(UPDATE (8/20/12): The 2012 NFL Preview is coming shortly, and since we like to be accountable here at BSB, let’s take a look back at how we did last year…the regular type were our opinions before the season started last year, while the italicized and underlined portions are a recap of how we actually did.
Here we go, friends. The NFL season! Gotta love it. It looked, for a while, like the NFL season would either be abbreviated or extended to 18 games. Both of which would have put a serious hit on our NFL preview game here on BSB. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same, and we’ve got ourselves a 16-game schedule this year, so we’re going to plow ahead and rock out another BSB NFL Preview.
For those of you unfamiliar with the preview, Doogan and I will be trying to predict whether each NFL team with either improve or, uh, “get worse” (you’d think someone who likes to write blog posts would be able to think of a word opposite of improve…). Anyway, we do it kind of a draft kind of process. Feel free to check out our past previews. Doogan took our first one in 2008, 17-15, but Bry responded with a come-from-behind 17-15 win in the 2009 version. Last year, in the 2010 version, Doogan won by the familiar 17-15 score to take over the bragging rights…at least for a year.
So, on to this year’s NFL Preview, BSB-style. Check back regularly for our picks, as we do them in “real time.” Bry picked first last year, so Doogan is on the clock…
1. DOOGAN – Carolina Panthers – OVER 2 wins: I’m just gonna jump on the easiest number on the board with Carolina and over 2. Having recently moved to the great state of North Carolina, I’m gonna try to get some positive karma going here and hope they scrape together just a few W’s, even if they end up underdogs in every game they play.
FINAL: 6-10. DOOGAN, 1-0
Doogan nails his first pick with ease, though it might be surprising to think that, even with all the Cam Newton love, the Panthers still lost 10 games.
2. BRY – San Diego Chargers – OVER 9 wins: Wow, ya, this one is not gonna be easy, as I’m on my very first pick, and can’t find one gimme. But, I do like the San Diego Super-Chargers to hit double-digit wins this year. I don’t think anyone would argue that they weren’t better than a 9-7 team last year, and they haven’t changed all that much this offseason. While they did lose Darren Sproles, there is at least a chance that Ryan Matthews can be the guy they thought they were drafting. Plus, 16 healthy games of Vincent Jackson is clearly an upgrade from 6 rusty games of Vincent Jackson. While they do play a pretty tough schedule, including the Pats, Jets, Ravens, and Packers, they also have 4 games with Oakland and Denver, and it’s unlikely they will lose 3 of them like they did last year. Let’s not forget, while I generally hate the way we “rank” offense and defense, they did finish last year with the #1 offense AND #1 defense in the league last year. I cannot imagine the special teams being as historically bad as they were last year. Yes, it’s not a slam dunk (which it should be with a high pick like this), but I find it hard to believe that this isn’t a 10+-win team this year.
FINAL: 8-8. DOOGAN, 2-0
For the first time in “season preview” history, one of us gets our very first pick incorrect, as Bry loses on the Chargers.
3. BRY – Chicago Bears – UNDER 11 wins: Yes, this team brings back all the key pieces from a team that hosted the NFC Championship Game last year. But, do we really think even with the end results from last year that this team was all that good? And, the last time we saw the Bears, their “franchise quarterback” was pacing the sidelines of the most important game of his life, while his peers took pot shots on Twitter, and some other guy that we’ll never hear from again tried to lead a comeback to send the Bears to the Super Bowl. This defense is still good, and I do think Cutler is better than he seems to get credit for, but this team just seems destined for a somewhat big step backwards, especially considering they play in a division with the defending champs, an improving and feisty Lions team, and a Vikes team that still does have elite top-end talent, even if their depth is suspect. Sounds like 8-8, at best, if you ask me, but certainly not 11 wins again.
FINAL: 8-8. BRY, 1-2
If Cutler and Forte were both healthy all year, Bry may have missed BOTH of his first two picks, but he actually got this one relatively easily.
