Before we start the predictions, I want to take a moment and talk about the longevity and success of this league. 21 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 71 seasons later here we are. One of the most prestigious leagues out there. As we enter our unprecedented 72nd season, a number that not many leagues, if any, have ever 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 73 Predictions! So last season's numbers, I was just 3 for 7 in the AFC, predicting the correct AFC Champion though. In the NFC I was 5 for 7. I picked Coach Portisss26 to defeat Mack's Ravens, but Coach Mack had other plans as he beat the Falcons and Coach Wilky 23-10 for his 2nd title here in the MOF. It's great seeing these newer coaches come in and make it to the big game, now can we see Mack create a dynasty in Baltimore? Or will someone else dethrone him? Last season we saw MackDaddy and Coach Canes both finish with double digit losses. We saw Coach Victor end his playoff streak as he swapped to the Bears mid-season from the Rams. On a positive note we saw our first 17-0 season by Bubba and the Bills! We also saw Coach Jfon quite possibly have the best season of his career. Can some of these guys turn it around? Will we see some rookie QBs develop? Can the Commish turn the next page with the 49ers? Will MMX get to the promise land with the Chiefs? The new season is always filled with excitement, so without further ado, here are your MOF Season 73 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
October 18, 2023
Biggest Off-Season Addition: LB Alex Highsmith - MIA (83 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: QB Tua Tagovailoa - MIA (85 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: FB Ben Ramsey - MIA (79 ovr)
The talk of the AFC East last season was the undefeated Buffalo Bills! Coach Bubba went 17-0, won his divisional but lost in the title game vs the Ravens. The Jets and Coach Gouch were a pleasant surprise at 10-6-1 as they made the playoffs. The Patriots were a little bit better than we thought as they at one point had a playoff spot but finished lousy at 7-10. Then you had the Dolphins who we thought would be a playoff caliber team, finish 5-12. We begin with the undefeated defending division champion Buffalo Bills and Coach Bubba. Bubba didn't really have to do much to his squad in the off-season as pretty much everyone will be back, including Josh Allen and his 57 TD passes. What i was more impressed with was the Bills defense. They are all turnover machines, starting with CB Taron Johnson. Another season for Von Miller as the clock is ticking on his career, looking like this could be the last season. The secondary is where it's at, like we mentioned before, White, Hyde, Poyer, Johnson. Very nice. I think the Bills should repeat as AFC East Champs, I do not think they will go undefeated again, they should drop a few games but that will humble them for a nice run in the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins had a disappointing Season 72 as expectation were high with the talent around this team, but they finished 5-12. This season they already started off by trading Tua to the Commanders. However, they return with one of the fastest rosters in the entire game. Hill and Waddle have 99 and 98 speed respectively, how are you supposed to cover that? I expect them to be matchup nightmares for some teams and with DoubleD's drafting ability, I'm looking for DE Dakota Ricard to be a beast by the end of the season. I expect Miami to bounce back this season and really battle for a wild-card, which in the AFC is going to be a lot of teams fighting for those 6 and 7 seeds. The New York Jets and Coach Gouch return this season coming off a very nice 10-6-1 wild-card Season 72. Of course they enter this season without Hall of Fame QB Aaron Rodgers, and without QB Zach Wilson (who they traded to the Raiders last season). So the huge question mark is who will be the QB for the Jets? Well, they just traded for rookie QB Bernard Glenn from the Chiefs, who has a 99 throw power rating, so it looks like he will be QB1 entering the season. Other than QB, the Jets are stacked everywhere else. Breece Hall is a monster at HB, Garrett Wilson and Mecole Hardman are very nice WRs. That defense tho. That secondary is a nightmare for offensive coordinators to deal with. Not to mention they just drafted CB Paul Rose and Tramon Greenwood who are both hidden dev's and over 92 speed each. I do like the Jets, and I like what Coach Gouch is doing over there but I think the QB uncertainty is going to play a huge role moving forward. I do expect the Jets to be in the wild-card hunt, but to fall short until they can develop a QB that can take them to the next step. The New England Patriots and Coach Shawtypizzle had themselves a nice first half of last season, they were in prime position to make a playoff push and we really thought at one point that they were going to get there but they dropped their final 3 games falling to 7-10 and right out of the race. HB Ezekiel Elliott is the talk of the team. Elliott had himself a vintage season, rushing for 2,190 yards and 15 TDs. I do not expect Elliott to have that kind of Season 73. Another year older and Stevenson breathing down his neck should take away some his load. The real issue is at WR for the Patriots. This was an issue going into last season, and they have yet to fix the issue. They went out and drafted Jaden Triplett who is a hidden dev 91 speed, but I do not think that is enough. Which is why Elliott had such a monster season 72. The defense of the Patriots is solid. Definitely better than average, with Kyle Dugger leading the way. I also like Ja'Whaun Bentley at MLB with his 83 speed. So who are the real Patriots? The team that was fighting for a wild-card spot or the team who dropped their remaining 3 games? I am going more with the ladder as I predict the Patriots to finish in the basement of the AFC East.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: HB Austin Ekeler - CIN (89 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: DE Cameron Heyward - PIT (93 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: DT Roy White - CIN (79 ovr)
