2013 NFL Season Preview

As we approach the beginning of the season with the Ravens Vs Broncos on Thursday, its time to take a preview of the 2013 NFL Season. In this preview, I'll go through predictions of each division, the playoffs and the Super Bowl. First, lets start off with the AFC.

1) Denver Broncos: 13-3
2) Kansas City Chiefs: 7-9
3) San Diego Chargers: 6-10
4) Oakland Raiders: 4-12

The Broncos look poised to be a true Super Bowl contender with Peyton Manning entering his 2nd season in Denver. The offense was also able to add Wes Welker who could be a favorite of Manning throughout the season. The Broncos were also able to add to the running game drafting Wisconsin RB Montee Ball in the 2nd rd this year. The Broncos do have some questions on the defense, but the offense should be able to make up for it. Meanwhile, the Chiefs could be a bit of a mystery, adding QB Alex Smith along with head coach Andy Reid. The Chargers look poised to take a step back as they've been decimated with injuries at WR. As for the Raiders, it could be a rough go for QB Terrelle Pryor, who looks like he'll enter Week 1 as the starting QB.

1) Houston Texans: 11-5

2) Indianapolis Colts: 10-6

3) Tennessee Titans: 6-10

4) Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-12

I see a repeat of 2012 with the AFC South, with the Texans just edging the Colts for the division. J.J Watt is coming off a tremendous defensive season and the Texans were able to add an offensive weapon for QB Matt Schuab with WR DeAndre Hopkins in the 1st rd, who has looked like the real deal. It should bring pressure off of Andre Johnson. Andrew Luck shouldn't see much of a sophomore slump, in fact he could be a darkhorse MVP candidate (but not one of my picks). The Titans should be ok, and that's about it. Its tough to predict the type of year QB Jake Locker will have, but they do have a solid back-up in Ryan Fitzpatrick. And what to say about the Jaguars.....they should be involved in a lot of offensive shoot-outs, but a very young and raw team, I see them picking in the top 5 in the 2014 draft.

1) Pittsburgh Steelers: 11-5

2) Cincinnati Bengals: 9-7

3) Baltimore Ravens: 8-8

4) Cleveland Browns: 4-12

I see the Steelers having a bounce-back year in large part to what should be a top 5 defense. The defense will see a flux in youth, with James Harrison gone to the Bengals, and 1st rd pick Jarvis Jones seeing plenty of playing time. The running game could be a question-mark for the first few weeks without 2nd rd pick Le'Veon Bell, but the addition of Markus Wheaton (3rd rd) and a step-up from Sanders should make up for Mike Wallace's absence in the passing game. The Bengals should have a solid year, but just come up short in divisional games. The Ravens could take a step back this year with the absence of Boldin on offense, and Ray Lewis, Ed Reed on defense. And while Brandon Weeden has looked solid in the preseason for the Browns, well, they're still the Browns.

1) Miami Dolphins: 13-3

2) New England Patriots: 12-4

3) Buffalo Bills: 7-9

4) New York Jets: 5-11

That's right, I'm going outside the box here and predicting a big year for the Dolphins. They should have a stout defense with added pieces like 1st rd pick Dion Jordan and Jamar Taylor (2nd rd), as well as an added weapon for QB Ryan Tannehill in Mike Wallace, who could have a big year with a change of scenery. The Patriots should have an equally solid year, and in any other year would win the division, but I see a break-out year for the Dolphins. The Patriots will have a lot of youth at WR for Tom Brady, so we'll see how that plays out, and how the defense (particularly run-stop) improves. The Bills should have a fine year with E.J Manuel in his 1st season, but just that, fine, a season to build off of. And the Jets just look like a mess, with Geno Smith entering the year as the starting QB, despite a fairly poor preseason, and not a lot of weapons for him to work with.

