Division Champion Community Predictions

by methodrampage on Aug 8, 2007 5:08 PM PDT

In an effort to keep myself amused I thought it might be interesting to see what some of you think about the various divisions throughout the NFL and who you think will sit atop those division when the regular season is all said and done. And in addition go ahead and pick your Conference Champs, Superbowl Champs and the team that will receive the rights to the 1st overall pick in the '08 draft.

AFC East - New England Patriots
This was a pretty easy division to pick. Although I'll find myself frantically rooting for the Jets to dethrone Pats from atop the AFC East I just don't see it happening. I loathe the Patriots.

AFC North - Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will be solid but Baltimore ultimately wins out. I think McGahee could prove to be pretty scary behind that Raven OL, if Jamal Lewis can rush for 1100+ yards behind them I'm sure McGahee can put up 1500. Watch Terrell Suggs have a monster year while helping to pick up the slack left by Adalius Thomas.

AFC South - Indianapolis Colts
The Colts still have to be the team to beat. If Tennessee had anything resembling a defense or if Jacksonville had anything resembling a passing attack (or a Wide Receiver for that matter) I could realistically see them knocking off the Colts. I think the makeup of this division will really get shaken up in the next couple of years, possibly as soon as next season.

AFC West - San Diego Chargers
Who knows what's going on with the Chiefs, they might prove to be worse than the Raiders this year. The Broncos will be good but I don't think they have an answer for Tomlinson, Gates, or Merriman (who all could be considered the top talents at their respected position). I think Vincent Jackson could be huge for Chargers and give Rivers a legitimate target other than Gates or LT.

NFC East - Dallas Cowboys
When's the last time TO has made the headlines? That can't be a good thing for the rest of the NFC East. Wade Phillips has some scary good defensive talent to work with. I think the 'Boys roll the division and leaving the Giants near the bottom and the Redskins and Eagles hanging out somewhere near the middle.

NFC North - Green Bay Packers
Yes I did. I picked the Packers over the returning NFC Champion Chicago Bears, although I'm not really sure if the Bears actually played in the Superbowl past the opening kickoff or not last year. I think the Packer defense is underrated and was coming together pretty good toward the end of last season. Favre must be living on borrowed time and maybe he rallies the troops for one last hoora. I think the Bears are overrated, Minnesota sucks, and maybe the Lions win 8 games this year and avoid having to take a WR in the top 10 of the '08 draft.

NFC South - New Orleans Saints
I really want to pick the Panthers but it doesn't seem like they can ever stay healthy and losing Mike Minter doesn't help. New Orleans probably rolls up 10-11 wins again. I'm not a big fan of their defense and I think Drew Brees comes back to earth a little bit.

NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
Obviously I don't need to explain too much. The Seahawks don't impress me as much as they have in the past. I'm indifferent on the Rams. And is passing less really going to benefit the Cardinals? The Niners ultimately win the closest division from top to bottom.

AFC Champions - San Diego Chargers
Norv's a douche and all but how can he not win with these guys. Plus I'm tired of all this East Coast bias BS it's time for the West Coast to represent.

NFC Champions - Dallas Cowboys
I think it's a Romo-nian world and we're all just living in it. Damn, why did I pick the Cowboys? I could never really even stand them.

Superbowl Champions - San Diego Chargers
Again Norv's a douche but this is my #2 team behind the Niners. Plus I couldn't really pick the Cowboys to win the Superbowl, could I?

[Rights to the] 1st Pick of the '08 NFL Draft [belong to] - Atlanta Falcons
They're going to suck and take Brian Brohm with the first pick of the draft.

Let's see what you guys have got.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Niners Nation's writers or editors.

