The NFL regular season is only four days away. Yes, that’s right four days! It has felt very long since professional football was being played, the last time being the Super Bowl in February. I know I have missed it dearly and I am ecstatic that the season is right around the corner. So, I decided to do this article predicting which teams will win their respective divisions and wild card spots this season. I may surprise some of you with my division winners and wild card winners, but believe me when I say I know what I’m talking about.
AFC
AFC East: New England Patriots. This is not much of a surprise pick, as the Patriots basically win the AFC East every year. The reason for this is none of the other three teams have been very good over the past few years. Star quarterback Tom Brady lost some weapons this offseason, but he has a new batch of receivers, such as Danny Amendola, around him to throw to. The Pats should win the division again this year, but they are not going to blow teams out of the water. Despite being known as a weak division, I think one team can give the Patriots a run for their money this season. Check the first wild card winner below for more on this.
AFC West: Denver Broncos. Another non-surprise pick here with the Broncos. They also play in a weak division. Quarterback Peyton Manning was fantastic last season and is due for another great year in his hall of fame career. The addition of wide receiver Wes Welker gives Manning another top-notch receiver to throw to. The team also drafted running back Montee Ball out of Wisconsin. The only threat to the Broncos could be the Kansas City Chiefs, but I am not totally sold on them yet.
AFC North: Cincinnati Bengals. This is a tough division to predict this year, maybe one of the toughest. The Ravens are coming off of a super bowl winning season, but they lost a good deal of key players. The Steelers are another question mark, as they have lost some of their luster over the past years. The Browns really don’t stand a chance and won’t for a while, so the Bengals are the only team I like to win this division. They have a great deal of young talent and an impressive defense, so they should have a very successful year.
AFC South: Houston Texans. Pretty obvious choice here. The Texans have really emerged as one of the best teams in football over the past two or three years. They have a great offense and their defense is getting better every year. The Colts may win a good amount of games, but I see the Texans as the clear-cut division winner this year.
Wildcard #1: Miami Dolphins. Here is one of my surprise picks for the season. I really like what the Dolphins have been doing and this year may be a playoff year for them. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill can break out as a star quarterback at any moment and running back Lamar Miller also shows promise. The team added wide receiver Mike Wallace and their defense isn’t all that bad, either. Look out for the Dolphins this year to make some noise.
Wildcard #2: Baltimore Ravens. I chose the Bengals to win the AFC North, but I still believe the Ravens can sneak into the playoffs again this season. They did lose some players, but they still have a good deal of elite players, such as Joe Flacco, Ray Rice, Terrell Suggs and Torrey Smith. Even without Ray Lewis, the defense will still be good and Flacco should take good control of the offense.
NFC
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys. Sorry, Eagles fans, but I think this is finally the Cowboys’ year. Dez Bryant is emerging as an elite receiver and Tony Romo is also a reliable quarterback (not in the playoffs, though). I don’t really see any other team in the division having a great year, so the Cowboys are the favorite in my eyes.
NFC West: Arizona Cardinals. Here is a nice surprise pick for everyone. The Cardinals had a terrible 2012 season, but they picked up Carson Palmer to be their new quarterback this season and I think that it was a great move on the Cardinals’ part. Now finally someone can throw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, who had a poor 2012 season due to the constant quarterback changes. They also have a new coach in Bruce Arians, who took over for the Colts last year when Chuck Pagano was dealing with his cancer. The 49ers are the favorite in this division, but I do not think they are as elite as some people say. Everybody watch out for the Cardinals this year.
NFC North: Green Bay Packers. The Packers should win the North very easily this year. The only team that may give them trouble is the Chicago Bears, but they are not a team to rely on anymore. The Vikings and Lions are question marks, as well. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the best in the game and he will surely be tearing up defenses again this year.
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons have been elite the past three seasons and they should continue their dominance this season. I believe that the addition of running back Steven Jackson will pay off mightily for ATL. Matt Ryan has two of the best receivers in the game to throw to (Julio Jones and Roddy White) and the defense is very solid.
Wildcard #1: New Orleans Saints. After only going 8-8 last year, the Saints are looking to rebound this year and make the playoffs with Sean Payton back at the coaching helm. Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the game and he has plenty of weapons around him. The defense can use some improvement, but I see the Saints easily winning a wild card spot and making the playoffs.
Wildcard #2: San Francisco 49ers. I took the Cardinals to win the West, so that leaves the 49ers to possibly take the wild card spot. The 49ers had a great 2012 season, but this year they may not be as good. They are a little light at the wide receiver spot, as Michael Crabtree and Mario Manningham are both out for an extended period of time. The team did sign ex-Raven Anquan Boldin, but he is getting up there in age and is not as great as he once was. The defense is still very good and I believe they will help the team very much this season.
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