Playoff Seeding:

1) Broncos

2) Dolphins

3) Steelers

4) Texans

5) Patriots

6) Colts

                             

                         

Colts vs. Steelers: This would be a true test for 2nd yr QB Andrew Luck, but I think the Steelers D would be too much for Luck. Steelers

                                          

Patriots vs Texans: This would be a test for the Texans D facing Tom Brady and a fairly young offense, but I think the Texans D would be up to the task. Texans

                                                  

Texans Vs Broncos: While the Texans D was up to the task with the Patriots, I don't see them matching up here with Manning and company. Broncos

                                                      

Steelers vs Dolphins: Mike Wallace against his former team. All in all, I think this is where the Dolphins breakout season ends because of the steel curtain. Steelers

                                                    

Steelers vs. Broncos: The Steelers D should be better than the last time these 2 faced off in the playoffs, except its Peyton Manning, and not Tim Tebow. The Broncos get back to the Super Bowl. Broncos

1) Dallas Cowboys: 11-5
2) Washington Redskins: 9-7
3) New York Giants: 9-7
4) Philadelphia Eagles: 6-10

I know, I know, it seems every year most pick the Cowboys to win the division, yet they always fall short, however I think this could be the year, As long as the Dallas defense stays healthy, the Cowboys offense should be able to lead Dallas to the top of the NFC East with Dez Bryant continuing to emerge, along with the addition of 3rd rd pick WR Terrance Williams. RG3 should have a decent year, but I could envision a few hiccups, with a chance of some rust during the beginning of the season as he looks to regain his early form from last season. The Giants are always a question-mark, sometimes they can look like one of the top teams in the NFC, other-times they can look simply like a .500 team. I see the Giants continuing to ride that roller coaster with some ups and downs to an average 9-win season. The Eagles will need some time to adjust to Chip Kelly's offense, hence a 6-win season.

1) Green Bay Packers: 11-5

2) Chicago Bears: 10-6

3) Detroit Lions: 8-8

4) Minnesota Vikings: 6-10

The Packers should continue on with their presence in the playoffs. An added running game via the draft, Eddie Lacy (2nd rd), Jonathan Franklin (4th rd) should help out Aaron Rodgers. However, right on their heals this year should be the Bears. A reinvigorated offense should give Jay Cutler the pieces he needs to go along with the Bears defense (minus Urlacher however). The Lions should bounce-back from a disastrous 2012, but in steps, with a .500 season. The Vikings are really tough to predict. It would be almost impossible for Adrian Peterson to replicate his 2012 season, and Ponder is always a question at QB. Their season really depends on those two pieces, and with the Bears re-emerging, I see a lowly 6-win year for the Vikings.

1) Atlanta Falcons: 10-6

2) Carolina Panthers: 6-10

3) New Orleans Saints: 5-11

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 4-12

I see a really down year for the NFC South. The Falcons will benefit from that, but with only a 10-win season. Every other team has real question-marks about them. For the Panthers, will Cam Newton finally rise up to his potential? Will Newton start relying more on his arm and receivers? As for the Saints, will their defense show up? The Saints offense alone won't be enough for the Saints as we've seen in years past. As while the Bucs defense should be vastly improved and be a real force, what about that offense led by Josh Freeman? Is Freeman the long-term QB for Tampa? This year could be the test for that, but I have my doubts on Freeman. 

1) Seattle Seahawks: 13-3

2) San Francisco 49ers: 12-4

3) St.Louis Rams: 7-9

4) Arizona Cardinals: 6-10

The NFC West will come down to the Seahawks and 49ers, and I see the Seahawks just edging out San Francisco. Russell Wilson could emerge as a top 5 NFL QB (already just off the edge of the top 5). In their own right, the 49ers will have a strong year with Kaepernick entering his first full year as the starting QB. The question for the 49ers will be their secondary play. While the Rams added weapons in Tavon Austin (1st rd), it may take some time to get the offense to coalesce, especially with a top heavy division. While the Cardinals finally have a QB with Carson Palmer, there are some questions on defense, as well on the running game adding Rashard Mendenhall from the Steelers, who has his issues with fumbles.

Playoff Seeding:

1) Seahawks

2) Packers

3) Cowboys

4) Falcons

5) 49ers

6) Bears

Bears vs. Cowboys: This would be an interesting match-up. I think Tony Romo gets that much needed 2nd playoff win under his belt and the Cowboys are able to hold off Cutler and Matt Forte. Cowboys

              

49ers vs. Falcons: Will this finally be the time for the Falcons and Matt Ryan to march through the playoffs? Not versus the 49ers it won't be, another early exit. 49ers

                       

49ers vs. Seahawks: This would be a really exciting match-up, Kaepernick vs. Wilson. All in all, in a close game, I see Wilson and the Seahawks marching forwards. Seahawks

                

Cowboys vs. Packers: This would be a tough match-up for Dallas. While they would hang in, I think the Packers end up advancing. Packers

                

Packers vs. Seahawks: The re-match of that controversial 2012 MNF game. A potential shoot-out, I think the Seahawks D would do enough to advance. Seahawks.

