In this article I will be looking back at my 1st article which was early season predictions to see how many I got right and how far off I was. The answer actually surprised me
#1 Early Season Predictions: The Bills defense is enough to win the Super Bowl
This year the Bills defense has been above average, it has some weak spots, but it also has really strong spots. The Bills are still alive in the playoffs, their defense is apart of what brought them here, and the fact that the Bills can still win the Super Bowl I say this one is right.
#2 Early Season Predictions: Micheal Penix won’t work out, and the Falcons are going through a horrible cycle. The cycle I was talking about was this: Two years ago the Falcons signed Marcus Mariota, and the drafted Desmond Ridder. Mariota didn’t work out, then they tried Ridder for a year and he was also bad. The Falcons now signed Cousins, and Drafted Penix. Cousins didn’t work out, and they have now tried Penix for a year, who has clearly not worked out. This cycle seems to have gone full circle and I also think this one has been correct as long as the Falcons don’t bring in a QB coach to help guide Penix.
#3: The Brown have a top 10 defense.
This one was perfect, as Myles Garret broke the sack record, and the Browns were the scariest defense in the NFL. The Browns were 4th in total yards allowed, 3rd in pass yards allowed, and 2nd in both run stop win rate, and 2nd in pass rush win rate. This one was for sure correct
#4: Nico Collins will be a top 5 WR.
Nico wasn’t bad this year at all, it was just a great WR year. You had guys like Puka Nacua and Jaxson-Smith Njigba, Jamar Chase was top 5 again, and George Pickens was a breakout being top 5 in yards. Nico was top 10 in yards, but didn’t even crack the top 20 in catches and touchdowns. I don’t think Nico was top 5 as Amon-Ra takes the spot as he was top 5 in catches, yards, and TDs. Nico was still awesome and he didn’t have a bad year, but this one was wrong.
#5 Early Season Prediction: The Vikings are playoff Contenders when healthy
The Vikings didn’t make the playoffs, but they were injured all year. One of the Vikings most important players is Andrew Van Ginkel on the who has been injured a lot of the year. With Gink in the Vikings were 8-4, which means he played nearly all of their wins except for one. The Vikings still when fully healthy I don’t think they were playoff eligible, but they were for sure a better team, but I say wrong.
#6 Early Season Prediction: If he isn’t already Drake Maye will be the best offensive player for the Patriots
Do I need to explain this? I think I was correct as Maye had the best completion percentage, and was top 5 in yards and touchdowns, and will win MVP. This one isn’t close as nobody else on the Patriots offense that is nowhere near as good as Maye. This one isn't close correct
#7 Early Season Prediction: Puka Nacua will be an offensive player of the year canidate
Puka Nacua was INSANE this year. 2nd in yards, and 1st in catches, 1st in yards per game, 6th in TDs and he has helped his QB to play MVP level. Nacua in my opinion is the offensive player of the year. Njigba has been good, but if Nacua wasn’t injured for two games he would be 1st in nearly every receiving stat but one injury ruined it. Nacua was betger this year and this one was correct.
#8 Early Season Prediction: Emeka Egbuka will be he best rookie WR
There wasn’t much completion in this class besides Tet McMillan, and Egbuka was the rookie of the year until Evan’s and Godwin came back and Edguka was terrible, even though Egbuka had the veteran WR to teach, the better and more experienced QB to when McMillian had no veterans, no experienced QB and McMillian was still better. I was really close to this being correct but this was wrong.
#9 Early Season Prediction: Colts could make the playoffs
Wow I was so close. The Colts were 8-1, traded for Sauce Gardner, and at that time they had the comeback player of the year, coach of the year, offensive rookie of the year, and the offensive player of the year, and Daniel Jones got hurt and they missed the playoffs, so it’s wrong. Somehow this was incorrect.
#10 Early Season Prediction: Raiders are built for the future perfectly
This is really close. They have a very young team in Mendoza, Jeanty, and Bowers but still this is tough. Jeanty and Bowers both under played, they don’t have a coach to develop these guys and we don’t know about Mendoza. The Raiders do have a really good team, but they have so many flaws they need to build on to be perfectly built for the future. I will give myself half a point for this one.
#11 Early Season Prediction: The Chargers are the 3rd best team in the AFC
This one should have been true. The Chargers were one of the AFCs best teams, until Alt and Slater went down. They were such key pieces to the offensive-line, and those injuries crumbled the team. It also didn’t help that Ladd McConkey was underperforming for half of the games, and there was lots of inconsistency on both sides of the ball. They were good, but I could for sure name 3 betger AFC teams. This one was wrong.
#12 Early Season Prediction: The NFC West is the 2nd most exciting division
Obviously they were the most exciting team in the league as 3 of their teams were all fighting for the #1 seed up until the final week, and those 3 all finished with double digit wins. The NFC West was awesome as the 3 offensive player of the year candidates are all in the same division. I thought it was the NFC North which was probably 2nd. Since my words said 2nd most exciting I’m technically wrong on this one.
#13 Early Season Prediction: Caleb Williams will be 10x better than last year
This one was pretty easily predictable as Caleb got Ben Johnson, and an improved Offesnive line, and clearly this one is right. This year Caleb is 7th in yard and 6th in TDs, and last year he was 17th in yards and 15th in touchdowns. Not just he is 10x better, he also made his team 10x better. This one was for sure 10x correct.
#14 Early Season Prediction: John Harbaugh will be tne Ravens problem
This one was for sure correct. He had Lamar, Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers, a pretty good offensive line, and one of the leagues best defenses but still lost. The defense part was definitely on Zachary Orr (I thought he was for sure fired) but still with his team, he should have won more games. Clearly looking at it yes Harbaugh was the problem.
#15: Early Season Prediction: The Giants #1 need will be WR
Most mock drafts you look at have the Giants going WR. That makes no sense to me as Malik Nabers is a star and Wandale Robinson proved he is the guaranteed WR2 next year. Wandale this year was 9th in catches and 13th in yards which is exceptional for him. This one was wrong
How many were right? 8.5 right, 7 wrong