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Bet against everything i say

Odds are I am wrong with every prediction but I'll give it a shot

AFC East: Pats, great off season for a team that already won that division

AFC North: Ravens, defense wins, and they have alot of it, Cincy finishing in a close second

AFC South: Colts, this is the worst division in the afc, hopefully the colts win it with a 9-7 record, since we have their first round pick

AFC West: Chargers, they wont be as good as last year, their coach is a great OC but a bad HC

NFC East: Eagles, they have the talent, is McNabb stays healthy and they play like they are capable of, they have the best shot

NFC North: Bears, their D is still in tact, Grossman will hopefully be better, scoring will be down with loss of Thomas Jones, even though Benson is solid thus far in his career, he can't do it all himself, Jones was very consistent for this team

NFC South: Panthers, They lost MeShawn, but still have Steve Smith, Jake is fading but I think Carr can succeed with the talent around him, two solid RBs in Foster and Williams, the Saints D is too suspect

NFC West: 49ers, to a degree wishful thinking, if they dont get the division they get the wild card, Seahawks get second

Playoff seeding AFC

Ravens
Chargers (Will go 12-4 with Norv, Ravens go 13-3)
Pats (They could beat out the Ravens, but without Samuel and Harrison's inury history, I say 12-4)
Colts
Cincy
Miami

NFC:

Bears
Panthers
Eagles
49ers
Seahawks
Saints

AFC Champs: Patriots
NFC Champs: Panthers
Super Bowl: Panthers win rematch, have two solid corners with Lucas and Gamble, have Steve Smith, and two solid RBs, if Marowney is hurt, the Pats could struggle

First Pick: Tampa Bay, that D is good but the offense doesnt have enough, they take Colt Brenan out of Hawaii based on more potential than Brohm

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 5:38 PM PDT 0 recs

Wow

You are much higher on the Ravens than I am. That offense, additions considered, just doesn't do it for me in what is still a pretty darn strong AFC.

I also don't feel so highly about Carolina. There was a time I thought Jake Delhomme was going to be a great QB, but I just don't see him getting back to the SB without an honest complement to Steve Smith.

But, I violently agree with your decisions to keep Green Bay and Dallas away from the tops of their respective devisions.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over...

by howtheyscored on Aug 8, 2007 6:55 PM PDT up 0 recs

Cookie Cutter

He took the cookie cutter teams, minus Carolina. The Cowboys will win their division. And Green Bay may be a reach but nobody else is picking them and if they win I look like a genius and if they lose nobody's the wiser.

by methodrampage on Aug 8, 2007 10:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

Never mind on Tampa

I forgot about Garcia in tampa for some reason, thought simms was the starter

I thin Tennessee, they are terrible in receivers, dont have a running back (starter is rookie chris henry, apparently Lendale White is still out of shape) and their defense isnt anything special

They take McFadden if he declares, or Steve Slaton if he declares, if they dont they take the best non-qb available

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 5:44 PM PDT 0 recs

So you're

Not on the Vince Young bandwagon?

I've never been on that bandwagon, and I'm still veeeery critical of the guy as a player, but he does have something good going that I can't explain and I don't think it's likely to fade this year.

Also, he has coach Fischer on his side, and I think the guy is one of the top five coaches in the league.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over...

by howtheyscored on Aug 8, 2007 6:57 PM PDT up 0 recs

vy

vince young has talent, but i think he lacks the intelligence and seems to high on himself (he refers to himself as V.Y.) to really be an elite qb, and his talent surrounding him is terrible

norm chow is a good OC but if you have nothing, you cant do much

vince could be good, not great, and the team is just terrible

they lost: Starting RB, 2 starting WR and i believe some lineman

and they werent great to begin with

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 7:16 PM PDT up 0 recs

I'm actually

Starting to become convinced about hit "football intelligence."

His ego is obnoxious, but there are people who will tell you that's what will make him a success. I don't know for sure, but I think that right now it adds to the VY mystique that carried them through that improbably run last year when the team was terrible.

It's tough to say. He does appear to have a "winning" intangible (which I think is ultimately crap if you can't throw the ball, but which can carry you for a while until defenses realize you can't throw the ball: Read Mike Vick, among others). And I think he still has some time before defenses actually know what they're dealing with.

So basically I can't argue against anything you're saying with anything better than gut and intuition.

Also, I can't bet against Fischer. The team is terrible, and they won't do well, but I honestly believe they will play pretty far above their heads this year.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over...

by howtheyscored on Aug 8, 2007 10:00 PM PDT up 0 recs

ur correct

he does have that winning intangible, and fisher is a good coach, but you can have a good qb and a fantastic coach, but if you have essentially no decent receivers and a defense that cant stop anyone (its pretty agreed upon by espn analysts) theres not much you can do

they do have cap room so if they get the number 1 pick they can get some free agents and maybe compete next year

i see them going 4-12 or 3-13

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 10:13 PM PDT up 0 recs

I absolutely agree

The terrible team is going to make this a very difficult season for Tennessee.

