Come and Blog It: Come and Blog It Annual Prediction of How the NFL Season Will Play Out

This is going to sound weird folks. Maybe it's just me, so let's not read too much into this statement, but...do you think football got here too quickly this year?

I know, I know, heresy, blasphemy, indecency, or incredibly...epiphany...?

By all accounts, this football season should have felt as though years had passed between 00:00 on the clock at the Super Bowl until now. The teams I root for finished strongly(ish). My Aggies came back against all odds and won a thrilling Chick-Fil-A Bowl vs Duke, putting a bow on another amazing season in the SEC. The future was full of big question marks:

Who will replace Johnny Football???
Will the defense ever get off the field???
Will the offense ever score another point without JFF???
How will they fare being so young???

My Bengals once again looked lost in a first round playoff game, literally unsure of where the end zone might have been hidden and why it was necessary to hold onto the brown object in their hands. Nevertheless, they were in the playoffs for the third straight year and, aside from a few players, are returning the bulk of a potent offense and top 5 defense. The future is bright and exciting.

To go with all of that, my Rangers - yes I realize they don't play football but they may as well have this year - saw their season come to an end before it even started. Beginning in February with the infamous dog to the knee heard round the state of Texas, a key cog of the Rangers starting rotation, Derek Holland, was out for basically the year. After that, merely putting on an article of blue or red clothing that had the word "Texas" on it was literally tempting fate with your well-being. The Rangers used their Major League Record 60th player of the season last night with still a month to go in 2014 campaign. That 60th player - Derek Holland. Who doesn't like some good poetry with their misery?

So, I have a young exciting college football team full of unknowns; a young, tested professional football team with a bright(ish) future; a sad, injury riddled baseball team whose season ended in May...football couldn't get here quickly enough, right?

Not for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to watch the game again. I was thrilled when those young Aggies walked into South Carolina and just blew the doors off the college football season opener. I'm excited to see if the Bengals can take the steps forward and maybe, just maybe, win their first playoff game since I was 10.

Still, though, I feel it all got here too quickly - maybe the winter lasted too long, or the summer now seems so short.

Or maybe it's that football really never does go away.

The Super Bowl ends in February - then it's non-stop talk about free agency or trades until late March and then over analyzing the draft prospects until the draft happens in May and then it's over analyzing every little thing about rookies in their first moments with their teams in June, and training camps in July and ridiculous amounts of preseason meaningless football in August and then here it is...

...September.

Real football.

Therein lies my problem, so much fake fluffy football that is like junk food filling your belly but providing no real football nourishment. It makes you feel sick. You need to lay down. Maybe you need a cleanse. If you're like me, you don't even mean to consume this junk food football - heck, maybe you're really even trying to avoid it. But you're on Twitter. Or Facebook. Or the Internet in general. And football, fluffy football, has infiltrated every single aspect of the Internet.

Like a giant candy dish sitting on a table, you walk by grab a handful of fluffy junk food goodness, and go about your day. Then you walk by again. Another handful of junk food football. So it goes, until you've eaten a whole bag of football candy corn, and you're laying in the corner bewildered at the way your belly feels.

Well reader(s), it's time for some meat and potatoes. It's time for actual games, with actual players, and actual scores that actually matter.

After one more tiny handful of fluffy football junk food: The Come and Blog It Annual Prediction of How the NFL Season Will Play Out.

But if you remember last year, then you'll know, this is as close to meat and potatoes as football candy can get.

THE COME AND BLOG IT ANNUAL PREDICTION OF HOW THE NFL SEASON WILL PLAY OUT

American Football Conference

EAST DIVISION

Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, grumpy Bill Belichick, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, no receivers, BUT Tom Brady, Tom Brady, Tom Brady, traded Logan Mankins, BUT Tom Brady, Tom Brady.

Patriots - partially because I swore I'd never pick against him again, and partially because the rest of this division just can't seem to get out of the mud they're stuck in. In fact this division reminds me of the Corb Lund song "Truck Got Stuck" where the Jets, Dolphins and Bills are the Chevy, Ford and Dodge. The Patriots are the old Four By Hutterite Truck. Mighty neighborly, mighty neighborly...if you're a fan of one of those other teams though look at it this way: the Patriots are winning, yes, but the other teams are going to have way more fun losing than the Patriots ever will winning.

In the likely event you have no idea what I just said:

It's possible that another team will come out of this division, but my guess is the Wild Card teams will come from elsewhere. The Jets and Dolphins could finish around .500 or a little better. The Bills have somehow managed to break EJ Manuel so all the CJ Spillers and Sammy Watkinses in the world won't get this team above 7-9.

SOUTH DIVISION

I could just copy and paste the above for this division but swapping out the Colts for the Patriots. I can't though, because that's lazy...and because the Texans actually had a couple of years there where they unseated the Colts. Albeit those Colts had a broken Peyton Manning. Regardless, this division is the Colts to lose. If I were writing this next year, I would be a little higher on the Jaguars and the Titans. They both have nice young quarterbacks that could, maybe, make this division tough in the coming years with some great battles between Luck, Mettenberger and Bortles, but for now those teams are just too short on talent to knock off the Colts - who have plenty of their own question marks. Just not enough to risk the division.

NORTH DIVISION

This is probably the first year ever when I've actually felt very, very confident that the AFC North is the Bengals' division to lose. So, you know what that means right:

Yep.

