NFL (2024 Season)

[JayhawkCO]

Jaguars over Chargers
Bengals over Ravens
Bills over Dolphins
Cowboys over Bucs
Vikings over Giants
49ers over Seahawks

Chiefs over Jaguars
Bills over Bengals
Eagles over Cowboys
49ers over Vikings

Chiefs over Bills
49ers over Eagles

Chiefs over 49ers

I hate agreeing with thspfc.  Also, did I miss our essay on Russell Wilson?

[mgk920]

I still find it to be a bit hard to believe that the Bears are now on the clock for their pick in the upcoming draft.



Mike

[skluth]

I still find it to be a bit hard to believe that the Bears are now on the clock for their pick in the upcoming draft.



Mike

I fully expect them to trade it for a boatload of picks and they'd be stupid not to do so. Some GM will become enamored by Young, Levis, Stroud, or some other rocket-armed phenom after the combine. The Bears need a lot of help around Fields and turning that pick into a bunch of picks/prospects will do more than just one stud. The only reason not to trade it is the Bears think one of the other QBs available is an upgrade over Fields like the Murray over Rosen situation in Arizona a couple years ago. (I don't see that as I think Fields could become the best NFC North QB by the time Rodgers leaves.) The question is do the Bears want the best defensive player available who may become a superstar or would they prefer several prospects at needed positions like WR, OL, LB, etc.

[NWI_Irish96]

I still find it to be a bit hard to believe that the Bears are now on the clock for their pick in the upcoming draft.



Mike

Pretty unlikely that they actually draft first.

[Big John]

I still find it to be a bit hard to believe that the Bears are now on the clock for their pick in the upcoming draft.



Mike

The last time the Bears had the first pick was in 1947 and that was by a lottery pick.  The pick only lasted 1 season in the NFL.
https://americanfootballdatabase.fandom.com/wiki/1947_NFL_Draft

[ET21]

I still find it to be a bit hard to believe that the Bears are now on the clock for their pick in the upcoming draft.



Mike

I fully expect them to trade it for a boatload of picks and they'd be stupid not to do so. Some GM will become enamored by Young, Levis, Stroud, or some other rocket-armed phenom after the combine. The Bears need a lot of help around Fields and turning that pick into a bunch of picks/prospects will do more than just one stud. The only reason not to trade it is the Bears think one of the other QBs available is an upgrade over Fields like the Murray over Rosen situation in Arizona a couple years ago. (I don't see that as I think Fields could become the best NFC North QB by the time Rodgers leaves.) The question is do the Bears want the best defensive player available who may become a superstar or would they prefer several prospects at needed positions like WR, OL, LB, etc.

I think patching all the holes can be done via FA, they have a lot of cap space opening up this offseason. My hope is they use the Draft to get the offense built up around Fields and reload the defense.

[dvferyance]

Thank you Lions for knocking out GB

And thank you Lovie Smith for knowing your true allegiances and giving the Bears the #1 pick 

Thank goodness for that. It will be so nice having a post season not having to worry about Rodgers. For once I am excited about this year's playoffs.

[gonealookin]

Thank you Lions for knocking out GB

And thank you Lovie Smith for knowing your true allegiances and giving the Bears the #1 pick 

Thank goodness for that. It will be so nice having a post season not having to worry about Rodgers. For once I am excited about this year's playoffs.

Rodgers + Raiders feels like a Vegas wedding waiting to happen.  Mark Davis doesn't seem like the type who would want to start a total rebuild with a rookie at this point, and Rodgers is about 6 years younger than Tom Brady which is another name that has been tossed around in Vegas.

[webny99]

Thank you Lions for knocking out GB

And thank you Lovie Smith for knowing your true allegiances and giving the Bears the #1 pick 

Thank goodness for that. It will be so nice having a post season not having to worry about Rodgers. For once I am excited about this year's playoffs.

Rodgers + Raiders feels like a Vegas wedding waiting to happen.  Mark Davis doesn't seem like the type who would want to start a total rebuild with a rookie at this point, and Rodgers is about 6 years younger than Tom Brady which is another name that has been tossed around in Vegas.

I don't know if Rodgers would go for that. It wouldn't be a great look to follow Davante Adams to Vegas after an unsuccessful campaign without him in Green Bay.

[thspfc]

Jaguars over Chargers
Bengals over Ravens
Bills over Dolphins
Cowboys over Bucs
Vikings over Giants
49ers over Seahawks

Chiefs over Jaguars
Bills over Bengals
Eagles over Cowboys
49ers over Vikings

Chiefs over Bills
49ers over Eagles

Chiefs over 49ers

I hate agreeing with thspfc.  Also, did I miss our essay on Russell Wilson?

Look back at week 17 ish.

[JayhawkCO]

Look back at week 17 ish.

