NFL Regular, Playoff, and Super Bowl Predictions

Week three is in the books. One game of week four as well. I would've liked to write this before that Thursday night game, to keep it on an even field, but this blog didn't exist (at least, I don't think)! So I'll write it the Saturday before week four games. I'm not gonna predict scores, individual games, or final records; just placements within respective divisions and playoffs all the way to the Super Bowl. I'm trying my hardest to ignore any other sources online that already have these predictions; this will come from my brain only. Also trying my hardest to not have the Giants run everything (huge Giants fan btw) and be "realistic." We'll see though ; ) Fast forward to end of regular season; legooo!

* = Conference Winner

**  = Clinch Wildcard

AFC North
Tough Division. Bengals are on the up-and-up, but Steeler are on the down-and-down (you can use it, I don't mind). Ravens are dominating though. Everything about this team is lights out. The one question mark is that Flacco guy taking snaps. If Joe F. can keep playing at a high level, few teams in the NFL can keep up. Browns suck.

1) Ravens *
2) Bengals **
3) Steelers
4) Browns

AFC West
I just wanna write "WHO CARES!" for the whole division, but I'll be nice. With the exception of Tebow and Peyton mania, this division hasn't done anything in years. Honestly, I could see each one of these teams in any four spots. If Peyton gets his arm strength back, I could see them running it, but not now.

1) Raiders
2) Broncos **
3) Chargers
4) Chiefs

AFC South
Texans. That is all.

1) Texans
2) Titans
3) Colts
4) Jags

AFC East
Definately a New England driven league for a while. They're making a big deal of the Patriots being under .500 for the first time in forever.......the media is dumb. They've only played 3 games!! Talk about digging for a story. As much as I really don't like New England, they'll get their sh*it together. I want Miami to win, but nah.

1) Patriots
2) Bills
3) Dolphins
4) Jets
                                                                                                                                              
NFC North
I would like to say for personal fantasy reasons: Matthew Stafford needs to get his sh*t together! C'mon man! Please??!! Guess I can't talk, I'm no pro QB. Anyway, another tough division. Here we go!

1) Bears
2) Packers **
3) Lions
4) Vikings

NFC West
Almost felt bad for San Fran in the Championship game last year... almost : ) Regardless, they're dirty boyee. If Alex Smith can stay solid, this teams got it all! I'll tell you what, Seattle and Arizona are looking dirty! Defensively especially. Seattle is a playoff caliber team; Arizona, not so much. Maybe next year.

1) 49ers
2) Seahawks **
3) Cardinals
4) Rams

NFC South
New Orleans is down : ( Dang. I said in the preseason that the Saints would have the #1 overall pick in the 2013 draft. I was hoping I was wrong....Anyway, ATL is looking very solid. However, see my little brothers post about this team; I 85% agree: http://sportsflex.blogspot.com/2012/09/fools-gold.html. I like Cam Newton now that he's out of college, but nothing in that team is up to his level.

1) Falcons *
2) Bucs
3) Panthers
4) Saints

NFC East
Giants...GiAnTs...GIANTS! OK, I know I may be a bit biased, but I truly believe this is another NFL Championship caliber team. This whole G-Men team could get run over by a bus simultaneously and still go make the playoffs. Eagles are a team that should have won the last 3 Lombardi trophies with all that talent. They just can't get it together. I like RGIII. He'll have a very up and down career for a bit, then be absolutely dominant.

1) Giants
2) Eagles
3) Redskins
4) Cowboys

PLAYOFFS                                                                                                                             

AFC SEEDS
1) Ravens
2) Texans
3) Patriots
4) Raiders
5) Bengals
6) Broncos

BRACKET
(6) Broncos @ (3) Patriots-->(6) Broncos @ (1) Ravens-->(2) Texans @ (1) Ravens-->(1) Ravens
(5) Bengals @ (4) Raiders --> (5) Bengals @ (2) Texans

First round, Peyton gets his stuff together and sends the runner-up champs packing. Bengals get an easy win against their old QB. Round two, the Broncos get beat by a very tough Baltimore team while the Bengals meet the same fate as last year against an equally tough Texans team. I see the AFC being not as tough as the NFC, hence the (1) VS (2) champ game with (1) coming out on top. This is the Ravens year.
                                                                                                                                              
