Annual Prediction time

Zombo

@the-gipper said:
OK, so, where are they?

They'll be out this week, same as they always are.

Hunting through the closet for my crystal ball as we speak.

I wish they would stop putting fucking AFC North teams in the Thursday Game, I gotta do a TWITAFCN too.

Zombo

TexasAg1969

Z creates his crystal ball.

LondonBrown

AFCEast: Patriots - Cheaters prosper

AFCNorth: Ravens - overall I think they have the best team in our div

AFCSouth: Colts by a street

AFCWest: Broncos, the best QB in my lifetime is being written off too soon

Wildcards: Bengals and Steelers. We suffer at the hands of a strong division yet again.

NFCEast: NY Giants. O line should be much improved, offense could be great this year.

NFCNorth: Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers, nuff said

NFCSouth: Falcons, Take your pick in this div tbh

NFCWest: Cardinals: Shock.

Wildcards: Seahawks and Cowboys

Super Bowl teams. Broncos and Packers

Tour2ma

AFCN: Browns - Squeak in with a 9-7. Homer glasses? Maybe... but Best D in the Div
AFCS: Colts - I think they've finally added a run game and that keeps them on top.
AFCE: Pats - Someone is pissed... and is picturing the Commish handing him SB50's MVP trophy... Awkward!
AFCW: KC - Maclin was a big upgrade and D was helped in the draft... even 4th Rounder Ramik Wilson is looking good.
AWC1: Fins - With that D and an improved Tannehill they scare NE in regular season... and maybe take them in the post...
AWC2: Texans - D gels, Hoyer manages and Texans make a brief playoff appearance.

AFC Champ: Fins over Pats

NFCN: Pack - one-trick pony, but what a pony... still too much Rogers over an improving MN team.
NFCS: NO - Big rethink here as ATL looks inexplicably bad. CAR may finish last in points scored...
NFCE: Philly - easiest call of all. The Kelly train is about to get really crowded...
NFCW: SEA - so frickin' complete and new toys for Carroll to play with in Graham and Lockett
NWC1: StL - Foles the final piece? No, but he was a good add no matter the outcome in Philly
NWC2: MN - Sneak in for one-and-done appearance...

NFC Champ: Philly over SEA

SB50 - Philly over Fins...

Aggie Brown fan

Ravens

Colts

Pats

Chargers

Dolphins

Texans

Cowboys

Packers

Saints

Seahawks

Lions

Eagles

Packers over Pats

The Italian DawgPound

AFC North: Baltimore (our Browns will end 6-10)

AFC East: Patriots (with the Bills getting their first playoff appearance since...even before the Browns did it)

AFC South: Colts

AFC West: Chiefs (with the Broncos in the other WC spot)

NFC North: Packers (Lions in the WC)

NFC East: Cowboys

NFC South: Panthers

NFC West: Seahawks (WC Cardinals)

AFC Final: Baltimore over Patriots

NFC Final: Cowboys over Panthers

SB: Cowboys

gftChris

Cowboys over Ravens is a bold call! My guess at least one of packers and patriots makes it. Chances are good we end up with the same championship games as last year - hawks/packers, patriots/colts.

wargograw

Local radio guy just picked the Bills and Eagles.

You read that right. The Buffalo Bills.

The Gipper

Mike Greenberg picked the Seahawks to beat the Steelers

Golic: Eagles over Colts

OK, so what is the infatuation with the Steelers? They may have the worst DB/DL/OL in just the AFCN.

Is everything just about the offensive skill players, which they do have 3 good ones....BR/Bell/Brown.

I have always heard that the game is won in the trenches....not on the edges.

Is this theory/philosophy now wrong?

gftChris

They managed to get Bell to run for 1300+ yards last year, so the OL can't be that terrible. Big Ben + Bell + Brown + Decnt OL = potent offence. Whether they can make up for a young defence in a new scheme remains to be seen, but I don't see a big drop off if any from last year's 11-5.

The Gipper

@gftchris said:
They managed to get Bell to run for 1300+ yards last year, so the OL can't be that terrible. Big Ben + Bell + Brown + Decnt OL = potent offence. Whether they can make up for a young defence in a new scheme remains to be seen, but I don't see a big drop off if any from last year's 11-5.

