Football starts tonight, my friends. I am extremely excited, not only because of football's own glory, but because I means I don't have to worry about that damned disappointment of a baseball team I root for. I could do an entire season preview, and still may before Sunday, but instead I will just give you my playoff picks for this season. These are the teams I think will win their divisions, as well as the two wild card teams for each conference. We'll start in the NFC:
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
Wild Cards: Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals
I think that the easiest picks for the playoffs this year in the NFC are the Packers and Cowboys. While I am sure that the Eagles and Giants can give Dallas a run for their money, I still think the Cowboys are a bit too talented to miss out on the division. Also, I do not think that Sam Bradford will last the season, so the Eagles will fall off towards the end of the season. The Packers are clearly the class of the North, even without Jordy Nelson, and even with the Vikings getting better.
The NFC South should once again be a ridiculous mess. The Saints have improved their offensive line, but lost their best weapon in Jimmy Graham. The Panthers have already lost Kelvin Benjamin. The Bucs are still extremely young. Give me the Falcons. They have the most experience, possibly the most talent, and new coaches to give the franchise some energy.
The Seahawks and the Cardinals will have the closest race in the NFC. As long as Carson Palmer stays healthy, the Cardinals have a chance to win the division. However, given his track record, there is nothing to suggest that Palmer will, so the Seahawks will take the division again. I'll take those improving Vikings to hold off the Giants, Panthers, and Eagles for the 2nd Wild Card.
AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC West: Denver Broncos
Wild Cards: Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs
The Colts are a complete given to win the South. If they don't, they will be the biggest disappointment in the NFL. I think that the Patriots will come back angry as hell, and do their best to run rampant over their schedule. Denver, too, should be the favorite in the West, even if Peyton is another year older. They still have the best weapons of any team in that division, and a solid defense.
The AFC North is always the toughest division to predict. The Bengals are always in the discussion under Marvin Lewis, but merely flop once they get to the playoffs. The Ravens have been the model of consistency since drafting Joe Flacco, almost always getting to the playoffs and getting that one Super Bowl win. However, I think that the boys in Baltimore lost a bit too much firepower on offense to keep up with the Steelers, who have a great QB, excellent running back, and one of the best wideout corps in football.
The Wild Cards in the AFC are much more difficult to pick than the NFC. Baltimore, Houston, Miami, KC, San Diego, and Cincinnati are all realistic options. Some think that the Jets or Bills could also make a push with their new coaches and strong defenses, though their QB questions will keep them out in my eyes. Give me Miami and KC. Ryan Tannehill has gotten better every year, they have excellent young position players, and the team added Ndamukong Suh to their defense. Kansas City is just a team that screams Wild Card to me. Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles, Jeremy Maclin, and a solid defense should put them above the rest of the contenders.
I won't go so far as to predict my conference champions yet, though I do like the Packers,Cowboys, Steelers and Colts to get to the championship games. Hopefully your team, whoever it may be, will do well this season. Or, if you are like me, hopefully your team is bad enough where they have an excellent draft pick. Enjoy the season, readers!
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