NFL Predictions Thread

[Big Sexy]

Divisional Round predictions:

NFC

Green Bay vs Detroit- I really want to be a homer and take the Lions but I still think they are a year away from being a Super Bowl team. The Packers won't have a playoff collapse like they did last year.

San Francisco vs Philadelphia- This is another tough one but I'm taking the 49ers. San Fran has what it takes to win in the playoffs, a dominant defense and a great running game. Vick will keep it close but they will fall short.

AFC

New England vs Kansas City- This is a matchup between two similar teams that were built by the same management. KC has a ton of talent but on the road they won't be able to hang with the Pats. The Patriots are what the Chiefs are striving to be but they aren't there yet. It won't be a blowout like the Denver game was last year but the Patriots move on.

Baltimore vs Denver- I expect Peyton Manning to be great this year but even he won't be able to move the Broncos past Baltimore. The Ravens offense will be improved this season and their defense always stays consistent. This may be Ray Lewis's last hurrah and they will be going back to the AFC Championship game.

This sets up GB/SF and NE/BAL.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

AFC
1. New England
2. Houston
3. Baltimore
4. Kansas City
5. Buffalo
6. Cincinnati

NFC
1. San Francisco
2. Green Bay
3. New Orleans
4. Dallas
5. Chicago
6. Philadelphia


Wild Card Round
In the AFC, I have Baltimore and Kansas City winning their respective matchups. Cincinnati will be a tough opponent but I think they're one wide receiver away from being something special. I see Baltimore focusing on Green and make Dalton find another way to beat them. Buffalo vs. Kansas City will come down to defense and I like Buffalo's secondary as they picked off Brady all day last year. Buffalo will win a close one.

In the NFC, I have New Orleans and Dallas advancing. The Saints are hard to beat at home and I believe that the defense could get at Vick a little bit and rattle him. The key for Dallas to win is to get at the Bears' offensive line. If they start causing problems for Cutler, he'll try passes into double or triple coverage and get picked off. Dallas wins on a late field goal.

That leaves us with Houston/Baltimore, New England/Buffalo, Green Bay/New Orleans, and San Francisco/Dallas.

 

[Megatron]

AFC West
1. San Diego
2. Denver
3. Kansas City
4. Oakland

Yes, I'm buying into the hype yet again with the Chargers. I know Norv Turner is on the hot seat and Ryan Mathews continues to have injury problems, but Philip Rivers is the best QB in this division (yes, better than Peyton at the moment. I can't trust his neck problems) and they can't continue to underachieve like they have, can they? 10 wins I think will win the division and I think they are best suited to reach that mark.

I'm probably not as high on Denver as many others because while they have Peyton Manning, he's not nearly as good outside as he is inside (where he spent over half of his games) and he's 36 coming off a serious neck injury. Not only that, but he wasn't that great his last season in Indy. Still good, but nowhere near matching the production he did during his successful run the 8 or 9 years before. Their passing game will undoubtedly improve, but their running game will take a hit (although with Manning it's not like his teams were ever the best at running). The defense is a bit overrated, but they'll still be in playoff contention throughout the year.

KC is the sleeper team in the division that was bit by the injury bug hard last year. Cassel, Charles, Moeaki, Berry, etc. And all of those guys were big contributors to their surprising playoff run two years ago. They added Peyton Hillis to bring a nice 1-2 punch of Charles/Hillis, Dwayne Bowe has finally reported to camp, and their schedule should be a bit more relaxing. While I wouldn't be surprised for them to take 2nd ahead of Denver, I'll take my chances on a Manning-lead team over Cassel.

As for Oakland, they could be quite the mess of a team for a few years. Their big trade for Carson Palmer is about as close to a bust as you can get. The guy is careless with the football and hasn't lived up to his potential that he had coming out of USC. Granted, he didn't enter the season with a training camp after holding out and was just thrown into the wolves, but I'd be hard to argue he's a top 1/2 QB in the league. I wouldn't be surprised to see them blow this whole team up in the new regime and try to start up differently with more draft picks and such. It'll be a long year for the Silver and Black.

With all the divisions done I'll come back later with my playoff predictions and Super Bowl thoughts.

