2035 AFC PREVIEW

The season starts soon, so I’ll make this short. It should be another competitive year in the AFC with a lot of teams able to go all the way. Some new or somewhat new to the EFL coaches should make it even more competitive than last season. Well, on to the picks.

AFC EAST

New York – This is by far the most competitive division in the EFL with three teams capable of making it to the championship game. If Miami’s coach hadn’t left it would be four teams. However, only one team can and of the four New York has the best chance. They have a solid roster and a spectacular coaching staff. Always busy in the off season, they made a huge pickup in QB James Alvarez. Is that the shot in the arm they need to get back to the title game? It very well could be. They had no draft picks this year, so this is a team that wants to win now, and they should win the east at least.

New York- “Liar, liar, pants on fire/Burn this dynasty on a pyre.”

Buffalo – With a couple seasons under his belt to build a solid roster at Buffalo, head coach William Fernandez should really make a run for it all. He has no assistant coaches, so his success or failure lies squarely on his shoulders, but it doesn’t seem to be a factor given his success last season. The addition of speedy OLB Damon Schmidt from Philadelphia should give him a pass rushing threat for many years to come. And rookie CB Ken Cuevas was a quality second round pick in the draft. Look for Buffalo in the playoffs.

Buffalo- “Looking for points off Champion’s toe/At least there’s one winner in Buffalo.”

New England – Two fairly mediocre seasons for a veteran talented coach. Lets hope he’s brought his playbook over from USC. Coach Prince Calhoun has a pretty good eye for assistant coach talent, so maybe the addition of OC Joseph Edwards will get them past two 9-7 seasons. They made some moves in free agency, and the addition of WR John Heffner should provide a boost to the already talented offense. They have a good coaching staff and a talented roster. If they were in the NFC they would probably win their division, but unfortunately they are in the AFC east, so they will need a wildcard berth.

New England- “Nine and seven times two/When you can’t cheat to recruit.”

Miami – This team had a talented roster but lost their most important asset in head coach Neil McNamara. I expect a bumpy road for the new coaches in Miami, but if they can make them mesh, all the pieces are there for a good team. Check back in two years.

Miami- “Joeybon now leads them to action/Prototypical addition by subtraction.”

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh – There have been no major changes in Pittsburgh. The coaching staff has remained in tact and the roster hasn’t changed much either.

Pittsburgh-”Even with admin hacking and BS calls/No coach in the game can beat Dalton Qualls.”

Cleveland – Cleveland has been a fairly average team the past three seasons. However, they didn’t have OC Neil McNamara, who has left Miami to give Cleveland the boost it needs to get over the hump. He should bring an eye for talent and a great training program with him. They picked up a QB in the first round of the draft, and brought in Thomas Payne from Miami. Payne should be the starter, but this is a team planning for the future. They also brought over running back James Freeman and jack of all trades Dwight Wingfield from Miami. This team has a good chance to make the playoffs, but they are not a lock as the competition is so tough in the AFC.

Cleveland- “A mediocre team adding Hawk/Does anybody give a fawk?”

Baltimore – Coach Charles Torres has a rough road ahead to make the playoffs. After an 8-8 season, they did nothing in free agency and had a mediocre draft at best. They will have to put in a lot of work to get this team to the playoffs.

Baltimore- “Terrorzone leads the team of Poe/A division title? Nevermo’”

Cincinnati – Too many little indians and not enough chiefs. This team has three new assistant coaches and no head coach. Lets hope someone can make the call when things get hairy. Cinci hasn’t had success since head coach Charles Beard left three seasons ago. They must have felt they needed help on defense with the addition of free agents, OLB Terry Vick and DE Joseph Levi. I don’t expect much from their draft picks as first rounder Clarence Burroughs out of Hawaii will take a few years to learn to be a receiver on this level. I expect another down year for the Bungles.

Cincinnati- “With a D led by the intimidatingly named Sparrow/In the AFC’s Scopes Trial, they’re Clarence Darrow.”

