Taking the Temperature of the NFL

The NFL is the one gift that gives, but it gives too quickly. It seems like just yesterday we were all gearing up for our fantasy drafts, but today I looked up and realized that tomorrow night is the kickoff to week 8 of the NFL’s season. Where did the time go? I don’t know, but I think now is the appropriate time to take stock in what Tha WeathaMan said back on April 22^nd of this year and what is actually taking place so far in the league. We’ll go division by division, and we’ll see if Tha WeathaMan is right or if it is time to chalk it up to the fact that weathermen are only right about 50% of the time.

AFC East: 

April Forecast -

Buffalo Bills	11-5
Miami Dolphins	5-11
New England Patriots	13-3
New York Jets	8-8

Today’s Forecast –

Buffalo Bills	3-4
Miami Dolphins	3-3
New England Patriots	4-3
New York Jets	3-4

 Well, unless New England plans on going undefeated the rest of the season it seems that I put a little too much faith in that team. Although the overall premise is correct, the Patriots are the best team in that division. The Jets seem to be right on par with what I originally thought, but Buffalo took my good faith gesture and stomped on it. Shame on you Bills, Tha WeathaMan does not forget. Instead of dwelling on the underachieving defense and team that is Buffalo, let us stand and give kudos to the Miami Dolphins. That team plays their hearts out for Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill is developing well so far this season. 

How They Will Finish The Season Forecast –

Buffalo Bills	8-8
Miami Dolphins	8-8
New England Patriots	11-5
New York Jets	9-7

AFC North:

April Forecast –

Baltimore Ravens	10-6
Cincinnati Bengals	7-9
Cleveland Browns	4-12
Pittsburgh Steelers	11-5

Today’s Forecast –

Baltimore Ravens	5-2
Cincinnati Bengals	3-4
Cleveland Browns	1-6
Pittsburgh Steelers	3-3

Monday night’s loss to Pittsburgh tells you all you need to know about Cincinnati. They have a young team full of talent and potential, but they are not quite ready for the primetime. Pittsburgh seemed to be missing every big name player they had sans Ben Roethlisberger yet the Bengals’ offense put up a dud in front of a national audience. That team will continue to grow, but the Steelers aren’t handing the torch over quite yet. If Baltimore manages to get their equipment manager through the season without tearing a hamstring maybe they’ll be satisfied. At this point if you were the black and purple of the Ravens then you have the potential to be lost for the season via injury. Ray Lewis is gone and Lardarius Webb is gone and Terrell Suggs is working his way back. Joe Flacco isn’t playing like a guy who put himself in the elite quarterback column and is working his way out of a big contract, and the team just finished getting embarrassed by the Houston Texans. If the team is to win the division, Flacco might want to remember that he doesn’t have a contract for next season and start playing like it. Oh, and Cleveland is still a train wreck. Moving on…

How They Will Finish The Season Forecast –

Baltimore Ravens	10-6
Cincinnati Bengals	6-10
Cleveland Browns	4-12
Pittsburgh Steelers	10-6

AFC West:

April Forecast –

Denver Broncos	9-7
Kansas City Chiefs	8-8
Oakland Raiders	7-9
San Diego Chargers	11-5

Today’s Forecast –

Denver Broncos	3-3
Kansas City Chiefs	1-5
Oakland Raiders	2-4
San Diego Chargers	3-3

I refuse to take any blame for not being 100% accurate when it comes to this division. In my defense, no one can accurately predict what is going to happen with these four teams. A riddle, wrapped inside of a conundrum, inside of a Rubik’s cube is the most accurate statement that can be made about the AFC West. I originally was going to stick with my forecast that called for the Chargers to win the division but I am officially changing that. I am now saying that it will come down to the last week of the season. At the end the Denver Mannings will be going to the playoffs and Norv Turner and AJ Smith will be standing in the unemployment line. I obviously overestimated the coaching job that Romeo Crennel would do in Kansas City, and in Oakland I think it is safe to call the Carson Palmer trade one of the biggest highway robbery jobs in NFL trade history. Somewhere Marvin Lewis is laughing…until watching the game tape of Monday’s game.

How They Will Finish The Season –

Denver Broncos	11-5
Kansas City Chiefs	5-11
Oakland Raiders	5-11
San Diego Chargers	10-6

AFC South:

April Forecast –

Houston Texans	11-5
Indianapolis Colts	4-12
Jacksonville Jaguars	3-13
Tennessee Titans	5-11

Today’s Forecast –

Houston Texans	6-1
Indianapolis Colts	3-3
Jacksonville Jaguars	1-5
Tennessee Titans	3-4

Andrew Luck appears to be the real deal, and because of that the Colts will win more than 4 games this season. Houston is undoubtedly the best team in the AFC and at this point they might not lose the 5 games originally forecasted for them back in April. Blaine Gabbert (now injured) wasn’t progressing the way that Jacksonville had hoped even before suffering a torn labrum in his non-throwing shoulder. Couple that with the injury to Maurice Jones-Drew and you have a team that only has to look forward to next spring’s draft. I caution you to not be fooled by last Sunday’s performance by Chris Johnson. He is NOT back. Notice the hesitation he exhibits when looking for holes. He is not running with the same authority he was a couple of seasons ago. Until he starts hitting the holes with a purpose and taking what the defense gives him he will struggle. If he continues to always look for the home run then he will end up striking out more often than not. One last note on the Titans, when Jake Locker is healthy keep him seated on the bench. Matt Hasselbeck has kept that team competitive each week and has authored wins against Pittsburgh and Buffalo. I understand preparing for the future, but in the ever short and changing world of the NFL you take your shots when you can. Hasselbeck gives them the best chance to win, keep the hot hand in the lineup. 

