With the NFL season just hours away, I thought I would give my preseason predictions for each team’s record (you know, in case you wanted to take the free money provided by some over/under win totals) as well as the post-season.
AFC
EAST
New England
|
11
|
5
|
Miami
|
8
|
8
|
Buffalo
|
6
|
10
|
New York Jets
|
2
|
14
|
It seems that once again, the AFC East is the Patriots’ division to lose. New England has won nine of the last ten seasons, easily the most dominant streak in the 8-division era. This might be the most down-trodden Patriots team going into the season since before their first Super Bowl as the Pats will be without their top four pass-catchers from last season to start the year, with hope that only Rob Gronkowski will come back soon. Kenbrell Thompkins and Aaron Dobson will need to step up on the outside, which will be made all the easier by Tom Brady. Chandler Jones is poised to break out for a 15-sack season on defense, and with the schedule as easy as it is, New England should coast to the division crown.
Miami has become a popular pick to pick up a wild card spot in the AFC, but I am not quite sold that Tannehill can get it done. The defense has been upgraded with Dion Jordan rushing the passer and corner Brent Grimes. The loss of Dustin Keller for the year really hurts, as Tannehill needs a reliable tight end outlet, and now the Dolphins are quite thin there. The loss of Jake Long and promotion of Jonathan Martin to left tackle scares me as well, but an easy schedule should get the Dolphins to .500.
Buffalo enters the 2013 season after a complete organizational overhaul. A new GM and new head coach Doug Marrone reached drafted E.J. Manuel in the first round like someone playing Fantasy Football for the first time and taking the rookie quarterback that early. It is not that I don’t like Manuel as a player, he definitely has upside, I just think they could have gotten him at least a round later. Anyway, it could be rough the first season with Manuel under center, especially if his knee doesn’t hold up and Jeff Tuel has to take snaps. If I was the Bills, I would look to trade Stevie Johnson for a high pick of either the 49ers or Ravens, two teams in need of help out wide. This could help Buffalo tank this season in hopes of winning the Clowney sweepstakes, as well as let Manuel develop with his new weapons Robert Woods and Marquise Goodwin.
The only reason the Bills are projected to win more than a handful of games are that they get to play the Jets twice. The Jets could very well be the worst professional football team in the last ten years. If they finished 0-16 I would not be phased one bit. Mark Sanchez is out indefinitely, and Geno Smith will have to be beaten down in his place behind a terrible offensive line. The Jets traded away their best player, Darrelle Revis, and drafted a rookie to replace him at a position rookies typically struggle. There are really on three winnable games for this team, and I don’t feel like talking about them anymore.
NORTH
Cincinnati
|
10
|
6
|
Baltimore
|
9
|
7
|
Pittsburgh
|
9
|
7
|
Cleveland
|
6
|
10
|
The AFC North seems to be one of the most competitive divisions in football, and I am going against the Hard Knocks’ Curse and picking the Bengals to win it. Cincinnati is actually just as loaded as the Seahawks or 49ers at every position except quarterback, and if the Bengals had an elite quarterback they would be the odds on Super Bowl-favorite. They have a top-ten offensive line with one of the best 1-2 punches in the backfield now after drafting the explosive, mini-van driving Giovani Bernard. They have a top-3 receiver in the game outside, and now two big-bodied, athletic tight ends with Greshem and Tyler Eifert. The defense is in the conversation for best in the NFL led by Geno Atkins absolutely controlling the line of scrimmage. Dunlop and Houston provide the edge pass rushing, and are now complemented by James Harrison. If Terrance Newman and Pacman Jones continue to defy age, the defense will end up at the top. It all comes down to Andy Dalton: if he can progress, this team is a title contender. If Dalton flounders, then I think his job could be in jeopardy with the strongest quarterback class since ’83 this year.
The defending Super Bowl Champions lost the big names, but signed the biggest contract. Joe Flacco is now one of the richest players in NFL history, and he will have to play like it for his team to even hope at repeating. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are gone, as well as Donnell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger after they parlayed their post-season success into lucrative contracts. Terrell Suggs is fully healthy and if not for the fax-blunder, the Ravens would have been in serious trouble without Elvis Dumervil. The biggest question for me is at wide receiver where Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones bring too much of the same skills to the table. Defenses will be able to go into a deep-4 shell, and leave the middle wide open with Dennis Pitta hurt and Anquan Boldin in red and gold. Flacco will have to find a mid-range target to open up the deep ball, so don’t be surprised if Ray Rice gets split out more with Bernard Pierce in the backfield.
