My picks:

NFC East:
1. Giants (Obvious pick here)
2. Eagles (Hate Vick, but this is a team with potential...when it decides to click)
3. Cowboys (I'm not a fan of Romo at QB, or the Dallas offensive system)
4. Redskins (Last, but far better than last year, and on the way up if RGIII clicks)

NFC North:
1. Packers (Again, obvious)
2. Lions (They have talent, but can they mature as a team...at all?)
3. Bears (Good defense, iffy offense, same story)
4. Vikings (Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen, and...not much else to contend in this division)

NFC South:
1. Panthers (My surprise pick of the year, I think Cam + a decent defense can eke it out)
2. Saints (Bountygate, the loss of Payton, and a tough schedule may slow them down)
3. Falcons (A very streaky team, and I think this year they'll hit a cold one for too long)
4. Buccaneers (Still a work in progress)

NFC West:
1. 49ERS BABY! :D (Sorry, supposed to be objective...erm...San Francisco by a mile)
2. Seahawks (I like Carroll as a coach, and they have some pieces to start a revival)
3. Cardinals (Larry's still brilliant, but they're not quite the team they once were)
4. Rams (A long way to go--and maybe a move back to LA?--before they're contenders)

Seeding:
1. Packers
2. Giants
3. 49ers
4. Panthers
5. Saints
6. Lions

AFC East:
1. Patriots (Obviously)
2. Bills (A surprise AFC team, they had a brief flirtation with success last year...)
3. Jets (I think the Sanchez/Tebow experiment will backfire...one will be gone within a year)
4. Dolphins (A stacked division ahead of them...)

AFC North:
1. Steelers (I think they'll come back stronger and regain their crown this year)
2. Ravens (PIT/BAL is always a 1/2 finish, so nothing against the Ravens here)
3. Bengals (As their young QB and defense improve, the powerhouses oust them still)
4. Browns (They're the Browns...end of story)

AFC South:
1. Texans (Looks to be another strong year from the young running/smash-mouth team)
2. Titans (Closing fast, and faster if their young QB is effective)
3. Colts (Luck looks like he may well be the first step back...but it's a LONG way back...)
4. Jaguars (A franchise dead in the water...really, they should just move, LA or elsewhere)

NFC West:
1. Broncos (Peyton's looked sharp this preseason, so I'll give the Broncos the nod)
2. Raiders (They have the pieces...now, if one of Palmer/Leinart/Pryor can just click at QB...)
3. Chargers (Their window has come and gone, and sadly, it yielded no SB trips)
4. Chiefs (In a tough and tight division, but they, like all AFC West teams, have a shot)

Seeding:
1. Steelers
2. Patriots
3. Texans
4. Broncos
5. Ravens
6. Titans

PLAYOFFS:

Wild Card Matchups:
NFC:
(3) 49ers beat (6) Lions
(5) Saints beat (4) Panthers
AFC:
(3) Texans beat (6) Titans
(5) Broncos beat (4) Ravens

Divisional Round:
NFC:
(1) Packers beat (5) Saints
(3) 49ers beat (2) Giants
AFC:
(1) Patriots beat (5) Broncos
(2) Steelers beat (3) Texans

NFC Championship Game:

Packers: 27 49ers: 23 (THOUGH I HOPE TO BE PROVEN WRONG...IN A GOOD WAY!)

AFC Championship Game:

Steelers: 38 Patriots: 20 (I sense the end of a dynasty coming)

SUPER BOWL XLVII:

Packers: 30 Steeers: 23

(So...yeah...SB XLV all over again, almost.) :)

Yawn away, Putin.

Everyone knows Stalinists hate football...

'Cause they just ain't Amerikuhn enuff!

(Watch Putin go into a tizzy, all...but ignoring his histrionics, any picks?)

I agree with most of your picks, though i could see Seattle taking the NFC west. the 49ers had a great season last year, but I dont think Smith can have a good enough year again to keep there offense anywhere near balanced.

I agree with your SB pick, but thats cause i've been a packer fan since birth. Also I have tickets to the Green Bay San Francisco opening day game :)

JEALOUS... lol

I think Smith is probably going to be "solid" QB, ie, maybe not the show-stopper Young and Montana (and for a few years, Garcia) were, but more than capable to replicate and probably improve on his 17 TD/5 INT tallies from last year.

I finally found respect for Smith; he's not the SF QB of old, but he's very gutsy and not afraid to run with the ball or lay out a block...