How They Will Finish The Season –

Houston Texans	13-3
Indianapolis Colts	4-12
Jacksonville Jaguars	3-13
Tennessee Titans	7-9

NFC East:

April Forecast –

Dallas Cowboys	10-6
New York Giants	9-7
Philadelphia Eagles	10-6
Washington Redskins	4-12

Today’s Forecast –

Dallas Cowboys	3-3
New York Giants	5-2
Philadelphia Eagles	3-3
Washington Redskins	3-4

Dear NY Giants and Washington Redskins fans, I apologize for shortchanging your teams. The audacity of Tha WeathaMan not giving Eli Manning and RGIII the credit that they obviously deserve was unwarranted and will not happen again…until next off season. Sincerely, D. Ruck aka Tha WeathaMan. As for the Cowboys, the team really needs to find some consistency if they are to make any waves for the rest of the season. Dez Bryant, Tony Romo, DeMarcus Ware, and the rest of the team has to decide whether they want to live up to their potential or watch as their window closes. The Philadelphia Eagles on the other hand simply has to take care of the ball. If Michael Vick can eliminate the turnovers that have plagued him and the team, then the Eagles will win the majority of their games. If the offense continues to act as Santa Claus then Vick will be on the bench and Andy Reid will be filing a change of address form with the US Postal Service. 

How They Will Finish The Season –

Dallas Cowboys	8-8
New York Giants	11-5
Philadelphia Eagles	9-7
Washington Redskins	6-10

NFC North: 

April’s Forecast –

Chicago Bears	10-6
Detroit Lions	10-6
Green Bay Packers	13-3
Minnesota Vikings	6-10

Today’s Forecast –

Chicago Bears	5-1
Detroit Lions	2-4
Green Bay Packers	4-3
Minnesota Vikings	5-2

Well, I totally whiffed on the Minnesota Vikings who have to be the NFL’s surprise team at this point. Christian Ponder has continued to develop and Adrian Peterson looks like he never tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee less than 12 months ago. While Peterson is running and cutting with the same force he did pre-injury, the Vikings cannot rely too much on A.P. They must continue to have the balanced offense that produced that 5-2 record. The Packers may be 4-3 right now, but I believe that they have awakened from their early season slumber and are now primed to go on a tear. The Lions appear to be going backwards in their development as a team as Matthew Stafford has regressed this season and Calvin Johnson hasn’t been getting into the end zone with the same frequency as before. And that defense of theirs looks like Swiss cheese.  Jay Cutler continues to act like a spoiled child at times, but no one can argue with the fact that he has the Bears in a good spot. His on field chemistry with Brandon Marshall combined with that defense’s ability to produce turnovers and points equals a team that is in prime position to take the division. 

How They Will Finish The Season –

Chicago Bears	12-4
Detroit Lions	7-9
Green Bay Packers	11-5
Minnesota Vikings	8-8

NFC West: 

April’s Forecast –

Arizona Cardinals	5-11
St. Louis Rams	6-10
San Francisco 49ers	12-4
Seattle Seahawks	7-9

Today’s Forecast –

Arizona Cardinals	4-3
St. Louis Rams	3-4
San Francisco 49ers	5-2
Seattle Seahawks	4-3

Arizona is dropping faster than Roger Goodell’s approval rating in New Orleans. They may win more than 5 games, but they are still a mediocre team that was playing above their heads. The Rams are as competitive as everyone figured they would be under new head coach Jeff Fisher. That is one coach that demands accountability and his players have bought in. The Seahawks have a great defense paired with a good run game and a rookie quarterback that has defied all of the critics. Aided by a blown call that was the catalyst for ending the referee lockout, Russell Wilson has kept the Seahawks afloat by putting the ball in the right places more often than the wrong places. Also, kudos to Pete Carroll for the drafting of Bruce Irvin. The rookie defensive end has played great football this season and is justifying his 15^th pick in this past draft. But the class of the division is still the 49ers. The NFC West is there’s to lose, and while the division title won’t be a runaway as maybe first thought it will still produce a California champion. 

How They Will Finish The Season –

Arizona Cardinals	5-11
St. Louis Rams	6-10
San Francisco 49ers	11-5
Seattle Seahawks	9-7

NFC South:

April’s Forecast –

Atlanta Falcons	10-6
Carolina Panthers	6-10
New Orleans Saints	10-6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	4-12

Today’s Forecast –

Atlanta Falcons	6-0
Carolina Panthers	1-5
New Orleans Saints	2-4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2-4

The Falcons have suffered from the tendency to play down to their opponents, and their defense has been sloppy outside of their performance against San Diego. However, they have channeled their inner DJ Khaled (look it up if you’re lost) and all they do is win in Atlanta. Cam Newton and the Panthers look lost on the field and in press conferences this season. Their season is done as far as any legitimate playoff hopes. Now they are playing for jobs, both on the team and on the coaching staff. The Saints are showing small signs of recovering from the bounty scandal that has engulfed the team since the Summer. Their next three games will tell the story of their season. At Denver and at home for the Eagles and Falcons will either send the Saints into playoff mode or will signal the beginning of the city’s Super Bowl preparations. The Buccaneers caught a bad break last Sunday, but this team is where I figured they would be. They are a talented team going through the ups and downs associated with a rookie NFL coach. They will win more than two more games, but they are looking towards next season and continuing the improvement (hopefully) of Josh Freeman. 

How They Will Finish The Season –

Atlanta Falcons	13-3
Carolina Panthers	3-13
New Orleans Saints	9-7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	5-11

 

This season has already been interesting and it will only get better as the playoff pushes start. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Also keep in mind that Tha Weatha Report clued you in on how the season would play out. Thanks for reading, and don't forget.....SHARE this with friends!!!