Arena The Official NFL Discussion Thread

Former Patriots WR David Patten has died in a motorcycle crash at 47.

 

I remember him. That is sad.

 

You are about to embark on a 23 week journey into football heaven. On this, our final footballess Sunday I give thanks. May the football gods shine a light on the team you root upon. Are you ready for some football?

 

Hopefully my Bengals won't be eliminated by week 5 as they usually are.

 

I’m ready for the Titans to win a few games they shouldn’t, lose a few games they should win, go 10-7 and be eliminated in the first round of the playoffs! Let’s do this!

 

OMG I totally forgot about the added game. We need to get used to these wacky final records.

I’m going to work on my predictions for the season tomorrow.

 

Yeah it's definitely gonna be weird. All for only three preseasons though.

 

The extra week is nice for fantasy football, otherwise I don't like it.

 

I was wondering why no scores were posted, then realized they start next week.

 

I fully expect the Bears to be eliminated by halftime of Opening Night. Horrible OL, aging defense and not good enough playmakers to make up for either of those things. My guess is they go 8-9 or knowing Nagy 8-8-1 so he can three seasons in a row of going .500.

Side note but Tom Brady admitted he contracted COVID shortly after the SB parade in Feburary but like rest of the team is vaccinated. He also stated he thinks the virus will play a bigger factor this season compare to last year:

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/buc...eves-virus-could-be-a-bigger-problem-in-2021/

I totally agree with TB on this one. Even with some teams having insanely high vaccination rates, there will still be outbreaks due to everything from higher community spread, stadiums being filled, more lax rules when it comes to travel, entertainment (more options obviously to) etc.

 

Yep next Thursday.

I've been watching a lot of college this weekend.

 

Anyone looking to predict the full season might want to use this link. You can predict all the way to the Super Bowl.
https://playoffpredictors.com/Football/NFL?L=Aw18ZXTt-DFOS1b0ckA

 

I went with Vin’s picker, which meant deciding each game head-to-head adds an element of whim and the records don’t look like what I’d predict standing alone (they frequently surprised me when I got to the end). But anyway:

AFC East
Bills: 15-2
Dolphins*: 9-8
Jets: 8-9 (huh?)
Patriots: 7-10

AFC North
Browns: 13-4 (how did this happen?)
Ravens*: 10-7 (how did this happen?)
Steelers: 7-10
Bengals: 4-13

AFC South (I clearly have no faith in this division)
Titans: 13-4
Colts: 4-13
Jaguars: 3-14
Texans: 1-16

AFC West
Chiefs: 16-1
Chargers*: 13-4
Raiders: 7-10
Broncos: 3-14

AFC Playoffs
4 Browns over 5 Chargers
2 Bills over 7 Dolphins
6 Ravens over 3 Titans

2 Bills over 4 Browns
1 Chiefs over 6 Ravens

1 Chiefs over 2 Bills

NFC East
Cowboys: 13-4 (lol no way, they’ll screw it up)
Football Team: 5-12
Giants: 4-13
Eagles: 2-15

NFC North
Packers: 15-2
Bears: 8-9
Vikings: 6-11
Lions: 3-14

NFC South
Buccaneers: 15-2
Falcons: 10-7 (uh, no)
Saints: 5-12
Panthers: 2-15

NFC West (lol me too I guess)
Rams: 14-3
Seahawks*: 13-4
49ers*: 12-5
Cardinals*: 12-5

NFC Playoffs
5 Seahawks over 4 Cowboys
3 Rams over 6 49ers
2 Buccaneers over 7 Cardinals

1 Packers over 5 Seahawks
2 Buccaneers over 3 Rams

1 Packers over 2 Buccaneers

Super Bowl LVI

Packers over Chiefs

 

Rather excited, barring circumstances (say, THE big quake ), for the Super Bowl returning out here to La La Land next February; have some vague, but fun memories of being at a family party for Super Bowl XXVII. I know the odds aren't great, but goddamn it would spectacular if the Raiders managed to make it to the Super Bowl this season.

 

I used Vin's link, too. I would never get these results without H2H, I don't give enough upsets in H2H. Four 14 win teams has to be wrong, even with the extra game. I actually like how most of the divisions turned out, though.

