NFL Picks
Why? The Patriots is going to be there because they are the most prepared in a season where most teams will require an additional two or three games to catch up. Also, using the loss to the Ny Jets hanging over them from last year's playoffs, they will be anxious for payback.
And talking about the Jets, the Patriots will beat them within the AFC Conference Championship game. This is one way life works. Win a big game unexpectedly one year - lose a similar game the following year.
And who will the Cowboys beat in the NFC Conference Championship game? The underdog of underdogs - the Detroit Lions. Yes, I'm predicting that the Lions will catch a few breaks and win several games.
It might be a real drag to choose a rematch from the Gambling and also the Packers, although entering the season, both of them look like they could repeat.
Divisional winners in the AFC is going to be Tom Brady and the Gambling within the East, with Mark Sanchez and the Jets being a wild card team from the division. The Cleveland Browns, underneath the leadership of Colt McCoy, will win the brutal AFC Central division. Of course, Payton Manning and also the Indianapolis Colts will win the South, and maybe surprisingly, the Gambling will win the AFC West. Who'll the second wild card team be? The Baltimore Ravens, obviously.
Divisional winners within the NFC East would be the resurgent Cowboys, with Tony Romo back in place. The Packers will win the Central, however the Lions will get in via the wild card. Sam Bradford will lead the St. Louis Rams to some West Division title, and the Gambling will top off the South. The 2nd wild card team will be the boring old Gambling.
The Cowboys is going to be undervalued this season since they were overvalued this past year. Super Bowl winners from the previous year will always be overvalued, as are the losers. Conventional wisdom on up and coming supports teams like the Jets, but CW usually is a huge miss. This leaves people like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning to guide slow and steady charges through the season and the playoffs.
Trends result in upsets, and that i usually try to follow these trends. The Browns could have been 12-4 this past year, and while they have new coaches, a new offense and a new defense, it appears pretty clear that the new regime is serious about winning sooner then later, and since the Steelers and the Ravens are due for any fall, picking the Browns isn't a stretch.
Finally, the Detroit Lions have to bring it altogether. The talent is young. It's there. Why don't you this season rather than next?
So that's it with this year's predictions. Let's talk next February and we'll see if I'm able to get it done two years consecutively.
