With the conclusion of the NFL regular season I thought it might be interesting to see how well we performed with our preseason predictions.
Some observations from my research: goddamn we had a lot of posts since the end of July. We also had an amazing amount of sexy girl “cheesecake” images from many of these posts, and finally quite a few of the preseason predictions were surprisingly accurate.
This was a lot more research than I anticipated and I’m trying to figure out where to send my billable hours for this research.
I compiled a lot of data for this post and I plan on breaking down the predictions by each division. I will include the regular season results, the preseason prediction as well as the author of said prediction and maybe an anecdote or maybe not on the predictions. If there is no DFO preseason prediction for a specific team, it may not have ever made it to the light of day. It’s slightly possible that I overlooked the prediction from the archives but I really did do a fucking shit ton of archival digging to bring this post to fruition. Any missed items are welcome in the comments and if you can provide a link for them that would be great.
I have no intention of providing a link to each of the predictions because I value my remaining time on this Earth and that may bring about suicidal thoughts.
I am going to present this in straight text format because embedding an Excel file could possibly explode the post and I ain’t gonna do that on my watch.
Here we go.
AFC EAST:
P*ts actual result 12-4 and a 2 seed. Prediction by the Right Reverend Electric Mayhem:
I think this means they will do well.
NY Jets: Finished 10-6 missed the playoffs. Prediction His Right Honorable Lord Revis Isle “Respectable” (correct) or “Miserable” (correct).
Buffalo: Finished 8-8. Prediction by our own DTZM 6-10.
Miami: Finished 6-10. Prediction by Warthog 9-7
Not too shabby.
AFC NORTH:
Cincy: Finished 12-4 division winner. Prediction: Originally scheduled for 8-20-15 at noon but never made the light of day. Bummer.
Pittsburgh: Finished 10-6 as a wild card. Predictions: Balls of Steel (13-3), WCS (11-5), Sill Bimmons (14-2). That’s some mighty tasty Kool Aid them Yinzers brew.
Baltimore: Finished 5-11. Prediction: JJFozz. No actual prediction but some very astute football analysis and a very accurate summary of the typical Baltimore fan. Plus lots of bourbon mentions.
Cleveland: Finished 3-13. Prediction by Covalent Blonde 12-4. Now Covalent is one of my favorite people ever and easily one of our most insanely intelligent writers and a truly fun person to have some brewskies with but holy hell, sister! I will give her the benefit of the doubt and suggest the two numbers were transposed. 4-12 it is!
AFC SOUTH:
Houston(???): Finished 9-7 and a division winner. Prediction by Duchess 9-7! But with the caveat that they would miss the post season. That’s some fine predictin’!
Indy: Finished 8-8. Prediction by Sep 12-4. Granted this was pre-Hodor injury.
J-Ville: Finished 5-11. Prediction by Balls of Steel “Bad.” Nailed it.
Tenn: Finished 3-13 and first overall draft pick. Prediction by Don T. 6-10 with tons of optimism!
AFC WEST:
Denver: Finished 12-4 and a 1 seed. Prediction by King Hippo “Make it to the Big L”. We shall see!
K.C: 11-5 and a wild card. Prediction by Monty This Seems Strange 10-6 with a possible wild card berth. Hell yes!
Oakland: Finished 7-9. Prediction by Blaxabbath 5-11 and “9+ wins for the next six seasons.” OK then.
San Diego: Finished 4-12. Prediction by Old School Zero, with a healthy smattering of Bolt Man “Championship and a new stadium. Stomp stomp clap!”
NFC EAST:
Washington Redacteds: Finished 9-7 and division winner. Prediction by Doktor Zymm 5-11 (later revised to 6-10 at the bye week). That’s some serious optimism Frau Doktor!
Eagles: Finished 7-9. Prediction by fmwarner (AKA Why Eagles Why) 10-6 and lose the wild card game. Gotta give us an update as a fan WEW.
Giants: Finished 6-10 and suffered the loss of a red faced old man. Prediction by scotchnaut (check out the big brain on Scotchy!) “[sighs] I’m thinking another 6-10 season for Coughlin’s sayonara.” That’s the shit I’m talking about. Get down with your bad prognosticating self, Scotchy!
