Let’s
do this from left to right, and start in the west:
AFC WEST
Denver is going to win this division.
Even with Peyton (yes…Manning, Commissioner) being not exactly a sure thing
after his injuries last season and his age (I mean, he’s an entire year older
than I am…that’s old). Honestly, the guy is impressive and I would be hesitant
to bet against him in the regular season.
 |
| Peyton Manning |
Kansas City needs an offense. I like Alex Smith, but I’m not sure
he’s the guy. They have a nightmare schedule to start the year, but will
improve as their schedules decreases in difficulty. In order to avoid a 2-2
start, they are really going to need to put up a lot of points.
Two more years and Oakland is going to be a tough team.
Derek Carr and Khalil Mack are stars in the making. Give the team some time to
put more pieces around them and they are going to do great things. I don’t see
them being above .500 this season though, in fact, if they hit .500 I’ll be
impressed.
San Diego, on the other hand, should get to .500. They have some
tough road games and I still don’t buy Philip Rivers as an elite QB. Not much
to say beyond that. If he steps up, the Chargers could make this division
interesting.
NFC WEST
Seattle is clearly the class of the NFC
West. There really is little doubt about that. Adding Jimmy Graham is huge and
that defense is still…that defense. They should be strong throughout the season
and emerge a major player once the games become win-or-go-home.
 |
| Richard Sherman |
Arizona should make this season
interesting. Not really for the division, but I see them being around the Wild
Card discussion. The big test will come in the home stretch. They finish the
season with Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Seattle.
St. Louis has a defense that will turn
heads. This seems to be a theme in the league right now, though. You win games
by scoring points and I don’t see this offense outscoring too many teams.
Fisher is one of my favorite coaches, and he has his work cut out.
I’m
not going to say much about San
Francisco. I feel for them, I truly do. The number of retirements and
arrests, all happening at once, is mind-boggling. This is an entirely new
defense and Kaepernick really needs to show something this year.
AFC NORTH
Cincinnati is my pick
here. They have a relatively easy run at the end of the season and Andy Dalton
has proven that winning in the regular season is not his issue. I still don’t
think they’ll win a playoff game, but they will be representing their division.
 |
| Devon Still |
Baltimore should have one of the
toughest schedules in the NFL. With a combination of travel length and early
season road matchups (5 of first 7), they will miss out on the division. The
scary thing is that they will probably grab a wildcard slot and Flacco is
dangerous when it counts.
Pittsburgh will be strong. They and
Baltimore will battle for a wildcard position. Their secondary is a concern,
but the front 4 are tough as they come. I have a hard time counting out a QB
who seems to extend plays and complete highlight-reel passes almost by accident.
Cleveland is a bit of a train-wreck.
They have no idea who should be the starter at QB (that will obviously change,
but is the best option even wearing an orange helmet currently?). They have a
ridiculously tough schedule to boot.
NFC NORTH
This is
another division where the separation is vast. Aaron Rodgers is coming off of
another fantastic season and Green Bay
looks just as strong. This one isn’t close, my friends. The worst thing I can
say is that they won’t go undefeated at home.
 |
| Aaron Rodgers |
Minnesota has a tough schedule and a
lot of unknowns. They have a tough opening half of the schedule and then finish
with 3 of their last five against playoff teams from last year. Look for Adrian
Peterson to have vengeance on his mind and wanting to do some damage.
Detroit is one of those teams that
constantly look to make a break, on the surface. However, their schedule and
inexperience work against them. Add to that, I just don’t believe in Matthew
Stafford. I think they will win a few games, but won’t do much more.
Chicago won’t surprise anyone this
year. They are the bottom of this division and I don’t see them doing much to
improve on a pathetic 2014. If Jay Cutler can show some consistency, they could
prove me wrong. I wouldn’t bet on that happening though.
AFC SOUTH
As much as I wish I could
put Houston on top in the South, it will probably be Indianapolis. Andrew Luck is an elite QB (Mind you, still not on
the level of Brady, Peyton, or Rodgers). They have added several new weapons
around him, and have some fortunate scheduling to play both the Patriots and
Broncos at home.
 |
| Andrew Luck |
Houston is fast becoming Foxborough-south.
