Before we start the predictions, I want to take a moment and talk about the longevity and success of this league. 20 years ago, I was a 21 year old kid with an idea to create an online madden league, but really had no idea how it worked. With the help of Dolan (Lhu27) we created the MOF. We had some bumps and bruises in our first few seasons, but now 69 seasons later (nice) here we are. One of the most prestigious leagues out there. As we enter our unprecedented 70th season, a number that not many leagues have seen, I want to thank every single one of you for making this league what it is. I say this all the time, but this is a wonderful hobby for all of us. Something to get our minds off the everyday grind and have a place to escape for a few hours a week. I take pride and pleasure in providing that for you guys, so again, thank you for making the MOF great!
Welcome to the Season 70 Predictions! So last season's numbers, I was 4 for 7 in the AFC (Thanks Bills), with 1 team correct in the AFC title game. In the NFC I was 5 for 7, with a zero in the title game. I didn't pick the eventual champ to even make the playoffs, and I picked Witness to 3-peat and he didn't even make the playoffs. So all in all 9 out of 14 is pretty good, but the teams that were missed went deep into the playoffs. So last season we saw new Mack make a name for himself as he won his 1st MOF Super Bowl with a 30-10 win over the Raiders and BigReub. We all know Mack is a popular name around these parts but new Mack is making his own legacy and it started last season. We saw BigReub make his 2nd straight Super Bowl and lose, so is three times the charm? Will Coach Witness make his triumphant return to the playoffs? Will MackDaddy finally break his 3 season playoff drought with an appearance? I think we might be in for some surprises this season, and some let downs. We are already seeing the newer coaches really take the league by storm and it's always great to get new blood in the post-season. So with all of that said, what is in store for this season? Maybe we will see a new champion again? Will CoachQ snap his playoff drought? Will Jfon bounce back? Will Coach Tex break his 38 game losing streak? All that and more will be answered as we go through our Season 70 season predictions.
*Remember all these predictions are very in depth. We go game by game with the current schedule and predict games 1 by 1 and that's how we come up with our algorithms. Remember this is all in good fun and for some, some bulletin board material! Enjoy
by Commissioner Jeff
January 19, 2023
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR DeAndre Hopkins - NYJ (92 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: LT Terron Armstead - MIA (91 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: SS Javonte Nolan - NYJ (87 ovr)
Another season and another season without MackDaddy in the playoffs. Last season we saw new comer JBoc_27 take the Patriots to the division title, only to step away as soon as they lost to the Titans in the wild-card round. The Patriots welcome a new coach to the fold as they have been a carousel this edition. The Jets finished 9-8 as well did the Bills at 9-8 and both teams missed the playoffs. Miami went winless all the way up until Week 18 when they got their first win over the Cardinals. So we begin with the Jets. Coach DoubleD is at it again, another phenomenal draft as they drafted the generational talent SS Javonte Nolan who is already an 87 overall and you know he'll also be an x-factor immediately. The Jets also went out and signed QB Dak Prescott and WR DeAndre Hopkins. They are clearly going for it all this season, and I don't think they will disappoint. You look at this depth chart, and you cannot really find many holes. HB Breece Hall is a juggernaut ready to breakout and the receivers got speed (except for Hopkins). The defense is also extremely solid, so i would be surprised if the Jets did not make the playoffs this season. I think they will win the division in a close battle. The Buffalo Bills and Coach MackDaddy once again missed the post-season, but they are getting closer and closer. I think this will be the season that they push through to the playoffs. It will be a fun race with the Jets, and I think the wild-card is going to also be an epic battle, but I like the Bills chances. I like their schedule, and I like how they play defense. Each of the first three seasons of the edition, the Bills finished in the top 3 in total defense. That has to mean something, right? Also, anytime you have a QB like Josh Allen, you automatically are in contention. Last season we saw an emergence out of HB James Cook who rushed for 1,790 yards and 27 TDs. I expect more of the same this season as well. The Bills went out and signed TE Austin Hooper to go along with Dawson Knox who recently gained x-factor status. That dual TE threat will be a force to be reckoned with. The defense, as we know, are still mainly in tact and that will be the bread and butter of the Season 70 playoff bound Bills! You heard it here first! The New England Patriots had themselves a resurgence under coach JBoc last season. JBoc went 11-2 in his 13 games here and won the division. However, like we mentioned above he left abruptly following a playoff loss. Enter rookie coach KBrawtz_44. First off, we already love the