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Pick Your Two Wild Cards from Each Conference (1 Viewer)

tombonneau

tombonneau

Footballguy
The Yahoo Sports piece post got me thinking about wild card teams and who might surprise (and who might not in 08). I'll start off with my wild card predictions:

AFC

Jaguars

Not ready to pass the Colts, but still good enough to get to 11-5.

Raiders

My big sleeper team. I think they have the potential to go 4-2 in a slumping division. Solid defense, solid running game. Prediction hinges on solid play from JaMarcus.

NFC

Cowboys

Too many cooks in the kitchen starts to disrupt Dallas clubhouse. Everyone wants to write off the Giants as one-hit wonders, but I think they can go 11-5 and take the division.

Vikings

I think they take the next step with the addition of Jared Allen. I actually think they might take the division in which case the Pack are the wild card.

Let's hear yours ...

ETA: Please try to restrict just to wild card teams and not full on 2008 projections. My hope was to keep things simple in limiting it to just the WC, while at the same time stimulating some decent discussion.

 
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playoff teams if I had tp pick right now

AFC div:

NE

Clev

Indy

SD

WC:

Pitt

Jax

NFC Div:

Dallas

Minny

Carolina

STL

WC:

Philly

NO

Giants & Seattle miss the playoffs

 
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tombonneau said:
The Yahoo Sports piece post got me thinking about wild card teams and who might surprise (and who might not in 08). I'll start off with my wild card predictions:

AFC

Jaguars

Not ready to pass the Colts, but still good enough to get to 11-5.

Raiders

My big sleeper team. I think they have the potential to go 4-2 in a slumping division. Solid defense, solid running game. Prediction hinges on solid play from JaMarcus.

NFC

Cowboys

Too many cooks in the kitchen starts to disrupt Dallas clubhouse. Everyone wants to write off the Giants as one-hit wonders, but I think they can go 11-5 and take the division.

Vikings

I think they take the next step with the addition of Jared Allen. I actually think they might take the division in which case the Pack are the wild card.

Let's hear yours ...
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People sure do like the Vikings. I'll go a different direction.NFC - Philly and Arizona

AFC - Denver and Buffalo

 
I must add that Peyton is one of my favorite players and I really dont like Cleveland that much but those Pitt vs. Cleveland games are gonna be good to watch.

 
Full standings

AFC East NFC East

NE #2 seed Dallas #1 seed

Buff Philly #5 seed

NYJ NYG #6 seed

Mia Wash

AFC North NFC North

Pitt #3 seed GB #4 seed

Cincy #5 seed Det

Clev Minn

Balt Chi

AFC South NFC South

Indy #1 seed NO #2 seed

Tenn #6 seed Atl

Jack Car

Hou TB

AFC West NFC West

Den #4 seed Stl #3 seed

SD Sea

Oak Ari

KC SF

AFC Playoffs Round 1 NFC Playoffs Round 1

Denver over Cincy Giants over St. Louis

Pittsburgh over Tennessee Green Bay over Philly

Round 2 Round 2

Indy over Denver Dallas over Giants

New England over Pittsburgh Green Bay over New Orleans

Round 3 Round 3

Indy over New England Dallas over Green Bay

Super Bowl

Indy over Dallas

 
AFC

JAX

TEN

North is only getting 1 team, the east is horrible, Den/KC will fight for that spot with Ten.

NFC

NYG

TBB

 
travdogg said:
Full standingsAFC East NFC EastNE #2 seed Dallas #1 seedBuff Philly #5 seedNYJ NYG #6 seedMia WashAFC North NFC NorthPitt #3 seed GB #4 seedCincy #5 seed Det Clev MinnBalt ChiAFC South NFC SouthIndy #1 seed NO #2 seedTenn #6 seed AtlJack CarHou TBAFC West NFC WestDen #4 seed Stl #3 seedSD SeaOak AriKC SFAFC Playoffs Round 1 NFC Playoffs Round 1Denver over Cincy Giants over St. LouisPittsburgh over Tennessee Green Bay over PhillyRound 2 Round 2Indy over Denver Dallas over GiantsNew England over Pittsburgh Green Bay over New OrleansRound 3 Round 3 Indy over New England Dallas over Green Bay Super Bowl Indy over Dallas
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Cincy?, Tennessee?, New Orleans?, Denver? Philly?, St. Louis #3? You must love St. Louis.
 
