2009 NFP Season Predictions

wow?? you guys really went out on a limb, every team in your predictions won 9 games or was in the playoffs........Lombardi, I expected more from you, but you just went along with talking heads instead of picking your gut.......I know there is one team you are thinking may surprise and you didn't wanna go out on a limb.........the rest of you need to do some homework on how successful rookie coaches have been in the last five years and how many teams have gone from worst to first......you didn't pick one, oh yeah, the Saints, wow if they aren't on everyones list. Well at least I can say I enjoy your insights when it comes to the other aspects of the game.....just stop picking winners.

What, no Seattle this year? ;-)

So yesterday, NFP named the Steelers #1 in their power rankings, but today no one predicts the Steelers will even make it to the AFC title game?

I can't say I'm displeased, but I must say I'm surprised. If there were any consistency, you'd think NFP would have named Chargers, Patriots, Saints, Ravens, Eagles, Bears as their top 6 since those are the teams ya'll seem to think have a shot at being elite this year.

Two of the best coached teams in football, an entire summer to plan and scheme.

Heath Miller or one of the Titans bevy of TE should be the difference maker. Everything else is about a given. If Sweed emerges in the three set it should take all the focus off Miller. The Titans will need a lot of extra TE at times just to check the Steelers blitz options to both edges of a formation.

Apparently, unless you pick the Bengals over the Lions in the Super Bowl, your picks are garbage according to chris.

Good picks overall guys - I like to see how all your articles and insider info translates into actual wins and losses. Can't say I'm disappointed two of you picked the Birds either ;)

Do you guys honestly believe the Saints have done enough defensively to a)win the division b)win the SB?

That is FAR from a championship defense. Malcolm Jenkins doesn't change that...Christ Brees put up 5000 yards and came last place in the division - and you think facing the NFC and AFC East is gonna make it easier on them now? I'd like to hear the explanations behind that one...

And this Wes Bunting guy looks like a Grade A douche for not having Eagles in the playoffs. Cowboys? LOL; Where did they get you from bud, the George Washington Elementary Gazette?

Patriots had big questions defensively BEFORE the Seymour trade; look at the 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2007 teams - I know all you media guys get a boner when you hear the name Tom Brady - but all those teams were predicated by a pretty damn good D.

@Chris

What do you want then? Someone to say Lions over Chiefs in the Super Bowl?

What is the point of doing that?

Gustini is the only one on here who sees the real story--BEAR.

@Macho Harris

Start your own blog and make some picks, so we can all come over there for real insight.

Brutal.

Oh don't you worry.... we'll let ya know what we think.

Joe - the SAINTS? Hand over your crack pipe, buddy. Dial 1-800-NO2-DRGS. Falcons, baby. Falcons.

Lombardi - I love you, but the Chargers are overrated. That's like saying, "I'll take Ivan Lendl over Rafael Nadal in four sets at Wimbledon." The Chargers are done...like Lendl... but they were, admittedly, pretty good at one time... but that time is gone with the wind, frankly.

And why is everybody so high on the Eagles? I guess that's better than being high on the Cowboys, so I'll shut up about that division.

Gustini - the Broncos in the Wildcard? I guess stranger things have happened. Like this one time when I dreamed about being famous and on TV - and then the local news showed me on the 6 o'clock news before a Titans game against Green Bay saying, "I have some cheese in my teeth..." and made my Mama proud.

I think the Steelers will "find a way" to win the AFC North - as much as I hate them. The Ravens are aggressive, but I foresee some injuries to some of their old ass linebackers.

Patriots or Bears winning the Super Bowl.... I can see it. I can see either one. I can also see the Pack, the Titans, the Steelers, Colts or Cardinals.

GO TITANS.

Interesting choice by Gustini to leave the Colts out of the playoffs, with the Broncos beating them out. Do you see the Colts falling back a long ways, or see the Broncos getting some easy wins from the AFC West, or some mixture of both? I'd love to read more about it, since you were the only one to not pick the Colts.

Norm from Cheers - Wes Bunting

Wes get back to work - if you can't handle the heat - don't make dumb predictions.

Sorry Macho, but I work in Boston... thanks for asking.

Go Pats.

Yeah, the problem here is that recent history tells us that every year there will be at least ONE out of nowhere team that makes the playoffs. Other than Gustini's inspired choice of the Broncos, no one else had the sack to make an even slightly unconventional choice. You are providing the same kind of conventional predictions that I can get from Peter King.

By the way, who the heck are these "Comment Police" who seem to think its their duty to chase off anyone who has the temerity to question or criticize the writers? Lame.

@Norm
Ahh so it's the Pats comment then; you can't deny that the Patriot D is a question mark at the very least man.

