2013 NFL season

[moneygamelover]

Last night the NFL season got underway with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Miami Dolphins 24-20 in the Hall of Fame game. The start of the regular season is about a month away. Here are my picks.

AFC East: Patriots. As long as they have Brady I'm always going to favor the Patriots to win this division.

AFC North: Bengals. I see it as being between the Steelers and Bengals but I see Dalton having a breakout year. The Ravens lost far too much on defense to be a factor and also lost their best receiver

AFC South: Texans. I see the Texans winning the entire AFC Championship. Houston is loaded  on both sides of the ball.

AFC West: Broncos The Broncos did suffer some off season losses and Von Miller is suspended 4 games. But they also added Wes Welker and Peyton Manning is still good enough to carry the Broncos as far as a division goes. Chiefs will be much improved though.

NFC East: Giants. I don't really trust any team in this division. Romo and Vick aren't really clutch players and RG3's health is in doubt. I'm almost picking the Giants by default here.

NFC North: Vikings. Imagine how good AP will be now he's actually truly healthy. Much like the NFC East,I don't really trust any team in the NFC North so I'm going with the best player in the division.


NFC South: Falcons. Matt Ryan is an elite and clutch QB and the Falcons are loaded with receiving weapons.  The Saints should have a bounce back with their coach back.

NFC West: 49ers. People will talk about Kaepernick vs Wilson. But the Seahawks just lost Percy Harvin and the 49ers are far better on defense. I see the 49ers repeating as NFC Champions.

[wildbill0962]

Sorry, but I disagree on numerous points, here.

First, everyone talks about what the Ravens lost, but what about what they gained? Elvis Dumervil adds excellent pass rush with Suggs at linebacker. I really like Arthur Brown. And yea, Matt Elam is no Ed Reed, but he is pretty rangy and can hit well. The Ravens will miss Ray Lewis' leadership, for sure, but he wasn't the player he used to be.

And was Anquan Boldin really their best receiver? People forget he wasn't too swift during the regular season. If he was so good, why did they only get a 6th-round pick for him? Answer: He wasn't worth $6 million to the Ravens.

We've seen AP when truly healthy. He probably doesn't get near those numbers again, because they won't to rely to heavily on him. Remember, he was really their only weapon for most of the year. I don't know about "trusting the teams" because all four can be good.

RG3's health isn't really in doubt. He'll be out there Week 1. Bank on it.

Yes, the Seahawks lost Percy Harvin (until Week 13, possibly), but let's remember that they nearly made the NFC Championship last season without Harvin. And while the 49ers are great on defense, they are not far better than Seattle in that department. Seattle has the better secondary and their front seven can line up with the best of them. In fact, all four teams in the NFC West will have good to really good defenses.

[wildbill0962]

To clarify, are you referring to Boldin or Dennis Pitta as their best receiver? I'd argue Pitta is a bigger loss than Boldin.

[moneygamelover]

I was referring to Boldin but Pita is a huge loss too. They do still have Smith but their receiving core is far weaker now. About not trusting NFC North teams: remember that last year the Lions were a disappointment and the Bears collapsed down the stretch. I know that the Vikings got hot to get in last year but I'm not totally sold on them. I still like AP to carry the Vikings though.

[wildbill0962]

Lions dealt with a ton of injuries. I like Ryan Broyles to have a breakout year and take some pressure off Calvin. However, offensive line and secondary is an issue. But they should be better than 4-12, especially after signing Reggie Bush. And the Vikings still have issues at quarterback, but at least AP won't see eight in the box, anymore. Love their defense, also.

[PriceFanArmadillo]

All I know is the NFC North is going to be a lot of fun to watch this year.

[123123123]

My bold prediction this year is that the St. Louis Rams will make the playoffs this year. 

[wildbill0962]

I wouldn't say that's a "bold" prediction, but I can definitely see them contending for a spot. Love some of the moves they made. Tavon Austin can be lightning in a bottle and Alec Olgetree will be a nice pass rusher for them. Their front seven is shaping up to be one of the best in the league. Also a fan of their secondary with Finnegan and Jenkins. Just hope Jenkins continues to show good character. Make or break year for Sam Bradford.

[Teddy]

This is a crucial season for coach Ron Rivera, QB Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. It's Playoffs or Bust for them. But it darn sure won't be easy, considering that they're still in the same division as New Orleans and Atlanta. That being said, it should be fun to watch, though.

[Superballer]

At this early stage, my guess would be a Denver/San Francisco Super Bowl, as they would appear to be the most loaded teams.  Of course, though, an awful lot can change between then and now. 

[JayC]

My predictions:
AFC East- Patriots.  They're missing big pieces from last season and Brady won't have a lot to throw to, but I think they're still going to win it.  The Dolphins look improved, but I think their offensive line and running game are just too big of a question mark and I'm not convinced Tannehill can lead them to a division title.
AFC North- Bengals.  I do believe this is the season they go back to being division champs.  They had a huge second half last season and they look poised to win with their young core continuing to develop and the Steelers and Ravens looking to have taken steps back.
AFC South- Texans.  Maybe the best defense in the NFL, Arian Foster is one of the best running backs in the league when healthy, and I don't see the Colts doing better.
AFC West- Broncos.  Probably the best team in the conference, and should be representing the AFC in the Super Bowl.
AFC Wild Cards: Dolphins and Ravens 

NFC East- Redskins.  As long as RG3 is healthy, they should win the division again.  The Cowboys just can't be trusted and I don't think the Giants have enough to get it.
NFC North- Packers.  The definite best team in the division, and the best QB in the league.
NFC South- Falcons.  The Saints will have Sean Payton back, but the Falcons could be even better than they were last season.
NFC West- 49ers.  The Seahawks should be great as long as Russell Wilson avoids a sophmore slump, but I like Kaepernick more and the 49ers still have the better defense.
NFC Wild Cards- Seahawks and Saints

[Mr. Weatherman]

AFC Wild Cards: Dolphins and Ravens 

The Dolphins might be improving, but I can't picture any scenario in which they make the playoffs as a wild card over the Colts and Andrew Luck. That being said, if Tom Brady were to get injured, and/or the entire Patriots team just falls apart mid-season, then the Dolphins might squeeze in as a division champion. I'm not holding my breath, though.

[BRB_TheFireball]

At this early stage, my guess would be a Denver/San Francisco Super Bowl, as they would appear to be the most loaded teams.  Of course, though, an awful lot can change between then and now.

Loaded teams mean dick in the NFL.  Just ask New England and Philadelphia.

[Ccook]

Falcons are 12:1 to win the Super Bowl. LB Sean Weatherspoon questionable vs. Cincinnati Thursday night (dislocated finger).

[Todd]

Loaded teams mean dick in the NFL.  Just ask New England and Philadelphia.

Hell, the fact that nobody here has even mentioned Philadelphia yet is considered a win for us...