Last year I posted my predictions for which NFL teams would make the playoffs, represent their conference in the Super Bowl and hoist the Lombardi Trophy. I was seven for twelve predicting the playoff teams, and picked the wrong Super Bowl champ, but last August I did predict correctly that the Pittsburgh Steelers would face the Green Bay Packers in Dallas.
This year, I'm taking my NFL preview a few steps further. I will predict the division winners and playoff teams, but I will do so by briefly breaking down each division first. I will then also predict who will win awards such as MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year, and Coach of the Year. And ultimately, I will make another Super Bowl prediction - though it's not likely that I will be right again.
AFC East
The Patriots should best the Jets again for the division crown, though Rex and the gang will be in this race till the season's end. The Dolphins and the Bills will both struggle and win between five and seven games - with the Bills looking like a better team than their record indicates and the Dolphins looking like about as good a team as their record indicates.
AFC North
The Ravens will be competitive, but this division is the Steelers to lose. The Browns will again be a scrappy team and will finish ahead of the Bengals, but they lack some of the core pieces necessary to make a real surge this year. The big question in Cincinnati will be, do the Bengals draft Andrew Luck one year after taking Andy Dalton in the second round if/when they finish with the worst record in the league?
AFC South
Is this the year the Texans break through? Can the Titans right the ship in Matt Hasselbeck's swan song? Will Peyton be able to play? And if he can, can he carry the Colts to the division crown once again? This is the most difficult division in the league to predict. There are so many variables and so many unknowns. One thing I do know is that the Jaguars are awful. Jacksonville's front office may also face of the dilemma of having to draft Andrew Luck one year after using a high pick on a quarterback.
AFC West
The Chargers should win this division. Then again, the Chargers should have won this division last year. There are things I don't like about the Chiefs - their coach, potential chemistry issues, the Ronald McDonald uniform color scheme - yet the team has the talent to compete. The Raiders are interesting to watch as a team on the rise, and the Broncos could me much improved this season. And if John Fox would actually let Tim Tebow lead this team, .500 could be within the realm of possibility*.
*I don't pretend to know what happens at Broncos practices, but I watched their games last year and in preseason, and this is a better, more passionate team when Tebow is under center.
NFC East
This is my least favorite division. It's always over-hyped and often under-performs. The Redskins may be better than people expect this year, but they're not playoff bound. The Cowboys will challenge the Eagles for the division if their prominent pieces can stay healthy, and the Giants, who I expect will have a strong offense, may have suffered more injuries to their defense than they can handle.
NFC North
The Bears were much better than I expected last season and, therefore, cannot be discounted this season. But this is the Packers' division to lose. They won it all last year despite suffering numerous devastating injuries. If focused, they are the league's team to beat. This is likely the most competitive division top-to-bottom. The Lions and Vikings are talented teams, and one could make a surprising run at second place in the NFC North.
NFC South
The Falcons are all in with their current offensive nucleus, and I like it. They will battle the Saints for the division crown. Both teams made splashes in the draft and want to erase the memories of poor playoff exits, and I think both teams will have the chance to redeem themselves in this year's postseason. The Bucs were a surprisingly competitive team last year, and they'll be tough again, though I see Tampa Bay as being another year away from reaching the playoffs. And then there's the Panthers. It looks like Cam Newton will be their quarterback, and I'm sure he'll fill a highlight reel of exciting plays, but I'm not sure that will translate to wins.
NFC West
Last year the NFC West typified mediocrity. I don't think history will repeat itself as the Rams and Cardinals could both be decent teams. Even San Francisco could be surprisingly competitive this season. Seattle won the division last year, but I don't see Pete Carrol's smoke and mirror routine working as well this time around. I think they will be successful in the long run, but they will unfortunately be just a little too good this year to be in the hunt for Andrew Luck.
Division Champs: New England, Pittsburgh, Houston, San Diego, Dallas, Green Bay, New Orleans and St. Louis.
Wildcards: New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles
Conference Championships: San Diego vs. Pittsburgh and New Orleans vs. Atlanta
Super Bowl: New Orleans defeats San Diego
MVP: Phillip Rivers
Defensive Player of the Year: Mario Williams
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Julio Jones
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Von Miller
Coach of the Year: Norv Turner
There you have it. I think New Orleans will be scary good again this year, and for some reason I just have a feeling that the Chargers will get over the hump and into the Super Bowl, as Rivers earns his coach some hardware. Let's check back in February to see just how wrong I am.
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