These are the twelve teams you can count on fighting for the Lombardi. These are the teams that will win each division in the NFL this season. I did not include an AFC/NFC Championship prediction or Super Bowl prediction. Let’s face it, the best part about a new NFL season approaching is the hope for fans to see their team win it all. I simply did not include anything beyond the playoff teams, because who wants to crush their dreams before kickoff?
Here we go…
American Football Conference
AFC East: New England Patriots. They’re the class of a talent-lacking division.
AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals. The Steelers, Ravens and Browns should all be improved but not enough to dethrone Cincy.
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts. Hilton is maturing into a top-20 WR, Wayne is healthy, Andrew Luck will keep getting better and Trent Richardson can only go up from here. This may be the widest gap between a division winner and the rest of the teams in the NFL.
AFC West: Denver Broncos. They have the most potent offense in football, with an improved defense.
AFC Wild Card: Pittsburgh Steelers. This may surprise some people. I am very high on Le’Veon Bell. As soon as he was handed the rock last season, the Steelers were significantly better. A solid RB helps keep defenses honest against Roethlisberger. If Le’Veon Bell and Troy Polamalu stay on the field, Pittsburgh gets into the playoffs.
AFC Wild Card: San Diego Chargers. Wait, no Kansas City? That’s correct. Andy Reid, Alex Smith, an MVP-caliber season from Jamaal Charles, great defense – no more. I don’t see any of those things repeating again this season except for Jamaal Charles continuing to be a beast. The Chargers improved areas they needed to address and Philip Rivers has some legitimate weapons again. SD sneaks in…barely.
AFC Playoff Teams: Patriots, Bengals, Colts, Broncos, Steelers, Chargers.
National Football Conference
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles. Shady McCoy may be the best RB in the NFL now (certainly top-3). He fits perfectly into Chip Kelly’s offense. The loss of DeSean Jackson will hinder their offense but with Jeremy Maclin making Revis look like an amateur in scrimmages, I’m sure the Eagles find a way to fix Jackson’s departure.
NFC North: Green Bay Packers. This is the most difficult division to call. The Packers, Bears or Lions winning this division wouldn’t surprise me. If I’m torn between multiple teams I’ll take the team with the best QB – and that’s the Packers, by far.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints. They lost Sproles, but they have the best TE in football and a top-3 QB. Their offense will continue to put up massive numbers. Carolina has a much better defense but their lack of offensive firepower will be their downfall this season and why the NFC North will see a different division winner.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks. The defending world champions have an unrivaled defense. Playing at home in Seattle is synonymous with “win”. Marshawn Lynch is aging and regression seems inevitable but not enough for San Francisco to take the division crown.
NFC Wild Card: San Francisco 49ers. Put the Niners in any division other than the NFC West and they win the division. They are extremely well coached, fundamental, tough and more. They will capture the first wild card spot without much competition.
NFC Wild Card: Detroit Lions. Really?! Leave out Carolina, Dallas and Chicago for the Lions!? Yes. This is the year they grab the last playoff spot in the NFC. They have too many elite weapons to go another season without making the playoffs. Their opponent winning percentage this season is .492 which is manageable. Megatron is far and away the best WR in the game and Stafford will have a significantly better season than last year. If Bush stays healthy and their defense keeps them in it, their offense will put them over the top this year.
NFC Playoff Teams: Eagles, Packers, Saints, Seahawks, 49ers, Lions.
