AFC EAST - This division has been New England's for the last decade plus, and will continue to be in 2014. Miami is certainly improved, and Buffalo has been surprising but looks to be fading down the stretch. The Jets, well....the Jets will be drafting early in 2015, and will be in the market for a new QB.
New England Patriots - The Pats remain the class of the AFC East. It was a little rocky for Tom and Bill, but they look poised to be at the top of the AFC come January. Bold Prediction: The Pats make the Superbowl as they secure home field, and Manning has to go back to Foxboro.
Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins are much improved, but I still think they miss out on the playoffs, fading down the stretch. There's just a lot of teams in the AFC that they are looking up at for the Wildcard. Bold Prediction: Miami make a major run at Jim Harbaugh this offseason, all while Joe Philbin remains the current head coach.
Buffalo Bills - The Bills just can't find a QB. Kyle Orton isn't the long term answer, and EJ can't seem to learn the offense. They finish close to .500, but again miss out on the playoffs. Bold Prediction: The Bills stick with Kyle Orton, when everyone begs them to take a QB in the draft.
NY Jets - The Jets improve in the 2nd half of the season, but that's only because the 1st half couldn't have been much worse. Geno Smith is not a serviceable NFL QB, and Michael Vick is little more than a filler. Rex Ryan's ultimate downfall was that he never found a competent offensive coordinator or QB, when really that's the GM's fault. Bold Prediction: The Jets hire a college coach to run the show in New York.
AFC NORTH - This is the best division in football, and the best team is the Cleveland Browns. That's right, the Browns are in 1st place in the bruising AFC North. I don't think they'll stay there, but kudos to them for making it this far and being in the playoff hunt.
Cleveland Browns - If you had the Browns in 1st place in November, then congrats you live in Cleveland or you own more than one Manziel jersey. They've been gritty, but the meat of their schedule is still ahead of them. Bold Prediction: Hoyer's contract situation looms longer than it should, and Manziel demands a trade. With the Browns missing the playoffs, either Hoyer or Manziel won't be in Cleveland in 2015. A dog house divided against itself cannot stand.
Cincinnati Bengals - Technically, the Bengals are in 2nd place at 6-3-1. The Bengals know what they have in Andy Dalton, and that's an average QB. He's not going to get them to the Superbowl with his current play. Bold Prediction: Marvin Lewis is fired as the Bengals fail to make the playoffs. It's been a long time coming and Bengals fans rejoice.
Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben looked unbeatable the last 2 weeks, but he came crashing back down to earth against the Jets. Antonio Brown has been one of the best receivers in the NFL, and the Steelers look like they could make some noise in the AFC. Bold Prediction: The Steelers win the North and end up in the AFC divisional round.
Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens have been Jekyll and Hyde all season. Without a running game to help him out, Flacco hasn't been able to consistently carry the team. It's hard to rely on Flacco's arm to win them games. Bold Prediction: Baltimore makes the playoffs on the last day of the season as the 6 seed and loses to Indy in a blowout in the Wildcard game.
AFC SOUTH - This division isn't even close. Unless Andrew Luck breaks multiple bones, or Houston mysteriously finds a QB, the Colts are winning this division before Black Friday.
Indianapolis Colts - The Colts benefit from playing in the 2nd weakest division in football. They win the division by multiple games, but still only get the 3 seed, as they struggle against teams who have winning records. Bold Prediction: We get a Luck-Manning rematch in Denver that is closer than it should be, but the Colts fall just short, and Reggie Wayne calls it a career.
Houston Texans - Houston has a ton of talent, but its a QB league, and they don't have one. They are a .500 team at best, and they'll be trying to figure out how to get better in the offseason. Bold Prediction: Andre Johnson has played his last year in Houston and ends up in a different city in 2015.
Tennessee Titans - The Titans, like the Texans lack a QB, and they aren't going to compete in the South against Andrew Luck without at least a mid range QB. The Titans don't look to the draft, but instead to another NFL team for their QB. Bold Prediction: The Titans make a major splash by trading for Eli Manning.
