2015 World Series Preview

History will be made this world series. The Kansas City Royals and New York Mets both have championship droughts dating back to the 1980s (1985 - Royals, 1986- Mets). Each team is built differently, Mets with starting pitching, Royals with a lockdown bullpen. So who has the edge position-wise?

(stats included include time spent with said team, i.e traded players)

C)

KC - Salvador Perez

RS: 531ABs/52R/138H/25 2B/21HR/70RBI  .260/.280/.426

PS: 36AB/7R/7H/1 2B/4HR/6RBI  .194/.293/.556

NYM - Travis D'Arnaud

RS: 239AB/31R/64H/14 2B/1 3B/12HR/41RBI  .268/.340/.485

PS: 34AB/5R/7H/3HR/6RBI  .206/.222/.471

Both catchers provide some pop, and both have had their struggles hitting-wise in the postseason. But here, you have to go with the proven vet, and one of the top catchers in the league.

Edge: KC

1B)

KC - Eric Hosmer

RS: 599AB/98R/178H/33 2B/5 3B/18HR/93RBI  .297/.363/.459

PS: 45AB/7R/10H/1 2B/1HR/11RBI  .222/.234/.311

NYM - Lucas Duda

RS: 471AB/67R/115H/33 2B/27HR/73RBI  .244/.352/.486

PS: 28AB/2R/6H/2 2B/1HR/6RBI  .214/.290/.393

Hosmer & Duda are both power threats at 1B, but Hosmer has the more consistent regular season.

Edge: KC

2B)

KC - Ben Zobrist

RS: 232AB/37R/66H/16 2B/1 3B/7HR/23RBI  .284/.364/.453

PS: 43AB/10R/14H/4 2B/2HR/6RBI  .326/.375/.558

NYM - Daniel Murphy

RS: 499AB/56R/140H/38 2B/2 3B/14HR/73RBI  .281/.322/.449

PS: 38AB/11R/16H/2 2B/7HR/11RBI  .421/.436/1.026

As good as Zobrist has been, Murphy has been other-worldly this post-season. We'll see if he can keep up the pace in the world series, but no question who has the edge here.

Edge: NYM

SS)

KC -  Alcides Escobar

RS: 612AB/76R/157H/20 2B/5 3B/3HR/47RBI  .257/.293/.320

PS: 44AB/9R/17H/3 2B/2 3B/0HR/5RBI  .386/.408/.545

NYM - Wilmer Flores

RS: 483AB/55R/127H/22 2B/16HR/59RBI  .263/.295/.408

PS: 24AB/2R/7H/2 2B/1 3B/0HR/0RBI  .292/.370/.458

Flores is the slugging SS, while Escobar has more speed. They each bring something to the table.

Edge: Draw

3B)

KC - Mike Moustakas

RS: 549AB/73R/156H/34 2B/1 3B/22HR/82RBI  .284/.348/.470

PS: 42AB/4R/7H/1 2B/1HR/5RBI  .167/.217/.262

NYM- David Wright

RS: 152AB/24R/44H/7 2B/5HR/17RBI  .289/.379/.434

PS: 30AB/6R/5H/2 2B/0HR/3RBI  .167/.359/.233

Each has struggled during the post-season, but Moustakas was the more reliable presence in the regular season, as Wright was sidelined for a good portion of the season with a back injury.

Edge: KC

LF)

KC - Alex Gordon

RS: 354AB/40R/96H/18 2B/13HR/48RBI  .271/.377/.432

PS: 36AB/7R/9H/3 2B/1HR/3RBI  .250/.325/.417

NYM - Michael Conforto

RS: 174AB/30R/47H/14 2B/9HR/26RBI  .270/.335/.506

PS: 15AB/1R/1H/1HR/2RBI  .067/.167/.267

Conforto had a pretty impressive rookie season, but has struggled in limited post-season action. Meanwhile, Gordon has just done what's normal of him.

