SI: Banks: Predicting the 2009 NFL season, (NFC East-Redskins)

[bubba9497]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/don_banks/09/03/division/index.html?eref=sihpT1

Click link for entire article

Predicting the 2009 NFL season

Sitting down to write my annual NFL predictions column, I'm reminded of a few things we didn't know about the 2008 season at this time last year. Such as:

• After going a combined 10-38 in 2007, the Dolphins, Ravens and Falcons would all finish 11-5 and reach the playoffs with new starting quarterbacks. Baltimore tacked on two more wins, both on the road, in the postseason.

• New England would go 11-5 and some how miss the playoffs, becoming only the second team since the 1970 merger to manage that dubious distinction.

• The Cardinals, who owned just one playoff victory in a span of 60 NFL seasons from 1948 to 2007, would quadruple their total in the span of three weeks in January.

• And young teams seemingly on the rise in Green Bay, Jacksonville and Cleveland would fall utterly flat in '08, winning a combined 15 games after posting 34 victories in 2007.

Keep those unexpected twists from last year in mind as we offer up our best guesses for this season, with a caveat: After nearly six weeks of the NFL's preseason, I've got a pretty good handle on the league's best teams, and worst teams. It's that murky morass of a middle that proves difficult to divine. So I'm giving you my picks for the eight division winners and the eight last-place finishers, with a projection of how the postseason will play out as well. (Spoiler: It's Patriots over Packers in a Super Bowl rematch of 13 years ago).

Let the unpredictability begin.....

NFC East

• First place: New York Giants (11-5) -- Both the Eagles and the Cowboys will be heard from in the division race, but the overwhelming depth the Giants have on their defensive line and in their running game gives them the key difference makers in those head-to-head games that decide the NFC East. And as much attention as New York's receiving game has garnered, I like their blend of both quality and quantity among all those young pass-catchers. Unlike last year, the absence of Plaxico Burress won't derail the Giants playoff drive.

• Last place: Washington (5-11) -- With a tenacious defense that will keep them in most games, the Redskins won't look like a last-place team for much of the season. But that's where they'll end up because offensively they scare almost no one. Even winless Detroit scored more than Washington's 265 points last season, and only a quantum leap from fifth-year quarterback Jason Campbell changes that dynamic. And that's if a shaky Redskins offensive line can give him enough time to survive in the pocket.

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[CRobi21]

Fair enough..Can't really call him a liar.

Just have to hope our guys prove him wrong.

[Skelly Skin]

All predictions seem to follow the same logic. Teams that didn't do well last year, won't do good this year. Teams that did good last year, will do good this year.

Easy enough, right?

That's why they play the game...

[Coolio47]

There is no way the skins are a 5-11 team. I believe, at the very worst, we go 8-8 again. I'm predicting we go 11-5. Maybe even 12-4.

[bubba9497]

Fair enough..Can't really call him a liar.

Just have to hope our guys prove him wrong.

liar? no

bias idiot????

[MD.C RedskinsFan]

Fair enough..Can't really call him a liar.

Just have to hope our guys prove him wrong.

Everytime I used to see your sig I used to hear Welcome Home in my head. Now your sig is a guitar.

In other news, yes! wooo! 5-11 I can't wait!!!

Edit: I fully expect to see this thread constantly in the upcoming week just like the Peter King thread.

I think 5-11 and actually almost the lowest I've seen predicted for the Redskins. I think I did see a 4-12 somewhere.

[CRobi21]

liar? no

bias idiot????

:hysterical::hysterical:

Fair enough..

[Old Dominion Monarch 06]

All these jackasses should just get together and write up a collective prediction article because they all seem to be quite the same.

[Farbod21]

liar? no

bias idiot????

Ding ding ding!!

[bubba9497]

I think Banks and King are taking up the "Redskin hate" slack for Doc Z since his stroke

BTW, Get well soon, you old Redskin hater

[BigMike21]

Sounds about right. I'm just ready for the real games to start so we can see what happens.

[DallasSucks19922010]

Everyone has the same exact predictions. They use the last impressions from the previous season and run with it. Jason Campbell sucks, Clinton Portis will get hurt, and the defense will be decent.

