New England Patriots - "How Do You Spell Dynasty?"

The Patriots 2002 season was actually an anomaly, in that the country became obsessed with proving the previous year's victory was a fluke.  So needless, to say, I'm looking forward to a much more normal and smooth post-championship season this year.  However, as anyone who follows football at all knows, the Patriots have a much larger task at hand then simply putting on a good show this season.  They have the rare chance to become a dynasty.  Now perhaps you think that the whole idea of sports "dynasties" is just a concept contrived by the media to market their product better.  I'd have to say that I agree with you, to a point.  Right now, the Patriots are just ESPN's easiest story to increase ratings.  They aren't a dynasty.  Seven months ago, the network wouldn't even throw them and their 15-game win streak a bone and directed all their coverage at the Colt's puntless playoff games and Bret Favre's father.  Now they're the undefeatable juggernauts of the league, and should they enter Miami 3-0 heading into Week 5, it will be the biggest media frenzy since, well, the Super Bowl.  To be honest, it simultaneously pleases and disgusts me.  I'm all about my team receiving their dues, but I've also spent enough time on the other end of things to see how shallow and hypocritical all the praise actually is. 

All that being said, the Patriots do actually have the chance to become the latest dynasty in the NFL.  This league, unlike any other, has had each decade defined by a specific team. The Packers of the 60's, the 70's Steelers, 80's 49ers, and 90's Cowboys are all synonymous with their era because of their success.  Each decade is like a skins game in golf.  You try win as many seasons as you can, and whoever ends up with the most gets that decade.  You can't say the same for teams in other sports.  The result of all this is that if your team does manage to string together a series of three or four titles in a short span, you'll have a squad full of legends to tell your kids about.  And that's what I want.  That's while I'll be rooting for the Patriots like never before.  This is the year that the Pats can cement their place in history.  When we all come together for Super Bowl LXX, you'll be hard pressed to find somebody who will be able to remember the winner of Super Bowl XXXIX.  But if New England gets it done this year, everyone will have heard of the 2000 Patriots.  So even though Bill Belichick is preaching one-game-at-a-time to his players, Patriot fans are thinking one-title-at-a-time. 

And one more creates a dynasty.

Pre-Season Predictions:

Now for the fun part.  Last season I ran my prediction credibility into the ground by becoming overly superstitious.  I started putting teams in seemingly ridiculous positions simply because I thought it might help the Pats.  It was stupid, I know, but they did manage to win the Super Bowl.  Anyway, this year all superstitions are off.  In my quest to prove that I do have superior intellect compared to the talking heads on ESPN, I'm going to pick purely based on my personal analysis, no matter what losing streak it may seem to send the Patriots on.  Who knows, maybe my perfect selection of all twelve playoff teams turns the head of some ESPN executive who randomly wanders onto this page and I get a great job offer and turn the network around.  Stranger things have happened on this site already. 

One last note before the picking begins - Everyone who makes pre-season predictions thinks that they're a genius because they managed to select ten or eleven of the previous year's playoff teams to return to the post-season.  This NEVER happens.  While making predictions that way ensures that you won't look like an idiot when you go 2-10, it also cements the fact that you won't attain perfection.  And that's what I'm after.  The coveted 12-0.  After all, where's the fun in scraping by at 6-6?  That's why I'm establishing the rule where only seven of last year's playoff teams at most can be picked for a return performance.  I think if this rule were made official by the joint member's of congress, we'd see a little bit better analysis by the media and a little less easy regurgitation of last year's results.  So let the games begin!

NFC NORTH:

1. Vikings

2. Packers

3. Lions

4. Bears

The Vikes should've had the division wrapped up last season.  Since they still haven't gotten the bad taste out of their mouth, look for Minnesota to be on a mission.

NFC SOUTH:

1. Panthers

2. Saints

3. Falcons

4. Buccanneers

The Panthers are the real deal.  Look for them to repeat as division champs.  My new NFC sleeper pick - New Orleans.