Dallas: Finished 4-12. Prediction by Horatio Cornblower “Realistically 12-4 or 13-3. They should win the NFC East handily and waltz into the play-offs with a bye. Tony Romo will then take his wife on a Mexican vacation during the bye week, contract diarrhea and throw 2 backbreaking interceptions in the Cowboys second-round play-off loss.” Giving credit where it’s due he did change his prediction after the fall of the Romo Empire to “Fucked.” Will accept.
NFC NORTH:
Vikings: 11-5 and division champs. Aww yeah muthafuckas! Predictions by Pickettscharge (9-7) and by yours truly (10-6 just miss playoffs). I like reality better!
Green Bay: Finished 10-6 as a wild card. Prediction by Packman John
Jury still out on that one.
Detroit: Finished 7-9. Prediction by Troll so hard University 8-8. Acceptable!
Chicago: Finished 6-10. Predictions by Brett Favre’s Colonoscopy (8-8) and Cuntler (8-8). Whoa! Let’s not all get mediocre at once there folks!
NFC SOUTH:
Carolina: Finished 15-1 and home field throughout. Prediction by King Hippo 9-7 or 10-6 and division champ. Not splitting too many hairs here as most of us didn’t see their season coming.
THE ATL: Finished 8-8. Prediction by Rikki Tikki Deadly “Coming up short.” Indeed!
Saints: Finished 7-9. Prediction by The Right Reverend Electric Mayhem “Not much chance.” Direct and to the point.
Tampa Bay: Finished 4-12. Prediction by Sep while channeling his best Warren Sapp 4-12 “YAARRR Mateys!”
NFC WEST:
AZ Cards: Finished 13-3 and a 2 seed. Prediction by Blaxabbath, simply “Super Bowl.” Well then. We shall see, we shall see.
Seattle: Finished 10-6 as a wild card. Prediction by Beast Mode Ate My Baby “13-3 or 10-6 or Super Bowl.” That’s tossing a lot of darts there Beast Mode.
St. Louis (?) Rams: Finished 7-9. Prediction originally scheduled by our own DTZM but not posted. We’ll give you a break, Boss. We know you’re a busy guy.
49’ers: Finished 5-11 but it felt much worse. Prediction by Covalent Blonde 4-10 or 5-11. That’s some mighty fine redemption Covalent! We knew you could do it.
All in all you folks did a pretty spectacular job on the predictions. It was also entertaining to see how everyone kept their expectations in line. It’s like we pay attention to this sport or something.
If your team made the playoffs then enjoy the games and if your team was left out? Get to work on those prediction drafts for next year! And next time show your work!
I wasn’t even close:
Patriots 10-6 Div. champ
Dolphins 9-7 no
Bills 8-8 no
Jets 5-11 no
Ravens 10-6 Div. champ
Steelers 9-7 Wild Card
Bengals 8-8 no
Browns 5-11 no
Colts 11-5 Div. champ
Texans 8-8 no
Jaguars 7-9 no
Titans 5-11 no
Broncos 11-5 Div. champ
Chiefs 10-6 Wild Card
Chargers 8-8 no
Raiders 6-10 no
Cowboys 11-5 Div. champ
Eagles 10-6 Wild Card
Giants 8-8 no
[*Redacted] s 4-12 no
Packers 11-5 Div. champ
Lions 9-7 no
Vikings 8-8 no
Bears 6-10 no
Panthers 10-6 Div. champ
Falcons 8-8 no
Saints 7-9 no
Buccaneers 5-11 no
Seahawks 11-5 Div. champ
Cardinals 10-6 Wild Card
Rams 9-7 no
49ers 4-12 no
http://57.media.tumblr.com/7e2cb89b048f8b282242c71ef8803bdb/tumblr_o092wyVUC31qfr6udo1_400.gif
http://57.media.tumblr.com/8a0a0ac9c89d64721faefcfe5c8a1aff/tumblr_nz1cutaegw1trz3y8o4_250.gif
http://49.media.tumblr.com/79754465cfdcb13953be8226f7ce0de2/tumblr_nz1cutaegw1trz3y8o7_250.gif
You got the AFC West pretty much right.
I didn’t underestimate the Skins so much as I underestimated how crap the rest of the NFC East was. It was a perfect storm of NFC East bedshitting that led to a WAS division win. You would have to be a meteorologist or something to see that coming.