name. Anything related to cured meat is fantastic. Anywho, the Patriots coach immediately made changes the minute he took over and we love to see the activity. As we know the Patriots roster was locked and loaded from last season. Coach KBrawtz made an impact and maybe not a fan favorite move when he traded OBJ back to the Rams. However, with the age and the package they got back, I honestly think it was a good deal. Mac Jones and Alvin Kamara make up the offense and both players are x-factors. They have some developing to do with their receivers but all in all a solid offense. Defense is very nice as well, but it looks like Kbrawtz wants to put his own touch on the team as Arik Armstead moved back to DE. I think whenever a new coach comes into the league it's very hard to gauge their talent, but given the success of the new guys here lately I wouldn't be shocked to see the Patriots compete for the division right out of the gate. Of course we cannot predict that entirely, but I do see some good things on the horizon for New England and rookie coach Kbrawtz. The Miami Dolphins come into this season off a 16 loss Season 69, with their only win coming against the winless Cardinals. So what gives? Well, they went out and drafted QB Leo Washington, which surprised a lot of us since Tua was reupped last season. So maybe Tua is on the block? They also drafted TE Trent Christmas, which was a huge pick, but again they have TE Mike Gesicki. Obviously Tyreek Hill can still burn at age 31 with 98 speed, so there's that. I think Miami is a young team with chips to move for more picks. We are getting late in the edition now, so if you want to develop players you're going to have to do it right now. I think Miami has a lot of talent, and Remo just needs to use it the right way. Unfortunately I think Miami will finish in last once again, but I'm hoping to see an improvement off last season.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR DeVonta Smith - BAL (89 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: LT Tyron Smith - PIT (94 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: LE Wyatt Nelson - CLE (74 ovr)
The AFC North was a runaway win for the Steelers last season and we really didn't see that coming after the Bengals AFC title appearance in Season 68. It's really been a two team show the last 3 seasons and it will probably continue that way as the Bengals showed a strong improvement in the 2nd half of the season. The Browns played a bit better last season but the Ravens again were near the bottom of the entire MOF with their 3-14 record. We begin with the Steelers. Commish finished Season 69 at 12-5 and in 1st place in the North. They made some fantastic additions last season that propelled them to the top of the division. DT Aaron Donald, QB Russell Wilson, TE Travis Kelce to name a few. This season they traded Travis to the Vikings for Irv Smith and a pick. They also lost LT Tyron Smith to retirement, so that's two big holes to start. I still think the Steelers are the team to beat in the division. Their defense still has Watt, Donald, Fitzpatrick, Edmunds, Jack, Bush, etc. They have a lot of playmakers on D and that will win games for them. The offense is led by HB Najee Harris who jumped into the 99 club in the off-season. They also went out and signed QB Ryan Tannehill, QB Jimmy Garoppolo (a Commish favorite) and HB Clyde Edwards-Helaire for depth. I look for WR Calvin Austin to break out this season as well. The Cincinnati Bengals were coming off a trip to the AFC title game in Season 68 and hopes were extremely high for them coming into last season. However things were not great as the Bengals started off 3-6 and then traded WR Ja'Marr Chase to the Lions. Everyone thought that would be a move that would cripple the team, but the Bengals then won 4 in a row before their 4 game losing streak to end the season. The Bengals were a see saw team last season, but I think they get back on track this season. They are too talented, with Joe Burrow and Jameson Williams, Kirkpatrick and that pass defense. I expect the Bengals to fight Pittsburgh for that north title, at worst they will be a wild-card team for sure. The Cleveland Browns enter the season coming off another 3rd place finish. They had some nice wins last seasons, including two over the Bengals. The Browns are a weird team. They have a fantastic defense that gives opponents all sorts of troubles. However when it comes to offense, they just turn the ball over way too much. The Browns drafted LE Wyatt Nelson and everyone in Cleveland is very excited about this guy, who will most likely start along side Myles Garrett day 1. The Browns are also excited about CB Steve Mabry who the Browns drafted in the 2nd round. Listen, we do not expect the Browns to make the playoffs any time soon. Not until they start limiting those turnovers. Deshaun Watson is too good to turn the ball over that much. I'm also super surprised that they still have Chubb and Hunt on their roster, I expected them to trade one of those guys. I expect Trevor Jarrett to have a breakout season as he earned his x-factor dev last season. They also went out and traded for Chase Claypool who looks to make an immediate impact. The Baltimore Ravens are in the same spot as they were the past two seasons. In a bind. They were kicking the tires on Lamar