NFC SEEDS
1) Falcons
2) 49ers
3) Giants
4) Bears
5) Packers
6) Seattle

BRACKET
(6) Seattle @ (3) Giants --> (3) Giants @ (2) 49ers --> (4) Bears @ (2) 49ers --> (2) 49ers
(5) Packers @ (4) Bears --> (4) Bears @ (1) Falcons

This was hard. Alot of good games here; alot of good rematches from last year. I didn't think I'd see the Bears come this far...but thats how I see the dice rolling! Round one, old rivalry with the Bears defense coming out on top, as well as a rematch of a tough regular season loss last year in the Meadowlands. Eli is too clutch to let this one go against a tough Seattle defense. Second round, Bears travel to ATL and un-cover some "Fools Gold" (Again, see "Fools Gold" blog on ATL). Then, rematch of last years NFC Champ game with a different fate : ( Bears go to San Fran and I'm betting get beat up. 49ers come out on top.


SUPER BOWL!!                                                                                                                        

Great match up! Both teams I like, and both teams well deserving to win! Good defensive battle. Man this is hard.....I wanna say 49ers SOOOO bad! However, I believe the Ravens offense will barely come out on top.

Super Bowl Prediction: Ravens over 49ers, 20-14 (I'll predict this one score : )

Or who knows! Maybe the Browns will win it all?! Ha its a wild league! Blog out.

Homer Bailey getting the monkey off his back

A no-hitter does a lot of things. It makes a city rejoice, it makes a pennant race even more exciting, it gives the Pirates another losing season, and for Homer Bailey it showed Reds fans that he isn't a disappointment. In fact it should get the monkey off his back when it comes to the astronomical expectations that were placed on his shoulders the minute we all heard about him.

He was our next ace, a phenom, and everyone wanted to rush him to the big leagues. For years we touted him as a future star and were unable to appreciate the fact that he had become a very solid young arm. And we forget that he is just that, young. He is only 26, and now has a no hitter under his belt. It seems like he has been here for decades, we were hearing about him for almost 3 years before he was even called up. While the Reds struggled we wanted to look to the future and Homer was our future, and our saving grace. He still has time to become that ace, or anything close to it but even even he doesn't reach that level, it doesn't mean that he has been a disappointment. He has been a very solid number 3 or 4 starter in his years in Cincinnati, and especially recently. He doesn't need to be an ace to be a success. Throwing the no-no will help with the fans though, since he is the first Reds pitcher to do it since Tom Browning, and the first sober Reds pitcher to do it since Tom Seaver.

Going forward Homer will be very important to the Reds success in the playoffs. With Johnny Cueto and Mat Latos looking like a deadly one-two punch, Homer being a solid number 3 starter in October could take their rotation to the next level, and could be instrumental in getting the Reds back to the World Series. If he can do just that, then Cincinnati fans will be more than satisfied. We aren't asking him to be our ace anymore, he have that role filled. But a third reliable starter headed into October? I'll take it. Especially if he shows up with the same wicked stuff that he had in Pittsburgh.

His no hitter got the monkey off his back in a big way. A successful postseason as the anchor of a spectacular rotation that ends with even more champagne being sprayed and a shiny new trophy in the queen city? That will make sure that the monkey stays away for good.

Why 6 Turnover Cincy will beat Pitt Scarred Virginia Tech

First and foremost: Welcome to The Flex! Come for all you sports opinion needs! This will be my first writing piece. Being a die-hard Bearcats fan, I'll be highlighting our big game tomorrow against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

Its a big game for Bearcat nation, and arguably the biggest game of the season. Unfortunately, we don't get the big games teams in other conferences are blessed with. And Ohio State (booo) chickened out leaving us playing an FCS team and then the Hokies. The game is set in the home of the Redskins: FedEx Field in Landover, MD. Surprisingly we are the home team in a match that is cleearly significantly closer to the "away" team's turf. Reading interviews from head coach Butch Jones, we are treating this as an away game and rightfully so. So let's review each teams' season thus far:

Virginia Tech Hokies (3-1, 1-0):

Game one for the Hokies was a *yawn* 20-17 overtime win against a now 2-2 Georgia Tech. Now let me saw, GT is scrappy team; with that option play you never know what to expect. But for a team like VT who came into the season with high hopes of an ACC championship, we anticipated better. Yes Logan Thomas was super efficient, yes it was the first game of their respective seasons, yes it was a big ACC match-up. We can make excuses left and right, but the talent loss in Blacksburg has obviously taken its toll. Ok, a win is a win, sure. But VT came out and set the tone for what I believe will be a lackluster season for the Hokies.

Game two was a 42-7 blowout over Austin Peay. Not much to say here, this was expected.

Game three made me very happy, I must admit! A 35-17 blowout loss to now 2-2 Pitt. This is a Pitt team who, pardon my football French, looked absolutely horrendous thus far. Pitt came out and got stomped at home by FCS Youngstown State, then turned around and revisited the same fate in Nippert by my very own Bearcats! Obviously some identity issues with Pitt, along with VT. Now, I would love to use that argument that we beat Pitt and Pitt beat VT, thus we can beat VT. However, I am a firm believer in games are not decided in this fashion and performance differs game to game. But, I digress.

Game four consisted of a 37-0 blowout handed to Bowling Green. Again, nothing to say; expected.

Overall, I see a very inconsistent Virginia Tech team. Individual losses to graduation and the NFL have put quite a hurting on the Hokies. Obviously a team with a deep football history, but one that I believe will have a down season. I'm predicting a 8-4 season with 3 straight losses to Clemson, Miami (FL), and Florida State (a national championship caliber team I believe btw).


Cincinnati Bearcats (2-0, 1-0):

Ok, let me get this out in the open: obviously Cincinnati has only played two games. Even I recognize that we cannot fully evaluate a team with two easy wins. Still, I have faith in my Bearcats.

Game one. 34-10 Pitt whooping. Muchie Legaux was very efficient, not forcing any balls and not turning it over. I like that he took shorter throws to keep the chains moving all the way to the endzone. The running game by the new three headed monster was outstanding. George Winn is the new starter and work horse, Jameel Poteat is the up and coming power house, and the small speedster in RAIII (Ralph Abernathy III, duh). Again, me and my little brother could have looked like football gods against this Pitt team (shoutout little bro!).

Game two. Sloppy 23-7 win over FCS Delaware State. The Bearcats shot themselves in the foot six times with two interceptions and FOUR fumbles. No bueno. I feel that they just got too cocky. Still, I don't care who you are or who you're playing; if you overcome six turnovers and win by 16, you got a hell of a defense. Which is a perfect transition to my next point: Cincinnati has shown a solid and ruthless defense. They bailed them out on this one.

Overall, two inconsistent games made it difficult to judge this team. However, I always say its better to shoot yourself in the foot six time than have some stranger do it for you. The Bearcats and Butch Jones will use this as a learning experience and persevere. 


My perdition: Cincinnati over Virginia Tech 26-17.

Both teams are strong offensively. Cincy's defense will be ruthless. VT's running game will be solid, but Thomas isn't enough. I'm betting, unfortunately, Munchie will have at least one pick. On the other hand, Logan Thomas will find himself eating grass at least three times. Cincinnati will come out on top of this one and finish Big East Champs, 11-1 (that Rutgers game scares me). Yeah I said it. Peace.

Fool's Gold

Every year we get fooled. There's one team in the NFL each year who we think is elite and its nothing but fools gold at the end of the year. Meets this years team of false hope, the Atlanta Falcons. To the untrained eye the Falcons seem like a lock to win the NFC south, the NFC championship and some may say they even have a shot at winning the Lombardi trophy in February. Don't get sucked in. Don't get fooled. How quickly we forget the years past when we see a team that is a good team, but tricks us into thinking they are a great team. A team that dominates the regular season, taking advantage of an easy schedule, and then inevitably wetting the bed during the playoffs.