Well played. I had missed it. I'll look forward to another wager on something dumb between us at some point. 

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Good news: Dolphins made the playoffs!

Bad news: 99% of the country will be rooting against them...

Maybe, maybe not. Dolphins are the underdogs in the game, I suspect they will attract a fair amount of supporters on that basis alone, including other AFC East fans who don't like the Bills.

Opponent aside, it's always good to see teams snap playoff droughts. The Dolphins were definitely due, after two straight years of missing out despite posting a winning record.

Second straight trip to the playoffs Dolphins will have to try to win with a backup QB. Matt Moore started their 2016 playoff loss at Pittsburgh after Ryan Tannehill was lost for the season in December.

[jakeroot]

Good news: Dolphins made the playoffs!

Bad news: 99% of the country will be rooting against them...

Maybe, maybe not. Dolphins are the underdogs in the game, I suspect they will attract a fair amount of supporters on that basis alone, including other AFC East fans who don't like the Bills.

Opponent aside, it's always good to see teams snap playoff droughts. The Dolphins were definitely due, after two straight years of missing out despite posting a winning record.

Second straight trip to the playoffs Dolphins will have to try to win with a backup QB. Matt Moore started their 2016 playoff loss at Pittsburgh after Ryan Tannehill was lost for the season in December.

Life of a Dolphins' fan...occasional amazement followed by mind-numbing frustration.

Having a QB1 play the whole season would make my...life.

[webny99]

A year-end quarterback ranking from Marc "top-10 football analyst" Sessler that gave me a few good chuckles, as always:

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-qb-index-ranking-all-32-teams-primary-starting-quarterbacks-at-the-end-of-th

[thspfc]

A year-end quarterback ranking from Marc "top-10 football analyst" Sessler that gave me a few good chuckles, as always:

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-qb-index-ranking-all-32-teams-primary-starting-quarterbacks-at-the-end-of-th

Kirk at 17 is disgusting. Seriously, how do you come to that conclusion? What a joke. Mac, Russ, and Watson (as much as I hate him) being 26/27/28 is a big overreaction, especially when there's guys like Mariota, Darnold, and Dalton ahead.

Reading the Rodgers part was kinda funny. "An air of finality"  for the 3rd straight year after a crushing playoff (or playoff-like) loss at home. Can't wait for Packers fans to tell me more about how much warm weather and dome teams struggle at Lambeau.

[webny99]

A year-end quarterback ranking from Marc "top-10 football analyst" Sessler that gave me a few good chuckles, as always:

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-qb-index-ranking-all-32-teams-primary-starting-quarterbacks-at-the-end-of-th

Kirk at 17 is disgusting. Seriously, how do you come to that conclusion? What a joke.

That was my initial thought, but after reading the blurb (which reminded me: he hasn't had a great statistical seasons despite being clutch all season), I scrolled back up to see who I would move him ahead of. Maybe Purdy, who's on a great team, and Kyler, who has more upside but a rough season? Probably even Rodgers based on this season alone. I would have him at #14, but it's in the right ballpark.

Reading the Rodgers part was kinda funny. "An air of finality"  for the 3rd straight year after a crushing playoff (or playoff-like) loss at home. Can't wait for Packers fans to tell me more about how much warm weather and dome teams struggle at Lambeau.

It was the Matt Ryan blurb that had me most amused:

Whether it was Ryan, Sam Ehlinger or Nick Foles, COLTS QB stood out as one of America's least rewarding occupations in 2022. It weighed on the soul to watch Ryan crushed weekly behind a line doubling as an open barn door.

[thspfc]

A year-end quarterback ranking from Marc "top-10 football analyst" Sessler that gave me a few good chuckles, as always:

https://www.nfl.com/news/nfl-qb-index-ranking-all-32-teams-primary-starting-quarterbacks-at-the-end-of-th

Kirk at 17 is disgusting. Seriously, how do you come to that conclusion? What a joke.

That was my initial thought, but after reading the blurb (which reminded me: he hasn't had a great statistical seasons despite being clutch all season), I scrolled back up to see who I would move him ahead of. Maybe Purdy, who's on a great team, and Kyler, who has more upside but a rough season? Probably even Rodgers based on this season alone. I would have him at #14, but it's in the right ballpark.

I'd put him above Purdy, Fields, Kyler, Rodgers, Dak, and Tua. So 11th.

[jgb191]

My prediction of who plays in the Second (Divisional) Round:

Tampa at Philadelphia
Minnesota at San Francisco

Jacksonville at Kansas City
Cincinnati vs Buffalo (site TBD I guess)

Needless to say: This Texans fan is obviously pulling for Jacksonville Jaguars to win their first Super Bowl in history!  I think they can at least get there; it will be tough, but the JAX Jags are quite capable of Super Bowl contention they way they've been playing the last month or so.

