Unexpected things happen every season in the NFL and I don’t see this year being any different. Trying to predict exactly what will happen in the NFL year to year is like trying to get sleep when you have little kids. It’s impossible! The NFC is wide open, while the AFC is the most competitive it’s been in a really long time. Below, you will find some teams that could either underperform or outperform their expectations. Since Im sure some fan bases will have opinions about these predictions, feel free to leave a comment to let me know what you think!
1) Ravens will earn a bye with a 1 or 2 seed
The AFC teams that make the playoffs this year will have to earn it this season! In order to earn a 1 or 2 seed, they will need to first win their division. I don’t think this will be a problem (See Bengals below). The Ravens had the worst health of any team last season. With a healthy Lamar and secondary that could be one of the best in the league. This team is poised to make a run. They just need some better luck with injuries.
Lamar Jackson was not able to get a contract extension so he will be as hungry as ever this season trying to prove that he deserves to be one of the highest paid players in the league. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is right there in the MVP discussion by the end of the season. Harbaugh is a great coach who has already proven he knows how to win a championship.
2) Vikings will win the NFC North
If you are a Vikings fan, this is music to your ears! The Packers have won this division 7 of the last 11 seasons. First, the Packers lost Davante Adams as everyone knows. This was Rodgers’ go-to guy and I don’t see any way that their passing game doesn’t decline this season. On a positive note for the Packers, they may have the best 1-2 punch at Running Back in the league with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, but not much for weapons other than that.
As for these Vikings, I believe the new head coach will make a huge difference for this team. Zimmer was a decent coach, but their offense was getting stale and lacked creativity in my opinion. I think Kevin O’ Connell will do just that with this team. Also, I think the addition of Za’Darius Smith is huge since he will help their pass rush, plus they took a good player away from the Packers. Kirk Cousins has also been quietly pretty solid the last few season so I don’t see that changing this year. This could finally be the season they finally overtake the Packers and win the NFC North!
3) Bengals will miss the playoffs
Yes, the Super Bowl hangover is real, especially when you are talking about a team that only finished 10-7 last season. They got hot at the right time to make their magical run last season. Don’t get me wrong, they earned their way in to the big game! I just think it will be very hard to repeat that hot run for a full season. They will have to deal with a healthy Ravens team this season as they were ravaged by injuries last year. I think the Ravens will win this division with one of the best secondaries in the league and a healthy team all around. Lamar Jackson is hungry for that new contract so he is out to prove that he deserves BIG money!
If the Bengals don’t win their division, the wildcard in the AFC will be extremely tough. They will have to compete with a couple teams out of that loaded AFC West. They will also have to deal with the Colts, Titans and more than likely the Dolphins out of the AFC East. It wont be easy for them to make the playoffs this year and I think they could be yet another victim of the dreaded Super Bowl hangover.
4) Chiefs will miss the playoffs
I love me some Mahomes, but I think they will take a step back this season. They play in a division that is incredibly loaded with all 4 teams having a chance to win it. First, the obvious loss is Mr. Tyreek Hill. He was Mahomes big weapon down the field and no one on their roster can fill those incredibly athletic shoes. I think another big loss for them was when the “Honey Badger” Tyrann Mathieu left for the Saints. He was a big time leader of that defense and they didn’t do much to make up for their loss of leadership and talent.
This is very common for a team to take a step back once they have to pay a superstar QB like Mahomes. They don’t have as much money to spend as they used to, as you can see with Tyreek Hill jetting off to Miami. The Chiefs will also have one of the toughest schedules in all of football, which doesn’t make matters any easier. The 6 games alone vs the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders will be tough to make it out alive! You can always be competitive when you have a QB like Mahomes and a head coach like Andy Reid. I just think the lack of talent around them and having to compete in the best division in the league will be too much to overcome.
5) The Saints will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl
The two favorites in the NFC are the Rams and Bucs. First, the defending champion Rams are going to be feeling a Super Bowl hangover a little and it’s hard to stay healthy and repeat 2 years in a row. You could see this in Week 1 vs the Bills on Thursday night. They looked flat and the Bills took full advantage of that.
As for the Bucs, they have a 72 year old quarterback (I may be off by a year or two?) who is showing signs of a slight decline. Don’t get me wrong, Brady is still the GOAT! He lost his buddy Gronk to retirement this season and their offensive line is already completely ravaged by injuries before we have even started the season. This means a couple under the radar teams could surprise some people.
The Saints are the first team that may do just that. They will have a completely different wide receiver core. Michael Thomas is returning and they drafted Olave in the 1st round. Kamara and a good offensive line to go with better WR’s means this offense should definitely take a step forward. Their defensive addition of Tyrann Mathieu will greatly help their defense. As long as Jameis doesn’t throw interceptions, they should have as good of a shot as any to shock the world!
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