Sabertooth said:
People sure do like the Vikings. I'll go a different direction.
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Yeah, I'm not sure why I'm so high on Vikings given they have one of the worst starting QBs in the league. I think they will/would be one-and-done in the playoffs, but in a slumping NFC North -- GB regresses by default without Favre; I expect Chicago to be a bottom tier team, and Lions are status quo -- they should get to 9 or 10 wins.
 
The AFC North schedule appears to be too tough for a wildcard this season. I think only the division winner will make the playoffs.

 
Godsbrother said:
The AFC North schedule appears to be too tough for a wildcard this season. I think only the division winner will make the playoffs.
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Yeah, last year the Browns and Steelers each notched ten wins and only the Steelers made it. I don't see Baltimore with McNair retiring and going with Boller/Smith/Flacco and then losing Ogden to retirement and age creeping up on their secondary and Ray-Ray, as a threat.

Then Cincinnati lost three decent defensive free agents, Madeiu (sp?) Williams, Justin Smith, and I forget the other guy. They lost Odell Thurman after gaining him back from drug suspension. They lose David Pollock to retiring from his neck injury. They have an on-going Ocho dillemma and now T.J. wants a raise. They are still trying to get that fat LBer they took in the supplimental draft back from injury. Basically they are a mess but still a danger to steal a win from Pitt/Cle but no real threat to take the division IMHO.

So it comes down to Cleveland or Pittsburgh.

The big need of Pittsburgh heading into the off-season was addressing their offensive and defensive lines. They weren't able to adequately address either line and lost seven time Pro Bowl OG Alan Faneca in free agency. The big need of the Browns heading into the off-season was to address their run defense and they nailed that need by trading for DT/DE Corey Williams and DT/DE Shuan Rogers.

http://www.theclevelandfan.com/article_detail.php?blgId=3247

... Pittsburgh made one significant free agent signing, C Justin Hardwig in addition to resigning OG Chris Kemoeatu and franchising OT Max Starks. Those signings did little to offset the loss of Pro Bowl OG Alan Faneca in free agency. The Steelers also lost LB Clark Haggans but had drafted LBs in the first two rounds last year and again in the third round this year so his loss won‘t be felt. The Steelers entered the draft needing linemen on offense and defense but did not get any till later in the draft. RB Willie Parker, "Everybody said what I need is an offensive lineman. It would have been good to get one, but we didn't."

Did the Steelers adequately address team needs? No. The Steelers could have reached early in the draft for lower rated lineman but chose higher rated players at skill positions. Their offensive line may be the downfall especially if their $102 million dollar QB Ben Roethlisberger goes down and they end up eating the $31 million guaranteed portion of his contract or if the line doesn't open holes for top pick RB Rashard Mendenhall. By not addressing their offensive line, the Steelers are tempting fate to deal their hand.

... Did the Browns adequately address team needs? Yes. The trades to acquire Williams and Rogers will provide instant impact to strengthen the run defense and were better uses of late second and third round draft picks than what could have been taken with the picks in the draft. Broncos HC Mike Shanahan explains how crucial the run defense is to winning. Shannahan, "If you don't stop the run, you've got no chance to win."
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The Browns secondary got dinged with, the trade of Leigh Bodden, the drug bust/cut of Kenny Wright, and the loss of Davon Holly due to injury. It looks like losing three CBs is a big blow but its not as bad as some believe if you look at each individually.The Browns were shopping Bodden before they traded him so they were comfortable with their two youngsters, CB Eric Wright and CB Brandon McDonald. Wright was already entrenched as a starter so he was expected to start. Bodden was constantly getting injured so McDonald got plenty of playing time last year and was going to challenge him to start. If the Browns were shopping Bodden they must have been comfortable with McDonald starting. Both are young with a year of experience and should get better.

Kenny Wright was a late waiver wire addition last year and not much of a loss. He's already been replaced by veteran CB Terry Cousin.

