The NFL season starts tonight, so I guess it is time for me to get my preseason predictions out there. I will go division by division and try to pick the order in the final standings. The teams that I pick for the playoffs will be bolded.
AFC East
New England Patriots
Buffalo Bills
NY Jets
Miami Dolphins
This division has turned from one of the toughest to possibly the worst group in the entire NFL. New England actually has a decent shot at getting to 14+ wins again. I like what the Bills did in the offseason, and if they can stay healthy they will likely be in the playoff race by week 17. The Jets and Dolphins will likely win less than 10 games combined.
AFC West
Denver Broncos
San Diego Chargers
Oakland Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs
The AFC West might be one of the most competitive division from top to bottom. I wouldn’t be shocked if any of these teams won this division. I don’t think Peyton Manning will be the same QB from 2 years ago, but I think Denver has a very good defense and a powerful home field advantage. The winner of this division will likely be 10-6. The fun part will be the last place team could be 7-9.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Pittsburgh Steelers
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
This will be another good season of Ravens-Steelers battles. Baltimore is the standard pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. I think they are going to be talented, but how will they respond to Suggs being out for the season? Cincinnati was the Cinderella story last year, but I don’t think Andy Dalton can bottle the magic. I think they take a big step backwards. The Steelers might be a top 5 team, but I don’t see them winning their own division.
AFC South
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Tennessee Titans
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Texans are the other main choice to make the Super Bowl coming out of the AFC. They have the most first string talent, but I think depth will be an issue this year as many players left for bigger contracts. I still think they roll through this below average division with 12+ wins. The biggest shock here is picking the Colts to make the 6th and final playoff spot. Yes, the more likely choice would be the Bills or the Titans, but I really liked what Andrew Luck and company did in the preseason and I think with a core of new young players they become the 2012 team to root for.
NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles
Dallas Cowboys
NY Giants
Washington Redskins
This is still a powerhouse division. The top 3 teams could finish with 8 wins or more, and then Washington will be fun to watch with RGIII taking the snaps. If Vick can stay healthy, look for the Eagles to finally play like the “Dream Team” they were named last year. It could be a special season for the guys in green. The problem is, Vick will likely sit out 2-3 games this year. The Giants had a dream season last year and I just cant see them repeating this year.
NFC West
San Francisco 49ers
St. Louis Rams
Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals
This might be the easiest division to choose the winner. San Francisco is head and shoulders better than any other team in this group. I would be surprised if they finish with less than 11 wins. The Cardinals have a lot of question marks on offense, and the Seahawks will be breaking in a new quarterback for another season. The Rams could make a big step forward and push for a wildcard playoff spot if Bradford can stay healthy.
NFC North
Green Bay Packers
Detroit Lions
Chicago Bears
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay seems to be a lock to win this North division for the 3rd straight year. They are also the easy pick for the Super Bowl (again). On paper, they are the best team in all of football. Last year, as we saw, the game is not played on paper and there are no locks for the trophy. Detroit is my homer pick. I think both the Lions and the Bears finish with 9 wins, but Detroit gets the nod in the tiebreaker. Minnesota will be terrible again.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta is ranked highly on paper for another year. I think they are the most consistent and solid team in this division, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Carolina or New Orleans win. Carolina is my fun playoff pick in the NFC. I doubt Cam Newton can even match his rookie output, but I doubt he will be far off. They have improved on both sides of the ball and could push for 10 wins. New Orleans still has a powerhouse offense, but how will losing their coach and key linebackers impact the season.
I think the playoff picture will see Green Bay, San Francisco, Baltimore, and Houston will have the first round byes. So the opening round matchups will be (winners in bold):
Indianapolis Colts at New England Patriots
Pittsburgh Steelers at Denver Broncos
Carolina Panthers at Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons
The AFC Title game:
New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens
NFC Title game:
Philadelphia Eagles at Green Bay Packers
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