 

[Megatron]

NFC:
1. Green Bay
2. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta
4. Seattle
5. San Francisco
6. Detroit

AFC:
1. New England
2. Houston
3. Baltimore
4. San Diego
5. Denver
6. Pittsburgh

I know I only have 3 new playoff teams from last year, but damn the AFC seems way to top heavy this year. Can't pull the trigger on some teams.

Wild Card
6. Detroit def. 3. Atlanta
4. Seattle def. 5. San Francisco

3. Baltimore def. 6. Pittsburgh
4. San Diego def. 5. Denver

Divisional
6. Detroit def. 1. Green Bay
2. Philadelphia def. 4. Seattle

1. New England def. 4. San Diego
2. Houston def. 3. Baltimore

Conference Championship
6. Detroit def. 2. Philadelphia

2. Houston def. 1. New England

Super Bowl XLVII
6. Detroit def. 2. Houston

I know I look like a homer for picking the Lions and I probably am, but it's not the best team that wins the Super Bowl - it's the hottest. With Stafford and Calvin they always have a shot in the game. As for Houston, I like their defense even without Mario and I'm thinking that Schaub will stay healthy throughout the playoffs (how likely that is IDK).

 

[Big Sexy]

NFC Championship Game

Green Bay vs San Francisco- I'm going with the 49ers. With that running game and defense, they are built to win championships. Alex Smith has enough weapons now to make a more formidable passing attack as well. The Packers will keep it close but will fall short.

AFC Championship Game

New England vs Baltimore- The Ravens should have won last year and they will win this year. Flacco showed in last years playoffs that could show up in big games and Ray Rice is still a top 3 back in the NFL. Suggs will be back at this point to make th defense even more dangerous.

Super Bowl

Baltimore vs San Francisco- This is the Harbaugh Bowl that we probably should have seen last year. Both teams play a similar style and are evenly matched but I'm taking the Ravens in a close game. I believe the experience edge they have will ultimately be the deciding factor.

Of course the homer in me is really picking the Lions to win the Super Bowl and they are more then capable of doing so.

 

[Paul Bunyan's Axe]

NFC North:

1. Packers
2. Lions
3. Bears
4. Vikings

I'm pretty sure this is exactly what it was last year, but if it is, I think it'll stay that way. I think the Lions will go around 11-5 and the Pack at around 12-4. Maybe the Bears sneak into the wild card as well.

NFC West

1. 49ers
2. Rams
3. Seahawks
4. Cardinals

I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Rams come away with the division this year, but it's still the 49ers' to lose by the looks of it. Their play on defense is among the best in the NFL, and they can definitely win games (at least enough to win the West) with their defense.

NFC South

1. Buccanneers
2. Saints
3. Panthers
4. Falcons

Yes, the Bucs I think will win it, with the Saints possibly getting the Wild Card, and the Falcons in last. Reason being, the I think the Panthers will have a decent year this year, and the Falcons will not. Atlanta is a sinking ship with a mediocre QB, and a Running Back who is going to slow down a lot this year.

NFC East

1. Eagles
2. Cowboys
3. Giants
4. Redskins

I think the Eagles and Cowboys will be very neck and neck all season. Maybe so much that it comes all the way down to week 17, but in the end, I see the Eagles winning the division, Cowboys get in the Wild Card, and the Giants playing Golf in December.

AFC:

AFC North
1. Steelers
2. Bengals
3. Ravens
4. Browns

Yes, I'm biased. But, the Steelers have improved their offensive line, and gotten a much better offensive coordinator which will help out the offense a lot. And the defense, is, well, the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense. Regardless of how 'old' or 'slow' people think we are, we're always among the top in the NFL in every defensive category.

I also think the Bengals will finish over the Ravens this year. Andy Dalton and AJ Green are ready for a big year, and I'm sure their defense stays good as well.

AFC West
1. Broncos
2. Chargers
3. Chiefs
4. Raiders

I think Peyton is going to do decent enough this year. Not great, but good enough to win the division, but just barely over the Chargers.

AFC South
1. Texans
2. Titans
3. Colts
4. Jaguars

This is quite clearly the Texans division to win. Not only should they win this division, but I think it's very possible for them to go to the Super Bowl. The Titans are the only threat to them, and while I think the Titans will do good enough to be in contention of the playoffs towards the end, I think the Texans will still be a few games better.

AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Jets
4. Dolphins

Just like the AFC South is set for the pats to win, the AFC East is set for the Pats to win. I think the Bills will probably finish around 8-8, and those bottom two teams having less than 6 wins, with the Patriots cruising by with at least 11-5

Alright, so here's the seeding for my NFC:

1. Packers
2. Eagles
3. Buccaneers
4. 49ers
5. Lions
6. Bears

Alright, so the Pack and Philly will be relaxing over their first round by, while the Bucs will match up with the Bears, and the 9ers against the Lions.

Buccaneers vs. Bears- Winner: Bears

The Bears barely got in the wild card finishing 3rd in the North, but they pull off the upset on the Bucs due to defensive superiority, and maybe the experience factor comes into play as well.

49ers vs. Lions- Winner: Lions

So, by my prediction, the Lions will have a better record than the 9ers, but still be forced to go on the road to take on the 49ers in Candelstick, and despite the good defense, despite home field advantage, the Lions will click on offense and get the win.

Alright, so now the 1 seed gets to play the lowest seed left, and that would be the Bears. So, Packers vs. Bears, and Eagles vs. Lions.

Packers vs. Bears- Winner: Bears

Defense wins championships. You compare these two defenses, and the Bears are much more superior, and I think that they actually have running game to fall back on, unlike the Pack, will win them this game. Bears pull of the upset, and go to the championship game.

Eagles vs. Lions- Winner: Lions

This one is hard to call either way, and this game would be very exciting to watch, as it would be an offensive duel, probably going up and down the field all game. That being said, I think the Lions have just a bit better offense than the Eagles, and they upset the Eagles on the road.

Lions vs. Bears- Winner: Lions

So yes, the 5 and 6 seed in the championship game. Who would have thought? The Lions enter the playoffs expecting to go the whole time on the road if they wanted to make it to the super bowl, but now they get 1 last game at Ford Field, while the Bears have made it through 2 tough road games, and now just need 1 more to get to the Super Bowl. But, the crowd is insane all game, and help the Lions make it to Super Bowl 46.

Alright, now for the AFC seeding:

1. Patriots
2. Steelers
3. Texans
4. Broncos
5. Bengals
6. Titans

Big thing you'll notice here, no Ravens in the playoffs. I don't believe the Ravens will make it, and it will be a fight between Steelers and Bengals for the North, and the Titans will also creep into the 6th seed. So, while New England and Pittsburgh take a week off, the Texans stay at home to face the Titans, and the Bengals will travel to Denver to take on the Broncos.

Texans vs. Titans- Winner: Texans

Yeah, the Texans have emerged as a real Super Bowl contender, and I don't think there's any doubt that they should beat the Titans at the 6th seed. That being said, expect the Titans to still bring a big fight into this game.

Broncos vs. Bengals- Winner: Bengals

Manning has a good ride to get it into the playoffs, but the Bengals defense will be on fire to harass Manning all game, and pick up the win, and head to the divisional game. So, the first seed gets the lowest seed, so the Pats go up against the Bengals, while the Steelers get the Texans.

Patriots vs. Bengals- Winner: Patriots

I'd love to see the Bengals end the Pats early, but I think the Patriots will do their regular against the Bengals on offense.

Steelers vs. Texans- Winner: Steelers

What, did you expect me to have the Steelers eliminated in their first game? I don't think so. Provided on what the injuries look like, mostly on the offensive line and on Roethlisberger, I think the steelers can beat the Texans to advance to New England to take on the Pats for conference title.

Patriots vs. Steelers- Winner: Steelers

Yes, another Steeler homer picks the Steelers to go to the Super Bowl. I'd say this would be a classic Brady vs. Roethlisberger match up. Brady still does good enough to keep the game close, but Ben finds a way to pull it out at the end, to set up Steelers vs. Lions at Super Bowl 46.

Steelers vs. Lions- Winner: Steelers

I like the match up in this super bowl, and I think it would be a fun to watch, but there's not going to be many years where I say the Steelers won't win the big one at the beginning of the season.

