College Football returned last weekend, but the NFL is back and we are ushered into full football mania. So here's my predictions for the season going forward.
AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots - As if there was any doubt to this pick. The Pats have flat out dominated this division since Tom Terrific came under center. They'll win the division again this year in a walk.
Bold Prediction: Tom Brady receives multiple high fives this year.
2. New York Jets - The Jets should not be good. Geno Smith is not a legitimate NFL quarterback, but Rex Ryan knows defense, and when you have a good defense, even if you don't have an offense you still have a decent football team. They won't make the playoffs but this team will hover around .500.
Bold Prediction: Rex Ryan buys multiple t-shirts from websites intended for college kids.
3. Miami Dolphins - I don't believe Ryan Tannehill is the next Dan Marino and neither should you. This team has had to completely revamp it's offensive line, and they blew a chance to go to the playoffs last year. Don't expect them to compete for anything other than 2nd place in the division.
Bold Prediction: Joe Philbin guest stars on South Park, says "Interceptions are bad."
4. Buffalo Bills - Poor Buffalo. It's hard not to like this team, but they just haven't found the answer at QB, and the jury is still out on Manuel. After Kiko Alonso went down for the year, the Bills haven't had much to cheer about. Sammy Watkins is going to be a play-maker, but he can't take this team to the playoffs by himself.
Bold Prediction: CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson both remain healthy for the entire season.
AFC NORTH
1. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens fell off some after their Super Bowl 2 years ago, but they'll bounce back this year in the bruising AFC North. They won't be dominant, but they'll do enough to win the division and get back to the playoffs.
Bold Prediction: Joe Flacco's facial hair carries the Ravens to 4-0 before Ray Rice returns.
2. Cincinnati Bengals - While this team is loaded with talent, they lost their offensive and defensive coordinators from last year. The Bengals know what they have with Andy Dalton, an average QB. However, they have an above average defense and the rest of their offense has very good skill position players.
Bold Prediction: The Bengals make the playoffs again because of miracle plays like this.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers - Until the Steelers fire Todd Haley they are not getting into playoff mode. Big Ben's not getting any younger and the window on his ability to lead them to another championship is closing fast. Expect to see Haley gone by January.
Bold Prediction: Heinz Field implodes halfway through the season and Pittsburgh is placed under martial law.
4. Cleveland Browns - The Browns wish they were the Buffalo Bills. Josh Gordon is out for the year and Johnny Clipboard is offering advice from the sideline, which is probably not his best attribute. Don't expect that to last long though.
Bold Prediction: Johnny Manziel starts Week 5's game at Tennessee. The owner is from Tennessee and after the Browns go 0-3 the fans start calling for the kid and Manziel takes the helm from Brian Hoyer.
AFC SOUTH
1. Indianapolis Colts - Again, no surprises here. The Colts have to be the luckiest franchise in the last 20 years. They'll be a playoff team every year until Luck is either injured or no longer on the team. His receiving corps is loaded, with Wayne, Nicks, Hilton, Moncrief, and Fleener. Barring a massive injury to Luck this team is guaranteed to make it to January.
Bold Prediction: The Colts challenge Denver for the best offense in the AFC.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jaguars are the surprise team of the AFC this year. They don't make the playoffs but they are nearly a .500 team which is a vast improvement from recent years. Blake Bortles becomes a franchise QB for the Jags and the fans in Florida finally have something to cheer about.
Bold Prediction: Blake Bortles throws more TDs than Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater combined.
3. Houston Texans - The Texans are obviously going to improve on their record from last year, but without a QB they still have an uphill battle. They've got a good coach in Bill O'Brien but even the coaching staff isn't convinced they have a playoff team. Unless Arian Foster has an elite rushing year, it's going to be a long season for the Texans.
Bold Prediction: Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn't start after Week 3.
4. Tennessee Titans - The Jake Locker experiment has not gone well in Music City. The Titans have a new coach in The Wiz, but Kurt Warner ain't walking into Nashville anytime soon. Expect to see the Titans lean heavily on the run to try and limit their QB issues.
