FINALLY, PRO FOOTBALL!

With all its’ controversy, from official reviews of pass interference, star holdouts and the joke of the pre-season, the NFL Week 1 is here.
Sportsbozos, in the first 2019 article is going to make some Playoff and Super Bowl predictions. We are going to provide a concise take on each team in each division and expand on that as we roll through the season.

First, the divisions:

AFC EAST

Last year’s Super bowl Champs, the PATRIOTS should roll through the season as they play in the NFL’s weakest division, on paper at least. New England does not encounter a playoff team from last year until Week 9 when they play the Ravens Nov. 3rd. Eight straight games vs. weak teams and the six cakewalk division games against the Bills, Jets and Dolphins. Factor in a schedule that includes the Giants, Redskins and Bengals and you have a Belichick/ Brady machine that should be at least a 12 win team with a Bye in the playoffs and a 1st or 2nd seed in the conference.

The JETS and BILLS will decide 2nd place in the division as we watch two exciting young QBs, Darnold and Allen develop. Both of these teams have a shot at 8 wins. LeVeon Bell will be interesting to watch in his first season with the Jets. Optimistically looking at 8-8 for the Jets and 7-9 for the Bills, but no wild card for either.

The DOLPHINS have acquired top draft picks for next year and are starting the dinosaur Ryan Fitzpatrick over Josh Rosen after letting perennially mediocre Ryan Tannehill hit the road for Nashville. The talking heads insist the Fins are tanking for the 2020 first pick (Tua Tagovailoa) in light of the trade that sent Kenny Stills and Laremy Tunsil to Houston. We think they’ll play hard despite the perception of tanking and be better and play closer games than most people think. However, four or five wins are maybe all they can hope to chalk up.

AFC NORTH

The Cleveland BROWNS are the media darlings and are looking for their first division title in 30 years. Stocked with OBJ, Baker Mayfield, Jarvis Landry and Myles Garett combined with a weakened Steeler team as a result of the loss of Antonio Brown, one would logically hand the division to Cleveland. However, the Ravens, with the unpredictability and explosiveness of Lamar Jackson have an upside after obtaining Mark Ingram from the Saints. The Three Dog Fight in the AFC North will be fun to watch.

The STEELERS are still a team that has lots of talent and can’t be counted out. We’re not ready to turn the division crown over to the Browns just yet. However, we are going out on a limb by believing the RAVENS will surprise and capture the division with 10 wins and Cleveland will rack up 9 and make the Wild Card. Pittsburgh will again fall short with just 8 victories. The BENGALS will have one of the more pathetic seasons in their existence, Dalton will be gone by mid-season and Cincinnati, with its depleted offensive line, will be lucky to hit the 4 win mark.

AFC SOUTH

The COLTS suffered immensely with sudden retirement of Andrew luck but still have a lot of talent, especially on defense. We don’t have a lot of confidence in backup Jacoby Brissett. Without Luck, Indy is looking at a 7 or 8 win season.

The TEXANS are all-in this year, trading monster DE Clowney to the Seahawks and trading for Tunsil and Stills. Coach O’Brien is banking on the talent of Watson and Hopkins to win the division. We think the defense will be their demise, despite JJ Watt, and Houston will be a 9 win team.

The JAGUARS are an enigma. First time full-time starter Nick Foles is at the helm, a definite upgrade from ousted Blake Bortles. If Fournette can stay healthy and the defense steps up to their 2017 form, then Jacksonville will be a formidable opponent. This division can be won with the 10 victories we predict for the Jags.

The TITANS struggle offensively every year under their defensive minded Coach Mike Vrabel. QBs Tannehill or Mariotta will manage their games not to lose and we expect many boring low scoring affairs that will be tough to watch. Seven wins won’t cut it this year for Tennessee in a weak but evenly matched division.

AFC WEST

This division will produce the Super Bowl Champion Kansas City CHIEFS.

KC, under 2019 League MVP Patrick Mahomes will dominate this year with 13-14 wins, garner the #1 seed and finally unseat the Pats as the AFC Champs. We expect Mahomes, with TE Travis Kelce, new addition Shady McCoy and an improved defense to pull away from a CHARGERS squad that will be severely impacted by the loss of holdout Melvin Gordon. The team formerly from San Diego will pose little threat despite being talented and finish with 9 wins and miss the playoffs. The last game of the season between these two 2018 AFC powerhouses likely won’t decide anything.

The BRONCOS and RAIDERS are still regrouping and will likely tally 5-6 wins each and pose no threat this season.

Chiefs over Patriots in the AFC Championship game. Jacksonville and Baltimore will win the other two divisions and Cleveland and Houston will get the Wild Cards. Will TB-12 take a beating and retire? It’s a Mahomes world this fall and we’re just living in it!

