National Football League

[leftover pie]

i'm down for Hitch's comp.

Week 1 prediction: Tennessee






I'd suggest everyone now run and put a cheeky 5-er on the titans.

 

[The Hitch]

Well if its on Ill choose Cleveland Browns.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

So we play here, or not?
Pick winners or losers?

If this is survival football of who is not winning the SB, my week 1 prediction is the most obvious one (at least to me ):

Denver Broncos with the big game choker (aka Nervous Playoff Peyton) calling the plays will not win the SB...

 

[Merckx index]

How about those 49ers? The regular season hasn’t even begun yet, and they’re already leading the NFL in…arrests, with four this year. And ten since the beginning of 2012.

Harbaugh said today the team has zero tolerance for domestic violence, so if the charges against McDonald hold up, the team will have to dump him. Under the new NFL policy, he would get at least a six game suspension, and probably more, since his fiancée was pregnant. What remains to be seen is if the 49ers will let him play the first game of the season. You can argue that he hasn’t actually been convicted of anything yet, but also that it doesn’t look good to have him on the field with these charges hanging over him.

Some reporters went over to his home yesterday to get his take on it, and he wouldn’t get out of his car until the driveway gates had closed; he had bodyguards with him. Not sure what that’s all about.

Aldon Smith has been suspended for the first nine games of the season, and LaVorro Bowman will be out about that long with an injury, so three key members of the defense are likely to be missing for at least half the season. The good news is the Niners don’t play the Seahawks in that stretch, the bad news is they do play Philly, Denver and NO.

In other dark side news, Wes Welker has been suspended four games for PEDs, I believe amphetamines. I guess in the NFL’s eyes, that’s not as bad as marijuana.

Like that elimination pool, gotta think about my first week choice. Or maybe we could play a modified version, name the 49er who will be arrested each week.

Edit: I'll pick Miami as this week's loser.

 

[ToreBear]

Hmm, I'm picking the giants to loose.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I'll make my pick (and season predictions!) later today, but wanted to get something straight with Survival Football rules.

• We pick one team that will lose each week. If we're wrong, we have a "strike".

• We can only pick that team once all season. So if I pick the Jags to lose to the Eagles, I can't pick the Jaguars again this year. Correct?

The other game is maybe easier, it's Elimination Football, and we don't start selecting until after the first week. It's rules are very simple:

• After each week, pick two teams you think won't make it to the Superbowl.

• The last two weeks of the season, you only pick one team that won't make it. Thus at the end of week 17, you should have two teams left.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

So we play here, or not?
Pick winners or losers?

If this is survival football of who is not winning the SB, my week 1 prediction is the most obvious one (at least to me ):

Denver Broncos with the big game choker (aka Nervous Playoff Peyton) calling the plays will not win the SB...

That aka nic name is not well thought out. He has won 1 superbowl. Anyhow Forehead will have a less spectacular regular season but they will still are one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

I'll make my pick (and season predictions!) later today, but wanted to get something straight with Survival Football rules.

• We pick one team that will lose each week. If we're wrong, we have a "strike".

• We can only pick that team once all season. So if I pick the Jags to lose to the Eagles, I can't pick the Jaguars again this year. Correct?

The other game is maybe easier, it's Elimination Football, and we don't start selecting until after the first week. It's rules are very simple:

• After each week, pick two teams you think won't make it to the Superbowl.

• The last two weeks of the season, you only pick one team that won't make it. Thus at the end of week 17, you should have two teams left.

OK, I got it. So my Broncos pick goes to the elimination game. About the loser pick of week 1 I still have to think about it.

That aka nic name is not well thought out. He has won 1 superbowl. Anyhow Forehead will have a less spectacular regular season but they will still are one of the teams to beat in the AFC.

I use it since years. And PM never let me down. Even the season "he won" the SB, he needed great help from his D. 3 Ints vs BAL, 15 points scored only vs KC. A so so SB vs CHI (outside the w i d e open TD pass to Wayne).