Bold Prediction: Zach Mettenberger doesn't get punched by a drunk Bama fan during the regular season, ends up starting at least 1 game before the season ends.
AFC WEST
1. Denver Broncos - The Broncos had a phenomenal offensive regular season, but were blasted in the Superbowl by the Seahawks. Manning has 3 years at max left before he hangs up his cleats. Denver has gone all in by buffing up their defense. Expect them to be in the playoff race again late into January.
Bold Prediction: Denver wins at least 13 games and the AFC road to the Superbowl goes through the Rockies.
2. Kansas City Chiefs - Andy Reid's teams rarely have terrible years, and Alex Smith takes care of the football. He's not going to wow you but he doesn't make mistakes. The Chiefs may not make the playoffs but they'll be on the edge.
Bold Prediction: Andy Reid runs through every brick wall in Kansas City.
3. San Diego Chargers - Maybe it's just me, but I think the Chargers have a drop off this season. They backed into the playoffs last year, and weren't really that dominant. They won't be a bad team by any stretch but they will still be looking up at Denver and Kansas City.
Bold Prediction: Keenan Allen becomes an elite receiver.
4. Oakland Raiders - I do think Carr will be a serviceable QB in the NFL. But that is not going to happen overnight. James Jones is his No. 1 receiver, and it is likely that Dennis Allen and his coaching staff are gone after this year. What's an even bigger problem for Oakland is that they may very well relocate back to L.A.
Bold Prediction: McFadden and MJD become a decent duo of running backs who stay healthy the vast majority of the season.
NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles - I'm not a fan of the Eagles, but Chip Kelly has come in and has this team playing with an pace and tempo that is scary to NFL defenses. The East doesn't have a serious challenger yet to Philly and they should head into January as NFC East Champs.
Bold Prediction: Jordan Matthews becomes the No. 1 receiver for the Eagles for the next 10 years.
2. Washington Redskins - I don't believe the Redskins will make the playoffs, but it is hard to deny their offense will have a serious upgrade with Desean Jackson moving south to our nation's capital. If RGIII can remain healthy and competent, and Alfred Morris can be as productive as he was in 2012, this team will have a successful season.
Bold Prediction: RGIII has another lackluster year and even though the Redskins have a decent season the fans in Washington start calling for Kirk Cousins.
3. New York Giants - Eli is learning a new offense and without Odell Beckham healthy to help out Victor Cruz, the Giants are going to struggle. Their team is far from a playoff contender, but their running game looks to be much improved.
Bold Prediction: Tom Coughlin retires after this season.
4. Dallas Cowboys - This defense is atrocious. Their offense is not bad at all but their defense is flat out unwatchable. Tony Romo is going to have to score 30+ points every week just to keep this team to even have a chance at .500. Jason Garrett wrongfully will be fired at the end of this season, if not before.
Bold Prediction: Tony Romo remains healthy the entire season.
NFC NORTH
1. Chicago Bears - The Bears offense was very good last season, but their defense kept them from getting to the playoffs. With Marshall and Jeffery as the wideouts, Cutler has two fantastic weapons along with a highly underrated RB in Matt Forte. The Bears defense will certainly be improved adding Jared Allen to the pass rush.
Bold Prediction: The Bears defense makes a key stop at the end of the season to send Chicago to the Playoffs.
2. Green Bay Packers - Regardless of the bad performance against Seattle on Thursday night, this is still a very good Packers team. Hardly anyone goes up to the Pacific Northwest and wins. Still, Green Bay isn't a Super Bowl favorite in my opinion. Rodgers is good, but I don't think their defense is going to do them any favors going forward.
Bold Prediction: Rodgers dating Olivia Munn causes a downturn in his performance ala Romo and Jessica Simpson.
3. Detroit Lions - Stafford and Megatron have a dynamic combination, but Jim Caldwell isn't a winner. The Lions still struggle to get consistency and miss the Playoffs again. They are fun to watch, but they lack true unity and drop games throughout the season that they shouldn't.