Jacksonville Jaguars - Blake Bortles has had moments of brilliance, but this team has not produced like I thought they would. It's a process, but Allen Robinson has looked very good before his recent injury ended his season, and Denard Robinson has been a pleasant surprise transitioning to RB. Bold Prediction: The Jaguars are the team most likely to move to London, but they won't be the first team to relocate. Don't hold your breath too long, they'll be in London by 2020.
AFC WEST - While San Diego looked like the trendy pick to win this division, a blowout loss to Miami, and steady but lackluster performances by Kansas City have shown this is still Denver's division. Meanwhile, Oakland looks to be securing up the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft.
Denver Broncos - The Broncos have played about like we expected and look poised for a 12-4 type season. Their problem is going to be when they have to go to Foxboro in January. It'll be another Manning-Brady showdown with Brady getting the win and heading to Arizona. Bold Prediction: Wes Welker retires after this season.
Kansas City Chiefs - Andy Reid and Alex Smith have done a very good job in KC. The Chiefs haven't been elite, but they may be able to sneak into the playoffs with a Wildcard birth. Bold Prediction: The Chiefs get the 5 seed, only to go to Pittsburgh and get picked apart by Offensive Coordinator, Todd Haley, the very man they ran out of town.
San Diego Chargers - Phillip Rivers has had a good season, but the Chargers aren't ready for primetime yet. They finish with a winning record, but just miss out on the playoffs. Bold Prediction: San Diego tries to trade for Adrian Peterson in the offseason.
Oakland Raiders - With the first pick in the 2015 NFL draft, the Oakland Raiders select.... Oakland is in need of some real play-makers, and namely an elite running back. McFadden and MJD haven't been a strong tandem this season, and Oakland needs to give Carr some help in the back field. Bold Prediction: Oakland throws tons of money at Jon Gruden to get him to come back to the Bay Area. Gruden turns it down to make smoothies on Monday Night Football.
NFC EAST - This division looked to be a lot worse than it has actually been this season. Dallas has been the surprise team, and Philly has been steady, but the question still remains if this division will get more than one team in the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles - Chip Kelly is an offensive genius. I don't think Nick Foles or Mark Sanchez are top tier QBs, but in Kelly's offense they don't have to be to win games. Bold Prediction: Eagles get the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC East, but fail to make the Superbowl.
Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys have been the surprise team of the NFC, as they've been riding the DeMarco Murray train since September. Romo has spent last few weeks on the Varsity Blues rehab program, and he's been above average all year. Bold Prediction: The Cowboys make the playoffs and Garrett keeps his job.
NY Giants - Eli hasn't been terrible this year, but the Giants obviously aren't making the playoffs. Odell Beckham, Jr. is going to be a star and next year once Cruz comes back they'll be back in the mix. However, this year they'll see Tom Coughlin and Eli leave The Big Apple. Bold Prediction: The Giants effectively end the Eli and Coughlin era, and go searching for a coach and a QB from the college ranks. David Shaw will get a phone call.
Washington Redskins - That RGIII deal doesn't look like the smartest move by the Redskins, and Kirk Cousins doesn't look to be the man in waiting Washington fans thought he would be. They've struggled since RGIII's rookie year, and I don't think he'll ever be elite. This Spring the question is what do they address in the draft? Bold Prediction: RGIII actually stays healthy for the remainder of the year.
NFC NORTH - The Lions have finally started playing like the talent they have. The Packers remain a playoff contender. The Vikings are clearly letting Teddy Bridgewater mature. While the Bears, well, the Bears have just been awful. It's been embarrassing, and that's being kind.
Detroit Lions - They aren't the Motor City Kitties this year. Stafford is flinging the ball all over the field, and Megatron gain shows why he's the best receiver in football. This team is for real. I know they usually fade down the stretch, but I don't think that happens this year. Bold Prediction: The Lions win 12 games this year, and the NFC North comes down to week 17 in Green Bay
Green Bay Packers - R-E-L-A-X. That's been the Packers' mantra since week 3. Well, right now, they better shape up because they aren't in the playoffs according to the standings. The good news, they'll likely be favored in almost every game going forward. Bold Prediction: The Packers win in week 17 and get the No. 2 seed in the NFC. Detroit drops from No. 2 to No. 5 in the final week of the season.
