I skipped most of the big game, but it looks like LIII will easily be considered one of the worst Super Bowls ever. Instead, let's take one last look back at predictions from the 2018 season, then we can abandon, close, or burn this thread.
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:superjawes, in Week 1 wrote:Season long storylines/predictions to watch include Andrew Luck's return. My Colts could have drafted one of the many QB's taken in the first round, but instead they traded down (twice), so my guess is that Luck is going to be fully recovered (physically) and it will be Coach Reich's job to keep him safe and fix that team's awful, awful defense.
The Colts have won 4 games straight and look like the best 5-5 team in the league. They have candidates for rookie of the year, and the O-line has given up zero (0) sacks in five (5) games. On top of that, Andrew Luck has thrown 3+ TD passes in 7 straight games. Feels good, man!
Darius Leonard is DROY, and he completely earned it. Loved watching that kid force fumbles. It's also refreshing to see Andrew Luck get real protection. He may have gotten Comeback Player of the Year, but we have to credit much of that to the Renaissance in front of him. I really think Coach Reich deserved coach of the year (more on that later), but we're going into 2019 feeling the best we have in a long time.
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:superjawes, in Week 1 wrote:Remember Cleveland's 1-31 record over 2 years? That ends this year...I'm not saying they win the division (because getting through Pittsburgh AND Baltimore will be tough), but they win several (6 to 9) games. Any bets on when they win their first?
6 wins might be unlikely now, but they have won three (plus a tie), and they got their first win of the year in Week 3.
Hey! Cleveland managed to sneak in enough wins for my "6 to 9" prediction!
I'd probably treat them as overrated in 2019, though. Yeah, they did a lot of good, but the coaching situation doesn't give me a lot of confidence in their ability to sustain a ~.500 pace. I
hope they do well.
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:superjawes, in Week 1 wrote:...I think the closest and/or most competitive division this year is the NFC North. Vikings? Good. Packers? Great when Aaron is healthy. Lions? Well, they've had one of the best QBs in the league, and now they have a new coach. Bears? Underrated. Their QB got the benefit of low expectations in his rookie season, and I think they'll have a decent all-around team.
This still looks like the most competitive division. The Packers clearly have some issues, and the Lions are a work in progress with a 4-6 record. Still, only 3 games separate #1 from #3. The surprise here is the Bears. I knew they were underrated, and their QB still needs some work, but that defense has been kicking ass and taking names. This team should make the playoffs for the fist time since 2011.
Matt Nagy did a lot of good with the Bears. I do think many of the pieces were already there, which is why (besides my Colts bias) I think Reich deserved Coach of the Year more, but he still brought hope back to Bears fans, and they haven't had that in a LOOONG time.
As for the rest of this division, I think the future is muddy. The Vikings made it clear that they were not deserving of their 2017 finish by signing a new starting QB only to miss the 2018 postseason in Week 17. This team needs a lot of work, and I hope Cousins doesn't get blamed for all of it. The Lions look like a team on the rise. I kind of expected more from them, but if what they're doing keeps working, they're a legitimate challenger in the NFC North. The Packers...we'll see. The McCarthy ousting was a long time coming, and would have preferred to see a new HC with a defensive background. Still, I think the Packers are great when Aaron Rodgers is healthy, and maybe we'll see some fun things from LaFleur.
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:superjawes, in Week 1 wrote:Keep an eye on the Giants. They were another team that was (should have been) better than their 2017 record, but now that they've dumped the terrible HC, this team should do better. I don't think they beat the Eagles in the NFC East, but they might make a WC spot...
NEVERMIND
Yeah, this was probably my biggest busted prediction. In my defense, I expected Shurmur to protect Eli Manning more. I still wouldn't write off Eli for a
decent good enough 2019, but the Giants need some long-term solutions on offense, both to protect their current starting QB and to plan for a future QB.
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:superjawes, in Week 1 wrote:Moving West, I see a ton of people hyped about the Rams, but I said all last year that they were overrated, bolstered by low expectations and playing in a weak division. This year, the Cards look better, and the 49ers are due for a breakout now that they have their QB troubles handled. The 49ers will win the NFC West.
No one could have expected Jimmy G to get hurt, and Arizona has shown some STUNNINGLY bad management for their rookie QB. Also, credit where credit is due. The Rams have improved this year. They will still face a tough postseason, but you have to respect the way they are playing right now.
Yeah...my reservations about the Rams never went away, and their 3-point performance yesterday will probably turn into one helluva 2019 hangover.
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:superjawes, in Week 1 wrote:Finally...this is going to be a crazy QB year. Besides Luck and Rodgers coming off injury, Alex Smith, Kirk Cousins, and Case Keenum all have new jobs. Brees is coming up on the end of his career. Wentz is due back some time this year, and his backup/temporary starter is SB LII's MVP. And after all that, we have a ton of rookie/sophomore QBs with expectations.
Well, Luck is looking good (see above) and Rodgers is Rodgers (held back by the rest of his team). Wentz is struggling, but so are the rest of the Eagles. Keenum wasn't the cure-all for the Broncos, nor was Cousins for the Vikings (I am not surprised by either). Then there's Alex Smith...I feel REALLY bad for him right now
We did get plenty of fun QB play this year! ...not sure what happens in 2019, though. We had a spattering of injuries, a couple of free agent busts (ish?), some rookies still learning their craft, and a handful of teams still looking for new QBs. One of my surprises was Flacco's midseason injury leading to the Lamar Jackson era in Baltimore. There's at least one QB who might be "good enough" for some teams. Maybe Elway will sign him!
superjawes, in Week 12 wrote:And then there's Patrick Mahomes, lighting up his competition. The low scoring games for this team were in Week 4 (27 @ Denver) and Week 10 (26 vs. Arizona). The Chiefs scored 40 and 51 points in their LOSSES. Alex Smith looked good in 2017, but now we know why he went to Washington.
The man deserves to stand out. 2018 MVP and well deserved. He always looked great, even in losing games (and even beating my Colts...), and it was just fun watching the Chiefs play. I look forward to more of this. Also, we'll see Mahomes take on Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck (again) in 2019. High hopes for those games.
On second thought, let's not go to TechReport. It's infested by crypto bull****.