Edge: KC

CF)

KC - Lorenzo Cain

RS: 551AB/101R/169H/34 2B/6 3B/16HR/72RBI  .307/.361/.427

PS: 40AB/8R/11H/1 2B/1HR/7RBI  .275/.375/.375 

NYM - Yoenis Cespedes

RS: 230AB/39R/66H/14 2B/4 3B/17HR/44RBI  .287/.337/.604

PS: 34AB/6R/9H/1 2B/2HR/7RBI  .265/.286/.471

Cain has kept his progression and is now arguably one of, if not the top all-around player for Kansas City. Meanwhile, Cespedes (traded to the Mets on the deadline) has sparked the Mets offense and has helped to lead them to where they are now.

Edge: Draw

RF)

KC - Alex Rios

RS: 385AB/40R/98H/22 2B/2 3B/4HR/32RBI  .255/.287/.353

PS: 33AB/4R/11H/2 2B/1HR/5RBI  .333/.389/.485

NYM - Curtis Granderson

RS: 580AB/98R/150H/33 2B/2 3B/26HR/70RBI  .259/.264/.457

PS: 33AB/4R/10H/2 2B/0HR/7RBI  .303/.385/.364

Rios has had a nice post-season, but Granderson has gotten his power back for the Mets.

Edge: NYM

SPs)

KC - Yordano Ventura/Edinson Volquez/Johnny Cueto/Chris Young

NYM - Jacob DeGrom/Noah Syndergaard/Matt Harvey/Steven Matz

Each team has their flame-throwing SPs, but this is no contest. The Mets rotation flat out dominated the Cubs in the NLCS. 

Edge: NYM

RPs)

KC - Wade Davis/Luke Hocheaver/Kelvin Herrera/Franklin Morales/Danny Duffy/Ryan Madson

NYM - Jeurys Familia/Hansel Robles/Jon Niese/Erik Goeddel/Addison Reed/Bartolo Colon/Tyler Clippard

As good as the Mets SP, that's as dominating as the Royals BP is. From Madson, to Herrera and finally Davis, they have a shutdown bridge to close out games.

Edge: KC

So with all the breakdowns, time to get to my pick. Each team is pretty evenly matched, though when it comes to the lineup, I think the Royals have the edge. What this series will come down to is pitching. Can the Mets starters keep up their dominance, and can their offense jump to a lead? Close games should favor the Royals with their sterling BP. I think this series is going to go to the brink, but I pick the Royals In 7

SNL: Season 41 Ep.3

It was set up to be a dramatic return, as Tracy Morgan returned to 30 Rock. Did it live up to the hype? (Spoiler: Oh yes, yes it did. and here's how, onto the review).

Democratic Debate Cold Open: The show kicked off the 1st Democratic Presidential Debate. Taran Killam played O'Malley, and Kyle Mooney did a delightfully bewildered Lincoln Chafee, but the stars were Alec Baldwin as Jim Webb.........and Larry David as Bernie Sanders. It was just the perfect impersonation. One could say that David played Sanders better than Sanders does. As always, Kate McKinnon continued with her strong impersonation as Hillary Clinton (especially when asked if she wanted to respond to Chafee about her e-mails). Larry David just made this cold open work though (even given how it went a good 10 minutes or so). This was a solid start to a fantastic show. (8.7)

      

Monologue: Tracy Morgan rightfully got one of the biggest ovations any host has gotten while walking out for his monologue. His monologue was a perfect mix of sincerity (mentioning how he told Lorne Michaels that he wanted to come home when he was ready), and humor, mentioning that his IQ has gone up since the coma from the accident. The main part of the monologue was a "lost" 30 Rock episode, featuring Baldwin, Tina Fey, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer, along with Morgan. Now I've never seen an actual episode of 30 Rock, so maybe I missed some of the nuances, but it was a good monologue nonetheless. (8.5)

         



Family Feud: I cringed at first when I saw it was going to be a game-show sketch, but the fact that it wasn't a celebrity edition gave me some hope. The first family featured recently divorced Leslie Jones, and her kids Jay Pharoah, Sasheer Zamata & Michael Che. On the other side.....was her recently divorced husband Tracy, with his new wife Cecily Strong. This set-up was ingenious, and it gave good material for Kenan Thompson as Steve Harvey. There were just so many good lines, from Leslie, Tracy, Jay and Kenan ("show me keeping 'em off the pole!"). A game-show sketch, when done right with original material, can be masterful, as this was. (9.0)
       