Fuck it, I forgot to make a prediction. I predict that the Ravens are gonna continue to suck for at least two more seasons.
I will make this prediction: Baltimore Riots this year: 3
2 about Freddy Gray and 1 after Ozzie fucks up the draft.
Bourbon bottles I toss into the trash each month: 4 (note that January is skewed because I’m going to Disney World with my family)
Soooo…..what do I win? [crouches in anticipation of onslaught of rotten tomatoes and empty shot glasses]
Are you shitting me? My New England prediction was both factually accurate AND captured the complex emotional tapestry of all the fans who were forced to serve witness to God’s continued indifference to His children’s suffering.
Wow, I had forgotten how much I homered that.
However, missing your two best players for a good portion of the season mitigates it slightly.
I think they would have won at least two more games with Ben and Bell healthy, but that’s pretty much every team at this point. Wouldn’t want to throw a few extra bye weeks in to help these guys recover from colliding with other superhumans every day for six months.
What I meant was 14-6.
HERE WE GO
I think I picked the Los Angeles Chargers of Southern California for a 3-13 finish but upgraded them to 4-12 at the bye week update. I took no joy in any of those 4 wins.
I recall this as well, as you are the Chargers fan here with the most Football Intelligence(R).
I also recall the no joy from those wins. Only sighs and shrugs.
They’ll be back next year though! Right?
…Right?
http://i.imgur.com/0xAW6Ig.gif
I accept full responsibility. I tried to be diligent but after sorting through 3 months worth of posts and 4 pages worth of notes I was worried that something might fall through the cracks. Outstanding prediction making son.
Full marks.
A million monkey with a million type writers for a million years…..
Speaking of millions (of dollars/pounds), PK had BAL v GB in SB XXXXX. Other fat fuck preseason tid bits (FFPTBs):
“But there’s no insurance for Sam Bradford staying upright for the season; if he does, the Eagles are as good as anyone in the NFC, and maybe better.”
re: Miami being a new playoff team; “…I haven’t seen a team in recent years with the schedule advantage the Dolphins have in the first two months.” You know, the period that resulted in their coach getting fired.
Actually, he only went 6/12 (1/8 Div Winners) in picking the playoff teams, including no uppity Cam but three NFC East teams (sorry Eli) in the post season.
His individual awards picks aren’t entirely unreasonable except — Coach of the Year: Dan Quinn, Atlanta.
Not saying my picks were better, but for what I get paid to be an NFL Insider/Expert, Blax’s takes are the value picks.
I said 8-8 for the Bears, but 6-10 if Clausen played. Bourbon me.
Why do I root for this team. What do I have in common to other TEN fans. Is fidelity per se virtuous? If not for context, are hope and delusion the same?
Stubbornness, stubbornness, kinda, I guess (respectively).
“What do you have in common with other Titans fans?
That you live in western Oregon?”
-CBS Scheduling Committee
For all of those who nailed their team predictions, a celebratory Eliza Dushku GIF.
The rest of you get nothing…do you hear me? Nothing.
http://45.media.tumblr.com/f5842a904f96cafdd6fa416b34a9ef23/tumblr_ndiiuaFQJZ1s572c9o3_500.gif
I never thought I would say, “Thank God the Jags are bad!”
I will never not upvote Eliza
#wouldpen
I did say at the bye the Houston Not Cowboys would win the division if Colts continued to shit the bed which they did… I will grant you they were a team with an extremely late bye into the season so for penance I will only look at the gif from the chest down.
Special commendations to scotchy, who not only got the exact record, but also got Coughlin’s last year correct.
Are we sure New School Zero is not Canadian?
Holy sir, that’s a lot of work, yeah right! Thanks for doing it!
Also, about my Jags prediction,
http://cdn.playbuzz.com/cdn/af843f3a-faee-4be6-8e2a-8cb27c2a07ad/16e8c22f-641c-4324-b962-b6db22bba1bf.png
It just proves that no one’s CTE has kicked in yet.
WOOOO 10-6!!! I iz a genious!!!
I should add that in the Packers week bye post, when they were 6-0, I predicted they’d finish their final 10 games 6-4. I was not pessimistic enough.