I think the Vikings, Texans, Falcons, Browns, and Raiders (Culpepper and defense be damned!) will give them a run for their money.

And that jab at the Raiders aside, I think these teams lack not only the talent (the Browns are marginally terrible, the Texans might not be TERRIBLE per se), but also the coaching and the mojo.

IMO The Titans do lack the talent, but they have the coaching and loads of mojo. So again, I'm basically saying "there's no good reason for my gut to more correct than your reasoning."

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over...

by howtheyscored on Aug 8, 2007 10:20 PM PDT up 0 recs

yeah

the thing is that the raiders do have a good defense, and that can win you enough lucky games, same with the falcons, plus they have a great running game, same with the vikings, so they can control the ball and get points

the browns are always bad but they never seem bad enough to get the number 1 pick (that has no backing what so ever, just my gut) and i am on the matt schuab bandwagon to a degree, hes got great size and a nice arm, plus leadership ability and a good WR in Andre Johnson (is it andre, i cant remember)

it could be a good race, hopefully some team just says to hell with it and puts their kicker at qb and runs the table in reverse, the wonderful 0-16 year, my life would be complete

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 10:27 PM PDT up 0 recs

Were

The jets the last team to accomplish that feat?

Or were they 1-15 in that god-awful year?

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over...

by howtheyscored on Aug 8, 2007 10:42 PM PDT up 0 recs

1-15

the only team was the bucs in their first year, 0-14, but got cheated out of a win, i want a true one

the jets were 1-15

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Football_League_records_%28team%29#Losses

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 11:15 PM PDT up 0 recs

Wow

I know I've Maddened up a couple 16-0 seasons in Franchise (I don't play the games, so the odds are fair), and I've seen a couple teams take 0-16 in those very fake seasons...

but 0-16 in real life. Now THAT would be special. I want to see it, too. In that botched surgery but the patient still lives because he gets the first pick in the draft kind of way.

I keep reliving the moment when Steve Young almost fell down... over and over...

by howtheyscored on Aug 9, 2007 12:09 AM PDT up 0 recs

Henry is NOT the starter

Lendale is actuall at his target weight and has been taking all the 1st team snaps. Chris Henry was so unimpressive that the Titans were forced to sign Chris Brown again. Trust me, Henry and all of his 890 career rushing yards at Arizona is not going to be starting for the Titans.

by methodrampage on Aug 8, 2007 10:24 PM PDT up 0 recs

okay

yeah i assumed if lendale got his act together he would start, but on the draft day interview, the titans gm said that henry had the starting job and it was his to lose, but i saw him play against stanford and he was nothing special, undrafted rookie mike bell last year was better than him

by Vote4Gore on Aug 8, 2007 10:29 PM PDT up 0 recs

Warning: based on no actual knowledge

AFC East: Pats, easy choice. Jets will be decent again.

AFC North: Cincy. I think they'll put it together this year. Offense will score a ton with balanced attack. The Ravens take the wild card. Forget Pittsburgh. Cleveland is a joke.

AFC South: Colts, another easy choice. Tennessee got lucky last year and will have a tougher schedule this year. Jags are better than Tennessee. Who else is in this division?

AFC West: Chargers, they'll be better than last year, but LT won't have as huge a season, but still a monster season. More balance on offense is the reason. Denver will be decent and be playing with a lot of emotion. Chiefs are on the downs. QB troubles will plague them and still no defense to speak of. 2007 Raiders will look like 2006 Raiders, but with a younger head coach and an older more decrepid owner.

NFC East: Cowboys. Their defense will be much better under Wade Phillips, and they'll rely on a strong running game. Romo isn't a great QB, so they'll be limited. I can't figure the Eagles out. It all depends on McNabb. He'll get hurt again and they'll suffer. Washington will be another expensive bust. Giants will be decent and vie for Wild Card. One of the toughest divisions in football because of the defenses.

NFC North: Bears, great defense, adequate offense. Running game won't be as strong and injuries could sink them, but it's a weak division and they're clearly the best team. Green Bay is garbage. Minnesota will surprise but come up short. The Lions...don't make me laugh.