4. DOOGAN – Atlanta Falcons – UNDER 13 wins: I tend to always be down on the Falcons, but they actually convinced me last year with that best-in-the-NFC 13 win campaign. Julio Jones should make their offense even more dynamic this year. They convinced that they’re a solid team, NOT that they’re a powerhouse. Their schedule may not be brutal, but probably half the games could safely be termed “tough”. Can they win 5 of those 8 tough ones and avoid slip-ups in any of the other 8? I really doubt it. 10 or 11 wins in Atlanta this year.
FINAL: 10-6. DOOGAN, 3-1
Another easy pick for Doogan, as the Falcons do make the playoffs, but fall 3 wins shy of their 10-win 2010 campaign.
5. BRY – Jacksonville Jaguars – UNDER 8 wins: It’s hard to imagine taking an 8-8 team that didn’t change all that much to go under in a mediocre division this early in the game, but that is what I’m going to do here with the Jags. I think the draft pick of Blaine Gabbert, while it may pay dividends down the road, could torpedo the 2011 Jags season. A quarterback controversy is never good for the locker room, and I don’t think that this locker room has either the leadership or sheer talent to overcome it. Maurice Jones-Drew is still a star, but there’s at least a minor chance that he starts to break down after several workhorse seasons in north Florida. And, the defense is not anything to write home about. I see this team much more likely to compete for the #1 draft pick than the AFC South.
FINAL: 5-11. BRY, 2-3
This one wasn’t ever really in doubt, as Bry cruises to the point here.
6. DOOGAN – Dallas Cowboys – OVER 6 wins: Tony Romo is back under center and this offense should be able to put up a lot of points. Their downfall last year was the defense and, luckily for us Eagle fans, they didn’t do much to improve there personnel-wise. They did bring in Rob Ryan as the new DC though, and there’s enough talent there for them to at least be half-decent on that side of the ball. With a pretty favorable schedule to work with (all NFC West teams plus Buffalo and Miami at home in inter-conference play), I’ll call them for 9-7.
FINAL: 8-8. DOOGAN, 4-2
Doogan had a nice call here, though he was a tad optimistic, as the ‘Boys only went 8-8, but it was enough for the point.
7. BRY – Houston Texans – OVER 6 wins: Dallas and the over? How’d that feel, Doogan? Anyway, for years and years there has been a Texans bandwagon around this time. I have tried hard not to get caught up in it in the past, and I feel like I’ve done a decent job doing so. But, this year, they got me. I believe in them this year around. Their offense is stellar, but they have addressed their big problem last year – their pass defense – by adding the second-best free agent corner, in James Joseph, and another decent d-back in Daniel Manning. With a healthy Arian Foster, I see this team as at least a decent shot at winning the division, but even without a healthy Foster, I think this team is easily a .500 team, at worst.
FINAL: 10-6. BRY, 3-4
Another easy point for Bry here, as he tries to keep pace with Doogan, who has yet to miss a pick.
8. DOOGAN – Kansas City Chiefs – UNDER 10 wins: WR Steve Breaston and NT Kelly Gregg are two solid, if unspectacular, additions, but the Chiefs have a few things working against them. Most importantly, they picked up those 10 wins last year on the strength of one of the easiest schedules in the league. After a first-place finish and matching up with the NFC North instead of the West, that won’t be the case this year. Also, Charlie Weis seemed to have a real positive impact on Matt Cassel last year, which very well might not last with Weis now gone. Finally, I love picking against these teams that make a big leap into the playoffs like they did. They tend to come crashing back to earth the next year.
FINAL: 7-9. DOOGAN, 5-3
Doogan stays perfect through 4 picks, as he wins this one with a 3-game cushion.
9. BRY – Oakland Raiders – UNDER 8 wins: Not sure if anyone has heard, but this guy named Nnamdi used to be on the Raiders and now he’s on some other team. I can’t really remember which team he’s on now, but he’s pretty good, and the Raiders will probably miss him. In all seriousness, I did think that this defense was actually coming along last year and showed signs of being pretty good, but you simply cannot subtract a guy like Nnamdi and expect to be the same defense. And, while I don’t mind the McFadden/Bush running back duo, the offense was not very good last year and lost maybe their best pass-catcher in tight end Zach Miller. People keep telling me that, at one point, Al Davis was a brilliant football mind and a really important part of the game we now know and love to be the NFL, but I’m now 32 years old, so if someone was good before my time, they’re probably overdue in giving up the reigns. Put me down for no more than 6 wins from this Oakland team this year.
