Early Assessment of the 2006 Season

[PonyExpress]

After reviewing the season schedule...
AFC
East
NE 14-2- Headline of the year: "Dean Pees all over Miami"
Mia 9-7- Year 2 of Five Year Plan for the Nicktator
Buff 6-10- Jauron outcoaches Mangini- not too hard
NYJ 3-13- How long before Jet fans refer to him as "mangina"?

North
Balt 11-5: McNair makes Billick a "genius" again
Cin 10-6: Palmer misses first 6 weeks, team goes 10-1 down stretch.
Pitt 8-8: Banquet circuit takes its toll
Cle 8-8: Frye shows enough life in second half to rescue Savage

South
Jax 12-4: "Fat Albert" Leftwich on a rampage
Indy 7-9: 2001 revisited
Hou 4-12: Carr is a lemon
Ten 3-13: Young era begins by week 10

West
SD 11-5: Rivers takes the wheel of a ferrari, but can't drive stick
Oak 10-6: Artwork by Shell
Den 8-8: Bronco fans begin with Snake, end with Drano.
KC 8-8: Question for Herm: What's the best way to count to 10, fingers or a stopwatch?

Playoffs
WC: Balt. def Oak., Cin def. SD
Div: NE def. Cin, Balt def Jax
AFCC: NE def Balt

NFC
East
NYG 12-4: They Might Be Giants
Phl 10-6: McNabb gets last laugh on TO, but it doesn't last long
Dall 9-7: Bledsoe can't stay healthy, Dallas falters late
Wash 7-9: Too many chiefs, not a single QB

North
Chi 10-6: sleepwalks through easy schedule
Det 9-7: Greatest Show with Turf Toe
GB 4-12: Favre rides into the sunset on a jackass
Min 2-14: Dawn of new era begins at midnight

South
TB 9-7: Sims as tough as his daddy, says Pop
ATL 9-7: "Vick be Nimble, Vick be Quick"...
Car 9-7: good team gets short straw
NO 8-8: Favorable Brees starts blowin' in NO

West
Sea 12-4: Cakewalk
Ariz 7-9: Warner injured, Leinart has the heart of a lamb.
SF 4-12: Major improvement from QB Smith: throws more than 1 TD
StL 3-13: sheered

NFC Playoffs
WC: Atl def. Chi, TB def Phi
Div: Sea def Atl, NYG def TB
NFCC: NYG def Sea

Super Bowl: NE def NYG

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

AFC East
Pats 12-4
Miami- 9-7
Jets 6-10
Bills - 2-14

AFC North
1 Baltimore 11-5
2 Cincy- 10-6
3 Pitt 8-8
4 Cleveland 8-8

AFC South
1 Indy 11-5
2 Jax- 8-8
3 Houston 8-8
4 Tenn 6-10

AFC West
1 Denver -12-4
2 Kansas City 11-5
3 San Diego 9-7
4 Oakland -3-13

AFC Championship
Baltimore vs New England

Nfc East
Dallas 13-3
NYG 12-4
Wash 10-6
Philly 8-8

NFC North
Minn- 11-5
Chicago 10-6
Detroit - 9-7
Green Bay 7-9

NFC South
Carolina 11-5
Tampa Bay 10-6
Atlanta 8-8
New Orleans - 6-10

Nfc West
Arizona 11-5
Seattle 10-6
St Louis 7-9
San Francisico- 6-10

Nfc Championship
Dallas and New York Giants

Super Bowl - Though he is usally wrong, agree with Peter King

Dallas vs the Pats

Pats win 28-24

would be a great super bowl on all levels....

 

[ClosingTime]

McNair or no, you are overrating the Ravens. Their OL is a sieve and their D is getting old. Their receivers are unspectacular and Lewis is a shell.

 

[PonyExpress]

The combination of Mason, Clayton and Heap is a plus receiving combination. J.Lewis and Anderson will be decent, helped by a passing threat. The O-Line is average, made to look worse by Ogden's injuries and Boller's happy feet. Closing Time, this is a prediction thread, make your predictions. They're as likely to be right as mine...

 

[TomBradyWoot]

I don't get the love for Baltimore. What have they done to improve their 6-10 record? Getting McNair isn't a given.

 

[ClosingTime]

OK...

AFC East:
ne - 12-4
Miami - 10-6
Jets 8-8
Bills 3-13

AFC South
Indy 12-4
Jax 10-6
Tenn 4-12
Texans 2-14

AFC West
KC 11-5
Denver 10-6
Raiders 7-9
SD 6-10

AFC North
Pitt 11-5
CIncy 10-6
Ravens 8-8
Browns 6-10

Playoff teams:
NE, Pitt, KC, Indy, denver, Miami

Denver and Miami are knocked off in the first round.
KC beats NE
Pitt beats Indy

Pitt beats KC


NFC (JV)
Who cares? Seahawks should return to the SB but the Redskins are a dangerous team - best D in the NFC and good offensive weapons if they can just get average QB play.
I'll go with Seattle though.

Seattle vs Pitt in the SB.
Holmgren shows up complaining that, despite his penchant for eating four cheeseburgers every meal, he shouldn't be as fat as he is and it is surely someone elses fault and announces he is suing McDnanlds.

 

[PonyExpress]

Let's see.. KC beats NE in NE, with the Herminator at the controls, in the Playoffs? and you were sniping at my Baltimore pick?Also, your AFC is basically the same as last year, which seems unlikely.

 

[PonyExpress]

I don't get the love for Baltimore. What have they done to improve their 6-10 record? Getting McNair isn't a given.

just a hunch...