NFC South: Saints. One of the worst division in football. Its over in Atlanta. Carolina is getting too old, though I think they'll be a wild card. Tampa won't have enough, but will be better than last year.

NFC West: Seattle. Toughest pick. I'm actually more concerned about the 49ers offense than I am about the defense. It's a very close call over the 49ers. Whoever comes in 2nd will be a wild card. I'm not an Arizona believer. Their offensive line will still be garbage though it'll improve at some point, and their defense is suspect. They'll score some, but without much of a running game. Rams will be in the wild card hunt, but finish 3rd unless the 49ers fall apart.

AFC: Chargers over Patriots in AFC Championship game in Foxboro. Chargees dance on midfield and it causes a brawl.

NFC: Saints over Bears in NFC Championship game in New Orleans in a blowout.

Super Bowl: Chargers over Saints in a very high scoring affair. The top 4 teams in the AFC are better than the entire NFC. LT is the MVP.

Lott's Prayer: Almost as many words as the Lord's Prayer, but the Lord wouldn't recognize any of them.

by Nosetackle Supreme on Aug 8, 2007 11:02 PM PDT 0 recs

Can't pick Norvell's team

I just can't pick the Chargers to win it all in spite of all that talent. They have too much talent to not get to the playoffs, but Norv will blow it for them once they get there.

AFC East - New England Patriots
Definitely the easiest pick to make. Just too much talent there. They were fun to root for that first year and I even rooted for them over the Eagles...getting a little tougher now. But I'll always be a Randy Moss fan.

AFC North - Cincinnati Bengals
At some point they have to break through, so why not this year. My head says Baltimore, but I've got a soft spot for the Who Dey Bengals.

AFC South - Indianapolis Colts
Clearly the team to beat in this division. I'm not sold on a Vince Young-led Titans and Jacksonville has issues to deal with at quarterback.

AFC West - San Diego Chargers
Just too much talent for even Norv to mess up. I think the record comes down to 12-4 or 13-3 and they get upset in the first or second round (no bye for them).

NFC East - Dallas Cowboys
I think Romo bounces back from the playoff debacle to lead this team to a first round bye. Wade Phillips isn't very inspiring, but I like the talent here and I think he doesn't take away from the table like Norv will in San Diego (yes, just a little bitter).

NFC North - Chicago Bears
Certainly ballsy of you to take Green Bay, although I don't think that's completely out of the realm of possibility. I think Grossman shows some improvement in the consistency department and the ass-kicking defense keeps it up. I think they're a Super Bowl contender for sure if they stay healthy.

NFC South - Carolina Panthers
The Saints won't surprise people this year and I think the Panthers surge predicted last year will just be a year late. If Williams an Foster get hurt, I reserve the right to change this!

NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
Just have to go with them. It's a realistic pick, but I think it's 50-50 that they win the division. It's entirely possible they slide to 3rd if the Rams get things going like they could. But this isn't Niners Nation for nothing.

AFC Champions - New England Patriots
They're built for this. The additions of Moss AND Adalius Thomas make it too easy.

NFC Champions - Chicago Bears
How about a little Super Bowl shuffle rematch. If the Bears stay healthy, it's their conference to lose.

Super Bowl Champions - Chicago Bears
I see the Patriots in the role of the Rams a few years back when NE upset them. So I'll go with the reverse of that and call for the Bears upset.

2008 #1 overall pick - Minnesota Vikings
Have you seen the crap they're rolling out? Even with their running game, their QB situation is abysmal. I see them taking Brian Brohm, or trading down to take a DeSean Jackson, as they don't need Darren McFadden.

Niners Nation - The premier 49ers blog on the Internet!

by Fooch on Aug 9, 2007 12:37 AM PDT 0 recs

Mine

AFC East - New England Patriots
I'm a big Belichick fan, and his teams have been consistent contenders even with the comings and goings of quite a few players.

AFC North - Baltimore Ravens
Even with their "losses" this offseason, I agree with Braekneck that their offense should receive a substantial boost from McGahee. Top to bottom, their defense is pretty balanced, and you gotta love that.

AFC South - Indianapolis Colts
Easy choice in that division.

