NFL Mid-Season Team-by-Team Review

Can you believe it? The NFL season is half over already with every team having played at least 8 games. So here are my predictions for the finishing records of each team. I won't be able to blog about my NFL picks for Week 10, so hopefully, this makes up for it.

I'll start with my favourite conference: The NFC:

NFC EAST

NEW YORK GIANTS: If the Giants can play good defence like they have in recent games, they'll be able to walk away with this division and the NFC. The rest of their schedule is not easy at all, but with Philly not looking very impressive, it looks like clear sailing for the G-Men.
Predicted finish: 13-3

DALLAS COWBOYS: The Boys are certainly a good team, but they need to get Julius Jones back very quickly and hope he stays healthy for the rest of the season. They'll also win a lot of games if we don't see anymore of the "vintage Bledsoe" that we saw in Seattle. They get the second wildcard spot with a better divisional record than the Skins.
Predicted finish: 10-6

WASHINGTON REDSKINS: They haven't been a good team up to this point...they've committed some pretty dumb mistakes, but if their offence keeps firing on all cylinders, they'll finish at least .500.
Predicted finish: 10-6

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: A lot of people say the Eagles season is over after suspending T.O. but people forget that the Eagles made the NFC Championship game twice before without him (they just never won it) Me, I'm not so sure they'll make it that far with a banged-up quarterback and no running game.
Predicted finish: 9-7

NFC SOUTH

CAROLINA PANTHERS: The Panties can finish with an impressive record if Steve Smith can keep scorching secondaries and if their run defence keeps playing as well as it has (they allow only 70 yards a game on the ground.) They've now won 12 of their last 16 regular season games.
Predicted finish: 13-3

ATLANTA FALCONS: They haven't been an impressive team in the statistics (except for rushing stats...wow...) but they seem to always find a way to win. They've lost both their games by a combined 6 points, and these were both games where Vick had to leave due to injury. If he stays healthy, they can make a serious case for repeating as NFC South Champion, but Carolina's run defence is just too good. I see them splitting with the Panties and the Sucs, and I've got a bad feeling about that Chicago game for some reason...
Predicted finish: 11-5

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: A season full of promise went down along with Brian Griese. Their defence is starting to show some cracks, and Tim Rattay is not the man to lead this team into the playoffs. Cadillac Williams may make a case for rookie of the year, but it's not going to work once teams start stacking the box against the Bucs.
Predicted finish: 8-8

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Nobody said it was going to be easy playing all of their games on the road, but injuries and the ever-controversial owner Tom Benson just add to the misery.
Predicted finish: 4-12

NFC WEST

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: This team is playing like they want to finish first in the NFC. They're a complete team on both sides of the ball, they're first in total offence, and they would finish first if they didn't have to play so many good teams in the last half of the season.
Predicted finish: 10-6

ST. LOUIS RAMS: Right behind the Seahawks in the total offence category are the Rams. Unfortunately for the Rams, a .500 season won't be good enough to get them into the playoffs. They are quite good offensively when Marc Bulger and Torry Holt are in, but again this year, their defence will hold them back from greatness.
Predicted finish: 8-8

ARIZONA CARDINALS: The Cardinals are once again up to their game of playing musical quarterbacks. Unfortunately, there goes Anquan Boldin, so it looks like Larry Fitzgerald will be double-teamed for the rest of the season, which shuts down their only offensive attack. On the plus side, Neil Rackers will probably break the field goal record this season.
Predicted finish: 5-11

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Every win with this 49ers team is an upset. They need to get somebody for Alex Smith to throw to, and a half-decent running back, and get pretty much a whole new defence...it'll be an interesting draft and free agent season for them, to say the least.
Predicted finish: 3-13

NFC NORTH

CHICAGO BEARS: Holy crap, the Bears have won 4 in a row! They are a quarterback away from being a Super Bowl contender, no joke! Their running game is solid, their defence (run and pass) is exceptional...all they need is someone to throw to Muhammed. They're going to walk away with the crappy, crappy NFC North.
Predicted finish: 10-6

DETROIT LIONS: The Lions receivers have not panned out, and they should give up on Joey Harrington. They'll have more success if they stick to Jeff Garcia (I never thought I'd say that.)
Predicted finish: 6-10

GREEN BAY PACKERS: The Packers have been decimated by injuries. They're 1-7, yet they have outscored their opponents (168 points for, 159 against). It's really a shame because Favre is doing all that he can do and they're still losing all these games.
Predicted finish: 4-12

MINNESOTA VIKINGS: So much for my first place NFC team. Look up disappointment in the dictionary, and you'll see the overrated, oversexed Minnesota Vikings. Brad Johnson isn't going to lead them to a lot of wins (I believe he's washed up) and their defence has this bad tendency of giving up and allowing big plays. Look for Mike Tice this spring in an unemployment line near you.
Predicted finish: 3-13

Okay, so we've sorted out the standings, how about some playoff predictions for shits and giggles?

