NFC EAST:
The NFC East is a 2 team race again this year. The Cowboys
and Eagles will be neck and neck to win the division. With DeMarco Murray
changing teams and Chip Kelley moving players left and right the Eagles are a
project everybody has their eyes on. If Bradford can stay healthy and play
close to how he did in pre-season, I think this is the year the Eagles finally
make a legitimate playoff run and not get the door shut on them.
Though I like the Giants’ receiving core of Cruz and OBJ,
there is something about them that doesn’t give me a good feeling that they
will have good year. Average at best is my prediction for them.
The Redskins are as one analyst said “the Kardashians of the
NFL.” This is spot on. This team is so dysfunctional. They will at best win 5 games
and will be looking for a new QB to draft next year after they ship RG3, which
is sad considering all the talent they have at skill positions.
NFC SOUTH:
This division can’t be much worse than they were last year.
My guess is that the Panthers and Saints will duke it out again for the
division crown, but both teams lost their best offensive threats before the
regular season even started. The Saints sent Jimmy Graham to the Seahawks and
the Panthers just lost Kelvin Benjamin to an ACL tear. This is hard to pick a
winner because the Panthers can play defense, but their offense is so sad it
hurts to think about their options besides the Cam Newton triple-option like
he’s at Auburn still. I want to see somebody from this division emerge as the
leader, I just don’t see it.
The Falcons will be the sleeper of the division. They have a
really good, high scoring potential offense. With Julio Jones getting an
extension this off season, I expect him to even be better than he was in the
past. Hiring Dan Quinn from the Seahawks wasn’t a bad move either. Keep your
eye on them and don’t be surprised if they are competing for the division title
in week 17.
As for the Bucs, it will be interesting to watch the
progression of Jameis Winston. I personally watched him play this pre-season in
a game against the Minnesota Vikings. To his credit it was his first pre-season
game, but it was not pretty. He looked like a rookie QB in his first game. He
made some good scrambles including a TD rush and a good end of the half drive,
but other than that, he has a lot of work to do. I want him to do well and be a
star in a few years, but I don’t see it and the lack of a defense is not going
to help his confidence.
NFC NORTH:
This division belongs to the Green Bay Packers, but don’t count
out 2 of the other teams for a wild card spot. I think it’s the consensus that
the Packers are going to win this division unless Aaron Rodgers has a
catastrophic injury. Even with Jordy Nelson being out for the season, the
Packer’s offensive system is very versatile, allowing new players to step up
and become known. They also have a legitimate running back, which they have
been missing for some time now.
With the Packers winning the division, 2 other teams will be
very competitive within the division. The Lions have been on the cusps of
beating the Packers for a while now, but can’t get over the hump. I could see
them taking one at Ford Field to give Green Bay fans a scare.
My sleeper to grab a wild card spot is the Minnesota
Vikings. This team is doing everything right to keep progressing and get closer
to a championship. They finally found their franchise QB in Teddy Bridgewater.
AP is back. They have a hard-nosed coach that won’t deal with non-sense and a
young defense that continues to get faster and better. This team has looked
great and can compete with any team in the league. Yes, competing and winning
are two different things, but going into season 2 with coach Zimmer, the
Vikings are a scary team to play against. They are underrated with low expectations,
but have the ability to win some games and grab a wild card spot.
The Bears, much like the Redskins, are in a bad spot. Hiring
John Fox is not going to solve their problems. Cutting 2 proven defensive
players (Tim Jennings and Ray McDonald) isn’t going help improve an already
abysmal defense. I think the Bears should cut their losses, start focusing on
next year’s draft and reboot the roster. They will win 4-5 games at best.
NFC WEST:
Much like the NFC North, the Seahawks own this division. They
are loaded all over the field and got an upgrade to their passing game
acquiring Jimmy Graham from the Saints this off-season. The rich get richer.
Like the NFC North, this division will be very competitive with 2 other teams
competing with each other to get 2nd place in the division and a
possible wild card playoff spot. Arizona Cardinals were last year’s surprised,
but this season they are on everybody’s radar and won’t be taken lightly. They
still have a top 10 defense and with a healthy Carson Palmer, they could hit
the 10 win mark to grab a wild card spot. Chris Johnson was a good addition as
well, but he isn’t the Chris Johnson of 2009, let’s just remember that before
we give him the benefit of doubt.
The St. Louis Rams are much like the Vikings. Acquiring Nick
Foles for Sam Bradford was like free bacon for them. They also have a top 10
defense, which is why they can stay in most games and ended up beating the
Seahawks last year. I’m very interested
in how Todd Gurley is going to pan out. I believe he is better and will do
better than Melvin Gordon, but it’s always hard to come back from a major knee
surgery, unless of course you are Adrian Peterson, but he’s a football
demi-good.