The Steelers have been one of the more injured teams since their last Super Bowl trip, and this year has already been no different. After taking Le’Veon Bell as the top running back in the draft, he went out and injured his foot and could miss up to six games. First round pick of 2012 David Decastro is healthy after missing most of his rookie year, and the Steelers’ line looks to be its strength. Antonio Brown will have to prove that he is ready to be the number-one receiver (I’m not sold) and Heath Miller needs to stay healthy for this offense to flourish. The defense benefited from a great draft getting arguably the best pass rusher in Jarvis Jones and a very under-rated safety in Shamarko Thomas. The D will keep Pittsburgh in games, but there will be the 3-4 game stretch the Ben Rapelsberger misses that will do this team in.
The Browns have quietly put together one of the better defenses in the NFL through savy drafting and mid-level free agents. Barkevious Mingo might have the highest upside of any defender from the draft and he joins free-agent signing and Super Bowl hero Paul Kruger as bookend pass rushers in the Cleveland 3-4. Phil Taylor and D’Qwell Jackson provide a stronghold up the middle, and Joe Haden has turned into a top-3 corner in the league. The biggest problem facing Cleveland will be it’s 29-year old second year quarterback, Brandon Weeden. His deep ball will have to improve once Josh Gordon gets back, otherwise Trent Richardson will be staring at 8-9 in the box and a bunch of 2-3 yard gains. The Browns have a rough schedule with 7 of their last 9 against teams with winning records from last year, so should they get off to a rough start, they are in the Teddy Bridgewater sweepstakes.
SOUTH
Houston
|
9
|
7
|
Indianapolis
|
8
|
8
|
Tennessee
|
6
|
10
|
Jacksonville
|
3
|
13
|
This whole division is a tempting under pick, as they have to play the NFC West and all four teams could lose all four inter-conference games. Sort of like the Patriots, Houston seems to be the de facto winner of the AFC South, due to being the least worst. At some point, the Texans’ management will realize that the problem is Matt Schaub. They have one of the best backs in the league running behind a top-3 offensive line. Andre Johnson is still one of the most talented receivers in the league, and hopefully Houston has found the complement in Deandre Hopkins (I am not sold either, every year we are told they have this piece, but no one has come close). The defense will be back and stronger than ever led by sideline spectator Wade Phillips. If Tony Romo and Matt Schaub were traded for each other, straight up, I think the Texans would be a 13-3 or 14-2 juggernaut while the Cowboys would be drafting Jadeveon Clowney first overall.
Indianapolis should just be renamed the Regressions. After getting oustcored by about a field goal a game, the Regressions somehow managed to post 11 wins. This happened because of an unsustainable record in close games, as well as Andrew Luck getting away with 22 (!) dropped interceptions. I think Luck is the best prospect of the young 4 quarterbacks, but he has by far the least around him. Gosder Cherilus should help the offensive line, but the other four positions are still sub-par. T.Y. Hilton needs to prove that he can step up because Reggie Wayne will get old at some point. The defense will be young, and probably a year away from really playing up to their potential. I could see this team being the playoff team that falls off, then following it up next year as the surprise division champion.
Tennessee revamped their offensive line in hopes that they can get the Chris Johnson from 2009 and not the Johnson from the past couple of years. Andy Levitre is one of the best guards in the game, and I think Chance Warmack was the best player overall from the draft. The problem will not be the line, but the lack of a passing game. Jake Locker has fallen off quite a cliff from being in the conversation as the number one overall pick a few years ago, to being in serious danger of losing his job. It will be a make or break year for Locker, and I think he breaks. Fitzpatrick could end up starting by the end of the year, costing the Titans a top-5 draft pick.
Jacksonville actually made a smart pick for the first time in the past few first rounds, getting Luke Joeckel as about a sure thing as they could do. Just think if they would have drafted that smartly the past few years, they would have Jason Pierre-Paul and J.J. Watt instead of Tyson Alualu and Blaine Gabbert. The schedule is almost as ugly as their offensive line/quarterback situation, as there are only a few winnable games out there. I don’t care what advanced metric that the owner’s son comes up with, Blaine Gabbert sucks, and will always suck. Honestly, that would be the best thing for the Jaguars, to suck their way to the top pick and make up for their previous misses on pass rushers.