Jackson and seeing if they could deal the x-factor QB, but they decided to hold onto him instead. They are starting to build around him, which is nice. They went out and signed WR DeVonta Smith, which was one of the biggest signings in the MOF offseason. Smith and Williams make a solid 1/2 punch at WR, and then you add Mark Andrews and Elijah Mitchell and you have yourself a very good offense. The Ravens secondary is very nice on the defensive side of the ball, but they have lost some pieces, especially on the defensive line. I expect that to really hurt them, especially in division against teams that like to pound the ball. I think the Ravens have the tools to win games, they have the talent, but Coach Minden just has to limit the mistakes. They could have traded Lamar and started over, but instead they reloaded and are looking to make a run! We're rooting for them.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: CB Jalen Ramsey - TEN (98 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: C Corey Linsley - TEN (90 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: HB Nick Broyles - HOU (76 ovr)
The AFC South did not disappoint last season. We had three out of the four teams make the playoffs as the Jaguars took a step back. Even with the Jaguars 7-10 finish, they actually went on a 6-2 run to finish the season. The Colts were a tad bit better than the rest with their 13-4 record, but the Titans and Texans hung with them every step of the way finishing 11-6 on the season and earning a wild-card spot each. We start with the Colts who are tied for the highest rated overall team at 90 ovr. The Colts were a steamroller last season. Jonathan Taylor rushed for 2,560 yards and broke the record for yards after contact with 1,261. Unbelievable. I expect more of the same this season. Taylor is in his prime, ride him to the ground! Also returning is superstar QB Jake Bowen and X-factor TE Ramon Rich. The bread and butter of this team is the run game though, obviously, with three offensive lineman rated 97, 89, and 87. There's no secret that Coach Healy loves his defensive tackles. With Rashan Gary and Dexter Lawrence already on the roster, the Colts went and added Dayo Odeyingbo as well, to make up easily the best set of DTs in the league. Throw in Micah Parsons and Yannick Ngakoue, the Colts probably have the best defensive line in the MOF. I expect the Colts to easily be in the playoffs, the question is if they will win the division or be a high wild-card. I think the division will be theirs. The Tennessee Titans again made their way to the AFC title game for the 2nd time in 3 seasons. The Titans offseason is what we all hope and dream for. Remember how I said the Colts were tied for the highest rated team in the game? Well they are tied with the Titans. The Titans traded for WR Jerry Jeudy and CB Jalen Ramsey. Yes. Jalen Ramsey. Giving them 4 x-factors in the secondary. WHAT!? They also have Jeffery Simmons (XF DE) two superstars as well on the DL, then they have 2 more SS's at LB. HB Derrick Henry is a year older but still rated 99 and an x-factor as well. Out of the 22 starters they have 8 x-factors and 5 superstars. The Titans are loaded and they will be right there with the Colts for the division. The difference is, the Titans have extreme amounts of success in the post-season. It's going to be fun watching this team. The Jacksonville Jaguars return off a down season, something we rarely see out of BigDre. The Jaguars had an 8 game losing streak, but turned it around with a 6 game winning streak. The Jags finished 7-10 and obviously part of it is because of this incredible division. You have some of the top coaches here and they are controlling some of the top teams. That's going to be hard to compete with. However, I think the Jaguars will turn it around this season. Do I think they will win the division? No. I do think they can compete for a wild-card though. The only problem is the rest of the division is so good that every win outside of it is going to be extremely important. Dre didn't make too many off-season changes, the team is pretty much in tact from last season. Now it's just a matter of beating those divisional opponents. The Houston Texans are coming off a playoff appearance last season, and they were exactly who we thought they'd be coming into the season. Coach Boobie started off 7-0 before things took a bit of a turn. After that he finished 4-6 before being ousted by the Colts in the playoffs. So who are the real Texans? The 7-0 team or the 4-7 team? In the off-season the Texans traded QB Baker Mayfield and look to be starting QB Clyde Ford who they drafted last season in the 2nd round. I'm actually surprised by that move, but regardless, they still have Tony Pollard starting at HB with Pierce as a spell back. Keep an eye on WR Mick Oakley this season, he has a 99 speed! Other than that, the Texans are lacking a bit on the offensive side of the ball. Playmakers aren't really there, and I think that is going to hurt them this seasons. That and the fact that they have a 71 ovr rated QB starting in the toughest division in the AFC if not the entire league. Boobie has talent, and I still expect Houston to be right in the thick of the races, but I do believe they will fall short of the post-season.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: LT Terron Armstead - KC (91 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: WR Jerry Jeudy - DEN (87 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: WR James Fisher - DEN (80 ovr)
