Brandon's NFL Playoff Predictions

Welcome back football fans, yesterday John showed you his playoff predictions. Today you’ll get to see my playoff predictions. Now keep in mind that is only July, and most predictions are likely to fall on their face. Nevertheless, as a football fan it’s still fun to speculate and dream big. Without further ado, let’s take a look.

AFC Playoff Picture:

Division Winners

1.  Houston Texans

2.  Denver Broncos

3.  New England Patriots

4.  Baltimore Ravens

Wildcards:

5.  Cincinnati Bengals

6.  Kansas City Chiefs

Wildcard Round:

Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots – Patriots win 31- 24

Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens – Bengals win 17-14

Divisional Round:

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos – Broncos win 35- 27

Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans – Texans win 24- 14

AFC Championship:

Denver Broncos @ Houston Texans – Texans win 31- 28

NFC Playoff Picture:

Division Winners:

1.   Atlanta Falcons

2.   Green Bay Packers

3.   San Francisco 49ers

4.   Washington Redskins

Wildcards

5.  Seattle Seahawks

6.  Minnesota Vikings

Wildcard Round:

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers – Seahawks win 17-13

Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins – Redskins win 21-14

Divisional Round:

Seattle Seahawks @ Atlanta Falcons – Falcons win 28-24

Washington Redskins @ Green Bay Packers – Redskins win 31- 21

NFC Championship:

Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons – Falcons win 27-20

Super Bowl:

Houston Texans @ Atlanta Falcons – Texans win 35-31

And there you have it football fans. My prediction is that Texans take it all for the first time in their franchise history. Now I’m sure most of you are outraged at my predictions and to that I say leave a comment below saying why you’re outraged and who you think will win the Super Bowl. Next time John and I will present our arguments and reasoning for our predictions. So stay tuned for that. Until next time, best wishes.

NFL Playoff Predictions: John's

Well, the NFL is certainly shaping up to be an interesting ride, with a lot of teams changing key personnel and very few teams standing pat. Of course, those teams who did stand pat are the teams that were already gunning for a playoff berth. So as teams gear up for the pennant race, we attempt to predict which of those teams are for real, or not for real. And without further ado, 

AFC East Winner: New England Patriots

AFC North Winner: Cincinnati Bengals

AFC South Winner: Houston Texans

AFC West Winner: Denver Broncos

Wild Cards: Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins

NFC East Winner: Washington Redskins

NFC North Winner: Green Bay Packers

NFC South Winner: New Orleans Saints

NFC West Winner: Seattle Seahawks

Wild Cards: San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons

Dolphins over Patriots

Bengals over Colts

Broncos over Dolphins

Bengals over Texans

Broncos over Bengals

Redskins over Falcons

Saints over 49ers

Seahawks over Redskins

Saints over Packers

Seahawks over Saints

Super Bowl XLVIII: Broncos over Seahawks

Fantasy Analysis: Kansas City Chiefs

Welcome back football fans. Today marks the last day of our fantasy analyses. I know you’re all probably very saddened by this, but no worries there will be more content coming. But for now let’s take a look at the Kansas City Chiefs.

Alex Smith: In regards to the Chiefs the main question being asked is will Alex Smith play like he has the past season and a half or will he play like he did before Harbaugh arrived. Well new head coach Andy Reid is known as being a QB guru that’s able to get the best out of them. Given that I’d venture to say that Alex will play at a similar level when Harbaugh was there. With all the uncertainty, Alex is worth no more than a flyer with high potential in the mid to late rounds.

Jamaal Charles: Some people are concerned that Charles will lose carries in Andy Reid’s West Coast Offense but to that I say it doesn’t matter. Charles is a threat to break away every time he touches the ball. That includes in the passing game, which he will see more of in the WCO. Expect Charles’ carries to go down but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Take a look at the 2012 season versus the 2010 season (the last time Charles played a full season). Charles had 55 less carries in 2010 but finished with only 42 yards less than he did in 2012. And not so coincidentally 2010 was also the last time the QB play wasn’t horrendous, meaning the Chiefs didn’t need to lean on Charles as much in 2010 as they did in 2012. With the addition of the more accurate Alex Smith, Charles will benefit and may very well have a career year in 2013.

