NFL Predictions: 2025-2026

 As always, remember that I am a casual fan who really doesn't know what he's talking about.  

Rather that be a fan of one team, I pick a different NFL team to root for every year.  Last year, it was Detroit; the year before, it was Buffalo.  But this year, I can't really find a team that I'm really rooting for.  I think I'm not going to root for one particular team this year.

Which is probably a good thing, because, going by what I think and believe... the team that I believe will win the Super Bowl is, quite frankly, my least favorite team in sports.  It's the one I most enjoy seeing lose.  ANd the idea that they'll win the Super Bowl makes me feel awful.  But I also think it's likely to happen.

I hope I'm wrong.

Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong...

NFC

East:

Philadelphia   12-5

Washington   10-7 (Wild Card)

NY Giants   7-10

Dallas   5-12

North:

Detroit   12-5

Green Bay   11-6 (Wild Card)

Minnesota   9-8

Chicago   8-9

South:

Tampa Bay   11-6

Atlanta   9-8

Carolina   7-10

New Orleans   3-14

West:

Seattle   10-7  

San Francisco   9-8 (Wild Card)

Los Angeles Rams   9-8

Arizona   7-10

Playoffs:

Green Bay over Seattle

Philadelphia over San Francisco

Tampa Bay over Washington

Tampa Bay over Philadelphia\

Detroit over Green Bay

Detroit over Tampa Bay

AFC

East:

Buffalo   13-4

New England   9-8

NY Jets   7-10

Miami   7-10

North:

Baltimore   12-5

Pittsburgh   10-7 (Wild Card)

Cincinnati   8-9

Cleveland  4-13

South:

Houston   10-7

Jacksonville   8-9

Indianapolis   5-12

Tennessee   5-12

West:

Denver   11-6

Kansas City   10-7 (Wild Card)

Los Angeles Chargers   9-8 (Wild Card)

Las Vegas   5-12

Playoffs:
Baltimore over Los Angeles Chargers

Kansas City over Denver

Pittsburgh over Houston

Baltimore over Pittsburgh

Buffalo over Kansas City

Baltimore over Buffalo 



Super Bowl: Baltimore 31, Detroit 27

(This hurts me...)

2024-2025 NFL Playoffs Support Rankings

Another year, another set of NFL Playoffs.  I'm ranking the 14 playoff teams by two methods- are they likely to win the Super Bowl, and who I want to win the Super Bowl.

Let's do the 'likely to win' rating first:

1. Detroit Lions
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Buffalo Bills
4. Minnesota Vikings
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Baltimore Ravens
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Washington Commanders
9. Los Angeles Chargers
10. Green Bay Packers
11. Pittsburgh Steelers
12. Los Angeles Rams
13. Houston Texans
14. Denver Broncos

This is an exciting year.  Three franchises that have never won the Super Bowl (the Lions, Bills, and Vikings) have a legitimate shot to win it all this year.  The Bills and Vikings have lost in heartbreaking fashion, while the Lions have never even made the Super Bowl.

The Chiefs have the best record- but keep winning by relatively slim margins.  And they've won te last two Super Bowls.  I don't hate the Chiefs, but I really want to see some new blood win.

My ranking for who I want to win:

1. Detroit Lions
2. Buffalo Bills
3. Minnesota Vikings (then a gap)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Baker winning would be a chefs kiss, as a former Browns fan)
5. Los Angeles Chargers (the Chargers have never won the Super Bowl, either)
6. Green Bay Packers
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Kansas City Chiefs (great team; just don't need to see them again)
9. Washington Commanders
10. Philadelphia Eagles
11. Denver Broncos
12. Los Angeles Rams
13. Houston Texans (then a large gap...)
14. Baltimore Ravens (Why yes, I'm still bitter...)

NFL Predictions 2024-2025

As always, remember that I am a casual fan who really doesn't know what he's talking about.  

Rather that be a fan of one team, I pick a different NFL team to root for every year.  This year, I am supporting the Detroit Lions.   Given that my track record with supporting sports teams is atrocius, I apologize to the Lions and their fans in advance and hope that my sports curse aura does not affect them.

