Fearless Football Predictions
I hate I didn’t write this prior to Dallas’ bye week. I remember picking presidents one fateful Tuesday, and I told a friend of mine that the Cowboys, which were 5-4 at the time, would go 6-1 after the bye week to finish at 11-5.
Things were going quite well – until the ’Boys lost a winnable game Sunday at Pittsburgh. I continue to stand by my prediction, though, and will kindly offer a handful more based on said prediction.
It’s important to remember that Dallas plays the Giants, the Ravens and will travel to face the Eagles in its final regular-season game, which takes me to another prediction I made at my job:
The Giants will lose three of their final four games.
So far, so good: the resurgent Eagles defeated the Burress-less Giants Sunday. Up next for the Giants – the Cowboys, at home against my Panthers and on the road against Minnesota.
I’m 90% sure the Cowboys capture the must-win contest at home. The Panthers aren’t as good as they looked on Monday Night Football, yet I sense that they will knock off the Giants by a field goal. The Giants will limp into the playoffs having lost three of their last four, and will falter in the first round of the playoffs.
That’s the first prediction. Now, I’ll give you the playoff picture and Super Bowl winner:
AFC
East winner: New England. The team that has the best chance of winning out, in my opinion, is the Pats. The Jets will not win at Seattle, the Dolphins will not win the season finale at New York. The Pats will win at Oakland, beat Arizona in a shootout at home, then dust off Buffalo on the road in the season finale to clinch the division title.
South winner: Tennessee (clinched prior to article)
West winner: Denver. In short, it’s just not happening for San Diego’s Chargers. Denver won’t clinch at Carolina, but the Broncos will clinch at home against Buffalo.
North winner: Baltimore. The winner of Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the Ravens in Baltimore wins the division. That distinction will go to the ball-hawking Ravens in a close, close game.
(Bonus coverage: Sunday’s game is tough to call because the Ravens have a rookie QB; I anticipate that Steelers’ defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will have a plan to harass Joe Flacco. However, I’m concerned with the fact that the Steelers can’t run the ball, in addition to the fact that the Ravens’ DBs should be able to limit what the Steelers’ receivers will be able to do. Baltimore 17, Pittsburgh 13.)
Wild Card 1: Indianapolis. Talk about an easy finish – the Colts host hapless Detroit, then travel to face the punchless Jaguars before they close out with a Titans team that will likely play with its mind on the playoffs (meaning that the Titans’ starters will probably play for just a half).
Wild Card 2: Relax, Pittsburgh! You guys will still get in with an 11-5 record. (Losses to the Ravens and Titans, followed by a win against the Browns.)
NFC
East winner: N.Y. Giants (clinched prior to article)
South winner: Carolina
West winner: Arizona (clinched prior to article)
North winner: Chicago. Minnesota’s remaining schedule: at Arizona, Atlanta, N.Y. Giants. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vikings lose out. Meanwhile, Chicago has Green Bay at home and will travel to face Houston’s Texans.
Wild Card 1: Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ remaining schedule – at Atlanta, home against the AFC Weak (San Diego and Oakland). They’ll lose to the Falcons, then win out to move to 11-5. The Bucs will win the tiebreaker over the Falcons to advance to the playoffs (best percentage in conference games).
Wild Card 2: Dallas. The Cowboys have a daunting schedule remaining – home against the Giants, home against Baltimore, on the road against Philadelphia. Yet the Cowboys are going to win out – a feat that will make them my favorite to advance to the Super Bowl.
*cue Jim Mora, Sr.* PLAYOFFS?!?!?!?
AFC
New England over Indianapolis
Pittsburgh over Denver
--------------------
Pittsburgh over Tennessee
Baltimore over New England
--------------------
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
NFC
Cowboys over Cardinals
Bucs over Bears
--------------------
Cowboys over Giants
Panthers over Bucs
--------------------
Cowboys over Panthers
In the Super Bowl, we’ll have another classic. This time, the Cowboys will finish the job.