He's a team player, and with Frak Gore, Brandon Jacobs, Anthony Dixon, Vernon Davis, Michael Crabtree, Ted Ginn Jr., Mario Manningham, and Randy Moss all on offense...

And all 11 starters of the NFC-leading defensive unit returning...

I think, at least, we'll curb-stomp the Seahawks/Rams/Cardinals to take the division. ;)

It feels sort of like a resurgence of the 1990s NFL I grew up with...

49ers/Packers being a marquee game again, Niners/Packers/Cowboys looking to be a key three-way battle again (or sub/add the Giants in there as well) and then in the AFC...the Lions are even back after an even longer hiatus than the Niners...

The Broncos are back, the whole AFC West is really one big shootout again, the Steelers are there, the Patriots are still there while the Bills are getting better...

Memories of John Madden and Pat Summerall afternoons are flooding back... :)

The 90's were damn good :) I believe we established that our age is similar some time ago.

Anyhow - 1. I'm sorry to any cowboy fans out there, but I cant see that team winning much in the next couple years. Romo just isnt the QB people think he is, so I would sub the giants in there.

2. The lions have me a little scared, they are gonna be damn good this year if stafford can stay healthy

3. the SF defense is great, I really cant see Randy, or Jacobs having too much of an impact. Randy looks great in practice but over the last couple seasons he hasnt done anything in game. With Jacobs you have a good back, but one that is going to sit alot behind Gore and Dixon, or maybe Gore will sit behind Jacobs and James

4. Curb-stomping the rams and cardinals is a bit of an understatement but Russel Wilson can play, I expect him to keep the starting job and make seattle a possible(unlikely but possible) wildcard

5. By memories you mean yellow scribbles right :)

Wait, the Seahawks are going to be decent this year? I gave up on football after the Steelers rigged the superbowl.

maybe haha they have a couple players who could really make a difference - maybe a ten win year (i'm no oracle though)

which year was that?

2006, I think. The ref actually openly admitted he blew it years later.

SB XLVII: Packers over Texans

Or Texans over 49ers. The NFC is so much harder to choose.

AFC East
1. Patriots
2. Bills
3. Jets
4. Dolphins

AFC North
1. Baltimore
2. Steelers
3. Bengals
4. Browns

AFC South
1. Colts
2. Texans
3. Titans
4. Jax

AFC West
1. Denver (I hate Denver, but Peyton is a boss)
2. Oakland ( Darren McFadden will put this team on his back)
3. Chargers
4. Chiefs

NFC East
1. Giants
2. Eagles (If Vick stays healthy)
3. Dallas
4. Redskins (I think it's a close one between them and Dallas, because if RG3 pulls a Cam, they could beat Dallas. If everything goes there way, maybe top 2 in the division)

NFC North
1. Packers
2. Lions
3. Bears
4. Vikings (Without a full throttle Adrian peterson, they can't do much.)

NFC South
1. Panthers (I'm a huge Cam fan, since he got me through my terrible injury plagued fantasy season last year, all the way to my league's finals)
2. Saints
3. Falcons
4. Bucs

NFC West
1. 49ers (I hate the 49ers but they're the best team in this crappy division)
2. Cardinals
3. Seahawks
4. Rams (My team... but even my bias won't allow me to put them any higher than last place. BRADFORD, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?!?!)

^Colts win the AFC South?

Please give me a reason why we should take anything you said seriously?

It's not Bradford who's the Rams' problem...it's the majority of players not named Bradford or Steven Jackson.

And oooh...people think the Seahawks have a legitimate shot at taking on San Fran...alright, well, I'd like to answer that with the following?

WHO'S GOT IT BETTER THAN US???

(Aside from the Giants/Patriots/Packers) NOOOOOOOOOOBODY!!!!!!!!!!!!

;)

Though a Pete Carroll/Jim Harbaugh coaching rivalry would be pretty intense, and in a year or two I could definitely see the Seahawks becoming a threat again.

(And yes, akilies...many, many yellow scribbles along with BOOM!s and BAM!s and "Young...Rice...Touchdown, San Francisco!" rather than an Obi-length commentary by Joe Buck...more evidence I'd be a terrible announcer, Summerall and Vin Scully know--in broadcasting, often less is more.)

:)

Moreover, what's with the "2. Oakland"? I know Darren McFadden is good, but Matt Cassel , Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe have to mean something for Kansas City. The Chiefs are not a bad team, as they made the postseason two years ago with a more-or-less similar roster (minus Brian Waters, who plays for New England). The Chiefs have a good chance of getting second, a better chance than Oakland does.

