Never one to shy away from a sports bet, the guys and I decided that the perfect “case of beer gamble” would be to predict how the 2010 NFL season would unfold, with the losers buying the winner a twelve pack of his favorite cerveza delivered to him on Super Bowl Sunday.
Points are awarded for correctly predicting the place a team will finish in the division. Selecting the team that will finish first in the division is worth 4 points and getting the team that rounds out the bottom right is worth 1. We will also predict the two teams that will participate in the Super Bowl, with each correct selection worth 5 points. The tie breaker is picking the number of wins the Chicago Bears will muster during this NFL season.
My predictions are based on Vegas odds, US Weekly articles (thanks Miles Austin) and my hatred for ESPN analyst Matthew Berry. Like most of my sports gambling, my research adds up to a whole lot of nonsense, but I like it better that way. Makes it easier to blame someone else when Buffalo sweeps Miami and I lose the entire AFC East.
AFC EAST: Patriots, Dolphins, Jets, Bills
AFC NORTH: Ravens, Steelers, Bengals, Browns
AFC SOUTH: Colts, Titans, Texans, Jaguars
AFC WEST: Chargers, Broncos, Chiefs, Raiders
The Dolphins and Titans are my Wild Cards and I think the Colts will have the best record and home field throughout the playoffs. It will be the Colts vs Ravens in the AFC title game with the Colts once again headed to the Bowl.
NFC EAST: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins, Eagles
NFC NORTH: Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bears
NFC SOUTH: Saints, Falcons, Buccaneers, Panthers
NFC WEST: 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals
The Vikings and Falcons are my Wild Cards and I think the Packers will have home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Saints will play the Packers in the NFC title game and the Green Bay Packers are going to the Super Bowl this year to get slaughtered by the Colts.
Colts 34 Packers 14
I am sure my selection of my former favorite team from Wisconsin will draw jeers from the masses, but if you look at their strength of schedule, the Packers should cruise through this season and end in defeat. In case I actually need to worry about breaking a tie, the Chicago Bears will win their first 6 games this year, finish 6-10 and in an unfortunate twist of fate, Lovie Smith will sign a contract extension after the wining streak that guarantees the future of the Bears is Super Bowl Shuffle-less until at least 2013.
The Other Day Job 
I’ll be damned if I actually know how to “edit” this thing, so here are my predictions. I started by looking at strength of schedule … and then my mind started wandering … you know all of this garbage about “East Coast Bias” and stuff? Look at what the NFL and MLB are giving us out of the West Coast…ok…topic for another time.
AFC South: The Colts have the easiest SOS out of all the teams. Go figure. I see it shaking out like this… Colts, Texans, Titans, Jaguars (does anyone outside of fantasy football know if the Jags do well or not?)
AFC North: Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Browns
AFC East: If I’ve learned anything about bad QBs with a great defense as a Bears fan, it’s this: It only happens once and then your coach will be fired soon enough. Jets are screwed. Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Bills
AFC West: I think, THINK the Raiders could finish ahead of the Chargers. I just FEEL like they probably won’t. Broncos, Chargers, Raiders, Chiefs
NFC South: The Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints have the fifth overall easiest SOS. Plus, look at their division. Sure Jimmy Claussen will take the Panthers to supremacy soon, just not this year. Saints, Falcons, Panthers, Buccaneers
NFC North: Please let this be Favre’s last year, please, please, please. Packers, Vikings, Lions, Bears (Yes, my beloved Bears. They suck something awful.)
NFC East: McNabb is a champ. You hear that Chicago? A champ. We traded away every draft pick possible to get a Rex Grossman clone. We could have had a champ. Redskins, Giants, Cowboys, Eagles
NFC West: Dear God, they should take a mulligan on the year. 49ers, Seahawks, Rams, Cardinals. Yeah, I said it. Curse of Leinart.
AFC Wildcards: Texans, Bengals
NFC Wildcards: Giants, Falcons
Super Bowl: Oh man, this hurts … Green Bay 17, Baltimore 21
The Bears? They win 3. Probably less, but likely one against Detroit, against the Bills, and the last game against the Packers when the team will bench the entire town in preparation for the playoffs.