Official NFL 2012-2013 Thread

boogieing down all the way to the superbowl...

RG3 looked like a spaz on that drive. And he's a midget!

3 days ago?

Better watch out for Cinci, looking pretty good.

Yeah I guess, I'm watching it on NFL network

it depends on how you define "worst division". obviously, it doesnt feature one of those super bowl favourites

(texans AS, steelers/ravens AN, pats AE, 49ers NW, saints NS, packers NN), like literally any other division does. but when you look bottom up and realize that there are no 1-15, 2-14, 3-13 teams in this division and that is what i think constituts a "weak" division.

Broncos starters whooped SF starters ass.. Manning was looking good.

season predictions coming soon

everyone join in.

predict as much as you want, but AT LEAST:

--> name all division winners & wildcards

Detriot Lions are going to win the super bowl..

AFC:
East - Pats
West - Cheifs
North - Ravens
South - Texans

NFC:
East - Eagles
West - 49ers
North - Lions
South - Falcons

so here are my predictions, hopefully i will be better than last year, wasnt too bad, but definitely not perfect. also have to hide my fandom a little bit more in predictions, always overestimated my favourite teams.

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++++++++++++++++++++++++AFC++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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AFC EAST:
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1 patriots
2 bills
3 jets
4 dolphins
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--90% certain---
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feel kinda confident with this division, i see some trends continuing that started over the last few years and this is the result.
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obviously, the patriots are the favourites and despite their protection issues in the preseason, they will win this division. their defense will be a better unit. it has arguably one of the best linebacker crews now and has versatile guys all over the front 7, which will allow belichick to throw the weirdest stuff at his opponents (just like on offense) without substitutions.

the bills look good and were a solid team before a few key injuries (dline and RB) really hurt them. they might have the best dline in the afc now, and this usually goes a long way.

the jets havent improved, imo. their tebow package/experiment will only lead to the fans screaming for sanchez' head after the first bad games.

the dolphins? wont touch that topic.



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AFC NORTH:
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1 ravens
2 steelers
3 bengals
4 browns
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--50% certain---
----------------

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tough division to predict, this could really be the year where the ravens and steelers end their perennial contender status and the bengals come through, but for now, i will stick with this.
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the ravens will look good but will struggle to generate pressure. they relied a lot on suggs and he masked some of their inefficiencies. look no further than the SD game from last year to see what happens when suggs is taken out of the game (SD used a TE to chip him on EVERY snap). offensively, i am not sold on flacco. not at all.

steelers, although they wanted to shore up their oline via the draft, look like they have still issues protecting big ben. he is always hurt and obviously can play through a lot, but at some point he will miss games. their offense will struggle and their defense is not what it was. polamalu might be the most overrated player in the league. he freerides on every play and that led to two scores in the wildcard loss to denver.

bengals are one of those upcomers who just continued to follow their strategies but they either take this division or finish third. REALLY solid defense, just lacking firepower on either side of the ball.

the browns wont go anyway. weeden and richardson will have to carry a lackluster squad and they wont be able to do so. they have some top-notch players (haden, jackson & thomas), but there is so much air inbetween.



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AFC WEST:
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1 chargers
2 broncos
3 chiefs
4 raiders
----------------
--30% certain---
----------------

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impossible to predict anything. obviously, i am a chargers fan, but the broncos and chiefs (less likely the raiders) will give them a good run for the money. imo, the deepest division in football, featuring 4 playoff-caliber teams. a lot of people are ready to hand the broncos the crown already, but lets not forget that manning played in a mediocre division for most of his time in IND and we have to wait and see how he does in this tough division (even though it lacks a superbowl contender).
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although i am a fanboy, i honestly think the chargers can go places. they have a lot of players returning on defense when they allowed the fewest yards in the league (2 years back) and rely now on three number one picks (ingram, liuget, english) to cause some problems for opposing offenses. with phillips, johnson, barnes, english and ingram, they might feature one of the deepest OLB rotations in the league, essentially turning one of the biggest problems over the last few years into a position of strength. on offense, rivers has to regain his form. i see a slight problem with his arm though, as he constantly underthrows receivers on deep balls (recent example the pick against DAL). he was such an effective deep passer a few years ago and i cant help but wonder if there is any medical problem. their oline looks scary (in the negative way) and hopefully they can get that fixed. i really like their rungame though. ronnie brown and mathews will have some running room behind mcclain, who was another important addition. they really lack top-notch players at defense, but if they play like 2 years back, noone will care.

