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2020 NFL Week 1: Brady to Gronk SPIKE Duo vs. Home Dome Brees/Kamara/Thomas

HarleyQuinn

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week-1-nfl-schedule.png


PREDICTIONS
#1: Who is the surprise team of the NFL?
#2: Who wins the MVP race this year?
#3: Which team seems decent on paper but sucks and gets a top 5 pick?
#4: How many wins do you think your team gets?

Lot of good matchups. Darnold and Allen square off in an early go at which team can topple the Patriots in the AFC East. Kyler tries to showcase Year 2 of the Air Raid against Jimmy G and the 49ers Defense. Joe Burrow debuts at home. Big Ben returns taking on Danny Dimes in New York. Belichick/Flores go head to head again with Fitzmagic squaring off against Superhero Cam. And the Gruden led RAIDAHS travel to take on an intriguing Carolina team with CMC and new OC Joe Brady coming from LSU.
 

King Kamala

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Adrian Peterson signs with the Detroit Lions

Not going to make any predictions except Cam Newton Comeback Player of the Year :cool:
 

HarleyQuinn

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#1: Who is the surprise team of the NFL? - I think the Giants can make a little bit of noise. I could even see them going 6-10/7-9 if things fall right and they knock off one of the tougher teams on their schedule.
#2: Who wins the MVP race this year? - Close call but I think Mahomes will carry the Chiefs on his back more so than last year.
#3: Which team seems decent on paper but sucks and gets a top 5 pick? - Indianapolis. They went 2-7 in the back of their schedule last year and I'm not sold that Philip Rivers/Jonathan Taylor will be enough to make up their struggles offensively. Their post-bye schedule is pretty brutal again.
#4: How many wins do you think your team gets? - I'll give the Patriots 11 wins. They usually find ways to beat a 'tough' opponent e.g. Seahawks/Ravens/49ers and inexplicably lose a game or two to the AFC East.
 

SFH

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These stupid ass dumb shit personnel decisions are going to cost us again, just watch. Burned two 2021 picks to get back into the 7th round and draft Tommy Stevens just to spite Carolina from signing him as an UDFA. Then take the time to convert him to tight end but publicly claim he'll be another swiss army knife like Hill. AND THEN on cut down day release him and take the *crosses fingers* approach and hope he's available to sign to the practice squad. If that MF would have slipped away to another team, I'd be flipping tables. They're damn lucky he didn't get away. STUPID.
 

909

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The Pats should be in the 6 or 7 spot. I've always loved Cam Newton but he's straight up washed up and could barely even throw the ball last season. Bills are going to win the division, but the Pats could get one of those two playoff spots on the strength of their defense.
 

Kahran Ramsus

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#1: Who is the surprise team of the NFL?

The Bengals. We've seen QBs make a massive difference overnight, and Burrow has the real potential to do that. Plus, they have an easy schedule. I doubt they finish ahead of the Ravens, but Wild Card contention is feasible if Burrow is as good as advertised.

#2: Who wins the MVP race this year?

Patrick Mahomes. Unless he gets hurt like last year, he'll likely be the odds on favourite every year for some time. Wilson and Jackson are the most likely spoilers. Maybe old guys Brees and Brady have one more fantastic year in them. Maybe Barkley if he really explodes and carries the Giants to a divisional title. I don't think there are a lot of potential alternatives this year.

#3: Which team seems decent on paper but sucks and gets a top 5 pick?

Lions. They're the Lions. They've underachieved since the 50s, and Stafford has a bad back.

#4: How many wins do you think your team gets?

9. The Packers overacheived last year, and assuming Rodgers stays healthy, I unfortunately see them around the .500 range. If Rodgers doesn't stay healthy, then they are the answer to Question #3.
 

HSJ

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PREDICTIONS
#1: Who is the surprise team of the NFL? Arizona - Murray has a lot of weapons and I think things really click for them this year.

#2: Who wins the MVP race this year? - Murray is my dark horse but the obvious pick is Mahomes.

#3: Which team seems decent on paper but sucks and gets a top 5 pick? - I think I'm going to go with the Colts here for the same reasons HQ pointed out.

#4: How many wins do you think your team gets? - somewhere between 8 and 10 wins - I don't see the Jets or the Pats being too much of a threat this year. #finsup
 

snuffbox

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1. Da Bears. They lose 2 of their first 3 and bench Trubisky. Nick Foles pulls some more of that stupid magic Nick Foles shit and they make a playoff run.

2. Mahomes.

3. Green Bay. The bottom fully falls out on their weirdo strategy of trolling their own best player & they have a .500 season at best.

4. I'll be surprised if GB goes .500. The ESPN Madden sim of 7-9 will probably be accurate.
 

Hawk 34

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Always a fun time kill
 

HarleyQuinn

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Edwards and Ruggs are expected to be the starting WRs outside with Renfrow in the slot for Las Vegas (typing that out feels weird as hell) in Week 1.
 

