NFL Predictions: Send in the Clowns
By Joe Tufaro
Every year some writers take on the daunting task of predicting every teams record for the entire season, where they will finish in their division, and even how they will perform in the playoffs. Unfortunately most of them aren’t math majors or memory experts and when you read their entire prediction for the season, well you don’t always come up with a winner and loser of every game, or a consistent reading of how the division will line up. Here’s an example from ESPN:
Cowboys: Season Prediction 10-6. The Cowboys’ return to the playoffs for the first time in four seasons won’t last long, but it will give Garrett job security for 2014 and Jones a belief that contention is not far away.
Predicted finish in NFC East: second
GIANTS: Season Prediction 10-6. The Giants better their regular-season win total of the past two years by one, finishing 10-6 and reaching the playoffs for the second time in five years. They go in as a wild card, having lost the division to the Cowboys, but they beat the Cowboys in Dallas in the first round before losing to the eventual Super Bowl champion Falcons in the second.
Predicted finish in NFC East: second
Eagles: Season Prediction 8-8. While it’s reasonable to expect improvement from 4-12, it’s a stretch to expect a giant leap to double-digit wins. So cop-out? Compromise? Take your pick, but 8-8 it is.
Predicted finish in NFC East: third
Redskins: Season Prediction 10-6. There are enough underlying issues that could spoil the season. But we’ll stick with 10-6 and, as long as Griffin is healthy, a trip to the NFC Championship Game.
Predicted finish in NFC East: first
This is all from the same writer…see the problem? The Giants are predicted to lose the division to the Cowboys, but he then predicts the Redskins to finish first. This is what as known as trying to write to the fan base of each team. Big seasons for the redskins, Cowboys, and Giants…with all of them making the playoffs and two of them winning the division.
I’ve never understood how people can make predictions on the season when the team hasn’t even been constituted yet. Final cuts are not till this weekend.
So, while these may be fun to read, they are poorly though out and often inaccurate on their face.