Brian Fellow's Safari Planet: One of Tracy's recurring characters that I figured we'd be seeing. Only Tracy can pull this character off. It started off with Pete Davidson and a beaver.....but the star of this sketch was Aidy Bryant, and a real live camel. Its fun to think about how they got a camel into the 8th floor of 30 Rock. And being live TV, anything can happen, as the camel decided to walk into Tracy's camera shot. Sometimes mishaps like those are simply the best. (8.8)
       




Fake Mitchell's Cocaine Spray: The first misfire in my book, this ad seemed to make its point too quickly. Trying to fake a foul smell in a bathroom, Beck Bennett uses a fake cocaine spray, because he'd rather it be that. There was also a "fake poop spray" from Leslie Jones. This whole idea just fell flat for me. (5.0)



Demi Lovato - "Cool For The Summer/Confident" (8.9)



Weekend Update: While not as strong as last week, Jost & Che were still on their game with a solid update. They had another riff, this time on why not just anyone should run for president.

The 1st guest was Tina Fey talking about Playboy stopping nude photographs. As always with Tina, she provided great commentary here "arm butts and all".

Next was the return of Kenan's "Willie". While not a great recurring character, this Update guest is solid enough. He was joined by his own mentor, Woodrow (Tracy). When Woodrow showed up, this part of Update really got going. (7.5)

Good Morning Song: This sketch had a great production value, but it sort of hit the punchline a little too soon. It featured an ensemble in a medieval era, all singing a song, and then Tracy comes along singing whatever was on his mind. Tracy's interactions saved this sketch from really sinking, but it still was a bit of a hit & miss. (5.9)

The Standoff (Short): This was a quintessential skit for Tracy Morgan. He confronted Taran Killam in a bar "to dance".....which was literally what Tracy wanted to do. The interactions between Tracy & Taran were really great here. Sadly, they didn't actually dance though. (6.9)

Demi Lovato - "Stone Cold": The first music act I'm featuring here, I've simply never heard Demi like this. She just let loose with tons of soul. Just a fantastic performance. (9.5)

       




Yo! Where Jackie Chan At Right Now: This was one of those odd late-night sketches that worked. It again featured Tracy & Kenan, this time as hosts of a show actively looking for Jackie Chan. The whole concept was so absurd that it worked (from the Peabody award, to all the guests they were able to get). What made this even better was the impersonations, from Kyle Mooney as Walker Texas Ranger, Jay as Chris Tucker, and to top it off, Bobby Moynihan as Steven Seagal. This was a sketch where everyone committed, so no matter how absurd, it worked. (8.4)
         




Astronaut Jones: The Martian: The night closed off with another recurring character of Tracy's, Astronaut Jones. Used in a take-off the "The Martian", this was as good as the original. It was great that they used the original theme song. As always with Astronaut Jones sketches, there actually isn't a lot of material. Jones encounters an alien (Demi Lovato), and then makes a fantastic closing punchline (followed by the theme song). An underrated recurring character to close out the night. (8.2)






All in all, Tracy Morgan's return was glorious. He didn't skip a beat. He simply blended it and meshed with the current cast, but still had his classic energy. This was one of the most enjoyable shows in recent memory (which we'll need given how the next new show in a few weeks will be hosted by Donald Trump *sigh*),


Overall Score - 7.94


Tracy Morgan - 7.94
Amy Schumer - 7.18
Miley Cyrus - 6.07

SNL: Season 41. Ep.2

Coming off a pretty maligned premiere with Miley Cyrus last week, things could only go up as Season 41 marched on with Amy Schumer, right? Onto the review