AFC SOUTH

Jacksonville – This is a no brainer if there ever was one. Jacksonville is the only talented team in the south and should win once again. Head coach Craig Raab took a kicker in the first round of the draft, but at a salary of only $1.85 million, isn’t as much of a head scratcher as I had first thought. Look for their power rushing attack to plow them into the playoffs.

Jacksonville- “Newman, Freeman, and Lister/More playoff fodder for Elpidio Mister”

Houston – Houston really needs to get their act together to get back to the playoffs. After a successful campaign a couple seasons ago, they dropped off in a major way last year. They drafted a couple good backs in Demar Bryant and Dennis Williams, but don’t look for that to help much now. A defense that gave up 32 points a game last season needs a major overhaul and two sixth round cornerbacks aren’t going to cut it. Don’t look for Houston to be playing football in 18 days. This is an 8-8 team at best.

Houston- “As their play fills them with a thousand shames/Linemen Rocket, Queen, and Hammer still have the coolest names.”

Indianapolis – Maybe coach George Fox Jr. can turn this flailing franchise around, but he has a lot of work ahead of him to do that. He added the little engine that could running back Lino Allen and DE Charles Balchin in the draft, but was fairly inactive in free agency. Success is going to be tough, but if there was ever a division to do it, the south is it. This team will need a few seasons to make the playoffs however.

Indianopolis- “A team going for every fourth down?/A team of bozos, coached by a clown.”

Tennessee – I believe my assistant coach Elpidio Mister said it best when he said Tennessee’s coach Thomas Harder should change his name to try. DeMar Gammon was a good pick in the draft, but he won’t make a difference. This team is just bad.

Tennessee- “66 yards a game on the ground, 42 through the sky/New OC Thomas Harder should change his name to Try”

AFC WEST

San Diego – The west is an interesting conference which could play out a few different ways. I expect San Diego to win the west and return to the playoffs again, but if Oakland can figure out the pro game they could give them a run for their money. Coach Allen Dixon is on the verge of a getting deep in the playoffs and could make a run this season if he improves a little. They had a good draft but lost a few players in free agency. So it might be hard unless some up and coming players can make an impact. I see them winning the west but losing in the first round of the playoffs again.

San Diego-”Acknowledged, but ignored for a reason/Get ready for another fourth seed season.”

Oakland – Coach Zoltan Fernandez brings a good college coaching pedigree and helped Oakland win three more games than the previous year. Can he continue that trend and get them to the playoffs? He will have to win the division to do that and I don’t think he has the personnel to do that just yet. He added guard DeAndre Dixon and running back Donte Fullerton in the draft. Oakland didn’t add much or lose much in free agency. This all comes down to coaching. Has Fernandez learned enough of the pro game to make the playoffs? Not this year.

Oakland-”Another legend taking a fall/This ain’t the MWC,more .500 ball.”

Kansas City – They have a new head coach, but it should be more of the same in Kansas City. They might win eight games, they might win six games, but don’t expect much more than that. They only had four draft picks as the previous administration traded away most of their picks, but maybe the moves he made will carry over to help this coaching staff. I don’t see anything really impressive in free agency, so I don’t see this team improving much if at all.

Kansas City- “The Heart of America is KC/Also known as The Colon of PSE.”

Denver – This team will never fail from lack of effort. Head coach Thomas Hite is very active in the off season, but is a fairly new coach and has some learning to do. If he could bring in some talented assistant coaches it would help their cause greatly. They went defense in the draft with the first two picks going for tackles. That should help a team that gave up 190 yards on the ground per game. Denver won’t make the playoffs but they should continue to improve.

Denver-”What’s the best you can say about Mile High?/Jets can count to three and he’ll try.”

