These are my predictions for this NFL season:
AFC:
East:
1. Patriots
2. Jets
3. Bills
4. Dolphins
North:
1. Steelers
2. Ravens
3. Bengals
4. Browns
South:
1. Texans
2. Titans
3. Colts
4. Jaguars
West:
1. Broncos
2. Chiefs
3. Chargers
4. Raiders
Wildcards: Ravens, Chargers
NFC:
East:
1. Giants
2. Eagles
3. Cowboys
4. Redskins
North:
1. Packers
2. Bears
3. Lions
4. Vikings
South:
1. Falcons
2. Saints
3. Panthers
4. Buccaneers
West:
1. 49ers
2. Seahawks
3. Cardinals
4. Rams
Wildcards: Saints, Bears
MVP: Drew Brees
Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster
Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Shea McClellan
Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak
AFC Conference Champion: Texans
NFC Conference Champion: Giants
Super Bowl Winner: Giants
Starting with the AFC, I have the Patriots winning the east. I didn't put too much thought into this one, they are one of the best teams in the conference and I think they will be in contention for a first round bye. I put the Jets in second because I think they will have a horrible first part of the season under Mark Sanchez, name Tim Tebow the starter, then go on a winning streak and put themselves into the playoff picture. The Bills started out last season strong, but then finished it poorly. I envision a similar result this year. Despite good talent, many key players will likely go down again and they will struggle towards the end. I have the Dolphins in last because I do not believe they have much of anything. I think Tannehill will be a good player in the future, but at the moment he has few targets and I doubt Reggie Bush can repeat the production he had last year.
As usual, it was close between the Steelers and Ravens. I do think the Raven's offense will be much improved, but in the end it will come down to head- to- head games with these teams. The Ravens managed to sweep the Steelers last year to win the AFC North and a first round bye. However, the loss of Terrell Suggs, who always seems to be at his best against the Steelers, will hurt the Ravens and win the division for the Steelers. The Ravens are still one of the best teams in the AFC, will take the 5th seed, and will make some noise in the playoffs. I have the Bengals as 3rd in this division, though I do not think they will make it to the playoffs this year. They were a good team last year, but I think Andy Dalton will take a step back simply because there will be more pressure on him. While he might not be as good this year, he will be much improved in 2013 so watch out for him then. The Browns actually had a good defense last year, Weeden might not prove to be a bad quarterback, and Richardson (if healthy) has a bright future. However, I don't think this team will be able to compete in this division, which in my opinion is the best in the AFC.
I think the Texans are one of the best teams in the AFC, and they are definitely the best team in this division going into the season. They can run the ball, play defense, and if Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are healthy they have a passing game to be reckoned with. Even if Schaub does go down, the Texans have proved they can win a playoff game with a backup. I think the Titans will win second and Chris Johnson will have a bounce back year. Jake Locker may have his struggles, but he will keep the Titans in contention, though I think they will fall short like last season. Kenny Britt (if he stays healthy) is not a bad target either. I think the Colts will be somewhat revitalized under Andrew Luck, though there are way too many holes on that roster for them to compete. Finally, I have the Jaguars in last. The Jags had a decent defense last year, but the holdout and potentially limited play of Maurice Jones- Drew will hurt that team a lot. I think they might be in contention for the first pick in the draft (they play the Vikings in Week 1 in what might become the Barkley Bowl).
Just like last season, I see no significant difference between the teams in the AFC West and would not be at all surprised if the order of the teams is the complete reverse of what I have. I think the Broncos are now the best team in that division with the addition of Peyton Manning, who is still, in my opinion, one the best players in the NFL. I have the Chargers in second because I think Phillip Rivers will have a bounce back season and lead the drive to the playoffs. So what if he lost his favorite target. He has played well in the past without Vincent Jackson, and I think he will perform well again this season. The Chiefs do have a lot of talent and will regain a key player in Jamal Charles, but I have my concerns about Matt Cassel. They will compete, but will fall short. I think the Raiders are the worst team in that division simply because thy have a new head coach, an inconsistent quarterback, and a player with injury concerns in Darren McFadden. They have proved me wrong the last two years though, and this team will likely be in the hunt throughout the year.
