A Few NFL Pronostimacations… |

We’ve been working today, ahead of the battle between the Titans and Steelers, to aggregate a few predictions from CubicleGM on the upcoming NFL season. As I sit here, hating fellow contributor Mickey for drafting Big Ben on our fantasy team, the following is an attempt to integrate all bets I’ve received from our “expert” squad here at CubicleGM.

Gideon, Smokey, Jake, and I have each composed (after the jump!) a list of our predicted division leaders, playoff winners, and individual award recipients.

From Jake…

NFC North - Bears (11-5)
NFC East – Eagles (11-5)
NFC West - Cardinals (9-7)
NFC South - Saints (10-6)
NFC WC 1 – Vikings (10-6)
NFC WC 2 – Packers (10-6)

Commentary: The NFC North is going to be really, really good this year. And that’s completely and utterly biased. I think the Giants, Panthers and Seahawks will all compete for playoff berths but come up just short.

NFC Champ - Eagles

Commentary: Because I cannot think of anyone else.

AFC North – Steelers (12-4)
AFC East – Patriots (13-3)
AFC West – Chargers (9-7)
AFC South – Colts (12-4)
AFC WC 1 – Titans (11-5)
AFC WC 2 - Texans (10-6)

Commentary: The Pats are back. The trendy pick for the AFC North is Baltimore, but I can’t go against the champs. The Chargers could make the playoffs at 7-9. Finally, the Houston pick is because, like the NCAA bracket, I have a hard time going with chalk. I need an upset, and I love the Texans offense.

AFC Champ – Patriots

Commentary: They are gonna be good. Really good. IF Brady stays healthy. If not then I’m wrong on everything.

SB Champ – New England Patriots (I hate myself for saying it)

MVP – Drew Brees
Defensive Player of the Year – Lance Briggs
Offensive Rookie of the Year (ROY) – Jeremy Maclin
Defensive ROY – B.J. Raji

Commentary: I think Brees has a monster season leading the Saints to the playoffs. Lance Briggs, I had to throw one Bear in there. For the rookies, I went with guys whose teams make the playoffs.

From Gideon, who was too busy at work to provide any detail behind his predictions…

A direct quote: “I go sans commentary – just let the picks speak for themselves (I actually just don’t have the time [to write anything now])…”

NFC North - Packers
NFC East – Giants
NFC West - Seahawks
NFC South - Falcons
NFC WC 1 – Bears
NFC WC 2 – Saints

NFC Champ - Packers

AFC North – Steelers
AFC East – Patriots
AFC West – Chargers
AFC South – Colts
AFC WC 1 – Ravens
AFC WC 2 - Texans

AFC Champ – Ravens

SB Champ – Ravens

MVP – Aaron Rogers
Def. POY – Willis
Off. ROY – Mark “The Dirty” Sanchez
Def. ROY – B.J. Raji

From Monsieur Smokey Cloud…

NFC North - Packers (10-6)
NFC East – Eagles (12-5=4)

NFC West - Cardinals (9-7)

NFC South - Saints (11-5)
NFC WC 1 – Giants (10-6)
NFC WC 2 – Falcons (10-6)

Commentary: Each division will have 2 really good solid teams, and 2 drooling stooges. The NFC South should have the most electrifying football, but but the NFC East will be the strongest division. All anyone can hope for is that the Eagles and Saints, the two perennial favorites in my book, will succumb to injuries that usually occur during a 17 week season.

NFC Champ - Eagles

Commentary: In a perfect world the Saints and the Eagles would end up in the NFC Championship game and the final score would be 42-35 and I’d be black out drunk by halftime.

AFC North – Steelers (11-5)

AFC East – Patriots (13-3)

AFC West – Chargers (9-7)

AFC South – Colts (11-5)

AFC WC 1 – Ravens (10-6)

AFC WC 2 - Texans (10-6)

Commentary: Tomlin is proving to be an all-around better coach, even if he isn’t the cold-hearted strategist Belichick is. Expect them to duke it out for the AFC title. Texans barely edge out the Titans for the last playoff spot.