So, since I'm picking the Bengals to win this division handily, let's just assume that doesn't happen. Who, then, will win it? Well, the Browns couldn't possibly. Hoyer's fine, but he's not going to put a game on his right arm and go win it. Plus their receivers are...well, they're not Josh Gordon.

Steelers? Maybe. But I don't think so. I think they're in one of those 3-4 year lulls that consistently good programs go through eventually. (Well, except the Patriots - they don't suffer through these.)

The Ravens? Two years removed from a near Super Bowl victory with a supposedly improved running game and defense. Sure why not? Let's say the Ravens can win it. So, to be clear - I'm picking the Bengals to run away with the division, but I'm picking the Ravens to win the division because I picked the Bengals to run away with the division. Got it? Good.

WEST DIVISION

The Broncos will own this division. Own it. They improved their defense and have Peyton Manning doing Peyton Manning things.

Well, you know what I mean.

Are you noticing a theme here? Seems like there are a lot of sure-things in the NFL this year. This is not good for the NFL. Sure-things are boring. Boring is not good for a league created to provide entertainment. The league better hope I'm wrong, but c'mon, that's not happening. Remember last year?

Anyway...I see the Chiefs taking a step backwards. It's hard not to after the leap forward they made last year, which somebody called...hmmm...who was that...?

I think they'll still have a nice season though and will compete with the Chargers for the last Wild Card spot in the AFC. The Chargers won't be as good as everyone is saying they will be and the Chiefs won't fall as far as people think they might.

AFC PLAYOFF TEAMS

Do I have to pick 6 teams here? Well, if that's the case, I'm at least going to use Star Wars Helmets to do it (http://geekologie.com/2014/02/well-executed-star-wars-themed-nfl-footb.php) And those Star Wars helmets will guide me when I don't know who to pick. Like the Force. Cause I'm a nerd.

Denver Tauntauns, 12-4, #1 Seed

Cincinnati Zabraks, 11-5, #2 Seed (that'll keep them from losing the Wild Card game)

Indianapolis Troopers, 11-5, #3 Seed

New England Jedis (of course they are...), 10-6, #4 Seed

San Diego Lightsabers, 9-7, #5 Seed

Kansas City Ewoks, 9-7, #6 Seed

National Football Conference

EAST DIVISION

Eagles right? They'll run away with this division right? Yeah, no, I don't think so. I'm not saying they won't win it, but I don't think it'll be that easy. I think if Tony Romo can stay healthy the Cowboys offense will be tough enough to put up a decent fight. The Giants may just surprise a few people, too, considering Eli Manning has been basically written off this year. The Redskins I'm afraid just won't be good at all.

Plus, Nick Foles threw only two interceptions last year. Two. That total has to go up. Even against defenses as bad as the Cowboys will be. I'll take the Eagles, but not in a land slide.

SOUTH DIVISION

Finally, a division without a clear cut, runaway winner at the top of it. What's that you say? The Saints are clear cut, runaway winners? Well, says who? Oh, everybody...hmm...

That's cool. I'm still going to call this a 4-team race. We all know about the Saints - Drew Brees, defense that improved a lot down the stretch, etc., etc. Don't forget how good the Panthers were last year. Their defense looked mighty fine. Mighty fine y'all. That's twice I've doubled up on the "mighty" adjective so you know I'm not messing around*. Cam Newton may have a little nagging injury though and they lost Steve Smith to the Ravens which is a little scary, but still, show me a team with a good D and I'll show you a team that has a chance.

The Falcons defense is still a work in progress, but you've got Matt Ryan, an improved offensive line, and kids like Julio Jones...they'll score some points. Show me a team that can score points and I'll show you a team that has a chance.

The Buccaneers. Oh those feisty pirates. They have a new coach, a new quarterback, and fancy new giant pirate flag laden helmets. How can they lose? They just took Logan Mankins from the Patriots and drafted Mike Evans to be opposite Vincent Jackson - oh and defense? They have a little bit of that, too. Could the Bucs win this division? Maybe.

Nah, the Saints got this.

NORTH DIVISION

Why not right? It could be the Packers that win this division, probably not the Lions or the Vikings. The Lions have it all together on paper, but for some weird reason (they're the Detroit Lions...) they never translate that talent into enough victories to make the playoffs. The Vikings are going to get much better. Mike Zimmer is a heck of a coach and will see to that, but they just don't have enough talent to win this division.

But the Bears - their offense looks good under Trestman, so if Cutler can stay healthy I think they can win the division. The Packers are going to be good again, too, but remember, they didn't exactly run away with this division last year. I'll take the Bears with the Pack nipping on their heels.

WEST DIVISION

There's no reason to think the Seahawks won't take this division again this year. They return basically everyone from a team with a dominant defense and an improving offense. The NFC West has been incredibly tough though recently - the Cardinals missed the playoffs last year despite managing 10 wins and beating the Seahawks at Seattle. The 49ers will still be solid. The Rams would have been in this discussion, but with Sam Bradford out, I just don't think they'll have the quarterback play to support their defense and running game.

I think this division will beat itself up a little more this year. Last year everyone came out with a pretty decent record except for the Rams. This year won't be so clean. The 49ers or the Cardinals may very well be playoff caliber teams, but they could look up with 9-7 records and find themselves on the outside looking in. Or not. These divisions where there are more than one good team are hard to predict...

Seahawks win it, but the rest of the division will make it very challenging.