Forward Progress: NFL Forecast
Last night the NFL season officially kicked off with the Tennessee Titans taking on the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers. That means it’s time for ProScoutlook’s predictions for this 2009 season. From division winners to postseason awards, we’ll cover it all leading up to our picks for Super Bowl XLIV.
Division Winner Predictions
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles don’t have an easy path to the playoffs, but no NFC East team does. The toughest division in football will be a slugfest from top to bottom and could produce both Wild Card teams, but the Eagles bring the most well-rounded team to the table. Donovan McNabb to DeSean Jackson will make highlight reels through Week 17 and into the playoffs. Not to mention the upgraded offensive line for Brian Westbrook and rookie LeSean McCoy. But it’s their defense that will push them through the NFC East.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers – The Brett Favre era came to an end last year, and this year the Aaron Rodgers era begins, as he propels the Packers to a division title. Green Bay packs an explosive offense ready to show off, think New Orleans Saints with a respectable defense. Dom Capers brings his 3-4 defense to the Frozen Tundra, with high hopes for rookie pass rusher B.J. Raji. Favre and his Vikings will have no choice but to hope for the Wild Card.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons – Second year QB Matt Ryan got a gift from GM Thomas Dimitroff this offseason in the form of TE Tony Gonzalez. The long-time Kansas City Chief is hungry for a championship and will be sniffing the postseason this year with the Falcons. Throw him into the mix with RB Michael Turner and WR Roddy White and the Falcons turn into a top 5 offense in the NFC. The only question mark is the defense, but there are some serious voids in the other NFC South teams, too.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals - It’s tough to bet against last year’s NFC champs, especially in such a weak division. The 49ers would have been in consideration
here if they’d signed Michael Crabtree a month ago, but he remains unsigned. The Seahawks have no run game and a spotty defense. Then there are the Rams. So, we’re left with the Cardinals who, though they are good, rode a hot streak to the Super Bowl last year. The Cards will be leaning on their gunslinging offense again this year led by veteran QB Kurt Warner. It really doesn’t matter, however, who is throwing to the dynamic duo of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. They’ll get the ball in their hands regardless.
NFC Wild Cards – New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings
AFC East
New England Patriots – The AFC East wound up being the most unpredictable division in football, as the Miami Dolphins turned their 2-14 team of 2007 into a playoff in 2008. But Tom Brady wasn’t playing in that division last year. He’s back now and Randy Moss has been waiting for his favorite quarterback to return. The Patriots defense, however, has 6 new pieces in the starting lineup. You better believe coach Belichick will find the most talent out of all new defensive additions.
AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers – The defending champs have only one legit competitor in their division, that being the Ravens. Though I feel the Ravens are a team on the rise, they are no match for the balanced Steelers team. With arguably the NFL’s best defense last year and an offense run by natural leader Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh is in line for a repeat within the division.
AFC South
Tennessee Titans – Defense wins. And it better if the Titans are to have any chances at making the playoffs in ’09. This year, the AFC South will emerge as one of the toughest division in football. The Colts have been a mainstay atop the division standings, but watch out for the Texans also this year. All three of these teams should end the season with winning records. Look for Kerry Collins to manage the game just enough to give his defense a chance to win 12 games this season.
AFC West
San Diego Chargers - Coming out of the easiest division in fooball, the Chargers should rack up a ton of wins at the hands of Oakland, Kansas City and Denver. Confident enough to give them the division title now, Philip Rivers and LaDainian Tomlinson should just focus on home-field advantage in the postseason.
AFC Wild Cards – Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans
NFL Postseason Award Predictions
Most Valuable Player
Aaron Rodgers (Green Bay Packers) – He’s got the weapons, he’s got the skills, and he’s got his chance to create his legacy in Green Bay’s second Favre-less year. He put up remarkable numbers in his first season as the Packers’ starting QB: 4,039 yds and 28 TDs. He possesses a deadly accurate arm with great vision of the field. This year he’ll step up at the end of games, leading the Packers back to the playoffs. MVP, MVP, MVP!
Runner Up – Tom Brady (New England Patriots)
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos) – This is an easy pick. Moreno has the chance to run away with the starting RB job in Denver, a job Correll Buckholter and Peyton Hillis will forfeit without much competition. Moreno has the most talent of any RB in this rookie class. He’s brilliant between the tackles and finds microscopic holes for those extra couple of yards.