Poor 49ers. Ever since the 2013 Super Bowl loss and 2014 NFC
Championship loss, the 49ers have gone spiraling in to a black hole and this
off-season made it worse. They lost their head coach, a majority of their
defense, and their QB regressed after giving Kaepernick a huge contract
extension. Their situation is one of the worst in the entire league. With
Willis and Borland retiring due to health issues, it seemed that other players
lost interest and decided to do whatever they wanted.
Not much will change among the top of the NFC, but look for
some upcoming teams to make a post season bid.
AFC EAST:
Could this be the year the Patriots get knocked off their
throne in the AFC East? PENDING Tom Brady’s
suspension ruling, the Patriots are in serious threat of starting the season
down 1-3. IF no TB12, the Patriots will have 2 very tough games to start the
season against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the redefined, defensive minded, Rex
Ryan led Bills in week 2. They catch a break hosting the miserable Jaguars, but
then head to Dallas after a bye week. If the Tom Brady’s suspension holds up,
the Patriots are going to have some digging to get back on top. The benefit for
them is that even starting down 1-3 or 2-2, they can win the division without a
doubt, resulting in hosting a playoff game in Foxborough, where they are nearly
unbeatable.
The Bills will be drawing a lot of eyes towards them this
year. After a very successful defensive campaign last season, the Bills have
continued right where they left off and picked up a treasure in Shady McCoy.
Though they picked up McCoy and have Sammy Watkins, the Bills still are
searching for a true starting QB. As of now (9/1/2015) the Bills have named
Tyrod Taylor their starting QB. (WHO?) The Michael Vick like, Virginia Tech,
dual threat QB, whom was drafted in the 6th round and has never
started an NFL game. That Tyrod Taylor. Don’t get me wrong, the guy was awesome
in college, but that obviously hasn’t transitioned into the NFL. The Bills
brought in Matt Cassel to play QB and he can’t even beat out Taylor or EJ Manuel,
who is my personal favorite, but obviously hasn’t made the jump to be an NFL
staring QB yet. The QB position will be their Achilles heel all season, which
will cost them a few games, say when they need to beat the Patriots in
Foxborough week 11.
It seems like all the attention in this division has been on
everybody except the Dolphins. The Dolphins made a huge splash signing
Ndamaukong Suh to add to their defense. He is a top 5 player and probably the
second best defensive player behind JJ Watt. He is going to upgrade an already
decent Miami defense and get them closer to capturing a division title. Though
no easy task knocking off the Patriots, the Dolphins have a legitimate chance
of stepping up to the occasion and being crowned AFC East champs. I’ll wait to
see it before I believe it though.
As for the Jets, at least they got Revis back. Signing
Brandon Marshall was a good move too, but with Geno Smith their top QB, their offense
will seriously struggle. Geno getting sucker punched and breaking his jaw is
the epitome of the NY Jets. That sucker punch might be a blessing in disguised
because now the Jets will be starting Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is the smartest QB
in the league off the field, but not so much on the field. They also have the
Alex Moran (Blue Mountain State reference) of the NFL with Matt Flynn in their
back pocket. If it was up to me, I would have none of the above play and start
Baylor sensation Bryce Petty, hopefully finding a QB for the future and not a
back-up stand in while the Jets endure another painful season of losing.
UPDATE: this review was
written on 9/1/2015, as of 9/3/2015 Tom Brady’s suspension was dropped. With
Brady back, the Patriots have a very good chance at starting 4-0, starting with
a win in Foxborough on Thursday to kick off the NFL season. Though Buffalo will
be tough to be in Buffalo, the Patriots will be able to come through with a
win. After a breeze against the Jaguars, they will face a true test against a
playoff bound Dallas Cowboys at Dallas. No easy feat, but I have confidence
that they can beat them.
AFC SOUTH:
The Colts are my pick to represent the AFC in this season’s
Super Bowl. They added key guys to help solidify their run to the Super Bowl.
They signed Andre Johnson and Frank Gore. 2 proven stars of the league, that
have a just enough gas in them to make one more run at a championship. This is
exactly what the Colts need. Andre Johnson will easily replace Reggie Wayne,
barring an injury, and Frank Gore is always good to replace a non-existent
running game. Their defense got help with the signing of Trent Cole, which will
possibly get them over the Patriots hump from last year. Luck is the real deal
and is a Super Bowl victory away from being the face of the NFL. My guess is
that he will knock off both legends (Tom Brady and Peyton Manning) this season
to reach the Super Bowl.
