2012 NFL Predictions Thread

[Kerb Hohl]

Not sure if we have one of these from way before:

I think I'll be horrendously off because I feel these picks are way too obvious.

1. Packers 13-3
2. Saints 12-4
3. 49ers 12-4
4. Eagles 11-5

5. Lions 10-6
6. Giants 10-6

Outside looking in: Bears, Panthers, Seahawks, Cowboys
I don't like this year: Falcons

1. Patriots 14-2
2. Texans 13-3 (horrendous division)
3. Ravens 11-5
4. Broncos 9-7 (could be anyone in this division)

5. Cincy 9-7 (I don't think they take the next step)
6. Steelers 9-7

Outside looking in: Raiders, Chargers, Jets
I don't like this year: Buffalo

Giants over 49ers
Lions over Eagles
Packers over Giants (this time)
Lions over Saints
Packers over Lions

Ravens over Steelers
Cincy over Broncos
Ravens over Texans
Pats over Cincy
Ravens over Pats

Packers over Ravens

NOTE: I have zero idea/confidence in the playoff picks. Everything seems too "expected" and I hate picking the NFL playoffs and do not have incredible confidence in the Packers winning it all...they do have the best chance out of anyone, though.

[humanrefutation]

Well, you pretty much have the same playoff teams as last year, subbing the Eagles for the Falcons. Based on the recent track record, there seems to be a bit more change from year to year. There always seems to be one team, at least, that comes out of nowhere, and one team that massively disappoints.

I'll eventually get my picks down. Gotta think on it a bit more.

[Wilford Brimley]

Seahawks are my sleeper team

[humanrefutation]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/preview12/story/ ... tions-2012

9/16 predict the Packers will win the Super Bowl.
12/16 predict the Packers will win the NFC.
16/16 predict Packers will win NFC North.
9/16 predict that Aaron Rodgers will win MVP.

Lots of expectations.

[eagle13]

Pro-Bowl=9/11= Rodgers,Jennings,Finley,Sitton,Bulaga,Raji,Tramon,Wood,Clay - Alt=Nelson Lang

All-Pro=4=Rodgers,Sitton,Raji,Clay

[eagle13]

Predicted Opening day 53 man roster

OFFENSE-24 +1
QB-2 Rodgers Harrell
RB-3 Benson GreenA Saine
FB-1 Kuhn
WR-6 JenningsG NelsonJ Cobb JonesJ Driver Gurley
TE-4 Finley WilliamsDJ Crabtree TaylorR
OT-3 Bulaga Newhouse Barclay
OG-3 Sitton Lang Wells
C-2 Saturday EDS

24 + 1 of Starks-RB Datko-OT vet cut-OT


DEFENSE-24 +1
NT-2 Raji Muir
DE-4 Pickett Wilson Worthy Daniels
ILB-4 Hawk SmithDJ Lattimore Francois
OLB-5 Matthews Perry Moses Walden JonesB
S-4 Woodson Burnett McMillan Jennings
CB-5 WilliamsT House Shields Hayward Bush

24 + 1 of Guy-DE Manning-ILB Richardson-S

ST
K Crosby
P Masthay
LS Goode

IR- Bishop Starks*(designate)
PUP- Quarless Sherrod Zombo
SUS- Neal

PS-
Coleman-QB
Tyler-RB
Boykin-WR / Borel-WR
Datko-OT / Draheim-OL
Richardson-S / Levine-S
Ross-CB / Merrill-CB
Manning-LB / SoOto-LB
Guy-DE

[Siefer]

NFC:
1. Packers 13-3
2. 49ers 12-4
3. Saints 11-5
4. Eagles 11-5
5. Lions 10-6
6. Panthers 9-7

AFC:
1. Patriots 13-3
2. Texans 12-4
3. Ravens 12-4
4. Broncos 10-6
5. Steelers 10-6
6. Chargers 9-7

NFC Playoffs:
Saints over Panthers
Eagles over Lions
Packers over Eagles
49ers over Saints
Packers over 49ers

AFC Playoffs:
Ravens over Chargers
Steelers over Broncos
Ravens over Texans
Patriots over Steelers
Patriots over Ravens

Owl:
Packers over Patriots

[rilamann]

I went over each NFC team's schedule so I factor in a team's schedule in my predictions.


NFC West

49ers 11-5
Seahawks 7-9
Rams 4-12
Cardinals 2-14

NFC South

Saints 10-6
Falcons 10-6
Panthers 7-9
Buccaneers 6-10

NFC East

Eagles 10-6
Cowboys 8-8
Giants 7-9
Redskins 5-11

NFC North

Packers 13-3
Bears 10-6
Lions 8-8
Vikings 4-12

Playoff seeds

1.Packers
2.49ers
3,Saints
4.Eagles
5.Bears
6.Falcons

Wild Card

Bears over Eagles
Falcons over Saints

NFC Divisional

Packers over Falcons
Bears over 49ers

NFC Championship

Packers over Bears

Super Bowl

Packers over Patriots


I think with an improved defense and improved running game along with a chip on their shoulder after last season's playoff defeat the Packers win their 2nd Super Bowl in the Mccarthy/Rodgers era.

Rodgers repeats as league MVP and Cedric Benson wins Super Bowl MVP.

Clay returns to 2010 form and wins defensive player of the year.

[MikeIsGood]

Superb Owl | Packers over Texans

MVP | Aaron Rodgers

DPOY | DeMarcus Ware
OPOT | Matt Stafford

OROY | Andrew Luck
DOY | Luke Kuechly

Rushing Leader | DeMarco Murray (I want to make at least one sleeper pick...)
Passing Leader | Matt Stafford
Receiving Leader | Calvin Johnson

[paulpressey25]

McGinn has the Packers at 10-6. Some references to the 1998 season, which was one heck of a struggle.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 62956.html

I'm right there with him.