the broncos, who knows. i think mannings targets are obviously worse than what he had in IND, but you never know. he is such a good player and will continue to lighten it up if he can stay on the field. the oline was a perfect fit for tebow, whom they protected for MINUTES on some occasion after he initially escaped the pocket towards the sidelines. the defense is also a question mark to some extent, but they played awfully well last year over most stretches, so it would be unfair to criticize that.

the chiefs. they really could be the best team in the division. they get a lot of starters back and have such a great talent at RB with charles. really dont like hillis. he wont do much damage and tbh, i cant even see him getting a lot of balls, but who knows. all the chiefs fans say something like "we get these pro bowl players back" (charles, berry) & "we get our starters back" (moeaki, cassel) who missed a lot of time last year. but its not that easy. the packers had what? like 15 people on IR during their super bowl run? but they were a worse team imo when they got all these guys back. football is not just adding piece after piece and everything will work out. the pieces have to form a team and we wont see how this works out until we see some games.

the raiders. they have this awesome speed at DB, WR and RB. but look at their front 7. they arent playing a 3-4, its effectively a 7-0. teams with speed at TE and RB will hurt them. and palmer is not the answer. idk if i saw a legit game from him last year/this preseason, but i am not sure he is worth all the picks they gave up.



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AFC SOUTH:
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1 texans
2 titans
3 jaguars
4 colts
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--80% certain---
----------------

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seems like a shoe-in, especially the first two spots and the last two, although the teams could switch places on both ends.
..................................

the texans look a lot like the 49ers. which is good, in case you were living under a rock the last 12 months. their defense is good and while its hard to follow such an impressive season up with another one, they are just a good team overall. i predict a little dip from their offense, with johnson seemingly dinged up all the time and foster wont carry this team all the time. they missed to pair johnson with another quality receiver and will pay the price after a full offseason of preparation by the solid defenses of the titans and jaguars.

the titans are tough to predict. with britt and johnson healthy, they could do anything they want with an above-average defense having their backs. they really could topple the texans, but they also could find themselves at 3 or 4.

the jaguars have a good defense and maybe blackmon gives them anything to keep opposing defenses from keying in too much on MJD. but gabbert wont give them too much this year.

the colts, we all know how bad they were in all phases. apparently, luck is the real deal, but they are small all over the field and other teams will punish them. their defense was build to play with a lead, let mathis and freeney loose and not allow a big play with their speed. but right now (like last year), there wont be too much leads and i honestly dont know how mathis and freeney will play as OLBs. they are pass rushers and everytime you drop one of them, you lose effectiveness. you cant bring 5 people on every snap either, so we will see this "double demarcus ware" system fail.


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so thats it for the AFC. i will try to analyze the NFC later today. but right now there is a fantasy draft coming up. i really appreciate if you guys read it/comment on it or not, do whatever you want. mostly, i am just doing it for me personally, so i can see what i thought prior to the season and see if i predicted ANYTHING right.

You seem to know a lot about football so maybe you can answer my question.

thanks for that first sentence. means a lot to me :)

well, to be honest, i am pretty much with you and think that mccoy is a good player but, obviously, mccoy hasnt shown the browns that he is THEIR man so far and apparently they were ready to risk another high pick on a QB instead of bolstering a roster in desperate need of some help (especially at WR).



but the second they decided to draft weeden, they had to start him. he is 28 or so, and you have to find out quickly if he can do anything, because he already missed 4-5 years. so i think they start weeden now (almost) regardless of his performance in training camp and preseason.

i see it this way. they either find some team who trades for mccoy or they go back to him if weeden fails because mccoy can afford to "lose" one year on the bench.

in other words, mccoy is a "known" commodity. at this point, you know what you get. they thought weeden could give them more and apparently they will sacrifice this season to find out, because yes, he did look bad.

I'm so ready for payback in Denver against the Broncos on Sunday. Curious to see how this whole Manning thing plays out. Threads for later.

yeah, i read the time wrong. always confusing with calculating "my" time from pacific time, eastern time and whatnot. so apparently, the draft is tomorrow at 9am austrian time instead of 9pm. ok, but now to the NFC
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++++++++++++++++++++++++NFC++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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NFC EAST:
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1 eagles
2 cowboys
3 giants
4 redskins
----------------
--50% certain---
----------------

