Here’s to hoping there were actually be an NFL season. Don’t know how I’d manage without one!!! I know there are others that feel the same way. Before I show you my predictions, here are 5 important storylines heading into this season:
- Will Brady and the Bucs really be THAT good?
Tampa Bay will definitely be much better than they were last year, but I don’t expect them to make a run at the Super Bowl. Brady has a ton more weapons now than he did last year with the Patriots. Godwin has possibly the most potential of any receiver in the NFL, Mike Evans is simply a tank and they now added Gronk. I also really like their signing of LeSean McCoy. The challenge for them is that they are not even the best team in their division, and Brady is trying to rebound from a fairly tough year last year. Expect the Bucs to win one or maybe two playoff games, but that’s it.
2. How will the 49ers rebound from their Super Bowl loss?
The 49ers let the Super Bowl slip right through their fingertips. I think the 49ers will have a solid season but don’t see them repeating as NFC Champs. Jimmy G will need to take a step forward this year, but I think losing Emmanuel Sanders was a big deal. The NFC West will also be more competitive than it has been in a while.
3. Are the Patriots really done?
Unfortunately, I don’t think so. Just when you thought the Pats were sold on Stidham, they go out and sign Cam. I like the signing. It’s a low risk how reward type signing. They still have the best coach in the NFL and play in a weak division (no offense Dolphins fans, our time is coming!). The Bills should win this division, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pats snag a wildcard spot.
4. Who will win Offensive/Defensive Rookie of the Year?
I’m gonna take the easy out here and say Joe Burrow. Tua won’t won’t play enough games, Hebert may not either, and I’m gonna take a QB over a WR any day. Burrow put up scary numbers at LSU and I think he is the most NFL-ready rookie QB. For the defensive side of the ball I’m gonna take Isaiah Simmons. The fact that he can be placed anywhere on defense and still ball out, makes him my pick.
5. Who is this year’s breakout player?
If I had to pick one guy it’d be Myles Boykin, WR for the Ravens. I watched Boykin in college as he played for my Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and he’s a receiver who doesn’t really have many faults. He’s big, can body defenders, and has great hands. My guess is Jackson will throw the ball more this year, giving my boy Boykin more opportunities. Ravens fans, he will not disappoint.
How I think this season will turn out:
AFC East
- Buffalo Bills
- New England Patriots
- Miami Dolphins
- New York Jets
This should be the first time in a while where we don’t see the Pats run away with the division. The Bills are the most complete team in the division and we should see that this year. While I’m not sold on Allen, I think he’ll have a similar year to last year. Stefan Diggs will finally provide them with a true WR1. If New England finds a way to win the division again this year, I’m gonna lose it. Then again, maybe it should be expected at this point. The Pats still have a good defense even with who they lost. It will be up to Cam and/or Stidham to be solid enough for them. They’re also gonna need more production from their receivers outside of Edelman. The Dolphins will be more competitive than people think. No matter who’s throwing for them I think they’ll put up more points this year than last. The loss of Albert Wilson-who opted out for the year-will hurt them, but it gives guys like Preston Williams and Mike Gesicki a chance to take on a bigger role. The Jets won’t be competitive for the next few seasons, but I believe in Darnold. I’m waiting for these guys to get deeper at the wide receiver position.
AFC North
- Baltimore Ravens
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Cleveland Browns
- Cincinnati Bengals
I’m really curious to see what the Steelers do this year. Last year they almost made the playoffs even without Big Ben. I’m hoping James Conner has a bounce back year. JuJu will do his thing. It’ll be up to Big Ben to feed him the ball. This defense is fun to watch. They have a bunch of young talent who won them close games last season. The Ravens should win the division and build off a great regular season from last year. I see them going either 12-4 or 11-5. This is the year the Browns need to make the playoffs. Their fans have suffered enough and this team has too much talent. I wanna see Mayfield take a step forward. The Bengals are still years away from being competitive, but I like the team’s future.
AFC South
- Indianapolis Colts
- Tennessee Titans
- Houston Texans
- Jacksonville Jaguars
I went back and forth between the Colts and Titans when picking the division winner. I ended up picking the Colts because I trust Rivers more than Tannehill. The Colts have a nice team and I’m hoping they can make things work. It’ll be mainly up to Rivers, but I like how that backfield looks with Mack and the rookie Jonathan Taylor. I think Tennessee still has a good shot to make the playoffs. I love the speed they have at the wide receiver position. I like that Derrick Henry guy too. I don’t know what to think of Houston. I think they’ll be a better team than people think, but will miss the playoffs. The Jags will have a tough year. I think they’ll be drafting first overall come 2021.
AFC West
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Denver Broncos
- Los Angeles Chargers
- Las Vegas Raiders
While I’m almost certain the Chiefs will win the division, this division intrigues me. KC has basically the same team as last year with the exception of Damien Williams. Clyde Edwards-Helaire will probably just slip right into Williams’ spot. Mahomes, Kelce, and Hill will continue to lead this high powered offense in the right direction. I’m curious to see how Drew Lock performs for the Broncos. He won the majority of his games as a starter last year and now has more weapons at wide receiver. Maybe Denver is this year’s sleeper team? The Chargers have a great squad, but Taylor is not the answer at QB and Hebert will take time adjusting to the NFL. I may be a bit hard on the Raiders, but nothing really excites me about them. Maybe Josh Jacobs, but that’s basically it. Unless Carr significantly improves, this team’s in trouble.