2035 EFL Preview

NFC

After a bumpy off season the new EFL year is upon us, and there have been some major changes that should shake things up in both conferences. There were some surprises last season and I expect a lot more this year as there were several coaching changes that should have a huge impact on the league. I expect the usual suspects to duke it out for the playoff spots this year, but there are some up and coming coaches who are gradually improving. Hopefully with a few more seasons under their belts they can make an impact in the post season. This is how I see the divisions playing out this year.

NFC EAST

Philadelphia – This is really a two horse race division with the edge going to Philadelphia based strictly on the talent of their players. They are talented across the board with a big addition coming in the form of OLB Joseph Lanier, perhaps the only player on the team to have a larger fro than coach Benny Guzman. Philly really seemed to improve last year, until they reached the playoffs, and then returned to form. Can they get over the hump? That’s yet to be seen.

Dallas – Dallas made a late run for the Empire Bowl last season, before succumbing to eventual champion Minnesota. When Dallas shows up to play, they can hang with any team in the league, but will they show up? They didn’t make many waves in free agency and added a solid DT through the draft in Darren Lightfoot. They should field a solid but not spectacular offense and defense again, but the success and failure of this team lies in the hands of coach Walter Strickland alone.

Washington – I don’t expect much more than another average year for Washington. Coach Stephen Reese will win a few over the weak teams, and lose to the rest.

New Jersey – Come opening day coaches Michael Inman and Scott Moore should be able to parlay their 12 days of collective PSE experience and weak roster into a 0-16 record.

NFC NORTH

Chicago – Dominant coach, dominant players, dominant playbook, weak division. I don’t expect anything less than a first round bye in the playoffs. After a disappointing upset in last years playoffs, I see Chicago rebounding and going deep in the post season. The strength of this team is the defense and look for new CB William Williams to contribute to perhaps the stingiest defense in the league.

Detroit – Normally, Minnesota would be a lock for the runner up position in the division, but after losing head coach Gary Robles, Detroit is poised to make a move. Coach Thomas Zuniga is gradually improving and if the training staff has been doing their due diligence, Detroit should have a winning record.

Green Bay – There is only one direction that Green Bay can go and that is up. After firing one and done coach Johnny Lopez, they have greatly increased their chances at a winning season by hiring former USC assistant Eugene Carey. Green Bay has good talent left over from a previous administration and if Lopez didn’t screw things up too bad, a good team talent-wise should take the field. I would pick them to edge out Detroit for second place, but an 0-16 record is hard to overcome.

Minnesota – How quickly can a team go from first to worst? About one week. Don’t expect much from Minny this season as a completely new coaching staff, with a combined 7 days experience between the three of them, will be at the helm. They would probably be better off letting the gameplan make the calls.

NFC SOUTH

Tampa Bay – The best(maybe) team in this very bad division is probably the best way to describe Tampa Bay’s chances. They won the division last year despite taking a step back on both sides of the ball. They didn’t do much in free agency, but rookie linebacker Gerald Spencer should contribute immediately.

Atlanta – Just a step behind Tampa, if behind them at all. Atlanta could just as easily win this underwhelming division. Will the addition of veteran RB Charles Mayse be enough to take them past the first round of the playoffs? Doubtful. Perhaps the addition of veteran coach Robert Addison will help them more than anything.

New Orleans – This should be a better year for New Orleans. They have an up and coming coaching staff that is gradually improving. If given a few more years to develop a playbook and hone their playcalling skills, they should contend for the top spot in the division. I don’t think they’re ready to make that leap yet, but given the division, it wouldn’t surprise me. They weren’t very active in free agency, but their draft pick cornerback Terrance Scanlan should help a defense that gave up 30 points a game last season.

Carolina – The addition of coach Robert Jennings was the best move this team has made in several seasons. If their players weren’t so bad they could probably do something. Give Carolina a few seasons and they should be competitive again.

