It is that time of year! After countless hours of podcasts, TV, and reading articles, it is time to put my entire predictions to paper. Obviously, it is a little intimidating to put all this out. After all, we saw what happened to Adam Rank last year (sorry, Adam). But down below you will find all the division winners, my award predictions, and full breakdown of the playoffs.
The Breakdown
AFC North
(2) Baltimore Ravens 12-4
(5) Cleveland Browns 11-5
Pittsburgh Steelers 8-8
Cincinnati Bengals 4-12
The Ravens have just gotten better, adding key pieces in the draft and the offseason. The Browns have added to star tackles in Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills Jr. New HC Kevin Stefanski loves to run the football and they’ll have the guys to do so in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. I was on the hype train last year, but although it is not as crowded this year, it is still moving at a rapid pace. I am incredibly hesitant to put the Steelers in the playoffs. Big Ben is coming back from an injury no one has seen before. The defense is top 3 in the league, but if the QB is a question mark, they won’t make it above .500. And finally, Cincy has a lot of issues to deal with, but developing Joe Burrow will be key to their success.
AFC South
(4) Indianapolis Colts 10-6
(7) Tennessee Titans 9-7
Houston Texans 7-9
Jacksonville Jaguars 5-11
Disclaimer: I am a Colts fan. BUT Warren Sharp, probably the smartest guy in football loves the Colts, so this feels justified. Everyone loves to talk about the Titans, but after the loss of their star RT Jack Conklin and attempting to add more miles on the tires of Derrick Henry, it does not feel like an incredible improvement. They are still a really talented football team, but another year of 9-7 really makes sense. I have started to come around on the Texans after digesting a couple of their moves, but a lot still has to go right. Deshaun Watson is the 5th best QB in the NFL and he’ll have an uphill battle to get into the playoffs. Finally, the Jaguars have too many issues to list. But Gardner Minshew has the special spark in him to keep Jacksonville in a few games.
AFC West
(1) Kansas Chiefs 12-4
(6) Denver Broncos 10-6
Las Vegas Raiders 8-8
Los Angeles Chargers 6-10
The Super Bowl Champs are not at risk of giving up the division, but there are some teams to look out for. The Broncos are in great shape to take a next step after a stellar end to the season and some key offensive additions. Drew Lock has to show that his last five games were not a fluke, but what he is capable of doing. The Raiders added a ton of talent in the free agency and the draft. Whether or not they can put it all together remains to be seen. And finally, the Chargers may have the most talent in the division, minus the QB position. The Tyrod Taylor/Justin Herbert QB competition will be one to watch this year. But if one guy does not cement himself early on, they’ll be in for a bit of a rough year.
AFC East
(3) Buffalo Bills 10-6
New England Patriots 8-8
Miami Dolphins 5-11
New York Jets 3-13
It is absolutely the Bills division to lose. They have the talent on every side of the ball and Josh Allen is continuing to improve. The Patriots will always be in the conversation, but I think they have lost too much talent, specifically at QB, and it will be an average year for New England. The Dolphins made good strides but are a couple years away from being competitive. And finally, the Jets are a mess. Get Adam Gase out of New York and then we can talk about them getting out of the cellar.
NFC North
(3) Green Bay Packers 10-6
Minnesota Vikings 9-7
Chicago Bears 6-10
Detroit Lions 3-13
The Packers have peaked. Their blow out loss to the 49ers will be the highlight of the rest of the time Aaron Rodgers is under center. The Vikings are also set to take a bit of a step back after last year’s Divisional Round appearance. Due in part to their schedule. Minnesota faces four playoff teams in their first seven games, including the Packers twice. The Bears could be one of the best teams in the league if they could figure it out at QB. There are a lot of playmakers on both sides of the ball and if Nick Foles or Mitch Trubisky can figure it out, they’ll be a playoff team. If not, probably a sub .500 record is more likely. And finally, the Lions. They traded away some of their best talent on defense and their QB is coming off of a back injury. Things do not look too bright, but maybe next year?
NFC South
(2) New Orleans Saints 12-4
(5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers 11-5
Atlanta Falcons 6-10
Carolina Panthers 5-11
I have written about the Saints and what I think their ceiling will be. This is one of the best constructed rosters in the NFL. Even if Drew Brees can’t play a whole season, a guy who threw for 5,000 yards and 30 TDs last season is his backup. The new look Bucs have a lot of people turning heads. But bottom line, their defense is suspect and the offensive line may be even worse. Still, it’s Tom Brady and I think they are going to be pretty darn good. The Falcons were one of the hottest teams in the league this past season, but I can’t trust them to put it together when it counts. And finally, whether or not the Panthers believe it, they are in a rebuild. Unfortunately, they are wasting the prime of one of the best receiving running backs of all time. Luckily for him, one of the best checkdown QBs in the league, just became the lead signal caller.
NFC West
(1) 49ers 12-4
(6) Seahawks 10-6
Rams 9-7
Cardinals 8-8
Russell Wilson is the second best QB in the NFL, no question about it. The rest of his team? A huge question mark. The defense finished 20th or worse in PPG, YPG, and Sacks. And the O Line has been terrible for years. The 49ers have the edge because of the better team overall, but Wilson is not someone I like to bet against. I think in any other divison, the Rams and Cardinals make the playoffs, but it is going to be a dogfight in every single game. Kyler Murray will get MVP buzz, but the wins will do him in. The Rams have a ton of talent, but injuries and inconsistency will keep them out of the playoffs, as well as a tiebreak loss to the Eagles.
NFC East
(4) Cowboys 10-6
(7) Eagles 9-7
Giants 4-12
Football Team 4-12
The Cowboys have one of the best teams in the league… on Madden. They have failed to put all this talent together and I am not optimistic that this year will change. Their one plus is playing in one of the worst divisions in football. The Eagles have a lot of talent, but their injury issues keep me from leapfrogging the Cowboys in the NFC East. The Giants could surprise some teams, but I am not optimistic they make any real noise this year, but I love Jason Garrett calling the plays. WFT have a ton of young talent and have made some really good moves, but it will be pretty tough to turn the ship around in just one season.
NFL Playoffs
Wild Card Weekend
(4) Colts over (5) Browns
(3) Bills over (6) Broncos
(2) Ravens over (7) Titans
(5) Buccaneers over (4) Cowboys
(6) Seahawks over (3) Packers
(2) Saints over (7) Eagles
Divisional Round
(1) Chiefs over (4) Colts
(3) Bills over (2) Ravens
(1) 49ers over (6) Seahawks
(2) Saints over (5) Buccaneers
Conference Championship
(1) Chiefs over (3) Bills
(2) Saints over (1) 49ers
Super Bowl
(2) Saints 38 over (1) Chiefs 35
NFL Award Winners
MVP: Russell Wilson
OPOY: Kyler Murray
DPOY: Nick Bosa
Coach of the Year: Kevin Stefanski
OROY: Joe Burrow
DROY: Kenneth Murray
For more picks and analysis, listen to my podcast, Not Gonna Lie!
