Some NFL Predictions

I figured I would throw out some predictions for this upcoming football season.  Why not?  The "experts" have a similar batting average as I do.

-The New York Giants, despite all of the tumult this offseason and the injuries this preseason will make the playoffs.

-Mike Vick will throw 14 or more INT's this year.  He also won't play in all 16 Eagles games.

-The returns of kickoffs will drastically go down.  Currently kicks are being run back from the halfway point of the endzone.  Much of this can be attributed to guys trying to make NFL rosters and the only way they can do that is if they return the kicks for big yardage.  Expect more touchbacks once the season starts.  Currently, this preseason has seen 37% of kickoffs end up as touchbacks, up from 10% last year.  That rate will only increase, probably somewhere close to 50% once the regular season starts.

-The Eagles will win the NFC East but won't get very far in the playoffs and certainly won't win the Super Bowl.

-The Raiders will not continue to improve and instead will regress this year.  An 8-8 record is not gonna happen.  4-12 maybe, not 8-8 or 7-9.

-The Lions will make the playoffs IF Matthew Stafford stays healthy.  Since he probably won't the Lions will once again miss the playoffs.  But they are on the rise.

-Plaxico Burress will have more TD catches than Santonio Holmes.

-Eli Manning will throw less than 20 INT's this year.  Hakeem Nicks will be a Pro Bowl WR and Mario Manningham will have over 1,000 yards receiving.  And, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs will each have 1,000 yards rushing.

-The Chicago Bears will not make the playoffs.

-The Green Bay Packers will not repeat as Super Bowl Champions but will win the North handily.

-Colt McCoy will show people he can be a QB in this league and will have better numbers than Joe Flacco.

-The Dallas Cowboys will finish the year 8-8.

-The Cleveland Browns will make the playoffs.  Their toughest games are against division opponents (except the Bengals) and if the Browns can go .500 in their division they could sneak into a Wild Card spot.

-The Denver Broncos will improve, by 2 games on last years 4-12 record and finish ahead of Oakland.

-The San Diego Chargers will win the AFC West.

-Nobody will care who wins the NFC West.

-The NFC South will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

-The Redskins will win less than 5 games.

-Ray Rice will lead the league in rushing.

-Larry Fitzgerald will lead the league in receptions.

-There won't be any arrests of New York Jets players during the regular season.

-Kansas City will go 8-0 at home.

-The loss of Terrell Thomas will hurt the Giants but it won't kill them.  Prince Amukamara, Aaron Ross, and Corey Webster will be able to fill the void well enough making this unit a huge strength going into 2012.

-Jason Pierre-Paul will have 13 sacks.  Justin Tuck will have 12. And Osi Umenyiora will rack up 10 as the Giants lead the NFL in sacks.


Well, that's all for now.  Got your own predictions?  Click on the comments link and share 'em.

Grading the Jets Draft

Round 1, Muhammed Wilkerson, DT, Temple.

Wilkerson came out after his Junior year at Temple. He had nothing else to prove. Wilkerson is a beast who can only get better if he learns to get violent at the point of attack. He had 9.5 sacks last year Temple to go along with 70 tackles. He should be able to slide in at defensive end and generate a pass rush that was on the fritz last year. He gets all over the field by using quickness not always seen on men of his size (6'4", 315 lbs). He actually can afford to add some weight and should so he can throw off blockers on his way to the ball carrier. The Jets think he should be able to step in right away and add to a pass rush that was lacking last year. He will definitely do that. Great pick at #30 in the first. Grade: A+

Round 3, Kenrick Ellis, DT, Hampton.

Ellis comes from a small school that played decent competition. Coming from a small school is never a detractor in my opinion. The Jets might have gotten a steal here, IF he can keep his nose clean. He wasn't the best student on or off the field. South Carolina kicked him out for violating team policy, and got himself arrested for assault last year. On the field, Ellis has some flaws but that is easily corrected. He possesses good size, strength, and speed for someone his size (6'4", 346 lbs). Had he been a more upstanding citizen he might have been a first round pick. Rex Ryan will have his hands full with him but if he can stay out of trouble he will be an excellent addition. I just question the Jets using a third rounder, their second pick in the draft on someone with as much of a checkered past as Ellis', especially when a lot of Jets have had trouble staying out of the headlines for off-field stuff in recent years. Grade: B+ to A-

Round 4, Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville.

Very productive back in college who should be able to contribute on special teams and in the backfield. He averaged 6.1 YPC last season while rushing for 1,488 yards. He won't run away from people and has average size for a running back (5'10" 207 lbs). Can he be an everydown back in the NFL? I don't see why not if he learns the offense and works hard. The instincts are there and he has the patience to wait for holes to open up. He won't lose yards too often because he won't panic and start running wild in the backfield. He will also be able to assist Mark Sanchez catching passes out of the backfield. A very underrated pick in the 4th round. Grade: B

Round 5, Jeremy Kerley, WR, TCU.

Kerley isn't going to win as many jump balls as, say, Braylon Edwards, but he is pretty quick off the line. He isn't blinding in the speed department but uses quickness off the snap to grab the ball on a quick throw and he takes off, using his shiftiness to make a play. He is fearless over the middle and will hang on to the ball once caught. He will also help out on special teams as a return man. The Jets might have a good one here, especially if they lose Edwards or Santonio Holmes to free agency. Grade: B.

Round 7, Greg McElroy, Alabama.

This was one of my favorite picks because I think McElroy was highly undervalued at the quarterback position this year. He is an accurate passer, completing 70.9% of his passes last year and 60.9 in 2009. He isn't the prototypical size for a QB (6'1", 200 lbs) but neither is Drew Brees. He knows how to win, he is a smart quarterback, rarely making a bad throw. He is strictly a pocket passer, lacking the quickness to make much happen if protection dissolves and he is forced to run. However, he will stay in the pocket until the last second to make his throw. I really like this pick. Let this kid sit behind Mark Sanchez and someone else while he learns the offense and you will have a very capable backup who could develop into a starter down the road. Grade: A+

Round 7, Scotty McKnight, WR, Colorado.

Childhood friend of QB Mark Sanchez. Sometimes all you need between a QB and WR is chemistry and there certainly is chemistry here. With a 7th round pick, why not see if something develops between these two and they can make it produce on the field. McKnight is 5'10" so he has decent size, not dominating, for a wide receiver. He is also very productive, becoming the first Colorado receiver to lead the team in catches for four years. He was also the 10th player in college football history to catch a pass in every game he played in. If I were a GM I would have taken this guy a lot earlier than the 7th round. But, nobody did...until the Jets did. I am willing to bet a few bucks he makes the team and is a very productive possession receiver for the Jets this year or next. Grade: A+