They
should’ve handed it to Beast Mode. But nevermind that, we made it through
another offseason & football is finally here. As always, there are many
interesting headlines, questions & situations around the league so I’ll
enlighten you all & do a division-by-division breakdown, including
predictions on division winners and conclude with my playoff & Super Bowl
picks.
Starting off
with the AFC East:
1st) Patriots
11-5. Tom Brady da Don will be on the
field in week 1 after his suspension was lifted. I had them winning 10 games
with the suspension but Tom Brady is worth a few more wins by himself. They
won’t repeat as Super Bowl champs but as long as they have Brady &
Belichick, they’ll always be a winning team primed for the playoffs but my
biggest concern is their defensive secondary. After losing Darrelle Revis
& Brandon Browner, there are big holes back there.
2nd)
Dolphins 9-7.
As much as I want to say the Dolphins will top the Patriots & finish
as the division winner for the first time since 2008, I don’t trust them. Miami
had golden opportunities the last two years to get into the playoffs late but
couldn’t finish the season off right and ended up with 8-8 records. I definitely
like them to be a playoff team, they got too much talent not to be one.
Ndamukong Suh, the biggest offseason prize in the league, will have a huge
impact on the rest of the defense and will be vital in improving our run
defense & pass rush. The offense is looking like the most dangerous Miami
has had since the Ricky Williams & Chris Chambers days. The receiver unit
is revamped with Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, DeVante Parker & Cameron
Jordan joining Rishard Matthews & Jarvis Landry. Ryan Tannehill will
have a lot to work with. My biggest concerns are the depth & coaching, and
can they stay consistent throughout the season?
3rd)
Bills 9-7. One thing I love about the Bills is their defense &
new head coach, Rex Ryan. With Marcell Dareus & Mario Williams, they probably
have the best defensive line in the league. Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin,
Charles Clay & LeSean McCoy are great weapons on the offensive side but
just like last year, the quarterback position will make or break this team. Rex
believes this team will have the most success with Tyrod Taylor under center.
4th)
Jets 5-11. Defense will carry
this team once again. They do have a few capable running backs that can carry
the load on offense. Brandon Marshall fell off but can he return to being one
of the best receivers in the league? Offensive line is a major issue & the
quarterback situation is a clown show.
AFC North
1st)
Steelers 11-5. Pittsburgh has 2 of the best weapons in the game. A
majority of the offense will run through Antonio Brown & Le’Veon Bell.
They’ll finish in first place once again in the strongest division in the
league but can the defense keep up with the offense?
2nd)
Bengals 10-6. Ahh the Bengals. Great in the regular season but fold
in the playoffs. Great on local tv but fold in national games. Made it into the
playoffs each of the last 4 years but lost in the wildcard round each of the
last 4 years. They’re a very strong team offensively & defensively and I
believe they’ll make it into the playoffs for a 5th straight year but
if they don’t finish top 2 in the conference, can they finally make it of the
wildcard round?
3rd)
Ravens 9-7.
With Jim Harbaugh & Joe Flacco, the Ravens will always be
contenders. Last year they finished with a 10-6 record but barely got in the
playoffs despite a 3rd place finish in a strong division. Facing a
strong schedule, they’ll end up in 3rd place again this year but
will miss the playoffs. They’ll have to beat the Steelers & Bengals to have
a chance.
4th)
Browns 6-10.
My gut feeling is that the Browns will regress from last year. Can’t
even lie, they have the talent. They can compete week in & week out and the
defense is solid but they have major inconsistencies at quarterback. Gordon is
suspended for the year so receiver depth is weak. I believe the offense should
run through the running backs to have success.
AFC South
1st)
Colts 12-4.
One of the best quarterbacks in one of the best offenses in the league.
T.Y. Hilton, Andre Johnson, Phillip Dorsett, Frank Gore, Dwayne Allen, Coby
Fleener. Sheesh. Defense & the offensive line has to improve if they’re
going to go back to the AFC championship game.
