Ahead of the NFL season starting tonight here is my by now annual prediction!!
AFC North:-
Ravens - 14-3
Browns - 13-4
Steelers - 12-5
Bengals - 4-13
AFC South:-
Titans - 13-4
Colts - 9-8
Jaguars - 4-13
Texans - 2-15
AFC East:-
Bills - 12-5
Pats - 11-6
Dolphins - 7-10
Jets - 4-13
AFC West:-
Chiefs - 15-2
Broncos - 9-8
Chargers - 9-8
Raiders - 3-14
Making the playoffs - Ravens, Browns, Steelers, Titans, Bills, Pats, Chiefs
NFC North:-
Packers - 13-4
Bears - 5-12
Lions - 4-13
Vikings - 3-14
NFC South:-
Bucs - 14-3
Saints - 10-7
Falcons - 8-9
Panthers - 5-12
NFC East:-
Cowboys - 8-9
Washington - 6-11
Giants 4-13
Eagles - 2-15
NFC West:-
Rams - 13-4
Seahawks - 13-4
49ers - 12-5
Cardinals - 11-6
Making the playoffs - Packers, Bucs, Cowboys, Rams, Seahawks, 49ers, Cardinals.
Wild card round:-
AFC:-
Bills - Browns - Browns
Titans - Steelers - Titans
Ravens - Pats - Ravens (unfortunately but I think us Pats fans will settle for being a playoff team once again)
NFC:-
Seahawks - Cowboys - Seahawks
49ers - Rams - Rams
Cardinals - Packers - Packers
Divisional Round:-
AFC:-
Ravens - Titans - Titans
Chiefs - Browns - Chiefs
NFC:-
Packers - Rams - Rams
Bucs - Seahawks - Bucs
Conference Round:-
Chiefs - Titans - Titans
Bucs - Rams - Bucs
Super Bowl:-
Titans - Bucs - Titans
Yes my prediction is left field but I love the combo of Julio and AJ Brown as wide receivers with Henry as the running back. Tannehill is a reliable QB too. Plus with Vrabel they have an excellent coach so have a chance.
In reality you can't look past the Bucs or Chiefs again. Browns may have the best roster in football but I still question whether they have the mentality to succeed yet. Time will tell. Ravens will be hard to beat and will stand a very good chance to get to the super bowl.
Packers have the weakest division in football so they can thank their lucky stars. Yes I'd take Jags and Colts over Bears, Lions and Vikings. No comment on the Texans!!
Also it will be too early this year but don't sleep on the AFC West - Chiefs apart obviously - as I really think the Chargers and Broncos are a couple pieces away from being deep playoff contenders, let alone just playoff contenders. In fact I'd go so far as to say that the Broncos are a QB away from really pushing the hard to make a deep playoff run. So Chiefs won't have the West as easy as piss in the next 5 years imo.
Rams with Stafford will see a huge improvement and I think the Seahawks are capable of going all the way but I have them facing the Bucs early. But they can beat the Bucs.
As for my Patriots. I don't have massive expectations. I think we'll finish anywhere from 10-7 to 8-9. So probably 9-8. I think we'll be competing with the Dolphins, Broncos and Colts for the final playoff place. I don't think we'll get better than that and as such we'll face the No.1 seed in the Chiefs and lose. But I just want to see progression. I want to see how the returnees on defense come back, how the new tight end corp get on and above all how Mac Jones gets on. I'm delighted to have got him and from what my family tell me as they've watched him in person he is the real deal. So I want this first year to come back and be a playoff team. Then next year be a contender to reach the AFC conference game. We aren't that this year, which I accept and really am ok with. As we're starting out from such a bad place in terms of talent on the roster last couple of years.
Let's see how I get on this year!
