corta765

I could see that. Buffalo IMO is a bit further along then NYJ but I think Darnold is for real and will mask some of growing pains the rest of the roster will have as they gel. CLE I buy the hype for but I understand people wanting to see more first.

No many said going into the season Matt Nagy had the tools to put together a solid offense and the defense was already good before Mack was added. Their defense was like tops in the NFL and the offense was in the upper half. This was not a random occurrence they were a good roster and the only reason they lost in the playoffs was their kick shanking a kick. At this point I haven't seen much to make me think Cousins or Stafford have done anything more to be better that much better then Mitch. Cousins basically wasted a good offense and Stafford has always been up and down. I do not think Trubisky is a star, but I do think he is good and the other two are right around him at this point.

Same as what I did yesterday just this time for our NFC brothers looking at how I'd rank the teams for their playoff chances. Something I should have noted yesterday is that this is not a ranking of who is more talented, rather their chances factoring in schedule, division, etc. If we were judging off talent I would never put the Steelers or Texans down with the Bills or Jets at this moment (if Allen/Darnold improve that can change) but they both have challenges externally like strength of schedule that I see helping even the playing field. Playoff Locks: New Orleans Saints Los Angeles Rams Both of these teams played tougher schedules last year and still coasted to their division crowns. Even with strong division foes these rosters are a cut above the rest and are easy favorites for the Super Bowl. The only hiccups I could see would be Brees suddenly aging or Goff regressing to a Blake Bortles level both of which seem very hard to predict and even if that happens the rosters have so much talent I still would bet on them. Strong Contenders: Philadelphia Eagles Dallas Cowboys Chicago Bears Philly and Dallas have very complete rosters that should feast on two crappy division light weights that will help give them some easy wins. This should allow whoever doesn't win the division to get a Wildcard spot in my eyes. The only hiccup for either team is their QB's. Wentz needs to stay healthy and return to 2017 form which I buy and Dak needs to continue showing the progress he had once Cooper arrived. The Bears have a superb defense and multi faced offense that should have another strong year. Their division has improved and they play a tougher schedule, but their defense has so much elite talent that they are a cut above the rest to me. Playoff Hopefuls with a Flaw: Atlanta Falcons Green Bay Packers Seattle Seahawks Minnesota Vikings Carolina Panthers Every one of these teams I can see making the playoffs its a matter of outlasting the field. The Falcons have a superb offense that last year received literally no help from an injury decimated defense. We have seen what they can do if their defense is just moderately OK. The Packers have Rodgers who I have to believe will be a man set on fire this year and they signed a lot of free agents to bolster their front 7. My question is last year was suppose to be Rodgers comeback season which never really happened so why should this year be different and how long with it take the new coach to get this team going. The Seahawks continue to defy expectations despite losing a lot of talent on defense and Russell Wilson is sublime as a QB. They did get some luck in their wins last year and the defense still has some holes that need filling that could drag the team just enough to miss. The Vikings have a good amount of talent but their offensive line is awful which they still have not added to. Additionally Kirk Cousins and crew couldn't win a season finale at home none the less to get them in the playoffs, why should this year be easier. Carolina is still light at WR and TE despite having a great ground game and the dynamic Newton. They play in a very tough division which means they need to go 4-2 minimum to hope to have a playoff shot and Cam must stay healthy. If All Goes Well They Can Have A Playoff Season San Francisco 49ers Detroit Lions Tampa Bay Buccaneers For each of these teams if everything goes just right their is a plausible case for the playoffs even their division crown. The 49ers have been adding talent and hopefully Jimmy G comes back without any issue. They need to pass by Seattle to really have a shot at the playoffs and I still think they are a year away unless their defense comes together with the talent it has and a 8-8/9-7 season seems like a more logical next step. Perhaps Detroit sees all of their FA signings come together, Patricia's coaching actually pays dividends somehow, and Stafford has his best season yet helping the Lions get a few upsets. The Bucs have Bruce Arians as a head coach and that guy does voodoo with his rosters. Even though I think the Bucs are a 4-12 team that cuts bait with a lot of players to refresh, I can see Arians getting Jameis to have a career year that leads a dynamic offense into the post season. Were On To The 2020 Draft Washington Redskins NY Giants Arizona Cardinals Washington at this point might be the most directionless team in the NFL. Do any of you have any remote idea what their plan is for the next 5 years? They have bled talent for years and unless they trade for Rosen they just seem stuck in a pattern of irrelevance. The Giants are not much better but you at least know they now are gonna wipe the deck clean and this year or next they are drafting a QB to takeover for Eli. They will need at least two years to build back up the talent on that roster. The Cardinals seem to be taking Kyler and assuming they trade Rosen they will have draft capital to start laying the foundation. That said this team lacks many impact players after DJ and Peterson and will need another draft year/free agent period to mold the roster into form with Kyler.