Moving to the NFC, I think the Giants will win the east. I am a Giants fan, so that might influence my opinion. The Giants are also coming off a Super Bowl victory, and that confidence should lead them into the playoffs. They are also the most experienced team in this division in terms of big games won. The Eagles have talent, and I do think they will perform well this year, but not enough to make the playoffs. Another prediction I have on the Eagles, probably my guttiest one, is that Michael Vick will not finish the season as the Eagles starting quarterback. Instead, I think that role will fall to Nick Foles, who has played well in the preseason and is their quarterback of the future. I have the Cowboys in third. I think they will compete, but ultimately, they have a history of struggling down the stretch and will likely fall short again. After this season, Jerry Jones will clean the house and unjustly place blame on Tony Romo, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. I think the Redskins will finish last. RG3 will make them significantly better, but I doubt a rookie quarterback can compete in a division with as much talent as this one. The Redskins should play to win down the road.
I think the Packers will repeat atop the NFC North, simply because of that explosive offense and Aaron Rodgers. I think a first round bye is also likely with this team. However, this is a strong division so they may fall as well. The Packers defense is also suspect, though I think it will improve this season. I pick the Bears to win second because I think they will manage to keep Jay Cutler healthy. They also picked up a good backup if Matt Forte were to go down. I do have concerns about that teams offensive line, but the addition of a big play wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, should propel them into the playoffs. The Lions are good enough to make the playoffs, but with a stacked conference and offseason distractions, I have them finishing third in the division and missing the playoffs altogether. I think the Vikings are one of the worst teams in the NFC, and an injury to Adrian Peterson doesn't help. I do not think they have a chance against the better teams in the division, and will finish at the bottom of this division.
I am picking the Falcons over the Saints to win the NFC South. The Falcons were the one of only two teams last year to have a 4,000 (Matt Ryan) yard passer and a 1,000 year rusher (Michael Turner), shwing they have balance in what is becoming a passing league. (The Chargers were the other with Phillip Rivers and Ryan Matthews. Cam Newton did both for the Panthers but doesn't count for this category.) I also think the Falcons would have had a much better record if they had better play calling and did not go for it on several key fourth downs. I think they will shore that up this year and win a tight division. The Saints are one of the best teams in the NFL, but the huge offseason distraction and the loss of their head coach for the year will hurt them and put them in second in this division. However, Drew Brees is still good enough to put them into the playoffs. I have the Panthers finishing third who will have a solid season as Cam Newton has another amazing season. They are probably good enough to make the Playoffs in the NFC, but not this loaded NFC. They will have to finish for third and out of the playoffs. I do not think the Buccaneers are a bad team and Josh Freeman is a good quarterback. However, they are in a very good division and will likely end up with a top 10 pick.
The 49ers proved they are a very good team last season, and should continue that this season with their stellar defense. Alex Smith's play might be suspect, but all he has to do is hand the ball off to Frank Gore and throw it to Vernon Davis. I think the Seahawks are the next best team in this division, and may have the two best quarterbacks in this division in Russel Wilson and Matt Flynn (I know combined they have 1 NFL start, but both are talented and proven they can play). I do believe in Russel Wilson, and he will have the Seahawks in contention, if not the playoffs. I put the Cardinals ahead of the Rams solely for their defense, but that does not make them a good team especially given their quarterback situation. (And no more saying that if you have Larry Fitzgerald as a wide receiver, you will be a good quarterback. He might be a very good receiver, but he can't make a good quarterback out of nothing.) Finally, I have the Rams in last place. I know they had injuries last season, but that is no excuse for being as bad as they were. They have a lot of first round picks in the next few drafts, so look out for them in the future.
I think Drew Brees will win the MVP not because he will be the best statistically, but because he will lead the Saints from ruin into the playoffs. He will win the reward given the circumstances. I foresee Arian Foster having a monster season for the Texans, enough to land him the Offensive Player of the Year. I think the Defensive Player of the year will go to Patrick Willis, who lead the Niners back to the playoffs. I didn't put much thought into the Offensive Rookie of the Year because Andrew Luck is as hyped as he is. However, I do think Russel Wilson and RG3 will also be good. On the defensive side, I think Shea McClellan will win the award because he will have a good season playing opposite Julius Peppers. I think Gary Kubiak will win the Coach of the Year because the Texans will have an amazing season and he will be leading the troops.