Fox & Friends (Cold Open): These have become pretty formulaic, but they usually always make for a steady sketch. Bobby Moynihan is always fantastic as Brian Kilmeade. Pete Davidson (yes, that Pete), got his political impersonation chops on as he played Rep. Jason Chaffetz (who's gotten noticed for seeking the house speakership....along with his role in the Planned Parenthood hearings). Hopefully SNL allows Pete to keep growing with roles like this. We then saw Kate Mckinnon as Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and as always, Kate was kate. Probably the best part of these skits are the ending corrections. Someone could seriously just make a book with all the ones SNL has created. (7.0)

Monologue: Stand-up comics always give the best monologues, and that was the case this week. Simply put, it was just Amy Schumer doing a part of her stand-up routine (which is great). She talked about women in Hollywood, the Kardashians, and Bradley Cooper. These type of monologues are always a breath of fresh air when compared to the usual "Q&A from the audience" or "singing" ones.  (8.4)

          



Delta Flight: This was one of a few sketches featuring Amy and Vanessa Bayer together (they worked together in "Trainwreck" this past summer). They played a pair of flight attendants who were doing a singing instructional song....and then accidentally falling out of the plane. You could tell that there was the making of something here, but it didn't quite hit the mark. (5.1)



Porn Teacher: So...that's a title. But that aside, this was a pretty fun wacky skit. Amy played....well a porn teacher, seducing a student (Kyle Mooney). And then an innocent student (Aidy Bryant) shows up. The reaction and response from Amy & Aidy really made this skit. Aidy made her character incredibly believable here (as did Vanessa as her mother). (8.0)
         




Guns (ad): It seemed odd that SNL didn't even touch gun control last week (given the recent mass shooting), but whether they were waiting for the right host or not, they went after it this week. First up was this ad for "Guns". There are just so many great & small moments that really made this piece work. From Kate McKinnon jogging and firing one in the air, to Vanessa Bayer quickly scoping around while in a wheelchair about to go into labor. This is definitely a re-watchable video, it just gets better each time. (8.9)
        




The Weeknd ("The Hills"): (7.8)



Weekend Update: What a turnaround for Update. We've seen this before last season however, where we got a really good update, followed by a string of bad ones. However, Colin Jost & Michael Che were certainly on their game this week. They had a really good riff on gun control (keeping up the theme for the show).

This was an Update where Jost/Che made the segment, not the special guests. The first guest saw Jay Pharoah bring out a new character, Solomon (a travel correspondent who didn't travel over the summer). There was something there, but it didn't work this time around.

The second guest saw Kate McKinnon return as Mrs. Santini. As usual with Kate, she was pretty great. (7.6)



Ford Theater:  Another out-there sketch, this saw a Lincoln assassination reenactment for tourists, where Amy (as Mary Todd Lincoln) decides to go over the top and constantly punches Mooney as Wilkes Booth. This was amusing the first few times, but it basically just repeated itself. A good idea that tired itself out. (5.9)


Hands-Free Selfie Stick (ad/short): This was a better millennials sketch than the one last week. The short introduced a new product...the "hands free selfie stick"...which goes, well, lets just say your behind. Everyone in this sold it really well. (8.1)





City Council Meeting: Finally Cecily Strong showed up in this sketch. It seemed like a typical city council meeting with a bunch of characters, from Kyle Mooney's "dutch rapper", to Keenan Thompson playing a guy really enthused about a Halloween march. But what made this sketch from just a slapstick collection of characters was Amy Schumer as a little girl....who has some thoughts on gun control, gay marriage & Jesus....along with recess. She pretty much single-handedly saved this sketch and made it amusing. If only we had seen more of her character here. (6.4)



The Weeknd ("I Can't Feel My Face"): (8.0)



Baby Shower: This sketch started off looking like it was going to tank. It featured Amy/Cecily/Aidy & Leslie Jones at Vanessa's baby shower, and then Cecily's purse went missing. Nothing really saved this one, but Cecily's performance made it at least tolerable. (4.9)


This was a big step-up from last week's premiere. It really showed off what a good host can do. Amy was always present & giving it her all. SNL writers also seemed to really be centered on gun control (which was notable absent last week). Here's hoping they don't shy away more big issues in the future.

