• MegaPickaPalooza!!! 2015 NFL Predictions from the FP Writer's Room

    by
    Brian Williams
    Published on 09-10-2015 06:00 PM
    13 Comments Comments
    The season is about to get underway, so what better way to celebrate than by having Rich, Matt, Patrick, Evan, and I make complete fools of ourselves and throw some picks your way that will be sure to embarrass us down the road?

    Between the 5 of us, 20 of the 32 teams have been predicted on at least one sheet to make the playoffs, with only Dallas, Green Bay, New England, Baltimore, and Indianapolis as unanimous selections across the board. We have 5 combined to predict 5 different teams to participate in the Super Bowl and have 4 different teams taking home the Lombardi Trophy.

    We encourage you to pan through the results, including the awards section, and join the conversation below with predictions of your own. Let us know why and how we're way off base, or as the case may be, who you feel nailed every pick. This is your team's year, so wear the colors proudly.

    The off-season is over my friends.

    Football. Is. Back.



    Comments 13 Comments
    1. Matt Kocsan's Avatar
      Big thanks to Brian and Patrick for pulling all this together. Before we got to publication, I was trying to change my OPOY vote to Dez Bryant.

      Anyway, I was trying not to be boring in my picks.
      Reply
    1. Brian Williams's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Matt Kocsan View Post
      Big thanks to Brian and Patrick for pulling all this together. Before we got to publication, I was trying to change my OPOY vote to Dez Bryant.

      Anyway, I was trying not to be boring in my picks.
      And a big thanks for your help as I was scrambling last night. I'm sorry we didn't get that switch in, but it's noted.

      Something really weird will happen this year. I'm not sure what, but the Seahawks being out of the playoffs in favor of Arizona/Minnesota while the Bucs win a decidedly mediocre South seems weird enough for me.
      Reply
    1. Patrick Sullivan's Avatar
      The picks in a format you can, you know, read without a telescope:

      Reply
    1. tubbs1518's Avatar
      Can't say I understand the huge Steelers love from Brian. That defense is really bad.
      Reply
    1. iwatt's Avatar
      A lot of live for the Vikings this year. You do remember its the Vikings.

      The same with the Cardinals. They've been relying on a solid run D and inventing a pass rush through their coach. Not sure the new guy can keep that up.
      Reply
    1. Patrick Sullivan's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Matt Kocsan View Post
      Big thanks to Brian and Patrick for pulling all this together. Before we got to publication, I was trying to change my OPOY vote to Dez Bryant.

      Anyway, I was trying not to be boring in my picks.
      Did you see that Rolling Stone piece about Dez? Man, if half the stories he told are true... Wow. Just wow.

      http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/f...vivor-20150827
      Reply
    1. Brian Williams's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by tubbs1518 View Post
      Can't say I understand the huge Steelers love from Brian. That defense is really bad.
      And the offense is good. Every team has a significant flaw. I feel like Pittsburgh's biggest flaw will improve throughout the season. The front 7 showed a lot of promise last night, and the better they get, the better the secondary will look.

      I'm not one to blindly adhere to chalk. Chalk is boring. So yeah, some of my picks are extremely different than the norm. At the end of the year, some of the results will be extremely different than the norm as well. I'll miss some, but I'm guessing I'll hit on a few as well. Such is the case, but if we're going to do this, I may as well take my own biases and have some fun with it.

      Jax- 2nd place
      Oak- 2nd place
      TB- 1st place
      Min- in playoffs
      Sea- out of playoffs
      Mia- 2 seed- AFC Championship
      NE- 6 seed

      I'll be wrong in spots as we all will. I'll probably be more wrong than most. But I'm not looking to win, I'm looking to share what I feel will happen, and I feel there will be massive craziness along the way.

      Frankly, every season ends up a bit crazy, so maybe my limb isn't nearly as big as it appears.
      Reply
    1. Nancy's Avatar
      What, not one of you thinks the Panthers will repeat? No one? The whole city of Charlotte is offended. Be prepared for bankers and architects to come for you in the night. Maybe they'll bring a couple of motorsports engineers along with them. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
      Seriously, I have no idea what will happen in the NFC south. The Panthers have all the same issues they had last season, though the secondary did come together over the course of the season and some of those dudes are back. We also don't have Byron Bell to kick around anymore and the addition of Michael Oher brings a bit of experience and hopefully stability to that line. Kahlil and Chandler's injuries are definitely an inauspicious beginning.
      I am somewhat less concerned about the receiver situation than I probably should be. Possibly I'm just accustomed to the Panthers having problems at the position. "Corey" Brown will get over the dropsies and be adequate. Ted Ginn, Jr. was clearly born to be a Panther (bless his heart), and he'll contribute. And Greg Olsen will be Greg Olsen. Running game should be OK as long as JStew is healthy. Right.
      This here is the spot where I refuse to discuss the DeAngelo Williams Situation. Suffice to say the Steelers have a good player and a stand-up guy who has never once been suspended for loving the Mary Jane more than his career and team.
      Honestly, the Panthers once again have too many gaps that keep them from being a strong contender on paper. But if that defense plays to potential, and Cam & JStew have good seasons, they could make a run.
      Reply
    1. Rich Gapinski's Avatar
      Nancy, I'll change my pick if I find out you are starting at receiver tomorrow. You have to have better hands than Philly Brown.
      Reply
    1. edave's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Rich Gapinski View Post
      Nancy, I'll change my pick if I find out you are starting at receiver tomorrow. You have to have better hands than Philly Brown.
      Corey Brown has the bad hands ... Philly is reportedly fine ... so he's changed names again.

      I was shocked James Jones made it back to Green Bay ... I expected the Panthers to kidnap him between the Giants facility and Newark.
      Reply
    1. Nancy's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by Rich Gapinski View Post
      Nancy, I'll change my pick if I find out you are starting at receiver tomorrow. You have to have better hands than Philly Brown.
      Philly did a pretty decent job last season (or maybe it's just that he didn't drop any more passes than anyone else on a team of droppers). And Rich, I tried to get a tryout after Benjamin was injured, but they seemed to think my height would be a problem, as usual. I'm so underrated....
      Reply
    1. Nancy's Avatar
      Quote Originally Posted by edave View Post
      Corey Brown has the bad hands ... Philly is reportedly fine ... so he's changed names again.

      I was shocked James Jones made it back to Green Bay ... I expected the Panthers to kidnap him between the Giants facility and Newark.
      As well they should have. As I Colts fan, I was hoping we'd get Reggie Wayne even though he's old as the hills. He's still better than anyone we have.
      Reply
    1. Rich Gapinski's Avatar
      Quick report card on playoff teams correct:

      Personally, I had the worst year in the history of my predictions, getting only 5/12 playoff teams correct. At least I got J.J. Watt correct. Oh well. After years of 8, 8 and 9, I was bound to be terrible soon.

      Overall, it was a rough year all around:

      Biggie: 6 of 12
      Matt: 5 of 12
      Kaba: 7 of 12
      Trumpet: 6 of 12
      Reply