Davon Holly was a waiver wire pickup just like Bodden was. The Browns signed 21 street free agents and three of the top CB free agents. They kept a guy from UNLV, forget his name, but he's looking good and getting rave reviews in OTAs/mini camp.

The Browns are still keeping their eyes peeled and are down one DB but the addition of two starting D-Lineman to combine with NT Shuan Smith and DE Robaire Smith will do more to boost the Browns major weakness heading into the off-season than the impact of losing depth in the defensive backfield.

The biggest impact of having an improved D-Line is the multiplyer effect it can/should have on the LBing corps, esp OLB/DE Kamerion Whimbley and healthy OLB/pass rusher Antwan Peek.

The Steelers are solid and I won't overstate the loss of Faneca or not being able to address their most pressing need heading into the off-season but the fact is the Browns nailed their most pressing need heading into the off-season and the Steelers didn't.

I agree with you that the AFCN has a tough schedule and the divisional winner will probably be the only team to make the post season so the Cleveland Pittsburgh games will take on an extra added element of intensity this year.

 
Just a reminder that for something like the last 15 years, 3 teams with losing records have made the playoffs the following season. Last year was an exception with only 2 teams, but that was mainly due to the fact that there were 8 teams that went 8-8 the prior season.

 
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.

AFC:

Jaguars

Texans

NFC:

Vikings

Giants

 
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
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That's a bold stroke of homerism. :tinfoilhat:I'd imagine for that to happen they would have to at least split with both Jax, Ind & Ten and go 3-3 in the division then go 7-3 vs. the rest of the league.That's a tall order ...Let's assume they go .500 in the division. Where do you see the non-division wins?
Code: 
Regular Season Sun 9/7	 at Pittsburgh	 1:00 pm Sun 9/14	 Baltimore	 4:15 pm Sun 10/12	 Miami	 1:00 pm Sun 10/19	 Detroit	 4:05 pm Sun 11/2	 at Minnesota	 1:00 pm Sun 11/9	 Cincinnati	 1:00 pm Sun 11/23	 at Cleveland	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/7	 at Green Bay	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/21	 at Oakland	 4:05 pm Sun 12/28	 Chicago	 1:00 pm
Bal, Mia, Det, Cin, Oak, Chi are actually all pretty winnable. So if they can steal two more, and maybe go 4-2 in the division, it's possible.BTW, looking at their sked, they have an early stretch where they play all the entire division back-to-back-to-back. I think that stretch will tell you all you need to know about the 2008 Houston Texans.
 
tombonneau said:
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
Click to expand...
That's a bold stroke of homerism. :)I'd imagine for that to happen they would have to at least split with both Jax, Ind & Ten and go 3-3 in the division then go 7-3 vs. the rest of the league.That's a tall order ...Let's assume they go .500 in the division. Where do you see the non-division wins?
Code: 
Regular Season Sun 9/7	 at Pittsburgh	 1:00 pm Sun 9/14	 Baltimore	 4:15 pm Sun 10/12	 Miami	 1:00 pm Sun 10/19	 Detroit	 4:05 pm Sun 11/2	 at Minnesota	 1:00 pm Sun 11/9	 Cincinnati	 1:00 pm Sun 11/23	 at Cleveland	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/7	 at Green Bay	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/21	 at Oakland	 4:05 pm Sun 12/28	 Chicago	 1:00 pm
Bal, Mia, Det, Cin, Oak, Chi are actually all pretty winnable. So if they can steal two more, and maybe go 4-2 in the division, it's possible.BTW, looking at their sked, they have an early stretch where they play all the entire division back-to-back-to-back. I think that stretch will tell you all you need to know about the 2008 Houston Texans.
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Indeed it is, which is why I wanted to state it up front. I don't think it's the most likely outcome, but I also don't think it is at all an unreasonable one. If I had to put down money on it, I'd be picking whichever of Indy or Jacksonville doesn't win the division, and whichever of Cleveland or Pitt doesn't win their division.But, I think Houston is in the running, and every bit as much so as a Tennessee, so I'll play the :stirspot: card. If Houston can stop leading the league in players on IR and starter games missed to injury, I think they could put together a 3-3 or even 4-2 division record and as you mentioned, there are 6 games there that are very winnable, and I don't think Cleveland, Pitt, Green Bay, or Minnesota are even close to unwinnable either. In fact I don't think any of those teams are much better than the Texans are, and I won't be surprised if Green Bay, Minny, or both are significantly worse this season.When they get Dunta Robinson back and how effective he is could be a big part of the Texans season.
 