Some of the teams to receive the honor of being the "fool's gold team" recently include the 2010 New England Patriots and the 2011 Green Bay Packers. In the case of the Patriots they used an easy schedule to glide to a number one seed in the AFC, only to end up dropping the ball at home to the Jets, who ended their season. As for the Packers they blew out teams despite a shaky defense. They met the Giants at home and that defense was exposed for what it was, and they too were sent home earlier than anyone imagined would happen. These teams put on  a show during the season beating up on lesser opponents, until it came time to play a team that could give them a fight when it counted. I can see the falcons doing the same thing. An over confident Matt Ryan playing a ball hawking defense with a solid pass rush? Sounds like a recipe for an upset to me.

So far the Falcons have played the Chiefs, who lost week one to a questionable San Diego team, lost to Atlanta week two, and barely beat a sputtering Saints team in week three. The chiefs are giving up 225 passing yards per game to opposing offenses, and allowing 122 yards on the ground. The Falcons took advantage of this shaky defense for their first win.

In week two Atlanta took on Denver, who is allowing similar numbers with 233 passing yards, and 98 rushing yards allowed per game. Atlanta also benefited in this game from Peyton Manning and his new found noodle arm throwing up three ducks for the Falcon's defense to snag. Again, Atlanta benefits from a teams own mistakes and holes, and still only manages a six point victory.

Week four brought arguably the best defense the Falcons have faced. San Diego, averaging 238 passing yards and 67 rushing yards allowed showed no fight whatsoever. They allowed Ryan to throw for 275 yards, and Phillip Rivers threw two picks, and managed only 173 yards, one of his weaker performances of the year.

A look ahead at the rest of their schedule, and you'll see the Falcons will benefit from playing the Panthers twice, the Saints twice, Tampa Bay twice, the Raiders, the Lions and the Redskins. All of those teams could easily be run over by the Falcons, giving their fans false visions of a championship, and giving the whole nation the illusion of a dominant team headed into the post-season.

NFL fans need to open their eyes, and not let ourselves be deceived once again by a good team, with a joke of a schedule. Sure Atlanta deserves to be in the playoffs, but they don't deserve the hype of a Super Bowl contender. Don't be fooled again. Recognize the 2012 Atlanta Falcons as what they are, a mirage.

The Fall of Billy Clyde

He was once touted as a great recruiter, someone who was so dedicated to his job that he had no time for anything else. He was an up and comer and was the hottest name on the coaching trail in college basketball. He was seen as a savior in the bluegrass, and the next great coach on his way to the top. How far has he fallen? Before resigning at Texas Tech he was hiding out in the hospital, in an attempt to keep his job just a little longer. Now he is unemployed and simply un-hireable by any program in Division I.

How did it happen? At Texas A&M Gillispie was a rising star, bringing in what were thought to be top level recruits, and was quickly on the radar of Kentucky soon after they fired Tubby Smith. He was hired and quickly excited the fan base promising top level talent and dazzling fans with the news they were hearing of Billy getting commitments from eighth graders, and foreign players that had never been heard of. The fans trusted him until it all started to fall apart. Soon he was exposed for what he was. He drove players away from the program, forced players to practice on broken bones, and punished players until he broke thier spirits completely. He ruined the career of Derek Jasper, locked Josh Harrelson in a bathroom stall, and if he had stayed would have seen a number of his players transfer, including Darius Miller. The curtain had fallen and Gillispie was seen as what he was. A fraud, a drunken over-hyped, brutal joke of a coach that ruined players careers and made a basketball program that had completely bought into his scam, regret that they ever gave him a chance.

He was exposed for what he was, and his career should have ended at that moment. Not being as successful as expected is forgivable, but hurting players and treating them like dogs for his own power trip is unforgivable. He is a bully, and when you give a bully power over kids who trust him, and look to him for guidance you are just asking for trouble. And that is exactly what Texas Tech got. So why in the world would they ever hire him?

