, along with their other developing young hitters (and Josh Hamilton and Ron Washington both stay off the crack) the Rangers could be legitimate challengers to the Angels this year. The A's have their usual group of prospects, probably good enough for 3rd. The Mariners have gotten a little bit of media love this year, but I'm not buying it. They seem to like to take the Kenny Williams philosophy of making moves to make moves but they do it significantly worse.

PLAYOFFS
Divisional
Phillies over Rockies
Giants over Cardinals (That pitching in a 5 game series is scary)
Yankees over Angels
Red Sox over Twins

NLCS/ALCS
Phillies over Giants
Yankees over Red Sox

World Series
Yankees over Phillies (yeah boring, but I think its going to happen again)

Awards:
NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, Giants
NL Manager of the Year (aka Steve's Kiss of Death): Bruce Bochy, Giants
NL ROY: Jason Heyward, Braves

AL MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins (The Yankees will be just too good for the media to pick one)
AL Cy Young: C. C. Sabathia, Yankees
AL Manager of the Year (aka Steve's Kiss of Death): Ron Gardenhire, Twins
AL ROY: Neftali Feliz, Rangers

NFL Power Ranks: Week 15

Another very crazy week in the NFL is in the books. The Colts remained unbeaten on Thursday night and stay comfortably atop these computerized rankings for the 9th week in a row, but some interesting things happened below them. Dallas pulled off the impossible on the road (especially for them in December) and bet undefeated New Orleans. Even though they are still 13-1, the Saints have now dropped to 4th in the power rankings, falling behind the red hot Eagles, who jump 4 spots all the way to #2 and Chargers, who stay put at #3. Sure, their records aren't as good, but they are solid both offensively and defensively and have had some dominating wins over the past few weeks, compared to New Orleans' fading D and somewhat shaky play. We'll see how things end up. Both the Packers and Vikings lost this week. The Pack managed to hang onto the #5 spot after their last second loss to Pittsburgh, while the Vikings dropped to #7 after being inexplicably killed by Carolina. Uh oh, I think Favre's clock might be up...

On the bottom side of things, the Browns and Chiefs played maybe the game of the year, a 41-34 shootout where Jerome Harrison nearly broke the single game rushing record and Josh Cribbs broke the career kickoff return record. Crazy game for 2 teams that had 5 combined wins going into the game. The Browns' win moved them up to #28, while the Chiefs fell to #30. The Bucs also won their 2nd game, over Seattle, to move to #29. Detroit got pushed back to #31 and the Rams almost got a win but lost yet again.

Not too many big moves this late in the season. The Texans jumped 5 spots to stay in the playoff hunt and I already mentioned the Eagles. The teams that fell the hardest this week were both from Florida, the Dolphins and Jaguars, who hurt their playoff chances by losing to the Titans and Colts, respectively.

So how do things look heading into the playoffs? Let's start with the AFC. The Colts and Chargers appear to be on a collision course in the AFC Championship game but the last few weeks will be interesting in the AFC North, where Baltimore sits only 1 game back of Cincinnati, and the insane wild card race. Right now, the ranks are predicting that Baltimore catches Cincinnati but in reality all the Bengals need to do is beat Kansas City this week to clinch the division. That said, the highest non-likely division winners are the Ravens at #6 and Jets at #11. However, the ranks don't know the Jets last 2 games, which are against Indy and Cincy. There is a chance Cincy will have nothing to play for in Week 17, but if they win this week they will likely be playing for the #3 seed to delay playing the Colts for a week in the playoffs. Because of this, I think the Jets are done. The Broncos are next. They have the edge with an 8-6 record but have to play in Philly this week.

In a totally non-ranking based prediction by looking at schedules I predict the final records of the bunched up teams will be:
Ravens 10-6
Broncos 9-7
Dolphins 9-7
Titans 8-8
Jaguars 8-8
Jets 7-9
Steelers 7-9
Texans 7-9

I think the Steelers' win this week didn't solve all of their problems, and I can easily see them losing to Baltimore at home and at Miami, but they can really shake things up and win the last 2 games. I'm just looking forward to sitting back and watching.

In the NFC, things are a lot more hammered down, with only the Giants still alive on the outside looking in. The Eagles appear to be the hottest team right now, and can possibly even steal a bye from the Vikings while eliminating the Cowboys from the playoffs in week 17. How ideal would that be? The Saints are going to do their thing in the playoffs, and I think the Packers could be a strong sleeper. The Cardinals are kings of the crap pile known as the NFC West and will probably make a nice victim for the Pack in the first round.

