NFL 2015 Predictions...

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 10:54 am

Since I haven't seen the topic yet...

AFC:
East - Pats (10-6)
North - Ravens (9-7)
South - Colts (13-3)
West - Broncos (10-6)
Wildcards - Dolphins (10-6), Steelers (9-7)

NFC:
East - Cowboys (11-5)
North - Packers (10-6)
South - Falcons (10-6)
West - Seahawks (13-3)
Wildcards - Eagles (10-6), Vikings (9-7)

AFCCG: Colts over Pats
NFCCG: Hawks over Eagles

SuperBowl: Hawks over Colts

Big Story Lines:
Pats really miss Revis and Wilfork.
Falcons have a rebound year with the new coach.
Colts dominate a terrible division.
Chancellor comes back after sitting out first 3 games.
Skins play musical QB's all season, are a complete disaster.

First Coach Fired:
Jay Gruden

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 1:53 pm

AFC:
East - Pats
North - Ravens
South - Colts
West - Chiefs
Wildcards - Dolphins, Steelers

NFC:
East - Cowboys
North - Packers
South - Panthers
West - Seahawks
Wildcards - Cardinals, Vikings

SuperBowl: Cowboys over Ravens

Big Story Lines:
Bye bye Peyton - Broncos plummet
Bills have a top 3 defence and don't sniff the playoffs
Sam Bradford goes down in week 6 and finishes the year with more td passes than all Browns QBs combined
Skins play musical QB's all season, are a complete disaster.

First Coach Fired:
Jay Gruden (obvious front runner)
I'll throw Jim Caldwell's name out here too.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:07 pm

Pruitt wrote:First Coach Fired:
Jay Gruden (obvious front runner)
I'll throw Jim Caldwell's name out here too.

Considering it's only Caldwell's second year in Detroit and they're coming off an 11-5 season what exactly do you think he'd have to do to get fired during the season? Short of him getting arrested for something, I don't see it.

Post by **Sabo** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:22 pm

AFC:
East: Pats
North: Steelers
South: Colts
West: Broncos
Wildcards: Dolphins, Bengals

NFC:
East: Eagles
North: Packers
South: Saints
West: Seahawks
Wildcards: Cowboys, Lions

AFCCG: Pats over Broncos
NFCCG: Packers over Seahawks

Super Bowl: Packers over Pats

Big story lines:

- Oakland Raiders contend for playoff berth but fail because of Al Davis.
- Patriots caught cheating again. Let's go big time and say the assistant understudy to the associate groundskeeper is discovered to have paid off Ed Hochuli with bicep implants.
- Roger Goodell gets a concussion after falling down some stairs, continues to suspend players while in pain.
- Browns defensive players, frustrated by the team's sixth straight 9-6 defeat, corner whatever carcass is QBing the Browns at that time and beat the living shit out of him/her.

First coach fired:

Jay Gruden

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:25 pm

Just did an excel random on the schedule and here you go. Pretty sure this will be 100% accurate ...

AFC East: Dolphins
AFC North: Steelers
AFC South: Titans
AFC West: Raiders
AFC WC 1: Texans
AFC WC 2: Patriots

NFC East: Eagles
NFC North: Vikings
NFC South: Saints
NFC West: Seahawks
NFC WC 1: Redskins
NFC WC 2: Packers

AFCCG: Titans over Texans
NFCCG: Seahawks over Packers
Super Bowl Champs: Seahawks
Biggest Cheaters: Patriots

First Coach Fired: Cowboys HC

Biggest Story: Did Mister D drag a team sorted by wins into the wrong conference???

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:25 pm

Sabo wrote:- Patriots caught cheating again. Let's go big time and say the assistant understudy to the associate groundskeeper is discovered to have paid off Ed Hochuli with bicep implants.

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:37 pm

brian wrote:
Pruitt wrote:First Coach Fired:
Jay Gruden (obvious front runner)
I'll throw Jim Caldwell's name out here too.
Considering it's only Caldwell's second year in Detroit and they're coming off an 11-5 season what exactly do you think he'd have to do to get fired during the season? Short of him getting arrested for something, I don't see it.

Not saying this had anything to do with Pruitt's post but one thing that pissed me off about the huge audience that Bill Simmons had at ESPN is that he would frequently just pull things out of his ass and people would treat it as gospel. For example, Simmons was frequently critical of Caldwell -- which I've noticed is a pattern with him and more reserved African-American coaches -- even though if you take out the Peyton injury year, Caldwell has a solid track record as an NFL coach. But I bet that a lot of people think Caldwell sucks because Simmons made a lot of hilarious jokes about him not blinking often.

