I used the "Peter King Challenge" to help me pick the winner of every game throughout the entire 2008 NFL Regular Season. I then documented the results in a spreadsheet and tallied up the totals.
NFC North
GBP 12-4 *1
MIN 8-8
CHI 6-10
DET 6-10
NFC South
NOS 9-7 *4
TAM 8-8
CAR 5-11
ATL 4-12
NFC East
DAL 11-5 *3
PHI 9-7 *5
WAS 8-8 *6 (best strength of victory)
NYG 8-8
NFC West
ARI 11-5 *2 (win over DAL)
SEA 6-10
STL 6-10
SFO 5-11
AFC North
PIT 12-4 *2 (sweep of IND, NEP)
CIN 10-6 *6
CLE 8-8
BAL 4-12
AFC South
IND 12-4 *3 (better division record; win over NEP)
JAX 12-4 *5
HOU 9-7
TEN 5-11
AFC East
NEP 12-4 *4
BUF 9-7
NYJ 6-10
MIA 3-13
AFC West
SDC 14-2 *1
KCC 7-9
DEN 6-10
OAK 5-11
I sure as hell didn't make it easy on myself to determine who makes the NFC's last playoff spot. Four teams in the were tied at 8-8 for the last playoff spot and I had to navigate through to the 5th tie break to find that the Redskins had the best strength of victory among the teams. All four teams happened to have identical 7-5 conference records; 1-3 against the AFC.
Having four teams in the AFC tied with a 12-4 record made things interesting too. Thankfully, I was able to utilize head-to-head tie breaks to determine seedings (*#).
I would like to point out that I don't really think the Cardinals are a first-round-bye-calibur team. I'm not so sure the Packers are the best team in the NFC either. But I do think that the weaker divisional competition helps them out and the standings are reflective of that. The Cowboys would be forced to play a wild card game because their divisional competition is much stronger than the others in the conference [and because I picked them to lose to the Cardinals in the desert].
Some other noteworthy quirks I found throughout my predictions:
- I picked the Jets to start the season at 1-10 but win their last five games.
- I picked the Chargers to win their first six games and win their last six games, but play .500 ball through the center of the schedule.
- The longest winning streak of the season is owned by the Steelers who win their final eight games of the season after starting out 4-4.
- The longest losing streak is six games. The Jets start the season with six losses while the Dolphins finish the season with six losses.
- The biggest drop in the standings belongs to the Titans who went 10-6 last year and finish 5-11 this year.
- The biggest rise in the standings is a three game increase shared by the Cardinals, Bengals, Chargers and Chiefs.
Consecutive Playoff Streaks
Comments (19)
very interesting,
FanMan: is back! | 07/24/08, 02:01 PM
Report Offensive CommentDid a decent job mixing up the playoff teams but there will be your division winners are too close to last year. You really can't look at last year which makes this nearly impossible. Half of the teams that won their division last year will not repeat.
buckybadger | 07/24/08, 03:05 PM
Report Offensive Commentbucky, I agree and I usually preach the same thing. But like I said, I went game by game. I had absolutely no idea what the final tallies would be as I was making my predictions.
In the end, I was actually kinda disappointed the tallies ended up so close to last year's standings.
RP-29 | 07/24/08, 04:08 PM
Report Offensive CommentOf course, it's not like there was no movement whatsoever. Three of last year's NFC playoff teams didn't make my playoffs, including the Superbowl champ.
In the end, I was actually suprised I gave the Patriots 4 losses, but can definitely see it. Losses @ San Diego, @ Indianapolis, Pittsburgh and @ Buffalo week 17 are plenty feasible.
RP-29 | 07/24/08, 04:32 PM
Report Offensive CommentSan Diego will win it all....and I agree with RP-29 the giants won't make the playoffs.
Notorious O.T.T. | 07/24/08, 05:30 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe Raiders will suprised Norv Turners over achieving Chargers and win the AFC West!
AirForceRaider | 07/24/08, 05:59 PM
Report Offensive CommentI don't see the steelers sweeping the colts and the pats. Especially since they play the pats at home. I see the bengals with at least 8 losses and finishing behind the browns. Other than that I pretty much agree with your AFC predictions. I could see the chargers winning 14 games, if you ask me they have the easiest schedule in the AFC.
I think your NFC predictions are a little more ambitious, as they should be. The NFC hass less dominant teams. I see the Cowboys with more wins and the packers with less.
LBKing696 | 07/24/08, 06:16 PM
Report Offensive CommentHey RP-29 I get the feeling your a Steelers fan. Do you really think they will win that many games with the O-line they have, against that schedule?
Rob B. | 07/24/08, 07:44 PM
Report Offensive CommentHey Rob B., Coach Tomlin said it best, "you can give Ben weapons, or you can give him linemen, so we chose weapons." And as far as the schedule goes, every team has to play 16 games. There could be some surprising teams.
Steelerfan83 | 07/24/08, 08:15 PM
Report Offensive CommentIt all starts in the trenches. If you can't run the ball, you become one dimensional. Then its all over.
Rob B. | 07/24/08, 08:35 PM
Report Offensive CommentI think that the Steelers have many linemen that they are going to be experimenting with this year. Kemoeatu, Hartwig, Essex, not to mention Marvel Smith, Stinky Sean Mahan, but we'll see...the line should hold up, not to mention Big Ben's Escapability....it could very well be a 12-4 year however, I think it'll be either 11-5 or 10-6.
Steelerfan83 | 07/24/08, 08:47 PM
Report Offensive Commenton crack
st*rainman*sssc* | 07/25/08, 12:35 AM
Report Offensive CommentActually, Rob, I'm not what you would classify as a "Steelers fan"; I'm indifferent to the Steelers as a fan. But I whole-heartedly respect the Steelers as one of the greatest pro sports franchises on the planet.
When glancing at the Steelers' brutal schedule, I agree that 12-4 looks generous. But they do have the benefit of playing the Colts, Chargers and Cowboys at home. I would also like to point out that while you may think I'm crazy for picking the Steelers to beat the Patriots in New England, a closer look reveals that the Steelers have 10 days to prepare for the Patriots after their Thursday home game against Cincinnati while the Patriots have the standard 7 days after a game in Miami.
RP-29 | 07/25/08, 09:26 AM
Report Offensive CommentYou have to be kidding me with the Packers #1 in the NFC, Cowboys hands down best in the NFC no challengers!
Dem Cowboys#1 | 07/25/08, 02:02 PM
Report Offensive CommentThe Cowboys may have the best team, but they also have the best divisional opponents in the conference.
RP-29 | 07/25/08, 05:03 PM
Report Offensive Commentwhen's the last time you saw the cards go 11-5
sfriend | 07/25/08, 09:09 PM
Report Offensive CommentSteelers 12-4 and the Browns no where in site...i'm not sure about that one.
CJBOSOX | 07/27/08, 12:21 AM
Report Offensive CommentThe jags will win the superbowl over the vikes. The packers will use brohm as the qb. Favre will go to tampa.
A side note, aaron rodgers is good, brian brohm is elite. He will go to the pro bowl at least twice in his career.
JiP | 07/27/08, 08:16 PM
Report Offensive CommentI think San Diego is the team to beat early in the season and will ride the momentum of some close wins late in the season to win the Super Bowl. I also think LT is the mvp of the league and will rush for 2000 yards this season carrying the Chargers on his back
mhshockey5 | 07/30/08, 05:34 PM
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