 

[jmt225]

NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Chicago Bears
3. Detroit Lions
4. Minnesota Vikings

Don't get mad, Lions fans. I still have them making the playoffs, but mark my words... Jay Cutler is about to have a remarkable year and the Bears will be a Super Bowl contender. They would have had similar success last year had Cutler not gotten hurt, and they've only improved this offseason with the acquisition of Brandon Marshall, who I firmly believe is a top 5 WR in the league, if not top 3.

Green Bay will have another remarkable regular season, but this season I see them dropping a couple of extra games. And Minnesota will continue to be dreadful.

NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Washington Redskins
3. New York Giants
4. Dallas Cowgirls

Michael Vick will shock the World and be healthy all year (despite the preseason mishaps) and the Eagles will win this division by a wide margin. Placing the Redskins at 2nd seems ridiculous, but I have the utmost faith in RG3 and I think he's going to put up even better numbers than Cam Newton put up last year, except also get a few good W's to go with it. Now, I don't think it'll be enough to make the playoffs as I see the Redskins, Giants, and 'Girls all finishing with a record around 9-7, 8-8, and 7-9 and this year none of those will be good enough to make the playoffs.

Now, you might say I'm underestimating the Giants, but I'm not. Their Super Bowl run last year was the biggest fluke in the history of sports, and I GUARANTEE you they will miss the playoffs this year. Eli will be back to playing like his bum self now, and their defense will be what we saw in the regular season last year, not what we saw in the playoffs.

NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Carolina Panthers

If this prediction ends up being wrong then it'll be only because the Saints got royally screwed this offseason with the ridiculous suspension of Sean Payton. However, I'm keeping faith in Drew and that Saints offense to get the job done and carry this team to another South Division title.

Atlanta, as much as I hate to admit it, will be good this year. Juilo Jones will most likely emerge into an elite wide receiver in the game, and they now have Mike Nolan as their new Defensive Coordinator. That said, I don't think finishing 2nd in the South will be as good as finishing 3rd in the NFC North. I mean, logic says that's dumb, but 3 teams from the same division making the playoffs has happened on more than one occasion, and I think the Falcons will end up crumbling in some games they should have won. Matt Ryan is a good QB, but he's not a great one and that'll be why the Falcons never achieve big success while he's there.

The Bucs and Panthers will be show improvement, but neither will be a .500 team.

NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. St. Louis Rams
3. Seattle Seahawks
4. Arizona Cardinals

I'm disappointed the Seahawks went to Wilson over Flynn. I was looking forward to seeing Flynn making that team a contender. Wilson will be a good QB in this league, but I think it's too soon to give him the ball. I don't see Seattle recovering from this mistake. It sucks too because the rest of the conferences needs San Francisco to have quality competition.

I think the Rams will be the surprise of the year. Sam Bradford will be healthy and I think finally show why he was drafted #1 overall. I'm a believer in Jeff Fisher and I think he's going to get the most out of that crew.

And the Cardinals will be the worst team in the league.

AFC North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Cleveland Browns

I don't trust running backs when they receive a new contract; I believe Ray Rice will have a similar season to that of Chris Johnson last year, and I think the Ravens defense will have lost a step being another year older and losing Terrell Suggs with his injury. A lot of Baltimore's success will rely on Joe Flacco's arm, and I just don't believe Flacco is the kind of QB that can carry a team on his own.

Cincinnati I think continues to have success with Dalton and Green leading the way, and the Browns will show a lot of promise and lose a lot of close ones this year. And of course, the Steelers will be the Steelers. The only thing I worry about them is that god awful offensive line. I think that kills them in the playoffs, but they'll be okay during the regular season.

AFC East
1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills

People seem to be in love with the Bills and think the Jets are going to be awful, but I just don't see it. The Jets will eventually bench Sanchez and Tebow will come in and work his magic, help leading the team to the playoffs. I said it last year with Denver, and I'm saying it now with the Jets. Mark my words.

The Dolphins will show much improvement and contend very well, but I think next year will be their year to really be a contender. Ryan Tannehill is definitely forreal.

AFC South
1. Houston Texans
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Indianapolis Colts
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

Easily the worst division in football. That said, I believe the Texans is among the two best teams in the AFC. If Schaubb hadn't got hurt last season, I firmly believe they would have gone to the Super Bowl and beaten the shit out of the Giants. It's unfortunate what happened to them. I see the Texans this year though having a similar regular season to what the 49ers had last year, and they'll cruise to the AFC Championship.

