It's amazing how much people, including myself, get wound up over predictions, especially for football season. I've always fancied myself as a somewhat of a good prognosticator. Check that mess. When it comes to the NFL , I consider myself to be an expert & not only an expert, but one of the world's most knowledgeable & greatest prognosticators of the pigskin. Now after having blown my own horn & credentialing myself by myself, I am now ready to share my wealth of NFL football knowledge with you all. Aren't you guys just so lucky?

So I challenge any of you other so called experts who can't stand it when I punch out a thread like this acting like I know something, when you are the one who really knows how it's gonna go, to throw your two cents in & when done, let us put this thread in the magic time machine to be read at the end of the season.

Kyle's 2022 NFL predictions:
1) Dameon Pierce will be the NFL rookie of the year & an all pro. he will have 1500 rushing, 500 receiving & 15 TDs.

2)People always say preseason means nothing. And while they are technically correct, there is a lot you can tell about a team by the way they play their preseason. Having said that 4 teams went undefeated in preseason. At least one, or two of them is going to be extremely good this season. I want to pick the Raiders out of the AFC so bad I can taste it. But they have no defensive line. In fact no one in the AFC west has a great defense except for the Broncos & their offense sucks so bad, it doesn't matter. So I can't pick west team to represent the AFC.

The AFC representative is coming out of the North. I like the Ravens because Lamar Jackson has something to prove & the ravens understand the geometry of the game. They always defend & attack the football field from the middle outward. Should the Ravens falter, Pittsburgh would be my super duper dark horse to take their place.

3)The Texans who were another team that went undefeated is my Cinderella team of the AFC. Lovey Smith is like Jim Mora as a coach. He might not ever win a Super Bowl, but he knows how to manage players & if given a decent chance he will produce a good product. The Texans will make the playoffs in the AFC this year.

4)Now, sticking to the undefeated preseason carrying over into the season theme. I am picking the Chicago Bears to win the NFC north. I'm not making this pick with any conviction other than I think the Packers suck & deserve to lose their seat as the top team in their division. The only problem is their division sucks ass as well. But someone somewhere has to eventually challenge Green Bay. I think Chicago is showing signs of life & no, don't aske me to name 5 players on their roster because I can barely name one. But I like this team simply based on their preseason body of work.

By now anyone who's still reading is probably pulling their hair out thinking gee, what an idiot. Well let's do this another way. If you don't think preseason can foretell how good team will be, then let's try it the other way. Jacksonville managed to not win a game this preseason. Does anyone have them as a dark horse super bowl participant? I have them as my shoe in for the number one pick next year. How about Seattle? Anybody confusing them with the 70s Steelers?

4) In that same spirit I can tell folks another team that is severely over rated & that will be just miserable as great country music song, The Tampa bay Buccaneers. This team is about to lose it faster than they found it. With a 45 year old QB who's having domestic issues which are getting splattered all over the gossip papers, this team had a horrible preseason & will follow it up with a real season to match. You want a lead pipe cinch to disappoint, then this is the team for you. I have a hard time seeing how the Buccaneers don't end right back at double digit losses this season.

5) Finally, & I'm sure gratefully for anyone left out there still reading. I come to my last prediction of this post, the New Orleans Saints. I find it funny at times when local New Orleans media types who cover the Saints every day seem to sound like they are always trying to temper the expectations oft he fans as thought they are the local psychologist, pastor, or bar tender one. They always seem to pick the old 9-11 win seasons so they sound optimistic, but not carried away.

Well, if you're a Saints fan & you can't get carried away with this team, then you just can't get carried away by anything. This is the best Saints team they have ever had. Hank Stram said it best once upon a time when he said you can't win it all unless you have it all. And in this day of free agency, where it is nearly impossible to have it all, the New Orleans Saints are as close as it gets to having it all. They have the best defensive line in all of football. They have the best middle line backer in all of football. They have the best defensive backfield in all of football.

They have the former number one pick in the league at QB & he is finally going to be able to prove that he was worth that pick. they have a very good extremely experienced back up who is ready & willing to take up the slack if needed. They have a good offensive line which would have been one of the best had they not lost their top rookie lineman for a couple of months to stat the Season. They have by far the best receiving corps they ever had. Their backfield is solid with a great player anchoring that position & their tight ends while questionable have the ability to be good as well.

Their field goal kicker is back as evidenced by his 59 yarder in PRESEASON. And they have the best punter in the business at pinning the other team deep in their own territory. In short, this is a 15 win team. I'm going to give them a little slack & say they will go 14-3. They might even go 13-4. But if this team doesn't win more than 12 games, I'll be disappointed in them. Personally I think they will beat the rams in the NFC title game & play the Baltimore Ravens in the Super bowl.

Well, that's my two cents plus twenty dollars worth. Is there anyone out there who cares to match wits with the self appointed one? What say you fellow gurus? Jump in & take a swim. Don't mind the blood in the water.