Now to the AFC:

Michael Falkner · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 11

Talk about a morass... Talk about a mess... Who really wants to win
this conference's Super Bowl bid???

That's really the story across the board on the AFC side... Any of a
number of teams could win the darn thing in a conference reminiscent
of a conference which could've had, with two weeks to go, 11 teams
finish with the same record (or equivalent) last year and create a
massive mess for the playoff tournament...

Chad Pennington's injury takes out one of the teams who could well
have contended in the Jets. Are the Raiders finally too old??? Can
Miami play better than their college counterparts in December and save
Wannstedt's job? Is New England poised to come back? Will Peyton
Manning win a meaningful game this year??? Who's going to be the
running back for Pittsburgh??? Howinhell did Cleveland get a playoff
spot last year??? Can Tennessee take that final step??? Did the
Chiefs get enough defense to make it to the Bowl???

I'll just leave it to my divisional predictions:

East:

New England 11-5
Miami 11-5 (one wins the division, the second is the first wildcard)
Buffalo 6-10
Jets 4-12 (but watch out for them next year with Pennington)

South:

Tennessee 11-5 (wins AFC)
Indianapolis 9-7
Jacksonville 5-11
Houston 5-11

North:

Pittsburgh 11-5 (loses to Tennessee in the title game)
Cleveland 9-7
Baltimore 7-9
Cincy 3-13

West

Chiefs 10-6 (The D makes the difference.)
Raiders 10-6 (Fades late and loses to the AFC East winner)
Denver 9-7
Chargers 8-8 (Raiders win second wildcard -- remember that all four
of these teams get three games against the pitiful NFC North)

Tennessee over Pittsburgh for the conference.

Tennessee over AFC East runnerup
Pittsburgh over AFC East winner

The two AFC East teams win the wildcard weekend over the Chiefs and
Raiders

Super Bowl: Air McNair can't deal with the Bucs defense... Tampa
repeats.

Commence puking.

Mike

Archived from group: rec>sport>football>pro

Stan-Fan · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 44

Brian Griese is the back-up for Jay Fiedler and the Dolphins, and out
injured, won't be playing any for the Fins. Until they prove they can
beat somebody in December - they are not worth mentioning. New England
remains a solid team, probably playoff bound. Open at Buffalo, so lots
of questions will be answered week one.

Your AFC surprise teams for playoffs - look for Buffalo (check what Tom
Donahoe added to that defense - Bills were 8-8, and last, one game from
the division title last year, with absolutely no defense - and swept the
Fins, that should add a year or two on Greg Williams contract
negotiations); Baltimore - keep your eyes on the Ravens - this club is
rebuilding fast, and furious. Kansas City - should fight Denver for the
wild card if Oakland still has some spit left in em. New York Jets -
NFL's most underachieving team - spoilers - but not a threat for the
playoffs IMO.

Pittsburgh should win their division, but I don't think much of Cower as
a coach, and they have a tendency to lose playoff and title games at
home. Butch Davis at Cleveland is a genius, so don't count out the
Browns. Peyton Manning - hasn't won a big game in his career. Indy is
the league's worst road draw - and very predictable. Jacksonville, Jack
Del Rio has a tough rebuilding job-still like Tennessee. Only thing
interesting that happens in Houston will be to see how many passes Andre
Johnson catches.

Only thing I disagree on in the NFC is Carolina, they have a very solid
defense. Should be a Tampa Bay - Philadelphia fight, although the Eagles
play the AFC-East this year too and that's tough, might slip up and
allow the Giants to slide in there.

Green Bay - as long as Bret Favre puts on the Green & Gold the Pack has
to be reckoned with. Minnesota, agree, can't be as bad as they displayed
last year - should get in that playoff fight. Detroit and Chicago, not
even spoiler roles. Same with Washington and Dallas, Parcells is a
Jersey guy, the tuna will smell bad by October.

As for what Steve Spurrier deserves, The Evil deserves nothing but loss
after loss after loss, LOL. He is also a genius in love with only two
things, himself, and the end zone, doesn't even know his defensive
coordinator left for Cincinnati.

And, isn't it surprising (probably could have gone under a thread of its
own), how after being interviewed for almost every, single head coaching
job in football the past 3-years Marvin Lewis settles on -------Cincy???

St.Louis, San Francisco, Seattle should be an interesting fight out West
(Spurrier or the Jets should be burning the wires to San Francisco for
Ken Dorsey - scouts say he doesn't have a strong arm - he bulked up to
230, and only went 38-2 at UM in his career with one National
Championship win, one loss, and two other bowl championships, one the
Sugar Bowl. Arm strength be damned - guy knows how to win, and that
ain't coachable). How they waited until the 7th round to draft this guy
is amazing. This is one time the scouts and front offices screwed it up
- when he gets his chance, Ken Dorsey will be a superstar QB in the NFL.

Should be an interesting year.

EZ-Kill · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 10

Just one note. If the Steelers make it all the way to the AFC championship
game, it will be because they stay healthy and find a secondary. I don't
see the Steelers making it to the AFC Championship, but if they were to do
so, I think they win it all. And don't tell me the Bucs would beat the
Steelers in the SB, the Steelers OWN Tampa Bay.

Titans are a very good possibility in the SB. I just don't think they beat
the Steelers to get there.

"Michael Falkner" wrote in message@posting.google.com...
> Talk about a morass... Talk about a mess... Who really wants to win
> this conference's Super Bowl bid???
>
> That's really the story across the board on the AFC side... Any of a
> number of teams could win the darn thing in a conference reminiscent
> of a conference which could've had, with two weeks to go, 11 teams
> finish with the same record (or equivalent) last year and create a
> massive mess for the playoff tournament...
>
> Chad Pennington's injury takes out one of the teams who could well
> have contended in the Jets. Are the Raiders finally too old??? Can
> Miami play better than their college counterparts in December and save
> Wannstedt's job? Is New England poised to come back? Will Peyton
> Manning win a meaningful game this year??? Who's going to be the
> running back for Pittsburgh??? Howinhell did Cleveland get a playoff
> spot last year??? Can Tennessee take that final step??? Did the
> Chiefs get enough defense to make it to the Bowl???
>
> I'll just leave it to my divisional predictions:
>
> East:
>
> New England 11-5
> Miami 11-5 (one wins the division, the second is the first wildcard)
> Buffalo 6-10
> Jets 4-12 (but watch out for them next year with Pennington)
>
> South:
>
> Tennessee 11-5 (wins AFC)
> Indianapolis 9-7
> Jacksonville 5-11
> Houston 5-11
>
> North:
>
> Pittsburgh 11-5 (loses to Tennessee in the title game)
> Cleveland 9-7
> Baltimore 7-9
> Cincy 3-13
>
> West
>
> Chiefs 10-6 (The D makes the difference.)
> Raiders 10-6 (Fades late and loses to the AFC East winner)
> Denver 9-7
> Chargers 8-8 (Raiders win second wildcard -- remember that all four
> of these teams get three games against the pitiful NFC North)
>
> Tennessee over Pittsburgh for the conference.
>
> Tennessee over AFC East runnerup
> Pittsburgh over AFC East winner
>
> The two AFC East teams win the wildcard weekend over the Chiefs and
> Raiders
>
> Super Bowl: Air McNair can't deal with the Bucs defense... Tampa
> repeats.
>
> Commence puking.
>
> Mike