Overall- I don't think there are that many great teams this year, nor do I think there are many absolutely awful teams (well, Carolina, but they play in the worst division in the NFL).  Kansas City is the most talented team on paper, but winning three Super Bowls has never been done; there's too many pitfalls.  I think this season will be a long slog.

NFC

East:

Dallas   10-7

Philadelphia   10-7 (Wild Card)

Washington   8-9

NY Giants   5-12

North:

Detroit   12-5

Green Bay   11-6 (Wild Card)

Chicago   8-9

Minnesota   6-11

South:

Atlanta   10-7

Tampa Bay   7-10

New Orleans   7-10

Carolina   4-13

West:

San Francisco   11-6

Seattle   11-6  (Wild Card)

Los Angeles Rams   9-8

Arizona   4-13

Playoffs:

San Francisco over Philadelphia

Green Bay over Atlanta

Seattle over Dallas

Green Bay over San Francisco

Detroit over Seattle

Detroit over Green Bay



AFC

East:

Buffalo   11-6

NY Jets   10-7 (Wild Card)

Miami   7-10

New England   4-13

North:

Baltimore   12-5

Pittsburgh   9-8

Cleveland   8-9

Cincinnati   5-12

South:

Indianapolis   10-7

Houston   10-7 (Wild Card)

Jacksonville   9-8

Tennessee   6-11

West:

Kansas City   12-5

Los Angeles Chargers   12-5 (Wild Card)

Las Vegas   7-10

Denver   7-10

Playoffs:
Indianapolis over NY Jets

Buffalo over Los Angeles Chargers

Kansas City over Houston

Baltimore over Indianapolis

Buffalo over Kansas City

Baltimore over Buffalo (and this pains me to make this call...)



Super Bowl: Detroit 23, Baltimore 17

2023-2024 NFL Playoffs Support Rankings

The NFL Playoffs for Super Bowl LVIII start tomorrow.  I'm ranking the 14 playoff teams by two methods- are they likely to win the Super Bowl, and who I want to win the Super Bowl.

The team I want to win and the team I think will win

Let's do the 'likely to win' rating first:

1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Cleveland Browns
7. Detroit Lions
8. Buffalo Bills
9. Los Angeles Rams
10. Miami Dolphis
11. Houston Texans
12. Green Bay Packers
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

There are three franchises that are considered 'cursed'- Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Detroit Lions- and with their track record, I tend to always expect something bad to happen to them.  So I've lowered their rankings by 3-5 spots.

The 49ers and the Ravens are the best teams this year.  But it's been a weird year- no one has been consistently great.  I could see just about any team get hot and be in the Super Bowl.

On the 'want to win' ranking, I'm in a quandry.  I used to be a Browns fan.  But when they paid a quarter billion dollars for DeShaun Watson, I broke with them completely.  It managed to be a bad football move and offensive.  The city has had to deal with a shitty organization forever- you'd think that at least they wouldn't get behind a serial sexual predator.  So I broke with them.

Naturally, they had a great year- but not with Watson.  He was injured (and didn't play that well).  Instead, the Browns picked up Joe Flacco from retirement- and he's been great for the team.  

So, rooting for the Browns isn't rooting for Watson... but it is rooting for the organization that brought in Watson.  Ugh.

My ranking for who I want to win:

1. Buffalo Bills
2. Detroit Lions (then a gap)
3. Cleveland Browns (then a gap)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (lower because they won it last year)
5. Houston Texans
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
7. Los Angeles Rams (not a fan of LA teams, but they are playing well)
8. San Francisco 49ers
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (solely for Baker Mayfield)
10. Green Bay Packers
11. Dallas Cowboys 
12. Philadelphia Eagles
13. Miami Dolphins (then a GIANT gap)
14. Baltimore Ravens (still bitter...)

Final note:  I've gone from being a fan of the Cleveland Browns to being a fan of the Buffalo Bills.  If the Browns win and the Bills lose in a heartbreaking fashion, the evidence that I myself am the sports curse will be damned strong...

Thoughts with Whiskey- 2023-09-14

Tonight's Drink of Choice:  Blade and Bow Bourbon.