Dwayne Bowe, Jon Baldwin, Donnie Avery, and Dexter McCluster: Dwayne Bowe is the focus of the Chiefs aerial attack. And Bowe has already made bold predictions, stating that he’ll lead the lead the league in receptions and receiving TDs. Now before you get skeptical if you look back in 2010, you’ll see that Bowe has already led the league in TDs once. And with a better QB than Cassel it’s not impossible for it to happen. Not to mention that another legitimate receiving threat has failed to emerge so far. Speaking of other receiving threats, I’m looking at you Jon Baldwin. Baldwin has been the black sheep of a receiving draft class that featured AJ Green and Julio Jones. If Baldwin will ever break out it will be this year, otherwise he’ll be likely looking for a job on another team. Reports have been good regarding Baldwin, but the same thing happened last year, so don’t buy the hype until he actually shows up on the field. Avery is more proven. He’ll bring a deep threat to keep defenses honest. While Alex isn’t really known for his deep ball, reports are that the coaches are letting him take his shots. Granted it’s only minicamp so it may turn into nothing, but if anyone would benefit from shots down the field it’ll likely be Avery. Expect similar numbers to his stint in Indy. I only mention McCluster here because Reid has taken a liking to him. How he’ll perform isn’t really known just yet, but he may be a dark horse fantasy player.

Anthony Fasano: With the type of contract Fasano received it’s safe to say that he’s locked in as the starter. Fasano has made his living as a red zone target that rarely, if ever, dropped the ball. With the Chiefs, Fasano may see an expanded role and his stats go up as a result.

Ryan Succop: Succop hasn’t really been fantasy relevant because the Chiefs offense has been awful. If you need proof, last year he attempted only 17 PATs and 20 the year before. With the Chiefs offense hitting rock bottom last year, they can only improve along with Succop’s value. But even so, I recommend a safer kicker for your fantasy team.

And there you have it football fans, the last fantasy analysis. Leave a comment below saying what you think. In the meantime stay tuned for more content. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Oakland Raiders

Welcome back football fans, yesterday John looked over the RG3 led Redskins. Now normally we don’t post on Sunday, but as I said before the holiday has thrown off our schedule so we’re making an exception. And today we will be looking at the San Diego Chargers. Let’s get started.

Phillip Rivers: Rivers had a down year finishing with a stat line of 3606 yards, 26 TDs and 15 INTs. But that’s why Mike McCoy was brought in, to fix Rivers. If you’re unfamiliar with who Mike McCoy is, he was the offensive coordinator for the Broncos the last couple of years. Expect some improvement from Rivers this year.

Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead: Ryan Mathews was drafted to be the replacement to LT. As you may have noticed, he hasn’t exactly done that. He has yet to play a full season and he hasn’t exactly impressed when he is on the field. Fun fact: In his three seasons in the NFL, Ryan Mathews has never rushed for more than 40 yards in a single attempt. You read that right, his longest rush is only 39 yard. He doesn’t need to be anything more than a RB2 on your fantasy team. Woodhead was a fantasy enigma in New England, some games he’d put up great points others he would disappear. Don’t expect that to change just because he’s on different team.

Danario Alexander, Malcolm Floyd, Keenan Allen and Antonio Gates: Danario Alexander didn’t catch a pass in 2012 until week 9 but he quickly became Rivers main target racking up 658 yards and 7 TDs in just 9 games. Expect more of the same next season. Malcolm Floyd was meant to step into the number one role with the departure of Vincent Jackson, but he didn’t live up to expectations. But despite that he finished with 814 yards and 5 TDs. His numbers may drop slightly as Alexander takes away his targets, but he should still be worth a WR2 role. Keenan Allen was drafted in the third round, but in my opinion that was a steal, Now Allen won’t be handed the job he’ll have to compete with Robert Meachem and Eddie Royal. But considering their disappointing performances last year I wouldn’t be surprised to see Allen win the job. But keep an eye on this battle. Gates has always been a favorite target of Rivers, the only knock on him is that he can’t stay healthy, but if he’s on the field he’s getting his targets and as such he’s worth starting.

Nick Novak: He made every FG except for two. I think that speaks for itself. He’s reliable and he rarely misses.

And that’s that. We’ll resume normal posts tomorrow when I finish off the AFC with the Kansas City Chiefs (the best for last obviously). And that will mark the end of our fantasy analyses. But until then leave a comment offering us your opinion. Until next time, best wishes.