The AFC West was no big surprise as the Raiders once again came out on top and earned the top seed in the AFC. Not only that but they represented the AFC in the Super Bowl for the 2nd straight season. The Chiefs had themselves a very nice season, beating the Raiders once, and getting to the playoffs where they eventually lost to the Raiders in the divisional round. The Chargers were a pleasant surprise, playing a lot better than we though finishing 8-9 and then the Broncos also played better than we thought , but finished in last. We begin this breakdown with the Las Vegas Raiders. (it still feels weird not to type Oakland, but anyway), the Raiders come into the season making a huge change at QB. Out is Derek Carr, and in is hidden dev rookie David Short who the Raiders picked with the 16th overall pick. He looks like he could be a strong QB but he needs to work on his accuracy. I think anytime you make a big change at QB, there will be some growing pains. The Raiders downfall, if they had any, was their interceptions as we saw in the Super Bowl. They are hoping the change to Short will bring them passed that. The rest of the team is just all around fantastic. X-factors at every position on offense, Jacobs, Adams, Waller. They have a strong O-line led by Kolton Miller. Then there's the defense. This is where Reub makes his coin. Reigning defending AFC Defensive MVP Maxx Crosby returns as the premier pass rusher in the MOF. Along side him is Chandler Jones, who at 35 yrs old still can get at it. The Raiders also went out and signed CB Mike Hilton to add to their strong secondary. Barring anything catastrophic, the Raiders should win this division. They might not win 14 games again, but they should still wind up with the division crown. The Kansas City Chiefs like we mentioned above had themselves a really nice Season 69. We didn't expect the Chiefs to get into the playoffs, but they did, and they got passed the wild-card round too. Patrick Mahomes threw for 5,440 yards with 52 TDs (and 50 INTs). And if you think the Chiefs had enough weapons, think again. They went out and drafted WR Dion Henson who has a 99 speed rating to go along with Hardman & Underwood who both have 98 speed. There's no question that the Chiefs offense is the most explosive in the MOF. The problem is the turnovers. Mahomes threw 50 interceptions last season. If he threw 30 or even 40 , they prob would have won even more games. The Chiefs have a pretty brutal schedule this season, so we are predicting them to take a step back. Unless they can figure out a way to stop turning the ball over so much, they should finish under 500. The Los Angeles Chargers were predicted to win 2 games last season, just 2 games. Well they said, eh eh, that's not happening on our watch. They started off the season 5-0 and immediately erased thoughts of that. However, after that 5-0 start they went 3-9 the rest of the way to finish at 8-9. The Chargers finished the season with the 2nd ranked defense in the entire league. These guys were dynamite on defense, led by DT Joey Bosa, DE Chase Young, and DE Khalil Mack. That's three x-factors on the d-line. They also have LB Krys Barnes, CB JC Jackson, and SS Derwin James all with x-factors too. These guys are loaded on defense. The offense is where the problems lie. Terry McLaurin was almost traded in the off-season, but the trade wound up falling through but other than him and an aging Austin Ekeler the Chargers are lacking fire power. 3rd year QB Jeff Monroe had a tough season with 57 interceptions and just 14 touchdowns. I expect the Chargers to win some games because of that defense, but i would be surprised if they won more than 7 or 8 games since the AFC West as a whole, has a tough schedule. The Denver Broncos are coming off a season where we thought they'd win just 3 games. They wound up winning 7 and that's just Shawty being a good coach. They had trouble last season with their offense and it starts with the QB. Callum Harrison, who was a rookie last season, threw 43 interceptions and had a 58% completion percentage. That's just not going to get it done, especially in this division. Not to mention he was sacked 68 times last season. Harrison will need to play better this season if they want to win more games. Their offense is lacking an x-factor player, they do have a superstar RB in Javonte Williams, but he's more of a bruiser than an elusive back. I honestly don't know why the Broncos traded Jerry Jeudy in the off-season, that could cost them in the pass game, something they cant afford to mess with. The Broncos secondary is the strong point of their team. Led by X-factor CB Patrick Surtain, these guys are tough to throw the ball against. Well I picked Denver to win 3 games again, I'm sure he will prove me wrong, but with the lack of playmakers on offense and a tough schedule, and a tough division, I think that spells disaster for them.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: LB Shaquil Barrett - DAL (84 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: WR DeVonta Smith - PHI (89 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: FS Casey Banks - NYG (81 ovr)