* Just returned from a vacation to the Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver).  It's a gorgeous part of the country- mountains and ocean, not too hot nor too cold.  The scenery is outstanding.  It's expensive, and the traffic is a nightmare- but I completely understand why people love that part of the country.  I love living in Ohio- but I think that part of the country would be my second choice.

* Seattle and Vancouver were fun.  Portland... not so much.  The city has fallen badly since the last time I went there (over 10 years ago).  It's an example of The Broken Window Theory- visible signs of crime and disorder lead to worse conditions.  All three cities had grafitti- only Portland looked (and felt) dirty.  All three cities had homeless people- Portland was the only one of the three that felt unsafe.  

*  But Oregon itself?  Fantastic!

Oregon is beautiful

* The GOP is opening an inquiry to look at Impeaching President Biden:  Of course they are. 

Here's the thing- Biden did do something wrong.  The evidence is clear that Hunter Biden allowed himself to be paid millions of dollars by Burisma, because they believed that having Hunter meant access to (then Vice-President) Joe Biden.  It was an obvious conflict of interest, and Joe Biden should have been much more forceful in vowing that there would be no undue influence.  

Was it wrong?  Absolutely.  Is it impeachable?  Anything is impeachable if you get enough votes.  But I don't think most voters would say Biden should be removed from office over it.

Here's the dilemma- Constitutionally, Impeaching is the only way Congress has to condemn bad behavior from the President.  When your only tool is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.  When your only tool is Impeachment- everything looks impeachable.  We're going to see a lot more Impeachment hearings in the future unless this gets changed- no matter who the President is.

So we'll go through this hearing, taking up our time, when what Congress needs is some partial measure- a declaration of condemning the President's behavior- that could be argued, voted on, and moved on.  

* Football season has started, and for the first time in almost a decade, I'm in a fantasy football league.  I sat down the wrong QB, but somehow managed to win the game.  Don't ask me how.  

* I do feel bad for fans of the New York Jets.  They went all in on winning this year, and now their season is over when Aaron Rodgers tore his ACL.  I root for Buffalo (and how the hell did they lose that game?), and I felt bad for the Jets.

NFL Predictions 2023-2024

My main theories going into these predictions:

1. Good franchises find ways to win games they should not
2. Bad franchises find ways to lose games they should not
3. Once a franchise is good or bad, expect them to stay that way until proven otherwise

My guess as the Super Bowl LVIII Champions

NFC

East:

Philadelphia 12-5

Dallas 11-6 (Wild Card)

NY Giants 9-8 (Wild Card)

Washington 7-10

Notes:  by far the best divison in the NFC

North:
Detroit 10-7

Minnesota 9-8
Green Bay 7-10

Chicago 5-12

South:
Atlanta 10-7 

Carolina 8-9

New Orleans 7-10

Tampa Bay 5-12

West:
San Francisco 13-4 

Seattle 12-5 (Wild Card)

Los Angeles Rams 5-12
Arizona 2-15 

Playoffs:

Philadelphia over NY Giants

Seattle over Atlanta

Dallas over Detroit

San Francisco over Dallas

Philadelphia over Seattle

Philadelphia over San Francisco



AFC

East:
Buffalo 11-6

Miami 10-7

New England 9-8 
NY Jets 7-10

Note:  ANother tough division- really, any team could finish above .500

North:

Baltimore 11-6

Pittsburgh 11-6 (Wild Card)

Cincinnati 10-7 (Wild Card)

Cleveland 6-11

Note:  Toughest division in the AFC.  A three-way dogfight for the division crown.

South:
Jacksonville 11-6

Tennessee 8-9

Indianapolis 8-9

Houston 4-13

West:

Kansas City 11-6
Los Angeles Chargers 10-7  (Wild Card)
Las Vegas 7-10

Denver 5-12

Playoffs:
Jacksonville over Cincinnati

Buffalo over Pittsburgh

Los Angeles Chargers over Baltimore

Kansas City over Los Angeles Chargers

Buffalo over Jacksonville

Buffalo over Kansas City

Note:  Honestly, any team here could be in the NFC Championship game


Super Bowl: Buffalo 36, Philadelphia 31

Take this Stadium and shove it

It's March 1st, which means my least favorite two months of the year are completed.  It's dark, cold, often snowy or wet, and there isn't even the holidays to break up the monotony of January and February.  Mind you, on March 1st it's still dark, cold and wet, but there's more hope in the air.

