Author: Alex Graves
While not officially recognized by Hallmark, the beginning of the NFL season is an unofficial holiday in the United States. In the months leading up to the regular season kickoff, fans argue, boast and dare to dream of Super Bowl glory for their respective teams.
I myself have taken part in this madness. Just last year I boldly proclaimed that my beloved San Francisco 49ers would return to glory and reach the post season. A few months and 11 loses later, I was both disappointed and humbled. Thus is the nature of the NFL, or any professional sport for that matter.
This year I will save myself the potential embarrassment of predicting another playoff appearance by the 49ers. Here are my predictions for the year.
For the National Football Conference (NFC), defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants will struggle to even make it back to the playoffs. They lost two of their starting defensive ends, one to injury and another to retirement.
The Dallas Cowboys will win the division once again. Although it pains me to say it, they are too talented not to make it back to the playoffs.
I also expect the Green Bay Packers, despite the departure of Brett Favre to the New York Jets, to have a succesful season with new quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The Minnesota Vikings will also have a chance for a playoff spot, relying heavily on running back Adrian Peterson.
The New Orleans Saints, with the addition of tight end Jeremy Shockey and rookie defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis, should be one of the elite teams in the NFC this season.
If Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme can stay healthy I believe they too will make a run in the postseason. For the NFC championship, I’ll take the Dallas Cowboys over the New Orleans Saints.
It’s a commonly-used phrase that timing is everything. Had I written this article a few weeks ago, I, like many football fans, would have predicted the New England Patriots to make another run at the Super Bowl. However, on Sept. 7, superstar quarterback Tom Brady suffered a season-ending injury, which opens up the door to other teams. While the Patriots are certainly talented enough to still make the playoffs, I would not be surprised to see the Buffalo Bills push them out for the division title.
I believe that the one team that stands the most to gain from Brady’s injury is the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their physical running game, talented young quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and solid group of wide receivers makes the Steelers one of the favorites in the American Football Conference (AFC) this year. The Indianapolis Colts will easily make the playoffs so long as Peyton Manning stays healthy.
The San Diego Chargers, arguably the most talented 53-man-roster in football, should cruise into the playoffs due to the fact they play in a weak division.
The AFC, even considering the injury to Brady, is difficult to predict because there are a number of quality teams. I believe the AFC championship game will come down to the Steelers and Colts, with the Steelers overpowering the Colts to move onto the Super Bowl XLIII.
And now for the drum roll. This year’s Super Bowl will feature a rematch of the teams from Super Bowl XXX, however this year I believe the Steelers will prevail over the Cowboys. Don’t necessarily take this to Vegas, but let the 17 weeks of boasting, trash talking and intense game-watching begin.
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