WEST
Denver
|
11
|
5
|
Kansas City
|
9
|
7
|
San Diego
|
7
|
9
|
Oakland
|
4
|
12
|
Denver opens the season as the Super Bowl Favorite (at a ridiculous price of 5/2) partly due to playing in one of the worst divisions in football. A first-round bye seems almost to be a guarantee at this point, as long as Peyton Manning remains upright. The addition of Louis Vasquez (Wreck ‘em) will help shore up the offensive line to keep Manning that way. Wes Welker gives the Broncos the best 3-receiver combo in the league. If Montee Ball can live up to the hype, Denver should be the most explosive and complete offense in the NFL. The defense has its issues with the leaving of Elvis Dumervil, suspension of Von Miller and injury to Champ Bailey. If it wasn’t for these issues, I would have the Broncos going to 13 or 14 wins.
The Chiefs have become the trendy pick to go from worst in the league to the playoffs and I kind of agree. Kansas City brought in the second most successful coach over the last decade in Andy Reid, and one of the most efficient quarterbacks of the past few seasons in Alex Smith. Eric Fisher adds to an already good offensive line, and Jamaal Charles is coming off his best season yet. In Reid’s system, Charles could end up catching 75 passes for more than 600 yards and become a fantasy monster. The real kicker is the schedule. The Chiefs get four games against the dregs of the AFC West as well as out of division games against Tennessee, Cleveland, Jacksonville, and Buffalo. They should be favored by close to a touchdown in all eight of those games, so nine wins feels like a real possibility.
The Chargers were 7-9 last year, and were a missed 40-yard field goal against the Browns and a 4-29 conversion by the Ravens from going 9-7. Seems like a candidate to move up right? However, if you look at who the Chargers beat last year, you find teams that all picked within the top 7 in the draft his year, and a fluky 8-5 win over Pittsburgh. They have already lost their leading receiver for the season in Denario Alexander, and I’m sure Ryan Mathews will break a collarbone within the first couple of games. The defense was boosted by the addition of Manti Te’o but he is already hurt and Bront Bird will likely get the start. I think this could be the year that Rivers completely self-implodes, and if not, the Chargers should look at trading him (Vikings) to a possible contender and starting over.
The Raiders are finally going to completely start over. While this may be good for their future, the Oakland present is rather ugly. The Raiders released all of their big-money busts, and have about 40% of their cap tied up on people not playing for them this season. This is how a team ends up starting Terrelle Pryor in game one of the season. Now Pryor could surprise us all and win a couple of games that Oakland shouldn’t, and that is why I see four wins and not two.
NFC
North
Green Bay
|
11
|
5
|
Chicago
|
9
|
7
|
Detroit
|
8
|
8
|
Minnesota
|
7
|
9
|
The NFC North is one of the toughest to get a read on: either it is the best division in the NFL or the bottom three are very mediocre. Three teams had double-digit wins out of the North last season, and the fourth won ten the year before. I think it is definitely still Green Bay’s division to lose, especially if they can remain healthy. Last year the Packers were the least healthy team in the league, so the injury luck should be on their side this season. As long as Aaron Rodgers is playing in green and gold, the Pack have a chance to win it all. Rodgers is, to me, the hands-down best football player on the planet. The loss of Greg Jennings will not be bad because Randall Cobb is ready to explode as a weapon. Eddie Lacy should be able to fill the void that has been left in the Green Bay backfield since Ryan Grant. The schedule is what holds the Packers back from 13+ wins, as they play seven road games against teams that were .500 or better last season, including both Super Bowl participants. They should pull out all of their home games, and win the division still.
Chicago was my pre-season pick to win it all, and it looked like a genius selection 10 weeks in. The wheels came off at the end of the season once the defense stopped scoring so much, but the Bears still won 10 games, and I think could have made some noise in the playoffs if they won the tie-breaker. Brandon Marshall was everything I expected of him last year, and should be just as good this season. If Alshon Jeffery can break out (highly possible in Marc Trestman’s spread offense) and Jay Cutler can hold the mistakes back, the Bears should score enough to make the playoffs. The defense loses their leader in Brian Urlacher, but Jon Bostic should fill in nicely. Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman won’t be able to cause 19 turnovers again, but half of that should be enough. The biggest key to the Bears will be how the offensive line holds up. Kyle Long is versatile, but I am not sure he is ready to be a starter yet. If he is, and Matt Slauson still has his Pro Bowl form to keep Cutler clean, the Bears could be a year late on my prediction.