My picks:

NFC East:
1. Giants (better team than they were last year, so this is probably a no brainer)
2. Cowboys (Romo and the cowboys, always a step behind)
3. Redskins (RGIII impresses and the Skins edge the eagles but barely)
4. Eagles (Surprise flop, as I think there are too many things that can go wrong, despite DeSean Jackson's stated commitment to play, and Vick being the greatest thing since dogfighting..)


NFC North: (Toughest division this year?)
1. Packers
2. Bears (Bears were better than the lions last year before Cutler broke his thumb and they have more veterans)
3. Lions (Young talent, and Suh doesn't always help his team)
4. Vikings (going for 1st round pick?)

NFC South:
1. Falcons (Realizing that they may be the best team in the south this year solidifies this team and helps them overcome past uncertainty)
2. Panthers (Better than the saints)
3. Saints (things just won't click here...)
4. Buccaneers (Barely miss out beating the saints)

NFC West:
1. SF (best by a long shot)
2. Seahawks (solid second and potential contenders in a year or two)
3. Cardinals
4. Rams

Seeding:
1. Packers
2. 49ers
3. Giants
4. Falcons
5. Bears
6. Lions

AFC East:
1. Patriots (Obviously)
2. Bills (were it not for being in the same division as the pats, they'd be contenders for division champ in any other division besides NFC north, AFC north is a long shot, but they'd have a small chance there..)
3. Dolphins (to the embarrassment of the jets)
4. Jets (a fundamental misunderstanding of football seems to be going on here..)


AFC North:
1. Ravens
2. Steelers
3. Bengals (close third and just miss the wildcard spot)
4. Browns

AFC South:
1. Texans
2. Titans
3. Colts (barely miss out beating the titans for number 2)
4. Jaguars (just relocate to London already...)

NFC West:
1. Broncos (won the division with Tebow last year.. how is the Peyton not a huge upgrade?)
2. Chiefs (Barely edge the raiders)
3. Raiders
4. Chargers (Philip Fails again..)

Seeding:
1. Patriots
2. Ravens
3. Texans
4. Broncos
5. Steelers
6. Titans

PLAYOFFS:

Wild Card Matchups:
NFC:
(3) Giants beat (6) Lions
(5) Chicago beats (4) Falcons
AFC:
(6) Titans upset (3) Texans
(4) Broncos beat (5) Steelers in a repeat upset

Divisional Round:
NFC:
(1) Packers beat (5) Chicago
(2) 49ers beat (3) Giants
AFC:
(1) Patriots beat (6) Titans
(2) Ravens beat (4) Broncos

NFC Championship Game:
Packers edge 49ers

AFC Championship Game:

Patriots beat Ravens

SUPER BOWL XLVII:

Packers outscore Brady and the Pats

Sorry replace Titans with Bills in all AFC playoff seeding..

I've noticed you all pick the 49ers to beat the Giants... Why? The Giants and Manning do very well under actual pressure. If they make it to the Playoffs and face the 49ers, they'll most likely win. If they face any of the underdog type teams though, I doubt they'll win, and I'm a Giants fan (my fiance is a 49ers fan hence my biased against them in the first place). Much like someone already mentioned, I don't see Smith being able to perform this year like he did last year. He has new receivers who are all used to being in the spotlight, Moss and Manningham. I think it's just too many weapons for him and he won't use them properly. Maybe in a year or two he'll figure it out. And if the Packers make the Superbowl, the Patriots will stomp them out. Rogers just is not as good as everyone says. I do however, see the Broncos taking Mannings leadership and possibly being a surprise contender all the way to the big one.

NFC East:
1. Giants – greatest fucking team in existence
2. Redskins – RGIII will throw 60 times a game so they’ll manage four or five wins
3. Cowboys – DERP TONY ROMO
4. Iggles – How is Andy Reid still coaching?

NFC North:
1. Packers – DISCOUNT DOUBLE CHECK
2. Lions – Because Megatron is the best receiver in the game
3. Bears – Jay Cutler LOL
4. Vikings – Team doctors told AP to “not make cuts.” Sounds promising.

NFC South:
1. Panthers – Cam Newton will score 60 TDs
2. Saints – ESPN wet dream, “inspiring” Saints win without shitbag coach
3. Falcons – Never recover from embarrassing playoff loss to Giants
4. Buccaneers – Not happening.