Bold Prediction: Suh's contract situation looms all season and causes distractions for the Lions.
4. Minnesota Vikings - The Vikes will start the season with Matt Cassel, but they all know Teddy Bridgewater is going to be their QB by the end of the season. Minnesota will play outdoors for the next 2 years, which should be an interesting test of All Day's running ability.
Bold Prediction: Adrian Peterson is plagued by injuries for most of the season, but still puts up impressive numbers.
NFC SOUTH
1. New Orleans Saints - The Saints have a phenomenal offense, a great head coach, and an ever-improving defense. They'll be the team to beat in the NFC South this year, and if they win enough games the road to the Superbowl will go through NOLA. If the Saints sneak into the playoffs however, it is going to be a tough road as their road record is not nearly as fearsome as their record in the dome is.
Bold Prediction: Brandin Cooks makes Saints fans forget about Darren Sproles by Week 3.
2. Carolina Panthers - The Panthers team is not going to be as good as the 12-4 team was last year, but their defense is still going to be good and they know how to run the football. I'd make the argument right now that their receiving corps is better than last year's. Steve Smith (as much as I love him) is in decline, and he's not a legit No. 1 anymore. Brandon LaFell was a possession receiver at best, and Ted Ginn was a return specialist moonlighting as a receiver. Kelvin Benjamin is going to be a star. He's not going to be Megatron, but he'll be a matchup nightmare and is getting better every week. Cotchery is a better receiver than LaFell at getting tough yards when you need it, and Avant and Bersin will be a good 3/4 punch. This team probably won't make the playoffs but they aren't going 4-12 either.
Bold Prediction: This is the last season Deangelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are in the same backfield together.
3. Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons will be improved, but areas they won't be improved in are the offensive line and defense. They still don't have much of a running game or a defense that can stop anyone. Matty Ice and Julio Jones aren't going to single-handedly take this team to the postseason. It's going to take time to rebuild the rest of this team, and they are really going to miss Tony Gonzalez.
Bold Prediction: Steven Jackson doesn't finish the season as the No. 1 Running Back.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Lovie Smith is going to make this defense into a well oiled machine. However, the offense is not his specialty. I don't think there's going to be a bad team in this division, but you are going to see a cluster between the Panthers, Falcons, and Bucs in the South. Unless Doug Martin put this offense on his back or Mike Evans turns into Michael Irvin this team doesn't have a shot this year, but going forward they should be very dangerous.
Bold Prediction: Josh McCown doesn't have the same year he had in Chicago and the fans start calling for Mike Glennon before the end of the season.
NFC WEST
1. Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks pick up right where they left off. Their defense is still going to be stout, and their offense is more than capable of winning them big games. This team will win the West and get a first round bye into January.
Bold Prediction: Seattle and New Orleans will meet in the NFC Championship game. The only question is where will it be held?
2. San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers are not as good as they were last year, but they are still a very good football team. This year ends the streak of them making it to the NFC Championship game. Kaep doesn't produce like he has in the past and the 49ers never find their groove.
Bold Prediction: Jim Harbaugh is coaching at the University of Michigan this time next year.
3. Arizona Cardinals - The Cards just missed out on the playoffs last year as Bruce Arians took a struggling franchise and revised their defense while making Carson Palmer relevant again. Larry Fitzgerald is still a No. 1 receiver, but he isn't elite anymore. The Cardinals should remain a threat for the playoff hunt, but as of right now they aren't on the same level with Seattle and San Fran.
Bold Prediction: Bruce Arians stop dressing like a 50 year old hipster.
4. St. Louis Rams - Poor Sam Bradford. The guy just can't stay healthy and in a year when St. Louis's defense is in the top tier of the league, he was poised to lead them to the postseason. With his injury though they need a miracle to make it to January. Their defense will keep them in games but they'll need a spark somewhere else to be able to pull some upsets.
Bold Prediction: Zac Stacy and Tre Mason give the Rams coach flashbacks to the days of Chris Johnson and Lendale White in Tennessee.
