Let the guessing game begin.

Peter King and Don Banks from SI.com both released articles this week with their May Superbowl predictions. 8 months out seems kind of early, but is it every too early for football?

Don Banks picks the Colts (with no representation from the NFC
Peter King picks the Cowboys over the Patriots

My May Pick: Carolina over Colts

That's about the only way the Colts will win it: if no NFC team shows up. wink

Banks' reasoning, by the way, is just dumb. The Colts will win because they didn't win last year and are therefore due. Riiiiiiiiiiight.

[ May 31, 2006, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: FireCharlieManuelNow ]

Quite frankly, I don't even think that scenario would win them the big game.

They won't get past the AFC anyhow, and without James as the RB.....maybe not even the postseason this year??

Carolina/Indy or Dallas/Indy seems to be the sexy choice. I have picked Indy to be there for the past couple of years. Forget it. They are not going to be there. No #1 seed and no Super Bowl for them.

So my June Summertime prediction is Arizona/Miami. Oh wait, that's the NBA prediction.

I say Panthers*/Patriots.

* I reserve the right to switch to the Seahawks at any time.

Just say NO to TO.

Ouch! :cool:

I had NE-Dallas, but Peter King is so spectacularly wrong with his picks that I'll need to reconsider.

For the first time in a long time, I don't have a May prediction. I could see so many different teams making it - Cincinnati, New England, Miami, Denver, New Orleans, Washington, Dallas, Arizona, Carolina, Tampa Bay - it's hard to see through the mess that is parity this year.

I continue to stick by the notion that the Colts simply don't have "it." I could see them missing the playoffs this year.

Come on people. We all know that King Childress is delivering us to the promised land this year.

My first pick was Carolina over Jacksonville, but that match-up just doesn't sound right.

I liked Dallas as a pick too, until Peter King gave them his kiss of death.

Yeah, that Mike McMahon-to-Billy McMullen combo is going to light up the scoreboards!

I just think losing Edgerrin James and losing that playoff game in Indy are going to sting for a while. Plus, Manning's a choker, so he's good for at least two picks in a playoff game.

A good predictor to me, that people often overlook, is strength of schedule. Of course, a team's record the season before isn't an indicator of how they'll be the following season. But, according to previous-season record of opponents, the team with the easiest schedule this coming season is the Chicago Bears. While plenty of people have already written off the Seattle Seahawks, they have the third easiest schedule; the Patriots have the seventh easiest schedule.

On the flip side, the Giants and Bengals have the toughest schedules.

This should make George happy . . .

2006 NFL strength of schedule

I just can't pick Dallas. Never liked them or the Raiders. Now they have TO. Forgetabout it. Besides, I don't see Dallas going because of one major reason: Bledsoe. He will find a way to lose a crucial game.

He threw none last year.

It's a little early yet to make a prediction, would like to some preseason first. But I will make a tentative pick.

In the NFC, Dallas is stronger than last year and will be a favorite, but in my heart there is no way I could pick them. As far as Seattle goes, we all know what happens to the previous year's superbowl loser, a down year.

So I will go with Carolina.

In the AFC the Colts have had the talent and the opportunity to go all the way but lack the killer instinct. I don't see that changing this year. The Steelers lost a couple of key people, no repeat for them.

I am picking the rising star Bengals.

[ June 01, 2006, 07:49 PM: Message edited by: phillyrunner ]

Yes he did. It took the refs cheating to have it not show up in the stats. But, true, he only threw one. In the biggest NFL playoffs choke job ever. Bwahahaha.

Funny, the official NFL stats say he threw none. The fix must be in!

That's because the refs overturned it. Polamalu picked him off and the refs decided that they wanted the Colts to stay in the game, so they looked at instant replay, decided to ignore it, and said it wasn't a pick.

Joey Porter: "I know they wanted Indy to win this game. The whole world loves Peyton Manning, but come on man, don't take the game away from us. I felt they were cheating us. When the interception happened, everybody in the world knew that was an interception. Don't cheat us that bad. When they did that, they really want Peyton Manning and these guys to win the Super Bowl. They are just going to straight take it for them. I felt that they were like 'We don't even care if you know we're cheating. We're cheating for them.' "

the NFC's an easy pick for me, I'd say Carolina.

the AFC, quite a few contenders, but something keeps you from drinking the Kool-Aid

[ June 02, 2006, 07:45 AM: Message edited by: Boltergeist ]

Carolina will likely be a popular pick. While I usually write off the Super Bowl loser, I'm not ready to completely write off Seattle. They have a very favorable schedule again and all they talent they need to go back. But, I think most everyone will give them little chance of winning the NFC again.

