2015-2016 NFL SEASON PREVIEW AND PREDICTIONS

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 2^nd 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 6^th 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

NFL regular season wrap up

NFL regular season wrap up.

As the NFL playoffs begin this weekend, let's recap how the regular season finished up. I will touch base on every team. 

MVP: Aaron Rodgers

Best 2 divisions: NFC West and AFC North

AFC North:

*The Steelers lost to Tampa Bay at home earlier in the season. Yes, the division champs of the toughest division lost to the worst team in the league. The Steelers got it rolling after that loss including Roethlisberger throwing 12 touchdowns in 2 games, including 6 against the Indianapolis Colts who they could face in the AFC Championship if both teams made it that far (highly doubtful). He (Roethlisberger) eventually cooled off and lost to the Jets. when it came down to the final game of the season to win the division sgainst the Bengals, the Steelers and Antonio Brown played like the playoff team they have had potential to be all season long. Both the Ravens and the Browns were top stop stories weekly not always for good reasons. The Ravens and the whole Ray Rice scandal really was not the thing an organization would ever want to deal with, but they handled it the right way by cutting Rice. Throughout the distractions they still found a way to win and make the playoffs. The Browns brought the media to them by drafting Johnny Manziel. Since Day 1 after drafting him, he was a story. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for the Browns, Brian Hoyer and the rest of the team were doing just fine without him. Eventually Hoyer started struggling down the stretch and losing games giving Manziel a chance to start. Like I predicted, he stunk it up and that was the last of him for the season. Maybe this summer he will be more dedicated to being a starting QB. The Bengals started out like they were going to emerge to the top of the AFC North starting out 6-1. Like the Arizona Cardinals, the Bengals had their mid season woes and lost a few games, fighting for their playoff lives during the end of the season. To Cincinnati's credit, the Monday Night Football game against the Broncos was their coming of age game that solidified them as a playoff team, picking off Manning 4 times to keep their playoff hopes alive and have a chance to take the division against Pittsburgh the following week. Though the Bengals lost to Pittsburgh for the division championship, they have made it to the playoffs for 4 straight years.

NFC West:

The reason I say this was the toughest division because even the Rams were one of the best defenses in the league. The Rams also beat the Seahawks and 49ers this season. Without Sam Bradford they were still able to be competitive in the league with the emergence of Trey Mason, look for them to make a playoff push next season in the toughest division in the NFL. I think the biggest surprise was the success of the Arizona Cardinals. If you were really to study them though, you would know that their defensive success was no joke. Since the end of last season, they've been one of the best defensive teams and were beginning to click on offense. I predicted earlier this season that I didn't think they would be able to fend off the 49ers and Seahawks, but to their credit they did make the playoffs using their 4th string QB because of Carson Palmer going down earlier in the season. The 49ers and Jim Harbaugh saga turned ugly quick. At 7-4 I thought that if they would have beat the Seahawks they would be where the Seahawks are, but they lost and now don't have a head coach. Kaepernick didn't have a great season either, but hopefully he'll mature and be the stud he is.

NFC North:

If anybody really thought the Packers weren't going to win the division you all need to "relax" and pay more attention to the NFL. In my opinion Aaron Rodgers is the MVP, besides the off game in Buffalo he's been pretty much flawless. I believe the Packers will go to the Super Bowl as long as they can beat the Seahawks and now that they have home field advantage their chances have only increased. 

The Lions had a great season as well, with one of the best front fours and high powered duo with Stafford and Calvin Johnson. The Buffalo loss at home really was the difference between them playing this weekend and winning the division, but I guess you could say that for the Packers as well.

The Vikings may have  had a losing record, but there were many good takeaways from this season. I think the biggest was that Teddy Bridgewater is the real  deal and the Vikings got a steal in the draft. Anthony Barr, their first pick was incredible as well. The Vikings will need to fix their offensive line this off season if they want to compete for the division championship. 