Bill O’Brien and his staff have a strong New England pedigree. They are
instilling that same ethos deep in the heart of Texas. Adding Vince Wilfork
makes that front 4 very, very scary. Their starting QB is up in the air, but I
think the Texans will turn some heads.
Tennessee is saddled with a young
offense, but a vastly improved defense. They won’t put up too many fights, but
it will be interesting to watch this defense improve and also the progression
of Mariota into an NFL starter.
I
guess I should say something about Jacksonville.
They have one of the easier schedules in the league, that’s a big help. They
also have one of the younger teams in the league. They will improve and they
will win some games. Bortles has to turn a corner to make this happen.
NFC SOUTH
This is a tough division
to call. I think that, ultimately, New
Orleans will get the edge. They have oodles of talent and they also have
Drew Brees. He is an old-school fighter. The biggest difference needs to be a
return to dominance at home.
Carolina is going to give the Saints a
fight. That is a quality team and we have all seen what Cam Newton can do when
he decides to throw that offense on his shoulders. The man is a freak. The
defense should improve on an impressive 2014 campaign.
 |
| Lavonte David |
Atlanta is one of those teams that I
just can’t put my finger on the reason why they aren’t better. They have
talent, experience, they pay in a dome. They do have a reasonably light
schedule and I see that defense improving under Dan Quinn.
Tampa Bay is going to be starting
Jameis Winston. I don’t see it being a crash of Manziel-ian proportions, but I
do predict a steep learning curve. The defense is solid, and that should keep
the Bucs competitive in some of their games.
AFC EAST
New England will have
Brady for all 16 games (I’m assuming…I could be wrong, no one actually has any
clue what’s going on), and he is not happy with the league. That does not bode
well for everyone else. Even if he sits the first 4, that means his legs and
arm are even more fresh come playoff time. Losing Revis and Browner is a shot,
but there is young talent in the secondary.
Aside: I know I said
I wouldn’t talk about the case, sorry. And also, I’m sorry for the one mention
of it earlier. End of aside
Miami made big strides in the offseason,
some more questionable than others. Tannehill will need a career year to get
this team over the hump and into the playoffs. They have a tough schedule but I’m
sure that Ndamukong Suh will dominate.
 |
| Ndamukong Suh |
Buffalo is my sleeper team. Even without
a legitimate QB, that defense is going to be stout. Say what you want (and I
have, over the years) about what a goofball Rex Ryan is…the man knows defense.
If they sort the QB issue, this could be a dangerous team.
New York J-E-T-S...Holy CRAP!!! This is
the best comedy troupe I have witnessed in a long, long time. Thank God for the
Jets! I cannot fathom how this group functions. Who, in their right mind,
allows their starting QB to get cold cocked in the locker room even if he
deserved it?! Jets won’t be a contender.
NFC EAST
Dallas is going to be
there this year. They will win this division, because Dez Bryant is now a happy
(read: rich) man, a fairly easy schedule, and a fantastic defense. I don’t
think it is much of a stretch to state that they are the cream of this
division.
Philadelphia is another one of those
teams who, on paper, doesn’t look all that good. Somehow, Chip Kelly is able to
get results where it matters. There have been several key changes that will
make for entertaining football in the City of Brotherly Love.
 |
| Niles Paul |
New York Giants are a mystery. The NFC
East, in general, is such a tough division to call. I think the Giants will win
some big games and they always seem to turn it on as the temperature drops. Tom
Coughlin continues to surprise and he will put a competitive team on the field,
just missing some fingers.
Washington is the only team that I can
comfortably, emphatically, rule out of winning the East. They are rebuilding
and aren’t even fully sure of what they have in the way of materials. Is RG3
the way forward? Can he become a drop-back QB? We’ll see as the season unfolds.
Well,
there you have it. My, mostly pulled out of thin air, predictions for each
division. Let me know your thoughts, pro or con. Next week, I will talk about
the playoffs and what we can expect in the run-up to Super Bowl 50.
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