All three other teams are too young. All three quarterbacks though will all show flashes of brilliance and give their fans hope for the future.

AFC West
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Denver Broncos
4. Oakland Raiders

I think this will end up being the most competitive division in football next season. Norv Turner is on the bubble and the Chargers will play their asses off for him. The Chiefs were loaded with injuries last season. The Broncos now have Peyton Manning. And the Raiders, well, I want them to be successful and I do think they'll compete hard, but they're still a couple of years away from being a real contender in the league.

All that said, I think the Chargers have the most talent, and I think this is one of the years they show it. They're off to a rough start with Ryan Matthews' injury, but I think they'll win enough games and he'll return and they'll go on a big run to finish the 2nd half of the season.

I put the Chiefs over the Broncos because I think the talent around Peyton Manning is shit and that one offseason isn't enough for him to change it all around. The Chiefs, like I said, were filled with injuries last season and I think this season we'll see a similar Chiefs team to that of what we saw in 2010.

NFC Standings
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New Orleans Saints
5. Chicago Bears
6. Detroit Lions

AFC Standings
1. Houston Texans
2. New England Patriots
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Pittsburgh Steers
5. Kansas City Chiefs
6. New York Jets

Official Super Bowl Prediction

New England Patriots

vs.

New Orleans Saints​

Yep, playing the homer here, but I think the Us against the World mentality will carry the Saints all throughout the season to become the first team in history to play in a Super Bowl in their own city. Drew Brees will have as good as of a season as last year, if not better, and with a competent defensive coordinator now who won't blow leads with ******ed play calling, I just don't see anyone outscoring this offense come playoff time.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

Divisional Round
Houston really missed Matt Schaub in their playoff game against Baltimore last year as I believe he was the main difference in them losing. This time around, I believe Andre Johnson will be the reason that they will upset Baltimore.

Buffalo will be motivated to try to beat New England but at the end of the day, we're talking about Brady. I just don't think Fitzpatrick will be good enough to pull out a playoff win. Not yet anyway. New England comes out victorious.

Green Bay and New Orleans will be up and down the field scoring points left and right. What will make the difference to me is the Saints' running game and Darren Sproles. I see Sproles getting a huge return in special teams that will be the key in them winning at Lambeau.

I like the squad that Dallas has but the 49ers have the superior defense and coaching. This is a game that could go into overtime like their regular season matchup last year but with a different result. 49ers win.

That leaves us with Houston vs. New England and New Orleans vs. San Francisco in the conference championship games.

 

[J.J.]

No love for the Panthers, majority of last season's losses were due to an unhealthy Jeff Otah on the OL, which disabled Carolina from effectively running the ball with Williams and Stewart. On defensive side of the ball they were without Jon Beason and Thomas Davis their two best Linebackers. Terrible run D. A lot of their losses came from blowing 4th quarter leads. Take that away and they would've been a wildcard team.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Green Bay and New Orleans will be up and down the field scoring points left and right.

Have to agree. The final score will probably look like that of an NBA game, 104-101 or something like that. Neither team has the defense to stop the other but New Orleans has a few playmakers on D that will enable the Saints to take the game.

In the other division, the Houston defense is going to shock a lot of people. Watch them take New England out of the playoffs by stifling Brady.

 

[Little Jerry Lawler]

AFC Championship Game
Houston has come a long way from being the awful expansion Texans but their run will end here. I just can't take Schaub over Brady in a game of this magnitude and the Patriots have been here time after time after time. Experience will pay off at the end and Brady is off to his 6th Super Bowl.

NFC Championship Game
The 49ers were able to hang with the Saints offensively last year due to forcing turnovers and that was with Davis as their primary option. They have more receivers and their defense will be stout. The Saints aren't great away from home and that will be their undoing as they lose a nailbiter to San Fran.


Super Bowl XLVII: New England vs. San Francisco
I believe the backstory to this matchup could be one of the best ever. Tom Brady looking to give San Francisco their first SB loss and tie the great 49ers QB Joe Montana in SB wins. For all the criticism the Patriots defense gets, they can stop people when it is time to stop them. They will come ready to play for this game and Brady will win this from behind with a touchdown pass instead of a field goal.