I really wanted to pick the Lions to make the playoffs, but I think the schedule is just too difficult. Having to play the AFC North and NFC East was bad luck for them this year, and there just are not many easy wins. I do think this team will surprise some teams with the all out air-raid passing attack. Adding Reggie Bush and a healthy Ryan Broyles will give Stafford and Megatron a few more outlets when the defense is putting three guys on 81. Bush could catch 90 passes and be a PPR fantasy game-changer (or at least I am hoping so with him in every league). The defensive line got even stronger with Ziggy Ansah, who could struggle some at the beginning of the season, and turn it on in the second half. The offensive line has some questions with Riley Reiff starting at left tackle, but I have it on good information that Jason Fox has had his best camp yet, and is ready to fortify the right side.
The Vikings are a playoff team that just added three first round draft picks… yet I don’t think they crack .500. Minnesota had probably the best overall first round snagging top-5 rated Sharrif Floyd, Corner Xavier Rhodes and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson. However, I just do not think that Adrian Peterson can will them to ten wins again. The Vikings took advantage of a weak schedule last season, and possibly the best running back season in football history to get into the playoffs. The schedule is much more difficult, and the odds of AP coming even close to 2K again are slim to none. Christian Ponder is the main reason this team cannot compete and unless the Vikings can work out a trade for a more established quarterback, or Matt Cassel decides to play like it’s 2008 again, I do not see this team making the playoffs.
SOUTH
Atlanta
|
10
|
6
|
New Orleans
|
10
|
6
|
Carolina
|
7
|
9
|
Tampa Bay
|
7
|
9
|
The NFC South might have the closest coin-flip of a champion pick than any other division. I am giving the edge to the Falcons, because Matt Ryan took the next step to elite last season. With over 4,500 yards and a playoff win under his belt, Matty Ice was just one tipped pass away from a Super Bowl appearance. The Falcons upgraded their running game with Steven Jackson, who was happy to get to a better goal-line situation (just 5 rushes inside the 5 last season). Tony Gonzalez was talked out of retirement to team back with Roddy White/Julio Jones for a deadly mid-to-deep receiving threat combination. The defense lost some pass rushing in John Abraham, and took a flier on Osi Umenyiora. If Osi can get back to his Giants’ days of 10+ sacks, 10 wins will be an under-estimate for Atlanta.
New Orleans is about to embark on the biggest chip-on-their-shoulder season in the history of the NFL. I think Sean Payton and Drew Brees will be so outraged still about Payton being suspended by Dictator Goodell for all of last season, that they put the pedal to the metal and do not back off. Brees’ season passing yardage record could be in serious doubt. All of the threats on offense are back (Colston, Moore, Sproles, Graham). The defense still scares me though. I think Kenny Vaccaro was one of the more over-rated prospects of the draft, and the front seven is nothing to write home about. Nevertheless, I think Brees will throw for 5,200+ and 40+ TD’s and just out score teams to the playoffs.
The Panthers came on strong at the end of last season, and are another trendy pick to sneak into the playoffs. I think that Cam Newton has made progress, but Carolina needs another receiving threat. Steve Smith is a year older, slower, and less explosive, and Brandon LaFell is not the answer. Domenik Hixon will get a chance to show that he was no fluke last season, but I am not holding my breath. Deangelo Williams will get the heavy lifting while Stewart is out, and watch out for Kenjon Barner from Oregon to burst onto the scene when spelling Williams. The defense added two top-notch defensive tackles in the draft with Star Loutulelei and Kawann Short, who will help clear the lanes for Luke Kuechly and rookie A.J. Klein. The one weakness on this team is the secondary: the worst weakness possible for the division in which they play. I think this season is too early, but if Newton progresses and Carolina finds a couple of secondary pieces next year in the draft, they are a year away from contending.
Tampa Bay had one of the worst pass defenses in NFL history last year, so what did they do? They traded for the best corner in the last 15 years, Darrelle Revis. The one problem is that Revis is coming off of an ACL injury, and no one knows if he will be at the level he was before. Opposite of Revis will be rookie Johnathan Banks, with second year safety Mark Barron behind them at safety. The Bucs did sign Pro-Bowl safety Dashon Goldson, so I would say they are significantly better back there. Lavonte David is the unsung hero of the 2011 defensive draft class and William Gholston will look like a steal of a draft pick chasing the quarterback. The defense has definitely been upgraded, but my worry is the backfield. Doug Martin looks to have had a sensational rookie season, but beyond the numbers you can see that almost 40% of his production was done in two games against terrible teams. There is really only one terrible team on the schedule, and their defense really is not that bad. Josh Freeman has the targets, but the offensive line will need to stay healthy (doubtful) and he has to get back to his 2011 form. I think that was one fluke year, and Freeman regresses even more, putting Tampa Bay in a very peculiar position heading into next year.