Yes, the Colts pretty much have the division locked up, but
that won’t come without some battles from the second best team in the division,
the Houston Texans. The Texans are featured on this year’s HBO Hard Knocks
series. The Texans look hungry after taking a step back last year, due to QB
issues, injuries, and other minor problems. This year, we will finally get to
see the 2014 #1 pick Jadeveon Clowney play opposite of the best defensive
player in the league, JJ Watt. Their defense looks promising, it’s their
offense that scares me. Between Arian Foster hurting his groin and not having a
solid starting QB, the Texans are going need some help on that side. I hope JJ
Watt can accumulate a few pick-6s, return a few strip-sacks, and maybe even
play some tight end. O wait, he did do all that. The guy is literally
unstoppable and will do everything he can to help his team win. Unfortunately,
even that is not enough to get the Texans to the playoffs.
I probably shouldn’t skip over the #2 pick, but the
Tennessee Titans are in for another long year of rebuilding. I hope and believe
Marcus Mariota is going to turn into a much more complete QB than Jameis
Winston. He has looked and played better this pre-season, but with the team and
talent he has, they will be lucky to win more than 4 games. Maybe next year
they will get game changing defensive player. The same goes for Jacksonville.
They seem to have found their franchise QB in Blake Bortles, but can’t find
anyone else around him considering Justin Blackmon is M.I.A. and Julius Thomas
has to sit out due to injury. I hope for the franchises sake they can grab a top
pick again next year and finally get out of the gutter.
AFC NORTH:
The AFC North is
always one of the most competitive divisions in the entire league and this year
is no exception. The Ravens and Steelers will likely battle for the crown while
the other will have to settle for a wild card spot. Did I forget the Bengals?
Yes, this is the year their playoff streak ends and they save themselves the
misery of getting bounced in the first round. The Steelers seem to be just an
inch ahead of the Ravens due to the Ravens letting go of some key defensive
players, Haloti Ngata and Pernell McPhee. They also lost their best offensive
threat in Torrey Smith to the 49ers. As they have for so long, their defense
can keep them in low scoring games. Which is why I think the Steelers have the
advantage over them due to their potent offense and tough defense.
The down fall to the Steelers is that 2 of their stars will
start the season suspended (Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant) and the health of
Ben Roethlisberger is always an issue. Luckily for them when they open against
the Patriots, they most likely won’t have to face Tom Brady as QB. That game is
going to mean a lot to that team if they can win and should win.
The Browns are still the laughing stock of this division and
will be for a while. Maybe Johnny Manziel will figure it out this season. He
already dropped the $ sign so maybe he is maturing. The Browns are in for
another tough year. I will give them some credit for who they drafted. Danny
Shelton will be a stud, Duke Johnson is a steal if he pans out, and drafting
Ifo Ekpre-Olom could be the best reward of all their picks.
AFC WEST:
I’m not going to chalk up the Broncos too fast to win the
division. They are going to have to earn it from the Kansas City Chiefs and San
Diego Chargers. I do think the Broncos will win the division, but it won’t be
as easy as the past. Peyton Manning is aging more and more. He is losing it.
They also have a new head coach, Gary Kubiak. They still have a very talented
offense and defense, but so do the Chiefs. My bet is that KC and Denver will
split their series.
As for the Chargers, I think they will be the Charges as we
have come to know. They start hot, then lose some games, then get hot again.
Their inconsistency kills them. I imagine them being competitive as they
usually are, but that doesn’t mean winning a division title. I can’t wait to
see if Melvin Gordon will live up to the hype.
The Black Hole, aka The Oakland Raiders Stadium is exactly
that for players and coaches careers. A black hole for careers to die. See ya later
Christian Ponder and Trent Richardson. That has to be the saddest place in
football right now. Sending the “get well soon” card as we speak.
NFC Playoffs
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Carolina Panthers
5. Dallas Cowboys
6. Minnesota Vikings
AFC Playoffs
1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Denver Broncos
3. New England Patriots
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Kansas City Chiefs
Wild Card Playoff
Philadelphia Eagles vs Minnesota Vikings
Carolina Panthers vs Dallas Cowboys
New England Patriots vs Kansas City Chiefs
Pittsburgh Steelers vs Baltimore Ravens
Divisional Round
NFC
#1. Seattle Seahawks vs #5. Dallas Cowboys
#2. Green Bay Packers vs #3. Philadelphia Eagles
AFC
#1. Indianapolis Colts vs #5. Baltimore Ravens
#2. Denver Broncos vs #3. New England Patriots
NFC Championship
Seattle Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers
AFC Championship
New England Patriots vs Indianapolis Colts
SUPER BOWL
Indianapolis Colts vs Green Bay Packers
SUPER BOWL
CHAMPIONS
GREEN BAY PACKERS