Well, who had the Giants winning the Super Bowl before the season started? We didn't. However that makes 3 seasons and 3 champions from the NFC East. This division is so great that the 2-time defending champion Eagles missed the playoffs entirely! The New York Giants and coach Mack stepped up his game to compete with this juggernauts and wound up winning the whole thing. The Commanders and Coach Portis showed why he's considered the greatest MOF coach of all-time as he finished 14-3. Estrada's Cowboys fizzled out a bit at the end of the season, but still were very strong. Then the 2-time defending champ Eagles had a rough start and never recovered as they finished 8-9. We begin with the defending champs, the New York Giants. Coach Mack showed off some incredible passing skills in his playoff games, with Marcus Mariota.. he was so great that he felt the need to not resign Ryan Tannehill and go trade for Dorian Jennings. Confused? So am I. There must be something that he knows that we don't. Anyway, I wouldn't be shocked if Dorian Jennings was an x-factor by the end of the season. WR Elijah Moore leads a solid group of receivers, including Kadarius Toney, Curtis Samuel, and rookie Gage Weber who might see some time with his 95 speed. The Giants defense is also very solid all over. The draft pick of Casey Banks looks to be the end of Micah Hyde's time in blue, as Hyde is on the trade block. Xavier McKinney who could have been the Super Bowl MVP is also back at SS. It's crazy to say that a team is a "team to beat" in a division like this one, but it's true. The Giants are absolutely the team to beat here. I think we're going to see another strong solid season out of Coach Mack and I think they will win this division once again. The Washington Commanders and Coach Portis showed the league while he should still be considered dangerous. The Commanders finished 14-3 and lost in the NFC title game to the Giants. Justin Herbert went out on a tear last season. In a game where interceptions are out of control, Coach Betts was able to throw 44 TDs and just 19 INTs, earning him the MOF MVP award. Also, don't forget the season HB Antonio Gibson had. 2,461 yards rushing and 20 TDs. The offense is phenomenal in DC and it's just going to get better as TE Larry Harrison earned x-factor. The defense also is top notch. Betts loves getting that d-line stout and we see that here with Payne, Allen, and Sweat. Throw in Cole Holcomb and Jamin Davis and you have a serious front 7. The secondary is also solid with SS Kamren Curl leading the way. The Commanders have a very very good team and I wouldn't be shocked if they over took the Giants for first place, but odds are they will be the top wild-card team in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles are the first team to ever win back to back Super Bowls and then miss the playoffs the following season. Shocking isn't even the word to describe. Coach Witness I'm sure is not quite happy with those turns of events, and will be back this season with a chip on his shoulder. QB Jalen Hurts threw 46 interceptions last season, very unlike Coach Witness to struggle like that. The Eagles didn't really do too much in the off-season but they did lose WR DeVonta Smith. They are returning basically the same team just a little bit older. I think things will be different this time around. I believe it's going to be a dog fight all season long for 3rd place. I think we're going to see some epic battles between these NFC East teams. I also think the Eagles will be back in the playoffs sneaking by Dallas for that last wild-card. Of course we've been wrong before. Speaking of Dallas, Coach Estrada is back once again after a 1 and done in the playoffs. It's getting to the point where it's just becoming who Estrada is. Estrada has had 9 playoff appearances in the MOF. He has won 4 games and lost 9. He has never made a Super Bowl. That is a crazy stat for someone with so much regular season success. His regular season winning percentage is .746, which is 5th best all time amongst coaches who have at least played 10 seasons. So what happens in the playoffs? We have yet to figure it out. All we know is that Dallas has a great team and they are on track to have another great season. The Cowboys made some moves in the off-season, starting with the releasing of X-factor QB Dak Prescott. They are all in on Superstar 2nd year QB Carey Barber who looks to have another strong season, as he threw for 47 TDs last season. Big Zeke is 30 yrs old but still rated 91, I'm sure this could be his last season in Dallas as well with the emergence of Jamaal Stallworth and Dimitri Yancy. TE Joey Harbor, the Cowboys leading receiver in yards, will be Barber's top target once again along with Fuller and CeeDee Lamb. It looks like Coach Estrada put his entire offensive line on the block, we're not really sure why, but maybe he wants some more picks. There's no question Estrada knows how to develop in the draft and that's what he loves to do as we see on the defensive side of the ball CB LaMarcus Poyer, SS Martin Rose, and the draft pick of LB Javier Delgado who I'm sure will be a force very soon. Dallas has a great roster, no doubt about it, but Estrada tripped up a bit last season towards the end and I think that could spill over a little bit into this season. I think Dallas will be right there when playoff time comes, but I currently have them on the outside looking in because the NFC is just loaded.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR Deebo Samuel - MIN (96 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: WR Copper Kupp - DET (94 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: WR Ronnie May - GB (78 ovr)
