Our preview is up. We would love your comments and selections.

Are you two guys originally from Buffalo or you two have alot of faith in Drew? And Oakland on the bottom of both your lists--I know it must of really hurt to see them leave LA..And, I won't even go where someone put the Falcons over the Buccaneers...Sorry Cyd, I have a hard time seeing the Cardinals as a playoff contender, and leap frogging over the 49ers.....GREAT GRAPHICS...SHARPLY DONE..

Atlanta, in the playoffs???!! With Michael Vick, not likely. He still doesn't know what he's doing.

Love your comments, but would also love if people post their AFC and NFC title game matchups and Super Bowl so we can laugh at season's end!

Um, I have to agree with the Bills hype, despite their 0-4 preseason. Drew will make a big difference in Buffalo; of course, anyone short of Jon Kitna would be an improvement over Rob "Stiff" Johnson. The division isn't all that strong and I just don't see the Pats being all that good this year (9-7 maybe). I just get a "had a great stretch run but can he do it again" vibe from Brady and I get the feeling that, like most champs, they spent the winter getting congratulated--it's sometimes easier to win it the first time than do it again. Unless you're the Lakers, of course!

And no, we Angelenos for the most part aren't bitter about the Raiders leaving--they were carpetbaggers anyways--but the Rams leaving, now that hurt. I think the Raiders are old and beat up--they had their chance last year but they were jobbed/unlucky (depending on your view) in the playoffs. They had built their team around winning last year; I think Gruden knew the deal and was wise to get out. Of course, since Al Davis is one of Cyd's lust objects, I'm sure Al will have plenty of opportunities to find comfort after losses from Our Cyd!

I'm a Browns fan due to Tim "Hottest Player In The NFL" Couch but losing Jamir Miller really hurts them. They might not make the playoffs again. And Brian Griese, one of my favorite lust objects, needs to have a good, solid, injury-free year or else he'll be backup material somewhere.

It's going to be a very interesting season and with the new divisions and scheduling formats, a lot to talk about.

[ August 30, 2002: Message edited by: Jim Allen ]

Atlanta with TJ Duckett the surprise superstar overtaking Dunn's starting position, and Willie Jackson catching the season high 108 passes, will defeat the Saints in the NFC championship even though the Saints had rookie of the year Donte' Stallworth who caught 94 passes and scored 18 touchdowns. In the AFC, it is Rich Gannon who throws for the season high 4472 yards and 43 TD's along with the help of Charlie Garner who rushes for a career high 1923 yards and scores 19 TD's this year who get the Raiders past the Browns even though running back James Jackson runs for over 200 yards in the AFC title game, the 2nd time he does it this year. Raiders slam the Falcons in the superbowl.

"And no, we Angelenos for the most part aren't bitter about the Raiders leaving--they were carpetbaggers anyways"

I have always said that Al Davis should call them the California Raiders - that way he can go anywhere he wants to in CA and not have to worry about changing the city name.

[quote] And no, we Angelenos for the most part aren't bitter about the Raiders leaving--they were carpetbaggers anyways

---

Amen. I, for one, was glad they had left before I got here...good riddance. Monte Burns may have a decade on Al Davis, but they are certainly still kindred spirits.

What amazes me are the number of people I work with that still root for the Raiders, even though they abandoned LA. I wonder if there are still Colts fans in Baltimore, or people in Houston cheering for the Titans?

Cyd is a genius!!! Jim is drunk or something.

OK, what am I doing wrong? Everytime I try to access the NFL page, I am still looking at the 2001 season preview. I've tried every link that Cyd and Jim have placed on these pages and I'm still getting last year's info. What's up?

Marc: the picks shown are the 2002 picks. You can tell because they show the new divisional alignments and the new Houston Texans team. I don't know why it says 2001--or why I didn't notice it when I looked at it before!

Here is the link.

I saw the confusion. Cyd and I were on crack and had written 2001 Preview.