NFC EAST:

1. Cowboys

2. Redskins

3. Eagles

4. Giants

If Bill Parcells is your coach, you're more than likely to improve each season.  And if you're the Eagles and you lose key players in the pre-season, you're more than likely to fall down a few notches. 

NFC WEST:

1. Rams

2. Seahawks

3. 49ers

4. Cardinals

The Seahawks were going to be my sleeper pick in '04.  Then they happened to become everyone's sleeper pick in '04, thereby nullifying their ability to actually become a sleeper pick.  Therefore, since they made the playoffs last season and I've got to make some cuts, I'm taking them out of the picture entirely.  Maybe I'm a little bitter, but maybe all the hype will go to the players heads and they'll fall apart.  Maybe. 

NFC SEEDING:

1. Rams

2. Vikings

3. Panthers

4. Cowboys

5. Redskins

6. Saints

The Rams play in a division with two weak teams, and they play the AFC East which should be sub-par.  That should get them the top spot.  Minnesota has a similar situation, but the top two seeds in each conference rarely make the Super Bowl....  I like the Skins and Saints to win enough games to make the post-season.

AFC NORTH:

1. Bengals

2. Ravens

3. Steelers

4. Browns

So far only three playoff teams are penciled in for a return.  With the Bengals overtaking the Ravens... "Another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust..."

AFC SOUTH:

1. Colts

2. Jaguars

3. Titans

4. Texans

There are always those bottom dwellers ready to make the leap.  Last season, Jacksonville looked like one of them.  The Titans always seem to survive the beating they take, but I think they're too banged up.  And I've got to cut some more playoff teams.

AFC EAST:

1. Patriots

2. Jets

3. Bills

4. Dolphins

The only thing that scares me is that the Patriots have a ridiculously easy schedule.  Which means that all the other AFC East teams have a ridiculously easy schedule minus the Colts and Chiefs.  Of course, they do have to play us twice which will hopefully even things out.  But the point I'm trying to make is that for all my bragging, the Pats do have to show up each week.  They can't lose the easy games they're supposed to win and come out on top.  Otherwise, it will be 2002 all over again. 

AFC WEST:

1. Chiefs

2. Broncos

3. Raiders

4. Chargers

The Chiefs will come down to earth, now that they don't have the easiest schedule in the league.  But the AFC West is looking weak.  Another prediction - The Broncos are going to regret trading Clinton Portis.

AFC SEEDING:

1. Patriots

2. Colts

3. Bengals

4. Chiefs

5. Jets

6. Jaguars

The Pats and Colts shouldn't have a hard time winning their division, which is weird since they come from the divisions I have sending the wildcards.  Basically, I expect the Bengals, Chiefs, Jets, Jaguars, Ravens, and Broncos to all finish with similar records.  And since the Broncos and Ravens made the playoffs last year, I'm going with the Jets and Jags. That may seem like a dumb reason, but history's on my side.  And history isn't a dumb reason. 

Observations: 

Returning playoff teams from last season - 6:   Rams, Panthers, Cowboys, Patriots, Colts, Chiefs.

Non-returning playoff teams from last season - 6:  Eagles, Packers, Seahawks, Ravens, Titans, Broncos.

There's not much downside to the teams returning.  While the Eagles, Packers, Broncos, and Titans are all on the decline.  The Seahawks and Ravens were questionable omissions, but I don't think people would be shocked if they didn't make the post-season.  Well, maybe all those people who have the Seahawks as their "sleeper". 

NFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

Panthers over Saints, Cowboys over Redskins

Divisional Round:

Cowboys over Rams , Vikings over Panthers

NFC Championship:

Vikings over Cowboys

AFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

Jaguars over Bengals, Chiefs over Jets

Divisional Round:

Patriots over Jaguars, Chiefs over Colts

AFC Championship

Patriots over Chiefs

SUPERBOWL XXXIX:

Patriots over Vikings

How do you spell Dynasty?