Your Football Prediction. How is your team shaping for the 22 season?

[bates40]

54 minutes ago, MrBirdman said:

Birds fan here (the green ones, or as @Ken Gargett would say the "Iggles.") First, I would quibble with my co-divisionary @bates40 on the NFC East: it's merely the second-worst division in football, after the AFC South, and that's really due the haplessness of the Giants and the Washington Snyders.

As for the Eagles, they look on paper to be one of the most improved teams in football. On offense they boast the best O-line in the NFC, probably in the entire league, and added a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver in AJ Brown. Their offense can and will go as far as Hurts is capable this year - only time will tell. Their defense is notably improved at every level - they've fortified the D-line's edge rush (Reddick) and rushing defense (Davis), added another Pro-Bowl caliber CB (Bradberry), plus they actually have a strong linebacker corp for the first time since at least Jeremiah Trotter's days here (doesn't hurt when you get a 1st round talent in the the 3rd round because of fake news on Dean's knee). Safety remains a question mark, but I think Epps can hold his own as one of them.

Certainly within the division the Cowboys seem poised to regress given they lost more good players than they gained, and as @Ken Gargett pointed out one of those was their LT. It is arguably the second most important position on offense. Worth noting too that no team has won the NFC East in back-to-back years since 2004.

Right now I like the Eagles to win 12 games and the division. IF Hurts can take the step forward he needs, that's if, then they should be competitive against anyone in the NFC. I would genuinely not be surprised by a #1 seed only because they have such a weak schedule.

Parenthetically, the Wentz return to Philly will be prime-time drama (literally, it's MNF). Wentz's reputation is worse that it should be IMO. That's not to say he's a great QB, only that more often than not he can play well enough to win. But he seems incapable of going through a season (save 2017) without blowing games through totally inexplicable decisions and/or Hall of Shame worthy interceptions. His character shortcomings and reported un-coachability seem destined to define his career as a disappointment. But I really wouldn't mind him playing well for the Snyder-Commanded-ers. The whole situation surrounding him and Peterson leaving after 2020 was so bizarre that it's hard to even be angry about it. 

Great analysis - injuries are killer. 

[Ken Gargett]

7 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Allen only took fewer sacks because his 1st instinct is to run once the pocket starts to collapse. If the pocket collapses so frequently you probably dont have a SB team. If you dont have a running game the defense will easily identify your play selection, especially in the playoffs. Except for Elway or Young, I dont remember too many SB QB's that were successful running the ball. But they had the discipline to stay in the pocket most of the time and they sure had a lot more weapons than Allen does. John

agree very much with the comment about protection. without banging the same drum too much, i hope, that 91 skins team was the perfect example. i think rypien took 7 sacks. for the year. i could be a QB behind that line. rypien was hardly joe montana but he could throw a fabulous long ball and had the posse - monk, sanders, clark - so he was made to look a hell of a lot better than he really was. 

7 sacks for the year! these days, it is a good outing by our O line if we limit it to seven sacks a game. 

 

6 hours ago, MrBirdman said:

Birds fan here (the green ones, or as @Ken Gargett would say the "Iggles.") First, I would quibble with my co-divisionary @bates40 on the NFC East: it's merely the second-worst division in football, after the AFC South, and that's really due the haplessness of the Giants and the Washington Snyders.

As for the Eagles, they look on paper to be one of the most improved teams in football. On offense they boast the best O-line in the NFC, probably in the entire league, and added a Pro-Bowl caliber receiver in AJ Brown. Their offense can and will go as far as Hurts is capable this year - only time will tell. Their defense is notably improved at every level - they've fortified the D-line's edge rush (Reddick) and rushing defense (Davis), added another Pro-Bowl caliber CB (Bradberry), plus they actually have a strong linebacker corp for the first time since at least Jeremiah Trotter's days here (doesn't hurt when you get a 1st round talent in the the 3rd round because of fake news on Dean's knee). Safety remains a question mark, but I think Epps can hold his own as one of them.

Certainly within the division the Cowboys seem poised to regress given they lost more good players than they gained, and as @Ken Gargett pointed out one of those was their LT. It is arguably the second most important position on offense. Worth noting too that no team has won the NFC East in back-to-back years since 2004.

Right now I like the Eagles to win 12 games and the division. IF Hurts can take the step forward he needs, that's if, then they should be competitive against anyone in the NFC. I would genuinely not be surprised by a #1 seed only because they have such a weak schedule.

Parenthetically, the Wentz return to Philly will be prime-time drama (literally, it's MNF). Wentz's reputation is worse that it should be IMO. That's not to say he's a great QB, only that more often than not he can play well enough to win. But he seems incapable of going through a season (save 2017) without blowing games through totally inexplicable decisions and/or Hall of Shame worthy interceptions. His character shortcomings and reported un-coachability seem destined to define his career as a disappointment. But I really wouldn't mind him playing well for the Snyder-Commanded-ers. The whole situation surrounding him and Peterson leaving after 2020 was so bizarre that it's hard to even be angry about it. 

i think this is a really good summary. listening to the various commodes fans, the real potential weakness on the iggles (thank you) is hurts. but the feeling is that there is enough other talent pretty much everywhere to make them a serious threat. and if hurts proves them wrong and steps up, look out. 

the wentz thing is bizarre. he was so impressive to start but he does have days where lord help us. he has had a couple of seasons where he was headed to MVP status before injury or brainfades. i know that Rivera spent a lot of time with joe gibbs discussing wentz and gibbs was very positive about him. the un-coachability thing is curious but i suspect that if it starts in DC, then heinecke is back in, or if it is later in the year, howell. 

