By Bob Bonett
With a full schedule of games back on the slate, the NFL season is approaching the stretch run. Teams have begun to establish themselves as contenders or pretenders, with each playoff race starting to sort itself out. Thus, it is time to play the role of prognosticator and try to hypothesize what should be expected the rest of the year.
Here is my attempt to play prognosticator, as I try to make sense of some of the mainstream predictions being made by fans and analysts alike:
The Patriots will go 16-0
The worst nightmare of Jets fans still remains possible ten weeks into the season. Showing little signs of slowing, “Shady Brady and Bill Belicheat” are sitting at 9-0 with a chip on their shoulder, showing no signs of slowing. Thus, essentially, whether or not New England will run the table comes down to their schedule.
This team has shown the entire year that they will not lost to a mediocre franchise. They manhandled the Jets, ran over the Bills, quashed the Bengals…you get the picture.
Therefore, the only chance this team has of losing is if they play a legitimate adversary.
Two such opponents loom on their schedule: the Steelers at home, and the Giants in the Meadowlands.
And I hate to break it to you Brady-haters, but the home crowd will carry them to a win over Pittsburgh, and an Eli Manning collapse will ensure a victory over the G-Men.
That being said, have no fear Don Shula and company. When the Chargers face the Pats in the playoffs, it will be lights out on the Brady Bunch, preventing the magical 19-0 season from occurring.
Verdict: CONFIRMED
The Dolphins will go 0-16
I’m not going to spend much time here, because the most recent move by Miami shows that even Wayne Huizenga knows the season is over: second round draft pick Jeff Beck from BYU was just named the team’s starter.
These guys won’t even beat the Jets.
Verdict: CONFIRMED
Green Bay has the potential to make the Super Bowl
I’ve made it quite clear that I am not a fan of Brett Favre’s. I have no personal vendetta against the guy; I just think he is an overrated quarterback who lives on his wide receivers making circus catches on heaves downfield (See: Antonio Freeman).
Thus, I’m sure it’s not a surprise that I think by the time Green Bay marches into the postseason with a first round bye, they will be running out of gas. And a tired, aging Favre will not be able to lead the Pack past any NFC contender, whether it be Dallas, New Orleans or the Giants.
Verdict: BUSTED
It doesn’t matter because the NFC won’t win the Super Bowl
I’m sorry Cowboys fans, but as has been the theme of recent, the NFC has molded into the Eastern Conference in the NBA, or the National League in the MLB; the far inferior conference.
Taking a look at the best teams in the NFL, the top four dwell in the AFC: the Pats, Colts, Bolts and Steelers.
Thus, unless by some act of divine intervention the Jets win out, make the playoffs, and cruise to the Super Bowl, it will be another world championship for the American Football Conference.
Verdict: CONFIRMED
The Jets will win four or more games
I know Gang Green fans love to be optimists-well, at least some of them-and I am well aware that the giddiness of some Jets fans since the Kellen Clemens insertion is uncontainable.
However, even if Joe Namath took the helm of New York for the second half of the year, this team would not be able to finish out 3-4.
Take a look at their schedule, and then take a look at their team. The only opponents they will even compete with are Miami, Cleveland and Kansas City. And while New York should be able to handle the hapless ‘Phins, a lack of any sort of offensive or defensive line will prevent them from beating Cleveland, and may even cause them to lose to good ole Herm Edwards.
Verdict: BUSTED
The Jets will get at top-3 pick
Yes, the only good news coming out of this season is that the 3-13 Jets will garner the third pick in the draft.
The bad news for Gang Green, though, is that they will be picking behind the Pats.
That’s right, while Miami will cruise to the No. 1 pick, San Francisco is inevitably going to end the year at 2-14; and, lucky for the AFC East, New England owns the 49ers first round pick.
Boy, it’s going to be rough watching Darren McFadden supplement Laurence Maroney in Massachusetts.
Verdict: CONFIRMED
Adrian Peterson will win Rookie of the Year
I don’t care if Adrian Peterson’s ligament tear will cause him to miss the rest of the season. The fact of the matter is that this guy rushed for over 1,000 yards in his first eight games as a professional.
If only the Vikings had a competent quarterback-as in anybody but Brooks Bollinger or Tavaris Jackson.
Verdict: CONFIRMED
Randy Moss deserves to win the MVP
Yes, the impact Randy Moss has had on the Patriots’ passing game has been immeasurable.
And, yes, Moss will win the MVP.
However, he does not deserve the award.
While Brady and Moss have combined to look better than Montana and Rice, the Most Valuable Player award should go to the player who was most vital to his team’s success. Thus, while Moss has undoubtedly helped the Patriots in their quest for undefeated-ness, New England would probably still be 8-1, at worst, without him.
Derek Anderson, the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback, is actually the most deserved recipient of the award.
Anderson has taken a joke of a franchise to playoff contention. Behind his 20 touchdowns-coupled with only nine interceptions-90.7 quarterback rating, and discovery of Braylon Edwards, Cleveland is sitting pretty at 5-4.
Damn that East Coast Bias.
Verdict: BUSTED
Abbreviated version of the picks this week; as always, they come with a money-back guarantee.
(Home teams in CAPS)
BEST BET
St. Louis (-2.5)
GAME OF THE WEEK
San Diego (+3)
J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS
Pittsburgh (-9.5)
THE REST
INDIANAPOLIS (-14.5)
Oakland (+5.5)
Cleveland (-3)
Tampa Bay (-3)
CINCINNATI (-3)
PHILADELPHIA (-10)
New England (-16)
DALLAS (-10.5)
New Orleans (+1)
Carolina (+9.5)
New York Giants (-3)
Chicago (+5.5)
Tennessee (+2)
LAST WEEK: 7-6-1
SEASON: 75-63-9
BEST BET: 3-6