The Full Ranks:
1. Colts - 88.49 - Even
2. Eagles - 77.07 - +4
3. Chargers - 76.57 - Even
4. Saints - 75.69 - -2
5. Packers - 68.30 - -1
6. Ravens - 68.23 - +3
7. Vikings - 66.94 - -2
8. Patriots - 64.70 - -1
9. Cowboys - 61.14 - +2
10. Bengals - 59.11 - Even
11. Jets - 57.96 - -3
12. Broncos - 57.58 - Even
13. Titans - 55.55 - +2
14. Texans - 53.89 - +5
15. Giants - 53.44 - +3
16. Cardinals - 52.42 - +1
17. 49ers - 50.68 - -3
18. Falcons - 49.87 - +3
19. Dolphins - 46.21 - -6
20. Jaguars - 46.11 - -4
21. Panthers - 45.65 - +4
22. Steelers - 45.26 - +1
23. Bills - 43.74 - -3
24. Seahawks - 37.67 - -2
25. Raiders - 34.97 - +2
26. Bears - 33.40 - -2
27. Redskins - 31.20 - -1
28. Browns - 28.27 - +1
29. Buccaneers - 24.80 - +2
30. Chiefs - 24.03 - -2
31. Lions - 16.57 - -1
32. Rams - 12.12 - Even

Steve's Quick NFL Predictions

So living in Arizona now, it's hard to realize the NFL season has already started, and tomorrow is the first full Sunday, since it is still over 100 degrees outside every day. I'm going to make a little more detailed picks than Ryan, but I'm still going to try to keep it quick. I'm going to use the standard that on average, 6 of the previous year's playoff teams return to the playoffs, and 6 do not...

AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Dolphins
3. Jets
4. Bills

Now that Brady and the rest of the Patriots are healthy, it is time for them to rise to the top of the division once again, but their ancient defense should be a little concerning. The Dolphins face a much tougher schedule than last year, but are still better than the Jets and Bills. The Jets are going to struggle with Mark Sanchez at QB, and the Bills are going to wallow in mediocrity or worse yet again.

AFC North
1. Steelers - Home Field
2. Ravens - Wild Card
3. Bengals
4. Browns

This one is too easy. The Steelers looked primed to win their 7th Super Bowl this year. The Ravens are good enough again defensively and bring back most of their offense to make another playoff run (and they get to beat up on the AFC West). The Bengals will be a little better than last year, but will still be pretty bad. The Browns uniform color represents something else that the team resembles on the field....

AFC South
1. Titans
2. Texans - Wild Card
3. Colts
4. Jaguars

The Titans are still extremely tough defensively, and almost knocked off the defending champs in their house on Thursday night. I'm not sure if they will be as dominant as last year, but they are still well rounded enough to take the AFC South again (as long as Vince Young stays on the bench). The Texans, I think, are going to become everyone's "sexy sleeper" pick every year now that the Cardinals finally made it to the Super Bowl after 10 years of being picked to be a lot better than they were. I'm on board with the Texans this year, though. They are able to put up points, run the ball with Slaton, and have a decent D led by Mario Williams. Ryan isn't going to like me for this, but I'm predicting a Colts implosion. Their offensive fire power is starting to fade and there seems to be a lot of locker room turmoil with the new coaching staff. I just have a feeling they are bound for a 6-10 season. The Jaguars will continue to suck.

AFC West
1. Chargers - 1st Round Bye
2. Raiders
3. Chiefs
4. Broncos

Wow, what a bad division. The Chargers can sleep walk through the season and win this division. I think of the 3 bad teams, the Raiders could be the best this year, but might finish 2nd with a 5-11 record. Kansas City has some hope with a new QB, but they are still pretty miserable defensively (like the rest of the division). The Broncos looked terrible in preseason. Kyle Orton is an interception machine and their defense can't stop anyone. They might be begging for Shanahan and Cutler to come back after this season....

NFC East
1. Eagles - 1st Round Bye
2. Giants
3. Cowboys
4. Redskins

This division is always tough to predict. I think the Eagles come out on top this year, carrying the momentum of their trip to the NFC title game last year. The Giants are going to miss Plaxico Burress, and I'm predicting it could be a rough year for the Manning boys, with the Giants barely missing the playoffs. The Cowboys will be mediocre at best in their big pretty stadium, and the Redskins are another "meh" average NFC team.

