2009 NFL season and Super Bowl predictions from a self-proclaimed expert

in Sports by griffn — September 10, 2009 at 10:08 am | 5 comments

The Steelers and Titans kick off a new NFL season tonight at Heinz Field and so-called experts around the Web are making their season-long forecasts.  Most think the Super Bowl will be some combination of Patriots/Chargers vs. Packers/Saints.  That’s why they are merely “so-called” experts.  I, on the other hand, am a self-proclaimed expert, meaning I don’t need the approval of anyone in the sports media elite to do my job.  My own inflated sense of self-worth will do just fine.  Here are my predictions for the winner of each division (with playoff seeds in parenthesis), the winner of each championship game, and the winner of Super Bowl 44.  Warning: spoilers ahead!

AFC North – Pittsburgh Steelers (1)
Steelers-Ravens is the best rivalry in the league, but one is consistently the other’s big brother.  They’ll split the head-to-head games and see each other again in the playoffs.

AFC South – Tennessee Titans (3)
Manning’s getting old and Harrison’s gone.  Meanwhile, the Titans are young and improving, and I love their running game.

AFC East – New England Patriots (2)
The Pats defense is on the decline, but Brady-to-Moss is worth eight wins alone.  They’ll squeeze another three or four out of that mediocre division.

AFC West – San Diego Chargers (4)
The Chargers are a good team, but they wouldn’t make the playoffs in any other AFC division.  Lucky for them, almost half their schedule is against the Raiders, Broncos, and Chiefs.

AFC Wildcards – Baltimore Ravens (5), Indianapolis Colts (6)
The AFC is simply too strong at the top for any surprises.

NFC North – Green Bay Packers (2)
I’m torn between the Vikings and Packers to take the North, but I think Favre tips the scales.  He’s got that magic touch of mediocrity that will hold the Vikings back.

NFC South – Atlanta Falcons (3)
Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Roddy White might turn into the best young offensive trio in football.

NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles (1)
This is the year Cowboys fans finally come to grips with the fact that Romo minus T.O. isn’t good.

NFC West – Arizona Cardinals (4)
I’m so close to picking the 49ers here, but Cards coaches Wiz and Grimm are winners.  And I think Beanie Wells upgrades that running game to respectable levels.

NFC Wildcards – Minnesota Vikings (5), New York Giants (6)
There are a lot of good-to-average teams who could take the wildcard spots in the NFC.  The conference is really crowded in the middle.

AFC Championship – Steelers over Titans
The Steelers will beat the Ravens and the Titans will beat the Pats to get here.  It’ll be an epic game, but LenDale White already blew it by stomping on the Towel last year.  Whatever team he plays for from until he retires is cursed and cannot beat the Steelers in the playoffs.

NFC Championship – Eagles over Falcons
The Eagles will beat the Vikings and the Falcons will beat the Pack (in Lambeau!) to get to the championship.  On the first snap of the NFC Championship game, McNabb will go down for the remainder of the playoffs.  Vick will take over, lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl, and half of America will be absolutely furious about it.

Super Bowl – Steelers over Eagles
Defense wins championships.  So does coaching, playoff experience, and clutch quarterback play.  The Steelers have more of all that than any team in the league.  As much as I want to see Vick win a Super Bowl and make half of the country’s heads explode, there’s something I want to see even more.  There are people who still consider the Patriots to be the team of the decade, despite the fact that they cheated, got caught cheating, and are documented cheaters.  It’s clear that the only way to silence this lawless crowd is for the Steelers to win their third Super Bowl in five years and take their rightful, undisputed place as the team of the ‘00s. (Don’t ask me how to pronounce that.)

Season Awards
NFL MVP – Randy Moss (Patriots)
Offensive Player of the Year – Matt Forte (Bears)
Defensive Player of the Year – LaMarr Woodley (Steelers)
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Beanie Wells (Cardinals)
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Aaron Curry (Seahawks)
Coach of the Year – Mike McCarthy (Packers)

Related posts:

1. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 4**
2. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 6
3. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 2
4. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 1
5. Forbes NFL power rankings: Week 7

Tags: NFL Philadelphia Eagles Pittsburgh Steelers predictions Super Bowl