BruiserBrody

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[quote author=BRODY link=topic=7317.msg606823#msg6
1. Da Bears. They lose 2 of their first 3 and bench Trubisky. Nick Foles pulls some more of that stupid magic Nick Foles shit and they make a playoff run.

2. Mahomes.

3. Green Bay. The bottom fully falls out on their weirdo strategy of trolling their own best player & they have a .500 season at best.

4. I'll be surprised if GB goes .500. The ESPN Madden sim of 7-9 will probably be accurate.
The way the Green Bay paper's preview read, I might be starting at RT by week 4. Blocking for Love, since A Rod will be broken.

*I am aware Boyle is the #2 QB. Just being glib.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Aqib Talib retired at 34 years old with 35 career interceptions. Very solid CB despite off-field issues probably best known for his Denver years.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Lots of players getting placed on IR by teams. There's a short term IR now where players can be eligible to return in just 3 weeks. Ozigbo in Jacksonville is the latest after the Jags signed Ogunbowale (essentially making a 1-1 trade with Fournette to Tampa Bay).
 

HarleyQuinn

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Watson needs to learn to either look downfield when scrambling or just throw the ball away and live for another down. He gets pressure, immediately tucks the ball, and runs. Rodgers, Russell, and Mahomes all keep their eyes downfield and will throw it the second somebody's open. The few times Watson was consistently getting rid of the ball fast and making the quick decisions needed, Houston was driving down the field.

The thing I've noticed & mentioned this in chat to 909 but what really separates the great QBs is how quickly they read the coverage and get rid of the ball. Now they don't have to take 2.6 seconds to throw the ball but when your QB is sitting in the pocket trying to make multiple reads while the RB is open in the flat for 2.9 seconds then gets sacked/pressured into an incompletion... The best QBs tend to lean on their RBs as much in the receiving game as a WR or TE. Peyton back to Edgerrin, Warner with Marshall Faulk, Montana with Roger Craig, Brees with Kamara, even Mahomes in 2018 had 3 RBs with 20+ catches.

Brady is middle of the pack in Time To Throw per Next Gen stats (11th in 2019 IIRC, Brees was 2nd for reference) but he quickly hits the RB if the defense gives it to him. It may only be a 4-6 yard gain at times but it's the equivalent to a long handoff and sets up a more manageable 2nd or 3rd Down situation. Also the faster the RB gets the ball in open space the easier they get RAC and can break a tackle for a big play. Too many QBs read WR1, WR2 and wait wait then finally try to check down to the RB if they're getting pressured. Even in 2007 when Brady had all his weapons, Faulk still had 47 catches for the season.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Week 1's looking interesting. Alshon Jeffery's out for the Eagles and now both Mike Evans for Tampa Bay & Kenny Golloday for Detroit are doubtful.
 

SFH

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Watson needs to learn to either look downfield when scrambling or just throw the ball away and live for another down. He gets pressure, immediately tucks the ball, and runs. Rodgers, Russell, and Mahomes all keep their eyes downfield and will throw it the second somebody's open. The few times Watson was consistently getting rid of the ball fast and making the quick decisions needed, Houston was driving down the field.

The thing I've noticed & mentioned this in chat to 909 but what really separates the great QBs is how quickly they read the coverage and get rid of the ball. Now they don't have to take 2.6 seconds to throw the ball but when your QB is sitting in the pocket trying to make multiple reads while the RB is open in the flat for 2.9 seconds then gets sacked/pressured into an incompletion... The best QBs tend to lean on their RBs as much in the receiving game as a WR or TE. Peyton back to Edgerrin, Warner with Marshall Faulk, Montana with Roger Craig, Brees with Kamara, even Mahomes in 2018 had 3 RBs with 20+ catches.

Brady is middle of the pack in Time To Throw per Next Gen stats (11th in 2019 IIRC, Brees was 2nd for reference) but he quickly hits the RB if the defense gives it to him. It may only be a 4-6 yard gain at times but it's the equivalent to a long handoff and sets up a more manageable 2nd or 3rd Down situation. Also the faster the RB gets the ball in open space the easier they get RAC and can break a tackle for a big play. Too many QBs read WR1, WR2 and wait wait then finally try to check down to the RB if they're getting pressured. Even in 2007 when Brady had all his weapons, Faulk still had 47 catches for the season.
Honestly surprised my dude doesn't throw more INTs than he does. Without anything concrete in front of me, I'd estimate 40% of his incompletions were the result of forcing something that wasn't there and could have easily been an INT. He went this crazy stretch of attempts in either 2018 or 2019 without a pick and I was just like, "but how?" Dude makes some crazy bad decisions at times. Of course I'm an every down kind of viewer so maybe it stands out to me more than a casual observer or someone that's required to see all the games in a small frame of time.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Did the NFL Predictor thing for every game...

