Pre-Preseason Playoff Predictions

[Clayton]

The only teams I can realistically see improving over last year are the Broncos, Colts, Browns and Raiders.

Things change in the NFL all of the time. No one saw the Rams or Eagles being as good as they were last year.

The odds of the NFC maintaining a large advantage are pretty slim, imo

 

[Roy Munson]

Things change in the NFL all of the time. No one saw the Rams or Eagles being as good as they were last year.

I'd be lying if I said I thought they'd win it all at this time last year.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

I seem to think there was a huge opportune situation in Cleveland as well last year and we see how that turned out. I don't see Lamar Jackson being a factor in Baltimore unless Flacco gets hurt badly and early. I have 0 confidence in Ryan Tannehill whatsoever. I believe 2 years ago making the playoffs was a fluke. I agree with Watson and Mahomes, however I would argue that Mahomes being, technically, a rookie starter, doesn't bode well for the Chiefs and Watson is coming off of a leg injury and that Texans team did not improve at all on offense. All they did was claim Sammie Coates off of waivers which does nothing for that team. If you say that the Giants plain ole suck, then you have to say the same about the Jets. No matter who is at the QB spot, you either have a career backup in McCown who won 5 games last year, a rookie USC QB which has never gone well, Bridgewater who has played very limited regular season football since having a horrendous injury 2 years ago, and Hackenberg who has thrown 22 passes in 2 years. Andrew Luck coming back to Indy immediately gives them at least 3-4 more wins than last year but you still have to factor in a healthy Aaron Rodgers give the Packers 4-5 more wins, Jimmy G in San Fran gives them, for arguments sake, 2-3 more wins, the Giants' season last year was a fluke so give them 3-4 more wins. Right there is your 20 win margin.

To add to your argument, Keenum in Denver and Carr in Oakland, I think, give their respective teams more wins this year. But I still think the NFC is that much superior than the AFC. NFC had 18 wins more than the AFC last year, with a healthy Rodgers, Jimmy G in San Fran and the Giants not having a fluke-like bad season, I can easily see the NFC having 20+ more wins than the AFC. Not to mention, the QB play in the NFC is far superior than the QB play in the AFC. Aside from the Steelers and Patriots (barring few instances), what team can say they are completely secure in their QB roster?

Even last year when you regress 1 score games to .500, the mark goes from 41-23 NFL to 37.5-26.5 NFC, and as pointed out already the AFC is adding a lot of QB talent and/or returning it. The odds of the NFC getting to 20 over the AFC is fanciful at best. The NFCN and NFCW in particular probably. The gap is probably closer to 10, if that, but no where near 20.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

You could say the same for the QBs in the NFC. A healthy Rodgers give Green Bay at least 3 more wins over last year right? Jimmy G in San Fran gets them maybe 7 wins? What if good Eli shows up for the Giants? What if Russell Wilson gets back to Super Bowl caliber play? What if Trubisky surprises some and leads the Bears to 6 or 7 wins? Kirk Cousins actually has a team around him now, can the Vikings be lethal in the NFC? Cam has a revamped offense, could this be another MVP season?

The only teams I can realistically see improving over last year are the Broncos, Colts, Browns and Raiders and the only reason I add the Browns in there is because there's no way they go winless in 2 straight seasons. I see the addition of a healthy Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay sorta making up for the wins from Luck, I see the Giants winning alot more than 3 games because last year was just a fluke year and that cancels out the wins that Keenum might give Denver, Cousins in Minnesota might actually be dangerous and then you have what we've seen from Jimmy G in San Fran possibly being just a peak of what is to come this year. It's gonna be an interesting year no matter what.

Alright, let's look at this:

NYG: NOPE
WSH: Nope
DAL: probably not
PHI: probably not

GB: Yep
Chi: Yep
DET: Nope
Minn: Yes

SEA: No
SF: Yes
AZ: Yes
LAR: No

TB: No
NO: No
ATL: No
CAR: No

5 yes
9 no
2 maybes

AFC

NE: No
BUF: NOPE
NYJ: Yes
MIA: Yes

KC: Maybe
Den: Yes
Oak: Yes
LAC: No

Pitt: No
BAL: Yes
CLE: Yes
Cin: No

Ind: Yes
Tenn: Yes
HOU: Yes
Jax: no

9 yes
6 no
1 maybe

AFC is adding more than the NFC is at the QB position; considerably more room to grow, but still. This is not something you can say "well the NFC is doing it too" and get away with it.

 

[FSU rules]

#1 NE
#2 PIT
#3 HOU
#4 LAC
#5 JAX
#6 DEN

#1 GB
#2 SF
#3 ATL
#4 PHI
#5 MIN
#6 LAR

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

stop digging the knife in...

Sorry, I know Andy is a sore subject in Philly but hey you guys have Dougie P

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Alright, let's look at this:

NYG: NOPE
WSH: Nope
DAL: probably not
PHI: probably not

GB: Yep
Chi: Yep
DET: Nope
Minn: Yes

SEA: No
SF: Yes
AZ: Yes
LAR: No

TB: No
NO: No
ATL: No
CAR: No

5 yes
9 no
2 maybes

AFC

NE: No
BUF: NOPE
NYJ: Yes
MIA: Yes

KC: Maybe
Den: Yes
Oak: Yes
LAC: No

Pitt: No
BAL: Yes
CLE: Yes
Cin: No

Ind: Yes
Tenn: Yes
HOU: Yes
Jax: no

9 yes
6 no
1 maybe

AFC is adding more than the NFC is at the QB position; considerably more room to grow, but still. This is not something you can say "well the NFC is doing it too" and get away with it.

Just my estimation of things, but the AFC is adding more QB talent the NFC via FA, health, and the draft and stand to benefit from 1 score regression in the actual matchups themselves.

Jets, Dolphins, Baltimore, Cleveland, Indy, Tenn, and Houston are probably getting more out of the QB position than they were last year. That's before getting into the weeds and looking glass for guys like Mahomes and Keenum.

Felt like bumping this since the NFC thang has been brought up again.