I mean my point was merely in that season they won some big games we otherwise never win. If this team has any hope of the post-season they need to beat opponents we will mark down as L's before the season begins.

When the Bills finallyyyyyy made the playoffs in 2017 it was because they got (finally) three big wins ATL, OAK, & KC which were all games before the season most people had as losses minus OAK which maybe was a toss up but still a game we typically lost. I agree they will probably lose a game or two they shouldn't due to youth, but if their goal is playoffs they have to beat at least two of NE 2x, PHI, PIT, CLE, & DAL especially one of the AFC guys.

On the plus side as a non STH tickets are typically dirt cheap. My wife and I sat row 3 in the endzone corner last year. It was amazing and a beautiful night for about $20 for tickets including fees and taxes lol.

edited!

Yea I am at the point that I'd rather do some new teams we don't see as often. The Giants would be fun because they are close.

Agreed. Just saying strength of schedule does play a role because Buffalo, NYJ, & NE will basically have two very very winnable games with Miami which other teams do not get and if you have more games less competitive it can allow you to inflate your record a bit.

Yea INDY I would say would be my division pick I just wished they added more impact on offense.

haha no worries we probably were within minutes of each typing at the same time. Smart minds think alike!

Yea its a pretty bummer schedule in terms of the games that matter. But if the INDY game is a weekday I might try for that regardless.

Yea complete BS that we get weeks 1 and 4 which matter the least pre season wise.

Week 1 Home Indianapolis August 8th-12th Week 2 at Carolina August 15-19th Week 3 at Detroit August 23rd at 8:00pm on CBS Week 4 Home Minnesota August 29th

They lost a ton of talent on defense which has been their hallmark, their skill position players are incredibly weak minus TE, and their QB (who I do like) is going to be asked/forced to pass more something he did not excel at. They have a solid program but they have legitimate questions and look a decisive 3rd in that division.

Exactly. Also remember SOS matters big time. The Bills and Jets are like 2nd and 3rd in the league. That stuff does matter because we have seen what happens when a team gets a soft schedule with an improving roster. HOU/IND/PIT all have significantly tougher schedules then what BUF/NY faces. If we were just going rosters alone I absolutely would have those three ahead, but this is just strictly playoff chances.

I mean in a way what their doing is probably what you should do which is give the coach the player he wants and the dexterity to do so. Your putting your eggs in one basket hoping for the best which in prism seems like a good idea given how the NFL goes. But when you expand and see how much draft capital was wasted for Rosen that will not be recouped including the previous HC you just fired it seems really risky. These are the kind of moves that have a chance at big success but very likely can destroy the foundation of a team if things are not put in place proper.

Exactly. Maybe with Rosen you get to 6-10/7-9 this year and then a 10-6 season with more help for him but that is his limit. Whereas with Murray even if you suffer one growing year if his potential is far greater after for many consistent 10-12 win seasons you go that route everytime.

The two QB's Mayfield passed for the TD passing record by rookie QB were Peyton and Russel Wilson. While it is not a given, that is pretty elite company to be in.

I could see the Chiefs having a season where the offense slows down enough that it can't cover for a very leaky defense and they end up 9-7 and miss the playoffs. I don't expect it to happen, but it certainly is in the realm of possibility.

Mayfield just broke the rookie QB passing TD record. The list of QBs he passed is pretty freakin elite. I agree with generally not buying the hype but because of him leading that train I will for this time.

Yep. That's why I have this as playoff locks. The NFL playoffs typically see about 33% or 4 new teams a post season. Realistically NE & KC should make it even if they don't win the division. LAC, HOU, & IND all should make it but history has shown that not to be the case like you said and that is not including the AFC North which most likely has a new division winner this year with PIT or CLE. I would not be surprised if the AFC field looked something like this next year: Division Winners NE, LAC, IND, CLE WC: KC & BUF. I picked the Bills because of bias but swap any team like that in it is still 2 new teams and 3 new division winners.

I thought about that but HOU and IND will canabolize each other for wins and each have enough flaws that their QBs cannot completely mask. PIT missed the playoffs last year, Big Ben is a year older, the team shed some big names, and the defense has been regressing for years in a division which has a new talented bully. I think people live off PIT's laurels farr to much to what the reality is. Their closer to being a team like Atlanta which defense pulls the offense down most years then a true dominant juggernaut like in the past.

