Tonight is the first game of the NFL season, as the Bills go to the Super Bowl Championship Party to face the Rams in SoFi Stadium.
The last two days, I've given a rough view of the 32 teams. Now, for some predictions, with varying degrees of belief of certainty and the understanding that (like last year -- no way in Hell were the Rams supposed to win the title or especially Cincinnati make the Super Bowl) plans do and will change.
The AFC is going to be a royal cluster this year. As I inferred, I could see as many as ten or more teams actually have at least a puncher's shot, and nothing has really changed from last year, when Cincinnati was effectively "Next Man Up", version... four or five???
In the East, it's Buffalo. In a "shoot" NFL, Buffalo would be the preseason favorite for the Super Bowl going in. However, there is already one major question which might come back to bite Buffalo in January with the Matt Araiza signing, but the firing (basically an admission of guilt by the Bills and probably the NFL as well!) does appear to indicate that the NFL might already have given an idea of how far Josh Allen, etc. might get if the circumstances permit.
In the North... Baltimore by a hair over Cincinnati, pending a healthy season for Lamar Jackson. Pittsburgh will lumber along, and Cleveland... Call me in two months. Seriously. If the right wing of this country gets a strong political foothold after the midterms, I could see DeRapist Rapist getting a push if the math can be worked out.
In the South, it's Tennessee pretty easily.
In the West, good fucking luck. You could make varying cases for all four teams in the division. It looks as if Britt Reid is going to get out of the way for Kansas City and his dad. The Chargers are definitely a sleeper pick. The Broncos are probably the weakest case out of the four, but if Russell Wilson can have a year, who knows? And the Raiders are, in almost every conceivable discussion, a real wildcard.
So:
East: Buffalo
North: Baltimore
South: Tennessee
West: Kansas City
Wildcards: New England, Cincinnati, LA Chargers
In the mix: Las Vegas, Denver
Needs circumstances: Cleveland, Indianapolis
AFC Champion Pick: Given the circumstances of the situation, I actually do think New England in an upset, with the obvious reason I'll give across the way. I don't know how long Belichick has himself.
The NFC is far more stratified, with three of the four divisions basically locks, as things presently stand.
East: Dallas
North: Green Bay
South: Tampa Bay
The West could be an interesting case. You have the defending champs and the LA Experiment. You also have San Francisco, who provides an Achilles heel to the Jobbers to the Stars in Wisconsin. And Arizona could, but I'm not sure I see it, given the injuries and incident problems.
West: LA Rams
Wildcards: Minnesota, San Francisco, Arizona
NFC Champion and Super Bowl pick: If Tom Brady is upright at the end of the year, even if they have to pull a Peyton and have him sit several weeks and make Tampa the 4 seed or something, the ring is his on the way out.
Keep in mind: There is now some discussion that Gisele has separated from the marriage to Tom because he's playing this season. More and more evidence indicates my anonymous friend was right, and that Gisele put her spiked heel down and said for Tom to go home.
There's only one reason it would go otherwise and he would return, especially to forgo for at least one season the 10 years and $375,000,000 Fox will give him to make him the new #1 announcer.
It's Tampa. And that's why I'm picking New England, because I think there's only one real storyline the NFL has not poached yet... Who Made Who, Brady vs. Belichick, etc.
I am not really that high on Baltimore, and they are going to have to do massive Tebow-like ref ball to get the Pats into the SB. If NE-TB is the SB, though, that's one I definitely won't be watching. Heck, I wouldn't watch the title games if they both are in it.
ReplyDeleteOh, no question on them needing massive Tebow refball for Brady vs. Belichick, but you did notice that the moment AB peace-outted on the Bucs, the Patriots faded as well last year...
DeleteThe problem with the AFC is there are no good teams. Everybody, on some level, has an Achilles heel, and that's where the NFL is probably going to make the evenness of the conference the selling point.
That's true. The Chiefs were supposed to be the AFC power, but I still believe that Andy Reid is on the league's crap list (even after what his son did).
DeletePittsburgh's talk radio station (93.7 The Fan) has the Chargers going (I don't live too far from there) to the SB. I don't see it. I have to pick the Bills, but a Pats-Bucs SB wouldn't completely surprise me, especially after what the league did starting 20 years ago with a NE team that was pretty devoid of good athletes (that Mel Kiper said would go 0-16 in 2001).
Remember, the start of all that was a political propaganda situation -- you think the Patriots would be pushed if there wasn't the terrorist attack a few months before?
DeleteChargers?? Same thing I said to the other guy: That's another team on that list, and there are a number of teams on the list that, if the situation breaks right, could be pushed.
Right, and it wasn't only used for 2001, but for years after (although they gave the Raiders a make up SB appearance in 2002, just like NBC gave the Blazers a make up NBA Finals appearance 10 years earlier after they cheated them in 91).
DeleteAs for the Bucs and Brady, I was thinking: Would that be a wise idea to put Brady in another SB? I am not sure if the fans want that. It may not get good ratings.
I do not believe it matters.
DeleteThe more that comes out about Tom and Gisele (and now I AM hearing the word "Divorce"!!!), what could anyone offer Brady, at this point, to get him one more season?
I'm open to suggestions. Remember: He's got $375,000,000 to start commentating for FOX.
I got Ravens V Tampa SB
ReplyDeleteYou could give me about six or seven AFC teams, and I won't argue selecting any of them. With a healthy Lamar Jackson (who the league HAS wanted to push!) on a contract year, that's a very feasible pick. Do not let that my pick goes elsewhere dispute yours -- at least until the games start... :)
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