NFC WEST

St. Louis – The NFC west could very well challenge the NFC south for worst division in the EFL honors. I’m giving a slight edge to St. Louis simply because they won this weak division last season. None of the moves they made in free agency will do much if anything to help them win this season. Rookie QB Donte Clagg is a good pickup, but he’s still a rookie QB, and will have a steep learning curve. I’d give them 3 to 1 odds of making the playoffs.

San Francisco – Any team in the west could win it, so San Fran could be a playoff team. They have a veteran head coach, who has bounced around both leagues without much success. Could this be the season the switch gets flipped and James Andrews makes the playoffs? Or will it be another year of mediocrity? Can free agent DE Franklin Brito muster enough energy to get his first sack in 5 seasons? Or will he limp his way into retirement? I see a lot of question marks in San Francisco and not many answers. There’s one thing I’m sure of, if they have a better record than Arizona and St. Louis, they’ll make the playoffs.

Arizona – Another ho-hum team in a ho-hum division. There’s not much to say about Arizona other than they will consistently score 25 points and consistently give up 30 points. They have signed one of their four 2035 draft picks, and last season’s big trade pickup Lloyd Overbay ran 735 yards to the bank to deposit his $14 million check. With continuing stellar team management like that, the sky’s the limit for Arizona. I’d say they have about a 33% chance to make the playoffs.

Seattle – A 2-14 team last season under the tutelage of head coach William Fitzgerald. They won the division and went to the playoffs the year before that with a CPU coached team. They did nothing in free agency, and their defense heavy draft was unimpressive. I don’t expect Seattle to make the playoffs.

My pick for the NFC champion – Chicago

New week ten power ranking are out for the EFL and the Texans are ranked number one. Just two years removed from being the bottom feeders of the AFC south, the Texans now stand atop of the EFL. Even thou they are number one this team remains focus and not distracted by its recent success. Credited the success to the play of vet QB George Krammer, who signed with the Texans after spending seven seasons with the Colts.” I haven’t did very much this season, I’m just happy to be around a group of guys who love to work together as a team, that’s been the key…no standouts… were  just playing the best football as a team.”

With the 2032 season wrapped up, now is the time coaches search for opportunities to spread their wings from being a coordinator to taking that leap to the coveted position of HC.  Now also marks the time when some head coaches try their luck at another team to see if they can either improve on their prior success or be successful for the first time.

This season was no different than others, but one of the biggest moves in Pigskin Empire history came as the Head Coach of 14 seasons for Green Bay, Franchize has taken his skill set elsewhere.  Under the tutelage of Franchize, Green Bay amassed 7 Empire Bowls including 6 consecutive championships.  Franchize never missed the playoffs as the Head Coach of Green Bay and won the division 13 of his 14 seasons on the job.  Green Bay also managed to accumulate 5 perfect regular seasons in that span including the longest winning streak in Pigskin Empire of 84 consecutive wins including playoff victories.

When Franchize took over Green Bay, they already had a reputation for being a tough team to beat under the reins of Jrotogeek, but Franchize took the team to a different level accomplishing something the team had never done previously…. win championships.  With his first ever Empire Bowl victory coming in his first season on the job, he wanted to prove he could keep winning even without the talent that was left behind.  He proceeded to trade away players from the old regime for draft picks and players and continued on his path of success.  There have been other coaches with immaculate streaks and records, but none quite like Green Bay’s run.  In his time there Franchize also managed to win his players many awards including 5 consecutive MVPs, 4 Defensive MVPs, 2 Rookie of the Years, 5 Playoff MVPs, 1 Pro Bowl MVP, 1 NFC Rushing Title, and 13 NFC Passing Titles (8 consecutive) .

Franchize has decided to take his success to New England, a perennial lose who has no championships and have only made the playoffs twice in the history of the game.  Their best seasons came with an 11-5 record twice.  We wish him well in the AFC East, another tough division, but I think we would be lying to ourselves if we didn’t say that division will be his within 2 seasons of building New England up. We hope he enjoyed his time at Green Bay, and understand you just can’t keep someone away from their favorite team forever.