My Rampant Discourse co-contributors were scared off by my amazing performance last year when I accurately predicted the surprising ascent of the Eagles and Rams, so I’ll be running solo on our slimmed down NFL predictions this year. I don’t have any supremely bold predictions, but maybe that’ll help me get more than half of my division winners right this time around. Read on to find out who I think will win each division.
AFC North
While I think it’s possible the Browns make some noise and surprise some people this year, I just don’t see them quite ready to make the leap from one of the league’s worst teams to a division winner. The Bengals could also be intriguing with their offensive talent and it seems like the Ravens always punch above their weight, so I could see quite a battle for second place. However, even though I’m worried about the departure of Todd Haley, I still think the Steelers are the class of the division and will win it once again.
AFC South
This is one of the most intriguing divisions to me, almost entirely due to questions at the quarterback position. While the Jaguars would initially seem to be the clear pick with their tenacious defense, their offense still seems like a giant question mark. Can they consistently win with Blake Bortles as their QB? The rest of the division, meanwhile, has a lot of really interesting potential. Can Deshaun Watson regain even a fraction of his electric form that he had before his season ending injury? What about Andrew Luck’s first NFL action in over a year? Can Mariota finally put everything together and stay healthy? I still believe that defenses go a long way towards racking up regular season wins, and the Jaguars clearly seem to have the best in the division, so so I’ll go with them, but don’t be surprised to see an upstart contender come out of this division.
AFC East
While I would like to blame the Patriots for making the AFC East so boring for so many years, the rest of the division has to carry a lot of blame as well for not even trying to put up a fight. The Bills might be the worst team in the NFL right now, and the Jets and Dolphins haven’t done much (if anything) to improve over the off-season. While it’s incredibly boring to say it, I don’t see any way the Patriots don’t win this division running away.
AFC West
I honestly don’t know what to make of this division and could make an argument for almost every team to win the division or come in last. The Broncos had horrendous quarterback play last year and should be at least a couple of games better based on improvement in that position alone. I’m not at all sold on their coaching staff, though, and their defense looks like it’ll take another step back from the dominant form it had just a few years ago. The Chargers perennially look like contenders, but seem to always find a way to disappoint. I want to believe in the Chiefs, but they also look like a defense in decline and they secretly have struggled to run the ball for over half a season. Are we sure Mahomes will be a significant upgrade from Alex Smith? The Raiders are perhaps the biggest wildcard of all. I don’t know what Jon Gruden is doing. Either he’s a genius who is a few steps ahead of everybody else… or he’s stuck in the past and trying to coach in an NFL that doesn’t exist anymore. I think it’s the latter, but I wouldn’t bet against the former. This almost feels like a coin flip to me, but I’ll go with what seems like the most well rounded team and pick the Chargers.
NFC North
This really feels like a two horse race to me. The Vikings have the imposing defense and an offense that might be able to match it with Kirk Cousins at the helm. The Packers just might have the best QB in the league and maybe even a rejuvenated running game, but look like they’ll continue to suffer from a sieve-like defense. The Lions and Bears might be improved from last year, but both feel like they are a year away from competing for the division at least. I do have some minor concerns that Cousins might struggle more than people think in Minnesota, but the Vikings just seem too well rounded to bet against.
NFC South
The Saints make me nervous. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because they seem like too easy of a pick? It’s almost impossible to find a flaw in their team. The defense and running game are beyond solid, and they have a future hall-of-famer at QB. The rest of the division doesn’t really scare me. How are they not a lock for 10 wins? I really wish there was another team in this division that I could believe in, but there isn’t, so I’ll take the Saints, but I’m going to still feel uneasy about it.
NFC East
You would think that the division that had the reigning Super Bowl champs (who were also getting their starting QB back) would be an easy pick to win a division that seems to be as weak as the NFC East is. I’m not so sure. The Eagles are talented (there’s a reason I picked them to win their division last year), but this feels like a team that had a couple of lucky breaks last year that might not go their way this year. The problem is finding which team might supplant them. Every other team in the division has at least one notable hole. Who will Dak throw to? Is Eli completely washed up? Can the Redskins run the ball or play defense? This is a really tough call, but I’m actually going to go with the Redskins to win the division in a shocker. Even though I like Kirk Cousins, I have a sneaking suspicion Alex Smith just might be a slight upgrade for the team and if Adrian Peterson has anything left in the tank, this could be a pretty efficient offense. The biggest stumbling block in my mind is health, as Jordan Reed, Chris Thompson, and Josh Doctson are not exactly known for their durability. If two-thirds of those can stay healthy, though, watch out.
NFC West
No question here. While I like the 49ers to take a big step forward this year and maybe even make the playoffs, the Rams just look like too complete of a team with a defense that should be scary good and contend for best in the league. Unless Jared Goff takes a huge and unexpected step back, look for the Rams to win the division and look like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.
