Just in case you have forgotten, at the beginning of the NFL season, I pick all 256 games based purely on who I think will win the match up. I don't update them. After the season, I do a recap to show how close or far away I was. And to laugh at myself.
AFC North
BAL: Prediction: 15 wins
"The Ravens need to win this year. If they cannot win the division this year I wonder if they ever will. I think Ray Rice will have an outstanding season. "
Actual: 12 wins
Told you they were still good. They weren't juggernauts on defense, but they did more than enough to get the job done. Thy would have won more had they not fallen asleep at the wheel against inferior opponents. And Rice was outstanding.
PIT: Prediction: 12 wins
"Rooting against the Steelers. Always. Betting against the Steelers? Not happening. "
Actual: 12 wins
Roethlisberger's name is really hard to spell. And their pass offense is equally hard to stop.
CLE: Prediction 12 wins
"To quote a friend of mine, the Browns are "creeping on the come-up". Colt McCoy is improving. The O line is high quality. Peyton Hillis will be good till the madden curse hits him. I honestly think they'll be a first round exit team. "
Actual: 4
I should have known better than to trust Mccoy and Hillis. Never again. The defense wasn’t terrible, but they just could not score against anyone.
CIN: Prediction 6 wins
“I have a bet going. I think the Bengals will be bad. However, the Bengals might be ok defensively. I think they are going to do just enough for a low draft pick.”
Actual : 10 wins
Everything I thought Cleveland would be. Cincinatti has take advantage of a weak schedule and taken a wild card spot. They beat up on inferior opponents all year. And of course, they were a first round exit team.
AFC East:
NYJ: Prediction: 10
“Listen to this. The team lost some of their best defenders, their second best wide receiver and didn’t improve any of the positions on the team. Their biggest signing was a wide receiver who hasn’t played in nearly 3 years. “
Actual: 8
I was concerned about the fact that every transaction this year made them a worse team. They lost recievers, offensive linemen, Defensive players and still kept Sanchez. They may have deserved to be worse than they were.
NE: Prediction: 11
Why do I keep picking against the Pats to win the division. They’re the best team this year.
Actual: 13
They find ways to win. 31st pass defense? Who cares, I'm gonna throw TDs to my tight end like this is a game of Madden.
BUF:
Prediction: 6
The Bills are going to win some games. I like them. It’s a shame that they lost their best defender (Pozluzny) and Lee Evans. They won’t be able to "Suck for Luck" but they’re okay
Actual : 6 wins
Another team that lost more than it gained in free agency.
MIA:
Prediction: 3
“Running Backs? Gone. The fans have no faith in their starting QB and were booing him in Practice. The ownership tried to get rid of their coach and extended his contract upon the realization that they couldn't. This is a potential train wreck. I stand by the phins being an awful squadron.”
Actual: 6
Played hard for the coach. Bush was surprisingly good. That was all
AFC West:
DEN:
Prediction 0
“Hmm. I don’t have any faith that this team will be better.”
He's a gamer, he's a baller, playmaker, shot caller. And terrible at the most important part of being a QB, throwing the ball. Mobility is important, but what made other mobile unconventional QBs good was their arm. See Young, Steve; Vick, Michael; Flutie, Doug; and the deceptively mobile Rodgers, Aaron. Oh and the defense was pretty good too. I like the future of Von Miller.
In response to my initial prediction, I couldn’t see them beating a lot of the teams that they handled. I didn’t like the Kyle Orton situation, because when the fans are actively rooting against their own QB bad things often happen. I figured that the tense relationship would last throughout the season, leading to a lot of L’s.
KC:
Prediction:9
”KC wont be as good as they were last year with the injuries that they have suffered. The schedule is harder.”
Actual: 7
That prediction was written before KC lost their running back, their best Safety, their starting TE and their QB for much of the season. They still finished respectably.
SD:
Prediction: 9
”You want respect Phillip Rivers? Don’t get swept in the division by the Raiders. Don’t lose the first 4 games and expect to make the playoffs. Most importantly, don’t act as if you're going to kill your wide outs after every single incompletion. “
Actual: 8
Dear Chargers, I've given up. Like the gf/bf you keep hoping will change and never does.
OAK:
Prediction: 7
“You want respect, Oakland? Stop firing head coaches. Until then I'm not picking you to win more than 7 games ever.”
Actual: 8
Despite the loss of RUN-DMC they were quite respectable. My prediction for AFC west champ next year.
AFC South:
IND:
Prediction: 8
“Too many wins. They don’t have the personnel to beat teams without manning. I've had to rewrite this because the manning story gets uglier and uglier. Out indefinitely? I should take some wins away from this squad.”
Actual: 2
My wins predictions were based on Manning coming back in 5 games. That’s what I was promised and I want to void everything I predicted about them.
HOU:
Prediction: 8
“The Texans remind me of the niners. Weak division. Quality players. They gotta win this year.”
Actual: 10
It was ugly, They looked like they didn't want it. But they are now the 3rd seed in the AFC. Could there be a QB controversy next year with Yates and Schaub. I swear I'm not crazy.
JAX:
Prediction: 1
“I'm done with the jags. You can’t get rid of your starting qb and expect to find success, especially when your team is not very good.”
Actual: 5
You still can't ship your QB away. You just can't. Although, if Garrard is so good, why is he still not on a team. Must be the money. On the other hand, MJD is better than I thought, and he stayed healthy the entire season.
TEN:
Prediction: 7
“Boring. Just the way they like it. CJ2k is back and their QB is lackluster. The defense is mediocre.”
Actual: 9
Boring. Oh and now he's CJ1k. If you want the 2 bck you're gonna have to earn it. Oh and now your my second favorite CJ. Behind Spiller, of course.
AFC Ratings:
Perfect: BUF, PIT
Close enough (1- 2 wins away): TEN, HOU, OAK, SD, KC, NYJ, NE,
Wrong: (3-5 wins away): JAX, MIA, BAL, CIN
Terrible (5 or more wins away): IND, DEN, CLE
