Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Annual NFL Predictions

It's that time again, kiddies!  Time for the Vulture's Guaranteed-to-be-wrong picks for the the NFL Season.  Last year I predicted a Giants-Patriots rematch in the Super Bowl.  That was, as they say, not a very astute pick.  I also picked the 49ers to win the West.  Suffice it to say that the Cardinals had one last fling left due to their future Hall of Fame quarterback.

But this year is going to be different.  This year I'm gonna nail my picks.  You'll see!

Okay, I'm back on planet Earth.  These picks haven't got a snowball's chance in Arizona of coming to pass.  Yet pick them I must.  It's the very definition of insanity.

NFC East: Cowboys (11-5)
NFC North: Packers (11-5)
NFC South: Saints (12-4)
NFC West: 49ers (10-6)
NFC W/C: Vikings (11-5) and Eagles (9-7)

AFC East: Jets (11-5)
AFC North: Ravens (12-4)
AFC South: Colts (13-3)
AFC West: Chargers (11-5)
AFC W/C: Patriots (11-5) and Titans (11-5)

NFC Championship Game: Packers at Saints
AFC Championship Game: Ravens at Colts

NFC Champion: Saints
AFC Champion: Ravens
Super Bowl Champion: Saints

The 49ers will win the gawd-awful West by default. The Cardinals will return to playing Cardinals football (cover your eyes awful). The Rams are pitiful. And the Seabags are too old and brittle.

So what of my picks for the Super Bowl?  It wasn't easy this year, let me tell you.  The "experts" are all leaning to the Cowboys from the NFC.  I can't go there.  The Cowboys have to prove to me that they can get through a post season w/o choking.  And the Saints are, if anything, even better this year than last year.

The Colts are the trendy pick in the AFC -- that is, among those not picking the Jets.  I can't go there.  Mark Sanchez hasn't proved to me that he can win games.  It's one thing to stay out of the way to keep your team from losing (the 2000 Ravens Trent Dilfer model for winning).  It's another to actually be able to lead your team to victory.  The Ravens have that guy.  Joe Flacco is on the verge of emerging as a first-tier quarterback.  That, along with the Ravens tough defense, will be the difference that will get them back to the Super Bowl.

Think I'm wrong?  Think I'm full of it?  Let me know what you think.

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