Here in Cleveland, Jimmy Haslam, owner of the Cleveland Browns, is pushing for a new Stadium.  One with a retractable roof.  

Football stadiums are expensive.  The most recent stadiums have been around $2 billion- but SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has over a $5 billion price tag.   That's over $5,000,000,000.00  And while that is in California instead of Ohio, a new stadium is going to be pricey.

Now, if Haslam, who is supposedly worth about 4.8 billion wants to pay for it himself, more power to him.  But I haven't heard that.  And Haslam is busy purchasing a stake in the NBA's Milwaukee Bucks.  He has priorities.

So he will likely 'ask' the city of Cleveland to foot the bill.  Now, Cleveland has already lost one NFL team because the owner wanted a new stadium.  So the people of Cleveland will get flashbacks that if the city doesn't pony up, the team will leave.

But First Energy Stadium is only 24 years old (aren't sports stadiums and fields supposed to last for decades?), and the NFL only has 8-9 home games a year.  Cleveland can find a lot of better uses to spend more billions of dollars to help the city.

This is a horrible idea- and if Haslam wants to flee, I'll be glad to hold the door open for him.  

Various thoughts - 2023/02/14

A collection of random thoughts this week:

* Happy Valentine's Day.  If you are in a happy romantic relationship, give your partner a hug.  If not, find a friend and give them a hug.  To be fair...

* Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for winning the Super Bowl.  They weren't my favorite team, but I have friends from Kansas City who are thrilled.

* Speaking of Kansas City, Feb 7th was the anniversay of the day I lost one of my closest friends.  Barbara Jo, I still miss you, your energy, your intelligence, your attitude towards life.

* Condolences to the Eagles, who lost a close game.  In the past 100 days, Philadelphia was runner-up in the finals of three different sports.  That's brutal- and I say this as a fan of the Cubs, Cavaliers, Guardians, and Buffalo Bills.

* I think we need clearer defintions of "Left", "Liberal", "Right", and "Conservative".  We tend us the first pair and second pair interchangably, and I think that is misleading.  In baseball, it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard.  In politics, it's hard to use labels without understanding what they mean.

* Fun link of the week:  Roll for Sandwich.  A man uses dice rolls to create his lunch.  Given my history with dice rolls, I would be terrified to try this for myself.  He makes some fascinating combinations.  

* Thank you all for reading.

Sports Thought from a casual sports fan...

 Are NBA franchises getting smarter- and NFL franchises getting stupider?

Let me explain.

The history of the NBA is that there have always been at least a quarter of the NBA franchises that made foolish, short-sighted moves that crippled their franchises.  It wasn't enough to not be one of those franchises; you had to do a better job taking advantages of those franchises than anyone else.

The perfect example:  In 1976, the New Orleans Jazz wanted to sign Gail Goodrich.  Now in his prime Goodrich was an excellent NBA player.  But in 1976 he was 32 years old and on the downside of his career.  To sign him, the Jazz relenquished their rights to Moses Malone.  And, because of the NBA compensation laws at the time, the Jazz owed the Los Angeles Lakers their 1979 first round pick- who turned out to be Magic Johnson.

The NBA is littered with examples like that- teams making bad decisions that hurt them in the long run.  Portland picking an injured Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.  The Knicks passing up a chance to get Julius Erving.  The Cleveland Cavaliers traded so many 1st round draft picks the NBA had to step in and create The Stepien Rule to prevent an owner from sabotaging his team too badly.

But right now... most of the NBA franchises are in decent shape.  The teams with poor records have young players and are stockpiling draft picks.  The teams that have traded their draft picks are either contenders or recent contenders.  There are still one or two franchises that make some questionable moves (Minnesota Timberwolves, anyone?).  But they are the exceptions.  Maybe with all of the money going around, the owners of the NBA are getting smarter.