He is a big time playoff choker. He showed it once, twice,... ten times. Even by chance, a anonymous QB who goes to 13 post seasons (mostly with HFA and/or a bye week BTW) wins (or his team for him) more than a single SB.
All sample size, stats, and what else aside: People shall not praise PM for his RS heroics, but blame the PS loses to the team. That´s unfair to the neutral observer. No love lost to this guy. I tried a final time last year. I gave up. There is no hope. Even if he passes for 60-6.000 this year. He´ll mess it up again in January/February.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Anyone apart from us regulars planning on posting weekly predictions too? If we get more than just 3 or 4 of us we could even keep a running score.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Anyone apart from us regulars planning on posting weekly predictions too? If we get more than just 3 or 4 of us we could even keep a running score.

I´d join. Maybe with some line, or scores? Otherwise I go with my proven HFA picks + 2/3 away major favs each week.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

OK, I got it. So my Broncos pick goes to the elimination game. About the loser pick of week 1 I still have to think about it.

First, Elimination Football doesn't start until after week 1. Plus you might want to start out picking teams much more likely to not get there, just in case, you know? But hey, you're pretty confident about the Broncos tanking, so...

As to PM, I thought about this off and on today. He seems to have a long history of piling on massive yards and TD's against mediocre or weak teams, often in good weather. But against good defenses, or inclement weather, he tends to become average. I don't know the stats on it, but I'd be surprised if they don't reflect this. I too don't see the Broncos winning the SB. I think he'll have another good year, especially Sept-November. But his arm strength seemed to be fading, he's missing a few offensive key players, and I see them faltering late, or in the playoffs, again.

As to the 49ers, at the end of last season I blindly predicted they would win the SB over the Colts. Now, Indy may very well get there, but the 49ers are just a mess. On and off the field. Their offense looks woeful (Alex Smith, where are you?!), and between suspensions, injuries and jail time, yikes! Right now it looks like they may finish no better than 3rd in that division, and could even finish last, while rival Seattle looks like a juggernaut. But the season hasn't even started yet, so...

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

First, Elimination Football doesn't start until after week 1. Plus you might want to start out picking teams much more likely to not get there, just in case, you know? But hey, you're pretty confident about the Broncos tanking, so...

Absolute confident. If PM couldn´t take the golden chance last season, he never will. Even if he plays up to Horner age. NFL outcomes are random at a high rate (but not as pure chance as the NLL) as we all know (see the the latest NYG SB wins), but the yearly PM playoff choke is a guarantee (even when his team won a SB. LOL.). It´s as sure as x-mas comes once a year... So; may the Browns go on to win it all. Who knows. But certainly not the Broncos with PM. Never ever... Broncos win 77-3 in the opener? I don´t care. Pick them after week 1.

 

[leftover pie]

Anyone apart from us regulars planning on posting weekly predictions too? If we get more than just 3 or 4 of us we could even keep a running score.

I will be doing weekly predictions (for as long as I can maintain interest in choosing winners for 16 games) via this online competition:

http://www.footytips.com.au/comps/Don_Beebes&p=heisman

If anyone would like to join me just click the link and sign up (it's free & it keeps track of all the scores each round).

 

[gamer777]

http://www.tosstheturtlehacked.org/

its good game in the world

 

[gamer777]

best game

http://www.tosstheturtlehacked.org/

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Here are my bold season predictions.

In the NFC I think it's going to come down to Seattle, New Orleans, Green Bay and if they can get healthy, San Francisco. I think Philadelphia and Arizona have chances of disrupting some things. The Rams and Lions are two teams I think may win more games than people expect. Seattle just looks like a juggernaut right now, and I like what New Orleans has done on defense. Aaron Rodgers looked like a surgeon in limited pre-season action, and they have a young team, so I don't count them out.

In the AFC, while I think Denver will win many games, I still contend they may start the season 10-1, but will lose in the playoffs. No team has come back from losing the SB to winning it the next year since the 1972 Dolphins. I still like Indy's chances, though they were spanked by the Saints when both teams 1st teams went at it in the pre-season. New England will win the east, but that's the east. Their defense, and Brady's age and receivers have me questioning them. I like Baltimore to push Cincy, and San Diego is a real threat.

For the Superbowl, if I had to pick now, I'd say there's a great chance Seattle will repeat, and I'd say over Indianapolis. But it's rare to have a team repeat, so we could see a Saints-Colts rematch (of sorts).

For MVP, I'm picking Aaron Rodgers.