I figured the AFC champion would be one of four teams, the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, and Texans, who are head and shoulders ahead of their competition. I'm kicking off the Patriots for their suspect defense and the Ravens for their inconsistent passing game. I do believe both of those aspects of these teams will be better, but that will not make them as complete as the Steelers or Texans. I think the Steelers and Texans will square off in the AFC title game with the Texans coming out on top. The Texan's ability to both run the ball and throw it will eventually get to the Steelers. Plus, I think the Steelers will be characteristically injured around that time of year, giving the Texans the edge.
Unlike the AFC, I think the NFC is more open. Take last year for example, when the conference was top heavy and a lower seeded team won the Conference and the Super Bowl. In fact, four of the last five teams to represent the NFC have been the 4th seed or lower (the Giants were 5th, the Cardinals 4th, the Saints were the exception as 1st, the Packers 6th, and the Giants were 4th). The conference is also stacked, and I think every team other than the Vikings has some shot at the playoffs. In the end, I have chosen the Giants because they have a big game quarterback in Eli Manning, though history has shown us that really doesn't matter. In reality, a team that I have out of the playoffs will probably come out of the blue to win the conference and the Super Bowl.
Let's say the Texans and Giants do face off in the Super Bowl like I have predicted. If that were the case, I think the Giants would win, simply because Eli Manning is more clutch than Matt Schaub. The Texans will put up a good fight and this should be a good contest. But ultimately, the Giants would win this game and their second straight Super Bowl. Of course Eli Manning would win the Super Bowl MVP if this were to happen. If Eli did win the MVP, he would be the first to do so, would stamp his place in Canton, and be forever known as the greatest Manning ever. Then again, its more likely than not that another team, likely from the loaded NFC, will make a run and win the Lombardy trophy. If I could accurately predict the winner of the Super Bowl before the season even started, there would be little point in playing the game.
AFC:
East:
1. Patriots
2. Jets
3. Bills
4. Dolphins
North:
1. Steelers
2. Ravens
3. Bengals
4. Browns
South:
1. Texans
2. Titans
3. Colts
4. Jaguars
West:
1. Broncos
2. Chiefs
3. Chargers
4. Raiders
Wildcards: Ravens, Chargers
NFC:
East:
1. Giants
2. Eagles
3. Cowboys
4. Redskins
North:
1. Packers
2. Bears
3. Lions
4. Vikings
South:
1. Falcons
2. Saints
3. Panthers
4. Buccaneers
West:
1. 49ers
2. Seahawks
3. Cardinals
4. Rams
Wildcards: Saints, Bears
MVP: Drew Brees
Offensive Player of the Year: Arian Foster
Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Shea McClellan
Coach of the Year: Gary Kubiak
AFC Conference Champion: Texans
NFC Conference Champion: Giants
Super Bowl Winner: Giants
Starting with the AFC, I have the Patriots winning the east. I didn't put too much thought into this one, they are one of the best teams in the conference and I think they will be in contention for a first round bye. I put the Jets in second because I think they will have a horrible first part of the season under Mark Sanchez, name Tim Tebow the starter, then go on a winning streak and put themselves into the playoff picture. The Bills started out last season strong, but then finished it poorly. I envision a similar result this year. Despite good talent, many key players will likely go down again and they will struggle towards the end. I have the Dolphins in last because I do not believe they have much of anything. I think Tannehill will be a good player in the future, but at the moment he has few targets and I doubt Reggie Bush can repeat the production he had last year.
As usual, it was close between the Steelers and Ravens. I do think the Raven's offense will be much improved, but in the end it will come down to head- to- head games with these teams. The Ravens managed to sweep the Steelers last year to win the AFC North and a first round bye. However, the loss of Terrell Suggs, who always seems to be at his best against the Steelers, will hurt the Ravens and win the division for the Steelers. The Ravens are still one of the best teams in the AFC, will take the 5th seed, and will make some noise in the playoffs. I have the Bengals as 3rd in this division, though I do not think they will make it to the playoffs this year. They were a good team last year, but I think Andy Dalton will take a step back simply because there will be more pressure on him. While he might not be as good this year, he will be much improved in 2013 so watch out for him then. The Browns actually had a good defense last year, Weeden might not prove to be a bad quarterback, and Richardson (if healthy) has a bright future. However, I don't think this team will be able to compete in this division, which in my opinion is the best in the AFC.
