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Rob Viking -> RE: Predictions for Next Week (and maybe beyond) (9/1/2010 11:41:23 AM)
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It's nice to be arguably one of the best teams in the NFL only 9 months ago returning virtually the same squad albeit with a few injuries. Yet everyone is jumping on the Packers bandwagon and everyone ready for a Viking collapse and you know many of them are eagerly anticipating this, so they can stroke their ego and vindicate their amazing ability to predict the NFL. Maybe its the whole Brett Favre fiasco but the Vikes have become one of the most hated teams in the NFL.
The media and the pundits may have given this team that extra moitvation and the no one believes in us angle.
The NFC is a little weaker than last IMO, the Saints won't have the same magic but they're still the team to beat.
The Cowboys have more O-Line problems than us and even they're top players haven't really proven anything in big games except vs Philly. The Giants will be better (somewhere in between the Giants of Sept-Oct and that of the last 10 games). Philly will take a step back, their D faded las season and without McNabb I don't see Desean having the same impact. Washington will spoil atleast one NFC East teams season and perhaps they can sneak a WC spot as well but they aren't a serious contender.
The Saints will be tough but we shall see how they play with the target on their backs, and I don't see them forcing the amount of TOs they did last season. The Falcons went through their back to reality season and they seemed poise to challenge the Saints this season. Not sold on them even though their defense seems much improved. Carolina can always surprise especially with their trend of being a playoff team every other season.
The NFC West will be the 49ers to lose and they will have a ferocious defense feasting on their poor division but Alex Smith is still a mediocre QB and I don't see him being able to make plays when they need him. Arizona will still challenge the 49ers but too many holes to fill and a poorous O-Line with the QBs the type of QBs they have could be a recipe for disaster.
Now our division won't be as easy as last season, with all 3 teams improving, but we we're still 5-1, and no defense in the North came close to slowing us down except the Bears for a half and that had more to do with Chilly than anything. The Packers still have the same O Line that was terrorized in the early parts of last season. Sure they seemed to fix that but was that more to do with a 2nd half sked that couldn't expose their weaknesses. Anytime the Pack played a team with a good pass rush and strong passing game they would lose. Their secondary looks even worse this year and I don't see Woodson having the season he had last year. I also don't see Tauscher and Clifton both holding up this season, let them have the pressure of annointed favorites. The Bears can pose a threat and we will probably lose to them at Soldier Field in obscure fashion again. The Lions will be better but I am confident since we haven't lost to them since 2001.
Looking at the sked I see definate wins vs Det x2, vs Bears, vs Ariz, vs Bills. Probable wins vs Pack, vs Giants, vs Dallas, vs Phins. Games that could go either way @NYJ, @Chi, @Philly, @Wash. Probable losses @NO, @GB, @NE.
Going by this method of dividing the difficulty of each game our record should look like this.
Sure wins 5-0
Probable wins 3-1 or 4-0
Either way 2-2 or 1-3 or 3-1
Probable loss: 1-2 or 0-3.
With no luck 9-7
Average luck 10-6
Last seaons luck 11-5 or 12-4
Saints luck 13-3.
My gut feeling L@NO, W vs Mia, W vs Det, W @NYJ, W vs Dal, L @GB, W @NE, W vs Ari, L @Chi, W vs GB, W @Wash, W vs Buff, W vs NYG, W vs Chi, L @Philly, W @Det. = 12-4
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