Fantasy Analysis: Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin & Kirk Cousins

Griffin is a big time gamer. And it shows. It shows when he runs for a 12 yard gain, or when he limps out on the field during the playoffs to attempt to lead his team back to victory. He’ll need to curb that enthusiasm a little bit if he doesn’t want to get on the wrong side of Coach Mike Shanahan, or get himself injured again. However, it is that same desire to succeed that makes Griffin so indomitably good. In his inaugural season, he finished as the 5^th best QB for fantasy. His accuracy was the second- best ever for a rookie (behind only Ben Roesthlisberger), and he finished 2^nd in QB rushing yards and TDs. Now he has big- play weapon Pierre Garcon healthy for hopefully a full season, as well as safety valve Fred Davis. The Redskins also picked up longtime Saint Devery Henderson, giving Griffin yet another weapon who can get downfield.

But you don’t need me to tell you about Griffin’s talent. He’s coming off ACL and LCL surgery, the same surgeries Adrian Peterson had a season ago. And much like the legendary great, Griffin is supposedly doing everything he was pre- injury. He’s almost certain to start the season under center, with more of a desire to protect himself. He might not get all of those little extra yards, but he promises to keep running, which is great news for fantasy owners. Needless to say, he’s a great option for fantasy owners this year. For those extra- cautious owners, Kirk Cousins is the handcuff. He played pretty well replacing Griffin, making him worth owning even if you don’t own Griffin, in deeper leagues.

Albert Morris

An unheralded rookie last year, Morris came on strong in the preseason to win the starting job all to himself. He finished second in yards and touchdowns, and 12^th in YPC. In an effort to protect star quarterback Robert Griffin, some have speculated that more rushing attempts could be in line for Morris, meaning more production. He’s definitely caught the attention of the coaching staff, saying Morris is “as good a back as I’ve been around.” Coming off a season in which he inished 5^th amongst fantasy RB’s, Morris is currently being drafted 9^th, or 12.0. Buy.

Pierre Garcon, Devery Henderson, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, Josh Morgan

Garcon had trouble staying healthy last season, but he flashed immense potential during his 10 starts. For example, witness his 4/109/1 performance in Week 1 before he broke his leg. He’s still having trouble with his leg. We’ll know more about this in the preseason, but the signing of deep threat Devery Henderson likely isn’t good for his value. The rest of the receiver s are battling for second- receiver duties. The Redskins like Josh Morgan for his blocking, but he’s not often asked to score. Hankerson has the pedigree, but he has been a disappointment to date. Moss is the aged former No.1 receiver, and he did catch 8 Td’s last season, but that was on 41 catches and only 43% of the Redskins snaps. He’s likely regress. None of these guys need to be drafted outside of extremely deep leagues.  

Fred Davis

Davis might have been the only Redskin whose value fell with the arrival of Robert Griffin the Third. He managed only a 24/325/0 line in 7 games before falling victim to a torn ACL. He’s healthy now, and has managed to put up big numbers before (59/796/3 line in 2011, 12^th amongst TE’s), but unless he shows some on- field chemistry with Griffin, he’ll be worthless in fantasy leagues.

Kai Forbath

Forbath came on in Week 6 to put up top- 12 kicking numbers. He plays in the explosive Redskins offense that could be better this year with Pierre Garcon and RG3 healthy. Enough said. 

Fantasy Analysis: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Anyone else feeling the love! Happy Independence  Day readers, the birth of our nation is a beautiful thing. And so is the birth of a solid fantasy team. Doug Martin rose from rookie to top- fantasy performer, and Vincent Jackson resurrected his career in the Bay. All- in- all, it made for a solid fantasy offering. 

Josh Freeman

Freeman has been an enigma since arriving in the league back in 2009. He throws many, many interceptions (63 career), but also can be quite adept at getting the ball downfield, when he’s on. His sophomore year, when he posted a 25:6 TD:INT ratio with a 7.3 YPA, he was definitely on. His third year in the league, he regressed badly, throwing only 16 TD’s compared to 22 INT’s and a mediocre 6.5 YPA. Last year was a mix of both. He passed for the most yards (4065)and TD’s (27) in his career, and matched his career high with a 7.3 YPA, but also threw 17 interceptions. I think that’s a fair estimate of how his final numbers will look this season, which was good enough for 13^th place among quarterbacks last year. As a final word, it is worth pointing out that Freeman threw a miserable 2:9 TD:INT ratio over his last 3 games, inflating his final interceptions numbers, and bringing Freeman’s overall value crashing down. While this question bears no answer for his poor performance, Freeman is unlikely to perform that badly again. Consider him a QB2 with middling upside until further notice.