This is the first half of a two part thread series I am doing pre draft. These rankings are complete arbitrary and basically ranking how I think the AFC playoff chances weigh out across the board. I understand things can change once the draft is done so that just means I can do another one of these. This is for fun please do not let this wreck your day. Playoff Locks: Kansas City New England Betting against the Patriots is always a no go at this point and while I can absolutely see them slogging their way to 10-6 or 11-5 and regressing, I still think they are too hard to pick against. KC has wunderkid leading the way and the division is light after LAC. Strong Contenders: LA Chargers Cleveland Browns The Chargers return a great roster and the only pitfall they have would be Rivers getting injured but even then Tyrod can maintain the offense. Honestly Cleveland seems poised for one of those 13-3 seasons that completely reset's the franchise to a new orbit. The only flaw I see for Cleveland would be internal drama if they come out slow early in the seasons given the personalities they have. The other thing is both teams while strong locks need to prove they can do the playoffs something Cleveland hasn't done in forever and something LA has underachieved at many years before. Playoff Hopefuls with a Flaw: Buffalo Bills NY Jets Houston Texans Indianapolis Colts Pittsburgh Steelers Everyone of these teams has legitimate reasons to be hopeful for the playoffs but with an asterisk next to their name for one reason or another. The Bills have made sizeable FA improvements and have an excellent defense along with an easy strength of schedule. But Allen needs to improve and do a Trubisky type improvement to solidfy our playoff chances. The Jets are similar to Buffalo, but offensive line still needs some help and the defense should improve but holes still exist in their secondary and Greg Williams can be up and down as a coordinator. The Texans offensive line was nearly the worst in the NFL and they have made no additions while playing a far tougher schedule. There still is time, but Houston needs to shore up that line and the secondary will need time to grow. Indy made some additions but didn't really add a true impact player the way many thought. Luck had a great comeback year, but a more difficult schedule and continued growth on D is needed to keep moving forward. Pittsburgh finished getting rid of two all pro players and while the offense should be good I doubt it is the great unit you saw years prior. Additionally their defense needs a lot of work and they no longer have easy wins like the Browns on schedule. Minus the AFC East teams I think all of these teams have a solid chance to win their division, but consistency week in week out will determine their fate. If Everything Goes Right They Can Have A Great Playoff Season: Baltimore Ravens Denver Broncos Jacksonville Jaguars Oakland Raiders Tennessee Titans Every NFL season there is one team who pulls that best case season where everything falls there way and they make a playoff appearance, sometimes even having that magically Jacksonville type run. All of these teams have flaws which typically limit there height unless everything goes perfect typically leading to a 6-10 through 8-8 type season with a lot of what if's due to their flaws. The Ravens lost a ton of talent this offseason plus defensive cord's now have a full offseason to study Jackson who didn't throw a ton and had a pretty solid blueprint shown on how to stop him in the playoffs. I think last year was Baltimore's best case scenario even if Jackson grows as a passer given their losses on D and lack of skill position players on offense. Denver still has a solid defense, but their offense which lacks elite skill players now needs to hope Joe Flacco finds his inner 2014 season all over. The Jaguars have a talented D which has bled a few players this past off season, but maybe Foles magic can propel them to the playoffs despite a much improved division. The Titans are kind of a mish mosh and Mariota is as Jackal and Hyde as QBs get. The Raiders are the one team who I could legitimately see have an 11-5 type season because Carr has in the past had good seasons and man does that offense have weapons. BUT the defense needs a lot of work and the offensive line is average. Lets Just Go to the 2020 Draft: Miami Dolphins Cincinnati Bengals Both of these teams are here and might as well just start planning for Tua or a great positional player. Miami I think is tanking and really just lacks talent everywhere. They finally admitted they need a true rebuild and with the gains the rest of the AFCE alone has made it will be a very tough first season for Brian Flores. Cincinnati has an older roster with Dalton leading the team who hasn't stayed healthy in forever. Additionally look at the Bengals schedule its a straight up buzz saw. I could see Cincy having one of those seasons where they end up 3-13 just because they are over matched weekly without many friendly games.

Dear god I’m an idiot, your right and I was at the game. It was pitifully awful concluding with an intentional safety because Chan didn’t trust the offense haha. So only the 2nd week 1 opener vs Miami since 91* lol