Things were going quite well – until the ’Boys lost a winnable game Sunday at Pittsburgh. I continue to stand by my prediction, though, and will kindly offer a handful more based on said prediction.
It’s important to remember that Dallas plays the Giants, the Ravens and will travel to face the Eagles in its final regular-season game, which takes me to another prediction I made at my job:
The Giants will lose three of their final four games.
So far, so good: the resurgent Eagles defeated the Burress-less Giants Sunday. Up next for the Giants – the Cowboys, at home against my Panthers and on the road against Minnesota.
I’m 90% sure the Cowboys capture the must-win contest at home. The Panthers aren’t as good as they looked on Monday Night Football, yet I sense that they will knock off the Giants by a field goal. The Giants will limp into the playoffs having lost three of their last four, and will falter in the first round of the playoffs.
That’s the first prediction. Now, I’ll give you the playoff picture and Super Bowl winner:
AFC
East winner: New England. The team that has the best chance of winning out, in my opinion, is the Pats. The Jets will not win at Seattle, the Dolphins will not win the season finale at New York. The Pats will win at Oakland, beat Arizona in a shootout at home, then dust off Buffalo on the road in the season finale to clinch the division title.
South winner: Tennessee (clinched prior to article)
West winner: Denver. In short, it’s just not happening for San Diego’s Chargers. Denver won’t clinch at Carolina, but the Broncos will clinch at home against Buffalo.
North winner: Baltimore. The winner of Sunday’s game between the Steelers and the Ravens in Baltimore wins the division. That distinction will go to the ball-hawking Ravens in a close, close game.
(Bonus coverage: Sunday’s game is tough to call because the Ravens have a rookie QB; I anticipate that Steelers’ defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau will have a plan to harass Joe Flacco. However, I’m concerned with the fact that the Steelers can’t run the ball, in addition to the fact that the Ravens’ DBs should be able to limit what the Steelers’ receivers will be able to do. Baltimore 17, Pittsburgh 13.)
Wild Card 1: Indianapolis. Talk about an easy finish – the Colts host hapless Detroit, then travel to face the punchless Jaguars before they close out with a Titans team that will likely play with its mind on the playoffs (meaning that the Titans’ starters will probably play for just a half).
Wild Card 2: Relax, Pittsburgh! You guys will still get in with an 11-5 record. (Losses to the Ravens and Titans, followed by a win against the Browns.)
NFC
East winner: N.Y. Giants (clinched prior to article)
South winner: Carolina
West winner: Arizona (clinched prior to article)
North winner: Chicago. Minnesota’s remaining schedule: at Arizona, Atlanta, N.Y. Giants. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Vikings lose out. Meanwhile, Chicago has Green Bay at home and will travel to face Houston’s Texans.
Wild Card 1: Tampa Bay. The Bucs’ remaining schedule – at Atlanta, home against the AFC Weak (San Diego and Oakland). They’ll lose to the Falcons, then win out to move to 11-5. The Bucs will win the tiebreaker over the Falcons to advance to the playoffs (best percentage in conference games).
Wild Card 2: Dallas. The Cowboys have a daunting schedule remaining – home against the Giants, home against Baltimore, on the road against Philadelphia. Yet the Cowboys are going to win out – a feat that will make them my favorite to advance to the Super Bowl.
*cue Jim Mora, Sr.* PLAYOFFS?!?!?!?
AFC
New England over Indianapolis
Pittsburgh over Denver
--------------------
Pittsburgh over Tennessee
Baltimore over New England
--------------------
Pittsburgh over Baltimore
NFC
Cowboys over Cardinals
Bucs over Bears
--------------------
Cowboys over Giants
Panthers over Bucs
--------------------
Cowboys over Panthers
In the Super Bowl, we’ll have another classic. This time, the Cowboys will finish the job.
posted by The Good Doctor @ 1:54 PM
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