Another season and another surprising finish in the NFC North. The Green Bay Packers and rookie Coach VictorWrestles took the crown in Season 69 finishing 11-6. The Lions who started off 1-8 finished 7-1 and wound up in 2nd place. The Vikings, who had a coaching change mid-season, disappointed and went 7-10 and the Bears and Trigrdan actually played better than expected at 7-10. We begin with the Detroit Lions. Yes! I said it. One of the hottest teams to close out Season 69, the Lions and Coach Q are GM extraordinaries! They let Cooper Kupp walk in the off-season, but they traded for Ja'Marr Chase in the middle of last season. They also drafted very well, grabbing two hidden dev lineman. They were looking to try to deal Shaquille Leonard in the offseason but couldn't unload him. I really like the offense that Q has morphed into. I expect Mixon and Chase to have huge years and I expect Will Robbins to have a breakout season. I think the division race is going to be an interesting one, but I am leaning towards the Lions and Coach Q to take this one this season. The Green Bay Packers shocked us all when he won the division last season, rookie coaches have been having a lot of success lately but we did not expect Coach Victor to play so well last season. The Packers QB Zach Wilson threw for 43 TDs and 4,119 yards as TE Brock Bowers had a coming out party with 12 TDs. Aaron Jones another solid season with 1,577 yards rushing and 15 TDs. The Packers went out and drafted two strong pieces on offense. HB Luke Connor and WR Ronnie May. These two players should contribute immediately as Aaron Jones is getting a little older, and WR Christian Watson looks to be sidelined at the moment. On the defensive side of the ball, everyone loves DT Chris Jones and DT Kenny Clark. Possibly the two best DT combinations in the league. CB Jaire Alexander returns as a 99 rated x-factor, so good luck throwing his way. So as the season went on the Packers started losing some games. Towards the end of the season they had a stretch where they went 1-4 with losses to the Titans, Bears, Jaguars, and Patriots. They wound up winning their wild-card game vs Dallas, but losing to the Commanders in the divisional round. I think we're going to see a little bit of Sophomore blues for Coach Victor as a tough schedule ensues, and the division is getting stronger. I wouldn't be shocked if they found a way to win another division, but I think they are a little behind the 8 ball this season. The Minnesota Vikings had a change at coach mid-season as JeromeMP took off after a tough start and Coach Domi_TSX came in. Coach Domi finished the season 5-5 as he showed some bright spots towards the end of the season as he went on a 4 game winning streak before losing to Green Bay in the final game. The Vikings were a busy squad in the off-season acquiring QB Sam Howell from the Commanders to take the reigns, but as we were typing this word came down that it looked like Jared Goff would be taking the starting job away for now. They also went out and traded for TE Travis Kelce and also while this was being written, they traded for WR Deebo Samuel! The Vikings also drafted TE Jonathan Gardner who has 88 speed. The weapons that the Vikings have, are incredible. Justin Jefferson hasn't even been named yet! But him, Amari Cooper and Deebo Samuel could be the best receiving core in the league. CB Vonn Smith who is entering his 3rd season is now an x-factor CB and leads the defense which is also a solid group. The Vikings have the talent, we see this. But can they get it to gel with their QB problems? Could they go out and get another QB instead? It looks like they are out of trades, but they are trying their best to compete. I think they could surprise some people and challenge for the division, but I think in the end, the QB issues will doom this team and make him go out and grab someone in the off-season to improve. So here we are entering our 4th season of the edition and the Chicago Bears still do not have any players with abilities. What is going on here? The Bears still finished 7-10 last season, but clearly have the worst rated team in the game. It's not like they don't have good players. RB Will Rhodes has 95 speed, Justin Fields obviously, is a blue chip QB. Their receivers need some work, and they traded a hidden dev WR Rodney Molden. But the Bears are a trainwreck, and they aren't being improved in anyway. They are returning basically the same team, with no superstars, and expect to compete? I don't think so. I think the Bears are in for their worst season yet. I know we predicted them last season to go 5-12 and they went 7-10 but this season I say 5-12 and that's pushing it. This division is getting better and better and the Bears are not keeping up with the improving.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR Copper Kupp - CAR (94 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: HB Leonard Fournette - TB (89 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: LG Tyler Henley - NO (76 ovr)