FINAL: 8-8. DOOGAN, 6-3
Bry misses his second pick of the contest here, as the Raiders equal their 2010 record of 8-8.
10. DOOGAN – Miami Dolphins – UNDER 7 wins: Maybe the hardest thing to do in the NFL is win without a decent quarterback, so the Dolphins were probably fortunate to win 7 games last year. With Chad Henne and Matt Moore as their play-calling options, it could be a brutal year on the offensive side of the ball for the Fins. The defense is solid, but this just has the feel of a team that is looking to the future and will probably clean-house, on the roster and the coaching staff, after a really poor season in 2011.
FINAL: 6-10. DOOGAN 7-3
They are getting harder, as usual, by this point, but Doogan does hit on the Dolphins getting to double-digit losses.
11. BRY – Indianapolis Colts – UNDER 10 wins: Betting on the Colts to not reach double-digit wins is one of those stupid things that people do that help build big, beautiful casinos in the middle of the desert. But, I might just be another sucker here because I am going with them to fall below 10 wins for the first time in 10 years. (Actually, they had their consecutive 12-win season streak snapped last at 7, which I believe is the second-best streak of my lifetime behind Roger Federer’s consecutive Grand Slam semifinals appearances.) But, there is something about this year in Indy. Maybe it’s the schedule. Maybe it’s three or four mediocre-to-poor drafts in a row. Maybe it’s an aging Reggie Wayne and zero running game. Or…maybe it’s Kerry Collins. But, even if Peyton does play 16 games, I’m not sure they win 10 of them.
FINAL: 2-14. BRY 4-7
Lost in the chase for the #1 pick was how quickly the Colts had fallen from such long-standing heights. I know that they lost their Hall of Fame QB, but after a full decade of seasons with double-digit wins, to see them at 2-14 is quite a shock.
12. DOOGAN – New York Giants – UNDER 10 wins: It hasn’t been a real smooth offseason for Big Blue, which is obviously pretty awesome. Eli’s favorite receiver, Steve Smith, bolted unexpectedly to their arch rivals, and they also had to deal with the whole Osi Umenyiora mess. They also lost a couple of veteran offensive linemen. Those linemen may have been too old to still be effective, but they’ve left some serious question marks on the O-line. With the Eagles and Cowboys most likely taking a step forward this year, the Giants could easily slip to being a .500 team.
FINAL: 9-7. DOOGAN, 8-4
So, the Giants missed the playoffs in 2010 and WON THE SUPER BOWL in 2011. So, you’d think that Doogan’s UNDER pick would be a loser, right? Wrong. The Giants were actually a game worse in 2011, giving Doogan his 6th straight correct pick. Wow!
13. BRY – Denver Broncos – OVER 4 wins: First thing’s first – I am not a huge fan of this team. I don’t think they are very good. I think they made a progress-halting decision of drafting Tim Tebow in the first round last year and right after Josh McDaniel decided that he was too smart to have a strong-armed talented quarterback or a 100-catch wideout, so he sent Cutler and Marshall packing. Now, he’s gone too, and their offensive personnel doesn’t fit their new coach’s style and their defensive personnel isn’t very good. But…4 is a really low number. And, as anyone who has ever read any of these previews, I have this ridiculously inflated opinion of John Fox. I think he’s a fantastic coach. And, as you can see in picks #8 and #9, the Chiefs and Raiders are not expected to be as good, so 5 wins should not be all that far-fetched.
FINAL: 8-8. BRY 5-8
Tebow-Mania gives Bry a more comfortable win here than any of the Broncos actual wins all season.