The writing was on the wall, and anyone that saw the blow up at Kentucky could predict what was to happen at Texas Tech. It was a safe bet. Billy sure hadn't changed. It took a while fornthe news to get out, but just like at Kentucky he was exposed and it all fell apart. The recruits he promised never turned up, or if they did then they weren't any good. He once again pushed players to and passed their breaking points, and forced players to practice through injury until they would never be the same. And now hopefully, for the sake of players who fall for his act, his career is over.

He was once a prophet, and now two coaching jobs, two firings, and two ponzi schemes later, he has fallen from grace. For his sake, I hope he figures his life out and becomes a better person, but for the sake of players everywhere, I hope his coaching career is done for good.

Why would a recruit choose any school other than Kentucky?

An elite eight, a final four, and of course a national championship. In John Calipari's time in Lexington he has brought immediate success to the basketball program. He has restored order in the bluegrass and brought Kentucky back to its rightful place at the top of the college basketball world. But he has brought success to many others besides the fans. As Cal has always said he runs a players first program and it shows. In just three years Calipari has put a total of fifteen of his players in the NBA. That is an astounding number and after this year he is likely to add five more to that list. All of this begs the question, why would a recruit pick any school other than Kentucky?

The one knock on John Calipari was that he could not win a title with his one and done phenoms. He put to rest all doubt in 2012 by dominating the college basketball landscape all year long, and bringing an eighth title to the big blue nation. Kentucky now has it all. A recruit can spend one year in Lexington, get a huge amount of national exposure, have a legitimate shot at a title, and then go to the NBA draft and fulfill their dreams. You may argue that highly ranked recruits could go pro anywhere but Cal has proven that his philosophy works and he puts his players first no matter what.

Ask DeAndre Liggins or Josh Harrelson if Calipari helped them get into the NBA. Harrelson was a junior college transfer who became a starter, received national recognition, and became a legitimate NBA player. There's absolutely no way he would be where he is without Cal. Kentucky is a factory for NBA lottery picks and has everything a recruit could ever want. So if you're a recruit and the highly persuasive, charming Coach Cal shows up at your door flashing his shiny new championship ring how could you say no?

Well Calipari is set to bring in his best recruiting class yet in 2013, possibly getting six of the top seven players. So it looks like the answer to the question is that these recruits can't say no. In fact, they can't say yes fast enough.

Kentucky now sits on it's throne and awaits the next round of top recruits to enter Rupp Arena. As long as they have John Calipari, Kentucky can have anything, and any player that they want.

Replacement Theft

The biggest topic in sports today has been the highway robbery that was commited by the replacement refs in this weeks Monday Night Football game. Yes the Packers got screwed, but the fans were also served an injustice. Up until now we have laughed and mocked the replacement refs. We have called them substitute teachers, mall cops, and mostly called them abysmal. For the most part it has been in good fun, but now they have done what we all knew was inevitable, they have blatantly blown a crucial call, and even worse they have cost a team a game. 

On national TV they handed Seattle a win. As the whole nation reacted, so did the players. They cursed on twitter unapologeticly, and in the post game press confrence they were visiblly steaming. The turning point has to be upon us. When Golden Tate had one hand on that ball and was given possesion, the fans turned on the replacement refs, Roger Goodell, and it appears theyv may turn on the league itself. That is the only thing that can fix this mess. As long as people watch, the NFL could care less how bad the officiating is, they just see giant dollar signsd in their eyes. In some ways we the fans are powerless, but when it comes down to it we have all the power. By turning off the TV we can force the NFL's hand. If those ratings drop then Goodell's heart sinks. 

Something has to change. Too many people have threatened to boycott, and too many players have spoken out in disgust. Bill Belicheck almost tackles one of the refs trying to get an explanation after a Patriots loss Sunday night. This is getting ugly, and its getting ugly quick. This was just a regular season game, but what happens when a blown call decides a game to send a team home in the playoffs? And the Packers were the road team, if a home team gets screwed this badly all hell will break loose. Drunk fans will throw bottles and trash and it will all be televised and the NFL will get yet another black eye. This madness has to stop now.

Goodell, owners, and even the refs who are locked out need to get this worked out. They are fighting over four million dollars. Jerry Jones cleans up after his dog with that money, the league can afford it.

Get your act together Roger. You too owners. Or we may not see you this Sunday.