NFL Season Preview

Well kids, despite the squabbles between owners and players, the NFL will have a season in 2011 after all. You can look no further than this blog for the correct predictions for this season's outcome. Here now are my well informed picks for how the teams will finish this season.

*Denotes playoff teams

NFC

East-
1. Eagles* (Vick and all of his new flashy teammates take time to get on the same page, but when they do, look out)
2. Cowboys (Year two under Jason Garrett is good, but there's still something preventing this team from going all the way, could it be all the lofty expectations?)
3. Giants (G-Men have some good games and threaten to make the playoffs, but can't get it done in a very tough division)
4. Redskins (Shanahan is a long way removed from his Super Bowl wins, and it shows as his team struggles again with no franchise players)

South-
1. Falcons* (They unseat the Saints as the class of this division with strong Matty Ice and his very talented Offensive crew)
2. Saints* (Drew and Co. still have some gas left in the tank and will be dangerous as a hungry Wild Card team)
3. Buccaneers (It's too bad they are in this division because they have all the elements of a playoff contender, unlike anybody in the NFC West)
4. Panthers (Cam Newton or Jimmy Clausen? That's just one of many problems that this rebuilding team will have to deal with this year)

North-
1. Packers* (I hate to be a homer, but the Super Bowl champs look just as good, if not better than last year as they welcome back some good players who spent last year on IR)
2. Bears* (With a flurry of off season moves, the Bears take time to get rolling, but finish strong and snag the Wild Card)
3. Lions (Detroit is finally moving in the right direction, and they will brutalize opponents with their D-line of Suh and Fairley)
4. Vikings (There's work to be done in Minnesota where a lot of new pieces need to be put in place including at QB with a rookie vs. a veteran)

West-
1. Cardinals* (After a sub-par 2010, Kevin Kolb and Larry Fitzgeral lead the red birds back to the playoffs)
2. Seahawks (A lot of new players show promise for the future, but not the immediate future)
3. Rams (Stafford keeps his team moving in the right direction with some impressive wins, but just not enough of them)
4. 49ers (Jim Harbaugh's first year will be rocky, but his boy Andrew Luck might await in the 2012 draft)

AFC

East-
1. Patriots* (Brady likes playing with his new teammates and gets back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 18-1)
2. Jets* (The Jets do all they can to get to the big game, but they just don't have enough offense when it counts against the team above them)
3. Dolphins (They have some talent, but not enough at the skill positions to unseat the Pats or Jets)
4. Bills (They show flashes of greatness, but they are basically the JV team in this high powered division)

South-
1. Colts* (It must be getting old for the other teams in this division because all Manning and the Colts do is win every single year)
2. Jaguars (Once again, the Jags threaten and almost unseat the Colts, but they lack a QB to put them over the top)
3. Texans (They will also play the role of bridesmaid in the South, as Arian Foster has another season of over 1,000 yards)
4. Titans (Matt Hasselbeck comes in to help groom their QB of the future in a rebuilding year for Tennessee)

North-
1. Ravens* (My pick to win the AFC last year will be strong again with a bruising D and solid O led by Joe Flacco)
2. Browns* (I'm going rogue and picking everyone's favorite losers to make the playoffs for the first time since they came back to the league- Payton Hillis is my boy!)
3. Steelers (Losing the Super Bowl takes its toll on Pittsburgh and they just barely miss out on the playoffs)
4. Bengals (Controversy hurts this already struggling club like it always does- despite some talent at a few positions)

West-
1. Chiefs* (I picked them last year and they didn't disappoint, so maybe they'll get even farther this year, eh?)
2. Chargers (Despite a few showy free agent signings, the Bolts can't quite get past their slightly more efficient rivals in KC)
3. Raiders (New coach, same average team. Maybe they'll surprise us and scare the teams above them, but I doubt it)
4. Broncos (Tebow or Orton? It can't be easy for new coach John Fox, and it won't be. This team won't do much)

AFC Championship- PATRIOTS over RAVENS
NFC Championship- PACKERS over EAGLES
SUPER BOWL XLVI- PACKERS over PATRIOTS

I'm picking my boys from Green Bay to repeat. I know that seems lame, but I didn't pick them last year, so I feel okay picking them this year. GO PACK GO!