Big 5 Story Lines from the First Half of the NFL Season

The regular season is already halfway gone, so this is probably as good of a time as any to take a look at what has transpired over the first half of the season. Let’s check out a few of the big storylines after 8 weeks of NFL football.

Past Division Champs Plagued by Injuries

Will the Steelers and Cowboys be able to recover after their rough starts? A year ago, Pittsburgh and Dallas finished at the top of their respective divisions. While the Cowboys definitely still have a chance to win the NFC East, the Steelers will probably have to start thinking about a wild card spot. Things were finally starting to look up for the Steelers, as they were able to hold onto a respectable 4-3 record, even with Roethlisberger injured for a majority of those games. However, the Steelers playoff hopes once again took a big hit, when Le’Veon Bell went down with a torn MCL in the 2nd quarter of their game against the Bengals. After a tough loss to Cincinnati, the Steelers are 4-4 with very slim hopes of winning the AFC North, especially after the Bengals improved to 8-0 last night. However, Pittsburgh still has a great chance at grabbing a wild card spot.

Meanwhile, the loss of Romo seems worse by the week, as the Dallas offense has failed to get their foot in the ground. Not having Dez Bryant for 5 weeks also hasn’t helped the passing game, as neither Brandon Weeden nor Matt Cassel have shown any promise as competent NFL starters. Thankfully for Dallas, their defense, along with the ineptitude of the NFC East have kept them alive in the division race. While they are currently sporting a dismal 2-5 record, don’t count the Cowboys out just yet. However, if Romo isn’t back by Week 11, Dallas may be in too deep of a hole to recover in the NFC East.  

AFC South Will Most Likely Provide us With This Year’s Sub-.500 Playoff Team...

and I would be surprised if it wasn’t the Colts.

The Colts are not a good team. However, let me remind you of their company in the AFC South, which includes the likes of the Jaguars, Texans, and Titans. The Titans just fired their coach Ken Whisenhunt, who had a record of 3-20 during his tenure. The Jaguars may be the most abysmal team in the last decade of the NFL. And the Texans, a team expected to succeed because of their defense, have been one of the worst defensive units in the NFL this year.  Meanwhile their offense has had the unfortunate task of having to decide between Brian Hoyer (who I thought might actually be decent this year) and Ryan Mallett (who got cut because he doesn’t know how to set an alarm clock) as their quarterback. This division belongs to the Colts, even though they will probably drop to 3-6 after their game against Denver this coming weekend. At this rate, it looks like the AFC South may be worse than last year’s NFC South.

Four Undefeated Teams Remain, but Which are Actually Good?

The Broncos have not been convincing until last weekend against Green Bay. Of their seven wins, Denver has won 5 of those games by seven points or less. Denver could very easily have two or three losses on their record right now. However, they have found ways to win. That being said, after dismantling Green Bay on both sides of the ball last Sunday, Denver looks like a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

The Bengals have been making their argument for relevance for a few years now, but without a playoff win on their resume, the Bengals have continued to fall short of their lofty expectations. The regular season will mean nothing to Cincinnati if it is not accompanied by at least one playoff win. So, is this finally the year the Bengals win a game in the playoffs? Cincinnati has proven to be a great home team over the last few years. Assuming they win the AFC North, the Bengals will get to host at least one playoff game. It would be hard to imagine them losing that game.

Are the Panthers legit? If there is one stat that should make Panthers fans concerned, it is that the Panthers have exactly 0 wins against opponents with records above .500. This is obviously due to the fact that Carolina hasn’t even gotten the chance to play a team with a winning record yet. My point is that Carolina has yet to prove themselves this season, with their most impressive win coming against the 4-4 Seahawks. Fortunately, the Panthers will get their chance to prove themselves when they host Green Bay this weekend. With Green Bay coming into town, Carolina will have the benefit of playing their toughest matchup of the season at home. However, I think Green Bay will have the edge. I expect a good game in Charlotte this weekend.

Finally, let’s talk about the Patriots. Ugh, I don’t want to talk about the Patriots. Does anyone like talking about the Patriots’ successes? I’ll pass. They’re 7-0. The Patriots are good. They are always good. The team that you are a fan of is not as good. This makes accepting the fact that the Patriots are always good even tougher. But you have to accept it. Sorry.

The NFC West: Are the Niners Even Worse Than We Thought They Would Be?

Yes. I mean, I predicted the Niners would go 4-12, but my God have they been bad. Things have only gotten worse for the Niners. Vernon is gone. Carlos Hyde is hurt. Reggie Bush came in for like 3 plays, tore his MCL on St. Louis's stupid concrete ring of death, and is now out for the year. Meanwhile, this is all somehow Colin Kaepernick’s fault, so Tomsula has benched him for the great Blaine Gabbert. The one positive out of all of this is that maybe a decent team will pick up Kaepernick. While he has proven to be totally untrustworthy on third down and inaccurate when given the chance, I believe that Kaeprnick still has a chance to be successful in this league. It wasn’t too long ago that Kap was making the Green Bay defense look silly in the playoffs. However, I doubt any teams with a decent roster would be willing to bring in Colin Kaepernick as a project, so maybe our days of seeing Kap’s big runs and rocket launcher of an arm are over.

The NFC South Makes a Complete Turnaround, is it the NFL’s top division?

The NFC South may have gone from worst to best in just one season. Last year, the NFC South was won by the 7-8-1 Panthers. This season, there is a very real chance that the NFC South puts 3 teams in the playoffs. The season is still young, so it is too early to claim that the NFC South is the best division in the NFL. The Falcons and Saints have played well in spurts, but they have not played well enough to stop the doubters. Similarly to the Panthers, the Falcons are yet to play against a team with a winning record.  Perhaps the success of the NFC South has more to do with their scheduling against the AFC South than the actual ability of the teams within the division. Only time will tell if the Panthers, Falcons, and Saints are all true playoff contenders.

Bonus Storyline!

THE RAIDERS ARE FOR REAL?

OK, this might only be a big storyline for me, but I don’t care. I’m not one to get overly optimistic, but watching the Raiders play football has actually been an enjoyable experience this year. Meanwhile, the rest of the AFC West is falling apart (except for the Broncos). The Broncos have been winning in spite of Peyton Manning, thanks to an unbelievably stout defense. Meanwhile, Kansas City and San Diego have been beaten up this season, due to poor play and unfortunate injuries. Rivers will do his best to keep San Diego relevant, but I don’t see them recovering from their poor start. Meanwhile, Kansas City showed life after thumping Detroit in London, 45-10. However, I’m not sure the Chiefs will be true playoff contenders as the season wears on.

If anything will prevent Oakland from making the playoffs, it’s their secondary. While Woodson has played well, he has mainly been taking advantage of some opportune moments, while cleaning up for Oakland’s greatest weakness, their cornerbacks. However, if Oakland can score 30+ points a game (even against a solid defense like the Jets), then maybe they will be able to overcome their defensive deficiencies. The playoffs are suddenly a realistic expectation for the Silver and Black. This is a strange feeling… These aren’t the Raiders I have grown to know...

The season is still young. We’ve got nine more weeks to sort through this mess. Then, the NFL will shift into high gear, as the playoffs attempt to determine who is the best team in football. The season will be over before we know it, unless you’re a fan of the Lions or the Niners. Then it might feel like this season will never end. Good luck to everyone! Go Raiders.

Brosh's Spotlight: The Baltimore Ravens

Who’s next in the spotlight? Congratulations, Baltimore. It’s the Ravens! I wanted to take the opportunity to spotlight Baltimore this week because of how well the Ravens encapsulate the parity of the NFL. Baltimore is a perfect example of how similarly talented nearly all 32 NFL teams are. After watching Week 4’s Thursday Night game between the Ravens and the Steelers, most people, including myself would say, “Wow, Baltimore is lucky not to be 0-4 right now.” And in some ways, that is a fair statement. Baltimore barely squeezed out a win against a Pittsburgh team that was totally inept on offense, due to the injury to Roethlisberger. However, just as easily as I could argue for the Ravens being lucky not to be 0-4, I could argue pretty well that Baltimore is unlucky not to be 4-0 right now.

The Ravens started their season with 3 crushingly close losses. It started in Week 1 against the Broncos, when a late interception in the end zone by Darian Stewart sunk the Ravens. Next Baltimore headed to Oakland (this game was awesome), where Derek Carr threw a TD pass to Seth Roberts to win the game with 26 seconds left. Again, the Ravens were crushed in the final moments. And finally, in Week 3, Cincinnati thwarted Baltimore’s comeback hopes with a late TD in the fourth quarter, as the Bengals defeated the Ravens, 28-24.

Parity. It is synonymous with the NFL. Last season, 7 wins was all you needed to win the NFC South. This year, a perfect 4-0 start only gives you a tie for the division lead. On the macro scale, one season is often not indicative of what the next season will bring. On a micro scale, it is easy to see why. I just explained to you how Baltimore would be just as likely to be 4-0, as they they were to be 0-4 right now. And that is a bold statement! Four games is a significant portion of the season, and I am saying that all four of those games could have gone either way.

Four wins is not just the difference between making the playoffs and missing the playoffs. Four game is often the difference between missing the playoffs and earning a first round bye in the playoffs. Four losses is the difference between the first pick and the fifteenth pick in the NFL draft. Four wins can change a season completely. Four games can be decided by a coin flip (or maybe four coin flips). Four losses can sink a season. Is sixteen games really enough to determine which are the top fourteen teams in the NFL? Are the ensuing single-elimination style playoffs enough to determine the best team in the league? To both of these questions, the answer is no.

So, thank you Baltimore. Thank you for displaying the parity of this league. Thank you for your affinity to performing poorly at the end of games in 2015. But most of all, thank you for losing to the Raiders in Week 2. That meant a lot to me. There was this really annoying kid wearing a Ravens jersey next to me all game. When the Ravens were winning, he kept explaining to me how the Ravens were winning and the Raiders were losing. This was annoying. However, when Oakland took the lead with 26 seconds left, he started crying. There is no more beautiful sound than that of a child crying, especially one from Baltimore.

Brosh's Spotlight: The Buffalo Bills

Welcome to Brosh's Spotlight! I will be using this new medium to periodically spotlight a team and analyze the progress they’ve made throughout the season. So, which team should I go with first? The Raiders seem like they would be the obvious choice. However, it only seems fair that I would start with my predicted Super Bowl Champion, the Buffalo Bills.

Yes, I opened this season with a very bold prediction. And why not?! I clearly didn’t make the obvious choice. I decided that there was no excitement in disclosing the fact that the Packers and Patriots were two of the favorites to win Super Bowl 50. Where’s the fun in that? However, I don’t need to make excuses for my bold prediction! The Bills were my pick and I am sticking to it! Go Buffalo!

And, after an impressive Week 1 performance, I was feeling pretty confident in the Bills, as they thrashed the Colts, 27-14, in a game that was much more lopsided than the scoreline would suggest. With an impressive win under their belt, it seemed certain that the Bills would give the Patriots a real tough matchup at home in Week 2. Buffalo has consistently been a tough place for the Patriots to win in recent memory. So, with a strong defense and an emerging offense, I expected a good game from the Bills. However, that was not the case. The Bills defense didn’t show up, and the Patriots handled the Bills comfortably, 40-32. Again, the scoreline suggested that the game was much closer than it actually was. Fortunately, before the Bills were to become the first featured team in Brosh’s Spotlight, Buffalo would have a chance to redeem themselves in Week 3. And that's exactly what they did. Last Sunday, Buffalo responded with an emphatic victory, as the Bills went into Miami, and absolutely decimated the Dolphins, palindromically, 41-14. Suddenly, the Bills were back on track to being a playoff contender this season.

Through 3 weeks of the regular season, the Buffalo offense, expected to be an afterthought to one of the most prolific defenses in the NFL from last year, has averaged 36 points per game. That is nothing at all to scoff at. I had solid expectations for Tyrod Taylor, and he has met them so far. It helps that the Bills organization has treated their new starting quarterback well, surrounding him with lots of talent, in the forms of Lesean McCoy, Sammy Watkins, Percy Harvin, and Charles Clay. So, maybe Taylor’s successful start to the season should not have been that much of a surprise.

The only part of this successful Buffalo narrative of which I am not a fan is this seemingly misplaced infatuation with Rex Ryan. Rex Ryan has been viewed as a big addition to the Bills this year, and I guess I don't really see why. I think Rex is a fine coach, but not the difference between a successful and unsuccessful Bills team. 

Buffalo was a very talented 9-7 team last year that was led by a very talented defense. After making some hearty additions to the offense in the off-season, this team is nearly complete. Now, if they are given a little time to become a cohesive unit, the future will be looking bright for the Bills. This brings me back to my original point. What is this obsession with Rex Ryan as a coach? Sure, he had two successful seasons as head coach of the Jets, when they lost in back-to-back AFC Championship Games. However, that was followed by four seasons where the Jets failed to finish with a winning record (8-8, 6-10, 8-8, 4-12). It should be noted that Rex Ryan had to work with very bad teams during that time period, so it is hard to blame him completely. However, it is similarly difficult to praise him for the successes of the Jets in his first two seasons as head coach.

Either way, I have never been someone to think that a head coach has a very significant effect on a team’s successes or failures (unless your name is Belichick, Arians, or Jim Harbaugh). So, the whole argument is somewhat moot coming from me. Either way, I would like to point out the successful direction that this Bills team was headed before Ryan arrived. This is a playoff team, with or without Rex Ryan. The Bills are for real this season, and I expect them to be a very good team for at least the next few years.

With that, I will give you my updated prediction for the Buffalo Bills this season.

Original Prediction:

10-6

AFC Wild Card Berth (2nd in AFC East)

Super Bowl Champions

New Prediction (based on 3 weeks of regular season football):

11-5

AFC Wild Card Berth (2nd in AFC East)

Super Bowl Champions

Which team will be next in the spotlight? Stay tuned for more of Brosh’s Spotlight, as this becomes a new feature in everyone’s favorite blog, Brosh Knows Football.

My 2015 NFL Predictions

It was another beautiful day in Oakland, and I was outside drinking a couple beers with my brother Keith. Keith lives in San Francisco, but he is usually happy to make the trip out to Oakland to hang out, and I don't blame him. In Oakland, you get the great weather of the bay area, and unlike neighboring San Francisco, the sun is always shining.

We like to get together about once every couple of weeks, during the Fall to hang out. On this day, Keith was in the middle of telling me about his weekend in Lake Tahoe, when this somewhat husky guy, in full face paint, walked up to us and asked us for one of our beers. It was a little bizarre, but I guess I’ve seen stranger things happen in Oakland. So, my brother and I saw no harm in relinquishing a beer to this peculiar, hyper-friendly man. He happily snatched the beer out of my hand and took a long, full swig of the Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It seemed like he wasn't really enjoying the beer the same way Keith and I were, more interested in the alcohol content than the crisp, refreshing taste. He lowered the beer from his lips, and let out a satisfied breath of air. He seemed pleased, and after a moment’s pause, we figured he would engage us in conversation. However, this champion of a man chose to chug the rest of his bottle of Sierra Nevada. He belched, looked around, and for a moment, seemed totally unaware of our presence. As he stood there, Keith and I wondered if he would even address us again or just walk away, pleased with his prolific consumption. However, our thoughts were cut short, as he spiked the bottle on the ground, and released a celebratory, “Wooooo!” The bottle shattered into a million pieces, sprinkling the ground with sparkling glass crystals. Normally, I would be annoyed; however, my brother and I were so surprised by the abruptness of it all that we just started laughing uncontrollably. We decided that our new face-painted friend was worthy of hanging out with us. He introduced himself as Jeremy.

We got to chatting, and Jeremy started to talk to us about the rough year that we had been having, but how bright the future looked, thanks to all the young talent. Keith and I laughed. We've heard this one before. Fifteen years of being Raider fans had given us the pleasure of hearing every old fan talk to us about how close we were to getting back to the Super Bowl. Additionally, now that we both live in the bay area, we’ve had more chances to go to games. The most absurd optimism can be found at a good Raider tailgate, and it looked like this tailgate would be no different. The Raiders were currently toting an embarrassing 0-5 record, making the whole thing seem more humorous than usual. And, appropriately, the Raiders went on to lose to the Cardinals that day, 24-13.

After going to enough Raider games, you start to hear the same things over and over again. It becomes somewhat amusing what fans of a losing team will say and do. We've heard a drunk fan complain that we need to run the ball more, then complain that our running game sucks and that we shouldn't even bother with it, all within the same few minutes. We've heard fans explain how predictable our offense is, while continually guessing wrong what our play call would be. We’ve even seen one fan arrive in the second quarter of a game, only to leave before halftime, tired of watching the awful game.

When a team is so bad, the complaining and advice is non-stop: “We just need the right coach! We just need the right QB! We just need to get our offensive line together! If we would just stop committing so many damn penalties, we would be great! We need to fire the whole damn organization! Thank God we have JaMarcus; now things will change!”

Oh, JaMarcus Russell… It is unbelievable how quickly a fan will throw all his/her hope into the new star player that gets signed. Fans in general, not just Raider fans, are way too impulsive, but I guess that's the fun of it all. You'd be surprised at how many “Schaub” jerseys you would see at Raider games. This year, we'll see plenty of Cooper jerseys, even though he is yet to play a single regular season snap for the SIlver and Black. Even I have fallen into the trap of blind hope when purchasing a jersey, which is why I will be wearing my Khalil Mack jersey on September 13th, when the Raiders host the Bengals at O.co Coliseum.

Hope. That's what it all comes down to. Well, hope and blind fanaticism. Those are the two things that keep the fans going. It's the reason that tickets still get sold for Raider games. I mean, on a Thursday in November of last year, I stood for four quarters, in the pouring rain, and watched the Raiders win their first game of the year, after ten straight losses to open the season. All the fans in that stadium celebrated as though we had won the Super Bowl. And why not? Sports allow me to emphatically celebrate things that are virtually meaningless in the grand scheme of things. The thrill of a positive outcome, when the future is so unknown, gives me a sense of euphoria that is hard to remember, and nearly impossible to recreate synthetically. Every season makes me want it more. The playoffs. A playoff win. A Super Bowl... I am as dumb and fanatical as they come, when you consider the lousy organization that I have supported for most of my life. I mean, it’s been 12.5 years since the Raiders have made the playoffs, but I still love supporting the Silver and Black. And just like every other fan, I can’t wait for the season to start.

With that in mind, let’s get to my predictions. Playoff teams are shown in bold. Let’s start with the AFC...

AFC West

Denver Broncos: 11-5

Until Peyton finally breaks, the Broncos will own the AFC West. Eleven wins seems like a safe bet. Last year, Peyton finally showed that he was a mortal, as his performance dipped towards the end of the regular season and into the playoffs. So, as Peyton slowly deteriorates, the Broncos will continue to deteriorate as well. However, a bad Peyton is still a great quarterback, so the Broncos will still top the division. However, don’t expect the same, dominant AFC West force that we have grown accustomed to during Denver’s Peyton Manning era.

Kansas City Chiefs: 9-7

Every year, I underestimate the Chiefs. Will I underestimate them again at 9-7? Alex Smith is good enough to lead a good team, but I will just never be convinced that this team is a top talent. Playoff threat? Sure. Super Bowl threat? Not at all in my mind. I like the addition of Maclin, but I am not sure Smith is good enough to take advantage of his new talented target. However, Maclin should work well alongside Kelce, as an addition to Smith’s passing attack. Additionally, having one of the top running backs in the NFL never hurts. Charles will continue to be that dominant presence in the backfield that Kansas City requires, in order to succeed.

San Diego Chargers: 7-9

Is Philip Rivers any good anymore? Well, yeah. But, is he that good? Rivers looked like an MVP candidate last season, before a poor second half performance left his team clearly out of the playoffs. Can he return to his top tier status, which his team requires for him to succeed? I don’t think so. Either way, it will be fun to see how Melvin Gordon does in this San Diego offense. A rookie in the right situation always makes for an interesting storyline. Meanwhile, Gates continues to defy his age, proving just how valuable chemistry with your quarterback can be.

Oakland Raiders: 6-10

I predict an incredibly successful season for the Raiders, one that will result in SIX WHOLE WINS. That’s right! There is some solid young talent to build around, a budding defense, and a fan base that likes to chuck beer bottles on the ground. While I am excited for the season to come, Oakland still has a bit of a ways to go before they are relevant in the AFC West. For now, I’ll gladly accept Oakland as the emerging talent in a division with Kansas City and San Diego stagnating around mediocrity, along with Peyton getting closer to retirement. Come to think of it, Oakland may be closer to relevance than I give them credit for...

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers: 11-5

I like the Steelers chances of winning the division again this year. However, it will not be easy. The AFC North has consistently been one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL for a few years now. And with the Browns looking like a decent team, every divisional game will be tough. Still, I like the Steelers to win the division. Big Ben continues to be that consistent force at quarterback. The defense is formidable. The receiving and running threats are real. I expect Pittsburgh to take the AFC North.

Cincinnati Bengals: 9-7

What Bengals team will we get this year? The defense has been good enough to keep the Bengals competitive in most of their games over the last couple of seasons, and they have the skill position players needed to succeed. However, Dalton will continue to be that question mark. He is an inconsistent piece within a very consistent team. How much longer are the Bengals willing to be a mediocre playoff side? It’s hard to find a quarterback who can be a consistent starter in the NFL, so finding a new quarterback can be a scary prospect. However, one must wonder if Cincinatti will ever reap the rewards of their investment in Dalton. I don’t think they will.

Cleveland Browns: 8-8

The Browns are getting better. I predict that they will finally finish outside of the AFC North basement, but not by much. The Browns have been slowly improving over the last few seasons, and I imagine this trend will continue. I only predict that they will finish 8-8, but I like their potential to be even better. And, when playing in such a tough decision, finishing at .500 is no small feat. I don’t think we will see the Browns in the playoffs this year, but they may be closer than people expect them to be.

Baltimore Ravens: 7-9

The Ravens will take a step back this year. Expect Baltimore to be battling just to be a .500 team. Flacco is a fine quarterback, but I don’t think Baltimore has improved enough, relative to the rest of this division. Forsett showed that he can be the workhorse that Baltimore needs, but as he continues to age, the Baltimore running attack may begin to deteriorate. The Ravens will be a tough team to beat, but I don’t expect to see them back in the playoffs this year.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts: 12-4

This division will continue to belong to the Colts for the foreseeable future. With Andrew Luck at the helm, Indianapolis will be hosting playoff games for many years to come. I see Houston as a minor threat for the division title, but I still expect the Colts to win this division somewhat comfortably. Twelve wins will continue to be very attainable for Indianapolis, as this division continues to be relatively weak. The Titans and Jaguars provide the Colts with four easy wins each year. That is a great boost for a team’s record and playoff prospects.

Houston Texans: 10-6

The Texans continue to threaten Indianapolis’ stranglehold on the AFC South. However, until they can find the right quarterback, this team will continue to struggle. I actually like Brian Hoyer a lot. He played very well in Cleveland and could be just good enough to lead the Texans into the playoffs. With such a strong defense, Houston only needs a passable offense in order to succeed in this league. And similarly to the Colts, the Texans will benefit from the four nearly guaranteed victories against the Titans and Jaguars. I expect to see Houston in the playoffs this year.

Tennessee Titans: 5-11

Mariota is in for a rude awakening in Tennessee. Quarterbacks have had a lot of trouble leading this team to success, as of late. Having a rookie quarterback act as your savior is a tall task, and I imagine that Mariota is not quite ready for that. It will be interesting to see how he develops in the NFL. Other than that, I don’t think the Titans will be worth watching this season.

Jacksonville Jaguars: 3-13

The Jaguars have continued to find ways to stay out of last place in the division lately. This says more about the pitiful AFC South as a division than it does about the Jaguars as a team. Bortles will continue to try to make this team relevant again, but there are just too many question marks for this team. The defense and offense are both not very good, and the team continues to fail to improve during the off-season. The Jaguars are a long ways away from being relevant.

AFC East

New England Patriots: 12-4

The Patriots own the AFC East, and there is no reason that they will be relinquishing it this year. The AFC East is an improved division, but the Patriots are still the best team by a good margin. Even if New England had lost Brady for the first four games of the season, there were no concerns about whether or not the Patriots would win the division. Now with another Super Bowl ring, the Patriots continue to be the team to beat in the NFL.

Buffalo Bills: 10-6

This might be a bit bold, but I really like Buffalo’s chances of making the playoffs this year. Sure, the Bills won 9 games last year, so this prediction might not seem that bold. However, it is just hard to imagine Buffalo making the playoffs, until you consider the fact that this is a really good team. The Bills have one of the top defenses in the NFL, along with an emerging offense. I am excited to see what Tyrod Taylor can do at the helm, as I think he is in an excellent position to succeed. Getting help from Lesean McCoy and Sammy Watkins certainly will not hinder Taylor’s ability to lead Buffalo to the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins: 8-8

The Dolphins are good. Good enough to make the playoffs? I don’t think so. Tannehill has developed into a quality NFL starter, but the AFC East is too competitive this year. I don’t think Miami will be able to grab one of the two wild card spots in the AFC. The Dolphins have been steadily putting together a playoff-caliber squad, but I don’t think the team is quite ready to make the jump back to the playoffs this season. Miami has the potential to be very good, very soon. Just not this season.

New York Jets: 4-12

Will the Jets ever be good again? This circus in New York is always quite amusing. Just when you thought things might regress to normal, when Rex Ryan left, Geno Smith got his jaw broken after getting punched in the face by IK Enemkpali. Sure, New York added another weapon in Brandon Marshall. However, I have been watching the NFL too long, and I know better than to get tricked into thinking the New York Jets might be good. I expect more of the same from New York. Long live the Butt Fumble!

16 teams down, 16 to go. Let’s take a look at the NFC...

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks: 12-4

This division still belongs to the Seahawks, and there is a good chance that the path to the Super Bowl will once again be going through Seattle. The Packers pose the only real threat to Seattle’s pursuit of homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. The main problem that Seattle will run into is the strength of the NFC West. This has not been an easy division to conquer. However, with the core of their team still intact and with the addition of Jimmy Graham, the defending NFC Champions will be the favorites to repeat as conference champions.

Arizona Cardinals: 11-5

The Cardinals are an interesting team. Arizona was the best team in the NFL last season, until Carson Palmer tore his ACL, ending both his season and the Cardinals’ dream of hosting the Super Bowl. So, was Arizona really as good as their 9-1 start to last season would suggest? I am not so sure. Either way, the clock is ticking for the Cardinals, as Carson Palmer is limping towards the end of his career. If Arizona can get one more good season out of him, they may be Super Bowl contenders. Otherwise, who knows how long it will be before the Cardinals find another quality quarterback after Carson Palmer. If last season was any indication, the Cardinals need a good, well at least decent quarterback to succeed.

St. Louis Rams: 7-9

The Rams season will come down to one question: Do you think Nick Foles is actually any good? Foles is in a great position. Assuming Foles does not get hurt, St. Louis will benefit immensely from not having to replace their starting quarterback this year. The Rams were able to put together a decent season in 2014, while having Austin Hill and Shaun Davis behind center. If those two quarterbacks can have mild success, I imagine that Nick Foles will only do better. Consistency at quarterback is incredibly valuable in the NFL. The Rams have the potential to have a great year. Unfortunately, conquering the NFC West will be a monumental task. However, if things fall right, the Rams may have enough talent to make the playoffs.

San Francisco 49ers: 4-12

It’s back to the dark ages for the Niners. This team is really bad again. You got owners and coaches that don’t know what they’re doing, a fleet of players leaving, and a fanbase that has already given up on the season. And I don’t blame them. Jed York moved the team to Santa Clara, fired possibly the best coach in the NFL (and replaced him with some guy named Jim Tomsula), and made a slew of bad roster moves. When you couple all of this nonsense with much of the team’s core leaving due to suspension, retirement, and free agency, you have a real big problem. Meanwhile, the rest of this division continues to get better. The Niners are in for a rough year. Expect an 0-6 division record, and more lame apologies from Jed York this season.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers: 12-4

Sure, the injury to Jordy Nelson hurts this team, but Aaron Rodgers is simply too good. The Packers will win the NFC North again, even without Nelson. While I predict a comfortable division crown for the Packers, don’t expect the rest of the division to just keel over. The Lions were a very strong team last year, the Vikings are only getting better, and the Bears have Jay Cutler (not sure if that’s a good thing). I imagine one of those three teams will challenge Green Bay at least a little bit. Either way, as we get deeper into the season, I expect Green Bay to shift their attention from the division crown to a more difficult task, keeping their Super Bowl path away from Seattle. Expect the Packers to be battling hard for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings: 8-8

Adrian Peterson, possibly the greatest running back of all time is returning, and Teddy Bridgewater is emerging as a young star quarterback. Eight wins might be too conservative of a prediction for Minnesota. However, in a tough division like the NFC North, every game will be hard fought. So, I was not bold enough to predict a playoff birth for the Vikings. However, don’t be surprised if this team is fighting for a wild card spot, late in the regular season.

Detroit Lions: 8-8

With Calvin Johnson healthy, the sky is the limit for this potent Lions offense. Detroit’s defense was very good as well last season, helping them grab a playoff spot. However, a weakened defensive unit, which includes the loss of Suh, may be too much for Detroit to overcome. I expect Detroit and Minnesota to both be battling for playoff spots this season; however, I predict that only Green Bay will make the playoffs out of the NFC North.

Chicago Bears: 6-10

I am not impressed with Jay Cutler. I never have been. Now, take away his best target, and I imagine I will be even less impressed with him this year. The Bears found themselves at the bottom of the NFC North standings last year, and that is where I expect to see them again this year. The Lions, Packers, and Vikings have continued to get better, while the Bears have not. The NFC North is a very good division, and I expect it to be too much for Chicago.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints: 9-7

Will the Saints finally return to winning ways this year? In the weakest division in the NFL, the goal is to predict which team will be the least bad. In my mind, this will be the Saints. Predicting the Saints to win the division with only nine wins should show how little confidence I have in New Orleans. Once an offensive juggernaut, the weaknesses in their offense have been exposed. Meanwhile, there defense continues to lag behind. In spite of all that, I expect the Saints to win the NFC South and return to the playoffs.

Atlanta Falcons: 8-8

What happened to the NFC South? The Saints, Falcons, and Panthers have all had great seasons in recent memory. However, after last season, it is hard to know how talented any of these teams are. I’m still waiting on Matt Ryan to return to his top-tier status, but maybe he just wasn’t that good to begin with. He has one of the top receiving threats in the NFL, in Julio Jones. If Ryan cannot succeed with Jones, maybe Atlanta will have to start looking for new QB options in the near future.

Carolina Panthers: 6-10

It seems strange that Carolina refuses to provide Cam Newton with some decent wide receiver options. Things finally looked slightly better for the Carolina receiving corps, until Kelvin Benjamin went down with a season-ending injury. With Benjamin out, the lack of depth at wide receiver is once again a glaring problem in Carolina. I don’t think Cam Newton is quite good enough to overcome this talent gap. Meanwhile, with Jonathan Stewart inching closer to the end of his career, fans in North Carolina must be concerned about where the offensive production will come from for the Panthers.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-13

Jameis Winston might be a decent starting quarterback one day, but I do not think he will be good enough during his rookie season to turn the fortunes of the Bucs around. Tampa Bay has a squad that is slowly improving, but I imagine that this season will go poorly. However, the NFC South is consistently the hardest division to predict. So, I guess you never know. Maybe this will be a turnaround season for the Buccaneers.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5

There is no question that Eagles have had the most exciting offseason. However, whether or not it was a beneficial offseason is still up for debate. The big headlines were bringing in Murray and Bradford for McCoy and Foles. However, a slew of other moves leaves a lot of questions to be answered in Philadelphia. Personally, it was hard to follow every move that the Eagles made, but I trust Chip Kelly. He has proven himself as a successful college and NFL coach. Now, given free reign to make the moves that he wants, Kelly has had the opportunity to construct a team to his liking. The NFC East will be fun to watch. I expect the Eagles to take the division title.

Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

The Cowboys were not able to properly replace Demarco Murray this offseason. Darren McFadden is at the tail-end of a career which has been somewhat disappointing. Granted, he probably would have had more success if he had spent his career somewhere other than Oakland, but still, if McFadden is fighting for your lead running back role this late in his career, then your running backs are pretty bad. However, the Dallas O-Line is still one of the top units in the league. So, I expect the offense to be successful anyways. While I don’t see Dallas winning the division again, I do expect them to grab a playoff spot.

New York Giants: 6-10

The Giants will not be good this season. The only reason this team is worth watching is to see if Odell Beckham Jr. will make some more spectacular catches this season. Otherwise, don’t bother. Philadelphia and Dallas will be fighting for the division crown again, while New York and Washington battle for NFC East inferiority.

Washington: 3-13

Washington has finally given up on RGIII. It is unfortunate to see such a talented player not reach his potential. RGIII is a good quarterback with incredible athleticism. Unfortunately, when he tore his ACL two and a half years ago, he never truly recovered. So, a new post-RGIII era begins in Washington. Kirk Cousins will try to prove his worth to a frustrated Washington fan base. Kirk and Washington have a mountain to climb. They are likely in for another tough season.

Bonus Predictions:

MVP:

Aaron Rodgers

The defending MVP will be one of the favorites to win the award again, and I don’t see any reason to disagree with that. Nelson’s injury may hurt his chances a bit. However, Rodgers is the best player in the league in my mind, so I like his chances at being crowned the league’s most valuable player, by season’s end.

Super Bowl:

The most likely Super Bowl contenders are Seattle, New England, Denver, and Green Bay. So, it would make sense to pick two of those four teams, but where’s the fun in that? What if I predicted a way more interesting Super Bowl outcome, something like…

Buffalo Bills defeat Green Bay Packers, 20-17

Alright, I couldn’t leave out ALL four of the teams that I mentioned above, but still! The Bills?! That’s right, the Bills!

Tyrod Taylor immediately propels himself to legend status within the city limits of Buffalo, as he leads the least successful Super Bowl franchise in NFL history (along with the Minnesota Vikings) to victory, over one of the most prolific franchises in the history of the NFL.

Well, there you have it. The NFL season is only hours away now. Everyone’s favorite team is currently undefeated. If you were wise, having already read my predictions, you wouldn’t even waste your time watching the actual NFL season. However, I guess you could still watch if you really wanted. I will admit that there is a small chance that I don’t predict the season 100% accurately, but that would be pretty surprising.

Anyways, sorry to all the die-hard fans that I may have offended with my predictions. From one fan of an awful team to another, I wish you good luck. Now, let’s get the season underway! Football is back! Go Raiders.