Playoffs teams as I see them now:

AFC

NE

SD

Jack

Clev

Indy

Buf :excited:

NFC

NO

Minn

Dal

St.L :cry:

Wash

Philly

 
GregR said:
tombonneau said:
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
Click to expand...
That's a bold stroke of homerism. :)I'd imagine for that to happen they would have to at least split with both Jax, Ind & Ten and go 3-3 in the division then go 7-3 vs. the rest of the league.That's a tall order ...Let's assume they go .500 in the division. Where do you see the non-division wins?
Code: 
Regular Season Sun 9/7	 at Pittsburgh	 1:00 pm Sun 9/14	 Baltimore	 4:15 pm Sun 10/12	 Miami	 1:00 pm Sun 10/19	 Detroit	 4:05 pm Sun 11/2	 at Minnesota	 1:00 pm Sun 11/9	 Cincinnati	 1:00 pm Sun 11/23	 at Cleveland	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/7	 at Green Bay	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/21	 at Oakland	 4:05 pm Sun 12/28	 Chicago	 1:00 pm
Bal, Mia, Det, Cin, Oak, Chi are actually all pretty winnable. So if they can steal two more, and maybe go 4-2 in the division, it's possible.BTW, looking at their sked, they have an early stretch where they play all the entire division back-to-back-to-back. I think that stretch will tell you all you need to know about the 2008 Houston Texans.
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Indeed it is, which is why I wanted to state it up front. I don't think it's the most likely outcome, but I also don't think it is at all an unreasonable one. If I had to put down money on it, I'd be picking whichever of Indy or Jacksonville doesn't win the division, and whichever of Cleveland or Pitt doesn't win their division.But, I think Houston is in the running, and every bit as much so as a Tennessee, so I'll play the :) card. If Houston can stop leading the league in players on IR and starter games missed to injury, I think they could put together a 3-3 or even 4-2 division record and as you mentioned, there are 6 games there that are very winnable, and I don't think Cleveland, Pitt, Green Bay, or Minnesota are even close to unwinnable either. In fact I don't think any of those teams are much better than the Texans are, and I won't be surprised if Green Bay, Minny, or both are significantly worse this season.When they get Dunta Robinson back and how effective he is could be a big part of the Texans season.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? Houston won't beat Minnesota. And Houston wont beat Cleveland. I understand you want that but realisticly, you have to see what teams are doing to improve from the season before. I could be the idiot but I just dont see it. I do want to know what the Texans are doing though in signing big names. I havent seen anything but a Colvin invite just today.
 
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
Click to expand...
:thumbup: As a Jags fan, I'm a bit worried. That Houston team has been building steadily for a few years now and they've got some excellent players.
 
sfl49er said:
And Houston wont beat Cleveland.
Click to expand...
Cleveland's a bit of a media darling, but they're overrated for two big reasons.1) They were 10-6 despite only scoring 20 more points than they allowed; they "should" have won about 8.5 games.

2) They had a really easy schedule. Baltimore, Miami, StL and SF were atrocious last year, and Cleveland won half of its games against those teams.

I know you can only play your schedule. I know some people believe your record is more important than your points scored differential. But it's a fact that on average, a team's projected wins (based on points scored and points allowed) is a better predictor of a team's wins the next season than its actual wins. And it's a fact that on average, a team's rating adjusted for strength of schedule is a better predictor of performance than next year than a team's rating before adjusting for SOS. If you believe in any of those two things, Cleveland was actually a slightly below average team last year.

Houston, on the other hand, played an almost exactly average schedule (just a hair tougher than average) and scored almost exactly as many wins as you'd project (just a hair more than you'd expect). Therefore, Houston's 8-8 record was a really good indicator of how good they were.

Now you can argue that Cleveland's improved a ton in the off-season (I think they have), but I think it's worth remembering that this might just be an average team making a lot of improvements, not your typical ten win team making a lot of improvements. If you don't buy the above analysis, that's fine. I understand that. But I think Houston and Cleveland are pretty evenly rated teams going into this season.