But that doesn't seem to be applying to the NFL.  The NFL seems to be growing in franchises that are making foolish moves that are not good in the short term and horrific in the long term.  The obsession with getting a quarterback has led them to making stupid reckless trades.  It's one thing to go all in, try to win the Super Bowl, and then suffer the long term consequences; I'm sure fans of the Los Angeles Rams accept the poor year and lack of a draft pick in exchage for the Super Bowl Victory.  But what's the point of going all in and not even making the playoffs?

Most of the moves I see in the NBA, even if I don't agree with them, I understand them.  That's not so true with the NFL.

2022-2023 NFL Playoffs Support Rankings

The NFL Regular Season is over.  Super Bowl LVII is in a few weeks, and there are 14 teams left in the playoffs.  

I'm ranking them in two methods:  Which teams I want most to win, and which teams I think are most likely to win.

This past offseason, I stopped rooting for the hometown Cleveland Browns, and asked my friends to pick another team for me to root for.  They picked the Buffalo Bills, who have been excellent this year and have never won the Super Bowl (having lost four times in a row).  Combined with the injury to Damar Hamlin, and they are easily the team I most want to win this year.

Most likely to win

1. Buffalo Bills
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Cincinnati Bengals
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. San Francisco 49ers
6. Los Angeles Chargers
7. Dallas Cowboys
8. Minnesota Vikings
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
10. Jacksonville Jaguars
11. New York Giants
12. Baltimore Ravens
13. Miami Dolphins
14. Seattle Seahawks

Rooting to win:

1. Buffalo Bills
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Minnesota Vikings  (I like rooting for teams that never won it before)
4. Kansas City Chiefs
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. San Francisco 49ers
7. Los Angeles Chargers
8. Jacksonville Jaguars
9. New York Giants
10. Miami Dolphins 
11. Seattle Seahawks
12. Dallas Cowboys
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
14. Baltimore Ravens (yes, I'm still bitter)

NFL Predictions: 2021-22

I'm never right about these but why let that stop me?

 NFC

East:

Washington 11-6

Dallas 10-7

Philadelphia 6-11

NY Giants 4-13

North:
Minnesota 10-7
Green Bay 9-8
Detroit 5-12

Chicago 3-14

South:
Tampa Bay 12-5

Atlanta 11-6 (Wild Card)
New Orleans 10-7
Carolina 5-12

West:
Los Angeles Rams 12-5
San Francisco 11-6 (Wild Card)

Seattle 11-6 (Wild Card)

Arizona 6-11 


Playoffs:
San Francisco over Minnesota

Seattle over Washington

Los Angeles Rams over Atlanta

Tampa Bay over San Francisco

Los Angeles Rams over Seattle

Tampa Bay over Los Angeles Rams



AFC

East:
Buffalo 13-4

New England 12-5 (Wild Card)
Miami 6-11
NY Jets 5-12

North:

Cleveland 12-5

Baltimore 11-6 (Wild Card)

Pittsburgh 9-8

Cincinnati 5-12

South:
Tennessee 11-6

Indianapolis 9-8

Jacksonville 6-11
Houston 2-15

West:
Kansas City 12-5 
Los Angeles Chargers 11-6  (Wild Card)
Denver 7-10
Las Vegas 5-12

Playoffs:
Cleveland over Los Angeles Chargers

New England over Tennessee
Kansas City over Baltimore

Buffalo over New England
Cleveland over Kansas City

Buffalo over Cleveland



Super Bowl: Buffalo 33, Tampa Bay 24

NFL Playoff Predictions

AFC Wild Card Round:
Houston Texans 23, Indianapolis Colts 17
Los Angeles Chargers 31, Baltimore Ravens 10


NFC Wild Card Round:
Chicago Bears 23, Philadelphia Eagles 7
Seattle Seahawks 17, Dallas Cowboys 13


AFC Division Round:
New England Patriots 20, Houston Texans 17
Kansas City Chiefs 38, Los Angeles Chargers 31


NFC Division Round:
Chicago Bears 27, Los Angeles Rams 14
New Orleans Saints 31, Seattle Seahawks 13

