Any random NFL comment goes in here.

The new cowboys stadium is going to be pretty awesome.

Two largest HD screens in the world 160ft x 70ft

Stadium website
I know this is old news, but the football season is almost starting and they will be in this stadium one year from now. It will be awesome.

I would like to see a cage match between Jon Gruden and Chris Simms.

Undercard: Jim Rome vs. Jim Everett.

I wish Jerry Jones owned my favorite team.

Lions will still continue to suck.

Yea, it's nice most of the time.

I am bored to tears at work today so I am going to throw some early predictions out there. I have had a ton of success with chalk recently as I picked all four #1 seeds to go to the Final Four and I had Celtics/Lakers in the NBA Finals. But the NFL always always always has a few surprise teams and a few dud teams who disappoint.....so I dont think that will work here.

AFC Playoff teams:

Pats, Colts, Chargers, Browns, Texans, Broncos. (in seeded order)

Clearly, I am going against the Jags and Steelers. I think Pittsburgh's defense has too many holes and the AFC North will be decent in general. I think the Browns make the leap. I also think Houston takes the Jags spot. Everyone seems too high on the Jags to me....they still dont have proven WRs/pass rushers. I like Houston to break through with Schaub to A. Johnson becoming a highlight staple.

I would have picked Jags over Broncos....but Denver gets 4 games against KC/Oakland which will make the difference.
Pats/Colts/Chargers are no brainers.


NFC Playoff teams:

Cowboys, Vikings, Saints, Seahawks, Giants, Panthers. (in order)

Wow the NFC is WIDE open. The Giants could do anything post superbowl but I think Eli has finally hit his stride. They at least get a wild card. Otherwise, lots of playoff turnover. I see the Packers falling off big. I see the Bucs being a one year fluke. I am completely unsold on Seattle and wanted desperately to put Arizona there....but the Cardinals are a tease EVERY year. I am guessing Seattle wins the division at 9-7 or even 8-8. Gross. I like Minnesota to make the leap....I think Tavarris Jackson will be just good enough to take advantage of AP and a great D. I also think New Orleans bounces back with a vengeance.

Oddly, Dallas is the only team I consider a sure thing on that list of six. NFC is turning into the football's version of the National League. They are clearly the far inferior league and yet they can be very very frisky in the Super Bowl. Sports are funny.


Playoffs:

I like for NE and Indy to have the byes in the AFC. Standard. Dallas and Minnesota get them in the NFC (though Minnesota earns it with a paltry 10-6 record and wins a tie-breaker with the Saints).

So lets go with:

Wild Card:

Chargers over Broncos
Texans upset Browns
Giants over Seattle
Saints over Panthers

Divisional

Pats over Texans
Colts over Chargers
Dallas over NYG
Saints over Vikes

Conf. Championships

Pats over Colts
Dallas over Saints

Super Bowl

Pats over Cowboys


I know it is hilariously early to be talking about this stuff and injuries will change my opinions greatly over the next two months. But it is fun to start talking about.....I love me some NFL.

Pats over Cowboys

Sounds good to me !

I loathe loathe loathe the Patriots. But I think they will be on a mission this year.....less focus on running up the score....more focus on destroying teams early and resting players so they are completely ready for the postseason.

FYP

I'd drop the Panthers and put the Eagles in, NFC East is clearly the best division in the conference.

I agree 100% about the NFC East....but it is very very unlikely that any division produces three playoff teams two years in a row. Not that it cant happen but the law of averages (and the fact the NFC East teams will beat each other up) is what convinced me to throw Carolina in there.

It was a close call....although I might have put in Washington over Philly.

You might be right about the East beating itself up.

I get the feeling Philly has a bounce back year. The NFC north and west will likely be the two worst divisions in football and the South really only has NO and Carolina. If you put the best 8 NFC teams up the entire NFC East is in that 8, so how many make the top 6 will be interesting.

Over/Under on Chicago Bears wins set at 5.5.

I can NOT wait for football.


this time of year is so dull.....

The Minnesota Vikings will win 11 games this year. (at least, I hope they do. Shouldn't be a problem in the North.)

Favre will be back.

You really think so?


I hope not... I think it would be a mistake.

The 49ers will continue to be mediocre at best. BRING BACK EDDIE DEBARDALOW!

I'll agree with AFD on this one. Favre has dug his own grave with this Michael Jordan syndrome he has. People don't like that. Either stay or go, don't jerk us around or we'll stop caring. If he came back and said this is it, I'm retiring no matter what on 3/1/10 then he would be in much better shape with the fans. They need to know for sure who will be back in the pocket, not to be constantly screwed with.

I hope that the Niners release Smith. Sean Hill one time!

AFC Div Winners. Indi, NE, CLE, SD
AFC Wild Cards. Jax, Cinnci

Div Winners for obvious reasons. Wild cards, dont need to explain the Jags but I think this years suprise team in the AFC will end up being Cinnci. Even with all of this drama. Rudi will be healthy and their D played extremely well the last half of the season compared to the first half. I can see them slipping in over my Steelers this year for some reason. Us losing some key Oline is going to be brutal this year I think.

