Verse for today...
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13
It's time for my predictions for the upcoming NFL season. Here is how I see the division races followed by playoff seeding predictions.
AFC East
1 Buffalo
2 New York Jets
3 Miami
4 New England
Just because the Bills lost Stefon Diggs doesn't mean they will fall off a cliff. Josh Allen is still one of the best three QBs in the NFL in my opinion. The Jets just need to stay healthy. I predict they will stay healthy enough to get to the playoffs, and they could certainly win the division if they stay injury free at key positions. The Dolphins must have Tua healthy. If he is healthy, the Dolphins are at least a playoff team due to their explosive offense. The Patriots can just phone in this season. They are just not close.
AFC North
1 Cincinnati
2 Baltimore
3 Cleveland
4 Pittsburgh
This division would seem to be the toughest in the NFL. I think the Bengals are primed for a return at or near the top. The Ravens are always tough and were the best team in the league for most of last year. It's a tough call on whether the Bengals or the Ravens will win the division. I think the Browns have the defense to win this division. I just need to see Deshaun Watson play at a high level again. He's capable. He just hasn't done it in awhile. The Steelers will go as far as their QB will take them. Russell Wilson has tightness in his calf, and that can be a big problem.
AFC South
1 Houston
2 Jacksonville
3 Indianapolis
4 Tennessee
C.J. Stroud had a fabulous rookie year. I see no reason why he can't build off of that. The Jaguars will give them everything they want. I think Trevor Lawrence will step up this year and play better than he did last year. The Colts could surprise people if Anthony Richardson can stay healthy. The Titans seem like a year or two away. I'm still not sure what they have in Will Levis.
AFC West
1 Kansas City
2 Los Angeles Chargers
3 Denver
4 Las Vegas
Until proven otherwise, the Chiefs have to be the favorite. Their offense looks to be more explosive. The Chargers should be much better with Jim Harbaugh at the helm, but they have a few more holes that might cause them to need another year to challenge the Chiefs for the division. However, they could certainly upset the Chiefs in a game this year. The Broncos looked really good in the preseason. I've learned to not let the preseason count for too much when it comes to regular season success, but I think they will be much better. The Raiders might take a step back, but I like the toughness of their head coach. I think the Raiders will slowly improve after this year.
NFC East
1 Philadelphia
2 Dallas
3 Washington
4 New York Giants
The Eagles have very good players in key positions, but I think they have the greatest difference between their floor and ceiling. They could be really good or play like they did at the end of last year which was very bad. The Cowboys did not improve much from last year, and some people are writing them off. I'm not. I think they will make the playoffs and challenge strongly for the division. The Commanders will improve greatly. It might take a year for Jayden Daniels to learn the ropes, but the arrow is pointing up for this team. The Giants are respectable thanks to head coach Brian Daboll, but I just don't think Daniel Jones can take them where they want to go.
NFC North
1 Detroit
2 Green Bay
3 Chicago
4 Minnesota
The Lions are solid at nearly every position. I like their chances a lot. The Packers showed they belong with their play in the last half of last year and in the playoffs. I think they can take that momentum and challenge the Lions all the way to the end of the season. The Bears will be better. It's just a matter of how much better and how quickly Caleb Williams learns the ropes. I think he will be a rather fast learner. The Vikings will probably take a step back. This is likely Sam Darnold's last chance to redeem his floundering career.
NFC South
1 Atlanta
2 Tampa Bay
3 New Orleans
4 Carolina
The Falcons are solid along their offensive line and at the skill positions. I think their defense will be better, too. The Buccaneers are not a bad team. They are not that good of a team either! Baker Mayfield is decent but not great. I don't like the Saints head coach Dennis Allen. I didn't like him when he was head coach of a previous team, and I didn't like it when the Saints named him head coach after Sean Payton left. I just think he will hold back Derek Carr and company. The Panthers will have to show me better play from their offense. They had almost no explosion on offense. Their head coach can help in that regard, but third place is likely the best they can hope for this year. I'll pick them last.
NFC West
1 San Francisco
2 Los Angeles Rams
3 Seattle
4 Arizona
The 49ers roster is very solid. As long as QB Brock Purdy doesn't regress, they should win the division, but they might get a strong challenge from the Rams. The Seahawks are pretty good on defense. I'm just not sure how far Geno Smith can take them. The Cardinals must have Kyler Murray play extremely well. He started out his career on a great note, but he has regressed over the last two or three years. They could surprise me, but I need to see it.
Playoff Seeding Projections
AFC
1 Kansas City
2 Cincinnati
3 Buffalo
4 Houston
5 New York Jets
6 Baltimore
7 Miami
The Browns and Jaguars might sneak in. We shall see.
NFC
1 Detroit
2 San Francisco
3 Philadelphia
4 Atlanta
5 Green Bay
6 Dallas
7 Los Angeles Rams
It will be interesting to see if the Bears and Commanders can challenge for a spot.
For comparison sake, here are Colin Cowherd's division predictions...
AFC East - Buffalo, Miami, New York Jets, New England
AFC North - Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Pittsburgh
AFC South - Houston, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Tennessee
AFC West - Kansas City, Los Angeles Chargers, Denver, Las Vegas
NFC East - Philadelphia, Washington, Dallas, New York Giants
NFC North - Green Bay, Detroit, Chicago, Minnesota
NFC South - Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Carolina, New Orleans
NFC West - Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, Seattle, Arizona
Colin likes these teams to make the playoffs... Buffalo, Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, Cincinnati, Miami, Jacksonville, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Atlanta, Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco, Washington, Detroit.
May God always be your number 1 draft pick!
Draftman Rick
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