The AFC North was dominated by the Ravens and Steelers last season who went toe to toe right up until the end. The Ravens and Coach Mack are the reigning defending champions and BigReub's Steelers are ready to try and dethrone them! The Browns finished a lot better than we thought at 7-9-1 and the Bengals were atrocious at 3-14 but they were able to really improve their team. We begin with the defending champion Ravens. The Ravens are rated the highest team overall in the MOF, and for good reason. Coach Mack has these guys on an unbelievable run and it starts with X-factor QB Lamar Jackson. 97 speed, 93 THP, extremely accurate. There's no stopping Lamar just hoping to contain him. JK Dobbins has been fantastic, and the Ravens have been so good they let go of OBJ not even needing him with the speed they already have at WR. The emergence of LB Trenton Simpson has been incredible, as we think he will even have a bigger season 73. The secondary is also loaded with 95, 90 ovr players, ss's, stars, and everything in between. I look at the Ravens and do not see any holes. These guys are the favorites in the division, and have to be the favorites entering the season to win it again. The Steelers and Coach BigReub were out shadowed by Coach Mack's Ravens, but they had just as good a season as the Ravens. However, they lost two games to the Ravens as well. The Steelers were knocked out of the divisional round by the then undefeated Bills, so they are primed and ready to get right back at it. Kenny Pickett had himself a huge season 72, and looks to have an even better season 73 with the draft pick of WR Jerry Holliday who has 90 speed and 92 accel. The big move was signing SS Quandre Diggs who is an 86 ovr but 31 years old. The Steelers are bringing back basically the same team so I expect the same results. They could very easily swap places with Baltimore and win the division, get the 1 seed. Either way, the Steelers will absolutely be there when playoff time is here. The Cincinnati Bengals enter this season off a poor Season 72. Coach Canes was predicted to have a strong season but they decided to go in some other directions, trading Joe Burrow to Washington, and then trading Sam Howell for Anthony Richardson. Then the Bengals went out and signed Austin Ekeler and drafted DT Roy White who is a monster. Coach Canes also drafted LB Justin Moon who has a 91 speed rating. The Bengals are ready to challenge this season, I expect them to have a much better season. I think the division is way too strong to win, at this moment. However, I think the Bengals will battle for a wild-card position. Anything can happen with that 6th and 7th seed, but at the moment I have them falling short of a spot. The Cleveland Browns had themselves a better than expected Season 72, as they finished 7-9-1. Although that is a losing record, we thought things would be a lot worse in this division of monsters. Nick Chubb was an absolute beast and it looks like he is going to win MOF AFC MVP. The Browns had some issues at QB, they cut Deshaun Watson mid-season and then went out and signed Kirk Cousins and drafted Miles Knott and Brandon Murphy. So who will start? I think they begin the season with Cousins but Miles Knott is a franchise QB that should be the man. They also drafted WR Isaiah Torrence who has a 95 speed and 97 accel, watch out. That Browns defense is very nice, led by Myles Garrett and Davlin Tomlinson. I feel like if the Browns were in any other division, the would be a playoff contender. However being in the AFC North, I think they are going to go 0-6 or 1-5 at best and then on top of that they have to play the NFC East and AFC West. I think the Browns have potential, it all depends on the Bengals, but I have them finishing last.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: C Ryan Jensen - IND (87 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: FS Jamal Adams - IND (89 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: LE Shelton Mayweather - JAC (77 ovr)