BTW, in Vegas:

Colts 5-1
Patriots 8-1
Steelers 10-1
Cowboys 11-1
Seahawks 12-1
Panthers 14-1
Broncos 14-1
Bears 18-1
Dolphins 18-1
Bengals 20-1
Redskins 20-1

Other notables:

Eagles 22-1
Vikings 40-1
Saints 50-1
Niners 150-1

The Steelers are 10-1? Really? I think they are more like 14-1.

Falcons vs Steelers

If I knew that Carson Palmer would be healthy to start 16 games, the Bengals would be my AFC pick. But that's a big if.

In the NFC, the caliber is so average that almost anyone can rise up, get hot and win the conference -- the Bears, Skins, Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, Cards, Seahawks, Bucs, Panthers, Falcons.

I still think that the teams to beat in the AFC are Pats, Colts, and Steelers, and, the teams to beat in the NFC are the Giants, Seahawks, and Panthers. Why? They got the best quarterbacks in the league.

The odds on the Saints reaching the Superbowl are 50:1? That's way too low. Try 500:1, and I'm a diehard Saints fan.

[ June 03, 2006, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

I've got to go with the Dallas Cowboys. As a loyal fan and with all the talent being shifted back to the Big "D", I have to pick the 'Boys.

Even with TO aboard? He's definitely going to butt heads with somebody and ruin the team chemistry. That's what he does everywhere he goes. Just his presence alone decreases the Cowboys chances of making the Superbowl. But I love his antics, so thank the Cowboys front office for me, for keeping him in the league. Don't be misled by all that friendly chatter he's throwing out to the media in training camp. When the season starts and the ball doesn't come his way enough, he'll complain, and complain, and complain, until his teammates can't stand to be around him anymore. Then what?

[ June 05, 2006, 10:30 PM: Message edited by: Thomas ]

I'll pick the Steelers to make it back -- sure they lost Bettis and Randal-El, but Santonio Holmes should be able to do nicely as WR (he, and all pro athletes, should have it in their contract to stay away from Miami Beach!). They need to find someone to spark the special teams like that hotdog Randal-El did.

As for the NFC, I'll flip some coins and come up with the Panthers.

The Bengals have a brutal schedule and a big question mark with Carson. (On the cover of SI last week.) I am remaining optimistic they will be in the playoffs but if I had to choose a team now I will say, like some others, Carolina vs. NE.

[ June 07, 2006, 02:52 PM: Message edited by: BallHatGuy ]

Doh! The dangers of pre-season predictions. No way Roethsliberger makes it back by when? October if he's lucky? And the backups are Charlie Batch (yikes) and rookie Omar Jacobs.

Bucky - I wouldn't count them out unless Ben misses at least half the season. I happened to be in Pittsburgh yesterday and was reading an article in the paper there about how the Steelers should be more concerned about the Ravens with their acquisition of McNair. That should be a fun division to watch this year.

On another note, I was in the airport on the way home as word was filtering through about the accident. One of those weird days when people are focused on a crisis.

I suppose this could be said about most NFL fans (with the possible exception maybe of the Cardinals and Tampa Bay (unless they are having a winning year ), but the Steeler fans are incredibly passionate about their team.

I'm going with my boys...T.O. will definately open up the running game and the defense will be better that it was last year.

I say, Dallas against Denver

^ ha - don't bet too much on T.O. as he will self destruct as usual..

I am really excited ( which is rare ) to see what my Skins can do this year with their successes last year and their off season acquisitions. The loss of Lavar Arrington does not concern me as he was not much of an impact player last year. I also like the acquisition of Randel-El - the combo of him and Santana Moss, and Chris Cooley as H-back should be awesome.... that is if we can have a reliable quarterback.. I am glad to hear they are prepping the young kid Jason Campbell for some starts this year. I am afraid that Brunell is one sack away from retirement, especially when we play the Giants. Lavar could take out him out as retaliation, but that is my own silly speculation. I truly believe in Joe Gibbs and his staff and want to see us kick the Cowboys ass twice this year as we did last. Can't wait until 8/13!!! GO SKINS!!

btw - I give no superbowl prediction b/c that shiat is always wrong anyways..

So, uh, where's the love for the Seahawks?

I know I know, the first objection is the "curse of the losing Superbowl team." But, that just started happening the past five or six seasons. Does anybody believing in bucking the trend? Then consider:

- The team has only gotten better in the off-season with keeping in-tact their roster from the Superbowl team and adding two great pieces (receiver Nate Burlseon and, uh, oh shoot, the former ProBowl linebacker from the 49ers)

- Their schedule is the third EASIEST for this upcoming season

- They play in the NFC West (other "best" team was 6-10 last year) which will continue to suck even IF the Cardinals continue to attach pieces to their roster in hopes of improving

- Over the past three seasons they have the best record in the NFC, including one or two undefeated home records

Just throwin it out there.