(BTW, on an unrelated note: Cleveland had, by my measure, the second greatest return game in the league since the merger last year. I'm not really sure what I think about that, outside of 'that's really impressive.' Josh Cribbs, once again in my whacky opinion, was one of the most valuable players in the league last year.)

 
sfl49er said:
GregR said:
tombonneau said:
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
Click to expand...
That's a bold stroke of homerism. :bowtie:I'd imagine for that to happen they would have to at least split with both Jax, Ind & Ten and go 3-3 in the division then go 7-3 vs. the rest of the league.That's a tall order ...Let's assume they go .500 in the division. Where do you see the non-division wins?
Code: 
Regular Season Sun 9/7	 at Pittsburgh	 1:00 pm Sun 9/14	 Baltimore	 4:15 pm Sun 10/12	 Miami	 1:00 pm Sun 10/19	 Detroit	 4:05 pm Sun 11/2	 at Minnesota	 1:00 pm Sun 11/9	 Cincinnati	 1:00 pm Sun 11/23	 at Cleveland	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/7	 at Green Bay	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/21	 at Oakland	 4:05 pm Sun 12/28	 Chicago	 1:00 pm
Bal, Mia, Det, Cin, Oak, Chi are actually all pretty winnable. So if they can steal two more, and maybe go 4-2 in the division, it's possible.BTW, looking at their sked, they have an early stretch where they play all the entire division back-to-back-to-back. I think that stretch will tell you all you need to know about the 2008 Houston Texans.
Click to expand...
Indeed it is, which is why I wanted to state it up front. I don't think it's the most likely outcome, but I also don't think it is at all an unreasonable one. If I had to put down money on it, I'd be picking whichever of Indy or Jacksonville doesn't win the division, and whichever of Cleveland or Pitt doesn't win their division.But, I think Houston is in the running, and every bit as much so as a Tennessee, so I'll play the :hifive: card. If Houston can stop leading the league in players on IR and starter games missed to injury, I think they could put together a 3-3 or even 4-2 division record and as you mentioned, there are 6 games there that are very winnable, and I don't think Cleveland, Pitt, Green Bay, or Minnesota are even close to unwinnable either. In fact I don't think any of those teams are much better than the Texans are, and I won't be surprised if Green Bay, Minny, or both are significantly worse this season.When they get Dunta Robinson back and how effective he is could be a big part of the Texans season.
Click to expand...
Are you serious? Houston won't beat Minnesota. And Houston wont beat Cleveland. I understand you want that but realisticly, you have to see what teams are doing to improve from the season before. I could be the idiot but I just dont see it. I do want to know what the Texans are doing though in signing big names. I havent seen anything but a Colvin invite just today.
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Asking for what they are doing in signing big names isn't a good question to address the issue. But let's look at what is different starting out. And this is just a partial list of what jumps to mind.1. Not expecting to necessarily have their starting right guard out for the entire season.2. Not expecting to necessarily have Spencer, who likely would have been the starting left guard or left tackle, out for the entire season.3. Not expecting to lose Andre Johnson for half the season4. Not expecting to lose Matt Schaub for 1/3 of the season. 2nd year in the offensive system so he should be more comfortable in it.5. Not expecting to be starting 4th or 5th options at safety (though Demps turned out to be a boon when they finally went to him)6. Extra year of development for cornerback who was a rookie last year. Offset though by Dunta Robinson's condition.7. Possibility of Duane Brown coming in as an immediate improvement at left tackle.8. Likely possibility of improved OLB play from Diles or Adibi or possibly Colvin.9. Possibility of at least one of Ahman Green, Chris Brown, or Chris Taylor being healthy so we're not resorting to Ron Dayne at RB.10. Addition of a 3rd down back which we really didn't have before.11. Possible improvement of Okoye, who started out well then seemed to hit the rookie wall early.I already pointed out before you posted the injury situation that Houston had last year when they went 8-8. So I don't imagine my answer should have come as much of a surprise. The Vikings and Browns have added some big name guys, but big name guys don't always translate into success. Houston is out to build through the draft, so if your only measure of them improving is through what big name free agents they signed, then of course you will think they didn't improve.
 