The AFC South was an interesting division last season to say the least. We saw the Colts sneak by everyone and win the division despite their mid-season 5 game losing streak. We also saw Dre start 1-7 and make the playoffs. Roclo just took a nose dive at the end of the season, and Alex well he's rebuilding. We do begin with those nose diving Titans though. Last season it looked like the Titans had the division wrapped up but then they lost 4 straight games, including two to Houston, to finish 8-9 and completely miss the playoffs. I put the blame on QB Malik Willis and the way Roc forces the pass game. I think he might be too worried about developing WRs than winning, but that's besides the point. Anyway, I still believe the Titans have the most talent and the best coach in the division. I think they will bounce back and win South this season, and I think it will be the improvement of QB Malik Willis and WR Colton Dowell who led the league in drops last season. They still have Derrick Henry but he's getting a little long in the tooth for RB so this could be his last season. Defensively they are very nice in the secondary, Kevin Byard and Caleb Farley always seem to be in the top in interceptions every season. Like I said, I believe the Titans win this division, but I'm not as confident as I was last season when I predicted the same. The Jacksonville Jaguars come into this season off a 7-3 finish (incl playoffs) to end Season 72. So they should be the favorites coming into this season, right? Well, not so fast. I think their schedule this season is a bit tough so the division is going to come down to the head to heads vs the Titans and even though they swept Tennessee last season, I still believe the Jags will finish 2nd. No big changes on offense for the Jags, they are returning pretty much the same squad. On defense, the draft pick of LE Shelton Mayweather is the talk of Duvall with his 91 strength and 84 speed. Josh Allen well is just Josh Allen and he's a monster. )'m looking for FS Andre Cisco to have a breakout season and maybe push the Jags to the post-season. I think the Jags will be right in the thick of the wild-card race but they might just fall short with that crowded bunch of teams that will be around .500. The Indianapolis Colts are your defending AFC South Champions and they did it in what felt like 3 stages. 5-2 to start, 0-5 in the middle, 4-1 to finish. Then they had a very tough wild-card loss to the Steelers which could honestly gone either way. I am predicting the Colts to take a step back, based solely on their 1st place schedule. I could be completely wrong, and I wouldn't be surprised to be honest because the Colts and Coach Bengalsonly have really built this team up very well. That and coupled with who I think will be the rookie of the year in the AFC, WR Sheldon Griffith, I really like these Colts on offense. Taylor and Hull provide a great 1/2 punch and QB Sam Howell does just enough to get the ball out to their play makers. On defense is where they are lacking some star power. They do have x-factor DeForest Buckner, but he's getting older now and rated an 87 which is on the lower x-factor scale. Kenny Moore just moved to FS in the off-season it will be interesting to see what he can do in a new position. I think the Colts have a great team, I really do, but like I said, that schedule is going to put them behind the 8-ball quickly and I don't think they will recover in time to make a push. The Houston Texans come into this season off a 6-11 finish, and that's actually 2 more wins that I predicted them to have last season. So what did I do? I predicted them to have even less wins this season. I dunno. The Texans are very young and Coach Alex has the potential to honestly beat anyone in this league on any given day. We saw as he swept Roclo last season. However, it all depends on C.J. Stroud's development. If he can have a strong season, then the Texans could surprise some people. I really like Dameon Pierce and Ty Johnson at RB. The signing of WR Courtland Sutton was very nice as well, because the Texans need weapons on offense. The defense is nice with some stars and superstars ready to break out. No disrespect but the Texans have a tough schedule, they will most likely win more than just 3 games but this is just how predictions go sometimes.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: QB Joe Burrow - LV (97 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: LB Maxx Crosby - LV (95 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: TE Jeremiah Roth - LAC (75 ovr)
The AFC West was sort of a surprise last season. We did think the Broncos would be good, but we didn't expect them to win the division. The Raiders were a huge disappointment as MackDaddy looks to right his wrongs. The Chiefs were replaced in the off-season as MMX comes back to KC to take over Mahomes and company. The Chargers and Remo have a great squad they just need to get it together. We begin with those Kansas City Chiefs and Coach MMX. Last season we saw Trig struggle with these Chiefs, finishing 5-12 and then taking a leave of absence. We will miss Trig as he's been a staple here and a Hall of Fame coach, but enter another Hall of Fame coach. MMX. MMX was the 49ers last season and won the NFC West, and I believe he's ready to take the Chiefs to the next step as well. With all this fire power and speed coupled with arguably the best QB in the game, it's really hard to bet against the Chiefs. I believe Coach MMX will right the ship in KC and win this division this season. I expect a huge season out of Mahomes and Pacheco. The defense has a lot of speed at DB and that will keep the air attacks at bay. The Denver Broncos and Coach BigReg are the defending AFC West Champs but the come into this season with stiffer competition and a very tough schedule. I expect the Broncos to struggle out of the gate, but then to get hot towards the end and battle for a wild-card spot. I believe the Broncos will make the playoffs more than they will not, I just think the schedule is not in their favor, and the Chiefs are going to be much tougher. I think this could be the last season of Russell Wilson as Reg will need to find a replacement asap. I absolutely love the secondary of the Broncos, Surtain and Simmons are straight up