Let's see how bad I screwed this all up.
Start in the AFC:
Back in early September, I had:
AFC East
NE: 11-5 (#3 seed) Went 12-4, 8-0 at home, #2 seed.
What happened: The league probably went with an audible mid-season and now wants Peyton vs. Tom, Part Two Zillion and Six.
Miami: 8-8 Went... 8-8!!!
What happened: About what I expected to. Workman-like performance where 8-8 almost got you in.
Buffalo: 5-11 Went 6-10
What happened: 2nd in the league in rushing, 4th in the league in passing defense by yards. A few more pieces are in place than I thought.
Jets: 3-13 Went...
EIGHT AND EIGHT???
What happened: Call me (and the entirety of the US Sports Machine Media) when you figure this one out, other than what one reader has posited: Since the league can now force teams to do Hard Knocks, Rex Ryan is just too juicy to pass up.
AFC North
Pittsburgh: 10-6 #4 seed. Went 8-8 and out of the playoffs.
What happened: Almost last in the league in rushing, 0-4 and 2-6 to start the season including a couple of losses which would be inexcusable.
Cincinnati: 9-7 Went 11-5 and the division champ, #3 seed.
What happened: The recipient of a lot of what happened to Pittsburgh.
Baltimore: 7-9 Went 8-8.
What happened: A bit more for the champs than I thought, but otherwise about what I expected.
Cleveland: 5-11 Went 4-12.
What happened: Nothing much positive, just about as expected. Figured they might sneak another win out of the NFC North, though.
AFC South
Houston: 12-4 and the #2 seed.
Went 2-14 and the #1 Draft Pick
What happened: Everything. Wrong.
I think it's now clear that either the league is going to script the Texans in a worst-to-first (of which one place has reported Philly made 11 years in a row in the regular season for a division title that at least one division did) with Manziel, or they really need to get off the Texans' horse, because this was an unmitigated disaster which probably is going to require far more cleanup than just the coaching staff.
I think Manziel to Houston is just too tempting, deserved or not. But this team has gone full-circle, back to when the last Texas-state quarterback was poised to go #1 with Houston on the clock. Houston passed, taking Mario Williams instead. Good call on their part.
Indy: 10-6 Went 11-5 for the division and the #4 seed.
What happened: The drop off from last year on the Pythagoreans wasn't as bad as people thought it might be, and Luck is still getting a massive push.
Tennessee: 7-9 Went 6-10
What happened: See Buffalo and Baltimore.
Jacksonville: 3-13. Started the year 0-8, won four of five after it to have a sliver playoff chance, then lost the last three for 4-12.
What happened: First half of the season went about to form, then they got some pride. Only 1-7 at home, though, and that's probably partially evidence of the dysfunction that franchise has on a massive scale. Houston was only 1-7 at home, Washington was 2-6. None of those franchises appear stable right now.
AFC West:
Denver: 13-3, #1 seed. Went exactly that.
What happened: League is pushing Peyton hardcore. Best statistical QB season in history, but I sense a hard roadblock coming in New York in about a month.
Kansas City: 7-9 Did about the exact opposite of Jacksonville. 9-0 to the bye week, went 2-5 afterwards for 11-5 and the #5 seed.
What happened: I really think that the early-season was that they wanted to reward Andy Reid for sacrificing his son to football, but I think part of what happened was Peyton vs. Brady, and the rest would be that too many people might realize what happened.
San Diego: 5-11 Went 9-7 and snagged the #6 with a lot of referee help.
What happened: Seems to be stadium push, at least from people like-minded to me.
Oakland: 3-13 Went 4-12 with signs of promise.
What happened: Something needs to change in Oakland, or the Raiders need to change out of Oakland.
My pre-season seeds were DEN, HOU, NE, PIT, IND, CIN
They happened: DEN, NE, CIN, IND, KC, SD
Didn't count on the big push in the AFC West, but still seemed to go to a good degree of form except for Houston's debacle.
If the seeds hold this week, you get Denver-Indianapolis, as I said in the pre-season.
NFC East:
Giants 10-6. Went 7-9.
What happened: Coughlin lost the team for the better part of the year, I think, _again_. And then they decided to play for his job, _AGAIN_.
The same song and dance we've seen out of the Giants every damn year they haven't won the Super Bowl recently, it seems.
Redskins: 10-6 Went 3-13 and gave the Rams the #2 pick.
What happened: Daniel Snyder is a fucktard stealing money from the Washington football fealty-swearers. If it weren't by design, he'd be ousted for incompetence...
Dallas: 7-9 Went 8-8
What happened: ... right next to Jerry Jones.
Philadelphia: 6-10 Went 10-6 for the #3 seed and the division.
What happened: The rest of the division collapsed. 1st in the league in rushing, 9th in passing, but a big problem in the wildcard round: LAST in the league in pass defense, and, oh by the way, here come the Saints.
NFC North:
Minnesota: 10-6 Went: 5-10-1
What happened: Adrian Peterson did not get a rub from his homophobia, Greg Jennings got exposed as a system wide receiver (like so many other ex-Packers), and the defense sucked rocks. Any other questions as to why Leslie Frazier is gone?
Green Bay: 10-6 Went: 8-7-1 and won the division and the #4 seed with it.
What happened: Rest of the division stank and Green Bay needs to learn how to prevent injuries. So many injuries, so many key players.
Chicago: 8-8 Went: 8-8!
What happened: How'd that firing work out for you guys in Bear Country? And the Bears' defense damn well does suck. Only the Vikings gave up more points. Didn't give up fewer than 20 in any game the entire year. (Thank you to my anonymous contributor for catching that one.)
Detroit: 6-10 Went: 7-9
What happened: Caught Green Bay at their injuries, not much else unexpected. Too many fines, and now a new coaching staff coming in. Take the thugs on the team with you!
NFC South:
Atlanta: 12-4 Went: 4-12
What happened: Everything everybody else thought would -- and more.
New Orleans: 10-6 Went: 11-5 for the #6 seed.
What happened: Slight up-push for Brees and Redemption for Bounty-Gate.
Carolina: 8-8 Went: 12-4 for the #2 seed
What happened: Cam Newton push in overdrive.
Tampa Bay: 6-10 Went: 4-12
What happened: Too many thugs + one lost locker room = New coach next year.
NFC West:
Seattle: 11-5 Went: 13-3 for the #1 seed.
What happened: They got the decision over San Francisco, and are the Super Bowl favorites as a result.
San Francisco: 13-3 Went: 12-4
What happened: See Seattle, the other way around.
Arizona: 5-11: Went: 10-6 and eliminated.
What happened: Pride, some decent results at home, and probably one of the better surprise stories in the league not named Kansas City.
St. Louis: 6-10 Went: 7-9
What happened: Workmanlike performance in the shadows of the two big West teams.
Predicted seeds: SF, ATL, NYG, MIN, SEA, WAS
Actual: NOTHING CLOSE. SEA, CAR, PHI, GB, SF, NO
You may start laughing, especially at the NFC side of it, now.
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