The NFC South was once again the trasssh division. Just kidding. But seriously, the Saints again won the division with an 8-9 record! What gives? The Falcons finished 6-11 , another disappointing season out of BigReg. The Panthers also finished 6-11, an actual decent season out of Bengalsonly. And the shock of the season, Coach Jfon finished 4-13 when we were thinking big things out of him. Speaking of which, we start with Tampa Bay because I think things are going to change with them, this season. We all know what the problem was last season. They lost QB Tom Brady and had some serious issues with rookie QB Phillip Stafford. Stafford threw 78 interceptions last season, that's the most interceptions I've ever seen Coach Jfon throw. So they immediately went out and traded for QB Baker Mayfield in the off-season and on top of that drafted QB Joe Redman who is a hidden dev, with the 5th pick overall. Now I think Baker will start at first as Redman develops and that will be everything Jfon needs to turn this thing around. I love Rachaad White and I think he's going to have a big season. Obviously the WRs are still big time with Godwin and Evans. Also, star TE Hacksaw Jaren Duggan is ready for a breakout season too. The Bucs have some very nice pieces on defense as well, with Vita Vea, Matthew Judon, and Devin White leading the way. I really like Tampa to turn it around so much that I think he wins the division this season. The head to heads vs the Saints are going to be all the difference as I believe those two teams will be battling for that division crown. The real question is, will the division winner finish above 500? Yeah i think so. The New Orleans Saints, 3-time division champs, are returning after a first round exit in the playoffs. They are also without the retiring QB Tom Brady who had a decent season, I'm MOF standards 25 TD and 34 INT is a really good season. So exit Brady and enter Derek Carr and Daniel Jones! Who will be the starter? The Saints haven't really made that announcement, but we think Jones could probably be the starter since he's younger and more accurate. The rest of the team, solid. Christian McCaffrey comes back rated a 99 x-factor at 29 yrs old. Coming off a 1,635 yard rushing season with 17 TDs. They are lacking at WR, depth that is, as they only have 3 on their roster but who needs more when you have Jaylen "freakin" Waddle? Jaylen Waddle broke the record for most kick return yards in a single season, he returned 9 back for touchdowns (1 off the record) and also caught 8 TDs. The Saints return game is a huge part of their offense, and it's crippling if Waddle gets a hold of that kick. I really like their secondary, with Lattimore and Mathieu leading the way. We have to remember though, these guys finished 8-9. Yes they won the division, again, but they are still a team with a losing record. To improve that, they must win those tough games. I think the games vs Tampa will be the deciding factor as to who wins this division this season. Coach BigReg has had a tough stretch the last few seasons, and a 6-11 finish has to be eating him up inside. BigReg once won 14 division titles in 17 seasons with the Falcons and now he's missed the playoffs 7 out of the last 8 seasons. The Falcons are a rebuilding team, there's no doubt. Desmond Ridder is having some issues, throwing 57 interceptions last season to only 21 touchdowns. Their run game is struggling with Eli Barrett only gaining 3.5 YPC and outside of Kyle Pitts, receivers just aren't stepping it up. They will need an extra great year out of Eli Barrett to lighten the load for Ridder if they want to have any success. I think the Falcons have an outside shot, i really do, if they can get that run game going and limit Ridder's mistakes they could sneak in. But i just don't see it. I think Atlanta will finish close to 2nd, but ultimately in 3rd place. The Carolina Panthers were predicted last season to go 4-13 and they went 6-11. There were times where the Panthers were actually in first place and looking very strong. The first thing the Panthers did in the off-season was replace QB Matt Corral, who threw 57 interceptions. They traded for Ed Kowalski and then drafted hidden dev QB Steven Drew. JK Dobbins rushed for 1,188 yards and 10 TDs last season, he will return as the starter with Ronald Jones as the spell back. The big news is the signing of WR Cooper Kupp. Kupp signed a 4 year 100m dollar contract with a 42m dollar bonus. Along side WR DJ Moore that gives the Panthers a very very nice receiving core. The defense is very strong in the secondary as Denzel Ward is teamed with Trevon Diggs. Jeremy Chinn as well at SS. The Panthers have some good pieces to compete. It's all about that QB play though, just like a lot of teams. If they can get under that 60 interception mark and reduce it to 35-40 they will win more games. I think this division is more up for grabs than any other division in the league. I just think the QB play will be the difference between 5 wins and 9 wins.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: CB Kristian Fulton - LAR (90 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: CB Jalen Ramsey - LAR (98 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: CB Benjamin Williams - ARI (77 ovr)