BSF21 · Post by **BSF21** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:40 pm

Joe K wrote:
brian wrote:
Pruitt wrote:First Coach Fired:
Jay Gruden (obvious front runner)
I'll throw Jim Caldwell's name out here too.
Considering it's only Caldwell's second year in Detroit and they're coming off an 11-5 season what exactly do you think he'd have to do to get fired during the season? Short of him getting arrested for something, I don't see it.
Not saying this had anything to do with Pruitt's post but one thing that pissed me off about the huge audience that Bill Simmons had at ESPN is that he would frequently just pull things out of his ass and people would treat it as gospel. For example, Simmons was frequently critical of Caldwell -- which I've noticed is a pattern with him and more reserved African-American coaches -- even though if you take out the Peyton injury year, Caldwell has a solid track record as an NFL coach. But I bet that a lot of people think Caldwell sucks because Simmons made a lot of hilarious jokes about him not blinking often.

Caldwell blows I could care less if he's green. I don't care for Simmons. I don't care about your stats. I saw him either choke away or do his damndest to choke away more games for his short time here in Indy than I care to think about. The fact that he has a head coaching job just boggles me.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:56 pm

I'm not a Caldwell superfan, he damn near blew a couple of games the Lions should have won more easily last year with his conservative game management and if he does blow those they don't make the playoffs.

That said, he's not going anywhere this season unless he's arrested for something.

ETA: And he very well may have blew the WC game by not going for it on 4th-and-1 at the DAL 42. All that said, you have to take the good with the bad. The players love him and there's not of the histrionics and drama you had with Schwartz and the other idiots the Lions had at coach during the Millen era.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 2:57 pm

Regular season 37-26 (.587)
Postseason 2–3 (.400)
Career record NCAA: 26–63 (.292)
Bowl Games: 1–0 (1.000)

and made some hay off being Peyton's "coach," 24-8 with Peyton, 13-18 without, solid coach indeed.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:00 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
Regular season 37-26 (.587)
Postseason 2–3 (.400)
Career record NCAA: 26–63 (.292)
Bowl Games: 1–0 (1.000)
and made some hay off being Peyton's "coach," 24-8 with Peyton, 13-18 without, solid coach indeed.

Not sure you quite grasp the irony of that statement.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:04 pm

brian wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
Regular season 37-26 (.587)
Postseason 2–3 (.400)
Career record NCAA: 26–63 (.292)
Bowl Games: 1–0 (1.000)
and made some hay off being Peyton's "coach," 24-8 with Peyton, 13-18 without, solid coach indeed.
Not sure you quite grasp the irony of that statement.

Yup, you caught me.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:12 pm

Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:30 pm

brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63

What's his record without cheating?

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:32 pm

brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63

The majority of which was with the Browns, ain't nobody not named Marty gonna succeed there. (He's the coach of one of the two double digit wins teams there since 1990.)

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:33 pm

Jerloma wrote:
brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63
What's his record without cheating?

Pretty close to Chuck Noll's without the widespread steroid use.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:43 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63
The majority of which was with the Browns, ain't nobody not named Marty gonna succeed there. (He's the coach of one of the two double digit wins teams there since 1990.)

OK, then. His record in New England without Brady is 15-18. Caldwell's record without Manning is 24-23.

Post by **Shirley** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:50 pm

I've never gotten used to the idea that Jim Caldwell was able to land an NFL coaching job. Twice. He was a thoroughly shitty coach at Wake Forest for years. When you're a shitty coach at a shitty football school and you get fired, you kind of assume the career isn't heading up from there. In fairness, Wake is a very difficult job, but his successor (Jim Grobe) was MUCH better and pretty immediately turned that program around.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:54 pm

brian wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63
The majority of which was with the Browns, ain't nobody not named Marty gonna succeed there. (He's the coach of one of the two double digit wins teams there since 1990.)
OK, then. His record in New England without Brady is 15-18. Caldwell's record without Manning is 24-23.

Yup, and most of those losses are the first year he took over the shell that Pete Carroll left in New England, the other he had a guy that didn't start in college almost bring the team to the playoffs, yes the other parts of the team were great, but wasn't that Colts team a powerhouse until Manning left?

One can argue between who is better between Manning and Brady, but no one should be comparing Caldwell and Belichick as a HC. Caldwell is a fine OC, but he's one of those really good coordinators, not a cut to be a head coach.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 3:56 pm

If you consider that maybe Belichick didn't trust the backups enough to give them the defensive play calls, 2008 could actually be his best coaching performance.

(I mean, you're obviously not keeping a backup around forever so the risk probably outweighed the reward, even with a Week 1 injury. I bet if that had somehow ended Brady's career, Cassel would be wrapping up a Hall of Fame career right about now instead of languishing.)