Broncos vs Seahawks: Chance for a high flying Super Bowl with Manning vs. Wilson. In the end, I think the experience of Manning would prevail....and the Denver Broncos will be your Super Bowl Champions.

Well, there you have it, a preview of the 2013 NFL Season. There should definitely be some shocks and surprises along the way, so now we just kick back, and wait for kickoff. Enjoy.

2013 College Football Preview

Its that time of year again as the calendar turns to September and college football gets underway. It should be an exciting season with a lot of twists and turns along the way. Will the SEC continue their championship dominance? Only time will tell, but here's a preview of all the BCS conferences (including the AAC) with my analysis and predictions, including Heisman and BCS Bowl predictions.

                                                       

1) Louisville: 12-0 (8-0)

2) Connecticut: 9-3 (6-2) (following the Towson loss, don't be surprised to see a 4-5 win season)

3) Cincinnati: 8-4 (6-2)

4) UCF: 8-4 (5-3)

5) Rutgers: 6-6 (4-4)

6) Houston: 6-6 (4-4)

7) Memphis: 5-7 (4-4)

8) SMU: 4-8 (3-5)

9) Temple: 5-7 (2-6)

10) South Florida: 3-9 (1-7)

With an easy schedule, and a fairly weak conference, I see Louisville running the table to go undefeated, led by QB Teddy Bridgewater. Not to say that Louisville won't have any tough games (Cincinnati, Connecticut, etc), but I think that offense will have what it takes. Connecticut had a good, under the radar defense last year, and I think their offense will take a step up this year to have a solid season. Cincinnati should also have another consistent year. From the new teams entering what was the Big East, I could see UCF with their offense making some noise in the AAC with a good 8-win season. All in all though, a fairly weak conference when you look at the big picture of it all. But again, I say Louisville runs the table, and will at least make it to another BCS Bowl Game (but not the title game).

Atlantic:

1) Florida St: 11-1 (8-0)

2) Clemson: 10-2 (7-1)

3) North Carolina St: 8-4 (4-4)

4) Boston College: 6-6 (3-5)

5) Syracuse: 5-7 (3-5)

6) Wake Forest: 4-8 (3-5)

7) Maryland: 4-8 (2-6)

Coastal:

1) Miami (FL): 10-2 (7-1)

2) Virginia Tech: 9-3 (6-2)

3) North Carolina: 9-3 (6-2)

4) Georgia Tech: 8-4 (5-3)

5) Pittsburgh: 8-4 (4-4)

6) Duke: 5-7 (1-7)

7) Virginia: 3-9 (0-8)

ACC Championship Game:

Florida St v. Miami (FL)

The ACC brings in a couple of new teams this year in Syracuse and Pittsburgh. Of the two, I see Pittsburgh having a better transition. The Atlantic division should be a fairly easy one, dominated by Florida St and Clemson, with Florida St edging out Clemson for a spot in the ACC title game, The Coastal division looks like a tough one, with potentially 5 teams alone being bowl eligible. I think Miami(FL) is just too good though. Barring any penalty ruling from the NCAA on the on-going investigation, they should face Florida St in the conference title game. If they're ruled ineligible, then I see Virginia Tech getting that honor. All in all, I see Florida St taking the ACC this year. Clemson and Miami(FL) could get potential at-large BCS bids.

1) Texas: 11-1 (8-1)

2) Oklahoma St: 10-2 (7-2)

3) Oklahoma: 10-2 (7-2)

4) TCU: 8-4 (6-3)

5) Texas Tech: 8-4 (5-4)

6) Baylor: 7-5 (4-5)

7) Kansas St: 6-6 (3-6)

8) West Virginia: 6-6 (3-6)

9) Kansas: 4-8 (1-8)

10) Iowa St: 3-9 (0-9)

I see the Big 12 being very top heavy this year, with solid seasons for Baylor, Texas Tech, TCU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma St and Texas. With the play-making of David Ash and a strong defense, I see Texas finally coming back to be Big 12 champions, but there will definitely be some big time games within the projected top 3 of the Big 12. Oklahoma St could potentially be up for a BCS at-large bid, as well as Oklahoma.