POST SEASON PREDICTIONS
AFC
1. DENVER
2. INDIANAPOLIS
3. NEW ENGLAND
4. BALTIMORE
5. CINCINNATI
6. KANSAS CITY
WILD CARD ROUND
3. NEW ENGLAND vs. 6. KANSAS CITY - The Pats are just too much for the Chiefs in Foxboro and Andy Reid takes his team to the Playoffs for the 2nd straight year only to be ousted in the first round.
4. BALTIMORE vs. 5. CINCINNATI - Is this the year Andy Dalton and the Bengals finally win a Playoff game? Nope. Home field advantage gives the Ravens the edge to squeak out a last second victory against their divisional rivals.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
1. DENVER vs. 4. BALTIMORE - Manning and the Broncos get revenge on the Ravens from the 2012 Playoffs by stomping them on the way to the AFC Championship game.
2. INDIANAPOLIS vs. 3. NEW ENGLAND - In a rematch from last year, but with a change of scenery, Andrew Luck goes back up against Tom Brady. It's a tight contest all day, but experience trumps youth in this game and New England heads to Denver for the AFC Title match up.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP
1. DENVER vs. 3. NEW ENGLAND - Another Manning vs Brady match up. Watching these two first ballot hall of famers battle has made for some great football. The good news for Manning is though is that it is not at Foxboro and the Broncos are headed back to the Super Bowl. So if you're looking for a sure bet, this is a good one.
NFC
1. NEW ORLEANS
2. SEATTLE
3. PHILADELPHIA
4. CHICAGO
5. SAN FRANCISCO
6. GREEN BAY
WILD CARD ROUND
3. PHILADELPHIA vs. 6. GREEN BAY - The Eagles blew the game against the Saints last year, and Chip Kelly is eager to get his first NFL postseason win. Rodgers and the Pack put up a lot of points in this game, but Philly just has too many offensive weapons and win a track meet in the City of Brotherly Love.
4. CHICAGO vs. 5. SAN FRANCISCO - The 49ers make it back to the postseason for the 4th straight year under Harbaugh, while the Bears defense gets better and they correct those mistakes that prevented them from making the postseason last year. The field on Lake Michigan is in terrible shape and causes the offenses to get bogged down, but a late touchdown by Brandon Marshall gives the Bears the edge over the 49ers.
DIVISIONAL ROUND
1. NEW ORLEANS vs. 4. CHICAGO - This isn't 2007, and this game isn't in Chicago, it's in NOLA. The Saints come out hot from the start as Brandin Cooks and Drew Brees connect for 2 TDs and the Saints win by double digits.
2. SEATTLE vs. 3. PHILADELPHIA - Offense meets Defense in this NFC Divisional showdown. The Philly offense sputters in the Pacific Northwest as the Seahawks speedy defense smothers McCoy and Sproles while providing havoc for the passing game. Seattle wins this one easily and head to The Big Easy for the Championship game.
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP
1. NEW ORLEANS vs. 2. SEATTLE - Another rematch from last year's playoffs but this game isn't in Seattle. These two teams have the biggest home field advantage in football. If this game was in Seattle, I don't think it would be close but the Saints are nearly unbeatable in the Dome. I've gone back and forth on this game, because in my mind it's a toss up. But I've been to several games in that dome and I don't think I've ever heard anything that loud in my life. So I'm going with the Saints in a classic game that I think comes down to the last play, and sends the Saints back to the Super Bowl against Peyton Manning.
SUPER BOWL
DENVER vs. NEW ORLEANS - This game looks to be a complete barn burner, but both teams start out sluggish, and the half ends in a tie 10-10. Then the teams come out hot in the 2nd half as both coaches start to gamble. The 2nd half turns into an air raid with Manning and Brees exchanging missile throws as both teams throw up video game like stats. The 4th quarter nears the end as Manning hits Wes Welker over the middle, and he scampers into the end zone to give Manning his 2nd Lombardi Trophy.
I hope everyone enjoyed these predictions. ENJOY THE SEASON! NFL FOOTBALL IS BACK!
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