NFL Review from last year. Not perfect.

Since I'm not sure when/if the lockout will ever end, I'm going to publish my quick year end review, in response to last years year beginning predictions. Just to be clear next to every team i wrote how many games I thought they would win. I determine being right or wrong I was, not by getting the exact number of wins right, but for having a good overall idea of how the team would do. For example, I had the Packers winning 15 games, and indeed, even though they didn't win 15, they were dominant. The 49ers, not as much.

Pre-season predictions in italics

NFC South

NFC South
NO - 12
ATL - 11
CAR - 2
TB - 1

Heavy bias towards the Atl team and the SB champs. Heavy bias against the panthers and bucs. 2 teams have QBs and 2 don’t. Yawn.


Biggest Mistake:

Oh sure, you guys definitely knew going into last year that the Bucs were going to be good with a mediocre draft and a RB better known for actually punching people. But they’re good and I won’t be taking shots at Josh Freeman this year.


Right on the button:

Carolina was going to be awful. No passing game, no defense. Lost their best defensive player in free agency


NFC West

SF - 15
Ari - 5
STl - 5
Sea- 2

More obvious bias. I’m a bit shocked at the level of SF wins. I think I was a bit too trigger happy (10 wins is more reasonable). I probably should temper my expectations there. Everywhere else I’m confident.


Biggest Mistake:

I thought Mike Singletary could coach. I thought Crabtree was good. I feel like Lebron predicting championships.

Right on the button:
Arizona is a bad team. If a guy from Fordham starts at QB, your scouts should be fired.

NFC East


NFC East
DAL - 12
NYG - 7
WAS - 7
PHI - 6

My Boys bias is actually reasonable this year. I’m a bit scared of their schedule. Add the other teams to the who knows pile. I’m confident in the Washington pick though.


Biggest mistake

I’m a bit torn here. Clearly the Cowboys and Eagles picks were bad. The difference is that Kevin Kolb was supposed to be starting throughout the year. I was sure of it. Vick came in and led them to the NFC East crown. The Cowboys pick is less defensible. The O-line was awful. Truly and completely awful. And yet I picked them to win that many games.

Right on the button

The skins not being very good.


NFC North
GB - 15
Min - 10
DET - 7
Chi - 5

But I hate the packers. I blame Billy for selling me on this team. That and BJ Raji who’s on my all time exciting college player team. (Also inclusive of Orakpo, Suh, Mount, Cody, Crabtree, Dez Bryant)

Biggest mistake

There is nothing too egregious here. The Vikings weren’t as good. The Bears were a playoff noisemaker.

Right on the button
Thanks for selling me on the Packers, Billy. The Super Bowl championship winning team.

AFC West
KC - 10
SD - 8
DEN - 8
OAK - 4

Yawn. Once again, I’m a bit surprised at my KC Bias. But I kinda sorta like them I’ve been suckered in. I don’t know enough about the other squads.


Biggest Mistake:

Thanks to injury the Broncos were worse than I thought they were going to be. I gave them far too much credit.

Right on the Button:

As the only person in my inner circle to show KC respect before the season.*Waits for applause to end* Thank you. You can’t beat young up and coming teams with depth at QB and a RB who runs for 6 yards per carry. Unless, of course, you’re the Baltimore Ravens.

AFC East
NYJ - 13
MIA - 9
NE - 7
BUF – 3

No shock, I hate the Pats and like the Jets. Miami has a hard schedule and the bills aren’t very good. I don’t have any faith in Sanchez but their defense is difficult to face. Miami still hasn’t given a truly exciting player. You need one on both sides. Ronnie Brown might be their offensive playmaker but who on their defense?


Biggest Mistake:

The Pats. But in my defense I’ll do it again and again and again. I’ll underrate them every single year that Bellichek coaches them. They’re my second least favorite team. The Miami pick might not have been a great idea either.

Right on the Button:

The Jets. The Bills.


AFC North

BAL - 13
CIN - 11
PIT - 7
CLE - 2

The Steeler bias is complete Big Ben related. The Brown loses is QB related. I think Cinci will be fun this year if Odom can stay healthy.. The Ravens could be a potential JUGGERNAUT.


Luckily for my memory I pretty much summarized my pre-season feelings pretty well. I thought the Steelers would start slow. They didn’t. I thought that Odom would stay healthy. He didn’t.

Right on the button

I thought the Browns would be bad. They were. I thought the Ravens would dominate teams on defense, and score enough to get wins. They did.

AFC South

TEN - 13
IND - 12
HOU - 9
JAC - 3

I gotta admit I was surprised by the Titan Bias. But they are a fun madden team with cj2k and vince young. Indy will always be indy. Houston is Houston. Jacksonville is not very good.

My poorly based picks might explain my poor results

Biggest Mistake: The entire division.

The Titans are only a madden team. The Colts were still the dominant force. The Texans shouldn’t be rooted for to go over .500. The Jags aren’t that bad.