NFL 2009

I know a lot of people here will not be fans, but I know there are a few who are, so I though a thread for the new season would get some interesting contributions.

Not quite seen all the week one results, but Pittsburgh looked strong, as did Tennessee, great opener.

Here are some predictions I posted on another (small) forum:

NFC
The NFC has few stand out teams, a lot falling back, and a few rebuilding. The South is strong, as is the East, the North competitive, only the West has a number of weak teams. New York Giants, Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers I think will be in the play-offs, the rest will be very close, with a handful of poor teams at the bottom.

NFC East:
New York Giants
Dallas Cowboys
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins

Close division, but they are all tough. The Giants will probably be the most consistent team. Dallas still have a lot of talented players, it is just whether they will gel into a team. I just don't believe that Phildelphia will be anything special, McNabb is getting old. Washington will find it a hard division to compete in, but we not be bad.

NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings
Chicago Bears
Detroit Lions

I think Green Bay will build on last year, Minnesota's running game will be good. I don't think Jay Cutler is the final piece needed for Chicago, I think he will be disruptive, I do think that Detroit will win more games than last year (they lost all 16 for those who do not know).

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

I think that each team has won this division at least once in the last five years. Tampa might be rebuilding under a new coach, but the other three are all competitive.

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks
San Francisco 49'ers
St Loius Rams

Arizona will not take teams by suprise this year, but will be good, and do not have a lot of competition in the division.

Division winners: New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals
Wild Cards: Minnesota Vikings, and one of Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, Carloina Panthers - it is that even.
Weak teams: Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49'ers, St Loius Rams

AFC
Steelers, Patriots, Chargers are the class of the AFC, an awful lot of other good teams, and oh dear, how the AFC West has fallen. San Diego can book their playoff birth now (you don't know how that pains me to say)

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

With Brady back The Patriots will be the class of the division again, Miami will be good, the Jets are rebuilding, will have as lot of pieces though, and Buffalo will probably start strong and fade as they often do. Strong division.

AFC North:
Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
Cincinnati Bengals

The Steelers are just a great consistent team, brilliantly run, a coach who has the confidence that he will be backed, a quarterback who is just a winner. I know they won last year, but hard to pick against them. The Ravens will be tough, play hard football and give Pittsburgh a run for the division. Cleveland and Cincinnati are so, so.

AFC South:
Tennessee Titans
Indianapolis Colts
Jacksonville Jaguars
Houston Texans

A lot of talent in this division, I think the Titans will remain good, Jeff Fisher is such a good coach, the Colts are still very strong. Jacksonville will be much stronger than last year's disarray, and Houston have a tough job to complete against such strong teams.

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

The AFC Worst as it was known last year, San Diego are head and shoulders above the rest, who are all rebuilding, or in the case of Oakland, just a mess. Denver so long a contender have fallen apart since the sacking of Shannahan, good riddance to Cutler, but they do not have a replacement, a long season ahead.

Division winners: New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans, San Diego Chargers
Wild cards: Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts (Dolphins could be there too).

The NFL looks more open and even than it has for years, there are few teams that can be pencilled in division winners, last years winners Pittsbugh are hard to pick against, and San Diego are very good in a division with no opposition. New England will be back, but the Dolphins are a good team to challenge. Indianalpolis will be strong, but have a new coach, so it might not gel as under Dungy. The NFC is grown stranger over the last few years, and the best teams are on a par with the AFC's best.

Looking back at my picks for last year, they were so wrong, this year will be no better. Some teams who looked like no-hoper's will rise, and some team who look like winners will get key injuries, or fall apart. Remember how Dallas looked sure to win the Superbowl this time last year, but didn't even make the playoffs.

If I had to pick a Superbowl it would be New York Giants vs Pittsburgh Steelers, but that is a dull pick, as it is the last two winners against each other. They are both the team to beat in their conference, but a lot of teams will run them close.

Teams in italic are weak and will not compete.

Since writing that, I must add that Green bay look like a very strong contender for the Superbowl too. I may also have under-rated Seattle who have gained some good players. I wrote this before Favre joined Minnesota, he might be a good fit there as the running game should stop him from having to try win in the 4th quarter, but I still think is gambles too much, and will throw a lot of interceptions.

Speaking of interceptions, I did see jay Cuttler's first half at Chicago. Ha, ha, not so great without the rest of the Denver offense. (I am now going to catch the second half, and will probably have to eat my works - but I don;t think so really).

There are teams I have disliked in the past, but this year there is one I am saving nearly all my spleen for, I will not forgive what I consider unforgivable, and I neither like the coach or the incumbent QB, let alone the animal torturer they have taken on: