With the 2019/20 NFL season kicking off tonight with a game between Chicago and Green Bay to celebrate the 100th NFL season; it’s time for my annual NFL preview and predictions.

– AFC EAST:
In the AFC East, I have New England commandingly taking the division once again, while a strong season from the Jets propels them to second place – and a wild card berth. Buffalo improves – but is not good enough – while Miami finishes with the worst record in football.
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System QB or not – Brady’s dominance will be in full force with Bill’s coaching, and arguably the best set of weapons in football. A solid enough defensive unit will do the job for the Pats.
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Sam Darnold is going to be unbelievable this season, and I can’t wait. While Sam, Le’Veon and Jamal may be the stars, the coaching will win this team games. Gase has created the perfect offense for this revamped team, and Gregg Williams has the defense ready to go. Watch out for NY.
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As much as it pains me to admit this, Josh Allen is going to improve vastly. The Bills have done a great coaching job with their QB, and have surrounded him with the right pieces. The defense is also elite, so don’t be surprised if they make a run at the Wild Card.
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The Dolphins are committed to a rebuild and it will show. This team is below average all over the field, and a Fitz-Rosen combination at QB doesn’t help. It’s going to be a mess. Hopefully Rosen takes over, and proves himself.
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– AFC WEST:
In the AFC West, the Chiefs once again top the division, with the Chargers, Broncos and Raiders trailing. Though, the surprise is a underwhelming campaign by Los Angeles that causes them to miss the postseason.
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The Chiefs are going to be a machine once again. Mahomes is back for more and I don’t expect a significant drop off of sorts. Yes, the defense is an issue; but it’s not bad enough to hold them back too much.
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For the Chargers, I think this is the year we realize Rivers is starting to lose more gas in the tank. I don’t expect a traditionally solid year from Phil and the offense. With Gordon, Okung and Derwin potentially missing significant time, I don’t like what may be in store for this team. It‘s unfortunate since they have such a nice core of players on both sides; but this is not their year.
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Denver is an interesting team, as they have a ton of question marks on offense, but also sport a very solid defense lead by Miller, Chubb and Harris. I think Flacco will do an “OK” job and keep himself off the bench, but the offense just has no spark or focal point. 6 or 7 wins seems very reasonable.
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Oakland is also intriguing, and has an opposite situation compared to Denver. Their offense has the potential to be solid. The O-Line is good, we’ve seen what AB can do with his head straight, Jacobs can be a threat, and Carr was an MVP candidate just a few seasons back. My expectations are moderate, but Gruden can surprise. I’ll bet on a “good” season from that unit – nothing spectacular. Though, the defense is very below average – and will hold this team back.
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– AFC NORTH:
Been waiting a while to make this prediction in particular. In the AFC North, I believe Pittsburgh will outmatch Cleveland for the division in a revenge season. Though, Cleveland will swap playoff spots with Baltimore, and Cincinnati will disappoint once more.
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The Steelers had Kardashian-equivalent drama surrounding their franchise last season, and it had a huge impact on their record. Getting rid of Brown and Bell’s headlines will do wonders for this team lead by Tomlin and Ben. This team is inspired, well constructed, and ready to prove everyone wrong. Don’t underrate them.
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For a long time, I contemplated leaving Cleveland out of the postseason picture because of chemistry and coaching doubts. Though, I think their talent is undeniable. It may be tough sledding at first, but I think this group will figure things out by the end. With not much competition for the Wild Card; the Browns may be a safe playoff bet.
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I’ll give Lamar Jackson some sort of a “second chance” this season to prove he’s a legitimate NFL QB, but my hopes aren’t high. We’re going to see more showings similar to the Chargers’ shutdown of Jackson in the playoffs – this season. The rest of the offense isn’t too powerful, while the defense lost several huge pieces – despite adding Earl. 8-8 seems reasonable for this squad.
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This may be the breaking point for Cincinnati. I don’t believe Dalton could lead a solid NFL offense, despite having three solid weapons in Mixon, Boyd and Green (once he returns form injury). That, plus a banged up O-Line isn’t great. The defense is developing, but is still below average. This is going to be an ugly season with the strength in this division.
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– AFC SOUTH:
No Luck? Kinda no problem? Despite his earth shaking retirement, I still believe the Colts will win the AFC South at 9-7, while the Texans follow at 8-8. Tennessee and Jacksonville are one step behind at 7-9.
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I’m a huge believer in Jacoby’s mentality and talent mix. Reports suggest the Colts are pleased with his work thus far, and feel pretty comfortable. I think the coaching, and team is skilled enough to make the adjustment on offense, and it will lead to a solid-enough year for Indy on offense. This team has all the pieces on both sides of the ball to win games, and they’ll surprise a lot of doubters.
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I’ll stand on my claim that Houston is a broken team full of holes. Yes, getting Tunsil is great – but it doesn’t solve their O-Line issues. The weapons are there for Watson, but the defense still isn’t good enough to beat out the Colts in the division. Don’t be shocked when they miss the postseason and go into panic mode.
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I’ll also stand on the belief that Foles will have a very underwhelming season in Jacksonville. He won’t be as brutal as Bortles, but he’s nowhere near the money. The offense won’t be terrible – and Fournette will break out; but they won’t impress too much. The defense will never reach their prior peak, but they’ll be a solid unit.
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Mariota has disappointed his entire NFL career and I can’t see too much changing. Do I think Tannehill is a better option? No. But he can’t lead this team to a playoff season. The offense is near the bottom, and the defense is solid; but it won’t be nearly enough. They’ll find gritty wins, but this isn’t a playoff team.
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– NFC WEST:
In the NFC West, the Rams will assert their dominance for the third straight season atop the division, while decent seasons from Seattle and San Francisco follow. The lowly Cardinals will ultimately finish in last.
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I’ll continue to say it. Bill Belichick and the “Patriot Way” is impossible to replicate, but McVay and the Rams are the closest to it by a mile. This team knows what it’s doing from top to bottom and are here to stay. Expect a very similar performance to last season, which was a success. Also be prepared for Gurley to not get hurt, as they manage his carries to 12-15 a game.
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Seattle too has a great culture from top to bottom, but their team is just simply not good enough to outmatch the other NFC Wild Card contenders. 9-7 is a solid season, but it won’t top the others. I’m excited to see if this team can prove that last year wasn’t a complete fluke, and I expect them to. Just don’t anticipate a huge jump.
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While the beginning of the season will not tell the eventual fate, we will all realize that Jimmy G and the ‘Niners offense will be a force for years to come by the end of the season. Don’t freak out if they have a slower start since Garoppolo is allowed to get a few games to find his groove, coming off an ACL tear. This team has upcoming weapons on offense, and one of my favorite coaches in Shanahan as well. The defense may not be as strong as the other unit, but they’ll have a decent season themselves. No playoffs, but a hopeful finish for San Fran.
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I cannot wait for Kliff to be exposed this year, since it’s going to be a wake up call to the NFL’s cellar dwellers to stop reaching on “offensive geniuses”. This offense is going to be top 20-25 at best, and Murray is going to hit some bumps because of a putrid O-Line. I feel awful for Kyler, DJ and of course Fitz. Without Pat Pete for 6 games, the defense will struggle mightily. This is going to be an ugly year.
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– NFC NORTH:
In the NFC North, the Packers will stun many with a great bounce back season, finishing in first with a tiebreaker over Chicago. The Vikings will have another average season, while the Lions disappoint once more.
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I love what Green Bay did this offseason bringing in so many strong pieces on defense to boost their overall team. This will take much pressure off of Rodgers – who I also expect to bounce back under LaFleur; who I’ve heard great things about as of late. If they could get their HC-QB connection down, watch out for GB.
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Chicago isn’t leaving either as they’ll produce another strong season. Their offensive system is durable, and won’t fade this time around. And we all know how good their defense can be – and they managed to retain enough pieces to put on a repeat performance.
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Minnesota will be a victim of two rock solid teams ahead of them, and a roster that won’t be able to take the next step. I don’t expect Cousins to magically start producing against top teams (his kryptonite) and I don’t see this team returning to their top form considering they haven’t changed much since last season. 8-8 is reasonable.
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Matt Patricia isn’t a good enough HC and Matt Stafford isn’t a good enough QB to lead this team to the postseason. Yes, they have some good pieces and they’re slowly building along, but they’re far from good enough to compete with their division – let alone the strong NFC. They may not be as bad as their record shows, but this team has fourth written all over them.
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– NFC EAST
Talk about top heavy in the NFC East. The Eagles will redeem themselves this season, finishing atop the division in a great battle versus Dallas. The Giants and Redskins both crash down, finishing 3-13.
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I can’t contain my Carson Wentz excitement this year, as I’m expecting an all time revenge / redemption season from the Eagles QB1. Foles is finally off his tail, and it’s his team now. That’s huge mentally. The rest of the team is consistently solid all around on both sides of the ball, but the offense will be especially electric. Love Philly this year.
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For Dallas, I think they’re trending in an amazing direction as well – especially now with Zeke locked up. Dak is now in “prove it” more if he wants the big money, and he’s going to have to perform. Though, the defense is one of the most underrated units in football, and will lead this team as well. Don’t be shocked if they make big noise this year.
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I honestly don’t expect Eli to be terrible this year, but it would be wise to get Daniel Jones some reps in a meaningless season. Having Saquon and some decent weapons in Shepard, Tate and Engram will help his cause. The O-Line will definitely see some improvement, and the defense isn’t that awful either. That write up may have seemed optimistic, but my expectations are low for the G-Men. Though, I’ll continue to support Dan Jones’ development, and their decision to let go of Odell.
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If Alex Smith was in the equation, I’d expect a much different season for this Redskins team, that I liked a lot during last year. Though, I cannot trust Case Keenum and potentially rookie Dwayne Haskins to lead this team to a solid season. Losing Trent Williams is also a massive hole. The offense is going to be towards the cellar. The defense is pretty solid, but it can’t carry this team.
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– NFC SOUTH:
Capping off my NFL divisional predictions is the NFC South. Expect another strong season from New Orleans in a total revenge year, and potentially Brees’ last. The Falcons will bounce back big time, but just miss out. Cam and the Panthers will prove to be a bit overrated once again, while Tampa improves – but struggles in Arians’ first year.
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You guys know I roll with teams that have something to play for, and the Saints are just that. This team has been “oh-so-close” two years in a row, and they are going to be inspired to change that this season. While the offense will be more run oriented, expect another solid year from Brees and Thomas. The O-Line is still rock solid, while the defense is also great. Don’t count them out.
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As much as I wanted to put Atlanta in the postseason, I couldn’t figure it out considering their competition. I think the offense has a massive redemption yet, as the most underrated QB in football – Matt Ryan – reminds us how great he is. Having Koetter back will be huge. The defense was completely banged up last year, so if they could outperform my expectations, the postseason is completely in reach.
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Cam Newton is just not the same and it will show this year once more. The offense will be below average despite having CMC, and the defense isn’t too exciting. This team has 7-9 written all over them, and it may be the end for Ron Rivera.
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I’m rooting for Winston and Arians this season, but I don’t think it will produce a winning season with the strength of their competition. I see Winston improving and the offense being above average – but nothing spectacular. Having no running game will kill them once more. The defense is building, but it is far from fixed. They’ll be better than last season, but not great.
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Now for the Postseason. Here’s what I believe will go down.
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-WC WKND:
In the AFC, the No. 3 Steelers will take down the young No. 6 seed Jets at home, while the No. 5 Browns pull off the road win, against the No. 4 Colts. On the other side, the No. 3 Eagles will defeat the No. 6 Bears at home, spoiling their chance at revenge from the Parkey game. The No. 4 Packers will beat No. 5 Dallas at home as well, in a “Dez Caught It” Game rematch.
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– DIV RD: In the AFC, the No. 1 Patriots will come out victorious against the inspired Browns at home, while No. 2 Kansas City is upset by an inspired Pittsburgh team at Arrowhead. For the NFC, the No. 1 Rams will be taken down by a hot Packers squad on the road. In the other game, the No. 2 Saints beat Philly at the dome.
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– CHAMP WKND: In the AFCC, the No. 1 Patriots ruin the fun once more, defeating Pittsburgh once again at Gillette to move onto yet another Super Bowl. The NFCC is a battle between Rodgers and Brees at the Dome, and I believe the Saints pull this one out to advance to the big game.
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– SB LIV: Finally. Brady v Brees. We all know that if Tommy has one kryptonite, it’s playing in Miami 🙂 Obviously that’s not why I’m picking New Orleans, but I finally think this is their year. I feel scammed from last year as I predicted them to win; and I will again. Brees ends his career on a high note, winning the Super Bowl and retiring right after into the sunset.