I mean yea, Wilfork, Mayo and Thomas - it's a pretty sure bet that they will be good. But there are 11 guys on that D, many of them new to the system, not to mention your dealing with a scheme change. Is Brace a lock at DT? Is Warren fast enough be an edge rusher? Does Springs still have it?

The Patriots have been a good D for a long time - with Vrabel, Bruschi, Harrison and Seymour; sure Pats fans like to say how those guys are old, and they don't have it anymore etc etc. That still doesn't change the fact that those guys have been stalwarts of that D for a long time, including the teams glory years. Is it really such a lock that all these new faces - alot of them rookies or 1 year in without alot of experience - are going to seamlessly replace these guys?

A Pats fan said the other day "does it really matter about the D if the O is putting up 56 points a game?"; my answer - "ask Drew Brees how that works out."

I'm not a Patriot hater, so don't take it that way - I have some of the same questions about my beloved birds, just not as many.

Scot-

I am pretty sure that the Seahawks won 4 games last season, if that can make a case for your argument.

As for the comment police, they don't usually allow comments to be approved that have vulgar language, etc.

NFP rocks...seems like the readers are hardcore, but knowledgeable and the insight is awesome...I have beef that only 2 guys picked the Vikes for the playoffs. Oh well, at least half of the guys picked NFC teams. Did anyone else notice that ESPN writers were AFC across the board? I'm curious where all the Cowboys fans are here...my sister lives down in Dallas and hopes are high...so far not much outcry from TX here on the NFP.

I'm sort of surprised nobody on the whole staff has gone out on a limb here and gone with the Jets for a wild card spot. Got a new, fired-up coach that can't possibly be worse than Mangina. Got a QB with a healthy shoulder, a good backfield, decent WRs and TEs and a respectable line. Some good additions on the defense. I don't put much stock in the pre-season but they put up more points than any other team in the league. You give a Rex Ryan defense an offense that can put up points, that says play-offs to me. And that's coming from a Packers fan.

Can't see the Chargers going to the AFC title game much less the big one. Very interesting that only two of you have the Vikes making the play-offs at all - gotta disagree with Scot there as that's pretty unconventional. Awful lot of love for the Colts given the turnover they experienced this off-season and that Bob Sanders isn't expected to take the field till Mid October.

On the whole, not bad but that's the nature of predicting this early.

Yeah, I guess you could make an argument that the Seahawks are a "bold" choice, but I think they are generally expected to contend in a questionable division. But last year we had the Dolphins, Falcons, Titans, and Ravens that pretty much came out of nowhere (i.e. nobody was picking them to win much at all). I'm not saying that everyone's picks were winners last year, because that is clearly not true (Seahawks, Packers, etc). But again, other than Ray's pick of the Broncos, I don't see any bold predictions. And given that we KNOW that at least one team is going to come out of nowhere and greatly exceed expectations this year, I would have liked to see our "experts" fulfill their titles and each try to identify at least one team that would do so.

As for the commenting police query, I don't have a problem with NFP monitoring posts for vulgarity. I have a problem with the increasing tendency of certain posters to tell others to shut up whenever they offer any criticism of the product.

Atlanta is undervalued

Actually, to the first guys comment, Seattle, New Orleans, Houston, and Denver all didn't have 9 wins in 2008 and didn't make the playoffs. So get your facts strait.

I understand the Bears are going to be improved... I get it... but I'm not buying the Super Bowl hype. This is not, and will not be the same defense they had 3 years ago. Will they be OK? Yes... Top 10? I highly doubt it.

The offense should open up a little more, but they do have a QB, who, really hasn't accomplished anything in an offense that had BOTH RBs and WRs in Denver.

The Bears are playing apparently the easiest schedule in the league... thanks to the Lions. However, I'll give you 9 (arguably 11) reasons they may not even be over .500. Green Bay (2x), Minnesota (2x), Seattle, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Philly (and arguably San Fran and Baltimore). All of these teams already are, or could very well be better than the Bears as the season progresses.

I understand the Bears are going to be improved... I get it... but I'm not buying the Super Bowl hype. This is not, and will not be the same defense they had 3 years ago. Will they be OK? Yes... Top 10? I highly doubt it.

The offense should open up a little more, but they do have a QB, who, really hasn't accomplished anything in an offense that had BOTH RBs and WRs in Denver.

The Bears are playing apparently the easiest schedule in the league... thanks to the Lions. However, I'll give you 9 (arguably 11) reasons they may not even be over .500. Green Bay (2x), Minnesota (2x), Seattle, Arizona, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Philly (and arguably San Fran and Baltimore). All of these teams already are, or could very well be better than the Bears as the season progresses.