NFC Div Winners. Sea, Min, NO, Dal
NFC Wild Cards. Phi, NYG

Div Winners are pretty standard even though I have a feeling somebody will challenge Sea this year for the div crown. Wild cards, I was honestly considering leaving out one of these two for Carolina. Sadly it was NYG. I see their D being very good still but I got a feeling that offense is about to fall a part down the stretch of the regular season this year.

AFC Wild Card Playoffs. Indi > Jax, Cinnci > CLE
NFC Wild Card Playoffs. Phi > Sea, Min > NYG

AFC I Forget the Name of This Round Playoffs. NE > Cinnci, SD > Indi
NFC I Forget the Name of This Round Playoffs. Dal > Phi, Min > NO

AFC Conference Championship. SD > NE
NFC Conference Championship. Dal > Min

Super Bowl. SD > Dal.

Just got a feeling its time SD breaks through the AFC.

Shockey to the Saints for draft pics

Why would the Giants do that? Did he want out?

badly.

he stated he wanted a new deal or trade, said he'd rather be traded

What in the last 2 years has given you any indication that the Cowboys will make it out of the first round of the playoffs, much less make it to the Super Bowl? Just curious.

Too early for predictions anyways

The other top NFC teams haven't kept up with containing the level of skill that the Cowboys continue to add every year. Giants without Shockey for a whole year. Strahan retired. Makes them a lesser team. Seattle, really hasn't added any help to their team this year at all. Saints are the only team who have a chance this year in the NFC to compete back at them unless Carolina wakes up with a healthy Jake and the return of their D. Saints added Vilma and Sedric Ellis. Plus now Shockey. That is a good trio. All and all, Minnesota looks great except their QB will kill them sometime in the playoffs. It could be any round for them to just flop over due to Tavaris Jackson.

Just because they haven't won a playoff game in X amount of time, doesn't mean they cant goto the Super Bowl. They are loaded and ready.

What makes you think they cant make it to the SB?

I'll prob change my mind about some of the NFC teams soon. I might even drop NYG and PHI this year and add CAR and now WAS with JT being added. NFL is unpredictable, thats why its amazing.

The other teams haven't kept up with containing the level of skill that the Cowboys continue to add every year? Really? The Cowboys last won a Super Bowl in 95/96, and what have they done since then? Funny you should ask...


2007 13-3-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs
2006 9-7-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs
2005 9-7-0 3rd -- NFC East --
2004 6-10-0 T2nd -- NFC East --
2003 10-6-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs
2002 5-11-0 4th -- NFC East --
2001 5-11-0 5th -- NFC East --
2000 5-11-0 4th -- NFC East --
1999 8-8-0 2nd -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs
1998 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 0-1 - Lost Wild Card Playoffs
1997 6-10-0 4th -- NFC East --
1996 10-6-0 1st -- NFC East 1-1 - Lost Divisional Playoffs


Now having said all that, I still don't think that the Cowboys won't make the SB, and that's coming from a Redskin fan. But the poster that I was originally responding to said "Div. winners for obv. reasons." So I was just wondering what the obv. reasons were. I just find it funny that the Cowboys are "obv. division winners" when they're playing in probably the toughest division in football, and now we're apparently just dismissing everyone else.

I do believe the Saints just became a top 2 team in the NFC. If the D plays close to their 2006 numbers, then they have a real chance to make the SB.

Maybe because they won the division last year easily.

Shockey makes their offense much more flexible. I expect Brees to have a big year and the Saints to win their division.

I expected the Saints to win the division before this.

Oh okay, now I'm convinced lol

How about you give him a reason you think the Giants, Redskins or Eagles will do better than the Cowboys this year, or are you just going to stick to being a smartass?

:sarcasticnotsosmileyface:

LOL @ me being the smartass. All I did was ask this person a question, then provide Dallas' records for the past 12 or so years, stating why I didn't think it was such an open and shut case that Dallas is an "obv division winner." Then you chime in and simply state "maybe cause they won their division easily last year." Really? And you're asking me to give proof? LOOOOOOOOOOL.

I never said that Dallas wouldn't make it to the SB, I think they have a decent chance. All I was asking the other person, before you so rudely stepped in, was why Dallas was an obvious division winner.

Your first comment was about how the Cowboys would have trouble winning in the playoffs. That is totally different than winning the division... and a team that didn't lose ANY major players and actually gained some good players after EASILY winning their the division the previous year .... IS.... solid reasoning why you could expect the same to happen in the coming season.

You just cant stop getting along with people in the sports forums can you?

Dallas is the likely division winner because the division is about as tough as it was last year when Dallas won it by three full games. Really the Giants super bowl run was amazing to watch but they got incredibly lucky to slip by Dallas in the divisional round.

Dallas should be the NFC's #1 seed on paper but games arent played on paper they are played in TV sets.