NFC West:
1. Rams JUST KIDDING 49ers – But only because it’s the NFC West
4. Cardinals/Seahawks/Rams tie win zero wins each

AFC East:
1. Patriots – Will go undefeated again when Brady puts studs on Ugg boots
2. Bills – Will go 5-0, then lose the rest of their games. As usual.
3. Jets – Only because they play the Dolphins twice
4. Dolphins – LOL REGGIE BUSH

AFC North:
1. Bengals – GINGER POWER and AJ Green is a beast
2. Ravens – Since only three or four teams have a legitimate RB and Ray Rice is one of them.
3. Browns – Quick, name a player on the Browns
4. Steelers – Um, their stadium got blown up in TDKR. Good luck playing without a stadium, idiots.

AFC South:
1. Texans – Because someone has to win this division and lose in the first round.
4. Titans/Colts/Jaguars – picture the Three Stooges running around, knocking heads, birdies flying around. Then you have the AFC South.

AFC West:
1. Raiders – Al Smith is finally dead! Hooray!
2. Broncos – Peyton still has a laser, rocket arm.
3. Chargers - Whatever
4. Chiefs – They’re still a team?

PLAYOFFS!

NFC:
1. Packers
2. Giants
3. SF
4. Panthers
5. Lions
6. Saints

(3) SF over (6) Saints
(5) Lions over (4) Panthers

(1) Packers over (5) Lions
(2) Giants over (3) SF

(2) Giants over (1) Packers AGAIN FUCK YOU RODGERS AND YOUR DISCOUNT DOUBLE CHECK

AFC:
1. Patriots
2. Texans
3. Bengals
4. Raiders
5. Ravens
6. Broncos

(3) Bengals over (6) Broncos
(5) Ravens over (4) Raiders

(1) Patriots over (5) Ravens AGAIN FUCK YOU LEE EVANS
(3) Bengals over (2) Texans

(1) Patriots over (3) Bengals

SUPER BOWL:

Giants over Patriots AGAIN MANNINGFACE

NFC East:
1. Giants – greatest fucking team in existence (to quote 2WL)
2. Redskins – RGIII will carry this team up a mountain
3. Eagles – Vick will break some part of his body halfway through the season
4. Cowboys - Oh wait, Romo still has a job? Why?

NFC North:
1. Packers – As long as their WR's don't catch another case of the "dropsies" then they should do pretty well
2. Bears - Just a better team than the Lions
3. Lions - Will stomp on someone's face again, then proceed to lose games despite Megatron's skill
4. Vikings – Is this team alive still?

NFC South:
1. Falcons – I think the curb-stomping the Giants gave them in January might have woken them up
2. Panthers – Cam will be #1QB, RB, and maybe TE too on this team.
3. Saints – Without the lust for bounties, this team just won't play as hard
4. Buccaneers – I want them to do well, I really do. They just won't

NFC West:
1. Seahawks - by merit of an easier schedule they'll have a tie record with the 49ers, and win the tiebreaker in an upset
2. 49ers - GORE SMASH. JACOBS SMASH. (and then about 4 other RB's just to make sure the opposition knows this is a running team). Moss won't get the looks to make too much of a difference
3. Cardinals - Just not the team they used to be
4. Rams - another team that just looks around during the game and says "Oh yeah we're supposed to be playing football right now"

AFC East:
1. Patriots – Brady will pass the ball to three people the entire year and be lauded for it.
2. Bills – You know, this team has potential. Their year is coming soon.
3. Dolphins - Another team I want to win. I just feel so bad for people in Florida
4. Jets - fuck the Jets

AFC North:
1. Ravens - A very good all-around team
2. Bengals – The underdog still in this division, but they'll pull through
3. Steelers - Their defense single-handedly prevents them from being at the bottom of the division
4. Browns – They're from Cleveland. Its a given that they suck

AFC South:
1. Texans – Now I really like the Texans. They're like a more offense-oriented Ravens
2. Titans - They will come so close to making it, but oh so far
3. Jaguars - not in last for a second year in a row. Hooray!
4. Colts - no amount of Luck will change this team

AFC West:
1. Broncos – They made it to the playoffs with Tim Tebow. How can they not with Manning
2. Chiefs - last year was a fluke
3. Raiders - They still have QB problems to work out
4. Chargers - Philip Rivers should have gotten the hell out of there