 Overall Score - 7.18


Amy Schumer - 7.18
Miley Cyrus - 6.07

SNL: Season 41 Ep. 1

Its a little late (I was away over the weekend), but so begins another season of SNL, and with that, my reviews. Season 41 kicked off with Miley Cyrus....and well....it was something. Lets get to the review.

Cold Open: The opening saw the introduction of Taran Killam as Donald Trump (and Cecily Strong as his wife). Given how dated the past 2 debates are now, this was basically just a general intro to SNL's impersonation of the current GOP frontrunner. It was a little all over the place, but Killam's Trump looks like it should be pretty strong. (6.5)

Monologue: After Miley got her "I smoke pot, I'm so different" jokes out of the way, the monologue was actually decent, as Miley sang about the villains of the summer, from the Lion killing dentist, to Kim Davis and Jared Fogle. Its really a shame that this season started off so late. Hopefully we see more of Aidy Bryant as Davis. (6.9)

Abilify Ad: This mock commercial was a little predictable, but it had to be done. It was about all the fringe GOP presidential candidates, with their respective wives concerned about their campaigns. (8.0)

           




50s Dance: Time and time again, SNL decides to put up weak ideas as the first actual sketch, and this time it was no different. It started off with a sort of take-off from Grease, with different kinds of girls dancing...and then there was Miley being Miley. The big take-off here was that nobody knew what rap, or "twerking" was. Just an incredibly weak concept. (4.0)



Hillary Clinton Bar Talk: It may seem a bit early to get candidate cameos, but it was reported hours before the premiere that Hillary Clinton would make a cameo for the show. Here, we saw Kate McKinnon as Clinton at a bar, being tended by "Val" (Hillary). They discussed Hillary's campaign, including some good lines on how she was late to come around on positions (like the Keystone Pipeline and Gay Marriage). I'm a little surprised this wasn't the first post monologue sketch of the night. Hillary really seemed genuine and relaxed. (8.5)
           




Miley Cyrus (music - "Karen Don't be Sad") - (6.6)



Weekend Update: Colin Jost & Michael Che seemed to have a rapport about them, but something just seemed off for Update to open the season. They just lacked energy, and a lot of the lines sort of fell flat.
The 1st guest saw Kyle Mooney as Pope Francis....and it was incredibly weak to say the least. A wasted spot (that could have gone to Aidy Bryant's Kim Davis).
The 2nd guest saw Pete Davidson discussing the Trump campaign, and this brought Weekend Update up a bit. The general consensus here was Davidson talking about how the Trump phenomenon isn't funny anymore...and there was a lot of truth here.
       


The final guest saw Leslie Jones talking about texting etiquette. As far as Leslie segments go, this was fine...but it just lacked something, as Jost just didn't seem into it. (6.2)



Millenials: This seemed like it was trying to be the next "Californians" recurring sketch (time will tell if this really will be recurring). It had the same general idea, as it featured Miley and others on their phones, taking selfies and the like in Soap Opera situations. There's something here, but this particular sketch seemed tired. (5.0)



Katz' Deli: Here, Vanessa Bayer/Leslie Jones/Miley and Cecily played a group of friends eating at the famed Meg Ryan scene of "When Harry Met Sally". They took turns reenacting the scene....and then it got around to Leslie. She really was the MVP of this sketch and made this idea work. It was just so over-the top, yet took a few twists and turns to keep it interesting. (8.3)




The Squad (Trailer): A trailer where Aidy and Vanessa played a pair of friends that suddenly live in an apocalyptic world where Taylor Swift's squad rules the world. The pair try to resist as long as they can. As far as mock trailers go, this one was pretty good. (7.4)



Miley Cyrus (music - "The Twinkle Song") - Just a brief note....this was just abysmal. (3.5)



American Voices: This was supposed to be some behind the scenes look-back at an old talk show, but there were some major technical issues. From what we were able to see, this was nothing special. (2.0)


Miley Wedding: The ending of the show felt a little rough going from "American Voices" abruptly to this Kyle Mooney piece where he's marrying Miley. As far as Mooney shorts go, this was alright. (6.0)



Overall, this was just a bizarre premiere. If not for the Hillary Clinton cameo, this show would have been completely forgettable. Miley was just trying to be too edgy just for the sake of it, and other times it was like she was just in the background. Here's hoping the next 2 weeks see better shows with Amy Schumer & Tracy Morgan.