AFC North

Ravens 14-3
Browns 14-3
Steelers 7-10
Bengals 3-14

AFC South

Titans 10-7
Colts 7-10
Jags 4-13
Texans 1-16

AFC East

Patriots 13-4
Bills 12-5
Dolphins 10-7
Jets 3-14

AFC West

Chiefs 14-3
Chargers 13-4
Broncos 9-8
Raiders 7-10

NFC North

Packers 13-4
Vikings 8-9
Bears 4-13 (didn't give them quite enough)
Lions 3-14 (gave them too many)

NFC South

Bucs 14-3
Saints 11-6
Panthers 3-14 (too harsh)
Falcons 2-15 (too harsh)

NFC East (lol)

WFT 8-9
Cowboys 8-9
Giants 8-9
Eagles 1-16 (probably way too harsh)

NFC West

Rams 13-4
Seahawks 13-4
Cardinals 12-5
Niners 10-7

AFC Playoffs

5 Browns over 4 Titans
6 Chargers over 3 Patriots
2 Ravens over 7 Bills

5 Browns over 2 Ravens
1 Chiefs over 6 Chargers

5 Browns over 1 Chiefs

NFC Playoffs

5 Seahawks over 4 WFT
3 Rams over 6 Cardinals
2 Packers over 7 Saints

3 Rams over 2 Packers
1 Bucs over 5 Seahawks

3 Rams over 1 Bucs

Super Bowl

Rams over Browns

 

Picking H2H definitely creates much higher win totals and lower win totals. I tried my best to throw in rivalry upsets here and there to hopefully create something more accurate. But something definitely went wrong. I may have given Seattle not enough losses and a couple other boo boos. Either way I resolved it in the playoffs.

AFC North
Browns 12-5
Steelers 11-6
Ravens 11-6
Bengals 6-11

AFC South

Titans 12-5
Jags 9-8
Colts 5-12
Texans 1-16

AFC East

Bills 15-2
Patriots 7-10
Dolphins 7-10
Jets 4-13

AFC West

Chiefs 15-2
Chargers 10-7
Raiders 8-9
Broncos 5-12

NFC North

Packers 13-4
Bears 6-11
Vikings 3-14
Lions 3-14

NFC South

Bucs 13-4
Saints 12-5
Falcons 10-7
Panthers 3-14

NFC East

Cowboys 9-8
WFT 6-11
Giants 6-11
Eagles 5-12

NFC West

Seahawks 14-3
Rams 13-4
Cardinals 9-8
Niners 9-8

AFC Playoffs

4 Browns over 5 Steelers
3 Titans over 6 Ravens
2 Bills over 7 Chargers

2 Bills over 3 Titans
1 Chiefs over 4 Browns

1 Chiefs over 2 Bills

NFC Playoffs

5 Rams over 4 Cowboys
3 Bucs over 6 Saints
2 Packers over 7 Falcons

3 Bucs over 2 Packers
5 Rams over 1 Seahawks

5 Rams over 3 Bucs

Super Bowl

Chiefs over Rams

 

One change I would like to see the NFL implement this season along with the extra regular season game is conference runner-up t-shirts. I always think it's sad that the team that loses the conference championship game doesn't get anything to celebrate their achievement of making it to the final four. so they should be given hats and shirts that show they were the runner-up for their conference that year. now you might think there's a problem with that why would the team that just lost the conference championship game want to put on hats and shirts and celebration? well here's the solution: give these hats and shirts out after the divisional round. then they can celebrate that win by wearing them. then if they go on to lose the conference championship game they can have them for later.

 

NO. @darth_gersh

 

Didn't the Colts also put up some sort of AFC 'finalists' banner when they got destroyed by the Patriots like 6 years ago when they had Andrew Luck? Or am I misremembering something here.

Edit: found it https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/...st-banner-at-stadium-internet-laughs-at-them/

 

Lol no

 

There are over 350 division one college basketball teams, so making the final four is a big deal. Even winning a conference in football is impressive, as teams have hung banners. Or division champs. Final four no not in pro football imo.