2007 NFL Predicitions

I'm going to take a stab at predicting the 2007 NFL Standings here. Crazy things happen every year. Who knew the Saints would turn into a title contender so quickly? Who knew the Colts actually had what it took to win a title, especially without having a semblance of run defense? And yet, years like 2006 are the norm, with random teams stepping up to win division titles and previously-elite teams falling by the wayside due to poor coaching or injury.

The preceding paragraph was basically an excuse for my very strange-looking predictions. But I'm tired of predicting the norm. Here we go!

AFC EAST

1. New England 11-5
2. Buffalo 8-8
3. New York Jets 7-9
4. Miami 4-12

New England is the obvious pick to take the division crown. The Jets are close to contending, but Chad Pennington isn't going to suddenly become a good QB. Once they find an above average QB, the Jets should begin to give the Pats a run for their money. J.P. Losman is a better option than Pennington, and you get the feeling that he could continue to progress and become a solid QB in the NFL one day. Miami is a mess; they need help at QB, WR, CB, and all along the offensive line.

AFC NORTH

1. Pittsburgh 12-4
2. Cincinnati 9-7
3. Cleveland 7-9
4. Baltimore 7-9

Pittsburgh has a great defense, an excellent RB, a great young Super-Bowl caliber QB, great pass-catchers, and a top-notch offensive line. They're a team that can win a bye, make a Super Bowl run, and the masses would look back and say, "Of course. Why didn't we see this coming?" Cincinnati has all the offensive pieces in place, but their defense is still below average. Cleveland will be an interesting team this year. I could see them starting 2-4 and turning to Brady Quinn, who leads them to a 5-5 record and hypes up the hometown. Baltimore still has a great defense, but Steve McNair is a below average QB now and Willis McGahee isn't a sure thing to jump-start the offense. Plus, their end-of-season schedule is brutal. They could conceivable lose five of their last six games.

AFC SOUTH

1. Indianapolis 10-6
2. Jacksonville 8-8
3. Tennessee 7-9
4. Houston 5-11

As difficult as it is to win a Super Bowl, it's extremely difficult to be an elite team the year after. In a better division like the North or the West, Indy would be in danger of losing the division crown. Despite a solid defense, Jacksonville doesn't have the firepower to catch the Colts, especially after jettisoning their franchise QB in favor of an unproven, barely-tested QB. Vince Young will win the Titans a few games by himself, but the complete mediocrity of the rest of the team will hold back his progression. They need to quickly get some talent in Tennessee. Houston looks the same as Jacksonville, without the solid defense. Hopefully they can land Darren McFadden in 2008 to make up for passing on Reggie Bush.

AFC WEST

1. Denver 12-4
2. San Diego 9-7
3. Oakland 6-10
4. Kansas City 4-12

Like Pittsburgh, Denver has all the pieces in place to make a championship run, yet due to playing in the same division as San Diego, you don't hear a lot of hype surrounding the team. San Diego made a big leap forward, but still couldn't win the Super Bowl last year. Since LaDanian Tomlinson won't score 30 TDs again this year, and Phillip Rivers is likely to throw a few more interceptions as a result, this team could definitely underperform. With a solid defense, Oakland probably should have won a few more games than they did last year. I expect a rebound from LaMont Jordan and an improvement across the board for the Raiders. Kansas City is moving in the opposite direction; uncertainty at QB, a RB with a lot of miles on the odometer from last year, no big receiving threats and a subpar defense will lead to a season full of all the Hard Knocks Herm Edwards can stand.

NFC EAST

1. Philadelphia 11-5
2. Washington 9-7
3. Dallas 7-9
4. New York Giants 6-10

Philadelphia won the division last year with their franchise-QB sidelined for the second half of the season. Washington is an up-and-coming team with a young, emerging QB. They even have an outstanding number two RB in case Clinton Portis can't stay healthy again this season. Tony Romo might be the QB-du-jour in Dallas, but I'd like to see how he responds after he struggles. He tailed off at the end of last season, and that playoff botched-FG might haunt him the rest of his career. The Giants need a lot of help on defense, and losing their best offensive weapon will cost them a few wins in the standings. I like Brandon Jacobs, but he's not going to step in and replace Tiki Barber's production in 2007.

NFC NORTH

1. Green Bay 9-7
2. Chicago 9-7
3. Minnesota 7-9
4. Detroit 6-10

This will finally be Brett Favre's last year, which means he'll bring it all together and do everything possible to win one more title. The offensive line has improved and the defense is making strides. Chicago lost their reliable #1 RB, and Cedric Benson has proven nothing thus far. The Chicago defense and special teams won a lot of games in spite of Rex Grossman; that's not something you can count on from year to year. Minnesota has a great team in place; now they need to find a QB to come in and lead them. I hear Byron Leftwich is looking for a job. Detroit has a fantastic passing offense, but the rushing offense still has a ways to go before they can turn this group into a well-rounded scoring machine. Detroit will need to concentrate on bringing in great defensive players in the next year or two, as they have a chance to jump to the top of a mediocre defense if they can grab the opportunity.

NFC SOUTH

1. Carolina 11-5
2. New Orleans 10-6
3. Tampa Bay 7-9
4. Atlanta 3-13

Carolina has two solid QBs, two solid options at RB (though they'll be much more dangerous when they switch to DeAngelo Williams), one of the best WRs in the league and a solid defense, the last of which might be the difference between them and New Orleans in their games this year. The Saints defense was nothing to sneeze at last year, but I think their offense takes a step back this year. Tampa has a decent defense and a solid new QB in Jeff Garcia. If Cadillac Williams can stay healthy and rebound from a bad 2006, this group could make a run at the division title. Atlanta has had to deal with a lot of off-the-field issues this year in the person of one Michael Vick. You get the feeling that the season is already lost with the Falcons.

NFC WEST

1. Seattle 12-4
2. San Francisco 8-8
3. St. Louis 8-8
4. Arizona 7-9

Seattle's Shaun Alexander had a excellent end-of-the-season run after coming back from injury, and the offense is in capable hands with him and Matt Hasselbeck. The defense is good enough to keep them in games. San Francisco is a popular sleeper, but the additions of Patrick Willis and Nate Clements aren't quite enough to vault them from the NFC's worst defense to playoff-caliber. St. Louis has an excellent offense, but with Torry Holt admittedly not at full strength the Rams might not have enough firepower to make up for the defense's shortcomings. Arizona is improving slowly but still needs more solid players on defense to compete for the division title.

MVP: Tom Brady, New England
Coach of the Year: Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh

AFC Playoffs

Round 1: #3 New England over #6 San Diego, #5 Cincinnati over #4 Indianapolis
Round 2: #1 Denver over #5 Cincinnati, #3 New England over #2 Pittsburgh
AFC Champ: #1 Denver over #3 New England

NFC Playoffs

Round 1: #3 Carolina over #6 Washington, #5 New Orleans over #4 Green Bay
Round 2: #1 Seattle over #5 New Orleans, #2 Philadelphia over #3 Carolina
NFC Champ: #1 Seattle over #2 Philadelphia

Super Bowl

Seattle 27, Denver 16