14. DOOGAN – Philadelphia Eagles – OVER 10 wins: Time to go for it. Will the offensive line be good enough? More importantly, can it keep Mike Vick upright and on the field? Will DeSean stay happy and healthy? Will the linebackers be the downfall of a revamped defense? Can the rookie kicker come through in the clutch? All legitimate questions, but when it comes right down to it this is a team with proven talent all over the field, a wealth of explosive play-makers on both sides of the ball, and a coaching staff that, even if it tends to sabotage itself now and then, also has a proven track-record of success, especially in the regular season. With the rest of the division in varying degrees of transition, they’re clearly the division favorite. They also get to play the entire NFC West, and their match-ups with the AFC East are favorable because they get the Pats and Jets at home, making those games more winnable. A lot of questions to be answered, but 12 wins seems like a smart guess right now.
FINAL: 8-8. BRY 6-8
The pain for Doogan of losing his 6-pick streak is doubled by the fact that it was by missing an OVER pick on the Birds. Bry climbs back into contention here.
15. BRY – Baltimore Ravens – UNDER 12 wins: I guess I waited one pick too long to pull the trigger on the Birds Over – nice pick, and I agree. As my next pick, I am going against a team in whom I always seem to have a TON of confidence. But, 12 wins is a LOT of wins, and I am not at all enthralled with the offseason here in B’more. Granted, if you’re a Ravens fan, you have to have all the confidence and trust in the world in Ozzie Newsome and company, but it’s hard to argue that this team got better this offseason. Plus, this team is built on defense and their two core defensive players (Lewis and Reed) on on the downsides of their careers – albeit first-ballot HoF careers, but still. They also let go of a lot of veteran leadership on the offensive side of the ball, with the cuts of Todd Heap, Derrick Mason, and Willis McGahee. While none of these three were stars anymore, nor are they irreplaceable, their combined losses leave this offense with a lot less depth and a lot less margin for error when it comes to injuries. They are one Ray Rice or Anquan Boldin injury away from real offensive issues. I would still bet on this team to make the playoffs, and the only reason it took me this long to make this pick is because of faith in this organization and an incredibly favorable schedule (NFC West and AFC South). But, easy schedule or no, this team just doesn’t smell like a 12-win team to me.
FINAL: 12-4. DOOGAN, 9-6
The pick getting back in it, Bry gives one right back, as the Ravens – AGAIN – pile up a 12-win season. Honestly, this is a truly elite franchise.
16. DOOGAN – St. Louis Rams – OVER 7 wins: They’re the best team in their division, so the OVER on 7 wins should be pretty much a no-brainer. The problem: they were the best team in their division last year, too. Still, Sam Bradford could be poised to become a big asset at the most important position, Steven Jackson still has something left in the tank, and they made an upgrade on the O-line. I have a lot of faith in Steve Spagnuolo’s defensive coaching abilities, and Quintin Mikell should help, especially since he’s familiar with the scheme already. In the worst division in the game, I see no reason why they can’t hit 9 wins and host a playoff game.
FINAL: 2-14. BRY, 7-9
A big miss here by Doogan, but it’s not surprising, as most people thought the Rams would be better than they were. Bry is still alive here, as the picks continue to get harder.
17. BRY – New England Patiots – UNDER 14 wins: Do I think the Pats will take a step backwards? No. Do I think Brady has lost a step? No. Do I think Belichick is the best head coach in football? Yes – I may even make the case that he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time. Do I think Ochocinco is going to have a big year? Maybe. Do I think Albert Haynesworth is gonna be a beast on the D-line? Yes. Do I think that the Patriots are the best team in the NFL? Yes, actually. However, with all that said, 14 is just too big of a number. If you held a gun to my head and said “pick this year’s Super Bowl champs,” I would take New England. But, I think they can easily do that with 12 or 13 wins. 14 is a lot for anyone.
FINAL: 13-3. BRY, 8-9
While Bry had clinched this in Week 9, it turned out to be by the skin of his teeth, as the Pats rolled off 8 straight wins to end the season.