[webny99]

My prediction of who plays in the Second (Divisional) Round:
...
Cincinnati vs Buffalo (site TBD I guess)

If this occurs, it would be in Buffalo. Tiebreakers don't come into play here because both teams played 16 games and the Bills have a better record.

Needless to say: This Texans fan is obviously pulling for Jacksonville Jaguars to win their first Super Bowl in history!  I think they can at least get there; it will be tough, but the JAX Jags are quite capable of Super Bowl contention they way they've been playing the last month or so.

The Jaguars have had a great season, but they were lucky to get past the Titans last week. The were outplayed for the majority of the game, and if not for that fumble returned for a touchdown, we would most likely be seeing the Titans in the playoffs.

[jmacswimmer]

My prediction of who plays in the Second (Divisional) Round:
...
Cincinnati vs Buffalo (site TBD I guess)

If this occurs, it would be in Buffalo. Tiebreakers don't come into play here because both teams played 16 games and the Bills have a better record.

Yes - only potential neutral-site game would be Buffalo-KC in the AFC Championship, and it was announced yesterday that should that matchup happen, it would be played in Atlanta.

[Henry]

I think that would leave MSP for Indoors. ATL, NO, or Houston just seem like decent travel hurdles for the fan bases

Well, it looks like you'll have to eat your words, because Atlanta is hosting the AFC Championship Game if both the Chiefs and Bills get that far.

[ilpt4u]

I think that would leave MSP for Indoors. ATL, NO, or Houston just seem like decent travel hurdles for the fan bases

Well, it looks like you'll have to eat your words, because Atlanta is hosting the AFC Championship Game if both the Chiefs and Bills get that far.

Yup. League decided Atlanta will work, should we get Bills/Chiefs

I think the League got it wrong, but it is their show to run

[thspfc]

I think they can at least get there; it will be tough, but the JAX Jags are quite capable of Super Bowl contention they way they've been playing the last month or so.

Nah. They don't stack up with any of the top 3 in the conference. FWIW, 538 gives it a 95% chance that either the Chiefs, Bills, or Bengals represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

I was reading a discussion today about the teams who have the brightest futures. The most common answers? Lions, Seahawks, Jets, Jaguars. Seriously? Would anyone say that any of those teams are more likely to win a championship in the next 5 years than the Chiefs, Bills, Bengals, or Eagles? Maybe the question was being interpreted as "which teams have the most potential to improve?", but that's not how it was asked.

These teams that pop out of absolutely nowhere usually don't last. The Giants, Jets, and Seahawks were everyone's favorite surprise teams at midseason. Since week 11 they're a combined 6-16-1. Are the Lions and Jags here to stay? Maybe. The teams that do find sustained success are the ones who manage to find the right quarterback and the right coach, and it appears the Jaguars, and possibly the Lions, have done that.

[jgb191]

^  Well Cincinnati surprised a lot of people a year ago when they made the Super Bowl; it was highly anticipated that either KC or Buffalo would represent the AFC.  I would like to think Jacksonville has that kind of potential to pull off the same kind of surprise when fans and even teams are sleeping on them.

Needless to say: This Texans fan is obviously pulling for Jacksonville Jaguars to win their first Super Bowl in history!  I think they can at least get there; it will be tough, but the JAX Jags are quite capable of Super Bowl contention they way they've been playing the last month or so.

The Jaguars have had a great season, but they were lucky to get past the Titans last week. The were outplayed for the majority of the game, and if not for that fumble returned for a touchdown, we would most likely be seeing the Titans in the playoffs.

Their season wasn't great per say, they started alright winning two of their first three, then lost five games in a row but their finish the last several weeks were in a flourish winning seven of their final nine.  I like to think of them as the dark horse, the sleeper team if you will.  I really believe that a strong finish to the regular season (despite a lackluster start) ends up better than a strong start to the season and stumbling into the playoffs.

[hobsini2]

My 2022-23 playoff predictions:
AFC
WC Round
Buffalo 23 Miami 13
Cincinnati 24 Baltimore 10
LA Chargers 34 Jacksonville 23

Divisional
Kansas City 28 LA Chargers 20
Buffalo 23 Cincinnati 20 (OT)

Conference
Buffalo 26 Kansas City 24

NFC (a plague on all their houses)
WC Round
San Francisco 31 Seattle 13
Minnesota 34 NY Giants 27
Dallas 23 Tampa Bay 16 (Fuck Tom Brady)

Divisional
San Francisco 38 Minnesota 20
Philadelphia 26 Dallas 20 (OT)

Conference
San Francisco 26 Philadelphia 17

Super Bowl
Buffalo 20 San Francisco 16

Oh and an early draft prediction...Bears draft a bust with the number 1 pick.