32 Teams, 32 Predictions: Final Grades (Part 2: NFC)

Just before the start of the NFL season I sat down on my computer with a mission to prove how bold, smart, and clear my NFL crystal ball was. I would love to just brag about my successes and ignore my failures but instead below will be a comprehensive look at how my preseason prognosticating worked out. We will see hoe close I came to projecting each team’s record and fantasy MVP and then see how close my bold prediction came to coming true. Each team will then wrap up with a grade from A-F that will score me based on how accurate my predictions for each team turned out to be.

Dallas Cowboys

Projected Record: 10-6
Actual Record: 8-8

Projected Fantasy MVP: DeMarco Murray
Actual Fantasy MVP: DeMarco Murray

Bold Prediction: Murray will set a new Cowboy’s record for touchdowns with 26.
Murray finished the season with 9 rushing touchdowns and 1 receiving touchdown.

Final Grade: C-

Washington Redskins

Projected Record: 9-7
Actual Record: 3-13

Projected Fantasy MVP: Alfred Morris
Actual Fantasy MVP: Pierre Garcon

Bold Prediction: Kirk Cousins will start at least half of the Redskins games.
This prediction was as much about Robert Griffin as it was Cousins. For the most part, Griffin’s health did hold up. At times it looked like he wasn’t healthy enough to be on the field and he never seemed to get on the same page with Mike Shanahan. In the end, Cousins started three games and played in two others.

Final Grade: D-

Philadelphia Eagles

Projected Record: 8-8
Actual Record: 10-6

Projected Fantasy MVP: LeSeanMcCoy
Actual Fantasy MVP: LeSean McCoy

Bold Prediction: McCoy will double his rushing total from 2012 and finish with at least 1,700 yards.
McCoy flourished in Chip Kelly’s system and had the best season of his career. McCoy finished with 1,607 rushing yards and won the rushing title.

Final Grade: B

New York Giants

Projected Record: 6-10
Actual Record: 7-9

Projected Fantasy MVP: Victor Cruz
Actual Fantasy MVP: Victor Cruz

Bold Prediction: Prince Amukamara will  finish the season with eight interceptions.
If nothing else, Amukamara has been a consistent pro. For the third consecutive year, Prince intercepted exactly ONE pass.

Final Grade: C+

Green Bay Packers

Projected Record: 11-5
Actual Record: 8-7-1

Projected Fantasy MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Actual Fantasy MVP: Jordy Nelson

Bold Prediction: Randall Cobb will catch 100 passes for at least 1,300 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Unfortunately for my bold prediction and the Packers, Cobb only played 6 games due to a serious leg injury. Cobb finished the year with 31 catches for 433 yards and 4 touchdowns. If Cobb can stay healthy in the future he is destined for great things.

Final Grade: C

Chicago Bears

Projected Record: 9-7
Actual Record: 8-8

Projected Fantasy MVP: Brandon Marshall
Actual Fantasy MVP: Matt Forte

Bold Prediction: For the first time in his career, Forte will rush for over 1,ooo yards in consecutive seasons and post double-digit touchdowns.
Boom! Forte rushed for 1,339 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Forte posted career highs in rushing yards, touchdowns, receptions, and receiving yards.

Final Grade: B

Detroit Lions

Projected Record: 8-8
Actual Record: 7-9

Projected Fantasy MVP: Calvin Johnson
Actual Fantasy MVP: Calvin Johnson

Bold Prediction: Nick Fairley will finish the season with 16 sacks.
Fairley didn’t come close to 16 sacks (he finished with 6) but he was named as an alternate to the Pro-Bowl.

Final Grade: C+

Minnesota Vikings

Projected Record: 6-10
Actual Record: 5-10-1

Projected Fantasy MVP: Adrian Peterson
Actual Fantasy MVP: Adrian Peterson

Bold Prediction: Peterson will finish the season averaging 165 rushing yards per game.
Peterson took his first carry of the season to the house and rushed for almost 1,300 yards despite playing in only 14 games. Peterson does all of his work against 8 if not 9 man fronts and without the benefit of a passing game. He finished the year averaging 90 rushing yards per game.

