Alright, so I finally got around to finishing my pre-season predictions, less than 45 minutes before the kick off of week two. I know this is technically cheating. I don't give a fuck. If you are honest, neither do you.
Pre-season did not give me much certainty about things in the year to come. It was a very average, run-of-the-mill business year. I needed week one to give me some clarity about what I thought I saw during the pre-season. I think it did, with one noteworthy exception.
As a result of week one, I have made three changes to my chart. I have dropped the Falcons from the playoff picture, and I now expect the Saints to repeat, and not just as NFC South champs. I have also inserted the Giants as one of the two NFC Wildcard teams. I have also dropped the Jets from the playoff picture, inserting the Patriots as the AFC Wildcard.
Justifications
It would appear that the Saints have escaped the Vicodin scandal with ease. Presently, there is no word about the Federal DEA investigation. It also looks like they are rolling. Further, the South looks worse than I expected. The Saints show no signs of weakness in this new season. I think they are going to make one hell of a run.
The Falcons are off and stumbling, losing to an exposed and vulnerable Steeler team that was ripe for plucking. They did not look particularly good in Pre-Season. I think this is going to be another very disappointing season for those of us who believed that the Falcons had assembled the nucleus of a Super Bowl champ.
Much as I suspected, the Jets cut their own balls off when they released Alan Faneca and Thomas Jones. Their offense looks just plain terrible. They looked terrible throughout the pre-season, and they struggled something ugly against the Ravens. Even with Faneca and Thomas Jones, their two offensive MVPs of 2009, the Jets were only 9-7 by a gift from the Colts, and they backed into the playoffs. Only those smoking copious quantities of crack think the Jets are going to Super Bowl 45.
You know that I am not strong on the Patriots, but when I look around the AFC trying to find a second wildcard team, I only see two other possibilities: The Titans, and the Bengals. The Patriots already own a 1-game head to head tie breaker with the Bengals. I am not entirely sold on the Titan defense, despite a tremendous performance against the Raiders. Neither am I sold on the Patriot defense, but they have an easier division to play in.
There you have it ladies and germs: My pre-season predictions, one week late.
