We've reached the midpoint of the NFL season. So, since Toes just LOVES it when I write about football, and yodaddy just LOVES it when I write about the Niners, I'll annoy two of my regulars with one post.
I think it's safe to say that my preseason predictions were a little, uh, off. Here is the breakdown.
| NFC | ||
| Division/WC | Prediction | Actual |
| East | Eagles 11-5 | Cowboys 6-2 |
| North | Vikings 11-5 | Vikings 7-1 |
| South | Saints 10-6 | Saints 8-0 |
| West | 49ers 9-7 | Cardinals 5-3 |
| Wild Card | Giants 11-5 | Eagles 5-3 |
| Wild Card | Bears 10-6 | Falcons 5-3 |
| AFC | ||
| Division/WC | Prediction | Actual |
| East | Patriots 13-3 | Patriots 6-2 |
| North | Steelers 11-5 | Bengals 6-2 |
| South | Colts 12-4 | Colts 8-0 |
| West | Chargers 11-5 | Broncos 6-2 |
| Wild Card | Ravens 11-5 | Steelers 6-2 |
| Wild Card | Titans 11-5 | Chargers 5-3 |
As you can see, not TOO bad...but there are holes. I was right in picking the Colts to unseat the Titans, and the Vikings and Saints to rise to the top of their divisions. But the Titans, Ravens, and Bears? Oy!
Can the 49ers still rally to win the West? That depends on which Arizona Cardinals team shows up for the second half of the season; the one that crapped the bed against the Panthers, or the one that wiped the floor with the Bears. I can realistically see the 49ers winning 6 of their remaining 8 games; there are only two legitimate playoff teams left in their schedule (the Eagles and Cardinals).
I picked the Giants to win the NFC. I'm amending that posthaste. Either the Vikings of the Saints will win the NFC. No one else is even close to their level.
Dallas will NOT win the East. No team coached by Wade Phillips will ever win squat. The Giants are my pick to win the East, since the Eagles can't seem to beat pushover teams like the Raiders.
The Bengals are the real deal, but they'll be a Wild Card. The Steelers look invincible.
The Broncos are starting to come back to earth. As flawed as the Chargers are, I believe they'll pass the Broncos and win the West.
The Patriots (my preseason pick for AFC and Super Bowl Champions) are rounding into form and playing quite well. The Colts are undefeated, but they're hardly a super team; they'll lose soon enough, and won't have enough to win the AFC. I stand by my pick of the Pats to win the AFC, barring a surge by the Steelers.
The season is half way over (*sniff*). There is much great football left to play. Let's hope the Niners can overcome the Michael Crabtree curse and rise to the top.