GregR said:
sfl49er said:
GregR said:
tombonneau said:
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
Click to expand...
That's a bold stroke of homerism. :excited:I'd imagine for that to happen they would have to at least split with both Jax, Ind & Ten and go 3-3 in the division then go 7-3 vs. the rest of the league.That's a tall order ...Let's assume they go .500 in the division. Where do you see the non-division wins?
Code: 
Regular Season Sun 9/7	 at Pittsburgh	 1:00 pm Sun 9/14	 Baltimore	 4:15 pm Sun 10/12	 Miami	 1:00 pm Sun 10/19	 Detroit	 4:05 pm Sun 11/2	 at Minnesota	 1:00 pm Sun 11/9	 Cincinnati	 1:00 pm Sun 11/23	 at Cleveland	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/7	 at Green Bay	 1:00 pm  Sun 12/21	 at Oakland	 4:05 pm Sun 12/28	 Chicago	 1:00 pm
Bal, Mia, Det, Cin, Oak, Chi are actually all pretty winnable. So if they can steal two more, and maybe go 4-2 in the division, it's possible.BTW, looking at their sked, they have an early stretch where they play all the entire division back-to-back-to-back. I think that stretch will tell you all you need to know about the 2008 Houston Texans.
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Indeed it is, which is why I wanted to state it up front. I don't think it's the most likely outcome, but I also don't think it is at all an unreasonable one. If I had to put down money on it, I'd be picking whichever of Indy or Jacksonville doesn't win the division, and whichever of Cleveland or Pitt doesn't win their division.But, I think Houston is in the running, and every bit as much so as a Tennessee, so I'll play the :thumbup: card. If Houston can stop leading the league in players on IR and starter games missed to injury, I think they could put together a 3-3 or even 4-2 division record and as you mentioned, there are 6 games there that are very winnable, and I don't think Cleveland, Pitt, Green Bay, or Minnesota are even close to unwinnable either. In fact I don't think any of those teams are much better than the Texans are, and I won't be surprised if Green Bay, Minny, or both are significantly worse this season.When they get Dunta Robinson back and how effective he is could be a big part of the Texans season.
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Are you serious? Houston won't beat Minnesota. And Houston wont beat Cleveland. I understand you want that but realisticly, you have to see what teams are doing to improve from the season before. I could be the idiot but I just dont see it. I do want to know what the Texans are doing though in signing big names. I havent seen anything but a Colvin invite just today.
Click to expand...
Asking for what they are doing in signing big names isn't a good question to address the issue. But let's look at what is different starting out. And this is just a partial list of what jumps to mind.1. Not expecting to necessarily have their starting right guard out for the entire season.2. Not expecting to necessarily have Spencer, who likely would have been the starting left guard or left tackle, out for the entire season.3. Not expecting to lose Andre Johnson for half the season4. Not expecting to lose Matt Schaub for 1/3 of the season. 2nd year in the offensive system so he should be more comfortable in it.5. Not expecting to be starting 4th or 5th options at safety (though Demps turned out to be a boon when they finally went to him)6. Extra year of development for cornerback who was a rookie last year. Offset though by Dunta Robinson's condition.7. Possibility of Duane Brown coming in as an immediate improvement at left tackle.8. Likely possibility of improved OLB play from Diles or Adibi or possibly Colvin.9. Possibility of at least one of Ahman Green, Chris Brown, or Chris Taylor being healthy so we're not resorting to Ron Dayne at RB.10. Addition of a 3rd down back which we really didn't have before.11. Possible improvement of Okoye, who started out well then seemed to hit the rookie wall early.I already pointed out before you posted the injury situation that Houston had last year when they went 8-8. So I don't imagine my answer should have come as much of a surprise. The Vikings and Browns have added some big name guys, but big name guys don't always translate into success. Houston is out to build through the draft, so if your only measure of them improving is through what big name free agents they signed, then of course you will think they didn't improve.
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I admit I really dont know about the Texans' improvement this year. I hope they do rise up and prove me wrong by beating the Browns. I want to know if the Brown are legit too, like so many others, but Im not rooting for them. I see your points in that the Texans, more or less, have a new face this year. The Texans should be a good test for the Browns now that there's some potential that wasnt there last year.
 