Runner Up – Percy Harvin (Minnesota Vikings)
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Brian Orakpo (Washington Redskins) – A great work ethic on the practice field has catapulted the 13th overall draft pick into the Redskins’ defensive schemes. He’ll get to the passer and create turnovers. Double-digit sacks this year are not out of the question.
Runner Up – B.J. Raji (Green Bay Packers)
Super Bowl Predictions
NFC Champion – Green Bay Packers AFC Champion – New England Patriots
In a battle of high-powered offenses, the experience of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots prevails. Green Bay will take the game right down to the wire in a very competitive main event. Super Bowl MVP goes to Tom Brady.
Patriots win the Super Bowl by a score of NE: 27 GB: 23.
Adam Hutcheson
Adam Gori
David Brick
Josh Brick
Grant Howard
Alex Lopez
Joe Giglio
You must be nuts to think Airhead Rodgers is going anywhere.
1 for 1 in losing seasons with the best receiving team in football.
If they go anywhere above 6-10 this year, it will be because of the defense. Isn’t Rodgers the current sack leader? (in a bad way)
Brett had 1 losing season in 19 years… and wasn’t that the first McHeartless’ season as a head coach? McFattie is the poster child for why we should tax fat people more than smokers in the health debate. They should have kept Brett and fired Thompson & McCathass. So, he’s a little lazy when it comes to training camp (I believe that story more than just being indecisive on retirement)… Who wouldn’t avoid training camp if they could? It did not seem to bother Childress one bit when he escorted Brett from the airport in the team owner’s private jet after the preseason had already began!
Brett had many years with average talent surrounding him and still always put on a show and sold tickets (to opposing team venues that may have otherwise been flat). In just a month, he is already the leading merchandise Cha-Ching for the NFL. Peterson is 3rd? He groomed and developed the squad that Rodgers is now blessed with. Only Rodgers and McCarthy could take a team one play away from the Super Bowl to a 6-10 record the next season with the same and actually better talent.
Brett’s best intangible, which you will see more and more as this season progresses, is the ability to make everyone around him better than they actually are. Grant is a good example of that… How did Grant do as Rodgers side-kick? Brett did not give up on the Jets last year, they gave up on him.
Brett has nothing else to prove, but teams will spend the majority of their work week trying to stop him. That is 50% less time to train on Peterson! With any other Viking’s QB, they would be able to dedicate almost all of their time keying on Peterson. This means 1 or 2 less bodies on the line to stop the run because the fear that Brett might let one go, like that game in Denver on Monday night 2 years ago. Let’s face it, the recievers in Minn, or not the caliber of GB, neither was NY… but Brett will find a way to make them better as the season goes on.
Brett is not up for Sainthood and is not the same as he once was, but neither are you and I, or John Elway either during his last 2 seasons. He is not the best thing since sliced-bread…
All he does is show up for work, week after week after week… 272 and counting, not factoring playoffs. I wish he had the opportunity to reach 300, but that would require him to stay healthy and play next season as well. He may not be the current most statistically dazzling player on the field anymore, but his career accomplishments speak for themselves. He will make it easier for Peterson to continue his dominance at the RB position this season.
So anyway, I hope you will reconsider your rankings concerning the prospects of the NFC North.
BTW, in case you think there is any intended bias, I have been a Packers fan since before Starr beat the Rams and came back to beat the Cowboys 2 weeks later on the way to their first NFL-AFL championship. That was a full year before they lost to the Rams in the regular season, came back to beat them 2 weeks later, and then the famous Ice Bowl game the following week. Of course back then until now, I respected them for being the only professional sports franchise not run by an egomaniacal capital elitist… As they have now in Thompson.
Personally, I hope the Packers lose every game until Thompson and McCarthy are released… then Brett can come back and claim his loyalty to the team in time for indocrination into the HOF. Then I will become a loyal Packer fan once again.
BTW, I think Brett owes me one on the buy 2 get one free – Jersey sales thing!
P.S… Don’t count your chicks on the Brady bill either!
I’m guessing Saints & Vikes will duel it out to play the sacrificial AFL loser in the SB…
Thanks,
john