[ September 01, 2002: Message edited by: Jim at Outsports ]

Checking in for the Florida camp. I wonder what drives folks to trash the Dolphins so much? Whatever it is, I am sure the state's winning tradition fuels it. Across the board, collegiate or otherwise, the state to the South is always a contender. Miami will in fact make the playoffs, especially since our dear coach is going to feel the pressure to make adjustsments quicker than is ordinarily used to. I love Lucas, I like Fiedler. It seems every prognosticator on Outsports has a dig for Florida, and if last years collegiate predictions were any indication, Miami should do just fine. Go Fish!

As a football prognosticator, ask me about baseball. But here are my picks:

AFC East:
New England (9-7): a bit of let down, but not much
Miami (8-8): Arthur Fiedler won't go to the playoffs
Buffalo (5-11): improving, but not improved
NY Jets (4-12): rhymes with "Mets"

AFC North:
Pittsburgh (12-4): too many horses
Cleveland (8-8): where's the offense?
Baltimore (5-11): Billick's a genius for winning this many
Cincinnati (4-12): will Akili turn over a new "Leaf"?

AFC South:
Indianapolis (12-4): the Dungy era begins
Tennessee (11-5): bouncing back quite nicely
Jacksonville (6-10): better than they could be
Houston (6-10): much better than they could be

AFC West:
Kansas City (11-5): because I have too many Chiefs on my fantasy team
Denver (9-7): they're just not that good
Oakland (8-8): will be consistently inconsistent
San Diego (6-10): wait 'til the Padres get that new downtown stadium

NFC East:
Philadelphia (13-3): ready to outfit Andy Reid with his genius crown
Washington (8-8): same old same old
Dallas (7-9): world class D, Q-class quarterback
NY Giants (4-12): see Jets, supra

AFC North:
Green Bay (12-4): one last mission
Chicago (7-9): 120-miles home trips too exhausting
Minnesota (6-10): which downs will Randy Moss feel like playing?
Detroit (2-14): Matt Millen is a big fat idiot

AFC South:
Tampa Bay (11-5): Gruden's too good a coach for this talent not to win
New Orleans (10-6): better than last year
Atlanta (6-10): Michael Vick isn't ready ... yet
Carolina (6-10): isn't Nick Goings a cutie?

AFC West:
St Louis (12-4): too many weapons
San Francisco (11-5): for want of a running back
Seattle (10-6): so close, yet so far away
Arizona (7-9): NFL's best last place team

AFC Championship: Pittsburgh 27, Indianapolis 3
NFC Championship: Philadelphia 33, Green Bay 28

Super Bowl: Pittsburgh 16, Philadelphia 10

[ September 02, 2002: Message edited by: Charlie in the Trees ]

I guess that if I would have just scrolled down, I would have seen that it was this year's preview.

Thanks guys.

Okay, I'll give it a shot. (* indicates division champs, # for Wild Cards)

NFC East
Eagles*
Redskins
Giants
Cowboys

NFC North
Packers*
Vikings
Bears
Lions

NFC South
Buccaneers*
Saints#
Falcons
Panthers

NFC West
Rams*
49ers#
Cardinals
Seahawks

AFC East
Patriots*
Dolphins#
Bills
Jets

AFC North
Steelers*
Browns
Bengals
Ravens

AFC South
Colts*
Titans#
Jaguars
Texans

AFC West
Broncos*
Raiders
Chiefs
Chargers

NFC Championship-Packers over Rams
AFC Championship-Steelers over Colts

Super Bowl-Packers over Steelers

[quote]Originally posted by Jim at Outsports:
Here is the link.

I saw the confusion. Cyd and I were on crack and had written 2001 Preview.

---

Based on the Super Bowl winner selections, it's obvious that only you are on crack, Jim. But it's nice of Cyd to try and cover for you.

Hi all. The comments are great as usual and I'm glad the 2002 season is about to be officially under way.

Jim and Cyd's picks seem across the board pretty close to Fox, Espn and anyone else who knows a bit about the sport.

So to save time, here are my three predictions of all of the official predictions I've seen for the 2002 NFL football season.

1. I predict that in the AFC, almost everyone has underestimated Cincinnati and overestimated Indianopolis.

Cincinnati is fired up and watching them in the preseason gave me chills I haven't felt since the Boomer days. They have a quiet confidence and synergy that will creep up and bite any team not fully prepared. And not just prepared, but prepared for the Bengals.