New England 23
San Francisco 21

 

[Mr. HD]

I'm gonna skip picking Division Winners and cut to the nitty gritty.

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers
2. New Orleans Saints
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. New York Giants
5. Chicago Bears
6. Atlanta Falcons

NFC Championship Game

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers

This may seem like an unusual pick, but I feel like Chicago is going to do big things this season. I mean, the only reason The Bears were left out the playoffs last season is because Cutler got injured. And the year before, they could've beaten Green Bay in the NFC Championship, but certain plays didn't fall their way. With Cutler back and Brandon Marshall added to the arsenal, and that defense will be as aggressive as ever. I like The Bears chances better than Green Bay.

San Fran is poised to make it back to the NFC Championship. I bet you a lot of people are going to say this team got lucky. I beg to differ. This team is destined to be a playoff contender for years to come. They have a ton of new weapons, but what got them to the NFC Championship last game was defense, ground and pound and Alex Smith managing the game. If they don't make him pass happy this season because of the addition of Moss and Manningham, then The Niners can get back to the NFC Championship.



AFC

1. New England Patriots
2. Houston Texans
3. Denver Broncos
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Tennessee Titans


AFC Championship Game

Denver Broncos at New England Patriots

I may be a tad bit biased based off my Avatar, but if this preseason didn't prove that Peyton Manning will be just fine, than I don't know what will. The only problem is that Denver's schedule is brutal, and Manning has issues with San Diego. But they'll be fine. Manning finally has a team with a potent running game that finished #1 last season, and a pretty good defense. Add all that with Manning and you have a AFC Title bid. Only reason why I don't have Houston here is because I have Denver defeating The Titans very handily in the Wild Card Round and then going up to Houston. When it comes down to Houston vs Peyton Manning, I'm taking Manning every time. He's like 16-2 against them.

New England has been blessed with an easy schedule yet again. Their offense will be fine, but they will miss Green-Ellis. He really was a integral part of that offense. I don't think Ridley can carry the slack, but we'll see. Their defense will be a bother, but I don't think it'll be that much of a bane to them. I say they cruise through the AFC East and get another #1 seed. They only really have four tough games (Texans, Niners, Broncos, Ravens) and the rest is cake. Tom Brady has yet to miss the playoffs and when playing at home in the playoffs, it won't be an easy task.

Tom Brady vs Peyton Manning in the AFC Championship, yet again. Couldn't dream up a scenario better.


Super Bowl

Denver Broncos vs San Francisco 49ers

I believe that Peyton Manning can lead this team to the Super Bowl. This all may seem like I have a big man crush on Manning, but this is not the case. Denver is poised to surprise a lot of people. People said Favre was done, but when he was with The Vikings, his team locked up a #2 seed and was one Adrian Peterson fumble away from the Super Bowl. Anything can happen in the NFL. Manning finally doesn't have to depend on his arm to win games. The Broncos defense isn't as incompetent as The Colts D was. This is it.

I also believe in Alex Smith. Again, if Harbaugh keeps Smith as a game manager and doesn't try to make him into Manning or Brady, they can reach the Super Bowl. The Niners have a complete team to be honest. Their offense made very little mistakes in the postseason and their defense was absolutely amazing.

Should be a matchup for the ages.

 

[The 1-2-3 Killam]

1.) Packers (14-2)
2.) Chicago (12-4)
3.) Detroit (10-6)
4.) Minnesota (8-8)

As already stated, the Bears have made some impressive and aggressive steps forward this season; I doubt it will be enough to take the top spot from Aaron Rodgers and the Packers passing game though. Green Bay should be able to clear the division somewhat easily yet again this year. The Bears may give them some trouble late in the season if they can keep healthy, but on the flipside time may give GB time to get its rushing game back in shape. Either way I'm giving the Bears one win over the Pack this year; maybe it's pity. The other loss goes to my dark horse pick in Houston. IF the Jaguars can get their running game figured out, they could pose a significant threat. But I don't generally give any team from Florida a shot in the Frozen Tundra in late October/early November.