A CHIEFS' DYNASTY? |
OUR NFC PLAYOFF PROJECTIONS |
PRIME TIME IN DALLAS? |
NFL EXPANSION 2030: ORLANDO |
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| SEED | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 |
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS |
| 2 |
BUFFALO BILLS |
| 3 |
PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
| 4 |
HOUSTON TEXANS |
| 5 |
BALTIMORE RAVENS |
| 6 |
DENVER BRONCOS |
7 |
LOS ANGELES CHARGERS |
| SEED | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 |
DETROIT LIONS |
| 2 |
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES |
| 3 |
TAMPA BAY BUCS |
| 4 |
LOS ANGELES RAMS |
| 5 |
MINNESOTA VIKINGS |
| 6 |
GREEN BAY PACKERS |
| 7 |
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS |
This is likely several months away and very speculative, but we would be very shocked if Deion Sanders was not the next Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys
Jerry Jones needs someone with the spotlight that Deion would bring to the struggling Dallas Cowboys franchise.
Deion is high-profile, a former Cowboys player and Hall of Famer, and then there is a decent chance the Cowboys could draft either his son, Shadeur Sanders or another Colorado player Travis Hunter
We think this move is too obvious to ignore, and could generate the type of REALISTIC hype that the Cowboys have lacked for years
We are barely past the halfway point in the season, so why are we giving our playoff forecast now?
It's always fun to be wrong and then get criticized by everyone else
So without any further ado, is that how they say it? We will start with our projected Number 7 seed:
7 - GREEN BAY PACKERS
We see the Green Bay Packers narrowly beating out the Arizona Cardinals for the 7 seed in the NFC. But to do so, they must do better against division rivals Detroit and Minnesota
We would argue that when healthy, the Packers are one of the top teams in the NFC. The problem is, Jordan Love has been 100% for only about 3 games this season, and that has hurt them.
The Packers have struggled against top teams, but again, in many of these games (Lions, Vikings), Jordan Love tried to play through an injury and clearly was not 100%
6- MINNESOTA VIKINGS
In the past two games, we have seen enough flaws in the Minnesota offense to not consider them a threat to the Lions for the division. Sam Darnold has thrown some of the worst interceptions in recent weeks, some in which Viking receivers were nowhere near the ball.
They started so strong, though, and we have great faith in Brian Flores' defense and O'Connell and his offensive schemes. They should at least make it as a Wild Card
5- WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
We have them 5th here, but this team could very easily finish 1st or 2nd if they can outlast Philadelphia and take the NFC East crown. This week's game between the Commanders and Eagles will go a long way in determining the divsion winner.
Even as a Wild Card team, we see this team as very capable of a deep playoff run, with Jayden Daniels playing like a 5-year veteran and new OC Kliff Kingsbury's offense keeping defenses on their heels.
The defense is not elite, but with Dan Quinn calling the defense, and newly-added Shutdown Cornerback Marshawn Lattimore, the defense should do enough to allow Jayden Daniels to win many games for them.
4- TAMPA BAY BUCS
We have the proof. We were saying 4-5 weeks ago that the Tampa Bay Bucs were the best team in the NFC South, despite the fact that the Falcons had a 2-3 game lead over them and the head-to-head tiebreaker
We did not foresee the Falcons hitting a four-game skid, but that's exactly what they did, and the Bucs did not waste that opportunity, winning 3 straight after two close losses vs the Chiefs and 49ers
Food for thought as we head to the playoffs: the Tampa Bay Bucs are the only team this season to beat BOTH the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles, so they are a legit threat in the NFC Playoffs.
3- SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
A strange season for the Seahawks as they raced out to a 3-0 start, struggled a little in the middle, and now they are on another strong winning streak.
We think the Rams are now the biggest threat to the Seahawks, as the Niners deal with multiple injuries and the Cardinals have fallen off badly.
It is highly likely that this division race comes down to the final few weeks of the season, if not the very last week.
2 - PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Picking the Eagles to win the NFC East over the Commanders is difficult for us because we were all in on the Commanders potential as soon as Jayden Daniels was drafted.
But what we have seen in the past 4-5 Eagles games has us convinced that Vic Fangio has that defense playing at an elite level, and that is the difference.
The Fangio scheme combined with excellent secondary play led by two rookies (Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean) allows for more pass rush pressure to create takeaways
Then you have a balanced offense that can build a lead and then use Jalen Hurts and Saquon Barkley to run and finish out the game for the win.
1 - DETROIT LIONS
This is their best shot.
Not to suggest their Super Bowl window is narrowing, but with a tough NFC North division and Jayden Daniels and the Commanders only getting better, the Lions best shot for the NFC is this season.
Similar to the Eagles, the Lions running game is great for finishing games after Jared Goff builds a lead with that excellent passing game.
The loss of Aidan Hutchinson was big, but the Lions' secondary is much improved this season, just look at some of those plays they made in the comeback win over Houston.
Adding Smith to bolster the Defensive Line should also help the Lions pass rush and balance out the defense.
Before you point out the fact that the Tampa Bay Bucs are only 1.5 hours away and Jacksonville only 2 hours away, let's first discuss how the Orlando area is growing
With a metro area population of close to 3 million, plus a constant flow of visitors, we see Orlando as an ideal location for a new NFL franchise
Being based in South Florida, we visit Orlando all the time and over the past decade or so we have witnessed Orlando transform from mostly a tourist town, to a viable, growing economic center
We see Orlando as good for the NFL just as Las Vegas is; a large metro but also a great city for a destination sports trip to go on the road for an NFL game.
Florida is clearly large enough for four NFL franchises, especially as it continues to lead the nation in people relocating to the Sunshine State
Orlando is a good media market, as it is the 16th largest media market in the US, much higher than similar markets such as Jacksonville that is 39-40 and has an NFL team.
And, if the argument could be made that Florida is not big enough for 4 NFL franchises, we would make the case that the Jaguars likely will ultimately move to London to become the first European NFL franchise.
For a temporary NFL stadium, Orlando has the existing Camping World Stadium with a capacity of over 60,000 which could be used until a new facility is constructed.
This facility is currently used for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl and has hosted major college matchups including Florida State vs LSU in the 2023 season.
Copyright Spirit Sports Consultants 2024
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