Welcome back to another Zack Attack’s Sports Takes post. Today, I am going to talk about how the NFL season is going through 15 weeks and how expert’s predictions were either accurate or way off for certain teams before the season started. I also am going to go into detail on what teams I believe will make the playoffs and the Superbowl for this year.
Analysts and sports fans usually make predictions of how a certain team will do based on numerous factors that include their success last year, new additions, and current roster. And although it is uncertain whether or not a team will succeed, there are always indications of possible success or decline. One of the brightest and most influential football analysts in the industry by the name of John Breech of CBS Sports made a list of who he believes the best teams will be in all 8 divisions of the NFL. And although some of these were accurate, some of the predictions were pretty off, which is why I want to review them and give my personal opinion on this matter.
Breech was pretty accurate with the AFC teams, having the Chiefs, Colts, and Steelers winning their divisions which will probably be the case and I completely agree with that. But for the AFC East, Breech had the Patriots winning which is out of the picture considering they are 6-8. Having a winning season is mostly determined by quarterback play, and being that Cam Newton came off a huge injury following last year, I thought it was odd to say that the Patriots even had a chance to win this division. And with teams like the Bills and Dolphins adding a lot of talent over the off-season, it was safe to say that I thought one of them was going to win as opposed to the patriots who are showing signs of significant regression. Now for the NFC, I have a few concerns with his list. Breech had the Dallas Cowboys going 11-5 and winning the division which is almost completely out of the picture. They are sitting at 5-9 and their roster on defense is one of the worst in the entire NFL. Teams strive on good defenses, and it’s very hard to win without one which is why I was confused by the fact that he had the Cowboys winning this division instead of the Giants. His prediction for the Buccaneers, Packers, and Seahawks winning their divisions looks very promising now, but it is too early to determine whether or not they will all win their respected divisions being that there are still undecided seeding arrangements based on the last two upcoming games. As far as my predictions for this year’s playoffs, I have a list that seems pretty reasonable to happen. For the NFC, I have the Seahawks, Packers, Saints, Buccaneers, Giants, Rams, and Rams making it to the playoffs. And for the AFC, I have the Bills, Browns, Ravens, Steelers, Colts, Titans, and Chiefs making the playoffs. For my Superbowl prediction, I have the Chiefs and the Packers in the final with the Packers winning it. It’s a bold pick, but I love being optimistic towards the underdog.
After doing my research and realizing that my list was pretty accurate when determining my winners of each division, I would like to give you guys some recommendations on how to pick a winner of a division based on the year. Usually, whichever team has the best quarterback will win the division. So by looking at previous statistics and how they have done thus far in their careers, determining the best quarterback in each division will more than likely determine the outcome of a team’s success, making it easier to accurately pick who will win. Strength of schedule plays a significant role in determining a team’s success. Each division is assigned two opposite divisions to play as well as playing their own division twice. So, if a team is playing two weak divisions, then they are more likely to win as opposed to a team playing two strong divisions with more talent. And although sometimes it’s hard to predict a team’s outcome throughout an entire 16 game season, there are certain things that enhance their chances.
I am sure that my readers will have numerous comments either agreeing or disagreeing with John Breech and I. And I strongly encourage my audience to comment on their personal opinions on how teams should have done/how they will finish. Some questions I leave to my audience is: Who do you believe will win the Superbowl? Which team shocked you the most this season? And what team was the biggest disappointment this season?
If you guys have any questions of concerns, be sure to post them on the blog and I will answer them ASAP. I love being able to post content that allows me to start debates and friendly arguments with readers who either agree or disagree with my takes. Sports journalism is my passion, and I love to write about my thoughts on sports. I will leave a link to John Breech’s prediction list below. I hope you guys have a great holiday and be sure to catch the next post tomorrow where I talk about the effects that covid had on the NFL.
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