Final Grade: B-

New Orleans Saints

Projected Record: 13-3
Actual Record: 11-5

Projected Fantasy MVP: Marques Colston
Actual Fantasy MVP: Jimmy Graham

Bold Prediction: Mark Ingram will rush for 1,200 yards and represent the Saints in the Pro-Bowl.
Ingram didn’t have the break out season that most Saints fans expected, but maybe more importantly, he rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown in the Saints victory over the Eagles last week.

Final Grade: C-

Atlanta Falcons

Projected Record: 11-5
Actual Record: 4-12

Projected Fantasy MVP: Roddy White
Actual Fantasy MVP: Harry Douglas

Bold Prediction: The Flacons will start the playoffs on the road and be a one and done disappointment.
This is one of those cases where I wasn’t quite bold enough. The Falcons had a humiliating season and the word disappointment doesn’t do enough to describe it.

Final Grade: C-

Carolina Panthers

Projected Record: 8-8
Actual Record: 12-4

Projected Fantasy MVP: Cam Newton
Actual Fantasy MVP: Cam Newton

Bold Prediction: Luke Kuechly will be named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year.
BAM! The award hasn’t been given yet, but it would be hard to see anyone other than Kuechly winning it. Kuechly finished the season with 156 tackles including a 24 tackle game against the Saints that helped the Panthers win the NFC South.

Final Grade: B+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Projected Record: 4-12
Actual Record: 4-12

Projected Fantasy MVP: Doug Martin
Actual Fantasy MVP: Vincent Jackson

Bold Prediction: Gerald McCoy will dominate from the middle and record double-digit sacks for the first time in his career.
McCoy was a bright spot in a dim season for the Buccaneers. McCoy finished the season with 9 sacks and a Pro-Bowl nomination.

Final Grade: A-

Seattle Seahawks

Projected Record: 13-3
Actual Record: 13-3

Projected Fantasy MVP: Sidney Rice
Actual Fantasy MVP: Marshawn Lynch

Bold Prediction: The Seahawks will lead the league in double-digit victories and represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
The Seahawks finished the season with 13 wins and 8 of those were by double-digits. If the Seahawks don’t represent the NFC in the Super Bowl it will be because someone knocked them off in Seattle where they were 7-1 this season.

Final Grade: B+/INC

St. Louis Rams

Projected Record: 10-6
Actual Record: 7-9

Projected Fantasy MVP: Sam Bradford
Actual Fantasy MVP: Zac Stacey

Bold Prediction: Bradford will throw 35 touchdown passes for the emerging Rams.
Bradford threw 14 touchdown passes before his season ended during his seventh game when he suffered an ACL injury. Bradford was on pace to throw 32 touchdown passes.

Final Grade: B-

San Francisco 49ers

Projected Record: 10-6
Actual Record: 12-4

Projected Fantasy MVP: Frank Gore
Actual Fantasy MVP: Vernon Davis

Bold Prediction: The 49ers will miss the playoffs.
Who made that prediction? The 49ers cruised into the playoffs and will travel to Carolina this week to play the Panthers. Despite being on the road, the 49ers are 2-point favorites.

Final Grade: C-

Arizona Cardinals

Projected Record: 8-8
Actual Record: 10-6

Projected Fantasy MVP: Michael Floyd
Actual Fantasy MVP: Larry Fitzgerald

Bold Prediction: Tyrann Mathieu will improve the Cardinals secondary and be named defensive rookie of the year.
Mathieu proved to be one of the best picks of the draft. Mathieu played in 13 games (started 11) before a serious knee injury ended his season. Despite the injury, Mel Kiper named him the starting safety on his All-Rookie team. Mathieu finished the season second on the Cardinals in tackles and had 2 interceptions, a sack, and a forced fumble.

Final Grade: B-

For Part 1 and the AFC, click here.