PLAYOFFS

NFC:
1. Packers
2. Falcons
3. Giants
4. Seahawks
5. 49ers
6. Panthers

(3) Giants over (6) Panthers
(5) 49ers over (4) Seahawks

(5) 49ers over (1) Packers
(3) Giants over (2) Falcons (another embarrassment)

(3) Giants over (5) 49ers This time it won't be a fluke. Fuck you Jacobs and Manningham

AFC:
1. Texans
2. Broncos
3. Ravens
4. Patriots
5. Bengals
6. Chiefs

(3) Ravens over (6) Chiefs
(4) Patriots over (5) Bengals

(1) Texans over (4) Patriots
(2) Broncos over (3) Ravens (Equally matched defenses, Manning will be the difference)

(2) Broncos over (1) Texans

SUPER BOWL: SUPER MANNING BROS

Giants over Broncos Little Eli's gonna shit on Peyton once and for all

@Goldfinger - Roethlisberger, Wallace and Brown mean nothing then? The Browns are terrible (I don't think they have a genuine no. 2 receiver, let alone a no. 1!) and the Bengals have no running game!

@Captain Dave - I think Big Ben is past time. He's spent most of the last couple seasons injured and quite frankly he's not that good of a QB. Wallace and Brown I respect though. And in the AFC North you need a passing game, since all the teams are so good defending the run.

NFC East:
1. Eagles: If Vick stays healthy, this team will bounce back from last years embarrassment
2. Cowboy: They will have a good run offense with Murray so that Romo has less opportunity to screw up.
3. Giants: Ripe for Superbowl hangover.
4. Redskins: Bad receivers for RG3, and a bad coach is a recipe for an awful season.

NFC North:
1. Packers: Aaron Rodgers and stuff
2. Lions: More penalties than the rest of the league combined, but will find a way to do well.
3. Bears: Jay Cutler sucks.
4. Vikings: Christian Ponder makes Jay Cutler look great.

NFC South:
1. Saints: Don't think they are a great team, but I think they will get it done in this weak division.
2. Falcons: Ryan is meh, Turner is meh, White is meh. No star power here.
3. Carolina: Cam will have a sophmore slump
4. Bucs: bad

NFC West:
1. Seahawks: Wilson looks good, and Lynch is solid. Weak schedule means plenty of winnable games..
2. 49ers: Gore is overrated, and Smith is Smith.
3. Rams
4. Cardinals.

AFC East:
1. Pats
2. Dolphins: Suprise team. Reggie Bush is going to have a good year. Plus, they play the Bills and Jets.
3. Bills: Bad defense, streaky offense.
4. Jets: No offense.

AFC North
1. Steelers: Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace are a sick 1-2 combo at WR. Still a good defense.
2. Ravens: Ray Rice is dynamic.
3. Bengals. Good team, tough division.
4. Browns: Bad team, tough division.

AFC South
1. Titans: The return of Chris Johnson. Also, Locker looks decent so far.
2. Texans: Andre Johnson will play one game all year.
3. Colts: Awful defense.
4. Jaguars: Just bad.

AFC West
1. Raiders: McFadden will have a huge season, with palmer doing just enough.
2. Chargers: Phillip Rivers isn't that bad.
3. Broncos: Not enough weapons for Peyton, and defense will not be nearly as good as they were last year.
4. Chiefs: Tough break as they are a decent squad, but in a real tough division imo.

I'm skipping the playoffs and going right to the Superbowl where the Raiders will lose to the Eagles. Haters gunna hate.

@CaptainDave Have you watched football at all in the past three years? Running backs are meaningless. The Giants were the worst rushing team in football last year and won the Super Bowl. Same goes for the Packers, Saints, and Patriots - bad rushing teams all.

Ray Rice makes a huge difference for the Ravens (admittedly that's also because he can catch the ball), but a RB that can make a slight difference in the AFC North is still a pretty big deal, as (like goldfinger says), all four teams are pretty damn good at stopping the run.

Equally, far from being the 'worst rushing team in football', the Giants ranked 6th in rushing TDs with 17. Just because they looked to Eli for their yardage (they were also 22nd in rushing attempts per game), doesn't mean their backs didn't do their job. Points win games, not yards!

Why pick the 49ers over the Giants?

It took not one but TWO fumbles by a backup kick returner for the Giants to win last year.

And the 49ers won the regular season matchup?