2nd)
Texans 7-9. The Texans went 9-7 last year while winning just 2 games
the year before. That’s a huge improvement but they’ll regress this year due to
injuries & the quarterback situation. Andre Johnson is gone but DeAndre
Hopkins is good enough to hold it down. Arian Foster will miss some time &
Brian Hoyer was just named the starter at QB. Defensive line will be the strong
point of this team with JJ Watt, Vince Wilfork & a healthy Jadeveon
Clowney.
3rd)
Jaguars 5-11. The Jaguars have been stuck in mediocrity for a long
time now but I got them improving to win 2 more games than their 2014 season.
The offense is taking strides in the right direction with newcomers TJ Yeldon
& Julius Thomas. Add that with the Allen receivers & Blake Bortles and
they should make some noise. Defense should be improved also but the biggest
thing holding this team back is their offensive line, leading the league in
sacks allowed last year with 71.
4th)
Titans 4-12. Marcus Mariota will make a difference in Tennessee but
not enough to save one of the worst defenses in the NFL. They have an
underrated WR core that can make plays, the running back position still has
question marks and the offensive line must protect their rookie QB.
AFC West
1st)
Broncos 11-5. The Broncos remind me of the L.A. Clippers. Successful
in the regular season but underachievers in the playoffs. With Gary Kubiak on
board as the new coach, will things change? The Broncos are one of the most
talented teams in the league and it is a given that they will reach
double-digits in wins, but will they achieve postseason success?
2nd)
Chiefs 9-7. The Chiefs are a good team with talent on both sides of
the ball. Jamaal Charles is the focal point on offense & the defense is
top-notch against the pass. But to be a playoff team, the wide receivers must
get involved in the passing game and the defense has to apply more pressure
against the run
3rd)
Chargers 8-8. Another good team in the West that could be a playoff
team. Biggest concern about San Diego is their running backs, as they were
among the worst in rushing yardage last year. Defense is solid & Phillip
Rivers still has it in him for another playoff run.
4th.
Raiders 5-11. Baby steps. The Raiders are finally making good moves
in the offseason and that is a good thing. 5 wins will be an improvement from
last year. The offense was among the worst last year in total yards &
points. They do have solid pieces in place on the defensive side but were last
in points allowed in 2014.
NFC East
1st)
Eagles 10-6. I see another 10 win season for Philly. Chip Kelly has
made a ton of moves in the offseason to tailor the team to his liking. The
Eagles look different, but might be even better than last year. Defense is
solid…scary run game with 3 quality backs…will Sam Bradford stay healthy &
be productive on his new squad?
2nd)
Cowboys 10-6. Was it DeMarco Murray or was it the offensive line?
With Murray gone, the running backs unit is crowded but somebody will have to step up. Passing
game is still potent, defense is average. Tony Romo is playing the best
football of his career & should be able to lead his team to the playoffs
again.
3rd)
Giants 9-7. Good on offense, bad on defense. That pretty much sums
up this team. Defense has the talent so they must produce when it counts.
Running backs as a whole are better than average in my opinion, I believe
they’re good enough to get the job done. Which Eli Manning will they get this
season?
4th)
Redskins 4-12. The Redskins are bad & that offensive line is
looking even worse. One of the worst teams regarding turnover margin. They have
talent on offense but they have to keep RGIII on his feet & RGIII
(I don’t know if it’s his confidence, locker room issues, or lingering
injuries) has to perform like a 1st round pick. RGIII has been
benched & Kirk Cousins was announced the starter. It was a make or break
year for Robert Griffin but it looks like he won’t get the chance to prove
himself. Whether it was truly the concussion or the perfect excuse to bench
him, they have lost their patience & his time with the Redskins might be
over.
NFC North
1st)
Packers 13-3. They’ll finish the regular season with the best
record. An all-around solid, talented team with not many
weaknesses. Even though they lost Jordy Nelson for the year, I believe they’ll
be able to overcome that setback & go deep into the playoffs.
2nd)
Vikings 9-7 I like Teddy Bridgewater & the Vikings this year.