West
Seattle
|
12
|
4
|
San Francisco
|
10
|
6
|
St. Louis
|
7
|
9
|
Arizona
|
5
|
11
|
As good as the offenses are in the NFC North, the West’s defenses are even better. The projected records do not show it, but I believe this to be the best division in football. Seattle had a few lucky breaks to hit the stride a year early. Russell Wilson got exponentially better as the season went on, and with a full off-season, I expect him to become a top level passer. The Percy Harvin injury hurts, but really only on whether they could win 15 games or not. The offensive line is solid, and Marshawn Lynch has shown no signs of slowing down. Christine Michael will provide a spark plug to spell Lynch’s thunder. The defense returns the best secondary in the game led by talker Richard Sherman, and the quite assassin Earl Thomas. The front seven is still stacked led by Bobby Wagner plugging the holes and Chris Clemons, Cliff Avril and Bruce Irvin rushing the passer. Normally I do not put much stock into preseason games, but the Seahawks won all four by an average of 25 points. This shows the tremendous depth on the roster and that is what separates them from the rest of the division.
I am of the minority opinion on this one, but I think that Colin Kaepernick is in for a rude awakening. Let us not forget that the Dolphins went from 1-15 to the playoffs using the Wildcat… then back out of the playoffs since. If you give NFL D-Coordinators time to figure a scheme out, they will. Just look at how Kaepernick was contained in the first half (in the second half, the Ravens were in a shell to prevent big plays) of the Super Bowl. He looked like what he is: an athletic guy with a big arm, but bad accuracy and too willing to run. The rest of the team is still good enough to win ten games though. The offensive line is one of the best in the league, and they have a deep stable of running backs. The receiving corps scares me with the loss of Crabtree, but it is not like they had a deep receiving group last season. The defense might take a step back without Goldson as they start Eric Reid, but they will still be a top-5 unit. Harbaugh will need to pull a different bag of tricks this season to repeat as division champions.
I really liked what St. Louis did in the draft. They added a dynamic playmaker in Tavon Austin, the most athletic middle linebacker in the draft in Alec Ogletree, picked up (in my opinion the best safety in the draft) a sliding T.J. McDonald, added Austin’s partner in crime Stedman Bailey, and drafted the most versatile lineman in the history of college football Barrett Jones. The Rams then went and signed former first overall pick Jake Long and suddenly Sam Bradford has no more excuses. The defense is deep after the emergence of Janoris Jenkins and James Laurinaitis, with a solid defensive line led by Michael Brockers, Chris Long and Robert Quinn. Chris Givens gives Bradford a deep threat to combine with his two shifty playmakers. The offensive line is full of top draft picks. The running backs are unproven, but have talent and I think Daryl Richardson emerges to be an above-average back. The Rams will go as far as Sam Bradford can take them.
Arizona just has the bad luck of playing in the NFC West. I think they could contend for the division title in either the AFC East or South, but will occupy the cellar here. Carson Palmer has become under-rated due to his knee injury followed by the Hell that is the Oakland Raiders. I mean, this guy threw for 4,000 yards with Marcel Reece as his starting running back and Denarius Moore as his leading receiver with no offensive line to speak of. Now he has Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd to throw to, an offensive line boosted by the signing of Eric Winston and health of Levi Brown, athletic tight end Rob Housler, and four different running backs who should contribute. The defense is sneaky good too, led by possibly the best defender in the game, Patrick Peterson. They have added three good pieces to the linebacking core with John Abraham and Alex Okafor to rush the passer and Kevin Mentor to help Karlos Dansby man the middle. If they were literally in any other division, they would probably be my sleeper team to make the playoffs, but I just cannot pull the trigger with such a hard schedule.