They do have a good OL coach....which was their saving grace.

But they won't have Pouncey....and he is their glue. His loss could be as bad as the Browns losing Mack last year.

Mudfly

@the-gipper said:
OK, so what is the infatuation with the Steelers?

Im not sure.....

@gftchris said:
They managed to get Bell to run for 1300+ yards last year, so the OL can't be that terrible. Big Ben + Bell + Brown + Decnt OL = potent offence.

Like gip said.....they had an ok line, but now have lost easily their best player in Pouncey.....not saying it'll be the same for them, but it sure made a difference when we lost Mack.....(and our leftover O line, as a whole, was way better than what they have)....

@the-gipper said:

They do have a good OL coach....which was their saving grace.

But they won't have Pouncey....and he is their glue. His loss could be as bad as the Browns losing Mack last year.

I agree...

Plus....even though its just preseason, their Offense has looked lousy so far.....

Based upon their 5 preseason games, PFF has them ranked dead last for Offense(and 29th for D)....and, based upon production, they are ranked 29th in yards and 28th in scoring.....(so far)...

So, while I do expect to see improvement, it would surprise me if a team ranked as 29th on D and 32nd on O in preseason, just suddenly move to the top......

And...since they are really just relying on their big 3 play makers(Brown, Bell and the Rapist)......they better hope pray no one goes down.....or it's over.....

gftChris

True, pouncey going down hurts them. I'm not sure the rest of their OL is even as good as the rest of ours was after Mack went down?

Tour2ma

Steelers in a word: Triplets...

Arguably the best RB...

Arguably the best WR...

Easily a top 5 QB...

Pouncey's loss hurts, but still the Steelers' O could write new records. And they will have to as he D will pale in comparison...

The Gipper

@tour2ma said:

Steelers in a word: Triplets...

Arguably the best RB...

Arguably the best WR...

Easily a top 5 QB...

Pouncey's loss hurts, but still the Steelers' O could write new records. And they will have to as he D will pale in comparison...

Well, that could kinda make them the San Diego Chargers from the late 70s, early 80s, with Dan Fouts, Jefferson/Joiner,and Chuck Muncie.....but I actually think that team had better defensive performers.

OK, they could be good.

But again I ask.....when did the adage "games are won and lost in the trenches" no longer become a truism?

wargograw

When you have a QB and pass catching RB that can render a running game unnecessary. Do a quick dumpoff for 5 yards, that's like a 5 yard run. Those plays are there all night if your QB knows where to look. Ben does. Anyone thinking Pouncey going down will have the same impact that Mack going down did is off IMO.

Opal312

Patriots

Pittsburgh

Texans

Denver Weapons and Osweiler will prevail

Wild card Colts and Bills

Dallas

Green Bay

Atlanta

Seattle

Wild Card Arizona and Philly

Tour2ma

@the-gipper said:

Well, that could kinda make them the San Diego Chargers from the late 70s, early 80s, with Dan Fouts, Jefferson/Joiner,and Chuck Muncie.....but I actually think that team had better defensive performers.

OK, they could be good.

But again I ask.....when did the adage "games are won and lost in the trenches" no longer become a truism?

... or the Aikman/ Smith/ Irving Cowboys... with a very good D.

Trenches count... if you know nothing else about me, you know I believe that, Gip. And the Steelers O-line is good, even without Pouncey who makes them very good.

It's just that what makes PTG's Offense scary good is their set of triplets.

darren15

AFC

North Bungles

South Colts

East Deflaters

West Broncos

NFC

North Packers

South Falcons

East Eagles

West Seahawks

WC's

AFC Bills and Texans

NFC Cards and Cowboys

Superbowl Eagles over Colts

The Gipper

@tour2ma said:

... or the Aikman/ Smith/ Irving Cowboys... with a very good D.

Trenches count... if you know nothing else about me, you know I believe that, Gip. And the Steelers O-line is good, even without Pouncey who makes them very good.

It's just that what makes PTG's Offense scary good is their set of triplets.

While BR may be on Aikman's level....I am not prepared to say that Brown and Bell are on the Smith/Irving level at this point.

And I agree trenches count.....and they are below avg. there in my opinion.......and if defensive backfields also count....then they are in the lower quarter in the league there as far as I am concerned.