Teddy is a natural at QB with poise under pressure & a big arm. Team him up
with AP, who he was missing last year, and they can do big things. The defense
is solid and they’ll improve from last year’s 7-9 record. Borderline playoff
team.
3rd)
Lions 8-8 They’re not reaching 11 W’s again this year. Still solid
but missing a big piece of their defense, as Suh took off for Miami. So we’ll
see how the defense responds without him. They still have Stafford &
Megatron and Bell & Abdullah taking over the backfield so they can score
better than the majority of teams in the NFL.
4th)
Bears 5-11 Chicago fell off bad (shouldn’t have fired Lovie Smith)
after hiring Marc Trestman to take over last year. Issues with Jay Cutler &
one of the worst defenses in the league got him fired and now John Fox is in
charge. He has a tough job in fixing the defense & getting Cutler back to
where he used to be. The talent is there on offense but moves will have to be
made on the other side of the ball.
NFC South
1st)
Falcons 10-6 With new coach, Dan Quinn, coming over from the
Seahawks, the Dirty Birds will be one of the most improved teams in the NFL.
His specialty is defense & I believe the defense will be a lot better than
last year’s. Look for Julio Jones to put up another monster year.
2nd)
Saints 8-8 What did the Saints in last year was their defense. I
believe this year will be more of the same. They also lost many key weapons on
offense so Brandin Cooks & Mark Ingram will be more of a focal point on
that side. Another average year.
3rd)
Panthers 7-9 Best defense in the division but, that offense will be
their downfall. Holes in the offensive line, weak wide receiver depth, &
major questions at running back (I don’t believe they can rely on Johnathan
Stewart all season long.) Even worse is Kelvin Benjamin being out for the year.
4th)
Buccaneers 6-10 On paper, the Bucs are a good team. They have talent
on both sides of the ball. Doug Martin had a great preseason, Vincent Jackson
& Mike Evans will be clutch for Jameis, and Lovie Smith’s defense should be
much better than last year. It all depends on how well Jameis Winston can
transition to the NFL game in his rookie season.
NFC West
1st)
Seahawks 12-4 I see another 12 win season for the Seahawks. I don’t
see no reason why they shouldn’t make another deep playoff run. The nucleus of
the team is still there, add the best tight end in the league after Gronk with
Beast Mode & Russell Wilson, and you have a more potent offense than last
season. Defense from the d-line to the secondary is the best in the NFL, but
how will they respond after losing Dan Quinn?
2nd)
Cardinals 10-6 Another double-digit win season for Arizona. Defense
will be among the best in the league and they excel in forcing turnovers.
Biggest concern is Carson Palmer & if he can stay on the field to lead his
team to another playoff run. Andre Ellington will also need to stay
healthy.
3rd)
Rams 7-9 I like the Rams this year & believe they will finish 3rd
in the division. A defensive line that can control the momentum of the game.
Offensive line will need some work after allowing 40 sacks last year but they
do have weapons on that side of the ball. Biggest factor for success is Nick
Foles & Todd Gurley. Is Foles the real deal or can we just attribute his
success in Philly to Chip Kelly? How much will Gurley be able to contribute in
his rookie year?
4th)
49ers 4-12 The worst offseason I can remember will bleed into the
new season. The 49ers lost so much talent, including head coach Jim Harbaugh, I
don’t think they’ll recover. They will finish last in the division. Now the
biggest question is whether Colin Kaepernick will perform up to his $100
million contract after having a down year.
Playoff Predictions
AFC: 1) Indianapolis Colts 2)
Pittsburgh Steelers 3) New England Patriots 4) Denver Broncos 5) Cincinnati
Bengals 6) Kansas City Chiefs
On The Bubble: Miami Dolphins, Buffalo
Bills, Baltimore Ravens, San Diego Chargers
NFC: 1) Green Bay Packers 2)
Seattle Seahawks 3) Philadelphia Eagles 4) Atlanta Falcons 5) Dallas Cowboys 6)
Arizona Cardinals
On The Bubble: Minnesota Vikings, Detroit
Lions, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl 50
Indianapolis Colts over the Green Bay Packers