GregR said:
Asking for what they are doing in signing big names isn't a good question to address the issue. But let's look at what is different starting out. And this is just a partial list of what jumps to mind.1. Not expecting to necessarily have their starting right guard out for the entire season.2. Not expecting to necessarily have Spencer, who likely would have been the starting left guard or left tackle, out for the entire season.3. Not expecting to lose Andre Johnson for half the season4. Not expecting to lose Matt Schaub for 1/3 of the season. 2nd year in the offensive system so he should be more comfortable in it.5. Not expecting to be starting 4th or 5th options at safety (though Demps turned out to be a boon when they finally went to him)6. Extra year of development for cornerback who was a rookie last year. Offset though by Dunta Robinson's condition.7. Possibility of Duane Brown coming in as an immediate improvement at left tackle.8. Likely possibility of improved OLB play from Diles or Adibi or possibly Colvin.9. Possibility of at least one of Ahman Green, Chris Brown, or Chris Taylor being healthy so we're not resorting to Ron Dayne at RB.10. Addition of a 3rd down back which we really didn't have before.11. Possible improvement of Okoye, who started out well then seemed to hit the rookie wall early.I already pointed out before you posted the injury situation that Houston had last year when they went 8-8. So I don't imagine my answer should have come as much of a surprise. The Vikings and Browns have added some big name guys, but big name guys don't always translate into success. Houston is out to build through the draft, so if your only measure of them improving is through what big name free agents they signed, then of course you will think they didn't improve.
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:) The Texans are going to be a force this year. They can score, have some playmakers on defense and are gained a bunch of confidence last year. If they can avoid the injury bug, I don't see a wildcard berth as out of the question.But my goodness is the AFC South a tough division. IND, JAX, HOU & TEN?!? All four of those teams would win the NFC West and probably the NFC North.
 
After a quick look at the schedule, it appears that the AFC South (toughest division in football) will be playing the NFC North (one of the worst in football).

I think that means an extra 3-4 wins for EACH of the AFC Southers and an extra 3-4 losees for EACH of the NFC Northers.

This almost guarantees two things: #1 the NFC North will not have a wildcard team. #2 the AFC South will have at least one and maybe two wildcard teams.

 
chadjohnsonfan said:
GregR said:
Asking for what they are doing in signing big names isn't a good question to address the issue. But let's look at what is different starting out. And this is just a partial list of what jumps to mind.1. Not expecting to necessarily have their starting right guard out for the entire season.2. Not expecting to necessarily have Spencer, who likely would have been the starting left guard or left tackle, out for the entire season.3. Not expecting to lose Andre Johnson for half the season4. Not expecting to lose Matt Schaub for 1/3 of the season. 2nd year in the offensive system so he should be more comfortable in it.5. Not expecting to be starting 4th or 5th options at safety (though Demps turned out to be a boon when they finally went to him)6. Extra year of development for cornerback who was a rookie last year. Offset though by Dunta Robinson's condition.7. Possibility of Duane Brown coming in as an immediate improvement at left tackle.8. Likely possibility of improved OLB play from Diles or Adibi or possibly Colvin.9. Possibility of at least one of Ahman Green, Chris Brown, or Chris Taylor being healthy so we're not resorting to Ron Dayne at RB.10. Addition of a 3rd down back which we really didn't have before.11. Possible improvement of Okoye, who started out well then seemed to hit the rookie wall early.I already pointed out before you posted the injury situation that Houston had last year when they went 8-8. So I don't imagine my answer should have come as much of a surprise. The Vikings and Browns have added some big name guys, but big name guys don't always translate into success. Houston is out to build through the draft, so if your only measure of them improving is through what big name free agents they signed, then of course you will think they didn't improve.
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:mellow: The Texans are going to be a force this year. They can score, have some playmakers on defense and are gained a bunch of confidence last year. If they can avoid the injury bug, I don't see a wildcard berth as out of the question.But my goodness is the AFC South a tough division. IND, JAX, HOU & TEN?!? All four of those teams would win the NFC West and probably the NFC North.
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And I left out the addition of Alex Gibbs as coach and upgrading at center to Meyers. Or at least, that should be an upgrade.But I don't want to paint an overly rosey picture. Those are things that have a good chance to be improvements from last year, but we're still going to suffer from some injuries if hopefully not as many as last year's leading the league in them. We just don't know to whom. Could be some of the same key guys. And while getting what could potentially be 4 starters on the O-line who weren't there last year (Brown LT, Spencer LG, Meyers C, Weary RG), that could be a downside too as it can take a new O-line a year to gell. The loss of Dunta gives us what is still a very weak secondary even with some depth at safety now. I think there is good reason to think the Texans will improve. Just the addition of Gibbs and the increased potential of having a RB not named Dayne should be an improvement. A wildcard berth is entirely in the realm of possibility, as is winning some of the games against other competitors for it, though probably not all of course. And I'm sure we'll drop a game or two we should win. But I do think there are other teams who have an edge on us, even if only due to the schedule we play. Texans have lot less room for error in the tough games than do the Browns or Steelers, I think, and I don't realistically see us competing for a division championship yet like the Browns and Steelers and Jags can do to get in.
 