Are the Giants great?
Oh, hell yes.
Did they get just a wee bit lucky, not once but twice, in that NFC Championship Game?
Oh, hell yes.

:)

Or were the 49ers just lucky they weren't blown out by the Giants? ;)

And its too bad the Ravens chose to throw to Lee Fucking Evans instead of Ray Rice last year :)

@Riphen I truly don't give a shit if you take me seriously.
@obi, I'd agree with you if this was early last season, but he got injured, and this preseason he hasn't been doing much. I do agree that we need a lot more players if we want a playoff shot. Bradford can be alright with better protection and better receivers, but it'd be nice if he stepped it up a tiny bit.
@Whoever: 2.Oakland is because I'm kinda a fanboy, and they're actually looking alright this season. I probably shoulda put KC ahead of chargers, but I just can't bring myself to put Oakland in 3rd or fourth.

Whoa dude wheres the anger coming from. Someone needs to get laid.

Anyways I was more asking for a explanation as to why you think that. Seeing as your a fan of Peyton im sure you are a fan of the Colts and would like to wish they could win the division but they wont.

AFC East:
1. Patriots(obviously)
2. Miami(It's about that time for them to get a +500 year)
3. New York(Tebow/Sanchez doomed to fail)
4. Buffalo(just give up)
AFC West:
1. Raiders(crappy division so shouldn't be too hard this year)
2. Denver(been decent, but won't pull it off)
3. Chargers(fell off the earth, but have to be over the Chiefs)
4. Chiefs(just... yeah...)
AFC North:
1. Ravens(will have a tie record with Pittsburgh but will beat Pit twice)
2. Pittsburgh(only due to double loss to Ravens)
3. Bengals(because nobody finishes behind the browns in this division)
4. Browns(we all have that one team that just can't win)
AFC South:
1. Texans(promising team, may be one of the favorites to go all the way)
2. Jaguars(not bad but not good, take second in division)
3. Titans(same as Jags)
4. Colts(haven't gotten back to the old Colts yet)

NFC South:
1. Panthers(Cam Newton will pull it off this year)
2. Saints(been a powerhouse for a few years, stands to do well)
3. Falcons(average team)
4. Buccaneers(I mean... It's the Bucs...)
NFC North:
1. Packers(as always it seems)
2. Lions(surprise team will do well)
3. Bears(just because Chicago can't catch a break ever)
4. Vikings(they should just forfeit now)
NFC West:
1. 49ers(best of the 4 by far)
2. Cardinals(decent but nothing great)
3. Seahawks(same as Cards)
4. Rams(... no comment)
NFC East:
1. Giants(unfortunately)
2. Cowboys(will finish 10-6, make it to playoffs as wildcard(I hope))
3. Redskins(new QB's will lead them to a decent year, but not enough)
4. Eagles(expecting them to lay an egg this year)

Seeding:
AFC-
1. Patriots
2. Texans
3. Ravens
4. Raiders
5. Steelers
6. Denver
NFC-
1. Packers
2. Giants
3. 49ers
4. Panthers
5. Cowboys
6. Lions(sneak in over the Saints)

Playoffs:
Wild Card round:
Steelers beat Raiders
Raiders beat Broncos
Cowboys beat Panthers
49ers beat Lions

Division games:
Patriots beat Steelers
Texans beat Ravens
Packers beat Cowboys(I hope I am wrong on that though)
49ers beat Giants

Conference games:
Texans beat Patriots
49ers beat Packers

Superbowl:
Texans beat 49ers 24-21(game winning score with less than 2 minutes to play)

^Ah, there you make a fatal mistake, butterhead...

The 49ers may have gone a decade without a playoff appearance until last year...

BUT:

5-0 in Super Bowls, best record (that is, they have 1.000 sustained as a winning percentage, and over the most games, 5...the Cowboys, Steelers, Patriots, and Broncos have all played in more SBs, but have lost games, SF has the most games won without a loss in the SB.)

San Fran may not get to the SB...but if they get there, they WILL win it! ;)

^Ah, there you make a fatal mistake, obiwan.

This 49ers team is a completely different team. Stop living in the past. Your using a Cowgirls argument.

Matchup wise 49ers and Texans are identical teams. Matt Schaub and Alex Smith are equal in my book. Arian is Greater that Frank Gore but Frank Gore is good. Andre is Andre if he is still on the field by that time. SF Receiving core is better but doesnt have a Andre but after him Texans have no one, maybe someone appears but Kevin Walter is not a Wes Welker.