18. DOOGAN – Detroit Lions – OVER 6 wins: I’ve been considering this pick for a while now because logic says this should be an improved team in 2011, but when I look through their schedule it’s not too difficult to imagine them struggling to get more than 6 wins. That being said, they’re in a similar boat to the Rams in the sense that they have a potential young star at the QB position in Matthew Stafford. Last year, Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton both saw more snaps than Stafford, and it can only be a good thing for the Lions to have him in there. Of course, he’ll need to stay healthy. Calvin Johnson is one of the best young wide-outs in the league. Nick Fairley was a potential steal with the 13th pick in the draft, and he could team with Ndamukong Suh to form a lethal interior D-line for years to come. This team closed out last year with four straight wins. They’re probably at least a year away from a long-awaited playoff return, but they can win 8 this year.
FINAL: 10-6. DOOGAN, 10-8
After back-to-back misses, Doogan is back on track with an easy win. It’s interesting to see how long it took us to take the much-hyped Lions with such a low number, but I guess that shows you that, in retrospect, their 10-win season wasn’t nearly as expected as it may seem now.
19. BRY – Cleveland Browns – OVER 5 wins: This is not a great team, but I actually kind of like their offense right now. I am a Colt McCoy believer. I think he has shown a really encouraging combination of talent and moxy that tells me that there is a chance that he becomes a decent NFL quarterback. Then again, I have been saying similar things about Chad Henne for the better part of three years now, so I may not exactly be the best judge of quarterbacking talent. Along with McCoy, the Browns also have a pretty ferocious offensive line and may have found themselves a feature back in Peyton Hillis, as long as the Madden cover jinx doesn’t rear its ugly face (by the way, is Hillis the strangest Madden cover figure ever?). McCoy still doesn’t have too many receiving weapons, and, though the secondary led by Joe Haden is decent, the front seven on defense is still a work in progress, but the schedule is pretty soft, and I think Pat Shurmur might be a decent head coach. Put me down for 6-8 wins for the Brownies this year.
FINAL: 4-12. DOOGAN, 11-8
A big point for Doogan here, as Bry misses on a really bad Browns team. The sentence “I am a Colt McCoy believer” is echoing pretty loudly right now.
20. DOOGAN – Green Bay Packers – OVER 10 wins: This late in the game, I’m pretty happy to grab the Over on 10 for the defending champs. Much has been made of all the injuries the Packers had last year, with a lot of people making the assumption that they’ll be even better this year. I’m not ready to make that assumption, especially because I think the challenges that come with being the defending champ are real. But, I don’t see any reason why can’t be just as good as they were last year, and the should have won at least a couple more than 10 games a year ago.
FINAL: 15-1. DOOGAN, 12-8
Another seemingly easy pick in retrospect gives Doogan a commanding lead heading into the final 8 picks.
21. BRY – Tampa Bay Buccanneers – UNDER 10 wins: Ya, that’s pretty good value at #20, Doogan. I’ll take the Bucs to slide a little bit back to reality this year. While there is no reason to really think that this team will be any worse than they were last year, considering all their key players are young, and they have one of the best up-and-coming quarterbacks in the game. But, I don’t think they were 10-wins good last year, I think they more benefitted from some good fortune and a favorable schedule. Plus, they do have major question marks in the secondary now with the legal troubles of Aqib Talib and other issues among important d-backs. Despite that, I actually think that this year’s Bucs team might be just as good or better than last year’s, yet still not reach 10 wins this time around.
FINAL: 4-12. BRY, 9-12
Bry does what he needs to here, as he gets an easy point at #21. These mid-to-late picks aren’t supposed to be this easy…
22. DOOGAN – Buffalo Bills – OVER 4 wins: The Bills put up some random big offensive days last season, and even if they don’t have a ton of talent on that offense, they do have pretty much all the same guys back, so there’s reason to believe they can be an average offense this season. Shawne Merriman looks like he could be an asset on defense, and 3rd-overall pick Marcel Dareus could have an immediate impact on the d-line. Also worth noting that after an 0-8 start last year, they finished 4-4, with three of those final four losses being to the Steelers, Pats, and Jets. I could see them winning 7 this year.