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:01 pm

So you get to pick and choose the years and teams and situations you want? I wasn't comparing them except to say that Belichick sucks without Brady, which is demonstrably true regardless of whether it's with Cleveland or New England. He lucked into a Hall of Fame quarterback. It happens.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:09 pm

brian wrote:So you get to pick and choose the years and teams and situations you want? I wasn't comparing them except to say that Belichick sucks without Brady, which is demonstrably true regardless of whether it's with Cleveland or New England. He lucked into a Hall of Fame quarterback. It happens.

Although you neglect to point out that Caldwell is supposedly an offensive coach shouldn't he be able to coach up the parade of crap he's had at QB outside of Manning?

If you really want to compare the best comparison is the years that they went without their QBs that are responsible for their records, no? The year Manning was hurt the Colts went 1-16. The Patriots the year without Brady 10-6.

Post by **brian** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:16 pm

To brush off an old BobbyPentz line, this is like trying to explain quantum physics to a soda can.

I'll just leave it as a Patriots superfan like yourself trying to say Coach X sucks without Quarterback Y is the highest of high comedy.

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:18 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
brian wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63
The majority of which was with the Browns, ain't nobody not named Marty gonna succeed there. (He's the coach of one of the two double digit wins teams there since 1990.)
OK, then. His record in New England without Brady is 15-18. Caldwell's record without Manning is 24-23.
Yup, and most of those losses are the first year he took over the shell that Pete Carroll left in New England, the other he had a guy that didn't start in college almost bring the team to the playoffs, yes the other parts of the team were great, but wasn't that Colts team a powerhouse until Manning left?

One can argue between who is better between Manning and Brady, but no one should be comparing Caldwell and Belichick as a HC. Caldwell is a fine OC, but he's one of those really good coordinators, not a cut to be a head coach.

Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.

DaveInSeattle · Post by **DaveInSeattle** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 4:31 pm

Jerloma wrote:
brian wrote:Super awesome genius Bill Belichick's record without Tom Brady: 52-63
What's his record without cheating?

0-0

Joe K · Post by **Joe K** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 5:27 pm

Shirley wrote:I've never gotten used to the idea that Jim Caldwell was able to land an NFL coaching job. Twice. He was a thoroughly shitty coach at Wake Forest for years. When you're a shitty coach at a shitty football school and you get fired, you kind of assume the career isn't heading up from there. In fairness, Wake is a very difficult job, but his successor (Jim Grobe) was MUCH better and pretty immediately turned that program around.

I'm not a Caldwell fan, I just find the barrage of criticism he got from Simmons and co. to be puzzling given his NFL track record. Yeah, Peyton Manning was awesome, but Caldwell won as many AFC titles with Manning as Dungy did. And I do think you have to give him at least some credit for getting 11 wins out of Detroit. They also would've likely won a road playoff game if not for getting shafted by the refs.

Other than the year Manning got hurt and he had utter crap at QB, his NFL win percentage is solid. And while he may've sucked at Wake, the importance of recruiting makes college coaching an entirely different animal. A lot of NFL coaches who are far better in the pros than Saban was with Miami probably couldn't come anywhere close to his success in college.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Sep 10, 2015 5:53 pm

Brontoburglar wrote:Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.

"After Cassel learned how to win under Belichick" is something I could picture Rush typing with a straight face.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 1:34 am

Brontoburglar wrote:
Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.

Ya, the AFC West at that time was basically a murderer's row.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 1:36 am

mister d wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.
"After Cassel learned how to win under Belichick" is something I could picture Rush typing with a straight face.

Yup, exactly. Got me pinned again.

He was/is a middling QB that benefited from playing with, a great coach and staff, and a running game and offense was built on short passes behind a very good OL. At the time, the Patriots also had a top half defence.

I tell you this because aside from the TMZ aspect of this off-season, and the opportunity to troll and come in with the one-liners, (that I'm sure you snicker about as tell your wife about over dinner) you don't give a shit about the NFL or football in general.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 2:12 am

brian wrote:

I'll just leave it as a Patriots superfan like yourself trying to say Coach X sucks without Quarterback Y is the highest of high comedy.

Crazy that Brady was drafted so high them, eh? You when everyone knew that he was going to be one of the best ever. I'm sure that with extensive knowledge of all things Michigan you were repeatedly pissed that the Lions kept drafting recievers instead.

Sorry for getting you all a flutter by saying anything derogatory about any one that might be affiliated with Lions or the greater Detroit metro area, that I believe you might be superfan of.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 4:09 am

Superbowl XXXXVV: Seahawks over Colts

Cheaters: Every NFL team to some extent, across multiple factors. Maybe not the Browns, due to incompetence. Patriots lead in this domain smaller than most believe.

First team leader fired: Goodell. 87% of Sepp Blatter.

Last laugh: Brady

Second fired: Whomever is coaching the Browns.

Caldwell: Solid. 87% of Belichick.

