2014 "Experts" Predictions

[MakoShark]

Salma Hayek logo:

We have a winner!

:thread:

[TTK]

SiriusXM

Rich Gannon:

Broncos: 13-3
Chiefs: 10-6
Chargers: 8-8
Raiders: 5-11

AFC Championship: Broncos defeat Patriots
Super Bowl: Packers defeat Broncos

Bruce Murray:

Broncos: 13-3
Chargers: 11-5
Chiefs: 6-10
Raiders: 4-12

WC: Bengals and Chargers
AFC Championship: Broncos defeat Patriots
Super Bowl: Saints defeat Broncos

[blueman]

I wonder what 3 games the broncos could lose? Are they just saying that to be "fair"?

[Beerman]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2014/2014-dvoa-projections

Football outsiders has us in the playoffs per DVOA. As expected on the strength of the offense.

Here's hoping the D can show up this season.

[Panama]

I wonder what 3 games the broncos could lose? Are they just saying that to be "fair"?

Good to have you on the board, Tony G!

[Mister Hoarse]

I wonder what 3 games the broncos could lose? Are they just saying that to be "fair"?

The 3 against us

[bonehead]

http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvo...oa-projections

Football outsiders has us in the playoffs per DVOA. As expected on the strength of the offense.

Here's hoping the D can show up this season.

Well they got the Raiders right

[Rugger05]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2183939-mike-freemans-10-point-stance-10-vital-questions-heading-into-the-2014-season

10. Who will win the Super Bowl?

I've gone back and forth over this for months, and what makes the Super Bowl harder to pick than normal is the abundance of good teams in the AFC. I'm focusing on two, though: Indianapolis and San Diego.

The Chargers have a nasty schedule. They play the 49ers, Seahawks and Patriots once and the Broncos and Chiefs twice each. Yet something about this team makes me believe they can win the conference. It's mainly quarterback Philip Rivers, but it's also all of the weapons around him on both sides of the ball.

Methodically, quietly, San Diego has become stacked with talent. The addition of Dwight Freeney was one of the best free-agent pickups of the past five years. The Chargers have a nice mix of pure talent, younger players and veteran leadership.


The Colts are similar, and to me, Andrew Luck is on the verge of something great. By the end of this coming season, everyone will view him as a top-five quarterback. Maybe even top three.

But I'm officially going Chargers-Seahawks, with the Seahawks repeating.

[Mister Hoarse]

Jeebus these Bleacher Reports are really out there

[Heatmiser]

Reasons the Chargers won't win the superbowl:

1. Jason Verrett is too small to play CB or really to even be in the NFL. And his hair is too long.
2. Chargers won't listen to fans who clamored for them to keep Tevin Reese and Craig Watts and to have them switch positions. No other team would see that coming.
3. Two words: Brad Sorensen.
4. Thomas Keiser no longer on the team. Hence Chargers have no one to do the ol' Nancy Kerrigan on opposing teams' key players the night before big games.
5. Mike McCoy never answers critical questions from Kevin Acee, such as "Coach, can you lay out the entire game plan here during the press conference?" or "Coach, what makes rainbows?" or "Coach, is it pronounced YOUbaking? or YUBA King?"
6. Is Peyton Manning on this team? Uh, huh, that's what I thought.
7. No one gets a drink on the sideline during games unless Nick Novak has checked and passed the water first.
8. Dwight Freeney is over 33 years old. Keenan Allen is 21. The average of those two ages is 27. If you construct a right triangle, it is nearly impossible to make one with a hypotenuse that is 27 feet long.
9. The NFL changed the rules on defensive holding to favor Peyton Manning. These rules will be applied, except when the Seahawks play the Chargers, they can get away with murder. Really, it's ok.
10. To quote Sean Phillips, "How am I the traitor. Your team the traitor."

TG

[TTK]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000384349/article/2014-nfl-award-predictions-mvp-rookie-of-the-year-and-more

COACH OF THE YEAR

Gil Brandt: Mike McCoy, San Diego Chargers. I think his coaching ability was underestimated until probably the middle of last season. He's done a very good job making the offense much more balanced.

Dave Dameshek: McCoy. If the Chargers win the AFC West (which, as you might recall, includes Peyton's Broncos), no one will argue that anyone other than McCoy, in just his second year as an NFL head coach, deserves the award. Oh, and by the way, the Chargers will win the AFC West.

Elliot Harrison: McCoy. San Diego will make the playoffs, and with the difficulty the Chargers have given the Broncos in recent years, the Bolts might surprise some folks. Looking for 10 to 11 wins from this group.

[TTK]

No Respect

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-season-predictions-part-2-the-falling-stars/

San Diego Chargers10-6 and claim another wild-card spot.

Worst-Case Scenario:San Diego finishes 5-11.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/nfl-season-predictions-teams-that-can-win-super-bowl/

Denver Broncos

2013 Record: 13-3
Pythagorean Wins: 11.7 (overperformed by 1.3 wins, fifth-luckiest team in NFL)
Record in Games Decided by Seven Points or Fewer: 2-3 (0.400, 10th-unluckiest)
2013 Strength of Schedule: 0.494 (15th-toughest)
Estimated 2014 Strength of Schedule: 13th-toughest
Turnover Margin: even (14th-best)
2014 Out-of-Division Schedule: NFC West, AFC East, vs. Colts, at Bengals

I asked this of my podcast partner, Robert Mays, when we were talking about the Broncos during the AFC West preview: Would the Broncos make the playoffs if Peyton Manning suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1?