2012 NFC Picks & Results

NFC East

1.       New York Giants                   Redskins

2.       Washington Redskins            Giants

3.       Philadelphia Eagles               Cowboys

4.       Dallas Cowboys                     Eagles

The Super Bowl champions simply reloaded and are ready to do it again. NY Giants are loaded with offense and defense and seem poised to repeat, but…RGIII might be for real. Skins looking good, can they stay with the Giants? Vick gets hurt too often, have never been convinced he’s a NFL QB. Eagles have lots of problems this season and I think this is Andy Reid’s last. Cowboys just plain stink – worst team since, well that Aikman 2-14 team. 
Turned out that RGIII was as real as I thought he might be. Cowboys were more competitive than I thought they would be but Romo still managed to find a way to lose. I didn't think the Giants would fall as far as they did - looked to me like they were just going to simply repeat. Coughlin's time is up after next season if they don't rebound I believe.

NFC North

1.       Green Bay Packers            CORRECT

2.       Chicago Bears                   Vikings

3.       Detroit Lions                     Bears

4.       Minnesota Vikings            Lions

Packers are still the class of the NFC. Rodgers & Co. will light up scoreboards again this season, but a 14-2 season is not likely. Pack wins the division going away. Bears and Lions are dead even except for defense, edge to Bears. Vikings are in rebuild-mode. Who thought that the Vikings would qualify for the playoffs? Wow, what a season AP had. Coming back from major ACL surgery to come within 9 yards of Dickerson's record is amazing. I didn't anticipate that the injuries for Packers would keep this division as close as it did, and one Packer's loss and another Viking's win changes the division. Detroit needs to continue to improve. 

NFC South

1.       New Orleans Saints                   Falcons

2.       Carolina Panthers                      Panthers

3.       Atlanta  Falcons                         Saints

4.       Tampa Bay Buccaneers             Buccaneers

I think the Saints should send a “thank you” card to Goddell – I never agree with bounties on players, but the suspensions and such have created an “us vs. the world” attitude in New Orleans, which is great for a football team. Think 1985 Chicago Bears, and many others. New Orleans still has the offense, and the new defensive scheme will fall into place quickly. Panthers are much improved and while I don’t think Cam has quite the season he did last year, he will still excel and keep them competitive. Falcons just have no real defense, and Ryan’s weapons are diminished. Bucs are reloading.
Falcons surprised me with defense - I just didn't see that coming. Their offense was impressive too, but I still don't see them making a Super Bowl run. Saints had major issues and it starts with lack of coaching - they missed Payton too much. Perhaps the distractions caused by the bounty scandal were just too much? Panthers performed about the way I expected them too - NFL defenses have a knack for adapting to new offensive schemes and Cam's production was down. I anticipate the same for Wilson (Seattle) and RGIII(Skins) next year.

NFC West

1.       San Francisco 49ers              CORRECT

2.       Seattle Seahawks                  CORRECT

3.       Arizona Cardinals                 Rams

4.       St. Louis Rams                      Cardinals

Is this the year? Do the 49ers break through? YES, I think so. Love the head coach – he knows what makes NFL players WANT to work and win, and he has the group there to get it done. Alex Smith is much improved and with that running game he has, look out. Seahawks much improved but still no contest for 49ers. Ugh on the Cardinals and Rams.  Seahawks made this a very competitive division, much better than I thought. The QB shuffle in San Francisco made things tough there - if Smith is not your guy, why start him? Cardinals and Rams, yeah ugh.

NFC Playoff Teams:

Divisional winners: Giants, Packers, Saints, 49ers, Redskins, Falcons

Wild Card: Panthers, Bears, Vikings, Seahawks

NFC Champion: San Francisco 49ers
I'm sticking with my NFC Champion pick. Defense wins championships. 

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

Wild card 
Seahawks@ Redskins - This will be a fun game. RG III lights it up and although Wilson tries to keep up, the Redskins have a defense. Pick: Redskins
Vikings@ Packers - Packers defense is suspect, and AP might light them up. Rodgers is capable of matching AP's performance but I wonder if the Vikings defense gets that critical stop? Pick: Vikings

Divisional
I think that Atlanta and San Francisco both win regardless. 

NFC Championship
San Francisco @ Atlanta - I believe the 49ers have the defense needed to win but Atlanta could make a run. Here again I am truly 50/50 but will take the 49ers.  

NFC Champion - 49ers