The Kiss of Death

Sports Illustrated has come out with their NFL predictions for 2006. Here is who they think will be playing in the Super Bowl.



I've followed the Dolphins since my discharge from the military. My football allegiances are torn between the Dolphins and the team I grew up following, The New York Jets.

Miami finished 9-7 last year, capped by a 6-game winning streak at year's end. I stick to what I said at season's end, Miami was a very over-rated team. Of those 6 wins, only San Diego and New England had winning record. The win in the week's final week against the Patriots was helped by the fact that New England rested much of its key personel plus the team not necessarily taking the game all that seriously. Anyone remember Doug Flutie's drop kick?

Dante Culpepper has joined Miami, and that's an improvement on the QB situation. Other problems remain, namely the team's aging defense plus a thin secondary that's been burned already during pre-season play. I'm not as skeptical about Miami's 2006 season as I was at the end of the 2005 campaign, but I don't see Miami making it to the Super Bowl.

As to Carolina, they seem as good a choice as any in the NFC but I feel that conference is pretty wide open.

My own Miami Dolphin prediction for 2006- 9-7 and a first round wildcard playoff loss.

Note- The title of this post refers to SI's jinx at picking Sports Champions. It supposedly began when the magazine picked the Cleveland Indians as the best team in baseball in 1987. Cleveland finished that season with the WORST record in MLB.

Hat tip- Stuck on the Palmetto
Linked to- Basil's Blog, Bright & Early,