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omg, i start with the NFC, and see what i have done. the super bowl champions in 3rd place? feihlination, you gotta be kidding me! but i remember that the giants were in line to miss the playoffs before JPP blocked a game-tying, last-second FG. lets just say that this division could very well be the best in football, depending on how far the redskins escape their recent image of medicrity.
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i think the eagles will win it. i said the same last year if i remember right, but last year was a bad time (lockout and all) to assemble such a free-agent pool. their d-line, however, did work out and nothing points that this will be any different. they upgraded their biggest weakness, the LB corps, and therefore i feel justified in ranking them at 1st place. ryans is a potential all-pro (he was just so "cheap" because he is not a good fit in a 3-4) and kendricks wreaked some havoc in the preseason. i also really like boykin and johnson, their rookie nickel corner and 3rd?4th? receiver respectively. but dont get me wrong. this team goes as far as vick goes. he is hurt a lot, yes, but look at his 3 most recent injuries. all of them happened while he showed patience and/or toughness in the pocket. NOT while running. so his "reckless playing style" hasnt put him on the sideline since that famous sandwich tackle against the redskins two years back. so i see no reason to worry. he might miss a few games, but dont forget that the eagles usually have quality backups and dont hesitate to play them, unlike other teams, (cough steelers cough) who cannot afford to sit their banged up starters.

the cowboys are a good team, but very hard to predict. they always find a way to lose, much like my beloved chargers. but when their skill positions are healthy and their oline does ANYTHING, they will be fine. they tried to fix some issues at cornerback, so i think they could be better.

the giants? i am obviously also a patriots fan, so that might be where this is coming from, but i just dont forget that they werent a very good team during the last regular season. and eli hasnt shown consistency. he very well could be headed for a 20+ int season like 2 years back. the running game deteriorated also on some occasions, which will make it even tougher.

the redskins will be a good team and i truly believe that RGIII will give the opposing defenses problems. but they have a lot of holes left in this roster and will need another year.



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NFC NORTH:
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1 bears
2 packers
3 lions
4 vikings
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--60% certain---
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this division (except for last place) is pretty wide open imo. all other 3 teams could win it.
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the bears might not have a whole lot of years left before their defense needs a retooling. but their offense should be improved. cutler is underrated and now he has his old buddy from DEN back.

the packers at 2? yeah. lets just say that i watched some games last year. and, just like i predicted their early playoff exit, i think that they are not as good as anyone says. their defense was worrysome, not even on the "opportunistic" side. woodson is good. but teams throw at him. all the fucking time. even ponder wasnt afraid to look to his side in one of his first starts. rodgers is good, but he is, from a game-management standpoint, no brady and no brees. he NEVER throws the ball away. remember how the knack on him always was that he holds the ball too long? he still does and his offensive line is not good enough to reach a 15-1 mark again. they will probably make the playoffs, i just dont think that they are as good as all the people think they are. the giants mopped the floor with the packers and with perfect refs, it would have been even worse.

the lions, i feel like they will be making a step backwards. stafford to megatron is a great connection. i just think that this team is too immature to handle all the problems a NFL season will throw at you.

the vikings will probably be in the matt barkley sweepstakes from the get go and will have an interesting decision to make come april 2013.



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NFC WEST:
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1 49ers
2 seahakws
3 rams
4 cardinals
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--70% certain---
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the 49ers are clear-cut favourites, but dont be surprised if the seahawks open some eyes. the cards and rams should be at the top during the NFL 2013 draft.
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the 49ers feature a great defense with the best front 7, no doubt about it. but i think you can beat their corners and safeties deep. rogers is their best DB and he wont be a problem, but whitner and goldson are more on the hard-hitting side of safety play and teams will try to test them because otherwise its just almost impossible to do ANY damage. the offense, idk, they have one of the best TEs in davis and a solid RB corps with a good offensive line. they just have to find a way to get the ball deep on the outside.

the seahakws, well lets talk about a team with upside. russell wilson looked as good as you can during the preseason and he beat out a solid starter (jackson) and everyones darling matt flynn for the starting job. but their defense is what makes them truly special. they have a good dline and physicality and playmaking ability all at once in the secondary. watch out!

the rams. idk what to say about them. they have bradford and probably the best RB in the NFL over the last 5 years in jackson, but there are so many other pieces missing. look out for jenkins though. should make some teams pay for missing out on him in the draft.

the cardinals appear to have a good defense, with a lot of above-average players, but they just couldnt fix their QB issues and it will cost them.



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NFC SOUTH:
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1 panthers
2 saints
3 buccaneers
4 falcons
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--40% certain---
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this division (except for last place) is pretty wide open imo. if the bucs can regain their form from a year back, this could be the toughest division in the league.
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i really think that the panthers will win the division. newton looks calm and relaxed in every phase, from pregame to the postgame interviews. he is very intelligent with his running and as one of the best running games behind him to boost. deangelo williams and stewart would both start for A LOT of teams and tolbert gives them a very natural football player with versatility. they really need a 2nd receiver to step up. they have a great allround TE in olsen and a top-10 receiver in smith, but a little help on the other side could very well make them indefensible. offensively, their only problem was newtons decisionmaking when trailing and on long 3rd downs. he should be able to figure that out, though. so fun to watch. their biggest problem overall though was BY FAR their defense. with all-pro beason returning from a game 1 injury last year, luke kuechly, davis, anderson, senn and phillips, they have nasty depth at the linebacker position and also great talent. i think they dont have many holes left. munnerlynn and gamble are good corners. biggest question mark will be the D-line, but they have a lot of young players there who they count on to step up.