beasts and they literally win games for Denver by themselves. The Las Vegas Raiders and Coach MackDaddy were one of the most disappointing teams in all of the MOF last season, finishing 4-13, being MackDaddy's worst season in his MOF career. It all starts with QB as Jimmy G and Zach Wilson just were not doing it for Mack. So what did he do? He went out and traded for Joe Burrow! Joe Burrow has been passed around like a bottle of roofies at a Penn State frat party, but nonetheless here he is in Vegas and I think he's staying for the rest of the edition. The Raiders gave up a haul, Maxx Crosby, Michael Mayer, Zach Wilson, and the 3rd overall pick last draft. I think it will really make a difference and I expect the Raiders to seriously compete this season for a wild-card. I still think the division is out of reach for them, but I was wrong before I could be wrong again. All I know is I expect the Raiders and MackDaddy to be back starting this season! The Los Angeles Chargers had a tough Season 72. 4-13 is not a good record, but they didn't finish last somehow. I think this season what they need to do is take it simple. You have some great players, Herbert to start. They let Ekeler go in the off-season and look to start Rashaad Penny and Isaiah Spiller. They also traded Keenan Allen last season. So I'm not really sure of the direction the Chargers are going but if they really want to compete, they are going to need a lot of talent all over the field. I expect the Chargers to struggle, tougher competition, tougher schedule, and improved teams in this division.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: QB Tua Tagovailoa - WAS (85 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: C Jason Kelce - PHI (93 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: LG Stefon Craig - DAL (80 ovr)
The NFC East was everything we thought it would be last season. The Commanders finished just as we expected in first place. The Eagles were just as we expected, a wild-card with double digit wins. The Giants we right where we thought, right around 500 and the Cowboys were exactly what we thought as well as they finished in the basement. We begin with the Washington Commanders and the Hall of Fame Coach Betts. The Commanders had an eventful season 72. They started the off-season trading Sam Howell, Chase Young, and Terry McLaurin to the Bengals for Joe Burrow. They wound up trading Burrow mid-season to Seattle and got McLaurin back with Geno Smith. Keep in mind, the Commanders still went 14-3 during all this. The big reason is Antonio Gibson and his monster season. 1,942 yards and 18 TDs. So this season they decided to go in another direction at QB, this time acquiring Tua Tagovailoa from the Dolphins. I mean it wouldn't be the MOF unless Betts got himself a star at QB right? I expect Tua to be the fit that Betts is looking for. I also love the draft pick of TE Noah Harrison and I expect him to be a force right out of the gates with his 89 speed. That defense is still dominant up front with Allen and Payne. The addition of Sam Hubbard has helped with the loss of Chase Young and those linebackers led by Jordyn Brooks are just speedy and nice. The Commanders are my favorites once again to repeat as NFC East champs, and how could you not pick them? The Philadelphia Eagles and Coach Pettigrew have possibly the best team in the game still. Although they have an extremely tough schedule to begin the season, I still expect the Eagles to catch fire at the end of their schedule and get into the post-season, once again, as Pettigrew has become a staple in the playoffs each and every season. Of course the Eagles had the toughest loss of the off-season as Jason Kelce decided to retire and do some more Pfizer commercials with his brother. It really won't be felt as the Eagles probably still have the best offensive line in the game. Hurts, Swift, Goedert, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, it's just not fair. So many weapons on offense, and then you go to defense and that front is impossible to run against. Carter, Davis, Cox, Sweat. Omg. I didn't even mention the speed of the linebackers. Nolan Smith Jr. is a 93 speed and causing havoc all over the field. The Eagles are an absolute threat to the Commanders, and the rest of the NFC. The New York Giants have parted ways with Commish Jeff in the off-season after their 9-8 finish. Commish's Giants just couldn't win the big games and that's why they were on the outside looking in. Enter Coach SonGoku. Goku has been here before in the MOF, and he's been successful (68-40 .630) over 7 seasons. However, he's in a division with two juggernaut coaches and juggernaut teams. The first move Goku made was signing QB Deshaun Watson and immediately naming him the starter over Danny Slimes. The offense is still very good with Barkley and Waller. They definitely need an upgraded WR core as Slayton and Campbell just aren't doing it. I still expect Jalin Hyatt to be a threat, but maybe just not yet. If I were Goku I would trade Dexter Lawrence for some picks and rebuild this team and reload. I expect the Giants to have a tough season, I think Goku is a good coach but he's in a tough division with a tough schedule. The Dallas Cowboys. What can I say? These guys have talent all over the field. But they have the same issue that Goku is going to have, they are in a very tough division and have a tough schedule besides the NFC East too. How long will Dak Prescott be the QB? Will Minden trade him away and start Trey Lance? The draft pick of LG Stefon Craig was a nice one, and two more hidden dev lineman as well. So they are looking to build back that Dallas offensive line that we all know to love. The defense with Micah Parsons can disrupt any game at any time as well. Dallas is one of those teams that can seriously beat anyone on their schedule, but Minden gets himself in trouble with the turnovers. I expect Dallas to upset a few teams here and there but that's about it. I still think they will finish last in this tough NFC East.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR Tyler Lockett - MIN (88 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: LB Frankie Luvu - DET (82 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: RE DeMarcus Joseph - CHI (77 ovr)
