NFL turnaround predictions (forum contest)

[QuikSand]

Okay, we've done this a few times, always pretty fun.

What teams will turn it around, for better or worse, after their first two weeks? What undefeated teams will miss the playoffs? What winless teams will make the playoffs? It always seems easy to come up with a list, but getting this perfect is tougher than it seems.

MNF pending, we have:

Unbeaten
New England
Buffalo
Kansas City
Baltimore
Dallas
LA Rams
San Francisco
Green Bay
Detroit

Winless
Miami
Denver
Cincinnati
Pittsburgh
Jacksonville
Arizona
NY Giants
Washington
Carolina

So... what is the exact list? The loser of the MNF game will be added to the winless list above, of course.

[Lathum]

Not a chance Detroit makes the playoffs.

Of the winless teams I could see Denver getting in.

[Thomkal]

Unbeaten:
San Francisco-just don't see them being that good yet. Plus will have to play Seattle and the Rams twice.



Green Bay or Detroit-don't see both making the playoffs, with Detroit being most likely to fade in a very competetive division.



Buffalo-won the Empire State games in week 1 and 2-what happens when they have to go outside the state?


Winless: None of the above? I guess I will put Cincy (and Cleveland if they lose) because of the injury to Big Ben. Carolina could pull together and surprise still I think.

[albionmoonlight]

I’ll say Detroit won’t make it.

Carolina will make it.

[QuikSand]

I will stake out the bold prediction: Detroit

[tarcone]

San Fran will not make it

Jacksonville will make it.

[RendeR]

San Francisco will not make it
Detroit Will not make it

Of the winless?

None of them, they're all garbage.

[bhlloy]

Buffalo, Detroit and SF miss out
Agree that none of the losers make it

[RendeR]

Buffalo will get wildcard this season. If I had a paycheck I'd bet it on this happening.

[bhlloy]

Yeah, I actually agree with you considering what a shitshow the Jets and Dolphins are... that's 3 more guaranteed wins, probably not hard to make the wildcard with that kind of divisional opponent.

[MIJB#19]

Unbeaten missing playoffs
Buffalo
San Francisco
Detroit (abstain, not a 2-0 team, but I suspect they'll miss)

Winless making playoffs
Carolina

One of the NFC West teams will have to miss, SF gets my pick. Carolina is a long shot, but I'll take that gamble for this contest.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Disclaimer: I'm a 49ers homer, and despite the fact that I try to be a realist, this obviously clouds my judgement.

I think Jacksonville is the only one of the winless teams with a shot. Cincinnati would be up there in what looks like a pretty open division now, but good lord that defense looked incredibly bad against a 49ers offense that shouldn't be much more than mediocre this year.

Detroit is the obvious pick to miss the playoffs. One of the NFC West teams as well, and in that division, San Francisco should be the one; their schedule is crazy weak though, despite playing the Seahawks and Rams twice. Check this out:
vs. Pittsburgh
vs. Cleveland
@Washington
vs. Carolina
@ Arizona
vs. Arizona
vs. Green Bay
@ Baltimore
@ New Orleans
vs. Atlanta
Call the Baltimore game in Baltimore a loss, but the rest of that schedule doesn't impress me at all - and New Orleans is going to be only two to three weeks back of getting Brees at full strength. The three teams that could be difficult - Carolina, Green Bay, and Atlanta - I'm already skeptical of their strength, plus they play all three at home. Getting 7 wins off that slate isn't crazy, and then winning just one of the four non-Cardinal divisional games puts them at 10 wins.

I still don't think this 49er team is any better than one-and-done in the playoffs, but it's not too difficult to talk yourself into them being a playoff team.

TL;DR: Detroit and Seattle out, Jacksonville in.

[JPhillips]

The 0-2 team(s) that becomes a playoff team is really difficult. Out of all of them, I think Cincy has the most predictable QB play, but the o-line and the defense are not good enough. I guess you have to think Daniel Jones or Kyler Murray leads their team to an improbable wild card birth.

[Thomkal]

Of course I picked Carolina to make the playoffs without knowing Cam is injured and might not play against the Cards...

[Ryche]

Detroit, SF and Buffalo not making the playoffs. Buffalo and SF are not bad though, both will end up in that 7-9 to 9-7 area.

Honestly can't see any of the winless teams making it.

[QuikSand]

I will stake out the bold prediction: Detroit

Liking this pick... confess I did not expect the Rams (!) to be the weak link in this forecast, though. Wow.

[MIJB#19]

Liking this pick... confess I did not expect the Rams (!) to be the weak link in this forecast, though. Wow.Detroit wasn't a bold prediction, you weren't alone there.

But the Rams and the 49ers, they are surely the ones we misjudged.

My Panthers pick looked ok when they were on a winning streak, but I think their odds have immensely decreased last weekend. The Bills look about 50-50 to make it.

[QuikSand]

Detroit wasn't a bold prediction, you weren't alone there.

No, the bold prediction (at the time) was that they were my entire list. I was inherently saying the 49ers and Bills make the playoffs, and (less boldly) the Steelers and Jags miss them.

[MIJB#19]

No, the bold prediction (at the time) was that they were my entire list. I was inherently saying the 49ers and Bills make the playoffs, and (less boldly) the Steelers and Jags miss them.Ah, I totally misread you there on that part about the 49ers and Bills. Still early on the Bills to claim they'll make it, but the 49ers are extremely close (FOF's playoff probabilities calculator would probably give them a 99% chance to make the playoffs).

[MIJB#19]

So, nobody had Dallas and the Rams to miss?
Otherwise, a very straight forward contest in that all other 2-0 teams made it and none of the 0-2 teams made it (with Pittsburgh the only one alive going into week 17).

[Thomkal]

Let's just forget this ever happened okay? :)