NFC East
- Dallas Cowboys
- Philadelphia Eagles
- New York Giants
- Washington Football Team
This was a tough division to pick. I picked the Cowboys over the Eagles because I feel they’re the sexier pick haha. I think Lamb will really help Dak, even in his rookie year. Dak will have to step it up a notch if they Boyz want to make a playoff run. I like the Eagles. I love how they fought to make the playoffs last year with all their injuries to their receivers. I’m not gonna lie, but I’m not sure how I feel about Wentz. My dad thinks he’s extremely overrated for whatever that’s worth haha. Either way, the Eagles will be a playoff team again this season. The NYG and Washington are still waiting to see what they have with their young QBs. I like both of them. Don’t expect either of this teams to make the playoffs anytime soon though.
NFC North
- Minnesota Vikings
- Green Bay Packers
- Detroit Lions
- Chicago Bears
Man, do the Vikings and Packers ever have a hard schedule. To be completely honest, I picked the Vikings to win their division because I feel their schedule is easier. This was another hard division to pick. Will Dalvin Cook play week 1? It’ll be a big deal if he doesn’t. I’m pumped to see Thielen take on an even bigger role this season. Cousins will be Cousins. Not great, but good enough. Devante Adams may break the record for most targets in a season. Is that even a thing? Anyway, the Packers front office should have got Rodgers at least one more capable receiver. My bold prediction is that the Packers miss the playoffs this year. I really like the Lions. I’m not sure what they’re missing. It seems like regardless of who plays for them they still find a way for things not to work out. I’ll be cheering for them to make the playoffs. You already know how a feel about Tribusky. If Foles doesn’t start the season, hopefully he gets to play before the midway point. If the Bears give Foles the starting job come week 1, I’d give these guys a better chance. My guess is Tribusky will start week 1 VS the Lions.
NFC South
- New Orleans Saints
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Atlanta Falcons
- Carolina Panthers
Is this the best division in the NFL? I say yes, followed by the NFC West. Talk about a stacked division. Lemme list some guys in the division: Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Matt Ryan, Todd Gurley, Alvin Kamara, Christian McCaffrey, Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, and Gronk. Both the Saints and Buccaneers have the talent to win the Super Bowl. As I mentioned before, I think Tampa will have a good year but fall short. The Saints have no excuses this year. Like I said in previous articles, I think Kamara will have a bounce back year. Thomas and Sanders will be a great receiving duo. The Falcons have a great team on paper, but will probably find a way to have a .500 season. One of the main things I’ll be watching out for is how Gurley performs and how the Falcons use him. The Panther have playmakers. McCaffrey is a baller, Robby Anderson is a fighter and DJ Moore has a high ceiling. I don’t think Bridgewater is the type of QB who will go out and win you a playoff game. Just the same, I’m excited to see him with a starting job.
NFC West
- San Franciso 49ers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Arizona Cardinals
- Los Angeles Rams
I was tempted to pick the Seahawks to win the division. There are some games where they come out completely flat and look disorganized. That’s why I picked the 49ers. The Seahawks have always seemed inconsistent to me. They’ll get a wildcard spot. The 49ers don’t make mistakes. They run the ball and play good defense. That should be enough for them to win the division. The Cardinals will be a fun team. They instantly became better after the signing of DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals success will largely depend on Kyler Murray. Don’t be surprised if they end up squeaking into the playoffs. Is it me or are Cardinals games never on TV? Anyway… Who are the Rams? Hopefully McVay can get these guys back on track. The NFL is more fun when the Rams are good. I think it’s gonna take some time for the Rams to adjust from the losses of Gurley and Cooks.
Playoffs
*Don’t forget, starting this year 14 teams make the playoffs and not 12
AFC
1. Chiefs
2. Ravens
3. Bills
4. Colts
5. Titans
6. Steelers
7. Patriots
NFC
1. Saints
2. 49ers
3. Vikings
4. Cowboys
5. Seahawks
6. Buccaneers
7. Eagles
Wild Card Weekend
2. Ravens over 7. Patriots
6. Steelers over 3. Bills
4. Colts over 5. Titans
2. 49ers over 7. Eagles
6. Buccaneers over 3. Vikings
5. Seahawks over 4. Cowboys
NFL Divisional Round
1. Chiefs over 6. Steelers
2. Ravens over 4. Colts
1. Saints over 6. Buccaneers
5. Seahawks over 2. 49ers
Conference Championship Games
1. Chiefs over 2. Ravens
1. Saints over 5. Seahawks
Super Bowl 55
Saints vs Chiefs… Damn this would be a fun matchup to watch. I think this is the year the Saints finally make the big game. Not only are they due, but they have the best roster in the NFC with the addition of Emmanuel Sanders. This offense is too stacked to be continually coming up short. The Chiefs will still be the top dog in the AFC with Mahomes at QB. That defense also looked a heck of a lot better in the Super Bowl. My guess is Super Bowl 55 will be a high scoring game with the Saints coming out on top, and Brees winning his second Super Bowl.
Final score: Saints 31 Chiefs 24
