2013 NFL Season Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

The regular season kicks off next week, so it's time to start a new thread.

Here are my predictions for the year. Call your bookies now!

AFC East - New England (the rest of the division is still lousy)
AFC West - Denver
AFC South - Indy (Foster may be wearing down in Houston)
AFC North - Cincy (Baltimore has lost a lot and Steelers are rebuilding)
AFC Wildcard -- Kansas City and Houston

NFC East - Washington
NFC West - Seattle
NFC South - New Orleans
NFC North - Green Bay
NFC Wildcard -- San Fran and Atlanta

Super Bowl -- Denver over Seattle
Battle for #1 draft pick -- Jets over Jacksonville and Oakland

As for my local team, I see the Lions battling Minnesota to stay out of last place in the division. Detroit lost 3 of their starting offensive linemen in the offseason, and only added a 3rd round over weight guard as a replacement. At left tackle, last year's under achieving first round pick Riley Reiff will attempt to replace long time starter Jeff Backus, while a collection of rejects from other teams and late round picks will fill the right tackle spot. Stafford could get killed at QB. Calvin Johnson is already a little banged up, and if he misses any time the offense becomes quite mediocre without him. Once again GM Martin Mayhew failed to really improve the team in the offseason. I do not see how this team can earn a playoff spot in the very deep NFC.

A few more cuts and Tebow's still wearin' blue. . .

Nope. Tebow's been but by the Pats.

Aaron Silverman said:

A few more cuts and Tebow's still wearin' blue. . .

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Not anymore... he's been cut. It was inevitable, since the Pats almost never keep more than two QBs. Of course, Tebow's not really a QB anyway, so you can debate that fact in this case.

Despite Peyton Manning's sub-par performance last night, the Broncos were able to defeat the Ravens. I wasn't sure whom I shoot root for in this game, so I rooted for a tie.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9639918/peyton-manning-denver-broncos-ties-nfl-record-seven-touchdown-passes-baltimore-ravens

The Ravens missed Boldin.

They weren't the same after the muffed fair catch.

Scott Merryfield said:

The regular season kicks off next week, so it's time to start a new thread.

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The season started yesterday Sep 5.

Sumnernor said:

The season started yesterday Sep 5.

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Confused. The OP started the thread on the 30th of Aug, before the season started.

Just got back into town. I didn't see much NFL this weekend while we were away, but it looks like the Bronco were in playoff form, while the Giants couldn't hang onto the ball. The Redskins look terrible tonight.

I did get to watch Michigan thump Notre Dame Saturday night -- we watched the game at the Pink Pony Bar on Mackinac Island, enjoying the game with a packed house of happy Wolverine fans (and a couple disgruntled Irish fans). GO BLUE!

That's my chargers. Way to snatch defeat (again) from the jaws of victory!

Johnny Angell said:

That's my chargers. Way to snatch defeat (again) from the jaws of victory!

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I bailed on that game at 24-7. First I'm hearing the Texans won.

Couldn't have been 24-7, must have been 28-7. Final score was 31-28. the bolts scored 28 points and were shut out the rest of the game.

I had hoped they'd be competitive for a half and than lose 28-14, something like that. Nah, they found a more humiliating way to lose. No matter how many things change, its still the same ol' chargers.

I was typing on my phone(glass screen...yippee, the only thing I miss from Crackberry).

Yeah, 28. Anyway...too bad I bailed. Watched the first installment of the Brissau "Trilogy" instead.

Johnny Angell said:

Couldn't have been 24-7, must have been 28-7. Final score was 31-28. the bolts scored 28 points and were shut out the rest of the game.

I had hoped they'd be competitive for a half and than lose 28-14, something like that. Nah, they found a more humiliating way to lose. No matter how many things change, its still the same ol' chargers.

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Johnny,

I was thinking about you while watching the game last night. After Rivers' fourth touchdown pass (the one to open up the second-half scoring), I was thinking to myself, "Who needs Peyton Manning?" I was secretly hoping Rivers would somehow throw for four more TDs in the second half, giving him a total of eight for the game. Accomplishing such a feat would not have replaced Hadl as my all-time favorite Chargers quarterback, but it still would have been fun to see.

That crucial drop (on a perfect pass from Rivers) on third down by Royal was crucial. I believe had Royal made that catch, the game might have turned out differently. Incidentally, I did not like the way that Norv Turner coached your Chargers last night.

Ockeghem said:

I did not like the way that Norv Turner coached your Chargers last night.

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As I said, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I have to confess the game was past my bedtime so I DVR'd it. When I discovered not only had they lost, but how they lost, I deleted it.

It's games like this that give the chargers a reputation of being soft. When it's gut check time, they come up short. Hey maybe they're going for the number 1 pick.

There's less than a half left and they have a 21 point lead. If the chargers get one lousy touchdown the rest of the half, then Houston needs 28 points just to tie. Jeez!

They play away against the Eagles next week. They look to be 0-2 pretty quick.

As a long suffering Lions fan who is now jaded to the point of not caring, I feel for you, Johnny. I didn't see the game, as it was way past my bedtime, but it sounded like quite a collapse. I didn't expect much from San Diego this year anyway, though, as they have what is generally considered the worst offensive line in the league, and their offensive skill positions are quite lacking.

The Steelers, who had depth problems to begin with, were ravaged by injuries in their opening game. It looks like it will be a long season for my other favorite NFL team, too. I picked them to finish 3rd in the division, but now I'm thinking it will be tough for them to stay out of last place.

The AFC is shaping up to be a Denver stroll to the Super Bowl. I just do not see another team in the conference that comes close to being as good this season.

Johnny, I'm not sure how the Chargers/Eagles game is going to turn out because the Eagles did almost the same exact thing! We were up 26-7 and I was still worried we might lose. It wasn't until the score was 33-7 that I felt we had it locked. Then the defense started playing WAY too conservative (or Washington figured them out and just started picking them apart).

I get your drift, Bob. The bolts aren't a come from behind team (though they have plenty of practice being behind). If Philly gets that kind of lead on them, they're done. If the chargers have a lead in the 4th, that fast paced Philly offense will have the defense sucking for air.

Anyone think RG3 wasn't trusting his rebuilt knee until the 4th quarter? He looked like he was afraid to truly plant on it for most of the first half.