Minnesota Vikings - This is a maturation process in Minnesota. No one expected the Vikings to be in playoff contention this year. The real question everyone has is, when do they get AP back? AP realizes his clock is ticking to win a title and that's not going to happen in Minnesota. Bold Prediction: AP asks to be traded during the offseason, and his offseason draws more attention than any free agent in history not named Peyton Manning.
Chicago Bears - Mark Trestman will be fired at the end of the year. You can bank on that. If he's not, the GM should be fired for not firing him. This team has been abysmal this season. They've overpaid Cutler, they are wasting Forte, and I won't even comment on how terrible the defense is. Bold Prediction: The Bears hire Rex Ryan to coach their football team in 2015.
NFC SOUTH - Barring a complete turnaround by the Panthers and Falcons, this division belongs to the Saints. That's not to say they are a great team, because they're not, but the NFC South is so bad, they don't have to be great, just mediocre. Tampa Bay will be drafting a QB early in the draft next year.
New Orleans Saints - The Saints may not finish with a winning record, but they'll still win the South this year. Every year the Saints don't capitalize on Brees's talent, is another year wasted. He's likely going to decline with age, so the window they have is very small. Bold Prediction: The Saints make it to the NFC Championship Game, unfortunately, it's in Green Bay.
Carolina Panthers - The Panthers are 3-6-1 and 1 game out of first place of their division. That's almost statistically impossible. Cam Newton is injured, and clearly he's playing through it. The offense has been horrific this year, and the defense hasn't been much better. Bold Prediction: Carolina resigns Greg Hardy after he's found not guilty, because they have to, not because they want to.
Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons and Panthers should honestly just pack it in and race to the bottom for Todd Gurley. Both need a change at RB, and Gurley is an immediate game changer. If you'd told most ATL fans that at the beginning of the season though, they'd have responded like this guy. Bold Prediction: Atlanta wins just enough games to hurt themselves by missing on a good player.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I thought the Bucs would be bad, but I didn't think they'd be this bad. Lovie Smith is a good coach, but he hasn't gotten consistent play from his QBs. They draft in the top 5 in 2015. Bold Prediction: Tampa Bay passes on a 1st round QB to the bewilderment (yes I said bewilderment) of every Bucs fan.
NFC WEST - This division is the most difficult to figure out, especially after the Carson Palmer injury. The Cardinals have been stellar all year, but with Stanton taking the helm, no one knows if they'll continue on the same path. The Seahawks and 49ers are in the mix as well, while the Rams have been the victims of the worst QB injury bug in recent memory.
Arizona Cardinals - It's tough to gauge how this team is going to do going forward. They have a 2 game lead on Seattle and 3 game lead on San Fran, but they have a brutal schedule going forward. It's a complete toss up. Bold Prediction: The Cards win the West, but just barely and lock down the No. 3 seed.
Seattle Seahawks - Seattle is still a very good team, but they don't have the same magic they had last year. They dug themselves too deep of a hole at the beginning of the year and miss out on the playoffs. Bold Prediction: The Seahawks move Marshawn Lynch and make a play for Andre Johnson in the offseason.
San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers and Jim Harbaugh miss out on the postseason for the first time since they got together 4 years ago. The 49ers haven't been the same dominant team, due largely to Willis, Bowman, and Smith being absent from the defense. They miss out on the playoffs this year, and Harbaugh and the Niners part ways. Bold Prediction: The Niners make a rather dull hire and return to being a mediocre football team. Sorry, Niner fans.
St. Louis Rams - Unless your team plays in the NFC West, you have to feel horrible for the Rams. They can't catch a break. This is likely the end of the Sam Bradford era, and I don't think they'll ever win consistently with Jeff Fisher. He was overrated at Tennessee, and should have been fired from there years before he was let go. Bold Prediction: The Rams move to LA by 2018. I don't know how bold that is, but they won't be in St. Louis for many more years.
I'm fairly confident virtually none of these predictions will come true (with the exception of the Rams moving back to LA), but there's no excitement or fun in just reverberating what all the sports talk shows are projecting. Enjoy the rest of the season, because February will here before you know it.
