With the Pirates playing so well and one win away from snapping the dreaded streak, what’s gotten lost is the fact that the Steelers start up their season on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans. In fact, the NFL season starts on Thursday, as the defending Super Bowl champs, the Baltimore Ravens, travel to Denver to take on the Broncos.
Man, did this offseason go by fast or what?
I don’t know about you, but I’m very excited for the season to start. As usual, story lines are in abundance as the season approaches.
How will RG3 do after his major knee injury? How will the Patriots recover from a horrible offseason? Will Peyton Manning be able to lead the Broncos to a title?
Each year, I write an NFL preview article where I go division by division, predicting who will finish where. Each year, I am horribly wrong.
Well, here goes nothing.
NFC East –
1st: Dallas Cowboys 11-5 – Again, I am proved wrong every single year. I’m not a Cowboys fan at all, but this is the year that Dez Bryant proves he is the No. 4 receiver in the league and that Tony Romo shows he is more than just a good fantasy quarterback.
2nd: Washington Redskins 10-6 – I think Griffin will do just fine coming off his injury, but I look for Alfred Morris to regress. Having Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan both healthy will be big for the Skins.
3rd: New York Giants 9-7 – I like the Giants this year, but not enough to overtake the Skins or Boys. David Wilson shows that he is a start in the making, though.
4th: Philadelphia Eagles 7-9 – I’ve watched Chip Kelly’s offense at Oregon over the years and they key is having the offensive linemen buy in. Give it a year until it really takes off.
NFC West –
1st: San Francisco 49ers 11-5 – They’re for real whether you like it or not. Colin Kaepernick will need some weapons to step up, but the defense will carry them once again.
2nd: Seattle Seahawks 10-6 – They’re the “sexy” pick for everyone this year and rightfully so. They have the best defense in football (yes, you heard me) and one of the top running backs in the game. They’ll be a joy to watch once again.
3rd: St. Louis Rams 8-8 – Sam Bradford is a good quarterback; you just haven’t seen it yet. This year, with Chris Givens and Tavon Austin, you’ll see why he was picked No. 1 overall. A tough schedule early on will hurt, but the Rams will finish strong.
4th: Arizona Cardinals 7-9 – Larry Fitzgerald will finally have the first good ball thrown to him since Kurt Warner retired as Carson Palmer takes over the reigns of the offense. Fitz will show why he’s the second best receiver in the game.
NFC South –
1st: New Orleans Saints 10-6 – This isn’t baseball. A good head coach matters more here and the absence of Sean Payton showed last year. Payton, Drew Brees and company will be back with a vengeance this season.
2nd: Atlanta Falcons 10-6 – My pick to click last year didn’t click in the playoffs. Adding Steven Jackson to this offense makes them scary and they have the re-tooled defense. The greatest show on turf, perhaps?
3rd: Carolina Panthers 8-8 – It’s Cam Newton’s third year. It’s time he steps up. Yes, he’s a great talent and has terrific stats, but it’s time to add some wins to those stats.
4th. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-11 – They addressed their pathetic secondary by adding Darrelle Revis, but he doesn’t help Josh Freeman. I used to be the leader of the Freeman bandwagon, but they drafted the best quarterback in the draft (by my measures) in Mike Glennon. Glennon takes over to try to right the ship by Week 8.
NFC North –
1st: Green Bay Packers 11-5 – A tough start to the schedule, but the Packers will be fine. Aaron Rodgers will finally have a running game to turn to, led by rookie Eddie Lacy. Randall Cobb catches over 100 balls and Clay Matthews makes his case for defensive player of the year.
2nd: Detroit Lions 9-7 – I’m a believer that last year was a fluke for the Lions. Matthew Stafford will continue to throw, and newcomer Reggie Bush will be absolutely electric. Now, how will the secondary hold up?
3rd: Chicago Bears 8-8 – Look, I’m a big believer in Marc Trestman, but I’m not a big believer in Jay Cutler.