I think the Texans are one of the best teams in the AFC, and they are definitely the best team in this division going into the season. They can run the ball, play defense, and if Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are healthy they have a passing game to be reckoned with. Even if Schaub does go down, the Texans have proved they can win a playoff game with a backup. I think the Titans will win second and Chris Johnson will have a bounce back year. Jake Locker may have his struggles, but he will keep the Titans in contention, though I think they will fall short like last season. Kenny Britt (if he stays healthy) is not a bad target either. I think the Colts will be somewhat revitalized under Andrew Luck, though there are way too many holes on that roster for them to compete. Finally, I have the Jaguars in last. The Jags had a decent defense last year, but the holdout and potentially limited play of Maurice Jones- Drew will hurt that team a lot. I think they might be in contention for the first pick in the draft (they play the Vikings in Week 1 in what might become the Barkley Bowl).
Just like last season, I see no significant difference between the teams in the AFC West and would not be at all surprised if the order of the teams is the complete reverse of what I have. I think the Broncos are now the best team in that division with the addition of Peyton Manning, who is still, in my opinion, one the best players in the NFL. I have the Chargers in second because I think Phillip Rivers will have a bounce back season and lead the drive to the playoffs. So what if he lost his favorite target. He has played well in the past without Vincent Jackson, and I think he will perform well again this season. The Chiefs do have a lot of talent and will regain a key player in Jamal Charles, but I have my concerns about Matt Cassel. They will compete, but will fall short. I think the Raiders are the worst team in that division simply because thy have a new head coach, an inconsistent quarterback, and a player with injury concerns in Darren McFadden. They have proved me wrong the last two years though, and this team will likely be in the hunt throughout the year.
Moving to the NFC, I think the Giants will win the east. I am a Giants fan, so that might influence my opinion. The Giants are also coming off a Super Bowl victory, and that confidence should lead them into the playoffs. They are also the most experienced team in this division in terms of big games won. The Eagles have talent, and I do think they will perform well this year, but not enough to make the playoffs. Another prediction I have on the Eagles, probably my guttiest one, is that Michael Vick will not finish the season as the Eagles starting quarterback. Instead, I think that role will fall to Nick Foles, who has played well in the preseason and is their quarterback of the future. I have the Cowboys in third. I think they will compete, but ultimately, they have a history of struggling down the stretch and will likely fall short again. After this season, Jerry Jones will clean the house and unjustly place blame on Tony Romo, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. I think the Redskins will finish last. RG3 will make them significantly better, but I doubt a rookie quarterback can compete in a division with as much talent as this one. The Redskins should play to win down the road.
I think the Packers will repeat atop the NFC North, simply because of that explosive offense and Aaron Rodgers. I think a first round bye is also likely with this team. However, this is a strong division so they may fall as well. The Packers defense is also suspect, though I think it will improve this season. I pick the Bears to win second because I think they will manage to keep Jay Cutler healthy. They also picked up a good backup if Matt Forte were to go down. I do have concerns about that teams offensive line, but the addition of a big play wide receiver, Brandon Marshall, should propel them into the playoffs. The Lions are good enough to make the playoffs, but with a stacked conference and offseason distractions, I have them finishing third in the division and missing the playoffs altogether. I think the Vikings are one of the worst teams in the NFC, and an injury to Adrian Peterson doesn't help. I do not think they have a chance against the better teams in the division, and will finish at the bottom of this division.
