Powerful Pats will win Super Bowl — over 49ers???

Bill Williamson, an MSNBC contributor is putting either his career, or sanity on the line in an article today predicting the upcoming season. Below is an exerpt from his story that says...well, just check it out. All I can say is, there isn't a bigger 49er fan alive than me, but I think this guy is nuts. He predicted the 49ers to win the west. No shock there, a few prognosticators have already called for that. It's where the playoff predictions come in, that it gets crazy. Let's forget the fact that he has the Niners going to the SuperBowl, but Dallas as the number 1 seed in the NFC as well? Hey, Bill, 1992 called, your predictions are right on the money! I'm surprised he didn't predict Steve Young to win MVP. This team hasn't had a sniff of .500 yet and he has Alex Smith leading them gallantly through the NFC playoffs?

Anyways, it's encouraging to see the Niners so highly touted going into this year, particularily after they looked horrid in the preseason. I just think this sets them up to majorly disappoint. I'm all for dreaming big and reaching for the stars, but I've always tryed to stay realistic and objective with my predictions and analysis of this team, which many of you have called me a skeptic for, but this, in my opinion is off the deep end. Check out the rest of this page at the link below if you'd like a good laugh.

NFC West
1. San Francisco
2. Seattle
3. Arizona
4. St. Louis

Remarkably, this is the NFC's best division and one of the better ones overall. Unlike the other three divisions, there is no clear-cut favorite. All four teams could make the playoffs. We like the upstart 49ers. It should be a lot of fun with all four teams candidates for winning seasons.

NFC Playoffs
Seeds

1. Dallas 2. San Francisco 3. New Orleans 4. Chicago 5. Seattle (wild card) 6. Arizona (wild card)

Wild-card round: New Orleans over Arizona; Seattle over Chicago.

Divisional round: Seattle over Dallas; San Francisco over New Orleans.

NFC championship game: San Francisco over Seattle.

Super Bowl: New England over San Francisco

Why? The Patriots are a big favorite and the 49ers are a big underdog. But underdogs strike it big all the time. Still, watch for the best roster in the business to end a San Francisco revival.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20454662/