FINAL: 6-10. DOOGAN, 13-9
Doogan saw them for 7; he got 6 and got the point. Though, it seems like the Bills were even better than 6-10, looking back.
23. BRY – Cincinnati Bengals – OVER 4 wins: I would feel bad about making this pick after a Week One victory, but I give my word that this was my next pick, anyway. Plus, they did lose their starting quarterback in the game, so who knows. But, anyway, I don’t think this team is all that good, but 4 is a very low number, and the AFC North was given a really soft schedule this year (NFC West and AFC South – probably the two worst divisions in the league). This team is also only 2 years removed from 10 wins and an impressive sweep of this division. Their defense isn’t terrible (for a 4-win team), and they do have Cedric Benson and a slew of promising young weapons on the offensive side, including #4 overall pick, A.J. Green. Their QB position is a huge question mark, but the dirty little secret is that their QB wasn’t all that good last year, either, regardless of what people may believe about Carson Palmer. I’m not convinced that the reason he wasn’t traded is because of some weird Mike Brown “line in the sand.” I kind of think that the rest of the league might not have been all that interested.
FINAL: 9-7. BRY, 10-13
Bry looks savvy on this pick, as the Bengals made the playoffs, but he clearly didn’t think that was going to happen, though the point counts all the same.
24. DOOGAN – Pittsburgh Steelers – UNDER 12 wins: Wow, that was an ugly Week 1 performance! A team like this, with a winner at QB, some of the sport’s elite playmakers on defense, and very capable head coach, will find a way to right the ship, but after a game like that, going under on 12 feels fairly easy.
FINAL: 12-4. BRY, 11-13
The Steelers rebounded from a terrible Week One to get to the 12 number and give Bry life in this competition.
25. BRY – Seattle Seahawks – UNDER 7 wins: If we could have taken the UNDER on playoff wins, this might have been the top pick on the board, but the fact that they only won 7 regular season games last year makes this a much trickier proposition. Plus, throw in the fact that they play 6 games in a bad division, and it’s even tougher. But, there really just isn’t any talent on this team. They might be the worst team in the league. And, while I have to root for Tavaris Jackson for the “All-Jackson” fantasy team, he really isn’t very good…at all. Put me down for 4-5 wins for the ‘Hawks, with a higher possibility of 2 wins and Andrew Luck than 7 wins and another year of T-Jax.
FINAL: 7-9. DOOGAN, 14-11
Even more brutal for Bry than this number going exactly 7 again is that one of those 7 was the ugly Thursday night win over the Eagles…
26. DOOGAN – New Orleans Saints – OVER 11 wins: Tough to go over on a big number for a team that already has one in the L column, but their all tough calls at this point. Drew Brees showed last week that he’s ready for a bounce back year after an off year last year that probably had a lot to do with a nagging knee injury. Darren Sproles (7 catches, 75 yards) showed that they won’t miss Reggie Bush much. Marques Colston going down with a broken collarbone is a blow, but there’s still plenty of nice options for Brees to chuck it to. They should put up a ton of points all year, and should also be favored in every game from here on out, with the exception of their trip to Atlanta in November.
FINAL: 13-3. DOOGAN, 15-11
Doogan gets to a game away from clinching at least a tie, as the Saints improve by 2 games over a solid 11-5 year.