EAST
Dallas
|
9
|
7
|
New York Giants
|
9
|
7
|
Washington
|
8
|
8
|
Philadelphia
|
7
|
9
|
One of the biggest factors for picking the Cowboys to win the division was the extra games from the other divisions. The Cowboys get the Rams while the Redskins get the 49ers and the Giants get the Seahawks. That one game swing could be the difference in three pretty evenly matched teams. Dallas upgraded their Offensive line with the best center in the draft, and the recent signing of a top-5 guard of the past 5 years in Brian Waters. Terrance Williams gives Romo a third receiving option a la Laurent Robinson, but Williams is much more athletic and faster. Lance Dunbar and Phillip Tanner look more than ready to fill in for the annual DeMarco Murray Injury, and I think Dez Bryant leads the league in receiving this season. The defense will rely solely on health, and at some point the Cowboys have the have luck in that area. If the Cowboys’ starting 11 on defense plays every game, it is a top-5 unit. Period. If Sean Lee, Bruce Carter, DeMarcus Ware, or Jason Hatcher go down, they have big problems. I think the depth at corner (Claiborne, Carr, Scandrick) will help cover Will Allen and Barry Church in the back. Most of all, I am going all in on Tony Romo. He had the 8th best passing yardage season ever last season, and I think he breaks the 5K mark this year. If they give him time, he will be an MVP candidate at the end of the season.
The Giants are already dealing with injuries to their starting strong safety, as well as third receiving and goal line running back. The depth is not as strong as it has been in recent times, and I think the injuries will catch up to the G-Men. Eli was exposed last year as someone who has to have a great team around him to compete. I think David Wilson will be a let-down, and Brandon Myers will not repeat his totals form last season at tight end. The pass rush should be as good as ever, but the line backers are pathetic. They are starting Dan Connor for goodness sakes! Cowboys’ fans know how bad things must be when that happens. New York will contend, because of getting to play the AFC West, but I think they will fall just short.
The Redskins took advantage of a last-place schedule last season, as they only beat one team with a winning record all year. Let us not forget, that if Tony Romo throws that pass 3 inches higher, Felix Jones is probably still running and the Cowboys make the playoffs not the Redskins. The defense gets Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan back, but the secondary will rely on some youngsters. The defensive line worries me in that Cofield and Bowen are retreads that might not be able to hold the line down for London Fletcher to fill the gaps and Orakpo/Kerrigan to avoid double teams. The offense relies too much on the health of two injury prone guys and the running of a back coming off a spectacular rookie season. RG3 is officially injury prone if you have followed him the past few years, and no one is certain that he will be able to play all 16. The same goes for Pierre Garcon, and the rest of the receivers leave something to be desired. I also think that Alfred Morris was a product of teams overcompensating for RG3, and with the injury the focus may shift to him. Overall, I see regression with this team, and combined with a more difficult schedule leads them to hover around .500 and out of the division race.
Philadelphia is probably the hardest teams to gauge going into the season. No one really knows how the Chip Kelly offensive attack will play out. It has such a wide range of variance, it could be as bad as the Spurrier Spread flailing about in Washington, or as good as the Jim Harbaugh system prospering in San Francisco. My gut tells me that it will be more towards the Spurrier offense, at least for the first year. The defense and secondary in particular are in need of some work. DeMeco Ryans is not what he used to be, and the only pass rushing threat really is Connor Barwin. The Eagles will need Fletcher Cox and Vinny Curry to live up to their potential or they are in trouble of giving up A LOT of points. The offense could take some time to gel, which is bad because the easy part of their schedule is at the start. It may be more of wishful/hopeful thinking, but I see the Eagles struggling.
Post-Season Awards
MVP: Aaron Rodgers-the favorite every year, until otherwise noted
Sleeper Runner-Up: Tony Romo-If the Cowboys make the playoffs, it will be on his shoulder
Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt-the name momentum from last year alone might win the award for him
Sleeper Runner-Up: Geno Atkins-maybe not a sleeper as much, but he might end up being the best defensive player overall by the end of the season
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Eddie Lacy-he will have the most opportunity on a good team
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jarvis Jones- it is just so fitting that he landed with the Steelers
Playoffs
AFC
- Denver
- New England
- Cincinnati
- Houston
- Baltimore
- Kansas City
NFC
- Seattle
- Green Bay
- Atlanta
- Dallas
- San Francisco
- New Orleans
Wild Card
AFC: Cincinnati over Kansas City; Houston over Baltimore
NFC: Atlanta over New Orleans; Dallas over San Francisco
Divisional
AFC: Cincinnati over New England, Denver over Houston
NFC: Seattle over Dallas, Green Bay over Atlanta
Championships
AFC: Cincinnati over Denver
NFC: Green Bay over Seattle
Super Bowl
Green Bay 27 – Cincinnati 21
I think that the Packers ride a healthy streak through the playoffs, and Aaron Rodgers does Aaron Rodgers’ things. The last time people were not expecting this team to win? 2010 when they won it all.
Thursday Night Pick:
DENVER -6.5 over Baltimore
I think the Broncos overcome their defensive weaknesses on the first night of the year. The rest of my picks will be up tomorrow.
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