Jiggyonthehut said:
GregR said:
I generally try to not be an unobjective homer, but in this instance I'm going to be and put my Texans in there anyway.AFC:JaguarsTexansNFC:VikingsGiants
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:shrug: As a Jags fan, I'm a bit worried. That Houston team has been building steadily for a few years now and they've got some excellent players.
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Agreed from another Jaguars fan here. That was a pretty good team with Andre Johnson in the lineup. I think the AFC South might have 3 of the 4 best teams in the conference. Well, maybe 5 with San Diego.
 
I think maybe we Jaguars fans have a high opinion of Houston because of how many times they've beaten us the last few years. Last year it was a week 17 rest-the-starters deal, but still they have just killed us.

Andre Johnson is awesome though. Probably the most underrated great WR in the league.

Anywho:

Indy

Pitt

Cowboys

Rams

 
I'm actually liking the over on Texans win

7.5

Was hoping it would be lower, but I think they win at least 8 after reading up on their schedule in this thread.

 
AFC

Jaguars (12-4)

The Jags appear to me to be one of the best teams in the entire league, not just the AFC. They just may overtake the Colts in the AFC South division, but I'll place them as the #1 wild card in the conference with an outstanding 12-4 record. I would not be surprised to see this team in the Super Bowl if their young guys can get after the QB.....something they dearly lacked last season.

Raiders (10-6)

With an influx of offensive firepower.......McFadden, JaMarcus, D.Carter, Javon, and introducing Michael Bush, a beast.....the Raiders will be much better than the consensus expectations. Many of those close games that were lost down the stretch last year will turn into 'W's this year as JaMarcus, aka "The Cannon", will sparkle. I would not rule out an 11-5 record with an un-Raiderlike "soft" schedule this season, but 10-6 will get them in due to the AFC Conference record tiebreaker they will enjoy over several other teams, possibly incl. the Ravens or Steelers out of the AFC North, the Titans out of the AFC South, and the Bills out of the AFC East. Expect this last spot to be a toss-up going into the final week once again.

NFC

Vikings (11-5)

The Vikings are the trendy pick this year for playoffs and/or Super Bowl. I don't think they have enough on offense to make it to the Super Bowl, but I do believe that they quite possibly could win the NFC North division. I'll give the tiebreaker to Green Bay but the Vikes will be tough to beat in the postseason since they can run the ball better than any other team.....(See Jags last year).....I believe they will be virtually unbeatable in the Metrodome as Jared Allen will prove to be a wise acquisition coming off the edge on turf....throw in the (eh-hmmm, "artificially injected") crowd noise and it's doomsday for visiting teams this year.......

Giants (9-7)

There will be a "Super Bowl Celebration Letdown" as the G-Men barely squeek into the playoffs ahead of the (late-season) surging Eagles. Due to the mediocrity of the rest of the conference, the G-Men will qualify to defend their title, but I look for them not to make a return trip to the Super Bowl. They don't want to face the Vikings in the playoffs, especially on the road.

 
Last edited by a moderator:
NFC:

New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles (I think I'll have at least one these make a wild card)

AFC:

Pittsburgh Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts

 
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