For ROY, I'm picking Derek Carr (why not?!).

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Here are my bold season predictions.

In the NFC I think it's going to come down to Seattle...

Wow! That´s a bold prediction.

My favo team is GB from now. I learned AFL football in a hurry this week. Some good things from there; salaries that can be understand by fans (250.000 on average), and more important: Clubs are owned by the public and not some rich single greedy old bastered. I love that. So I go with the only NFL team that is non-profit public owned. The Packers...

For ROY, I'm picking Derek Carr (why not?!).

I pick a QB how throws more than 400 passes. If that´s not happening, I pick the RB with the most carries. Whoever that might be. As I said a useless trophy.

My SB pick is random since the NYG days. This year I go with... TB over SD.
Otherwise I hope this season a "offensive team" wins the SB again. Namely the Packers.
But I wouldn´t be unhappy if the Eagles make it. Even though I think it was a mistake to let Vick go. I mean after Foles comes the proven failure. What was his name? Barnes or something. Ugh.

My bold prediction: Little Siz will win the Int crown again, but the Giants will sneak in the playoffs despite having the worst starting QB...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Here is this week's NFL schedule. Again, I'm not picking teams. Too much work.

For Survival Football, I'm saying the Indianapolis Colts will lose (to the Broncos).

If I were to pick an upset right now, I'd say the Cowboys have a real shot of upending the 49ers. The best game of the week could be the Chargers at the Cardinals on Monday. Tonight's game should be good too. I like a fairly high scoring game, with Seattle winning about 34-27.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

Survival: I pick the Jags to lose to Philly.

W-1 predictions:
All home teams (yes, incl. Miami beating NE)...

Elimination: ... I can´t wait. ... Here are my picks after week 1 before they play; I have to pick now; As said (1) Denver, (2) Oakland.

P.S.: Tonight I hope for a upset. Hopefully the NFL did something behind closed doors to stop Seattles illegal defensive plays (namely holding and interfering with the receivers). If so; GB 31, Sea 10. If not; GB 7, Sea 10

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Survival: I pick the Jags to lose to Philly.

W-1 predictions:
All home teams (yes, incl. Miami beating NE)...

Elimination: ... I can´t wait. ... Here are my picks after week 1 before they play; I have to pick now; As said (1) Denver, (2) Oakland.

P.S.: Tonight I hope for a upset. Hopefully the NFL did something behind closed doors to stop Seattles illegal defensive plays (namely holding and interfering with the receivers). If so; GB 31, Sea 10. If not; GB 7, Sea 10

What does Elimination mean?

I would think tonight's game will be high scoring. I want Green Bay to win only because I had to suffer through those two games last year not to mention 2010 wild card game.

Anyhow - I do like Seattle just as long as my favorite team is not playing them.

Speaking of the Manning's well this is funny ....if you have time to listen to this. Phillip Rivers "on a mobile" talking about last years playoff wins and going to Denver to play the manning. WHOOOOOOOOOO big philly style.....2 and 0 with the bollo.

http://www.sports790.com/media/podc...entlemen/phillip-rivers-on-a-mobile-24147020/

survival pick... Miami lose to New England.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

I love it, 10-7. That would be great!

As to "Seattle's" illegal defensive play, there has been so much nonsensical talk on TV and radio here about that, I'm just waiting for someone to finally get it over with and say Denver would have won the Superbowl if the Seahawks defensive backs hadn't cheated.

I'm also guessing you didn't watch any pre-season games where there were a record number of flags thrown for the most ticky-tacky reasons against DB's on all teams. It was just annoying as could be.

Mike Periera, former head of NFL officiating wrote about that recently. He said:

"(During the off season)...officials were shown many plays regarding illegal contact and defensive holding. How many Seahawk plays???. None."

Does that mean the Seahawks aren't aggressive. No. But the criticism is way overblown.

I would be okay with it, if the rules were changed on the other side, and this is something else Mike Periera says. That is, the worst call in NFL is defensive pass interference being spotted where the ball might have been caught. That is, 30-40 yard penalties. He says it's atrocious. He tried to get it changed when he was in charge, but fell short. For example, offensive pass interference doesn't give an automatic interception to the defense, or a 40 yard penalty. He goes into good detail on it, and why college gets it right. A call of 15 yards plus an automatic first down would make more sense. With time put back on the clock if the play is under 2 minutes to go.