Rookie QB of the Year: Marriota

Surprise team of the year: Raiders

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 9:24 am

Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:
Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.
Ya, the AFC West at that time was basically a murderer's row.

The only division in the AFC with three teams at or above .500 in 2010.

Seriously, can you make an argument that's not stupid?

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 10:53 am

Brontoburglar wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:
Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.
Ya, the AFC West at that time was basically a murderer's row.
The only division in the AFC with three teams at or above .500 in 2010.

Seriously, can you make an argument that's not stupid?

That was quite the fucking accomplishment seeing that the played the NFC West that didn't have any teams above .500, and every team getting to beat up on the Broncos twice (well aside from the Chiefs of course.)

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:14 am

Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:
Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.
Ya, the AFC West at that time was basically a murderer's row.
The only division in the AFC with three teams at or above .500 in 2010.

Seriously, can you make an argument that's not stupid?
That was quite the fucking accomplishment seeing that the played the NFC West that didn't have any teams above .500, and every team getting to beat up on the Broncos twice (well aside from the Chiefs of course.)

You just switched your reasoning again. You replied that the Chiefs made the playoffs because of the West. And then when you went to go look it up, realized you were wrong (as the Chiefs were 8-2 outside the division and 2-4 inside of it) and tried a different tactic.

One more switch and you'll have switched frequencies more than the Steelers' headsets did last night.

rass · Post by **rass** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:38 am

Brontoburglar wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:
Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote:
Todd Haley took a team with that same guy at quarterback to the playoffs.
Ya, the AFC West at that time was basically a murderer's row.
The only division in the AFC with three teams at or above .500 in 2010.

Seriously, can you make an argument that's not stupid?
That was quite the fucking accomplishment seeing that the played the NFC West that didn't have any teams above .500, and every team getting to beat up on the Broncos twice (well aside from the Chiefs of course.)
You just switched your reasoning again. You replied that the Chiefs made the playoffs because of the West. And then when you went to go look it up, realized you were wrong (as the Chiefs were 8-2 outside the division and 2-4 inside of it) and tried a different tactic.

One more switch and you'll have switched frequencies more than the Steelers' headsets did last night.

Oh snap! They call him Dr Saturday because he burns you on Friday!

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:52 am

Brontoburglar wrote: One more switch and you'll have switched frequencies more than the Steelers' headsets did last night.

You come up that or email Deleware to help?

Sorry, that I had forgotten the similarities of the AFC West in the early part of this decade to the NFC East in the early 90s. I mean they did have three .500 teams in 2011 as well!

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 11:54 am

If I'm going to get handed credit for any of Bronto's lines, I want this one ...

Brontoburglar wrote:Seriously, can you make an argument that's not stupid?

Brontoburglar · Post by **Brontoburglar** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 12:08 pm

Rush2112 wrote:
Brontoburglar wrote: One more switch and you'll have switched frequencies more than the Steelers' headsets did last night.
You come up that or email Deleware to help?

Sorry, that I had forgotten the similarities of the AFC West in the early part of this decade to the NFC East in the early 90s. I mean they did have three .500 teams in 2011 as well!

Dude, if you're going to try to get me back please #neverforget the prepositions you need to make a coherent sentence.

L-Jam3 · Post by **L-Jam3** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 12:22 pm

I'm not going to make predictions like Divisions or Super Bowl, but rather fun ones:

Team that won't be nearly as wretched as people would suspect: Jets. I'm very bullish on their D and Bowles, so much that I'm backing them Week 1 in Survivor. I also think Brandon Marshall has some left in the tank.

Team that will regress as the season goes on: Denver. This is more an indictment of Kubiak, who I think stinks as a coach, than regression by Peyton, which I still think will occur. I also think their AFC West brethren are pretty and all improved.

Crappy team that makes a major jump: Tampa. They weren't 2-14 bad last year, maybe more like 4-12 bad but had terrible luck. I can see them rebounding up about 7 wins.

Quarterback that has a "Fuck you, haterz" season: Well, Brady, obviously, but Romo is my MVP dark horse.

The "They Forgot About Dre" players: Stafford and Megatron.

The Fantasy Guy who's supposed to make a leap but will disappoint: Travis Kelce. Maybe I'm missing something about this guy.

Supposed contender who will disappoint during the season, but rally to make the playoffs only to flame out in Round 1: New Orleans. There's only so many times a team can win 35-31.

The "Holy fuckballs, how did we not see these guys were so fucking terrible team": The Browns

The guy on a crap team that will put up big fantasy numbers: Carlos Hyde

Supposed team on the rise that will disappoint: Miami.

bapo! · Post by **bapo!** » Fri Sep 11, 2015 1:55 pm

I don't want to get bottom-paged, so here's a picture of Brian Sipe.