The NFC North saw some turnover early as the Bears lost MrWitness after just a few games and VictorWrestles made the jump to the windy city. The division was ultimately won by Jfon's Lions, and Krayzie's Vikings finished 2nd. Then Victor's Bears and then the Packers and Coach Eddie finished last. We begin with the Chicago Bears and Coach VictorWrestles. Last season wasn't great, moving mid-season is never easy but they struggled to get anything going and wound up finishing 3-7 and 6-11 overall. This season I feel will be different. One whole off-season under his belt, and a clean slate to start I think we're going to see a different Bears and Coach Victor this time around. The Bears went out and made some very nice draft picks, acquiring HB Orlando Floyd who might start right out of the gate, and they also drafted WR Joseph Reed who has a ton of speed, and the top pick in the division DE DeMarcus Joseph who looks like a star in the making. I love DJ Moore, we don't need to say much more about that, and QB Justin Fields has all the tools to be an x-factor QB in no time. The Bears are super young, super talented, and have nice speed. Victor has a nice team to build and I think he will win this division by a smidgen over the Lions, although I think it will be a great race, I'm giving the edge to Da Bears. The Detroit Lions and Coach Jfon had themselves one hell of a Season 72. Finishing 13-4, and that is the best season in Jfon's 57 season MOF career! Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery were a great 1/2 punch at RB and Goff and Jameson Williams were a dangerous duo. I expect the same type of production this season as well. I think teams are going to start adjusting to the Lions, and I expect a little bit of a step back for Jfon this season. The Bears are focused and ready this season, and they will provide the biggest threat to their division title. The Lions defense is led by Gardner-Johnson, and what else is new a great safety for Jfon. I really like the signing of Patrick Queen as well as he should provide an immediate upgrade at LB. Like I said before, it's going to come down to the Lions and Bears, they might even finish with the same record, so I won't be shocked if the Lions end up repeating as North champs, but I am predicting a 2nd place finish and a just miss playoff opportunity. Krayzie's Vikings felt like they had two seasons last season. The first half was awful, the 2nd half was great. They wound up finishing 8-9 after a 3-8 start. The defense isn't what it used to be and Danielle Hunter has yet to get going that's probably what the issue is in Minnesota for Krayzie. So enter this season, they went out and got rid of Kirk Cousins and drafted Logan Taylor in the 1st round. They also drafted LB Jesus Martinez, who is going to be a beast with 91 speed. But, back to the QB. Logan Taylor has great numbers. 93 THP, 88 SAC. He looks to be the real deal. The Vikings went out and also signed WR Tyler Lockett to go along with Jordan Addison and the best WR in the game Justin Jefferson. TJ Hockenson is a great safety valve, and the emergence of HB Alexander Mattison has been great, but I expect Kene Nwangwu to get some time too with that speed. I see the Vikings posing a threat to both the Lions and Bears, but the threat is minimal. A lot of things have to go right for Krayzie's Vikings to compete in this division, not saying they wont, but the odds are they finish 3rd and just outside the wild-card standings. I think next season will be a different story with Logan Taylor having a season full of dev under his belt. The Green Bay Packers and Coach Eddie were a pleasant surprise at some points of Season 72. They were sitting at 4-6 at one point, and had a chance to really make a run. However they finished 1-6 to end the season in typical Eddie fashion, and wound up in the basement of the NFC North. I mean, I did predict them to go 1-16, which as disrespectful as that is, they proved me wrong. So I'm giving them a little more respect this season, and predicting them to go 2-15. Look, they have a tough schedule, they are in a division with some very strong competition, so I do not expect them to climb out of the basement. The Packers didn't do much this off-season, the same team is pretty much returning with the addition of WR Harold Bush and rookie QB Ian Duggan, which was a head scratching draft pick. He might be poised to trade Duggan or Love for that matter. I do like the pick of DT Daymond Elam who will be a nice Robin to Kenny Clark's Batman. I do like the defense of the Packers, and if I am to praise Eddie at all, it's that defense that won him a lot of his games last season. Can he do it again? Not sure, but )'m not betting on it.