(6) Dallas vs. (3) Seattle: SEAHAWKS
(5) Atlanta vs. (4) Detroit: FALCONS

(5) Atlanta vs. (1) NY Giants: BUCCANEERS
(3) Seattle vs. (2) Carolina: SEAHAWKS

(2) Seattle vs. (1) NY Giants: GIANTS

Now if that wasn't enough, there are still 16 more teams to go!

AFC EAST

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: I know 11-5 will be hard to believe for a team with a lack of a defence, but they've got 5 more games against AFC East teams, and 2 more against NFC South teams (Bucs and Aints) which is why I can see them finishing that strong.
Predicted finish: 11-5

MIAMI DOLPHINS: The Dolphins get to play several bad teams in this half of the season, so they should finish strong. If the Ricky Williams/Ronnie Brown tandem starts to work effectively, they'll win in a few blowouts
Predicted finish: 8-8

NEW YORK JETS: There are just too many quarterback woes for this team, and despite that, they hardly ever hand the ball off to Curtis Martin. I think their abandonment of the running game when they get behind has cost them two wins so far. Until angry Herm Edwards learns, it's going to keep costing them wins.
Predicted finish: 4-12

BUFFALO BILLS: I know that my predicted finish isn't very generous, but it's just hard to get excited about this team which has been pulled apart by injuries to the defence, and an O-Line that can't block for Willis McGahee, or Kelly Holcomb.
Predicted finish: 3-13

AFC SOUTH

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: By far the best team in the NFL...they're going to run away with the AFC South and most likely, they'll have the AFC wrapped up by week 15. In the offseason, they basically solved all the problems plaguing their defence (which lost them 4 games last season.) If the Colts are ever going to make it to the promised land, this is the year.
Predicted finish: 15-1

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: This team has a lot of potential, and if Byron Leftwich can make improvements, they'll make the playoffs. Fred Taylor's been frustratingly inconsistent though.
Predicted finish: 10-6

TENNESSEE TITANS: This team is a real mystery to me...where is former co-MVP Steve McNair, and who is this guy who keeps throwing TD passes to the other team? Anyway, it'll be the same old same old for the Titans, who never seem to make adjustments in the offseason.
Predicted finish: 4-12

HOUSTON TEXANS: At the end of the season, the Texans will have broken the sack record and scored the least points on offence. They should probably trade their 1st overall pick for linemen, and rebuild their entire defence.
Predicted finish: 1-15

AFC WEST

DENVER BRONCOS: Broncos have a dominant running game, receivers who can catch, but a lack of pass defence. But that doesn't matter when their opponents can march the length of the field and settle for 3.
Predicted finish: 12-4

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: Chargers seem to like making games more exciting than they really need to be. They could have a much better record than they do right now, but enjoy snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They'll make the playoffs despite this, with a better conference record than Jacksonville.
Predicted finish: 10-6

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: I'm hearing Priest Holmes retirement rumours swirling around...this would effectively end the Chiefs' playoff hopes. Their passing game has got to be better, and they have got to start playing better pass defence (ranked 31st in the league)
Predicted finish: 9-7

OAKLAND RAIDERS: They're a pretty good team, but they have had injury problems in their secondary. I know with Cocaine Collins and Randy Moss the temptation is to throw the ball a lot, but I think they have not been using Lamont Jordan as much as they should.
Predicted finish: 8-8

AFC NORTH

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Roethlisberger's a winner, except against New England, which is more the fault of the Steelers defence. But if they can scrape by without anymore injuries, I think this predicted finish is very realistic.
Predicted finish: 13-3

CINCINNATI BENGALS: I think Carson Palmer's going to be one of the NFL's elite quarterbacks. His rating is sky high this year, where is last year, it was Mike Vick-like. The Bengals defence also leads the league in picks.
Predicted finish: 11-5

BALTIMORE RAVENS: The Ravens offence is really holding them back, especially Jamal Lewis, who has been nothing but disappointing since he got out of jail. Still, their defence is stacked, and they should be holding other teams without very many points. This will steal them some more wins in the second half of the season.
Predicted finish: 7-9

CLEVELAND BROWNS: They're near the top of the heap in scoring defence, but right near the bottom for scoring offence. I think they should consider trading up to get Matt Leinart.
Predicted finish: 5-11

Playoffs:

(6) San Diego vs. (3) Denver: BRONCOS
(5) Cincinnati vs. (4) New England: BENGALS

(5) Cincinnati vs. (1) Indianapolis: COLTS
(3) Denver vs. (2) Pittsburgh: BRONCOS

(3) Denver vs. (1) Indianapolis: COLTS

So that makes an Indianapolis vs. NY Giants Super Bowl. I won't predict a winner for this one though...make your own conclusion!