The Bears were a tragedy to watch unfold this season. The sad thing is that they started off very well beating the 49ers early and New York Jets back to back road games across the country. After that came the back to back give up 50 points to Packers and Patriots games where the season really went down hill. Then the Jay Cutler saga got worse and now the Bears are in a state of turmoil. Good luck Chicago with the next head coach you find. The problem isn't the coach, it's Cutler.

NFC East:

The NFC East was a great battle between 2 teams, one team winning the division and the other having a good record, but kicked out of the playoffs because of losing record NFC South champion. Dallas actually lived up to its full potential, dominating the end of the season and the road. I don't want to speak to quick on their success because they will have to prove to critics they are the real deal by beating the Detroit Lions, which they should. The Eagles are the big losers of the division. They have a playoff record but don't make the playoffs. The turning point was losing to Seahawks after losing Nick Foles for the season. The Eagles will be one of the best teams in the NFL again next season, but this post season they will be watching from their couches. 

The Redskins organization is such a mess. If I were RG3 I wouldn't want to play there either and he won't be next season. Coach Gruden might want to watch some of his brother's show and learn how to handle his QB and not throw him under the bus when things aren't going well. 

The NY Giants had a miserable season of their own, including a forgettable loss to the Jaguars and one to the Cowboys when they were up at half. I guess you could say the only highlight the Giants will want to remember from the season is the miraculous one handed grab by Odell-Beckham that could be the play of the season. 

AFC West: 

The AFC West was the second toughest division in the AFC.  Kansas City Chiefs had a good season this year, but fell just short of making the playoffs. Much like the Eagles they were worthy of the playoffs, but after the Raiders loss things went south. I think going the whole season without a WR catching a TD was a underlining problem with the KC offense. Besides the Raiders the other 3 teams were all in the run for the playoffs, only the Broncos made it. The Broncos got off to a hot start after their embarrassing Super Bowl loss looking to get back there this season, but somewhere along the season Payton's passing game seemed off and people began to wonder if he was losing it. His 4 INT game vs the Bengals really was a shocking game, but He eventually calmed those fears down and got back on track to be ready for the playoffs with a win against Oakland. I have to give credit to the Chargers for a good season, but yet again they fell short of a playoff birth after a good start to the season. 

NFC South:

Nobody wanted to win this division, but somebody had to. The Carolina Panthers won the division, but I can't say they are going to go far in the playoffs. Cam Newton seemed a little off, but I believe he will bounce back and have a pro bowl like season next year. I don't know what happened to the Saints this season. They couldn't win at home where they are usually dominate, but they somehow beat the Seahawks. The Falcons were just as questionable as the Saints, with a veteran QB having more turnovers than usual and unable to close games. 

2 highlights for the Bucs: they beat the Steelers and they have the #1 pick in the draft. Hello Marcus Mariota.

AFC South:

The Colts will own this division for as long as the Texans don't have a QB. My advice to Houston is to draft a QB and get more use out of him than they did with their #1 pick Clowney. JJ Watt was unbelievable and may be the MVP with the type of season he had even though his team didn't make the playoffs, he did everything he could to help them win. Andrew Luck had another good year, but his turnovers have to cutdown. I think he is just like Manning was in his younger days with the Colts and will have a MVP season soon.

As for the Jags and Titans, they each have one positive note from the season: The Jags found their future QB with Bortles (so we think) and the Titans have #2 pick in the draft.

AFC East:

Again the Patriots won the division and clinched Home field advantage for the playoffs, nothing new here. I think they are Super Bowl ready this season because they finally have a defense that can stop the run and pass. I was very impressed with the Bills and Dolphins. The Bills swept the NFC North, which is no easy task. It's a shame their coach is leaving after they have made so much progression in the last two seasons. The Dolphins had a good season as well just coming short of making the playoffs. Ryan Tannehill is getting better and better each season. I wouldn't be surprised if he leads the dolphins to the playoffs next season.

The Jets  had a forgettable season and will be in a rebuilding stage next season with the firing of Rex Ryan. Geno Smith seemed like he regressed allowing Vick to get some play time.