Biggest Off-Season Addition: WR Amari Cooper - ATL (91 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: C Ryan Jensen - TB (87 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: TE Levi Jenkins - NO (79 ovr)
The NFC South was absolute fire last season. Three teams finishing with 12 wins or better, two teams in the NFC title game, and one team in the Super Bowl. I expect the same type of thing this season. The Saints won the division at 13-4, the Falcons finished 2nd at 13-4, and the Panthers finished 3rd and 12-5. Oh and the Bucs somehow won 4 games and finished last. We start with the defending NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons, who I am predicting to win the division this season. The Falcons went 4-2 inside the NFC South last season and had some trouble with the Saints who they lost twice to last season, in what decided the division. That didn't matter though as the Falcons went on to the Super Bowl with a 41-31 NFC title win over the Panthers, who they beat 3 times last season. So yeah I expect another season of them all just beating up on each other but all making the playoffs. The Falcons went out and made some serious moves in the off-season. Signing WR Amari Cooper, WR Odell Beckham Jr., drafting WR Chip Dempsey and signing FS Jamal Adams. Where are they getting all this money? Anyway, they won the off-season obviously not like they needed to get better, but they did and it will show on the field. That's why I'm giving the edge to the Falcons, even though it really doesn't matter when all three teams should make the post-season. Next on my list are the Carolina Panthers and Coach Betroit. The Panthers started off 1-4 last season if you could believe it then in impressive fashion won 8 straight games and 11 out of their last 12 to finish 12-5. They were so hot, they made it all the way to the NFC Championship before they finally lost to their nemesis the Atlanta Falcons. The Panthers and Betroit come into this season with Week 2 and Week 14 circled, they need to beat these Falcons for their mental health. Coach Betroit is quickly becoming the coach around the MOF who just knows the game inside and out, he knows exactly how to develop players as he already moved QB Bryce Young to x-factor. He has SS Jammie Robinson on his way, LB DJ Johnson, and watch out for CB Justin Hawkins who I'm sure will be x-factor by this time next season. )'m not really sure how he does it, I guess a lot of research but the main part is that he's a great coach. He wins games and plays smart. I expect the Panthers to be neck and neck with the Falcons and Saints for the division crown, and I really do think one of these teams will be your NFC champion. Onto the Saints, who actually won the division last season because of their two wins over the Falcons. The Saints played solid all season long and we saw Malik Cunningham take over QB1 from Derek Carr and play lights out. Another strong developer, the Saints went out and drafted TE Levi Jenkins who should be Cunningham's #1 target this season as they try to develop him into an x-factor. No real huge moves out of the Saints in the off-season, just some nice picks especially on the line with LG Alex Hawthorne who should be a strong lineman for seasons to come. I expect a lot of forced balls out of Cunningham, which got them in trouble last season, and could get the Saints in trouble this season, that's why I'm giving the edge to Atlanta and Carolina, but does it matter? All 3 teams will be there when the dust settles. And when the dust settles I expect to see the Buccaneers in last place. What a division to be stuck in. The Buccaneers are lacking talent in a lot of areas and it starts at QB. Baker Mayfield just isn't it and I really thought the Bucs were going to go out and replace him priority 1, but they didn't. If I were them, I would call the Packers immediately and ask for Jordan Love or Ian Duggan. Anyway, they do have Kareem Hunt and Rachaad White which is actually a really nice backfield. Don't forget about Evans and Godwin. Also Trey McBride at TE. They just need someone to get them the ball. The defense has some strong players. Lavonte David, Vita Vea, Winfield Jr., Ryan Neal, Devin White. Etc. These guys have talent, they are just in the wrong division. I expect ELBuccs to have another tough season, but it would be fun trying to dev up a QB wouldn't it?