Doug Martin

To the surprise of even his admirers, Martin finished 2^nd in the running back ranks last season, behind only the legendary Adrian Peterson and his historical season. “Muscle Hamster” ran over the competition last season with his well- rounded game, rushing for 100 yards 5 times and catching 49 passes. Overall, he had 1454 rushing yards, 472 receiving yards (1926 total), and 12 total TDs. And remember, he did all that as a rookie. He has the league’s 3^rd easiest schedule for running backs, to boot. Anyone bashing Martin for his 251- yard, 4- TD destruction of the Raiders in Week 9 is missing out on a top- tier talent. A second- year jump is quite possible, and perhaps probable.

Vincent Jackson& Mike Williams

The Bucs like to run their receivers deep off of the play- action, and it’s worked, as far as fantasy is concerned. Vincent Jackson posted a career best 72/1348/8 line in his first year in Tampa, finishing among the top- 10 receivers. He’s firmly planted in WR1 territory. Mike Williams came in the top 20 receivers, with a 63/996/9 line. He just missed 1000 yards, and his second go- round in the Greg Schiano offense could put him there. He’s in high WR3 territory.

Luke Stocker

Let’s not kid ourselves. Stocker probably won’t be the starting tight end for Tampa Bay come the start of the season. However, since he’s top dog on the roster right now, we’re forced to talk about him. As a backup, Stocker grabbed a grand 16 receptions for 165 yards and 1 touchdown, good for 49^th place amongst tight ends. The starting tight end for Tampa Bay, the ageless Dallas Clark, finished 25^th. Stocker’s not even on the radar outside of deep leagues.

Connor Barth

Barth is a pretty good kicker. He hit 28 of 33 field goals last year (84.8%), and kicked in all 39 of his XP’s. That was good for 11^th place in the fantasy kicker rankings, and that’s about where he’ll place this season, too. He’s a low-end fantasy starter. 

Fantasy Analysis: Oakland Raiders

Welcome back football fans. You’ll have to forgive us, because of the holiday we are off schedule. But once the weekend hits we should be back on track. Now that you’ve been warned let’s move on to our fantasy analysis of the Oakland Raiders. Let’s begin.

Tyler Wilson, Matt Flynn, and maybe Terrelle Pryor: There’s a quarterback competition underway in Oakland. Unfortunately, for Raiders fans it hasn’t been going well according to reports. And considering all of these QBs are unproven commodities that does not bode well, but according to rumors Flynn is in the lead. However, none of these QBs have any fantasy value so steer clear.

Darren McFadden and Rashad Jennings: Let me start by saying that Darren McFadden is an impressive talent, and that’s coming from a Chiefs fan. Now let me finish by saying that he is made of glass, and that’s coming from the fantasy owner of Michael Bush (when he was in Oakland). But both of these statements are common knowledge so his value will be low so there is potential for a steal in a later round. As for Rashad Jennings, he started in place of Maurice Jones-Drew when he was injured last year, but he was awful. But even so, McFadden’s injury is all but inevitable so keep watch on Jennings.

Denarius Moore, Rod Streater, Jacoby Ford, and Joshua Cribbs: This is a pretty underwhelming group of receivers. If there’s any fantasy value it’ll be in Moore and potentially Streater. With Heyward-Bey in Indy Moore will slide into the number one role and Streater will get more time on the field. However this parade has a rain cloud and it comes in the form of Brandon Myers. Myers was the leading receiver for this team, from the TE position, with 806 yards. Myers had 27 more receptions more than the next receiver with the next most receptions, which was the fullback. Do you see what I’m getting at? There was so little faith in these receivers that the fullback was targeted more. Additionally Ford and Cribbs are already injured. If there is any fantasy value it will be with Moore as a flex or WR2 if he steps up and Streater as a potential flex.

Sebastian Janikowski: This guy has a crazy strong leg. And he hits just about every old FG, he’s perennially in the top kickers in terms of fantasy points. He will likely be the first kicker off the board.

And there you have it. The Raiders are looking are a little on the downside but, as a Chiefs fan I’ve learned to never underestimate them. Because even when they aren’t good, they still play hard. Also I’d like to take a moment to say how weird it is that Shane Lechler is not on the Raiders anymore. It’s like a completely different team. Okay, that’s all. Leave a comment below saying what you think. Until next time, best wishes.