[trwi7]

McGinn has the Packers at 10-6. Some references to the 1998 season, which was one heck of a struggle.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/ ... 62956.html

I'm right there with him.

Of course you are.

[LUKE23]

It's funny how he predicts 10-6, but then lists a ton of reasons they should easily be better. I find this line a joke of reasoning though:

Twenty-three teams in history have finished 14-2, 15-1 or 16-0. On average, those teams won 3.8 fewer games the next season.

First off, that is an average drop. It has no bearing on any one individual team. Secondly, a team can actually be better suited for a playoff run and win less regular season games. See our Super Bowl team. It's all about how you're playing in late December.

The most likely scenario is that the offense drops off some, but is still top 3 in the league and scoring ~30 ppg, and the defense rises to around the 12-15 range. What you have is a no brainer playoff team and how well they do in the playoffs is dependent on health and momentum.

I also don't really care that Rodgers has been off in preseason or training camp. The guy is coming off 4 straight 94+ QB rating seasons, and one of the best seasons of all-time. He's in his prime. He's well prepared. He has weapons. He's going to have a great season.

[ReasonablySober]

I simply can't find six losses in the Packers schedule.

[Kerb Hohl]

It's incredible the stock people put into preseason struggles. If Randall Cobb struggles in preseason, I take notice but don't write him off. If Aaron Rodgers struggles in preseason at the age of what, like 28 after dominating the league the past few years...I do not care AT ALL.

[LUKE23]

I have us at 12-4. My NFC seedings are:

1. Packers: 12-4
2. Eagles: 11-5
3. Falcons: 10-6
4. Niners: 9-7
5. Bears: 10-6
6. Saints: 10-6

Just miss cut: Lions (9-7), Giants (9-7)

NFC to me is pretty damn stacked this year. I see 8 teams capable of winning 11+ games, based on how things go.

[humanrefutation]

1. Packers 13-3
2. Eagles 12-4
3. 49ers 11-5
4. Falcons 10-6
5. Bears 11-5
6. Giants 10-6

Biggest Surprise: Bears, though I wouldn't really describe their performance as a "surprise."
Biggest Disappointment: Lions, who drop to 7-9 or 6-10, with Schwartz on the hot seat.

1. Texans 13-3
2. Patriots 13-3
3. Ravens 11-5
4. Chargers 10-6
5. Broncos 9-7
6. Steelers 9-7

Biggest Surprise: Texans blast through the conference due to an easy division. But, I think the Raiders and Titans will be sneaky good this season, and will be fighting for a playoff spot down to the wire.

Biggest Disappointment: Bengals, who I think take a step back. I think the Jets have an awful season, going something like 5-11 or 4-12.
---

NFC Championship: Packers OVER Bears
AFC Championship: Ravens OVER Patriots

Super Bowl: Packers OVER Ravens

--

MVP: Aaron Rodgers (I honestly do not think there is a better player in the NFL right now.)

DPOY: Jason Pierre-Paul (I'd say Tramon, who I think will finally join the ranks of Revis and Asomugha as premiere CBs, but I don't think he'll have the stats to back it up because teams will be picking on Bush/House/Shields and company).

COY: Gary Kubiak
OROY: Trent Richardson
DROY: Melvin Ingram

[Badgerlander]

I predict that the replacement refs are going to be awful.

[paulpressey25]

My concern is that if you look at the Super Bowl winning team from 20-months prior, we've lost the following:

Cullen Jenkins, Nick Collins, Desmond Bishop, Chad Clifton, Scott Wells.

I don't really feel like we've replaced any of them, albeit Jeff Saturday theoretically is a wash but he's a lot older. For me it still comes back to whether the O-line can protect Rodgers and the front 7 can apply significant pass rush. Plausible it all comes together and young guys step up. I just don't feel confident in either of those things at the moment. At least 4-5 guys from the 2011 and 2012 draft class need to make the leap here.

[trwi7]

You're concerned because they lost Cullen Jenkins (went 15-1 without him last year), Nick Collins (played from week 3 on without him last year), Chad Clifton (old, hurt and mediocre at best last year) and Scott Wells (replaced with Saturday).

Losing Bishop sucks and I know our defense wasn't good but once again when it comes to the Packers, you're just being contrarian.

[LUKE23]

My concern is that if you look at the Super Bowl winning team from 20-months prior, we've lost the following:

Cullen Jenkins, Nick Collins, Desmond Bishop, Chad Clifton, Scott Wells.

I don't really feel like we've replaced any of them, albeit Jeff Saturday theoretically is a wash but he's a lot older. For me it still comes back to whether the O-line can protect Rodgers and the front 7 can apply significant pass rush. Plausible it all comes together and young guys step up. I just don't feel confident in either of those things at the moment. At least 4-5 guys from the 2011 and 2012 draft class need to make the leap here.

Do you have any idea how bad Clifton was in the second half of last year? Even if Newhouse isn't a stud LT, he's definitely an upgrade over second half of 2011 Clifton. He was done. Saturday and Wells is at worst a minor downgrade. The starting OL is fine, it's the depth that is the problem. It's probably the only position on the team that we don't have sufficient depth.

The DL won't have as many sacks as the Super Bowl year, but they have more depth and there is talent there. You need to let it develop though, that's where the team is.

This team is built on its offense. It's loaded on that end and has the best player in the league in his prime. This is a pass and stop the pass league. We're going to do one at an elite level. We need to do the other one at a solid level.

The Patriots were 15th in PPG allowed and the Giants were 25th in PPG allowed last season. The days of needing an elite defense to win a SB are over. You do need a great offense and your D to play well in key moments.