Nostra-Saints Guy: Bold Predictions for an Italicized and Underlined Tomorrow (Part II)

Now for the NFC Predictions (the AFC Predictions are here).

NFC NORTH

Winner: Green Bay Packers

And the 2008 Division That Nobody Has A Clue Who Is Going To Win Award goes to the NFC North! If there was one division that has absolutely no elite quarterback in the ranks, it’s these four teams. Bears? Grossman. Vikings? Jackson. Lions? Kitna. Packers? Aaron Rogers/2008 Draft pu-pu platter. Not one quarterback you’re taking as a back up in fantasy or trading for in Madden 09.

So why the Pack? Well, they had more than just Favre last year, even though he was the one who threw away the NFC Championship Game in overtime at Lambeau. A talented, more mature defense is what Nostra-Saints Guy believes will win this division. If the offensive skill positions can fall into place (i.e., the post-Favre QB era), Green Bay still will win the North, just not with 13 regular season wins.

Contender: Detroit Lions

Quarterback Jon Kitna predicts (for the second season in a row) 10 wins for the Detroit Lions. Well, while Nostra-Saints Guy by no means sees that many victories in his writings, the Lions were on the brink last season and should be again. Lots of people also think Detroit found their starting running back in the third round of the draft in Central Florida’s Kevin Smith. It may not be easy, but the Lions should by next in line.

(Side note: Why not the Vikings? As much as I love Adrian Peterson, it’s hard to get behind Tarvaris Jackson at quarterback. Minnesota has pretty much given him the keys for at least the next two seasons, and even though they acquired Gus Frerotte’s dead body and drafted USC pretty boy John David Booty, you can bank on Jackson starting at least six games this year. Nostra-Saints Guy says they won’t win half the games he starts.)

NFC EAST

Winner: Dallas Cowboys

Choosing the Cowboys to win anything is hard for any Saints fan. We’re supposed to hate the Cowboys with every fiber of our being, right? Having to deal with North Louisianians taking to the Cowboys is the ultimate insult for any Saints fan. It’s inexcusable. It’s the equivalent of living in New England and wearing a Yankees cap. And nobody talks about it. It’s like if you go north of Alexandria, you start fighting the Cowboys fans off with sticks. There’s absolutely no reason this is okay.

(Side note: Seriously, how great would it have been to somehow have them in our division after the Texans gave us a 32-team league? New Orleans and Dallas are WAY closer than, say, Tampa Bay or Philadelphia? The Saints Guy will begin lobbying for a new realignment as soon as he gets a little clout with the commish.)

Anyways, Dallas returns a good team, and while I’d like to remind you I’m not predicting how the postseason will go (I’m looking at you Wade Phillips and Tony Romo), the Cowboys did the right things in the off-season on the field (Pac-Man acquisition, draft and T.O.’s contract) and should win the division.

Contender: New York Jersey Giants

See above about not predicting the postseason. The Giants got hot at the right time and made the run of the millennium last year. So that’s the main reason Nostra-Saints Guy sees New York/Jersey as the contender for the division. Nothing else.

(What The Saints Guy wants you to forget is what he said about Eli Manning here before the great Latin-American sabbatical. You can bank on it that Eli read this web-column and really turned up the heat. After it was written, he lead his team to a 6-2 record en route to a Super Bowl win. Giants fans, you’re welcome.)

NFC WEST

Winner: Seattle Seahawks

This is the token pick for the NFC West. Somewhat similar to the AFC East in that there is one good/great team and three awful teams, the Seahawks' only real question mark was left after the release of former NFL MVP Shaun Alexander. The new starting running back? It will be interesting to see who is picked out of T.J. Duckett, Julius Jones or even Maurice Morris.

Contender: Arizona Cardinals

Combine a healthy pretty boy Matt Leinhart, a proven back Edgerrin James and star wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin with an up-and-coming head coach and you’ll get a team that will be just a year away from winning the division. For the second year in a row.

NFC SOUTH

Winner: New Orleans Saints

That’s right, The NFC South Curse ends this season! What’s The NFC South Curse you ask? Since Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XVIII, the team that finished last in a season would finish first the next season. I’ll even break it down for you.

2002 Last Place - Carolina (7-9)
2003 First Place - Carolina (11-5)
2003 Last Place - Atlanta (5-11)
2004 First Place - Atlanta (11-5)
2004 Last Place - Tampa Bay (5-11)
2005 First Place - Tampa Bay (11-5)
2005 Last Place - New Orleans (3-13)
2006 First Place - New Orleans (10-6)
2006 Last Place - Tampa Bay (4-12)
2007 First Place - Tampa Bay (9-7)
2007 Last Place - Atlanta (4-12)

So if you are going by The Curse, that means that the Vick-less Falcons that signed a quarterbacking kid who hasn’t taken a professional snap to a $72m contract will break through and take the division from a New Orleans Saints team that seems to be on the brink. Nostra-Saints Guy just doesn't see that happening.

Homerism aside, it’s tough to pick against these guys after seeing what the offense can do when it hits on all cylinders. Even after losing Deuce and starting 0-4 last season, New Orleans showed flashes of greatness during the next four games (beating Seattle in Seattle [which New Orleans NEVER does it seems] and blowing out a very talented Jacksonville team) and stayed in most games for the rest of the year en route to a 7-9 record. It wasn’t a banner finish by any sorts, but Nostra-Saints Guy was pleased with the draft (USC’s Sedrick Ellis gives New Orleans a Top 3 defensive line in the league) and key off-season acquisitions (Getting Jonathan Vilma from the Jets will be the most-underrated signing of the year. Nostra-Saints Guy has spoken!)

With all that said, Nostra-Saints Guy had no beef with his nepotistic prediction that the Saints will storm out of the gates, break The Curse and win the NFC South.

Contender: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

After all that is it even worth a paragraph? Sure.

Tampa Bay will contend only in the sense that Carolina and Atlanta will be down again. Jeff Garcia’s body is breaking down, Cadillac’s knee WILL pop again (take it from a fantasy owner) and the draft wasn’t that great. And even after dealing with almost those same factors last season, Tampa Bay found a way to get it done. They just won’t win as many as the Saints.

So, with the 2008 AFC and NFC predictions done, Nostra-Saints Guy will return to his cave on the bayou where by the light of a candle and the sound of his pontoon boat, he will rest until time to predict the records for each NFL team as the season draws nearer.