Owning Up . . . Maybe a Little Covering Up

JW,

Looking over old NFL predictions is a bit like watching drunken videos of yourself. You barely remember any of it, and you just want it to be over. In that spirit, how about an abridged retrospective of what we got right and wrong this season? Here's my top three in both categories, presented in the order in which they occurred to me:

Things I Nailed

1) The New York Jets did not make an appearance in my home this season. I wrote in August that I'd watch the Russian ballet first, and even though the Jets slipped into the playoffs (How?! Why?!), I don't see that changing. Seriously, was a single word spoken or written about this team all year? They're strangers to me!

2) The Dallas Cowboys will indeed scare the hell out of everyone in the playoffs after enduring some rocky times mid-season. Of course, I also predicted that Shanahan would be coaching them by now, but I'm still putting this in the win column.

3) The Bears stunk! I couldn't be happier about this one if I had caught Cutler's interceptions myself. I wrote in August that the Bears are "a team that's seemingly perfect for underachieving," and they went right out and did so. The good news: It won't be possible to underachieve next year. Everyone knows you suck.

Things I Badly F----d Up

1) The Bucs will win their division? Holy s--t! In retrospect, it was our last day of predictions, and I was bored. So what if they lost it by a league-leading ten games? That's nothing compared to how bad they'll be when they start this guy at quarterback.

2) Like you, I doubted the Arizona Cardinals. When will we learn that the NFC West doesn't require youth, agility, or stamina from its quarterbacks. Warner won it the minute he decided to return for another year, and you and I should have known better.

3) I slept, slightly, on the Denver Broncos. How they missed the playoffs after that start is beyond me, as is how they gave up 259 rushing yards to Jamaal Charles . . . in week 17 . . . at home . . . a mile above sea level . . . with the playoffs still a possibility. 2-14 was a bad guess for these guys, but an utter lack of clutchness apparently wasn't.

-GM

GM,

No need to come up with polar-opposite categories the way I see it. After all, the only prediction I completely botched was that Cincinnati would have a Hard Knox season, and we should all agree that was understandable. So here are my categories:

Things I Was Close Enough to Being Right Enough About to Still Brag

1) The Packers and Ravens were my favorites to win their respective divisions. They didn’t do that, but as wildcard teams, they’re clearly the best teams in their divisions right now. Baltimore lost five games in the last minute, and who really thought Brett Favre could take Minnesota to a 10-1 start?

2) Houston had wildcard talent. In fact, that team had division-winning talent. It had no heart, clutchness, late-game sharpness, or killer instinct. The Texans just missed a wildcard spot, but they could have just as easily been 12-4 and currently scaring the mess out of the Bengals this Sunday. As it stands, The Hoody is wondering if the refs will be on his side as they were the last two meetings (one, two) between these two teams.

3) I said Aaron Rodgers was the best quarterback in the NFC North. I still believe it, by the way. Favre is obviously the most popular among them, and he had an incredible year, but take a look here to see how good A-Rod was even though his line didn’t protect him for half of the season.

Things I Want to Be Remembered By

1) I said the NFC North would definitely lead the league in interceptions. Of course Favre disappointed me, but Stafford didn’t and Cutler achieved the exact type of misery I assumed he would. “He’s one of the few NFL quarterbacks who can make every throw,” analysts say of Cutler. Yes, every throw, including those to linebackers, safeties, and cornerbacks.

2) Mark Sanchez was indeed dreadful. He had 12 touchdowns and 20 picks—the worst ratio of anyone who started all year. Somehow, in a league in which the traditional way of winning, strong defense and running game, has become passé (three of the top four rushing teams failed to make the playoffs), the Jets used such a strategy and their schedule (beating two uninspired division winners in the final weeks) to overcome Sanchez’s failures and squeeze into the playoffs. Congrats to Rex Ryan, who will make me laugh for one or two more pressers.

3) Of the Saints, I wrote, “Do not trust this team.” The final games of the season showed that you indeed cannot, even if they did start 13-0. They will not win the Super Bowl, period.

-JW