AFC West - San Diego Chargers
Loads of talent up and down the roster. Best running back in recent memory. Killer defense. There isn't a single team in the AFC West that could compete with this team.

NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles.
I know everyone is picking Dallas, and rightfully so. I just have a feeling that this team will be loads better than many give them credit for. I really like Philly's defense, although they may have to carry the team a bit this year. I also feel that McNabb will rebound this season, showing the world he's still a capable leader and QB. It's quite possible that the Cowboys win the divison, but I'll go with Philly here.

NFC North - Green Bay Packers.
I'm higher on this division than most. I think the Lions have a solid chance of putting up 9 wins, pushing for a wild card. Minnesota could surprise, although they're really just likely to fail. I really like Green Bay's defense. Their linebackers are shaping up nicely, their front seven is solid, and their base secondary is actually good. Perhaps it's just my dislike of Grossman that prevents me from picking the Bears.

NFC South - New Orleans Saints
I really like their offense. Their pair of backs makes this offense one of the most versatile offenses in the league, as both HBs can be all over the field. Carolina may come in a close second here. Maybe a little too close, even.

NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
I really don't think the Seahawks are going to rebound in any way. Alexander and Hasselbeck are just a freak moment away from pulling the offense down with them again. The Rams are, "eh". I actually like the Cardinals more than the Rams and Seahawks. So it's an easy choice for me, 49ers all the way.

AFC Champions - New England Patriots
Both San Diego and New England have the talent. I think that coaching will ultimately win this matchup, as we all know how "strong" Norv is.

NFC Champions - Philadelphia Eagles
If it comes down to the Eagles versus any of my other three NFC division winners, the Eagles take the cake. If it plays out the way I "predict," it'll be 49ers and Eagles in this game, with the Eagles "experience" ultimately winning out.

Superbowl Champions - Regardless of who wins in the NFC Championship game, the Patriots will roll through them like they were bowling pins.

[Rights to the] 1st Pick of the '08 NFL Draft [belong to] - Atlanta Falcons
They've got to be miserable right now. A team lead by Joey Harrington just won't cut it. This is especially true if the rest of the running game suffers due to losses to personnel. If Vick looks to be permanently "disabled," they will take a QB with the first pick. Otherwise, there are other pressing needs on this team, as well.

by sfgfan on Aug 9, 2007 9:13 AM PDT 0 recs

Woo

AFC East - New England Patriots
Not much to be said here, especially considering I think the Jets played way over their head last year.

AFC North - Pittsburgh Steelers
I think Pittsburgh had a down year last year because Ben Rothlisberger got hurt while washing his truck. Also, I think Baltimore was fluky last year. Regardless, this should be a great Divisional battle between the Steelers, Ravens, and Bengals.

AFC South - Indianapolis Colts
Another easy one, although it is tough to have a great season after a Superbowl run.

AFC West - Denver Broncos
Shanahan over Turner, that's enough for me.

NFC East - Philadelphia Eagles
Romo coming back down to earth and McNabb being healthy make this not particularly close.

NFC North - Chicago Bears
Easy one. Picking any one else, especially a team headed by QB that was overrated in his prime and hasn't actually been decent in years is a little ballsy. That, or it's being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. Also, everyone seems to have no faith in Grossman which is a bit unjustified. It was his first full season starting, it's not that shocking that he was inconsistent.

NFC South - New Orleans Saints
I'll be rooting for Eric Johnson to stay healthy. I don't really believe in Carolina.

NFC West - San Francisco 49ers
I wanted to go the non-homer route, but I can't. I'm not particularly impressed with any of the other teams in the division. I don't believe Alexander will bounce back and I don't think the Rams or Cards are good enough.

AFC Champions - Pittsburgh Steelers
Rothlisberger takes a step forward now that he's healthy, Parker runs wild, and Holmes becomes a great complement to Ward.

NFC Champions - Chicago Bears
Grossman manages the offense better, on a game-to-game basis and the defense continues to be unreal.

Superbowl Champions - Chicago Bears
It will be a Superbowl first, the entire starting offenses from both teams will be injured during the game. The Bears win thanks to Devin Hester.

1st Pick of the '08 NFL Draft - Oakland Raiders

by marcello on Aug 9, 2007 10:38 AM PDT 0 recs