NFC North
1. Bears - Home Field
2. Vikings - Wild Card
3. Packers - Wild Card
4. Lions

It's looking like the Jay Cutler acquisition was really a great move by the Bears, and they have a chance this year to have their most explosive offensive since....I don't know, the 30s? I was going to pick the Vikings to win the division originally, but I just don't trust Favre to get them there, especially now that this division has improved. The Packers looked a lot better than a 6-10 team last year, and I think they can turn it around behind some more strong play by Aaron Rodgers to sneak into the last wild card spot. The Lions will win a game or 2 this year. I'm going with 3 playoff teams from this division mostly because of scheduling. Each of the 3 good teams get to play the Lions twice, all 4 of the NFC West teams, and the Bengals and Browns. Those 8 games alone should give these teams at least 7 wins each.

NFC South
1. Saints
2. Falcons
3. Panthers
4. Buccaneers

The previous year's last place team tends to win the division the following year in the NFC South. Guess who finished last last year? Yep, the Saints. I think Drew Brees and his laser, rocket arm will start winning more games for the Saints this year along with putting up big numbers. The Falcons will still be pretty good, but like the surprising Dolphins, will have a tougher schedule to deal with this year. I still don't understand how the Panthers were 12-4 last year.... When you fire your offensive coordinator a week before the season starts, and are statring a McCown at QB, you are going to have a rough year. Welcome to last place, Tampa, and enjoy your 2010 division title.

NFC West
1. Seahawks
2. 49ers
3. Cardinals
4. Rams

You don't know how badly I wanted to pick my 49ers here, but they just aren't good enough. The Seahawks are due for a big turnaround after just about their entire team got injured last year. The 49ers are playing motivated under Mike Singletary, but just don't have the talent to get to the playoffs yet. The Cardinals are due for a collapse (considering they weren't even that good to begin with last year) because they lost the Super Bowl, and I believe Kurt Warner's pact with Satan came to an end. The Rams.....are they still in the NFL?

Playoffs
6 returning teams: Steelers, Ravens, Titans, Chargers, Eagles, Vikings
6 new teams: Patriots, Texans, Bears, Packers, Saints, Seahawks
6 teams getting the boot: Dolphins, Colts, Giants, Panthers, Falcons, Cardinals

Wild Card Playoffs
Titans over Ravens
Patriots over Texans
Saints over Packers
Vikings over Seahawks

Divisional Playoffs
Steelers over Titans
Patriots over Chargers
Eagles over Saints
Bears over Vikings

Conference Championships
Steelers over Patriots
Bears over Eagles

Super Bowl XLIV
Steelers over Bears

Awards
MVP - Drew Brees
Coach of the Year - Jim Mora
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Darrius Heyward-Bey
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Aaron Curry

Go Check Out Ricky's Predictions

As I post the archives of the old Is It Sports? site (see yesterday's post), I stumbled upon a pretty entertaining one that our friend Kevin wrote from Ricky Williams' point of view, making predictions of champions in each sport from 2005-2010. These were supposed to be funny, drug induced picks, but some of them were actually a lot closer than we ever would have imagined at the time. You can find it in the February 2005 archives by following the link on the left. I know this is the lazy way out, but I've re-posted 17 posts from the old site since yesterday, with a lot more to come. We'll go back to modern sports content again tomorrow.

We’ll Get ‘em Next Year (Maybe Not)

Originally posted on "Is It Sports?" by Ryan. By reading the opening comment that I wrote, you can pretty much see why this site exists now and the old Is It Sports site does not. Fear not, the World Series post was written, just never posted on the old site. I'll post it on the Times, as a special "lost" post!

Quick Note from Steve: Ryan wrote this way back in November (which explains the Konerko on the Angels comment), but for some reason, I never posted it....part of it was because I've been pretty busy, another because I wanted to have this post with my World Series post back to back (which still hasn't been written). But now since the shear shock of it has sunk in and I'm about to watch both my Sox DVDs and have my Bang for the Buck stats ready to go, why not have 3 consecutive baseball posts during the 2 weeks between the conference championships and the Super Bowl? This site really isn't that hard to update....I'm just lazy but my goal for this site for 2006 is to keep this up to date more often, and the Quote of the Week and blog will help.

Baseball season is over, the White Sox are the world Champions. I feel that it is my duty to provide a non-Sox fan recap of the season. In this post, I’ll look at how Steve, Kevin and I predicted the outcome of the year. Then I’ll go ahead and give the Sox some credit, and I’ll end by digging a little deeper into the Twins season. Sound like a deal? All right, let’s roll.

