Where can I start? WALT PICKED THE BENGALS TO BE IN THE AFC CHAMPIONSHP GAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LMAO. I knew Walt would think that the Patriots will win another Super Bowl. I knw that by heart. BUT I DIDN'T THINK THAT HE WOULD PUT THE BENGALS IN THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP. But with that all said and done, It's a good playoff prediction. The NFC playoff is a perfect prediction.
What's next for the Jets? I think that Walt is thinking "The Jets can come back to contention in the 2006 season."
I don't see anything wrong with putting the Bengals in the AFC Championship. Carolina got there (and won) in 2003, after going 7-9 the previous year. The Bengals were 8-8. New England won out of the blue in 2001. Baltimore won it all in 2000 after going 8-8 in 1999. The Rams appeared out of nowhere that year.
These things happen, and I believe it is Cincinnati's turn. They averaged nearly 28 points per game during the second half of the season because Carson Palmer got comfortable with the offense. Rudi Johnson is great. They have the WRs. They added three key defensive players. When the Bengals get to the divisional round and/or the AFC Championship Game, you heard it here first.
That said, putting the Bengals there is a gutsy pick. I'd rather make a gutsy pick than a boring (and wrong) one.
The Jets? Curtis Martin will be 33 in 2006. Is Derrick Blaylock the answer? Chad Pennington needs to remain healthy. The defensive line and secondary need to be fixed. New England will still be a powerhouse. If the Jets miss the playoffs this year, they certainly have a chance to make it back next year. It's a shame for teams like the Jets, Ravens, Chargers, etc. The AFC is loaded, and if they were in the NFC, either of those three would be the second best team in the conference.
Must be a new trend. If the Bengals do go to the conerence championship, they will be a force to be reckoned with. I give Mavin Lewis truck loads of credit and props for making the Bengals a laughing stock to a contender.
Think about how good Cleveland is going to be once Romeo Crennel gets all of his pieces in place. By 2007, every team in the AFC North could be a playoff contender.