AFC Championship:
Kansas City Chiefs 28, New England Patriots 20


NFC Championship:
Chicago Bears 20, New Orleans Saints 17


Super Bowl LIII:
Kansas City Chiefs 41, Chicago Bears 23

NFL Predictions: 2018-2019

NFC

East:
Philadelphia 12-4
Dallas 9-7

Washington 7-9

NY Giants 5-11


North:
Minnesota 11-5
Green Bay 10-6 (Wild Card)
Chicago 10-6  (Wild Card)
Detroit 4-12

South:
Atlanta 12-4
New Orleans 10-6

Carolina 9-7
Tampa Bay 3-13

West:
St. Louis 10-6
San Francisco 8-8

Arizona 7-9 
Seattle 5-11

Playoffs:
Minnesota over Chicago
St. Louis over Green Bay

Minnesota over Atlanta

Philadelphia over St. Louis

Minnesota over Philadelphia



AFC

East:
New England 11-5
Miami 6-10
NY Jets 6-10
Buffalo 3-13

North:
Pittsburgh 11-5

Cincinnati 8-8
Cleveland 5-11
Baltimore 5-11


South:
Jacksonville 12-4
Tennessee 10-6 (Wild Card)
Houston 10-6

Indianapolis 3-13

West:
Kansas City 11-5 
San Diego 11-5  (Wild Card)
Denver 7-9
Oakland 5-11

Playoffs:
Kansas City over Tennessee
San Diego over Pittsburgh

Jacksonville over San Diego
New England over Kansas City

Jacksonville over New England



Super Bowl: Minnesota 21, Jacksonville 18

Double Down, Sashi Brown!

The Cleveland Browns are 0-10.  They look horrible.  DeShone Kizer has thrown 14 interceptions and only 5 touchdowns, and has been benched twice.  Their analytics method has caused them to pass on Carson Wentz and DeShaun Watson- the former looking like a great QB in the making for the Philadelphia Eagles, while Watson looked fantastic until he was injured.  

The Browns seem like a mortal lock to finish 0-16 and with the #1 pick in the draft (along with the Texans, pick, like around #10).  There's a bunch of QBs in this draft that are likely to go in the first round- Sam Darnold of USC (if he doesn't stay in school another year), Josh Rosen of UCLA, Lamar Jackson of Louisville, Josh Allen of Wyoming, and Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma.  

Surely, the Browns should abandon this analytic approach, take a QB with the #1 pick.  Right?

My advice for Sashi Brown (the VP of the Browns)- don't draft a QB.  Double down on your method.

Which, of course, sounds insane.  Why double down on something that has led you to 0-16?  

Here's my reasons:

1)  Every single QB in the top tier has flaws.  Rosen supposedly isn't like by his teammates.  Darnold has not been impressive and may stay at USC another year.  Jackson has accuracy issues.  Allen is a project, as is Mayfield.  If you're grabbing a QB #1, that means that you think he's the best QB in the class- and none of them are standing out.

2)  The Browns do have alternatives to drafting a QB #1.  They could try to get a free agent (Kirk Cousins is on the market).  They could grab a veteran QB like Josh McCown (who has led the Jets to a 4-6 record to a team that was supposedly as bad as the Browns).  Or...

3)  They have a young QB- Kizer.  Yes, he's looked bad.  He also has had no wide receivers, a poor running game... and he's young.  Look at the improvement Jared Goff had last year.  Head Coach Hue Jackson is supposed to be a quarterback guru- let's put him to the test.

So what do you do instead?

4)  Grab Saquon Barkley with the #1 pick.  He's a RB and considered the best 'Sure Thing' in the draft.  

5)  With the Texans pick, grab one of the top two WR (Calvin Ridley or Courtland Sutton).  If both of them fail to make it, grab an offensive lineman or a defensive back.  But ideally, one of them should be available.

With that, you have Kizer with a year's NFL experience under his belt, a new RB, a new WR, Corey Coleman and Josh Gordon back healthy, and Joe Thomas back in the lineup.  

I think you have a better chance turning Kizer into a good NFL Quarterback than drafting a QB and starting over.

