Early NFL Predictions

Wow, its been over a month since I last posted here. My apologies. It just seems like I don't have any free time anymore. Both of my kids are now playing organized sports and I also recently agreed to volunteer what little free time I have left with one of our local non-profit agencies that works with local kids. I'd like to say I will start posting more once football season kicks in, but I can't make any promises. :(

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Now for my 2008 NFL Predictions. I'm not going to cover every team here, but I will give you some of my thoughts on a few teams and some players. I will also give you my playoff predictions.

COLTS in 2008: I'm a Colts fan so obviously the Colts are going to get the most discussion. I think the Colts should win the AFC South again this year. But, the Jaguars and Titans are rapidly catching up with the Colts and should push Indianapolis all the way to the finish line this year. The biggest problem for the Colts is their depth. If they suffer any key injuries at the wrong positions they could be in a lot of trouble.

The Colts Keys to Success:
1) Peyton Manning has to stay healthy. If the Colts have to hand the offense over to Jim
Sorgi this team won't even win half their games. Sorgi sucks and everybody seems to
know it except the Colts coaching staff.
2) Marvin Harrison. The Colts offense is much more effective with Marvin on the field regardless of whether he is catching any passes.
3) Tony Ugoh has to be able to pass protect one on one. Tony got better as the season wore on last year, but the Colt offense is heavily dependent on a left tackle that can hold his
own (no pun intended).
4) The rest of the offensive line. I think the Colt offensive line has been extremely overrated for the last several years. But, having Peyton Manning under center can make almost
any O-line look good. I am especially worried this year about the Colt's right offensive side. Ryan Diem (LT) and Charlie Johnson (RG) are both below average pass blockers. If these guys can show even modest improvement from last year the Colts offense should look a lot better this year. Any serious injuries on the O-line could spell trouble.
5) The development of Jacob Tamme as an effective second tight end. Tamme is a better pass receiver than Ben Utecht, but the question remains as to whether Tamme is anywhere close to being as effective a blocker as Utecht. If Tamme can block, the Colts offense will really open up.
6) Dwight Freeney. If Dwight comes back healthy he will make everyone around him better. Without a healthy Dwight Freeney, the Colts have zero pass rush. Without a pass rush, the Colts favored Cover-2 is pretty much worthless.
7) The linebackers. If the Colts linebackers can stay healthy for the whole season the defense should be stout. If they suffer injuries here they could be in a lot of trouble.
8) Bob Sanders needs to stay healthy and be Bob Sanders. 'Nuff said.

I think the Colts should finish the season 11-5 and win the AFC South.
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The Rest Of The NFL

AFC East: The Patriots easily win the AFC East again and have a very good chance of going 16-0 with a very easy schedule. I think the Jets will improve greatly from last year and finish second in the AFC East. The Bills should finish third with the Dolphins sucking again and finishing last.
AFC North: The AFC North teams have a brutal schedule this year. I think the winner of this Division should be Cleveland or Pittsburgh. My guess is a record of 8-8 will probably win it. Cincinnati should finish third with Baltimore staying in the cellar.
AFC West: The Chargers should win the West. I could easily see San Diego winning 13 games. Denver should finish second followed by Kansas City and then Oakland.
AFC South: The Colts should win 11 games and win the Division. I think Jacksonville wins 10 and Tennessee wins 9. Houston will finish last with a record of 7-9 or 8-8.
NFC East: The Cowboys should go 12-4 and win the Division. The Giants will be right on their heels with a record of 10-6. The Eagles will be somewhere around .500 to finish third and the Redskins will struggle and be lucky to win 7 games.
NFC North: Everybody will forget about Brett Favre as the Packers win the Division and go 13-3 to take the North. The rest of the Division is a toss-up, unless the Vikings finally decide to give up on Tarvaris Jackson. If Minnesota gets a quarterback they could finish second and challenge for a Wild Card spot. Otherwise, the Vikes will join the Lions and
the Bears with records below .500.
NFC West: The Seahawks win the West with 10 wins. The Cardinals finish second with 8 wins
for the second straight year and the Rams improve to finish third. The 49ers struggles will continue.
NFC South: I see Carolina rebounding and taking the South with a record of 11-5. Tampa finishes second followed by New Orleans and Atlanta.

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NFL Playoff Predictions:

AFC East Winner: New England Patriots (15-1)
AFC North Winner: Cleveland Browns (8-8)
AFC West Winner: San Diego Chargers (13-3)
AFC South Winner: Indianapolis Colts (11-5)
AFC Wild Cards: Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6) and New York Jets (10-6)
AFC Wild Card Sleeper: Tennessee Titans -- The Titans are a good football team that plays in a tough Division. If they get a few breaks along the way they could easily earn a Wild Card spot.

NFC East Winner: Dallas Cowboys (12-4)
NFC North Winner: Green Bay Packers (13-3)
NFC West Winner: Seattle Seahawks (10-6)
NFC South Winner: Carolina Panthers (11-5)
NFC Wild Cards: New York Giants (10-6) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
NFC Wild Card Sleeper: Minnesota Vikings -- The Vikings have put together a pretty good team. If their quarterback situation shows even a hint of improvement they could sneak into a Wild Card slot.

Super Bowl: New England 31 Dallas 21

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Things To Watch This Season:

1) The quarterback controversy in Cleveland. The Browns play a brutal schedule and I think Derek Anderson will struggle. DA takes a lot of chances, especially when the Browns are behind, and I think he will throw a lot of interceptions this year. Look for Brady Quinn to get his chance by Week 6. I predict that once Quinn gets his chance he won't be second string again. Anderson's trade value will drop significantly after he loses his starting role and the Browns will be facing some tough decisions.
2) Tom Brady may throw more touchdown passes this year than he did last year. Go look at the Patriots' schedule and you'll see why I am saying this.
3) The Bengals will implode and Marvin Lewis will be fired. Cincinnati has a rough schedule and Carson Palmer will struggle to stay on his feet. Chad Johnson will again open his mouth too much and the franchise will crumble around him. Same old story.
4) Brett Favre will get more credit than he deserves for the Jets miraculous turnaround and then New York will get hammered in their first playoff game with Favre throwing 4 interceptions.
5) I believe David Garrard will turn in another outstanding year in Jacksonville. I love watching this guy play football. If the Jags are on TV you owe it to yourself to tune in and watch. Garrard is a complete quarterback.
6) Darren McFadden in Oakland should put up some decent numbers. The Raiders' offensive line is a mess and I haven't seen anything from JaMarcus Russell to convince me he is an NFL caliber quarterback. So, I figure Lane Kiffin is going to ride the best offensive player he has on the team and that guy is named Darren McFadden.
7) The New York Giants. The G-men got hot at the right time last season and rode their wave to the Super Bowl title. Can they carry their momentum over to this season?
8) Can the San Diego Chargers win the games that truly matter? The Chargers may be the best team in the NFL, but they won't get any respect until they prove it. Injuries diminished their chances in the playoffs last year and it looks like Antonio Gates may still be suffering ill effects from his toe injury. The San Diego offense needs Gates in order to make a serious run.
9) The Chicago Bears' quarterback situation. The Bears have a great defense and a spectacular return game. They would be a legitimate contender if they had a quarterback who could throw the ball to the right team. I think Kyle Orton will probably win the starting job for Week 1, but I'm not sure he is any better than Rex Grossman. The Bears need to give up on Rex and Kyle and look for a veteran who won't turn the ball over.