There are nine first-time head coaches in the NFL (including two in the Bay Area who were interim coaches last year). Their average age is 43.7-years-old and it shows. Denver's new head man, 33-year-old Josh McDaniels, wasted no time chasing away QB Jay Cutler and killing wide out Brandon Marshall's resolve. Raheem Morris, 33, and Todd Haley, 42, both fired their respective offensive coordinator's days before kickoff. Oakland coach Tom Cable allegedly punched out someone on his staff. How will these coaches fare? We will soon find out.
Now onto my fearless predictions (which I tweeted before Thursday night's slug fest)...
AFC PLAYOFFS
Baltimore (Wild Card): QB Joe Flacco got lucky when Derrick Mason decided to keep playing. The Ravens running game should be dominant, with a strong offensive line and loaded backfield.
Indianapolis (South champ): It doesn't matter who the head coach is (Tony Dungy retired this off season) with QB Peyton Manning starting the season healthy the Colts will reclaim the division crown.
New England (East champ): Tom Brady's back, Bill Belichick is coaching. Enough said.
Pittsburgh (North champ): They return nearly everyone from their sixth Super Bowl championship team. Last year the Steelers slugged through the league's toughest schedule, things ease up with the fourth easiest schedule this year.
San Diego (West champ): In a terrible division, the Bolts should win the division title with relative comfort. If they keep oft-injured players like LT, Shawne Merriman and Antonio Gates healthy, the postseason could be special.
Tennessee (Wild Card): They will continue to play Jeff Fisher smash-mouth football, which means they aren't falling out of the playoff picture.
NFC PLAYOFFS
Green Bay (Wild Card): The Packers' move to a 3-4 defense will be dramatic and help vault the Pack into the playoffs thanks to their potent offense.
Minnesota (North champ): Despite bringing in Brett Favre, the Vikings are Adrian Peterson's team. AP will carry the load as the defense talent remains tremendous.
New Orleans (South champ): The Saints could be a legit Super Bowl contender because their offense is a Brees (that's lead by QB Drew Brees). New coordinator Gregg Williams will improve the D just enough to get them into January.
NY Giants (Wild Card): New York's defense is stacked and QB Eli Manning only needs to come up with a few big plays to win 10 games. Punch their ticket, the G-Men are going back to the playoffs.
Philadelphia (East champ): The Eagles are the most talent laden team in the NFC. With coaching stability, QB Donovan McNabb is out of excuses if Philly doesn't win.
Seattle (West champ): The Seahawks were crippled last year due to injuries. The defense should improve and getting QB Matt Hasselbeck back and healthy will pay dividends.
And as for the biggest game...
SUPER BOWL: San Diego OVER Philadelphia -- It's a big anniversary for the AFL, one it's original teams is bound to win. The Chargers seem overdue and I think Rivers, LT and company get the job done.
1 comment:
I can't disagree with any of your picks Smooth. I'd like to think the 49ers have a shot at the NFC West and after beating up the potent Cardinals in Week 1, they might have a chance. I don't think 10-6 and a wildcard is out of the question. If they can split with the 'Hawks, a division championship might be in the works. You might want to follow the Mike Singletary storyline this season. The big question this season after he dropped his pants after a loss last season is, how will Mike deal with losing games this season? Will he be able to make the necessary adjustments and corrections to get them back on the winning track?
Also, the Chargers seem to be over-rated after their opening week showing against Oakland.
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