The Hard Life of a Patriots Fan
On August 26,
Bill Belicheck traded Pro Bowl guard and long-time Patriot Logan Mankins to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers for tight end Tim Wright and a fourth-round draft pick. Effectively,
he tore out the hearts of Patriots fans everywhere. Mankins was the
unchallenged leader of New England’s O-line and sworn protector of their most
important player. Even Tom Brady was upset, commenting “Logan was a great
friend of mine. Nobody stood for Patriot football more than him” and added, “Yeah,
I dealt with whatever feelings I had last week, but I’ve moved on”. You can’t
upset Tommy, Bill! As a Patriots fan, you live life with the constant fear of
The Hoodie trading away some beloved veteran. Just like in 2001 when he sent
star safety Lawyer Milloy packing, and then the Patriots won the Super Bowl. We
are an oppressed people, but alas, In Bill We Trust.
It’s hard to hold the tears back
after reading that, I know. But we’ve got to move on! From here on, our only
topics of discussion will be who with think (sorry, KNOW) is going to win each
AFC division, grab the six available playoff spots, lead the conference in
stats categories, win individual honors, and of course, go to the Super Bowl.
Let it begiiiiiiiiiiiin!
Division Winners
AFC South: This
one is a no-brainer. Just like the days when Peyton Manning led their offense
up and down the field, Andrew Luck and the Colts have no real competition
within their division. The Bortles-led Jaguars will be as irrelevant as the
anybody-led Jaguars have ever been (except you, Mark Brunell), albeit possibly
exciting. The Texans may be able to rally and split their series with Indy if
they can figure out who their starting quarterback is and he actually plays
well. Either way, my vote is cast 100% for the Colts to win the AFC South.
AFC East: I’ll
take this time to point out that “biased” and “sickeningly arrogant” were both
listed in the descriptions of this year’s predictions. Don’t say it…..don’t say…that
rhymed! Sorry, had to say it. Anyway with that being said, you already know I’m
choosing the Patriots to stand alone atop this division. The Jets suck, the
Dolphins suck, and the Bills suck too. With New England’s acquisition of Revis
and Browner in the offseason, along with a healthy Gronkowski returning and all
of Tom Brady’s receivers coming back, it looks like the Pats are ready to burn
the AFC East to the ground.
AFC North: Last
season I picked the Bengals to win their first division title in quite a few
years, and I was right. Told you so. As the most complete team in the North, I
believe Cincinnati will earn the division crown once again. Cincy had depth at
the cornerback and running back positions, two of the most important in today’s
NFL. Especially in the North, where they will have to stop receivers like
Torrey Smith, Antonio Brown, and Josh…oh wait. Baltimore will probably finish a
close second, but their shaky running back situation will make them more
dependent on Joe Flacco, which is never good news for anybody.
AFC West: You
might think I’m crazy, but I’m going with the Chargers to win this division.
Madness, you say? Just hold tight, my friend. Last season Peyton Manning gave
absolutely everything he had to win the Super Bowl and came up just short. “Just
short” is a term which here means “got stomped out so bad that they might have
had a better game if they decided not to show up”. Now Eric Decker has left town, Wes Welker has
suffered yet another concussion, Knowshon Moreno is soaking up the South Beach
sun, and Peyton Manning is just another old man with a huge forehead.
Meanwhile, Philip Rivers is at the peak of his game, Keenan Allen is going to be
the best receiver in the division, and San Diego’s secondary is young and
talented. You heard it here first.
1. New England Patriots
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. Denver Broncos
6. Kansas City Chiefs/Baltimore
Ravens/Miami Dolphins
That
last spot isn’t a cop-out, just a representation of how close the AFC playoffs
race been in the last few years. Last season four different teams were still
fighting for a spot in Week 17, and a missed field goal decided the outcome.
Passing Yards
1. Tom Brady- 4,756 yards
2. Philip Rivers- 4,460 yards
3. Andrew Luck- 4,300 yards
Rushing Yards
1. Jamaal Charles- 1,325 yards
2. Ben Tate- 1,215 yards
3. Giovani Bernard- 1,120 yards
You
might be surprised to see Tate’s name in that second spot, but I believe that
stepping out of Arian Foster’s shadow behind one of the NFL’s best offensive
lines will allow him to have a breakout season. Just watch.
Receiving Yards
1. A.J. Green- 1,625 yards
2. Antonio Brown- 1,545 yards
3. Demaryius Thomas- 1,360 yards
Antonio
Brown was second in the NFL with 1,499 yards (behind Josh Gordon) last season. With
Emmanuel Sanders now in Denver and Josh Gordon now on his couch, Brown’s
excellent route-running and otherworldly speed could make him the most
productive receiver in the league this season, but don’t count out that kid in
Cincinnati.
Interceptions
1. Devin McCourty- 7
2. Joe Haden- 7
3. Kiko Alonso/Jamie Collins- 5
Individual Awards
MVP- Tom Brady
Offensive Rookie of the Year- Sammy Watkins
Defensive Rookie of the Year- Darqueze Dennard
Defensive Player of the Year: Vontaze Burfict
Comeback Player of the Year: Darelle Revis
And last but not least, representing the AFC in Super Bowl XLIX, the New
England Patriots! Now before you blame my bias, consider that last year New
England reached the AFC Championship with inexperienced receivers and a
secondary that couldn’t handle potent passing attacks. Now, with what might be
the AFC’s best secondary and Tom Brady’s top five targets from 2013 healthy and
comfortable in the system, I don’t see a team this side of Seattle that can
stop them.
Well, folks, I’m on record now. Should these prognostications prove to be
misguided (which they won’t) feel free to make fun of me from Super Bowl Sunday
til’ the opening week of the 2015 season. However, when my predictions prove to
be spot on like they always do, expect another “I Told You So” column coming
your way. Victory is always so, so sweet. Be sure to check in tomorrow for our
NFC predictions and break out your jerseys because the Seahawks are hosting the
Packers this Thursday night, 8:30 p.m. EST on NBC. Until next time!
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