More proof of the Cowboys dominance.....


http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/rumors/post/Ne...-?urn=nfl,94980

You're right, that was my initial comment. Then he responded with the idea that the other NFC teams haven't "kept up with containing the level of skill as the Cowboys" or something like that. Well all that "skill level" has gotten them the past two years is an early exit from the playoffs.

"Could expect the same thing to happen" is entirely different than "obvious division winners." I could expect the sun to shine tomorrow because it's currently 100 degrees outside. What does that prove? I'm only stating the obvious and not providing any scientific data as to why I think that. All I was looking for was something to back up his initial statement.

I think CaneBrain and brvheart covered it.

Because I like a good sports argument? People really need to get thicker skin in the sports forum. Be able to defend your team and not take everything so personally.

Best thing said so far

just pointing out that every time you are in a sports argument it seems to be 4-5 people yelling at you. probably a coincidence.

I guess so. I mean I just like taking different sides and giving respect and attention to the players and teams that don't otherwise get it. I'm not just gonna come in here and jump on the Lincecum bandwago for example, without showing respect to lesser known guys like Duchscherer in the baseball forum. Or just assume that Dallas is gonna run away with the division without thinking things through. Meh, whatever...it's not really worth people getting all bent out of shape and calling me a jerk or whatever.

The funny thing is, I just started posting in the sports forum like a week ago...guess I should back off a little.

Sidenote: I like your avatar...the beer that is. Good stuff.

thanks. i have not actually tasted He-Brew. My brother in law clued me in to the existence of jewish beer.

I dont mean to jump down your throat....but sometimes it appears you are being contrarian for the sake of being contrarian. And while that works well for sports betting (according to Wang) it can rub people the wrong way.

just a thought.

In all honesty I'm not. I didn't even realize that my initial post was that sarcastic, and if I offended anybody I am sorry. Like I said, I was just trying to get to the bottom of his reasoning...nothing more. I'm not that kind of person, trust me. If you go back to the beginning of the Lincecum thread, you'll see that we started out nice and civil. Then some jerk got involved and that's when all hell broke loose. Anyway, just thought I'd say sorry, and I never meant to goad anyone into an agrument.

Just explain to us why you think the team that won the division by 3 games last year and only has another year of experience under its belt with no major losses to the team and a few decent additions is going to be worse than they were last year? Don't get me wrong, I'm a Cowboys fan and I have a few concerns about the team. Though my concerns have more to do with how they can get to and win the SB than winning the NFC East.

I agree the NFC East will probably be the toughest division in football this year, but you haven't given any reason why the Eagles, Redskins or Giants are going to have a better regular season than the Cowboys. And before someone spouts off about the Giants being the superbowl champs, they also lost their best defensive player and even though they did win it all last year they pretty much ran perfect in 3 straight games to pull it off. They were a Crayton catch from losing to Dallas, a Favre interception from losing to GB, and a Tyree miracle on the helmet catch from losing to the Pats. I think the Giants will be the toughest competition depending on how they fill the losses, but I still expect Dallas to be the NFC East champ.

I can't make an agrument for the N.Y. Giants. They've lost a few key players, in Shockey and Strahan, Kawika Mitchell, OLB Reggie Torbor, and S Gibril Wilson. Plaxico Burress is "disgruntled" as usual, and I'm still not a Manning believer.

The Eagles are team that will be better just because Donovan McNabb is completely healthy. They also signed Asante Samuel in the off season, a pretty good signing for a defense that was ranked 9th last year. His signing, along with the maturation of guys like Trevor Laws and Mike Patterson, should bump them up into the top 5. They also won't have to deal with the distractions of Andy Reid and his idiotic kids. I think that was a major distraction last year, at least to Reid...and may have affected his coaching abilities. Not enough to play a major role, but it'll be nice not to have that there. Will all these things be enough to catapult them to the top? I don't know, but I know they'll be competitive.

As for the Redskins, I think they had the best draft in the NFC East. They drafted 2 of Mel Kuiper's top 3 WR's in Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly in the 2nd round, and then drafted TE Fred Davis in the 2nd round as well. Granted they already have a stud TE in Chris Cooley, but Davis can easily line up as a WR and a big one at that. Not to mention the lightning quick Santana Moss at WR and Clinton Portis in the backfield. The big question mark is obv. Jason Campbell. Can he come back and be productive after suffering the season ending dislocated knee? I think he can, but his progress will probably be somewhat slowed by the incorporation of the West Coast offense. It's a new scheme for him and the entire offense, but when executed effectively, it's gonna be exciting to watch. And now with the addition of Jason Taylor on the defensive side of the ball and a more mature LaRon Landry, it's going to make their pass defense a little tougher...granted it was terrible that they had to lose Phillip Daniels in order to get Taylor.

So the question remains...will any of this mean that any of these teams knock Dallas of their perch? I don't know, but the answer is probably not. Like I said, I just wanted a little explanation as to why Dallas was the "obv. division winner." That's all.