Overall Score - 6.07


Miley Cyrus - 6.07

NFL 2015 Season Preview

Things were looking a little murky for the Patriots regarding Brady's previous suspension over "deflategate", but after it got overturned by the courts, the Pats are looking better than ever. The Bills should also be a team to watch, as Rex Ryan takes the reigns. They may still have QB issues, as Tyrod Taylor is now taking over, but they were able to get RB Lesean McCoy from the Eagles. The Dolphins could be a surprise team, as Ryan Tannehill is finally starting to step into his own, and the Jets...well....they're the Jets. At the very least their defense should be improved under new coach Todd Bowles.

1) Patriots (13-3)

2) Bills (10-6)

3) Dolphins (7-9)

4) Jets (5-11)

No surprise here, the Pats should be motivated with all of the offseason noise, but don't count out the Bills for a wildcard slot.

The Chiefs will be looking for avast improvement from their WRs when it comes to the Redzone this year. The up and down Chargers will be interesting to watch, however for the start Philip Rivers will be without TE Antonio Gates. Jack Del Rio is back in the coaching ranks with the Raiders, who are slowly but surely starting to build up a base with young QB Derek Carr. Carr should be helped out by a WR corps including Michael Crabtree and rookie Amari Cooper. What more can be said about the Broncos? When it comes to the regular season, Peyton Manning is among the best in the game....but its when the postseason comes around that he runs into problems.

1) Broncos (12-4)

2) Chiefs (10-6)

3) Chargers (9-7)

4) Raiders (4-12)

Like in years past, the Chiefs should make for a tough opponent, but I see the Broncos again being division champs.

The Bengals are a great, but inconsistent team at times. They should be a fairly solid defensive team, but the wildcard, as always is QB Andy Dalton. The Ravens are very much the same. How good is Joe Flacco? At times he's an aerial threat...and at others he looks absolutely lost. The Steelers' problems come from one side of the ball...defense,defense,defense. With LeBeau out and Butler in as coordinator, how will they look? The offense of Big Ben, Brown, and Bell (who will miss the first couple of games due to suspension) can carry the load, but they'll need support. And what can be said about the Browns? In just his sophomore year, it'll be a make or break season for Johnny Manziel.

1) Steelers (11-5)

2) Bengals (10-6)

3) Ravens (8-8)

4) Browns (3-13)

This should be a 3-horse race, much like last year, but I think the Steelers offense puts them a little bit over the top.

This division is fairly top heavy with the Colts and Texans. With the additions of WR Andre Johnson and RB Frank Gore, QB Andrew Luck has more weapons than ever. Could now be the time? The Texans will look to build on last year's rebound, however they're still looking for that franchise QB. The Titans will enter the Marcus Mariota era, and Blake Bortles will enter his 2nd year with the Jaguars. The Jaguars could be better than they appear.

1) Colts (12-4)

2) Texans (8-8)

3) Jaguars (6-10)

4) Titans (5-11)

 This would be different if the Texans had a reliable QB, but I just can't see a way how the Colts don't win this division.

Playoff Teams:

1) Patriots

2) Colts

3) Broncos

4) Steelers

5) Bills

6) Bengals 

AFC Wildcard Rd:

Bengals vs. Broncos

Once again, Andy Dalton makes it to the playoffs, however much like before, I think its a 1 and done deal. Broncos.

Bills vs. Steelers

The Bills playoff drought finally ends, as their defense is able to do enough to get that wildcard slot. However, the lack of a franchise QB gives this to the Steel City. Steelers.

AFC Divisional Rd:

Steelers vs. Patriots

When it comes to the playoffs, the Steelers and Patriots have a pretty long history, dating back to the Kordell Stewart-era. This time in Foxborough, New England comes out on top. Patriots

Broncos vs. Colts

This will make for a storyline, with Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck meeting in the playoffs. They seem fairly even teams, but the homefield edge gives this to Indy. Colts.