SF Defense is so good. I think Better than Texans but there both really good.

Texans Offense > 49ers Offense

49ers Defense > Texans Defense

I think it will be a great game if it does happen.

The NFL sucks these days. The players are a bunch of overpaid crybabies who only care about their Nike sponsorships. They are changing the rules to slowly pussify the game (KO from the 35, "defenseless player" bullshit etc.)

College football is where it's at. Players play for their team, not themselves. And there's no dumb rules.

lol @Riphen- as a cowboys fan, I take offense to that term(cowgirls)(ok not really I don't give a damn cuz all that matters is its my fav team, don't care if you like em or not) but I do agree... obiwan made a typical fan a cowboys fan would... "oh well we have 5 rings, so we are better than you"... yes, true, cowboys have 5 rings, just like the 49ers... tied for second behind the Steelers... but when was the last time the boys won a superbowl? the 95 season yes? and the 49ers? 94... both teams have gone 17+ years without a superbowl appearance... you can't say a team that won 5 Superbowls will win a 6th if they go, because they won those 5 in the 80's/90's... totally new teams and all. If the 49ers make it(which I think they have a great shot too, hence why I picked them over even my own team) than they have a good chance... but I think the Texans would have them beat. hence my picks.
I'm a realist... I know my team doesn't have what it takes to win the Superbowl, or even make it that far... who else knows the same about their fav team?

@Riphen:

I didn't mean my point so seriously... :)

Of course it's a very different era of 49er Football when the defense gets most of the good press.

When I was a kid, I'd worry when the defense came on the field if Young/Rice putting up 35 would be enough.

Now, I worry when the offense comes onto the field if Willis/the D's if the offense will be able to gain 35 yards.

So, it is a quite different era, it was more for the fandom of it all, that previous statement.

Texans/49ers WOULD be an awesome Super Bowl matchup.

(I do think Alex Smith will finally shed his negative label as a QB, though, or what's left of it...he had crap teams--and two crap coaches--for so many years, while Aaron Rodgers inherited a great team from Favre...in his first year with a decent team and a decent coach, Smith's stats:

17 vs. 5 INTs.

Not stunning, but not at all bad, especially considering he's still, by three games, a QB with a losing record for his career.

And despite completing one pass to a WR in the second half of the NFC Championship Game, Smith's day was sort of like his season--not great, but not at all terrible, either:

146 YDs and 2 TD passes with 0 INTs, and had it not been for two fumbles outside his control by Kyle Williams, that would've been enough.

So now with Jacobs, Moss, and Manningham added to Ted Ginn, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Frank Gore...

We shall see.

Smith is no Eli Manning--but it's important to remember how folks said Eli was "clearly inferior" to Peyton a few years ago...and now Eli's one of the Golden Boys of the NFL with Brees, Brady, and Rodgers.

17 TDs last year...is 25 that far a leap in imagination with an offensive coordinator for the second year--a rarity for Smith--and all those new tools?

We shall see...) :)

San Fran's front seven is, in my opinion, the best in the NFL. It was certainly a defence that would have been worthy of winning a Super Bowl last year, but the offence lacked real playmakers on the WR side of things (I do like Vernon Davis a lot though). So if Moss and Manningham can step up for them this year, I could easily see the 49ers making it to the Super Bowl - even with the more 'explosive' offences of the Packers, Saints and Lions around.

Meh, if the 49ers go yard this year its only because they have Giants on their team lol.

But yeah, Obi you already know my position on the NFC Championship Game. Giants just got lucky.

I think it'll come down to Alex Smith on offense--

San Fran's a franchise built on quarterbacks more than any other franchise...

And Moss, Manningham, Crabtree and Davis can be Pro Bowl material--if Smith doesn't deliver the ball, it doesn't matter.

The defense is Super Bowl Caliber, now it's time for Alex Smith to step it up:

He has a coach returning, for a change...
He has an offensive coordinator returning, for a change...
He has weapons for a change...

It's on him now--2012 was a good step, and I think he can rise to the challenge.

He probably won't be a great NFL QB, but he CAN be a good one, and that's just what the 49ers need out of him, for him to be "good."

If he is, the 49ers could very easily be playing in February once again. :)

(Though that's a TOUGH schedule...games against the Packers, the Lions, the Patriots, the Saints, a rematch with the Giants...some good games and tough games alike ahead this year--we're in Prime Time once again, gotta play like Prime Time!)