Do I expect them to do so?  No- I expect them to grab one of the QBs, start over, and then spend next year under a cloud of "Well, we should have grabbed (player X) or (player Y) or (Players A, B, C) instead."

Look- if Sashi Brown makes it to the draft, he only gets one more chance.  If you really think rookie QBs are overrated (and the way you traded down to avoid drafting Wentz and Watson, you do), then reversing course now is tantamount to admitting the last two years were horrifically wrong.  Stick to your guns.  It's not like you'll get another chance if you lead the Browns to a 3-13 season the next year.  Double down.  

NFL Predictions: 2017-2018

NFC

East:
Dallas 9-7

Washington 8-8

NY Giants 8-8
Philadelphia 7-9

North:
Green Bay 12-4
Minnesota 9-7
Detroit 7-9
Chicago 4-12

South:
Atlanta 11-5
Tampa Bay 9-7 (Wild Card)
New Orleans 8-8
Carolina 7-9

West:
Seattle 11-5

Arizona 9-7  (Wild Card)
St. Louis 5-11
San Francisco 5-11

Playoffs:
Dallas over Arizona

Tampa Bay over Seattle

Atlanta over Dallas

Green Bay over Tampa Bay

Green Bay over Atlanta



AFC

East:
New England 13-3
Miami 7-9 
Buffalo 7-9
NY Jets 3-13

North:
Pittsburgh 12-4

Cleveland 6-10
Baltimore 6-10
Cincinnati 4-12



South:
Houston 10-6

Tennessee 10-6 (Wild Card)

Jacksonville 6-10
Indianapolis 5-11


West:
Oakland 13-3
Kansas City 11-5 (Wild Card)

Denver 9-7
San Diego 5-11

Playoffs:
Houston over Kansas City

Tennessee over Pittsburgh

New England over Houston
Oakland over Tennessee

New England over Oakland



Super Bowl: New England 41, Green Bay 38

NFL 2017 Draft Thoughts

NFL Draft hopes as a Cleveland Browns fan:

You can’t say we were shocked.  We knew the Browns were going to be bad. 

They were 3-13 the year before.  And then lost four of their top free agents hours after free agency began- including 2 parts of their offensive line (the best part of the football team).  We all knew RGIII was a gamble.  And they traded down in the draft, passing up good players (not only Carson Wentz, but Joey Bosa, Jack Conklin, Ezekiel Elliott…)  And while none of their rookies were busts… none of them overachieved, either.

So… yeah.  1-15 wasn’t that shocking. 

But hey- it’s 2017.  The Browns not only have the #1 draft pick, they have the #12 draft pick from Philadelphia.  And 2 second round picks.  And this is supposed to be a deep draft.

People keep focusing on the QB- but the Browns need help EVERYWHERE. 

Adding a curveball is that Mitchell Trubisky is not only the top QB in the draft… and from Northeast Ohio… but his father is a co-worker.  So regardless of where he goes in the draft, I’m rooting for him to succeed.

So here’s how I see things playing out:

There is a kind and benevolent deity and he wants me to be happy:   Browns grab  Myles Garrett #1.  No QBs go from 2-11… then someone (the Jets?) overpay Cleveland for the #12 pick.  The Jets trade this year’s 2^nd round pick, next year’s #1, and next year’s #2.  Browns continue the process, drafting defense for the next five picks, see how Cody Kessler plays this year- if he thrives, great.  If not, look for one of the QBs in 2018.

What I am hoping will happen:  Browns grab Garrett #1.  No QBs go from 2-9.  Buffalo grabs Watson at #10, and Arizona trades up to #11 to grab Trubisky.  This causes Jamal Adams to drop for the Browns to grab at #12.  Browns continue going heavy defense with 4 of their next 5 picks on the defensive side

What I expect to happen: Browns grab Garrett #1.  No QBs go from 2-11.  Browns grab Trubisky at #12, then keep drafting defense. 

What I am worried will happen:  Browns grab Garrett #1.  Suddenly panicking over losing their QB, they trade up to #5, offering their #12 and #33 to grab Trubisky at #5 before the Jets

The Darkest Timeline:   Browns grab anyone not named ‘Myles Garrett’ at #1