[Sir Diggamus]

Browns fan here. I think our team will have a good season, even though we are paying two quarterbacks that won't be playing for us this year 😆 (well most of the year for Watson). We have a great offensive lineup and our D is solid too, but we are in a tough division with the Ravens and Bengals squads both looking very good this year as well. I think we will win more games than we lose, but I don't have high expectations for the playoffs. 

[GotYaGoat]

3 hours ago, JohnnyO said:

Allen only took fewer sacks because his 1st instinct is to run once the pocket starts to collapse. If the pocket collapses so frequently you probably dont have a SB team. If you dont have a running game the defense will easily identify your play selection, especially in the playoffs. Except for Elway or Young, I dont remember too many SB QB's that were successful running the ball. But they had the discipline to stay in the pocket most of the time and they sure had a lot more weapons than Allen does. John

Keep in mind Allen has 73 passing TDs the last two seasons. And bookmakers has them as SB favorites. But Rod Smith, McCaffrey, and TD were a great trio!

[JohnnyO]

11 minutes ago, GotYaGoat said:

Keep in mind Allen has 73 passing TDs the last two seasons. And bookmakers has them as SB favorites. But Rod Smith, McCaffrey, and TD were a great trio!

Betting on the Bills to not win the SB is a better bet. Only 6 preseason favorites have ever won the SB, the Bills have a 9% chance of winning it and 91% chance that they lose or dont make it at all. To give you a better sample size, only once has Brady's teams been the preseason favorite and won it all...and the dude got 7 rings. Dont drink the Vegas koolaid, they just want your money. John

[Woody Hayes]

2 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

agree very much with the comment about protection. without banging the same drum too much, i hope, that 91 skins team was the perfect example. i think rypien took 7 sacks. for the year. i could be a QB behind that line. rypien was hardly joe montana but he could throw a fabulous long ball and had the posse - monk, sanders, clark - so he was made to look a hell of a lot better than he really was. 

7 sacks for the year! these days, it is a good outing by our O line if we limit it to seven sacks a game. 

You still had The Diesel in 91 or did he retire by then?

[havanaclub]

Baltimore wins it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ken Gargett]

18 minutes ago, Woody Hayes said:

You still had The Diesel in 91 or did he retire by then?

he'd gone by then. i think he'd already gone by the 87 superbowl win but i'd have to check. he certainly didn't play. that was the year they started timmy smith in the superbowl and did not tell him until a few minutes before. the bloke has played about four minutes in his life, then into a superbowl!! then runs for over 200 yards - still the record i believe. then plays about another four minutes for his entire career before off to jail. 

[GotYaGoat]

1 hour ago, JohnnyO said:

Betting on the Bills to not win the SB is a better bet. Only 6 preseason favorites have ever won the SB, the Bills have a 9% chance of winning it and 91% chance that they lose or dont make it at all. To give you a better sample size, only once has Brady's teams been the preseason favorite and won it all...and the dude got 7 rings. Dont drink the Vegas koolaid, they just want your money. John

Yes, I'd always bet the field over a single team. That's a no brainer in any sport. Obviously.

[Chas.Alpha]

On 8/31/2022 at 2:05 PM, SwaggyPeanut said:

As a packers fan, I expect a 10-12 win season. We have the NFC north locked up (sorry Viking / bears fans), it’s the post season that gets scary lol I’m done getting my heart broken in the playoffs. Time for Aaron to get ring #2!!

We'll both find out game 1. SKOL

[JohnnyO]

3 hours ago, GotYaGoat said:

Yes, I'd always bet the field over a single team. That's a no brainer in any sport. Obviously.

So tha Bills aint winning the Super Bowl. Class dismissed. John

[Woody Hayes]

14 hours ago, Ken Gargett said:

he'd gone by then. i think he'd already gone by the 87 superbowl win but i'd have to check. he certainly didn't play. that was the year they started timmy smith in the superbowl and did not tell him until a few minutes before. the bloke has played about four minutes in his life, then into a superbowl!! then runs for over 200 yards - still the record i believe. then plays about another four minutes for his entire career before off to jail. 

Even though Big John was a north south runner he was fast and extremely tough to bring down. Of course the classic with him was an elegant, black tie affair in DC.  He's sitting at the same table as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, had several too many and said to her...Relax Sandy baby.

[Ken Gargett]

6 hours ago, Woody Hayes said:

Even though Big John was a north south runner he was fast and extremely tough to bring down. Of course the classic with him was an elegant, black tie affair in DC.  He's sitting at the same table as Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, had several too many and said to her...Relax Sandy baby.

he was one of a kind. apparently gibbs did not want him at first but someone there did and gibbs was told to sign him. drove for ages to find him at his river caravan or wherever and arrived around six am. riggs invited him in for breakfast and handed him a beer. gibbs declined and so riggs drank them both. gibbs planned to sign him to make his bosses happy and then trade him but the only demand riggs had was a no trade clause. gibbs was stuck though i doubted he minded in time.

he really was a force of nature.