the saints. yeah, brees is there and most people dont realize that they (probably only in combination with that nasty passing attack) also feature a tough and hard-nosed running game. they are unstoppable, but their defense has lost their effectiveness it had during their super bowl run. i also think that coaching is very important in the NFL, and i am not sure how they will respond.

the bucs infront of the falcons? dude... i am dead serious. dont forget that this team is just one season removed from being a 10-6 / 11-5 type of team. freeman had his problems last year but they did what they could in free agency. i really like VJAX, he should help them out and with the added attention, mike williams might be able to regain his rookie form too. i also like their run game with martin and blount (blount is one of the most underrated RBs imo).

that leaves me with the falcons. well, they might as well finish first or second. this is more attributed to the potential of the division than it is because the falcons are that bad. but to be honest, i think they are not a very good team. they are good at home, in the comfortable dome, but struggle mightily on the road. they are a 6-10 team on the road. that wont carry them forever. they want to give ryan the keys to their offense, but a little bit like flacco, i just dont know if he can be a top-5 QB.

wildcards i add

AFC
broncos/chiefs (really split on that)
bills (surprise, anyone can pick the steelers)


NFC
cowboys
saints

hard knocks tonight is like methadone before the heroin starts showing up 3 days a week

Really? I would say the AFC west is one of the weakest divisions, with no clear superbowl contenders.

Anyway,

true, its the only division without a legit superbowl contender when you think about it.

but the weakest team will probably finish in the 6-10 area.

thats also unique among all divisions and is what makes a tough division for me. a lot of analysts define weak divisions the same way. bottom up. like the ravens and steelers have been dominant since at least 4 years and were playoff/SB contenders all the time, but the bengals and browns were pushovers for the most part and the browns still are.

in a wildcard race, its tough when youre not having this 2-14 team in your division which almost guarantuees you 2 wins.

bingo, been wearing my steelers shit all week.

footballs back.


cowboys will take it. i dont really care but the giants arent what everybody thinks

FOOOOTTBALLLLLLL! And Cowboys blow dick. They wont win.

Go Giants, I guess? Manning is my fantasy QB. Dude better get me some points!

im in the same position haha along with hakeem nicks then bradshaw in another league. Also, even though I don't like the giants, I HATE the cowboys

Jason PP is beastly

To the guy that said the vikings in the matt barkley sweep stakes....i'd freak if we drafted another QB....build the rest of the team first...then get a QB.

giants wont do shit this year. mark my words

not really a dangerous bet. but i agree

Welcome to Denver, where the Broncos will win the superbowl every single year, no matter what.

Cant wait for this sunday!!! I'm going to the home opener for the chiefs! Lets go!

Dolphins looked good defensively for the first quarter. All went downhill from there. RGIII looked great.

HOLY! that kick was amazing, bounced off the crossbar then in. 63 yards by Akers

Damn, David Akers with a 63 yarder to end the half.

Dang. What's the record? 64?

63

just glad the vikes won.

Stafford was being skiddish in the first half bit came through at the end. Rams put up a fight and our D played great. Good win

He was all "THAT WORKED?!"

this

matt ryan looked like a mvp candidate today.

Let's go BRONCOS! so fucking stoked for this game, manning time

let's go peyton!!

should be a good game. already got my first w of fantasy too. this should just be the icing on the cake.

decker time

replacement refs havent been too bad

my god that was a sexy drive.

Peyton looked like he never left.

So where are all the Bronco haters tonight...... HELLOOOOO??

yeah seriously, vick had what? 56 attempts? how many rushes did mccoy have before that game winning drive? i would guess under 10.

browns really rattled vick, he was on the ground all the time, they blitzed almost every play and thats a win-win, because you take away his running ability and he isnt good enough against the blitz.

they have to work on that. give him easy quick hitters, because teams will do this again to him.

and run mccoy A LOT more, keep them honest, he can make teams pay for blitzing left and right.

but as you said, the game winning drive was good. not all picks were vicks fault, and some were just great plays. that was a game, the eagles would have lost last year.

one meaningless call in a meaningless game during a weekend where they're being more scrutinized than any officials ever.......................................................

we're hiding with james harrison and ryan clark because we're all scared of your brittle, old, untested qb with a .500 playoff winning percentage. super bowl