Never understood why you liked Vick so much. He's had one disappointing season and game after another, and had maybe two very good seasons in a career filled with overhype. As to Nick Foles, I too doubt he'll have a year like he did last season. But I don't expect him to falter. His backup is now Mark Sanchez (and Matt Barkley). Interestingly enough, Sanchez played quite well in the preseason said he felt completely healthy for the first time in years, and really liked Chip Kelly and his system. Matt Barkley played well also, though not quite as good. It is possible at some point we could see Sanchez, and Kelley has openly stated he in no way anticipates one QB playing every snap all season.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

What does Elimination mean?

That´s Alpe´s job. I don´t wanna explain it wrong...

I'm just waiting for someone to finally get it over with and say Denver would have won the Superbowl if the Seahawks defensive backs hadn't cheated.

I wouldn´t be that one. Because DEN got maimed from snap one on. I blame much of this to PM, because (as I linked last year) his teams never change plays in the post season. They go with their basic passing tree/plays/assignments, no matter if RS or PS. Nice for opponents to prepare for when there is two weeks time (thus when PMs teams lost their bye week HFA games, or the latest example the SB). Add in a butter arm, nervousness and gloves... disaster.

But if SEA didn´t got away with all the cheating during RS and PS, they simply would not have been in the SB...

I'm also guessing you didn't watch any pre-season games where there were a record number of flags thrown for the most ticky-tacky reasons against DB's on all teams. It was just annoying as could be.

No.... But I like the fact that flags are thrown more often. Good to hear.

Never understood why you liked Vick so much.

Basically when he came back. More as a passer than a runner (before I simply didn´t care). And his passing is fantastic, beautiful, awesome. Outside 2012, you can even see it in his efficiency numbers. Above or wayyy above NFL average. Something to expect, but not a must under pressure, from an NFL-QB wth expierience coupled with a monster arm.

His backup is now Mark Sanchez (and Matt Barkley). Interestingly enough, Sanchez played quite well in the preseason said he felt completely healthy for the first time in years, and really liked Chip Kelly and his system. Matt Barkley played well also, though not quite as good. It is possible at some point we could see Sanchez, and Kelley has openly stated he in no way anticipates one QB playing every snap all season.

Missed the Sanchez signing. I guess I watched too much cycling and AFL.
Ahh... ok, Barkley, not Barnes... Now I remember we made jokes last year when he came in: "Now it´s Gnarls Barkley time... Philly doom"...

 

[The Hitch]

Picking Seattle is too easy so I'll go for Orleans from the NFC.

Their team on paper is surprisingly stacked. In all positions they have legit playmakers and its a team where a backup qb could probably take to the playoffs. That's before you take into account who they really have at qb.

A lot of things look like they are in their favour. Seems like an easier schedule than the hawks. They play San Fran before their lbs are back (Seattle play them twice after). All teams in their division have some issues. 2nd year under defensive coordinator and Payton back. Great home field advantage.

At least thats how it looks like now. Tough opening hurdle though at their main rival's house.

A surprise team - Cowboys. No one sees them making the playoffs Also rams. Had money on them before Bradford went down.

From AFC
Pats also because easier schedule (namely they play Denver at home which is worth 3 games - loss for Denver, win for Pats and tiebreaker so Denver have to then win one more).

A surprise from there? Jets. And Texans because of Watt and Clowney.


MVP - Calvin Johnson
DPOTY - JJ of course.

ROTY - Cooks and Donald.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Nice post Hitch, I agree with all you wrote.

Since Seattle is an "easy" pick, I'll then use my alternate Superbowl prediction:

New Orleans over Indianapolis.

Glenn - Elimination Football is easy and works like this: After each week you pick two teams who you think will not get to the Superbowl and they are "eliminated" from your pool of teams that might win. In weeks 16 and 17 you only have to eliminate 1 team. Thus, at the end of the regular season you are left with the two teams you think will make it to the Superbowl.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

That sounds the best game we´ll play. There won´t be any questions after the RS. I like that. From week two on it will get tough. No more easy picks like now...