So, something amazing happened with the season. All three of us, using the scoring system laid out in the Junk #4, tied. Kevin made up a lot of ground by doing well in the American League East, merely a flip flop of the Orioles and Blue Jays keeping him from a perfect prediction. Steve did the best in the playoffs, having been the only person to correctly pick someone in either of the League Championship Series (St. Louis). I was the most consistent across the board. Kevin and Steve correctly picked 5 of the 6 division winners correctly, while I picked four division winners, and the wild card in the American League.

	AL East	AL Central	AL West	NL East	NL Central	NL West	Playoffs	Total
Steve	4	4	4	4	8	8	-7	25
Ryan	4	6	4	4	4	8	-5	25
Kevin	2	6	4	8	6	4	-5	25

Something those statistics don’t show is exactly what happened. For example, my pick of Cleveland making the leap this year saved me in the AL Central, where I had foolishly picked the Twins in first and the White Sox in fourth. Kevin, naturally, and as he should have, picked the NL West together, but if we look at his picks qualitatively, we see that his picks are just as laughable now as they were then. Neither Arizona or Seattle sniffed the playoffs. As for me, the eventual champion, the Sox, were fourth, as I said, in my picks. All that being said, I would have to allege that Steve had the best overall picks this season.

And speaking of those Sox, I do have to give them credit. Aside from Steve’s love for the White Sox and Kevin’s not seeing anything else in the Central, at the beginning of the season, what could anyone have seen that would have led them to believe the Sox would be this good? Really, I don’t think Steve could have foreseen a season like this in his wildest dreams. My biggest issue was the same that many had. Their rotation featured El Duque, Jose Contreras and Jon Garland, three guys who, before this season, wouldn’t have instilled fear in a T-Ball team. And Ozzie Guillen who had never managed before, was a wild card. Who knew a goofball like him could be such a brilliant leader? Surely not I.

As I wrote about back in March, the Sox were following the Twins plan for manufacturing runs. They sacrificed two big bats, in Ordonez and Carlos Lee, and added to speedsters at the beginning of the lineup in Scott Podsednik and Tadahiro Iguchi, as well as a veteran, reliable bat in Jermaine Dye. In the end, they did, in fact follow the Twins successful speed and defense model, except they were faster and better at defense. Not only that, the White Sox had something the Twins haven’t had since the mid-80’s: big bats. Without Lee and Ordonez, they still had Paul Konerko and Carl Everett, not to mention Joe Crede who finally started to break out this year. No word yet on Aaron Rowand. Pulling all this together was my newfound nemesis, A.J. Pierzynski. And while I used to have a someone tense rivalry feeling with the Sox, I can now say, without a doubt, I hate the Chicago White Sox with every fiber of my being.

What I don’t understand though, is why the Indians are already the trendy pick to win the Central next year. Sure, Konerko will be batting third ahead of Vlad Guerrero next year, but Kenny Williams won’t be afraid to replace him with another good hitting first baseman. They will still have the rotation. They will still have every other piece. And they will have experience. Maybe Cleveland will get the Wild Card, but I still think the White Sox are a solid pick for the division pennant next year. No matter, though. I hate the Indians too.

Speaking of hating something, let me talk a little bit about the Twins, particularly their owner. Carl Pohlad, one of the 250 wealthiest people on the entire planet, can’t afford to pay someone who can hit more than 25 homeruns? Bull! Now, the Twins have had a rough season and can stand to improve at pretty much every position. Jacque Jones and Matt LeCroy are free agents, and I fully expect neither to resign with the Twins. They will be “replaced” by people from the farm system, when the truth is, they need to be truly replaced by a reliable veteran bat, something we didn’t have last year. If there was a Jermaine Dye clone, the Twins would be the team that would need to sign him.

Instead, however the Twins are looking to deal Torii Hunter, the team’s only marketable star, for spare parts, probably from the Yankees. The team has plenty of spare cash, and Carl Pohlad, on the cusp of death anyways, could make sure his reputation doesn’t stay stuck on “miser” by signing someone who can hit this offseason, but that won’t happen, because Pohlad doesn’t care. What WILL happen is the Twins will begin a downward spiral. The biggest signing they will make is for someone like B.J. Surhoff or Craig Paquette, if either are still in the League. Hunter will be traded to the Yankees for two swizzle sticks, a Parcheesi piece and Joe Girardi. Brad Radke will be traded to a contender at the break, and the Twins will be in fourth next year.

I need a new favorite baseball team, because this one makes me cry. - Ryan