2011 Playoff Projections

[SirClintonPortis]

Originally Posted by Dirtbag59

Oh theres plenty of sleepers. However much less in the AFC where the top 6 have been established for the last few years. However you look at Tenneessee who maybe gets the old Matt Hasselbeck, or maybe Houston gets their defense on track and makes a run at the South. Kansas City is coming off a playoff year. Jacksonville is always tough and scrappy. However that top 6 in the AFC doesn't seem likely to budge without a major injury or two.

NFC theres much more wiggle room at the bottom. Skins aside I could easily see New York, Dallas, Tampa, Seattle, and Chicago all making the playoffs among the teams I didn't list. However I like the Lions to get all their crap together.

One things for sure though, there will be surprises. I just hope that Beck and the Skins in general are one of them.

You're assuming "Oakland for the wildcard". The thing is, the AFC West is wide open between the Chargers, Chiefs, and Raiders, and there is nothing I see that automatically stops the Raiders from winning it. The Raiders outright crushed their in-division opponents last season, but didn't manage well outside of their division. The Chargers usually have been flaky, starting off poorly and then getting hot late. That the Chiefs and Raiders sucked then helped the Chargers, but now, they don't have such soft competition anymore.

While they have lost Nnamdi, their offense is young and bound to improve this season. DMac is easily recognizeable as a monster, but I say their O is criminally underrated. Marcel Reece is NOT just a blocking FB, he can catch since he's a converted WR and his abilities were employed by Hue Jackson in a couple games last season.

Al Davis has brought in a bunch of Olinemen through the draft a FA. Unless they all are duds, their O-line is going to improve some.

I've already gone over Ford. Louis Murphy is pretty consistent.

As for the D, I will point out that a stud MLB can make up for some deficiencies, and Rolondo McClain is certainly on his merry.

And the Raiders special teams. I'd say that they'll be damn good. Rock knows how to manage return coverage and Jacoby Ford is a deadly returner. Even with Ford's injury, that team has so many athletes that getting field position shouldn't be too difficult.