Leaders:

1) Ohio St: 10-2 (6-2)

2) Wisconsin: 9-3 (6-2)

3) Purdue: 4-8 (3-5)

4) Indiana: 6-6 (2-6)

5) Illinois: 3-9 (1-7)

Penn St: 8-4 (5-3)

Legends:

1) Michigan: 10-2 (6-2)

2) Nebraska: 9-3 (6-2)

3) Michigan St: 9-3 (5-3)

4) Northwestern: 8-4 (4-4)

5) Minnesota: 6-6 (2-6)

6) Iowa: 5-7 (2-6)

Big Ten Championship: Ohio St vs Michigan

Michigan, under Brady Hoke finally climbs back to the top, beating Ohio St in both the regular season and conference championship. I just think that Michigan will finally have that balanced offense and defense, while Ohio St's D may be lacking this season. I could also see Ohio St having a bit of a stumble versus an opponent like Northwestern this year. The Legends division should be stronger than the Leaders division, with Michigan, Nebraska, Michigan St, Northwestern all being bowl eligible. Ohio St could be up for an at-large BCS berth.

North:

1) Stanford: 11-1 (8-1)

2) Oregon: 11-1 (8-1)

3) Oregon St: 7-5 (5-4)

4) Washington: 6-6 (4-5)

5) California: 5-7 (4-5)

6) Washington St: 5-7 (2-7)

South:

1) USC: 11-2 (7-2)

2) UCLA: 8-4 (6-3)

3) Arizona St: 9-3 (6-3)

4) Utah: 6-6 (3-6)

5) Arizona: 6-6 (3-6)

6) Colorado: 3-9 (1-8)

Pac-12 Championship: Stanford vs USC

The North should be a battle between Stanford and Oregon, which I see Stanford coming away victorious. I also see USC having a strong bounce-back year coming off a disappointing season with high expectations. All in all, Stanford is just too balanced, and should be the PAC-12 champions. Oregon and USC could both be up for at-large BCS berths.

East:

1) Georgia: 11-1 (8-0)

2) South Carolina: 11-1 (7-1)

3) Florida: 9-3 (5-3)

4) Vanderbilt: 8-4 (4-4)

5) Missouri: 6-6 (2-6)

6) Tennessee: 5-7 (2-6)

7) Kentucky: 4-8 (1-7)

West:

1) Alabama: 12-0 (8-0)

2) LSU: 10-2 (6-2)

3) Texas A&M: 10-2 (6-2)

4) Mississippi St: 7-5 (4-4)

5) Ole Miss: 7-5 (4-4)

6) Arkansas: 6-6 (2-6)

7) Auburn: 4-8 (0-8)

SEC Championship: Georgia vs. Alabama

 A bit of a shocker, but I see a re-match from that exhilarating SEC title game a year ago, and Georgia taking the prize this time around, with another year in for Aaron Murray. SEC should be a more even conference this year, as it was mainly top heavy last year. South Carolina, LSU should both have strong 11,10 win seasons (respectively), but likely only 1 getting an at-large BCS berth, with Alabama a guarantee.

1) Teddy Bridgewater: QB Louisville - My 1st choice for the Heisman is Teddy Bridgewater. He'll lead what should be a prolific Louisville offense that should be able to roll through the AAC. With a perfect season and still no shot at the title game (due to a poor schedule), this should be how Louisville gets recognition, along with a BCS berth.

2) Marcus Mariota: QB -Oregon - My 2nd choice is Marcus Mariota. Oregon should keep going where Chip Kelly left off, and in large part to the developing play of Marcus Mariota. That intense Oregon offense should keep on rolling under his play.

         VS.    

(Oregon)                                                                                                   (Michigan)

This would be an exciting, fast paced Rose Bowl between at-large Oregon and the Big 10 champion Michigan Wolverines. 

            VS

(Texas)                                                                                                            (South Carolina)

An exciting showcase between the Big 12 and SEC with Texas and South Carolina

         

           VS               

(Alabama)                                                                                                         (Ohio St)

With such high expectations this year, a Sugar Bowl appearance will seem like a disappointment for Alabama, but they better be ready for Braxton Miller and the Ohio St offense

                    VS                                   

(Florida St)                                                                                              (Louisville)

Champions of the ACC versus the inaugural AAC champion Louisville Cardinals, this could be a nice national showcase for Heisman contender Teddy Bridgewater

   

                       VS                                   

             (Georgia)                                                                                            (Stanford)

While many are predicting Stanford, I could see Georgia taking that last step they just missed last year. As for Stanford, they finally take the spotlight and display how much of a powerhouse that they really are.