[MD.C RedskinsFan]

Ok this is what I got for 5-11

at New York L

vs St. Louis L

at Detroit W

vs Tampa Bay L

at Carolina L

vs Kansas City W

vs Philadelphia L

at Atlanta L

vs Denver W

at Dallas L

at Philadelphia L

vs New Orleans L

at Oakland W

vs New York L

vs Dallas L

at San Diego W

Completely swept in the division

[bubba9497]

All predictions seem to follow the same logic. Teams that didn't do well last year, won't do good this year. Teams that did good last year, will do good this year.

but logic suggest better than 5-11

last season the Skins played one of the toughest schedules in the league in a new system, under a first year head coach, finishing 8-8

this season their non divisional schedule is much easier, the defense arguably could be even better, and the offense should improve in year two

you can't predict injuries, so why the 3 extra losses?

[Califan007 The Constipated]

How can he say that the Skins "won't look like a last place team" for most of the season, then claim the Skins will only win 5 games?? lol :doh:...I don't know about you, but if a team goes 5-11 they damn sure look like a last place team.

[MD.C RedskinsFan]

but logic suggest better than 5-11

last season the Skins played one of the toughest schedules in the league in a new system, under a first year head coach, finishing 8-8

this season their non divisional schedule is much easier, the defense arguably could be even better, and the offense should improve in year two

you can't predict injuries, so why the 3 extra losses?

Are you questioning the superior logic of the experts?

Dallas and Philly weren't ready the first time around last year. That's two extra losses!

Dallas has a new stadium and Philly got Michael Vick.

Edit: No, I'm not stupid. But this is just how foolish a lot of their reasoning literally sounds to me sometimes. Not really this article in particular but still.

[bikie]

I'm sure it's out there, but I can't think of a publication that doesn't have us in last place for the NFC East, albeit usually closer to .500 than banks is predicting... vegas, analysts, websites, etc., seems to be the majority opinion... if gibbs were the coach, he would have no problem pitching his "no one believes in us" script... hell, he was going for that with the '83 skins...

[BristowSkinsFan]

I'm seriously thinking of finding a new place for my NFL news other than cnn.com (SI.com)

It is home to the most vile and dim-witted Redskins Haters in the world.

I'm not saying that we have exactly earned the best rep in the last decade or so, but the hatred is so obvious and I'm sick of it.

espn.com seems a little more Skins-friendly in my opinion.

[Skelly Skin]

I'm sure it's out there, but I can't think of a publication that doesn't have us in last place for the NFC East, albeit usually closer to .500 than banks is predicting... vegas, analysts, websites, etc., seems to be the majority opinion... if gibbs were the coach, he would have no problem pitching his "no one believes in us" script... hell, he was going for that with the '83 skins...

Yeah, if used correctly- these predicitions can definitely be turned into a positive for this team. The 'Skins have typically faired better in an underdog role in recent history. We don't do well with expectations lol.. thats why none of this bothers me.

[Buck812]

All we have to do is start off 1-0 and then see who predicts us to finish where? lol

[redskin301]

but logic suggest better than 5-11

last season the Skins played one of the toughest schedules in the league in a new system, under a first year head coach, finishing 8-8

this season their non divisional schedule is much easier, the defense arguably could be even better, and the offense should improve in year two

you can't predict injuries, so why the 3 extra losses?

I was thinking the same thing our offence should be better and are defence should get more sacks and INTs

[zoony]

at New York L

vs St. Louis W

at Detroit W

vs Tampa Bay W

at Carolina L

vs Kansas City W

vs Philadelphia W

at Atlanta W

vs Denver W

at Dallas L

at Philadelphia L

vs New Orleans L

at Oakland W

vs New York W

vs Dallas W

at San Diego W

11-5 is what I come up with :cool:

Seriously, if we can just get it together somewhat we can REALLY take advantage of an incredibly soft schedule.

[skinsfan080]

Do these guys even look at the schedule?

5-11? Please. I'm not one of the guys picking us to go 11-5, 12-4 or anything, but give me a great at 5-11. We honestly might have 5 wins by the bye the way our schedule is:

NY/Philly/Carolina - Win one of those Three

STL/Det/KC/TB - Should all be wins... therse five right there. Not to mention we play Oakland & Denver who both will probaboly stink this year.

[thedevilhimself]

I really like the way people miss use scientific terms ... a Quantum leap is a leap between two quantum energy levels in an atom or molecule .... in other words a real realy small leap ...

[elkabong82]

Just looking at the differences in the likely starting roster on offense this season vs. what we ended with last season has me beleiving this year's offense will be a lot better than last year's.