Posted on 06/03/2005 7:20:02 AM PDT by Asphalt
The Vikes are the chic pick for the SuperBowl this year, but until somebody knocks them off, the Eagles still look like the class of the NFC. The only team that can compete with the Vikings in the NFC North is Green Bay, and Favre has taken a real pounding the last few years. If he goes down, the Packers aren't going anywhere. Detroit and Chicago just don't look like they're ready to compete with either one of the them.
In the NFC East, nobody is going to catch the Eagles, at least this year, but look for the Redskins, Dallas, and the Giants to be better. Gibbs has cleaned up most of the damage inflicted by Steve Spurrier, and if he can keep Dan Snyder(i.e. Steinbrenner, Jr.) from meddling, they're capable of 8-9 wins. As for the Cowboys, everything rides on what Drew Bledsoe does. He can't be any worse than Vinnie Testaverde was last year. The Giants will probably finish in the cellar because Eli Manning is not his brother, nor does he have Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James to help the offense.
NFC West is completely up for grabs, with the Rams, Seahawks and Cardinals all claiming a realistic shot at the title. Right now, I'd give a slight edge to the Rams, because they went 3 for 3 against Seattle last year, but I don't see any of these teams actually making it past the second round of the playoffs.
NFC South has Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans vying for number 1, and you can't discount Tampa Bay either. The Bucs still have problems with age, and they basically sold out the present and near future for that Super Bowl a couple of years ago. Their D isn't what it used to be, and the offense was never all that great to begin with. Atlanta won't make it to the top until Vick learns how to throw the ball, and not just run every other play. I also suspect last season was a bit of a fluke. The defense played way over their heads, and I look for them to come back down to Earth. They could win anywhere from 6 to 10 games. The Saints are the same way. The only reason Aaron Brooks and Jim Haslett aren't collecting unemployment checks right now is because New Orleans finally started playing up to their potential at the end of last season, and almost snuck into the playoffs, where nobody in the NFC wanted to play them. The problem is, Brooks is so schizophrenic on the field, you never know what will happen. He can be brilliant on one play, then a complete idiot the next. This is the make or break year for both of them. So that leaves Carolina. I think they'll win the division simply because they have the fewest question marks and the most solid team.
Pre-Training Camp NFC Predictions(no wildcard picks):
NFC East
1. Philadelphia
2. Dallas
3. Washington-until they can actually beat Dallas now and then, this is where they'll stay...
4. NY Giants
NFC North
1. Minnesota
2. Green Bay
3. Detroit
4. Chicago
NFC South
1. Carolina
2. New Orleans
3. Atlanta
4. Tampa Bay
NFC West
1. St. Louis
2. Seattle
3. Arizona
4. San Francisco
I think sometimes the media tries to be too cute with their pre season picks. They always want to guess which team will be the surprise team of the year. Remember how many folks picked Seattle to win the NFC last year?
Not many picked Seattle, but Holmgren was looking at a pinkslip if he didn't make the playoffs. That will always get the coaching creativity juices flowing. I remember Detroit being a rather trendy pick last year. The problem is, you never know which one of these bad teams will turn it around.
Two years ago, it was Carolina and Dallas, and last year it was Atlanta. But one trend to follow if you're making bets in Vegas, is that the Cinderella team usually falls off the next season. It happened to the Panthers and Cowboys, and I think the Falcons will slide down the standings this year. They're not nearly as good as their record indicated, and the Eagles ran all over them in the NFC title game last year.
I was curious what games come to mind as great performances,I have a couple, just wondered what games you remember as outstanding...
ABC better hope the Falcons do well this year. They've got them scheduled for three Monday night games.
I see them going 7-9. They're not as good as their record was last year, on either side of the ball. Carolina is my favorite in the South, with the Saints following them.
Carolina just might get back to the SB.
Proof positive that the Saints let the better QB go free agent. Jake Delhomme went to the same college I did, and I met him when he was a freshman. He was shorter than I am(5'10") and skinnier than a reed. He only went on to break all kinds of records, beat Texas A&M(what a wild night that was!), and become a consummate professional.
So naturally, the Saints let him walk in free agency, while they held on to Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde himself: Aaron Brooks. Somebody must have really pi**ed off a voodoo priestess when the Saints became an expansion team in the 60's.
Oh come now. They have won one whole playoff game in their entire history.
Delhomme is as tough as nails and doesn't get rattled.
That one playoff win was a nailbiter which Brooks tried repeatedly to give the Rams. If it weren't for a muffed punt late in the game, St. Louis probably would have won. I cleaned up a week later on coworkers convinced that it was the Saints year. They left everything they had on the carpet in the Superdome, and Minnesota tore them apart the next week.
I love the Saints, but I know a sucker bet when I see it...
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