4th: Minnesota Vikings 7-9 – Yes, they made the playoffs last year when I called them the worst team in the NFC, but I don’t think they repeat it. Greg Jennings is at the end and Christian Ponder has a nice looking wife, but that’s it. Adrian Peterson will continue to dominate, but the loss of Percy Harvin will be felt immediately.
AFC East –
1st: New England Patriots 12-4 – Is it really a question with their division? The Patriots faced a lot of adversity in the offseason, but Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will continue to show why they’re the top coaching/QB duo in the league.
2nd: Miami Dolphins 8-8 – I’m not a Ryan Tannehill guy, but I like the strides he’s taken. Having a playmaker like Mike Wallace at his disposal will help, but won’t be enough.
3rd: Buffalo Bills 7-9 – I like the Bills. I think they’re the fastest team in the league on the offensive side of the ball. I think they’re also very underrated defensively. They are, however, a year or two away from being serious contenders.
4th: New York Jets 3-13 – No comment.
AFC West –
1st: Denver Broncos 13-3 – Peyton Manning is a stud and has a bevy of options at receiver. Overcoming the loss of Von Miller early in the season will be a test, but the schedule is favorable.
2nd: Kansas City Chiefs 10-6 – Andy Reid throws the ball. Alex Smith makes the throws he needs to make very accurately. Dwayne Bowe has tremendous hands. Jamaal Charles will be the new Brian Westbrook. Forget the defense, need I say more?
3rd: San Diego Chargers 5-11 – Good thing the Raiders are in the division
4th: Oakland Raiders 4-12 – I mean, at least Terrelle Pryor gets to start.
AFC South –
1st: Indianapolis Colts 12-4 – I hate putting stock in a sophomore quarterback, but Andrew Luck is as good as they come. The defense is a concern, I’ll admit, but the offense will outscore just about any other team in the league.
2nd: Houston Texans 10-6 – Another trendy Super Bowl pick, but they’ll remain trendy until a new man takes over under center. Matt Schaub can’t do it. J.J. Watt continues to improve this year and by year’s end, we’ll consider him the best player in football.
3rd: Tennessee Titans 8-8 – I like the Titans a lot this year. Chris Johnson will be a top five rusher and Kendall Wright will be a household name.
4th: Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10 – The quarterbacks are a mess, but Maurice Jones-Drew, Cecil Shorts and Justin Blackmon will make Blaine Gabbert look, umm, decent this year. The defense will gel much better this year than last.
AFC North –
Cincinnati Bengals 11-5 – The Bengals have it all this year and are the sexy pick to win the division and get to the Super Bowl. That last part makes me nervous. I’m a big fan of Andy Dalton, but I need to see serious development this year before I can crown them Super Bowl favorites. Rookie Giovani Bernard was the best running back in the draft and will give the Bengals a threat they’ve been missing to take attention off of A.J. Green. The defense will finish top three in the league.
Baltimore Ravens 9-7 – I think Joe Flacco deserved his paycheck. He really did. Unfortunately, the Ravens couldn’t afford much else. It’ll be a rebuilding year, but not as much as people may think.
Cleveland Browns 8-8 – Brandon Weeden is going to excel in Nor Turner’s offense. Say what you want about him as a coach, but Turner is a excellent coordinator. The defense is vastly underrated.
Pittsburgh Steelers 8-8 – Please don’t send hate mail. I don’t think they’ll be 6-10, but they won’t be 10-6 either. I’m not a Steelers basher, I’m just a realist that doesn’t wear black and yellow glasses.
NFC Playoff teams –
Cowboys
49ers
Saints
Packers
Falcons (WC)
Seahawks (WC)
AFC Playoff teams –
Patriots
Broncos
Colts
Bengals
Chiefs (WC)
Texans (WC)
NFC Championship game –
New Orleans over San Francisco
AFC Championship game –
New England over Denver
Super Bowl –
New Orleans 35 – New England 24
