Time to review my incredibly UN-prescient football picks for the year…

Predicted (actual):

AFC East
New England 12-4 (16-0) – Yeah, well, if you have a posting from September 6 that has New England running the table, I’ll bow to your greatness. Otherwise, I think most predictions were around here.

Buffalo 8-8 (7-9) – I accurately predicted that Buffalo would step up this year, though I was off by a game. I also accurately predicted that New England would clinch early, though I don’t think that was exactly a difficult call.

New York Jets 5-11 (4-12) – Another pick off by just one game.

Miami 6-10 (1-15) – Come on, did YOU think they’d be this bad?

AFC North
Boy, did I screw this division up!

Cincinnati 10-6 (7-9) – I thought their potent offense would compensate for their WAC-level defense. I was wrong.

Baltimore 9-7 (5-11) – Yeeesh, not even close.

Pittsburgh 8-8 (10-6) – I thought they’d improve, but not that much. They’ll still lose in the first round.

Cleveland 4-12 (10-6) – Come on, did YOU think they’d be this good?

AFC South
Indianapolis 13-3 (13-3) – Bingo! Right on the nose! My prediction that Addai would reach 2000 yards was derailed by injuries and an early clinch of the division.

Houston 9-7 (8-8) – I predicted that Houston would be contending this year. I missed by one year.

Jacksonville 6-10 (11-5) – Wow, did I underestimate David Gerrard!

Tennessee 6-10 (10-6) – Be honest, did you know they had won that many games? The fact that they’re gonna get blasted by three touchdowns against San Diego will affirm the fact that they just don’t belong in the playoffs.

AFC West
San Diego 12-4 (11-5) – I bravely predicted that LT would catch more balls in Norv’s revamped offense. He skyrocketed from 56 catches in 2006 to a whopping 60 in 2007.

Denver 10-6 (7-9) – Jay Cutler played better, but the guy-from-nowhere-who-rushes-for-1000-yards magic that Mike Shanahan had is apparently inoperative.

Kansas City 6-10 (4-12)

Oakland 4-12 (4-12) – Second bingo of the AFC!

AFC Recap – Three of the four division winners correct, ZERO of the wild card teams. Also predicted a San Diego – Indy AFC Championship, which is impossible since they’ll meet in the second round.

NFC East
Dallas 11-5 (13-3) – Tony Romo blossomed this year, nailing both Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, an impressive feat. If he talked them into a threesome, I’d have a new hero.

Philly 9-7 (8-8) – This one could’ve gone either way, depending on Donovan’s health.

New York Giants 7-9 (10-6) – I didn’t think Eli could hold it together well enough to make the playoffs. I was wrong, partially because I underestimated Brandon Jacobs.

Washington 6-10 (9-7) – I think I was right when I said that they have a lot of “almost good enough” talent. We’ll find out when they face Seattle in the loudest stadium in the NFL.

NFC North
Again, the North proves to be my kryptonite. I had no idea the Bears would fall so far, nor that Brett Favre would discover that playing Vicodin-free would be so fun.

Chicago 12-4 (7-9) – To be honest, the Bears were about as bad as I thought they would be. It’s just that the rest of the division was much, much better. I thought they had five or six slam-dunk wins in division and would go 6-4 or 7-3 against the rest of the league. Instead, they went 2-4 in division and 5-5 against everyone else.

Detroit 6-10 (7-9) – Just about right for them. I had some worries when they were 6-2 and contending for a playoff slot, but they proved to be every bit as bad as I thought.

Green Bay 6-10 (13-3) – Didn’t think the old fart had it in him.

Minnesota 4-12 (7-9) – Well, I did predict that Adrian Peterson would be a star, and the likely rookie of the year, but other than that…. Eh.

NFC South
New Orleans 11-5 (7-9) – The Deuce McAllister injury combined with a slow start killed this team.

Carolina 8-8 (7-9) – A team heading in the wrong direction. If not for the chaos in Atlanta, they’re gonna be in the cellar for years.

Atlanta 7-9 (4-12) – Unless they hire a top coach, this team will be a laughing stock for years. And it’s all Michael Vick’s fault.

Tampa Bay 5-11 (9-7) – Jeff Garcia is the football equivalent of Kenny Lofton, always in the playoffs, no matter the team. Well, if you ignore Cleveland and Detroit…

NFC West
Seattle 10-6 (10-6) – Bingo #3. Pretty safe to give them 10 wins a year in this division.

San Francisco 10-6, 7-9 if Gore gets hurt (5-11) – I forgot about mentioning what happens if Alex Smith gets hurt, and the 49ers are forced to use FOUR starting quarterbacks including retreads like Dilfer and Weinke.

St Louis 9-7 (3-13) – Wow, just wow. Would you think that a team with Stephen Jackson, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Marc Bulger could lose 13 games in the worst division in pro football? Well, try to name a player on their defense….

Arizona 7-9 (8-8) – About right.

NFC Recap
Two of the four division winners correct, ZERO of the wild card teams. Obviously, my NFC championship pick of New Orleans is way off base, but my second choice, Dallas, looks pretty strong for playing in February.