I am picking the Falcons over the Saints to win the NFC South. The Falcons were the one of only two teams last year to have a 4,000 (Matt Ryan) yard passer and a 1,000 year rusher (Michael Turner), shwing they have balance in what is becoming a passing league. (The Chargers were the other with Phillip Rivers and Ryan Matthews. Cam Newton did both for the Panthers but doesn't count for this category.) I also think the Falcons would have had a much better record if they had better play calling and did not go for it on several key fourth downs. I think they will shore that up this year and win a tight division. The Saints are one of the best teams in the NFL, but the huge offseason distraction and the loss of their head coach for the year will hurt them and put them in second in this division. However, Drew Brees is still good enough to put them into the playoffs. I have the Panthers finishing third who will have a solid season as Cam Newton has another amazing season. They are probably good enough to make the Playoffs in the NFC, but not this loaded NFC. They will have to finish for third and out of the playoffs. I do not think the Buccaneers are a bad team and Josh Freeman is a good quarterback. However, they are in a very good division and will likely end up with a top 10 pick.
The 49ers proved they are a very good team last season, and should continue that this season with their stellar defense. Alex Smith's play might be suspect, but all he has to do is hand the ball off to Frank Gore and throw it to Vernon Davis. I think the Seahawks are the next best team in this division, and may have the two best quarterbacks in this division in Russel Wilson and Matt Flynn (I know combined they have 1 NFL start, but both are talented and proven they can play). I do believe in Russel Wilson, and he will have the Seahawks in contention, if not the playoffs. I put the Cardinals ahead of the Rams solely for their defense, but that does not make them a good team especially given their quarterback situation. (And no more saying that if you have Larry Fitzgerald as a wide receiver, you will be a good quarterback. He might be a very good receiver, but he can't make a good quarterback out of nothing.) Finally, I have the Rams in last place. I know they had injuries last season, but that is no excuse for being as bad as they were. They have a lot of first round picks in the next few drafts, so look out for them in the future.
I think Drew Brees will win the MVP not because he will be the best statistically, but because he will lead the Saints from ruin into the playoffs. He will win the reward given the circumstances. I foresee Arian Foster having a monster season for the Texans, enough to land him the Offensive Player of the Year. I think the Defensive Player of the year will go to Patrick Willis, who lead the Niners back to the playoffs. I didn't put much thought into the Offensive Rookie of the Year because Andrew Luck is as hyped as he is. However, I do think Russel Wilson and RG3 will also be good. On the defensive side, I think Shea McClellan will win the award because he will have a good season playing opposite Julius Peppers. I think Gary Kubiak will win the Coach of the Year because the Texans will have an amazing season and he will be leading the troops.
I figured the AFC champion would be one of four teams, the Patriots, Steelers, Ravens, and Texans, who are head and shoulders ahead of their competition. I'm kicking off the Patriots for their suspect defense and the Ravens for their inconsistent passing game. I do believe both of those aspects of these teams will be better, but that will not make them as complete as the Steelers or Texans. I think the Steelers and Texans will square off in the AFC title game with the Texans coming out on top. The Texan's ability to both run the ball and throw it will eventually get to the Steelers. Plus, I think the Steelers will be characteristically injured around that time of year, giving the Texans the edge.
Unlike the AFC, I think the NFC is more open. Take last year for example, when the conference was top heavy and a lower seeded team won the Conference and the Super Bowl. In fact, four of the last five teams to represent the NFC have been the 4th seed or lower (the Giants were 5th, the Cardinals 4th, the Saints were the exception as 1st, the Packers 6th, and the Giants were 4th). The conference is also stacked, and I think every team other than the Vikings has some shot at the playoffs. In the end, I have chosen the Giants because they have a big game quarterback in Eli Manning, though history has shown us that really doesn't matter. In reality, a team that I have out of the playoffs will probably come out of the blue to win the conference and the Super Bowl.
Let's say the Texans and Giants do face off in the Super Bowl like I have predicted. If that were the case, I think the Giants would win, simply because Eli Manning is more clutch than Matt Schaub. The Texans will put up a good fight and this should be a good contest. But ultimately, the Giants would win this game and their second straight Super Bowl. Of course Eli Manning would win the Super Bowl MVP if this were to happen. If Eli did win the MVP, he would be the first to do so, would stamp his place in Canton, and be forever known as the greatest Manning ever. Then again, its more likely than not that another team, likely from the loaded NFC, will make a run and win the Lombardy trophy. If I could accurately predict the winner of the Super Bowl before the season even started, there would be little point in playing the game.
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