27. BRY – Washington Redskins – OVER 6 wins: Now that we’re two games in, it’s hard to eliminate what we already know about the season, so their 2-0 start is obviously out there for all to see. But, I was thinking Over on the ‘Skins anyway, and in my week-by-week preview, I did have them winning these two games, so I guess I can lean on that. Either way, I had a little fear of this team coming out of the preseason because it looks like Mike Shanahan finally has “his team” there in Washington, and that can be scary. Also, as I’ve said a couple of times here on BSB, I’m not sure why everyone thinks that Rex Grossman is not one of the best 32 quarterbacks on the planet. Is he top ten? Certainly not. But, the dude wins, and, to shamelessly (more like, lazily) quote myself here, “I believe that the job of a professional athlete is to win ballgames. And, as pretty much anyone will confess, the quarterback of a football team has more to do with a team’s season-long success than any other position in sports (considering that a starting pitcher, who admittedly may affect individual games more, only pitches 1 out of every 5 games). So, why do we all love guys like Matt Schaub and Daunte Culpepper, but can’t stand the Vince Youngs and Rex Grossmans of the world? I don’t get it. Grossman is 31-17 as a starting quarterback, including a Super Bowl run. And, it’s not like he has been throwing to Andre Johnson, Cris Carter, or Randy Moss in any of his various stops (you know, other than the 1 game he started as Schaub’s backup last year). I’m not saying the Skins are headed to the Super Bowl, but Shanahan may not be the grumpy old man he was made out to be last year.” Gimme the ‘Skins as a .500 team this year.
FINAL: 5-11. DOOGAN, 16-11
Bry loses all shot at an outright victory because of the faith he put in the Dedskins to play .500 ball last year. Oh, and another team that beat the Eagles and still went UNDER.
28. DOOGAN – Tennessee Titans – OVER 6 wins: They’re left without Jeff Fisher (a head coach I really respect), Vince Young or Kerry Collins, and with a number of key players gone from the defense. So why will they get better? For one, they lost a number of games that they should’ve won a year ago. They may not be a contender these days, but the cupboard isn’t bare, especially considering they have one of the top players in the league carrying the ball, Chris Johnson. He practically gives them a decent offense by himself, because the opposing defense has to key on him and Matt Hasselbeck can try to not screw things up. With the Colts obviously taking a huge step backward, that makes the schedule look a lot less daunting. It’s suddenly an up-for-grabs division, which means the Titans should be able to hang around .500.
FINAL: 9-7. DOOGAN, 17-11
Does anyone remember that the Titans won 9 games in 2011? Well, Doogan does, as it is the pick that clinched a second straight NFL Preview title.
29. BRY – Arizona Cardinals – OVER 5 wins: You know that a division is bad if the perceived “best” team in the division doesn’t go over on SEVEN WINS until pick #16. Then, the next one off the board is the defending division champs and UNDER SEVEN WINS. Now, the other two left with four teams to pick from are sitting with lines of 5 and 6. Someone has to win these games, right? Right? Well, I am going to take the Cards and the Over because, well, they may have the best QB in the division (it’s at least close between Kolb and Bradford) and when is the last time a team with a division’s best QB lost 11 games? But…I’m not confident in this one in any way whatsoever.
FINAL: 8-8. BRY, 12-17
Just playing out the string here, as Bry hits on what turned out to be a comfortable OVER pick of the Cards (another team that beat the Eagles…ugh).
30. DOOGAN – Minnesota Vikings – UNDER 6 wins: Brad Childress proved himself to be grossly inept as an NFL head coach, and it seems like things may have to get worse for the Vikings before they get better in the wake of his tenure. With the emergence of the Lions, the Vikings seem destined for a last place finish and spot pretty far up the draft board come April.
FINAL: 3-13. DOOGAN, 18-12
Just pouring it on now in a very impressive prediction performance by Doogan this year, as he nails the Vikings UNDER by 3 whole games.
31. BRY – San Francisco 49ers – OVER 6 wins: Everything I said about the Cardinals can also apply to the 49ers – it’s just a harder pick because the line is 6 and not 5. But, sign me up for the over on both of them, hoping I just split them…
FINAL: 13-3. BRY, 13-18
Fortunately, Bry’s last pick (usually a coin flip) fell on the right side…BY 7 GAMES – or this would have been a really ugly way to finish.
32. DOOGAN – New York Jets – UNDER 11 wins: Coin toss…?
FINAL: 8-8. DOOGAN, 19-13
Doogan’s coin toss at #32 hits right by 3 games, and he finishes with a very impressive 19-13 victory.
Doogan nailed 13 of his 16 picks, while Bry only hit on 10 of his 16. Congrats to Mr. Doogan on a well-earned victory and the ability to keep the crown for another year.
Good God Cim, you got stomped.
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