AFC East = Patriots 10-6, Bills 10-6, Jets 7-9, Dolphins 5-11
AFC North = Ravens 13-3, Steelers 12-4, Bengals 5-11, Browns 4-12
AFC South = Titans 13-3, Colts 7-9, Texans 4-12, Jaguars 3-13
AFC West = Chiefs 13-3, Raiders 10-6, Broncos 5-11, Chargers 2-14
NFC East = Cowboys 13-3, Eagles 8-8, Giants 4-12, Washington 2-14
NFC North = Packers 13-3, Vikings 11-5, Lions 4-12, Bears 2-14
NFC South = Saints 13-3, Buccaneers 13-3, Falcons 6-10, Panthers 4-12
NFC West = 49ers 13-3, Seahawks 12-4, Cardinals 8-8, Rams 7-9

Didn't really intend for so many 13-3 and 4-12 teams though.
 

Gert

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PREDICTIONS
#1: Who is the surprise team of the NFL?
Dallas. I know it's kind of a cop out, but they didn't make the playoffs last year, and I think they could make a deep run in the NFC.

#2: Who wins the MVP race this year?
Patrick Mahomes. I think the Chiefs will have the best record and more often than not that team usually has the MVP.

#3: Which team seems decent on paper but sucks and gets a top 5 pick?
LA Rams. They have a lot of top level talent, but their talent falls way off of a cliff after their top 8-10 guys. Lack of top draft picks recently and Jared Goff will catch up to them.

#4: How many wins do you think your team gets?
Cincinnati Bengals 5-11. Most excited I've been about a Bengals season since 2005. Joe Burrow has a ton of weapons and I think he is going to be a star. That said their OLine and defense as a whole is really subpar. I actually really think the Bengals are going to be in most games this year. I just think 5 or 6 wins is the most expected outcome.
 

909

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#1: Who is the surprise team of the NFL?
Arizona. They only won 5 last year in Murray's rookie season but a lot of those were extremely close games. Not only were those close games but look at who they played close, and/or why they lost. They were in that spot where one or two defensive additions, and one offensive addition might turn those games around into wins. They added Isaiah Simmons and DeAndre Hopkins. Patrick Peterson is also in better health this season, and Jordan Phillips popped for the Bills last year. So yeah, I like them a lot. I almost put down Miami because them winning 7 games is a surprise too.

#2: Who wins the MVP race this year?
Lamar Jackson again. Mahomes has a lot of games where he doesn't really pop. In addition I'm not certain at all that they'll have the best record.

#3: Which team seems decent on paper but sucks and gets a top 5 pick?
Detroit is definitely one. They have a paper tiger roster and a brain dead coach. I do think the Packers won't be good and will finish with a top ten draft pick, but at the same time I don't think they're all that decent on paper.

#4: How many wins do you think your team gets?
10. Why ten? I think the difficulty of the Raiders schedule is a bit overrated first of all. Secondly I think the team has made massive improvements to their defense and they've bolstered an offense that was pretty efficient at moving the ball. More to the point though, I think having a difficult schedule is alright as long as those games are early in the season before those good teams can build up momentum. At the least they'll get nine and that should be good for the #7 spot in the expanded playoffs.
 

HarleyQuinn

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Lots of extensions! Cooper Kupp 3 Years for $48 Million. Alvin Kamara 5 Years for $75 Million. Dalvin Cook 5 Years for $63 Million.
 

909

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It's one thing to say you think a team will suck and then because of their schedule and all that, you fill out the predictor and it's different than what you thought. The Dolphins also have a much harder schedule than I thought.


AFC
#NorthWLTDiv
2Ravens12-44-2
5Steelers10-65-1
11Bengals6-102-4
12Browns6-101-5
#SouthWLTDiv
3Titans12-46-0
7Texans9-73-3
10Colts7-92-4
16Jaguars2-141-5
#EastWLTDiv
4Bills10-65-1
9Patriots7-94-2
13Dolphins5-111-5
15Jets4-122-4
#WestWLTDiv
1Chiefs14-26-0
6Raiders9-72-4
8Broncos8-82-4
14Chargers5-112-4



NFC
#NorthWLTDiv
4Vikings9-74-2
8Packers9-74-2
12Lions6-101-5
14Bears5-113-3
#SouthWLTDiv
2Saints11-53-3
6Buccaneers10-63-3
9Falcons9-74-2
13Panthers6-102-4
#EastWLTDiv
3Cowboys10-64-2
11Eagles7-94-2
15Football Team4-122-4
16Giants3-132-4
#WestWLTDiv
149ers12-45-1
5Seahawks11-53-3
7Cardinals10-63-3
10Rams8-81-5



Wild Card Losers: Raiders, Steelers, Texans, Cardinals, Vikings, Bucs
Divisional Losers: Bills, Titans, Cowboys, 49ers
Championship Game Losers: Chiefs and Seahawks
Super Bowl Winner: Saints
 

909

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Also, if we don’t win tomorrow, I might have a huge meltdown in the chat room.
 
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