NFL Playoff Predictions: Roundtable

On Sat, Sep 3, 2011 at 12:08 PM, Scott Rodgers wrote:


So, Bryan, we meet again. This time we're here to chitchat about our picks for the upcoming NFL season. Let's get some of the gimmes out of the way first, starting with both North divisions. I don't see any way that the Steelers and Packers don't run away with those crowns. Sure, the Ravens are a good team and will push Pittsburgh but I just think that the Steelers are a more complete team. The passing game may be the best it has been under Big Ben and Mike Wallace could be the best receiver in the AFC (at the least he's close to Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson). Rashard Mendenhall may not have the fantasy buzz of Ray Rice but he's still a top flight running back. I don't think I should bother putting words to their defense, but everyone knows they are really, really good.

Then in the NFC, the Packers are coming off of a Super Bowl victory and they're even better than last year. Granted a lot of that is having an offseason to get Jermichael Finley, Charles Woodson, and Donald Driver, among others, healthy. The Lions seem to be a trendy pick to make the playoffs pending a healthy Matt Stafford but you'd have to be out of your mind to pick them over the Pack. The Bears won the division last year but no one really believes in them. Jay Cutler will get sacked another ten trillion times and Lance Briggs is unhappy about his contract. Again. Then there's the Vikings, who still have Adrian Peterson, but for some reason that entire offensive line has gone to crap. Losing Sidney Rice is huge, but who knows if Donovan McNabb could even get the ball to him at this point in his career.

So what say you? Are you a Colt McCoy follower? Maybe you think the Bengals will be able to correctly dress themselves and win a game or two? You're from Detroit, I'm sure you have something to say about the Lions, too.