NFC EAST

The EAGLES and COWBOYS are certainly favored to secure the division over the Redskins and Giants. Philly, with Wentz healthy, are a Super Bowl contender in a relatively weak NFC. The first 5 Eagles games starting with Washington are against weak opponents before they head to Minnesota Week 6. A dominant start should propel them to an 11 win season and the division.

The COWBOYS with a late signed Zeke Elliot butt heads with the giants at home Week 1 but have Chicago Minnesota, GB, after the Saints game Week 4. Dallas and Dak Prescott are overrated and we suspect at best a 9 win season, which will not be enough make Jerry happy with a playoff berth.

The GIANTS are going to be a most difficult team to predict. The TV pundits have them going 6-10 but with the best RB in the League- Saquon Barkley running and catching the ball and a talented, speedy TE Evan Engram, and the reliable Sterling Shepherd on offense, the G-Men are capable of surprising anyone. The question of when to replace veteran Eli Manning with rookie heir-to-the-throne Daniel Jones will hover over the Giants head all season. We think the Giants will either stick with Eli, good or bad, all season or wait until their 9th loss (out of the playoffs) before making a change. The Giants will not be as bad as everyone predicts and could post 7-8 victories. It’s really about the Giants defense. Last season the D couldn’t hold anyone in the 4th quarter suffering 5 losses in games they were ahead late. Landon Collins is gone and Jabril Peppers will need to step up.

The REDSKINS front office is a mess and the team is going to struggle again with a lack of leadership and direction. #1 pick Haskins will sit while QBs Keenum and McCoy and below average receivers make a mess out of the offense. Good news is RB Derrius Guice has returned from injury and will be a rushing force for Washington. A shoddy defense will get the Skins 5-6 wins, any more than that would be remarkable.

NFC NORTH

The VIKINGS and the BEARS will fight this one out with Minnesota winning the division and Da Bears securing the Wild Card. Vikes improve to 10 or 11 wins and Chicago will regress to 9 or 10 wins. Both teams are very talented and Minnesota has the edge with WR Thielen and Diggs while Chicago’s defense is better (Khalil Mack). Could go either way.

The PACKERS and LIONS are still a notch below Minnesota and Chicago. Both will improve to 7 wins but it won’t be enough to get a spot in the tournament.

NFC SOUTH

Besides New Orleans, this division sucks and that is only beneficial to the SAINTS. Pencil in 5 division wins and the team that deserved to play the Pats in last season’s Super Bowl will dominate the division and the NFC on its way to a 13 win season. Drew Brees, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara are supremely motivated to correct last year’s horrific non-call that kept the Saints from the big game.

The FALCONS, PANTHERS and BUCCANEERS are all below average teams who will chalk up 7 wins or less and fail to secure the Wild Card.
Tampa is counting on an abysmal Jameis Winston to lead them to the depths of the NFC, while Atlanta’s Matt Ryan will again underachieve. Cam Newton’s antics and ego is going to land him on the IR. Everybody wants a piece of this big mouth.

NFC WEST

The Bozos are going to make a wild prediction and go against the heavily favored LA RAMS to win this division and pick the SF 49 ERS.
Slippin’ Jimmy Garappolo is back and ready to chuck the rock to the best TE in football George Kittle and find ways to win. This QB, who was stifled under Brady, has the uncanny ability to kick it into gear at crunch time. Jimmy is creative and if the Niner defense is staunch as expected, we see SF being the surprise of the NFL and making the playoffs as the #2 seed.

The RAMS blew their chance and were pathetic in their Super Bowl planning against the Pats, getting embarrassed 13-3. Belichick ran circles around McVay. Goff is another QB that is overrated and overpaid. Something is seriously wrong with Todd Gurley and LA will suffer because of it. Nine or ten wins and a Wild Card game is more likely for LA than an easy division title. Had to take a shot somewhere!

The SEAHAWKS are a decent threat to make the Wild Card with a fairly easy schedule that includes two games vs. Zona, TB, ATL, the Bungles and the Panthers. Thinking they’ll fall just short.

The CARDINALS with Kyler Murray are going to be interesting. Larry Fitz in his last year with the #1 pick could provide some excitement, but the defense is so horrific, Arizona will have a battle keeping teams under 30 points. The best the Cards could hope for is five wins and another great draft pick.

Saints over Vikings in the NFC Championship game. Niners and Eagles win the divisions while the Rams and Bears get Wild Card games.

The KC Chiefs will capture the Super Bowl over the NO Saints in an offensive display. Young Mahomes guts it out over the old dog Brees winning the shootout and the game MVP.

-HB