Biggest Off-Season Addition: LB Maxx Crosby - SEA (95 ovr)
Biggest Off-Season Subtraction: QB Joe Burrow - SEA (97 ovr)
Best Draft Selection: CB Marvin Williams - SF (77 ovr)
The NFC West was a dog fight last season with MMX's 49ers winning the division at 9-8 over Coach Q's Seahawks who also finished 9-8. The Rams who were coached by VictorWrestles were dropped mid-season and Coach Black5corpionLV came in and didn't finish too well. And the Cardinals were who we thought they'd be and had a tough go. We begin with the Seattle Seahawks and Coach Q. Coach Q made some huge moves during last season, trading for Joe Burrow who almost ultimately got them the division but they lost by tie breakers. So for an encore, they went out and traded Joe Burrow to the Raiders in the off-season and got a haul back. LB Maxx Crosby, TE Michael Mayer, QB Zach Wilson, and the 3rd overall pick in the draft. Which they went and got CB Dillon Price who is a hidden dev and 92 speed. They also drafted QB Brian Hill who looks to develop possibly behind Zach Wilson this season. Seattle has a great team. Kenneth Walker is a beast, DK Metcalf, the addition of Mayer, and then that defense now with Maxx Crosby, wow. These guys are going to be a real tough out. That secondary is basically a no fly zone with all that speed and coverage skills. I like Seattle to win this division, by tie breakers over the 49ers. It will be tough because I feel like one of these teams is going to miss the playoffs with a very good record. The San Francisco 49ers are led this season by Commish Jeff who left the Giants after going 9-8 last season. Well, good news, these are not the Giants. The 49ers are stacked at every single position. Except QB. Brock Purdy is very accurate but not a very strong arm, so those passes will have to come out quick for Commish to have success there. I love McCaffrey and so does the Commish, he is a run heavy coach and this team fits that mold. They went out and signed LT Tyron Smith and moved him to RT along with Trent Williams that could be the best tackle duo in the MOF. The defense is also strong, with a nice draft, for once, they went out and drafted LB DeAndre Davidson (90 speed) and CB Marvin Williams who both look to be star players. I think the 49ers are going to have a strong season, might even win the division. I do have them falling slightly to the Seattle Seahawks, and if they don't win 12 or 13 games they might miss the playoffs if they don't win the division, which is crazy. Philadelphia, and the entire NFC South are just too good. The Arizona Cardinals had a tough Season 72. Coach Doc plays tough, he plays tough defense and has a spread style offense and that doesn't always work here in the MOF. Coaches start to adjust pretty quickly to a pass heavy team and 3 things happen when you pass the ball and 2 are bad. If they don't run enough, they become one dimensional and that will hurt them this season like it did last season. However, like I said before, the defense is tough. Doc plays a good user MLB and seems to cover a lot of ground out there. I think trading Budda Baker last season is hurting them now, as the secondary is lacking a bit. They did draft SS Tyler Johnson who is a hidden dev at 91 speed but it might take a season or two for him to get to Budda's level. I expect the Cardinals to struggle a bit, tough division with Seattle and SF. I do expect them to finish 3rd and if some things fall their way to could win anywhere from 5-8 games. The LA Rams saw their coach leave last season, Victor after a 3-4 start. Coach Black5corpionLV (Formerly known as DuckFat95) returned to the MOF and immediately won his first game beating Seattle! After that, they lost 9 straight games and wound up finishing last. The Rams are in rebuild mode, and it's clear. I think what Coach needs to do is trade off these assets that he does have and start over fresh with some high draft picks. That's the quickest way he will be able to compete, because Stafford, Kupp, and Donald is just eating up cap right now and hamstringing them. The Rams did go out and sign WR Michael Pittman which was a nice move, but just wont be enough to compete in this division. I expect a tough season from the Rams here, until they start completely rebuilding this team, that's all they will be.
