Teams Headed For Much Better Or Worse Seasons?

So, much of free agency and trading is done and the draft is complete. New coaching staffs are in place. We have a pretty good idea of what the teams are going to look like in the fall. So, which teams are headed for much better or worse seasons this year? Here are my picks. Who do you think is headed for a much different 2012?

Things are looking up:

Buffalo Bills -- With the added talent on their D-line and a super easy schedule, if this team can finally stay healthy, I could see them making a push for a playoff berth.

Denver Broncos -- Their defense took a hit with the loss of their leader Dawkins, but they finally have a QB and the offense may be reasonable. I could see them pushing for a high seed in the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles -- They've added even more talent this off-season. You figure they've got to put it together at some point, right?

Chicago Bears -- If Cutler and Forte can stay healthy along with the pieces they've added during the off-season, their schedule could allow them to get back in the playoffs quickly.

Carolina Panthers -- I like where this team is going. I like their coaching staff and if their defense can start to gel, they may make a playoff appearance.

Hard to repeat last year:

San Francisco 49ers -- A much harder schedule along with the odds that things won't break perfectly a 2nd year in a row, I could see this team only going 9-7 (which is probably still plenty to win their division).

Detroit Lions -- I really don't see any reason why their defense won't be as bad as it was and I just can't see everything going perfectly for them again on offense. I don't see them having a winning record this year.

Cincinnati Bengals -- They are always erratic under Lewis so this wouldn't surprise me if they fall back down to 5 or 6 wins. There's a book on Dalton now so he may have a sophomore slump.

 

If the Eagles can come together as a team they have the potential to be really dangerous.

 

On paper, the Eagles are the best team in the NFC East IMO. If their draft picks pan out, which they usually don't, their D will be incredible. But they are going to need production from these young guys.

 

yep, if they actually gel on both sides of the ball and play loose without the pressure, they will win a lot of games.

 

The Lions are hecked because Calvin Johnson is on the cover of Madden.

 

SF's SOS going into the season is 24th in the league with a total of 5 quality opponents (over 9 wins last year). Hardly a much more difficult schedule than last year.

 

yes, you're right, i shouldn't say it's much harder. playing the AFC East and NFC North plus the Giants and Saints is somewhat harder than than the AFC North and NFC East plus the Bucs and Lions, but not an enormous amount.

I just think the niners will take a step back this year. History shows us that teams that go from double digit losses to double digit wins typically take a significant step back to earth that next season (usually somewhere in the middle, where they actually belong).

In addition, I just feel they've taken some steps back in this off-season. The weird Peyton chase/eventual signing of Smith and signing a bunch of cast-offs from other teams just reeks of desperation and I think they are putting a lot of pressure on themselves and that usually doesn't equate to a lot of success on the field.

I still think they will win their division, but it just won't be anywhere near 13 wins.

 

I dont expect 13 wins either, but there was nothing desperate about their offseason, especially if you understand the way Baalke and Harbaugh work. The Manning thing wasn't a chase, they just floated an offer to see what happened, and they have said repeatedly that they arent really ever going to be big name FA getters, they didnt have a lot of holes to fill and prefer to build from inside/the draft and pick up lower level FA's that they feel can contribute in the system. The defense was the most important part of their success, stayed intact and should be improved if anything as the younger players progress. The offense should be improved as well.

 

I think the 49ers could get 11 wins easy.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S2 Skyrocket

 

actually, the niners were some of the biggest players in FA this off-season and that's kind of my point. they signed some of the biggest 'names' in free agency this off-season (Moss, Jacobs, Manningham) and ended up going after Manning after claiming time after time that Smith was their guy without question.

And none of the players they signed, in my opinion, actually upgrade their roster much. Their 'names' are bigger than what they can actually do to help the niners. It's almost as if the niners just went after some big names this off-season out of offensive desperation, which often backfires by more pressure being put on the team.

We'll see if I'm wrong but it just seems like teams that bring in marginal guys just because they have 'rings' or a big name end up getting very little production from them.

 

I think the Ravens have the potential to be this years big faller. Flacco and Rice both are holdout concerns, an ageing O-Line, Ray Lewis' legs pretty much done for, Ed Reed similarly breaking, Suggs out for the year as well as losing a ton of other contributors.

Oh, and Cam Cameron having an effect on their offence not dissimilar to Norv Turner has on any team that he head coaches.

 

Broncos, pending the players around Manning, could be a monster riser...

 

with how bad the niners were last year on 3rd down and in the redzone... they can only improve

 

if c.j. stays healthy and locker ends up being very good, i could see the titans being solid this year.

 

i love looking back at my stupid predictions .... eagles and panthers ...... :rofl:

 

BILLS!!!!!

 

That's the great part...people think they "know" and no one really has any idea...lol. Even the "experts" have no clue.

 

yep, they're fun though ............ gives us something to do during the off-season and something to look back on and laugh.

 

...or sometimes brag about!

 

I Can't believe the skins have improved to the level they have this season.rg3 is the difference,right along with morris and the recieving corps.if we can get a decent defense,we may have something the next few seasons.