NFC central predictions?

[gunnarthor]

As the eternal optimist, I say the Vikings will make the playoffs as a wildcard. I think Darnold can be better than Mullins and Flores defense can be a top 10 unit (we were top 15 with, essentially, the same unit that was 30th or so the year before) so we etch out 9 or 10 wins even with this hellish schedule. KOC wins coach of the year.

Green Bay wins the central (sigh). Detroit regresses a bit and comes in third. Chicago rebuild bombs and we all get a little schadenfreude out of that.

[Mike Sixel]

11 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

As the eternal optimist, I say the Vikings will make the playoffs as a wildcard. I think Darnold can be better than Mullins and Flores defense can be a top 10 unit (we were top 15 with, essentially, the same unit that was 30th or so the year before) so we etch out 9 or 10 wins even with this hellish schedule. KOC wins coach of the year.

Green Bay wins the central (sigh). Detroit regresses a bit and comes in third. Chicago rebuild bombs and we all get a little schadenfreude out of that.

Man, I'm conflicted. I keep trying to tell myself not to be confident of this team....but I mostly agree with what you say here. I think 3/4 teams in the division will win 9-11 games, and the Vikings could be one of them. 

I think the running game might actually matter this year....

[Aggies7]

Jordan Love hurt on the second to last play. Leg injury, limped off.

Implications could be had.

Malik Willis is their backup 😳

[gunnarthor]

10 hours ago, Aggies7 said:

Jordan Love hurt on the second to last play. Leg injury, limped off.

Implications could be had.

Malik Willis is their backup 😳

That injury looked really, really bad. I guess we will know more this weekend but ... ouch. Without Love, the Packers aren't winning 9 games.

[Aggies7]

45 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

That injury looked really, really bad. I guess we will know more this weekend but ... ouch. Without Love, the Packers aren't winning 9 games.

Knowing how many times we’ve lost a quarterback to injury, I don’t wish it on any team. Even the packers. 

[Parfigliano]

They do not make the playoffs and end with 8-9 wins.  Draft no mans land again.

[Vanimal46]

Lions win the division. Now that Love is gone for several weeks, I think the Bears sneak ahead to 2nd, likely a wild card team. Green Bay 3rd and Minnesota last. Vikings win 6 games. It’s all up to Darnold and how he looks. He’s a total wild card. 

[Danchat]

I don't think it's been the NFC central since 2002... 😉

I have them going 7-10 but they're closer to 8 wins than 6. They'll be competitive in most games, but there are some deficiencies holding this team back. Darnold is not a good QB and O'Connell still has yet to figure out how to run an effective rushing attack. The defense should be good but I wonder about the durability of some players on that unit.

[nicksaviking]

Looking at the schedule, the experts seem to disagree with me on how many good teams the Vikings actually play. It looks like a couple of A listers but mostly a lot of mediocre teams.

I think the defense is going to be really tough, not because they have 11 studs, but because they brought in a ton of pass rushers they'll be able to keep fresh and rotate in and out like the Jets and Eagles do. With Flores' track record, if this team doesn't lead the league in sacks, I bet they'll be close. Because of that, I don't think they'll really be out of any games.

That said, I'm most definitely not a homer (huuuuuuuuuge fan though) but ugh, I think this team wins 10 games, maybe 11. I can't believe I just typed that. Not that I think they'll be an actual contender, but they could be similar to the 2017 and 2022 teams who's record wasn't an indicator of their talent.

[Vanimal46]

9 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Looking at the schedule, the experts seem to disagree with me on how many good teams the Vikings actually play. It looks like a couple of A listers but mostly a lot of mediocre teams.

I think the defense is going to be really tough, not because they have 11 studs, but because they brought in a ton of pass rushers they'll be able to keep fresh and rotate in and out like the Jets and Eagles do. With Flores' track record, if this team doesn't lead the league in sacks, I bet they'll be close. Because of that, I don't think they'll really be out of any games.

That said, I'm most definitely not a homer (huuuuuuuuuge fan though) but ugh, I think this team wins 10 games, maybe 11. I can't believe I just typed that. Not that I think they'll be an actual contender, but they could be similar to the 2017 and 2022 teams who's record wasn't an indicator of their talent.

Man, if they win 10 or 11 games then Darnold resurrected his career, and that would be pretty cool. I have high aspirations because the alternative also sucks (Big Pick Nick) but my expectations are pretty low. 

[nicksaviking]

20 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Man, if they win 10 or 11 games then Darnold resurrected his career, and that would be pretty cool. I have high aspirations because the alternative also sucks (Big Pick Nick) but my expectations are pretty low. 

They should be low for sure. It's just that I don't see any scary teams outside of San Francisco* and Detroit. The Giants are probably the only really crappy team, but none of the rest look like they'll be fighting for a playoff bye week. But I guess you never know.

I guess I should do the NL North prediction since that's what this thread is about. I'll say DET 13-4, MIN 10-7 CHI 10-7 GB 8-9, mostly because I'll guess Love is out at least four weeks and if so, I think they start off 0-4. I've seen Malik Willis play, and it's not good.

*Off topic, but SF is so dang old and their star players have so much injury history, they seem like one of those 'dynasty' teams that implodes instead of fading out. If they lose a couple of those stars to injury, I could see every team in their division having between 8-11 wins and SF missing out on the playoffs completely. I know I'm on an island with at least the last part of that take.

[gunnarthor]

9 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Looking at the schedule, the experts seem to disagree with me on how many good teams the Vikings actually play. It looks like a couple of A listers but mostly a lot of mediocre teams.

I think the defense is going to be really tough, not because they have 11 studs, but because they brought in a ton of pass rushers they'll be able to keep fresh and rotate in and out like the Jets and Eagles do. With Flores' track record, if this team doesn't lead the league in sacks, I bet they'll be close. Because of that, I don't think they'll really be out of any games.

I think you're right about the pass-rushing rotation. That and the rushers come from everywhere, I think some QBs (Daniel Jones, GB's backup, etc) will be easily rattled.

[nicksaviking]

On 9/7/2024 at 10:42 PM, nicksaviking said:

 

I guess I should do the NL North prediction since that's what this thread is about. I'll say DET 13-4, MIN 10-7 CHI 10-7 GB 8-9, mostly because I'll guess Love is out at least four weeks and if so, I think they start off 0-4. I've seen Malik Willis play, and it's not good.

 

Time to update those predictions. Based on this weekend it's pretty clear:

MIN 17-0, DET 11-6, CHI 4-12, GB 0-17.

[gunnarthor]

44 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Time to update those predictions. Based on this weekend it's pretty clear:

MIN 17-0, DET 11-6, CHI 4-12, GB 0-17.

I honestly think I'd prefer GB to go 0-17 then for the Vikings to go 17-0.

[Mike Sixel]

18 minutes ago, gunnarthor said:

I honestly think I'd prefer GB to go 0-17 then for the Vikings to go 17-0.

Ha. No

[Vanimal46]

I’m not ready to boost up my Vikings wins yet… But if Darnold is managed the way he was in NY all season long, we have a chance to be a playoff team. That was a good first impression. Keep it up this week against SF! 

[TheLeviathan]

This win probably shifts me closer to 9-8 than 7-10.  The defense is even better than I thought and Darnold can clearly work this offense.