AFC Champ – Patriots

Commentary: The only thing that can stop them is if Brady gets distracted by the success of his “Entourage” cameo and decides he wants to quit sports and move to Hollywood. Which is not very likely to happen.

Super Bowl Champ – New England Patriots

MVP – Drew Brees

Defensive POY – Mario Williams

Offensive ROY – Percy Harvin

Defensive ROY – Aaron Maybin

Commentary: Brees will be the most visible player to help his team. Mario Williams will finally get the recognition he deserves. Rookies, I think Harvin just because he’ll end up making the highlight reels catching long bomb from a desperate QB, and because I saw Maybin jerseys in Buffalo this weekend.

My Addendum… I apologize, as I fell asleep on the couch and posted whatever we had last night before I fumbled my way to bed. Here are my predictions as an addendum.

NFC North - Vikings (10-6)

NFC East – Eagles (10-6)

NFC West - Cardinals (9-7)

NFC South - Falcons (10-6)

NFC WC 1 – Redskins (10-6)

NFC WC 2 – Giants (9-7)

Commentary: I’m going against the grain here, a bit. I don’t think the Saints will make the playoffs. I actually think the Falcons will take the division, and the Saints, at 9-7, will lose the tiebreaker to the Giants. That’s right, the NFC East will have three playoff teams, including the Redskins.

NFC Champ - Vikings

Commentary: This one hangs by the thread of he-who-shall-not-be-named’s bicep and his ability to pull together a team that looks currently like they’re pulling in a variety of different directions. The second big “if” is the production Adrian Peterson – are we really talking about an LT-in-his-prime type performance? Personally, I see it all lining up, but can see the perspective of others who think the Vikings hype is completely overplayed and the Packers will come out of the NFC North. For some reason, I just feel like this is the year that he-who-shall-not-be-named finally gets his run toward the Super Bowl on the legs of AP and supported by the best defense in football, a run that’s deep enough for SI to break their ban on covering him, only to fall short in the Super Bowl.

AFC North – Steelers (11-5)

AFC East – Patriots (12-4)

AFC West – Chargers (11-5)

AFC South – Texans (10-6)

AFC WC 1 – Ravens (10-6)

AFC WC 2 - Colts (10-6)

Commentary: I’ve got a bit of a twist in the AFC South, too. I believe that this will be the year when the Texans emerge as a competitor in that division; in my predictions, they even finish ahead of the Colts. Ravens finish behind Steelers but are not a team that you want to see in the playoffs. Chargers run away with the AFC West with little competition elsewhere, and the Patriots, however frustrating for the rest of the football world, take advantage of a cupcake division toward a 12-4 year.

AFC Champ – Patriots

Commentary: I’m not as strong on the Patriots out of the AFC as some of my comrades. Sure, Brady and Moss will probably reunite to the tune of 12-15 TDs. But the running game is suspect at best and the defense certainly isn’t any better than last year, and probably worse, assuming Seymour shows up in Oakland. Either way, it’s easy to pick opponents that could trip New England up in the playoffs (Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Houston) but tough to make an argument that it’s all that likely to happen.

Super Bowl Champ – New England Patriots (I hate to do it, I really do)

MVP – Adrian Peterson

Defensive POY – Terrell Suggs

Offensive ROY – Mark “The Dirty” Sanchez

Defensive ROY – Brian Orakpo

Commentary: I believe the Adrian Peterson hype. I just do. Part of the reason is that he’s on my fantasy team; I can’t help it. I need all the good karma that I can get. But he’s also gonna get the ball at least 300 times and hasn’t shown any concern yet with an ability to gain an average of 5 yards every time he touches the ball. Add a tender arm over a long season for Favre and limited red zone options, and AP is getting the ball – a lot – from goal line to goal line. Mark Sanchez also looked remarkably crisp in the preseason, and has plenty of help at tailback. He’ll make good throws, when he needs to, limit his mistakes, and impress in the process. Finally, my best hope for Redskins accolades in 2009 – Brian Orakpo. The transition to OLB will be touch, but Orakpo will flourish with Haynesworth clogging the middle of an opponent’s offensive line. The rookie finishes with more than 10 sacks and 25 tackles for a loss.

Or at least I hope.