The NFC West was dominated again by the 49ers and Seahawks. Did we see any other result? Not really. We predicted the 49ers to go 14-3 and they went 14-3. We predicted Seattle to go 12-5 and they went 11-6. There's no question that these two teams are the tops in the West. The Rams are trying their best to rebuild but they only won 3 games last season and the Cardinals have lost a whopping 38 games in a row as they went winless again last season. The Seahawks have had success lately against Betroit and the 49ers. Beating them late in the season and then knocking them out of the playoffs. Coach Pettigrew has had enormous success in his MOF career and he's just a consistent coach that knows how to win. QB Daniel Melvin had a very solid season with 33 TDs and 25 INTs, one of a handful of QBs that had more TDs than INTs. That immediately spells winning season when you can do that. Obviously HB Kenneth Walker III is a stud, rushing for 1,971 yards and 20 TDs as he continues to be the workhorse for this team. TE Noah Fant and WR DK Metcalf make up the receivers who are just dominant on the gridiron. Seattle didn't make many changes in the off-season as they didn't really have to, the team is in tact and they have the reigning NFC defensive MVP in Jordyn Brooks who is a tackling machine. Sure, Jamal Adams is a year older but still an x-factor SS, and Tariq Woolen is turning into a shutdown CB. I really like Seattle, as you can see, Coach Petti knows how to not turn the ball over and run that rock. That's why I am giving them the edge over the 49ers this season. I think the division title streak ends for San Fran and Seattle sneaks on by. The 49ers as we mentioned are having a little bit of trouble with Seattle lately, but everyone else they are clearly dominating. Probably one of the, if not, the best developers of young talent in the MOF, the 49ers again look to dev up some rookies as they draft WR Cooper Ward, 94 speed. Last season Trey Lance threw 35 TDs and 34 INTs, still more TDs than INTs, gotta take that. However, they are wheeling and dealing some of their top stars. WR Deebo Samuel was traded pretty much for depth and a 2nd rounder, why? Well, you have young WRs in Adrian Ferguson, Zay Greenfield, Ricardo Torrence, Darren Boykin, and Cooper Ward all with high speed. Expect one of those guys to turn into an x-factor by the end of the season somehow. The rung game of the 49ers is split between Davis-Price (1,119 yards) and Corey Edwards (722 yards). There's not really a number 1 on this team, which makes them tough to defend. Speaking of defense. They have developed three, yes three x-factor defensive lineman. Jamar Rushing, Drake Jackson, and Trayvon Anderson. They also developed FS Kamryn Lowry to x-factor. They also just traded CB Tariq Castro-Fields to the Lions so they can try to develop some more younger talent. I know developing talent is fun, but i think they are damaging the chemistry of their team. I still think they will be right there and a playoff team, but I'm just feeling Seattle this season. The LA Rams are rebuilding this entire roster, and it's actually pretty impressive what they are doing. They acquired 5 first round draft picks for this last draft and really picked up some great rookies. They also traded CB Jalen Ramsey to the Titans for Kristian Fulton a young superstar CB. The Rams have issues at QB, just like a lot of us, Paul Falk i don't think is the answer. Falk threw 61 interceptions last season in his rookie year and looks to be the starter again this season. I understand he's an x-factor, but he's only rated a 73. Cam Akers returns to be the starter in the backfield but the Rams have trouble running that rock, so much that they went out and traded for Damien Harris. In that trade they also acquired OBJ who is 32 yrs old but is a superstar WR. The Rams drafted a young stud WR Kaleb Swinton, who has 97 speed and looks to start immediately. They also drafted 3 hidden dev lineman, including Max Fontaine, or MFon. Other than that, the Rams roster is not very good. They are developing, for sure, but they are a ways away and I don't know if they are going to get to that goal before the edition is over. I expect another 3 to 4 win season for the Rams. Coach Texmexgalvan and the Arizona Cardinals have lost 38 straight regular season games as we are typing this, it went to 39. First and foremost, i give Tex all the credit in the world to keep sticking in there and trying his best. Obviously it doesn't work out for most of us, but Tex is on a historic run here. Kyler Murray broke the record for most interceptions in a season with 97. Their run game isn't getting enough attention, but Jahlil Phillips is decent, and should get the ball more. They did go out and sign Leonard Fournette, which I'm not really sure why, hopefully he just backs up. They also let DeAndre Hopkins walk, and didn't replace him. Look the Cardinals are a mess but they aren't rebuilding either. At least the Rams are doing everything they can to trade big pieces for young talent. Eddie should have traded Kyler Murray when he had the chance. Isiah Simmons too. But instead , he's hanging onto them while crippling the rest of the team because they don't have the cap to improve. I cannot predict a team to go winless in a season, but if they win 1 game, i will be surprised.
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