AFC Championship:

Colts vs. Patriots

Normally, a playoff game, especially one of this magnitude in New England would mean a certain win for the Pats. However, I think last year's playoff loss will leave a bitter taste in the Colts' mouth, and they'll be looking for revenge. Colts

It always seems like its going to be the Cowboys' year, and this season its no different. Their defense has gradually improved, however on the other side they'll be missing RB DeMarco Murray. The Eagles will look radically different after a lot of players shuffling in and out, including at RB as Murray will be taking over for McCoy. Besides the Jason-Pierre Paul saga, you never know what you're getting from the Giants. They seem to always be wildly inconsistent recently. As for Washington, it looks like Kirk Cousins will get his chance again at the starter role, as RG3 will be the back-up. How big of a mess will this team be?

1) Cowboys (11-5)

2) Eagles (10-6)

3) Giants (8-8)

4) Washington (5-11)

With a committee like style at RB, I think Tony Romo will have one of his best seasons yet. 

The Seahawks seem like a safe bet to make the playoffs now, and they recently added RB Fred Jackson to go along with 'Beast Mode'. The X-factor for the Cardinals will be the health of QB Carson Palmer. If he can have a healthy season, then the Cardinals could be sure-fire contenders. The 49ers had a mass-exodus of players leave, on-top of Coach John Harbaugh. The Rams could be a dark-horse playoff team, considering they added QB Nick Foles. He may be the QB to finally provide the Rams with what they need.

1) Seahawks (11-5)

2) Rams (9-7)

3) Cardinals (9-7)

4) 49ers (6-10)

It may be a safe pick, but with last year's super bowl loss still on their mind, I think the Seahawks will come out motivated to start the season.

The Packers look like a force as always, especially with how RB Eddie Lacy started to turn it on last year. The Bears look like a potential mess, as their defense is still in re-build mode, and they have serious questions at the QB position with Jay Cutler. The Lions can also be a dangerous team with QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson, along with RBs Ameer Abdullah and Joique Bell. But can the Lions be as good on the field as they are on paper? And the Vikings running game should be energized with Adrian Peterson returning, which should help out 2nd year QB Teddy Bridgewater

1) Packers (11-5)

2) Lions (10-6)

3) Vikings (10-6)

4) Bears (5-11)

Another fairly safe pick, but I like the Packers to take the division, although they'll have more competition than most believe.

The clock is ticking on Falcons' QB Matt Ryan to show he's a top-tier player. For the Panthers, while QB Cam Newton is a natural talent, he lacked offensive targets and protection last year. Will things be different this season? Time may be running out on Saints' QB Drew Brees, and their defense is already suffering from injuries before the season begins. The Bucs could be a dangerous team as they enter the Jameis Winston era, but that offense is still incredibly young.

1) Falcons (9-7)

2) Panthers (8-8)

3) Saints (7-9)

4) Buccaneers (6-10)

The NFC South has been tough to predict these past few years, being a mediocre division. I think Matt Ryan gets it together a bit and the Falcons win it. 

Playoff Teams:

1) Cowboys

2) Seahawks

3) Packers

4) Falcons

5) Lions

6) Vikings

NFC Wildcard Rd:

Vikings vs. Packers

I think Bridgewater has a big 2nd year and takes the Vikings to the playoffs, but it ends on a road trip to Green Bay. Packers

Lions vs. Falcons

The Lions could be a dangerous team as a wildcard. I just can't see the Falcons winning this match-up. Lions

NFC Divisional Rd:

Lions vs. Cowboys

Two teams who feel they were wronged last year in the playoffs. At home, Dallas takes this.  Cowboys 

Packers vs. Seahawks

That comeback last year by the Seahawks is probably still in Green Bay's head. I think they'll be motivated here. Packers

NFC Championship:

Packers vs. Cowboys

These predicted playoffs seem to have a common theme here, redemption. After "the catch", or lack thereof last year with Dez, I think the Cowboys take this in "Jerry Land". Cowboys

The young QB vs. The QB who's had so much expected of him. You can laugh at this all you want, but I think Romo finally gets his ring. Cowboys