 

[shakadave]

I'm sure my numbers don't add up, but here they are, with many significant differences from Pony's original entertaining post. (I left the teams listed in order of Pony's rankings.)

AFC
East
NE 13-3
Mia 8-8
Buff 3-13
NYJ 7-9

North
Balt 5-11
Cin 12-4
Pitt 13-3
Cle 7-9

South
Jax 9-7
Indy 14-2
Hou 5-11
Ten 6-10

West
SD 9-7
Oak 6-10
Den 12-4
KC 8-8


NFC
East
NYG 11-5
Phl 10-6
Dall 9-7
Wash 9-7

North
Chi 9-7
Det 5-11
GB 4-12
Min 6-10

South
TB 9-7
ATL 10-6
Car 14-2
NO 5-11

West
Sea 12-4
Ariz 8-8
SF 3-13
StL 6-10


Super Bowl: NE and Carolina

 

[ClosingTime]

Let's see.. KC beats NE in NE, with the Herminator at the controls, in the Playoffs? and you were sniping at my Baltimore pick?Also, your AFC is basically the same as last year, which seems unlikely.

KC has he most balanced offense in the league. Herm will improve their D. KC should have made the playoffs last year and the year before that.
As far as the logic that my AFC picks are the same as last year, don't know why that is unlikely. (I know the record of repeating teams but that alone doesn't make it unlikely.) I don't see Pitt, NE or Indy missing the playoffs and DEnver is pretty solid. The other two teams are new. Miami is only there cause of the schedule.

 

[desi-patsfan]

KC has he most balanced offense in the league. Herm will improve their D. KC should have made the playoffs last year and the year before that.
As far as the logic that my AFC picks are the same as last year, don't know why that is unlikely. (I know the record of repeating teams but that alone doesn't make it unlikely.) I don't see Pitt, NE or Indy missing the playoffs and DEnver is pretty solid. The other two teams are new. Miami is only there cause of the schedule.

You choose a herman edwards led team beating BB in the playoffs. That alone cancels everything else you say.

 

[ClosingTime]

I wasn't aware that BB and Edwards were playing the game.
IMHO he did a lot with very little talent with the Jets. KC has a lot, and I mean a lot, more talent than he ever had with the Jets.
I think you guys are seeling Edwards short. He's one of the better coaches in the league.

 

[Sean Pa Patriot]

I like KC to go to the playoffs, just not to beat NE in NE

 

[PonyExpress]

Every year brings something new, and nothing is impossible. But I think CT may not be taking into account the age on KC's Offense, Herman Edwards conservative nature, and the departure of Al Saunders.

 

[spacecrime]

Let's see.. KC beats NE in NE, with the Herminator at the controls, in the Playoffs? and you were sniping at my Baltimore pick?

It's the only shot the Steelers have for the SB in the scenario CT presented. If NE beats KC, then the Steelers would have to travel to NE. The Steelers winning in NE is even MORE unlikely than KC.

Also, your AFC is basically the same as last year, which seems unlikely.

But if you are a Steeler fan, last year's results were pretty good, no?

 

[ClosingTime]

KC's line is still dominant. LJ is a top 5 back. Gonzalez, Green make that offense potent. Can Edwards get the D to play better? I think enough to make the playoffs and then they are a dangerous team.

 

[patsfan209]

I don't get the love for Baltimore. What have they done to improve their 6-10 record? Getting McNair isn't a given.

Neither do I. IMHO the Ravens' window of opportunity has passed. I have Baltimore seeing last place in the AFC North. And its not just because of the question of McNair... their once-great defense has gone downhill, and I for one don't see any signs that Billick will turn around the offense (he never really did since he got hired there). I just see Cincy, Pitt, and even Cleveland taking advantage of the Ravens in those division games easily.

 

[PonyExpress]

KC's line is still dominant. LJ is a top 5 back. Gonzalez, Green make that offense potent. Can Edwards get the D to play better? I think enough to make the playoffs and then they are a dangerous team.

I think KC's defense will probably improve this year. But I don't give Green the credit you do. I attribute his success to having 3 pro-bowlers in front of him, and a potent run game. He is now 37 years old I believe, and has escaped the injury bug for 5 years. Will Shields is near the end, Plus Willie Roaf missed time last year. There is bound to be a change in offensive philosophy, with Al Saunders departure and Herm's arrival. This tells me the KC O will start resembling a Jets style O, and not be as high flying as we expect. Also, Eddie Kennison is a year older. Any injury among these fragile pieces could spell major problems for the chiefs O.

 

[ClosingTime]

Possibly. I just think Denver (Plummer) will take a step back. I think SD is going to take a big fall with Rivers and they will probably be one of two or three over/under picks I make for the season. (Obviously the under.)
Raiders have Brooks. I think that division has gone from the strongest to just okay in one year.
KC is unique in terms of the high-powered offenses (IndyCincy) in the sense that they do it running the ball. Takes a lot of pressure off Green and the receivers.

 

[PonyExpress]

There's no doubt the AFC West is in conplete flux, which is why nobody can really say that a prediction is wrong at this point. As far as the Steelers go: I follow the Steelers pretty closely for a Pats fan, and I associate the Steeler fan base with the Red Sox fan base, in this sense: The whole region lives and dies with the team in a way they do not with the Pats at this point (although the fan base is growing and the team becoming more entrenched). The Steelers have had almost as much pressure placed on them to win a ring as the Red Sox did prior to '04. Considering how emotional that team is, i see it being very difficult for the team to maintain a champion's focus this coming season, especially with a target on its back. There is bound to be an emotional letdown, combined with a tough schedule, i think you shoudl be prepared for relative disappointment this coming year, and then another breakout year in 2007. Any thoughts?