2007 NFL Season Picks

The Colts v Saints game today means that by law everyone in the world must post their NFL preview column today. And so in accordance with state and federal laws here are the SportsBullies picks for the upcoming football year.

Playoffs

NFC East : Philly -- It really pains me to write this, and I know JJ/KC will disagree but that Eagle Defense still scares me, Brian Westbrook is a monster (Note of full disclosure I have him in my fantasy league so he better be good!), and McNabb has to stay healthy one of these years...doesn't he? If not Philly Back up QB de Jour...someone other than the incredibly awful Kevin Kolb... will play very well in his stead.

NFC Norris : Chicago -- As much as I hate giving Philly credit I hate resting my credibility on a team led by Rex Grossman...or any Florida QB, sorry Tim Tebow...but the presence of Brian Urlacher/Tommie Harris/Nathan Vasher and one more year of Lance Briggs...assuming he stays lucid enough to call his friends to pick him up after he destroys 6 figure foreign sports cars...alleviates most of my concerns. Really if Grossman wasn't the QB they'd be unanimous Super Bowl picks, quick somebody get a burger and follow Drew Bledsoe to Chicago...Championship!

Note: I'm really proud of myself for making it through a paragraph talking about the Bears and not make any SNL Super Fans references

Wait...scratch that! I just can't do it...it's Rex Freaking Grossman!! Their O-Line is old and they traded away their best offensive weapon and replaced him with a guy who names Ricky Williams as his personal idol.

NFC North : Green Bay -- They were almost a playoff team last year they offense won't be great but at least Favre will still win you a couple games in addition to throwing a couple away. Their defense is going to be pretty flippin good. Aaron Kampman maybe the best defensive player no one knows about, their corners are really good, AJ Hawk is a man-beast, I believe in Brandon Jackson...at least a lot more than I believe in Gross-man.

NFC South : Carolina -- I am going to keep picking this damn team until they bail me out (Super Bowl pick last year) Hopefully Jake Delhomme will revert back to his old form and they will actually hand the ball off to DeAngelo Williams instead of DeShaun Foster. If those two things happen this is team is a legit contender...if not they is the possibility of David Carr being resurrected by a team with a decent offensive line and then maybe someone will hypnotize Foster into thinking he's back at UCLA again. Either way 9 wins should take this division and the Panthers have the easiest schedule.

NFC West : Seattle -- I'm tempted to pick the 9ers here, but I think they're still a year or two away and they have the whole "everyone and their mom is picking them" thing going for them and we all know how well that works out (see: Cardinals, Arizona 2006) I trust the human walrus and Hasslebeck more than a Norv Turner-less Alex Smith.

Wild Cards : Chicago -- As bad as Grossman is their D still rocks and their division sucks to they'll get 4 wins just playing Minny and Detroit.

and

Dallas -- We will, of course, have lots more Cowboy coverage as the season goes on. I just want to say this...temper, tap those breaks Cowboy fans. I'm a huge Romo fan and have as much faith in him as anyone (which is why I see Dallas as a playoff team), the O-line has a chance to be really good, I think TO and Glenn each have at least one more good year left in them, Wade Phillips should help the defense get more pressure on the QB, DeMarcus Ware - who had more hurries than any linebacker in the league - will have a monster season ... Monster = 15+ sacks. BUT! with all that said, Newman's injury scares the ever living out of me. If Jason Ferguson goes down we're left with Jay Ratliff at NT? As great of a defensive mind as Phillips is Roy Williams still can't cover, Seahawks fans will tell you Ken Hamlin can't either, Ware is the best cover linebacker outside of Kevin Burnet who's always hurt. Football is a game with a tremendous about of variation from year to year, with only 16 games, one or two slip ups, funny bounces, key injuries and your fans are talking about the Draft at Christmas, not the playoffs.

The Cowboys are a very talented team, but just chill...nothing in the NFL is preordained.


AFC East : New England -- losing Seymour and Harrison really hurt that defense but they'll be back halfway through the season and Brady/Belichick are able to get this team to the playoffs by themselves.

AFC North : Pittsburgh -- All systems go for a bounce back year. Big Ben Rothelisburger is the uber talented player who lead his team to the Super Bowl a couple years ago and not the in and out of intensive care player who was rushed back waaaaaaay too soon last year. Healthy Ben + great defense equals January football in the steel city.

AFC South : Indy -- no explanation needed.

AFC West : San Diego -- Ability to run the ball, ability to get pressure on opposing QBs, young talented QB, Superstar players on both sides of the ball, Josh Lewin actually announcing meaningful games halfway through a season the Chargers have it all! I'm not so sure that Norv Turner from Martyball is a pretty lateral move, but this team has so much talent.

Wildcards: Denver -- Love the coach, really like the QB, very easy schedule, barn none the best duo of corners in the league. Plus I could rush for like 900 yards and 6 TDs with them.

Jacksonville -- This could be the best defense in the league, they were my mega-sleeper before Jack Del Rio decided to run Leftwich out of town, maybe I'm not giving Garrad enough credit but I think this move cost them a couple wins. However, they can run the ball and stop the run as well, if not better, than anyone in the league.

Super Bowl : New England over San Diego -- The AFC Championship game will be moved back threw weeks and renamed "Super Bowl" this year. Whoever comes out of the NFC has very little chance.

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I love the Saints but they really over preformed last year, the offense will still be awesome but that D is atrocious. They're really going to come back to the pack this year. 7-9/8-8.

Atlanta will be better off without Vick, on and off the football field.

Washington is a .500 team.

St Louis will be terrible.

KC is already trying to figure out how to spend the first pick.

Oakland will be better, if only because they can't get any worse.

Paul Posluszny wins Defensive Rookie of the Year

Calvin Johnson wins Offensive RoY

Champ Baliey Defensive PoY

Peyton Manning MVP

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Week 1

Houston (-3) at Kansas City

Pittsburgh (-5.5) at Cleveland

New England at New York Jets (+6.5)

(last week 2-1 college)