But on the other side of the coin, you've got an amazing QB in Peyton who will have another 4000+ year but Indy lacks that all-important synergy you have to have to make the playoffs. Some amazing plays, awesome games and maybe even records set, but they'll lose the game they need for that wild card berth.

2. I predict that in the NFC, almost everyone has underestimated Washington and overestimated Green Bay.

Washington, although I'm still waiting for a more politically correct mascot, have a guy at the helm that will continue to push and push and push in basic fundamental (dare I say collegiate) ways that Washington fans haven't seen in awhile. Those "diehard" fans who tune out when the Redskins are 3-3 will be back when they are 9-4 and pushing for that wild card.

And Green Bay looks good on paper like they have for awhile but I just don't see their guy at the helm (Favre not Sherman) being there for the entire season. He's only got 7 or 8 good games in him so if he plays the entire season, that's only 7 or 8 wins and that's even WITH the Lions in their division.

3. I predict the perfect vehicle to arrive at Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego will be fittingly enough a yellow submarine...

Why?

Well listen to the Beatles (or at least your pal Cyd.)

After getting past The Sea of Science with the new and shuffled coaching strategies...

After surviving The Sea of Monsters with big name NFL showboats being silenced by mid-season...

And avoiding the pitfalls of the first year coaching blunders in The Sea of Holes, you'll arrive at...

THE SEA OF GREEN... Sea of Green... sea of green...

Jets over Eagles 27-17 with Waynie C. getting MVP honors.

Seeya there!

Maddog.

(Actually I'm not sure about the Super Bowl MVP, but I'm pulling for Chrebet. I'm sorry but he's SO hot.)

Kudos to Jim and Cyd for having the cajones to make some "off the wall" picks, unlike a lot of the "experts" in the national media (SI, TSN, ESPN.com) who take the easy road and pick virtually all of the same teams to repeat that were successful last season.

I like Cyd's gutsy choice of the J-E-T-S to make it to the Super Bowl -- I think they'll win the the AFC East but even I'm not sure they have the firepower to go deep in the playoffs; but with Santana Moss, Lavernius Coles, and Wayne Chrebet they have an inexperienced (excluding Wayne of course) but potentially strong receiving corp that should be successful if Vinny stays healthy (although backup Chad Pennington had a strong preseason and is cute too).

Except for the Bills winning the east (Bledsoe will spend a lot of time on his butt playing behind that offensive line) I like Jim's other AFC division champs picks of Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Denver....they're more likely to be consistent winners than Cleveland and Tennessee IMHO....unfortunately, I think Tony Dungy's conservative offensive approach will do more harm than good for Manning, Harrison, James, and co.

Shame on you Cyd for picking the Niners to finish third (and behind Arizona! -- what are you thinking? -- as long as Bill Bidwell owns the Cards they'll continue their history of futility, beginning this Sunday when Spurrier's boys may be accused of running up the score again in DC)....I think the Falcons will surprise as one of the wild cards with Duckett becoming one of the leading rushers in the NFC and relegating Warrick Dunn to the bench (I admittedly may be a little biased here since I "stole" Duckett in the 10th round of my fantasy draft)....also, look for Terry Glenn to return to glory as Brett Favre's main receiver at Lambeau.

Overall, the boys' NFC picks make sense with the BIG exception of the Skins finishing 3rd behind Philly and DALLAS (!?) -- haven't you been watching their comical coaching staff on HBO's Hard Knocks?....look for the Cowboys to finish dead last in the NFC East (now that Arizona is no longer in the east).

Should be another great season....Bring on the games!

I gotta go with my Pats. They've strengthened the tight end (whoo hoo!) position and are still the same well-disciplined team they were a year ago (Tom in leather, anyone?). But they are still hungry for a championship win and are being underestimated once again by a lot of pundits. They should fit into the glass slipper for a second year.

I gotta go with my Pats. They've strengthened the tight end (whoo hoo!) position and are still the same well-disciplined team they were a year ago (Tom in leather, anyone?). But they are still hungry for a championship win and are being underestimated once again by a lot of pundits. They should fit into the glass slipper for a second year.