Preseason is underway, which means that we’re less than a month away from kickoff! We’re all as hyped as you are, so let’s get some predictions going for each division.
This division frankly doesn’t need any discussion. The Dolphins are a borderline playoff team, the Bills are mediocre with little to no passing game, and the Jets are basically an extra bye week for their opponents.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have led the Patriots to 14 division titles in the last 16 years – the one where they were unable to do so was in 2008, when Brady missed 15 games due to a torn ACL.
Simply put, the Pats have the best coach and QB in the league (and arguably all-time), while also having one of the most efficient offenses and defenses today. They are, as one of the newer memes would say, living in the year 3017.
WRITER’S PREDICTION:
The Pats (-2,000) win the division… with ease… again.
Consider this a lighter version of the AFC East, as they have one team (Steelers) that rule the division almost every year. The Steelers are well-coached by Mike Tomlin, and it can be too much to handle for others that they also have an elite QB in Ben Roethlisberger and arguably the best running back and wide receiver in the NFL in LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown, respectively. It’s simply an offense that’s undoubtedly a couple of notches higher than all the other three squads.
The Bengals have an exciting new WR duo (All-Pro AJ Green and prized rookie John Ross) and the Ravens are a great defensive team, but because those areas can be matched by “Steel City” any day of the week, we can just expect those two to fight for the second place.
As for the Browns, things are indeed looking up because of their very interesting draft. However, they are still “the Browns” since they haven’t proven anything on the field yet.
WRITER’S PREDICTION:
The Steelers (-220) should be able to win it again.
Notice how close their odds are compared to other divisions? Don’t blame people when they draw blanks when thinking about the AFC South – one of the four is a perennial bottom-feeder (Jaguars), and the other three are just too unpredictable. That unpredictability, however, is what makes this group better to watch.
The Texans have emerged as the early favorites. Along with having an elite-ranked defense (allowed the fewest yards in 2016), they have won it in each of the last two seasons and they have one of the best overall coaching staff in the division – coach Bill O’Brien and most of his crew came from Bill Belichick’s coaching tree.
The Titans, though, will certainly be on the running as well. Marcus Mariota and the rest of the offense are now more loaded, and the team’s pass-rushing unit can be disruptive, especially to the Texans, whose QBs are short in experience.
Bottoming the group will be the Colts and Jaguars, as the former is losing its star QB (Andrew Luck) for several weeks and the latter is still developing its core.
Alex Smith twice proclaimed the AFC West as “the best division in football,” and he has an excellent case to prove it. The group is like the AFC South, but instead of up-and-down teams, what they have is a bunch of killers.
The Raiders are a potent offensive unit (seventh in scoring), the Broncos are a defensive powerhouse (fourth in scoring defense), and the Chiefs toe the line of both styles (swept the division in 2016).
The newly-relocated Chargers are the only team that’s getting lost in all of the war, but they do have one of the most consistently productive offenses in the league.
WRITER’S PREDICTION:
The Raiders (+135) and Chiefs will be in a tight race again. This time, though, it’s the Silver and Black that comes out on top.
One of the league’s most buzzed-about divisions should continue being as such. Every team has certain storylines that are intriguing.
The progression (or regression) of the Cowboys’ super rookies last year, Dak Prescott and the possibly-suspended Ezekiel Elliot (domestic violence), will be one; the Giants, who were second in scoring defense in 2016 (17.8 PPG), bringing in veteran wideout Brandon Marshall to partner with Odell Beckham and help bolster the offense will be another.
Philly got their sophomore QB, Carson Wentz, a new weapon in Alshon Jeffery, while the Redskins are hoping Kirk Cousins will be able to continue being a productive play-caller. He, too, has a new key receiver in the QB-turned-WR Terrelle Pryor.
It’s all about Aaron Rodgers and his offense. Last season, when they appeared to be all but done after a four-game losing streak, A-Rod suddenly went berserk and threw 20-plus straight touchdowns without getting picked. The poise that he and his crew have over any of the other three teams is way advanced.
The Vikings will remain being a destructive defensive unit, while also showing flashes on offense with rookie RB Dalvin Cook now in the fold. The Lions, meanwhile, will have big yardage games courtesy of gunslinger Matthew Stafford.
Bottoming the group will be the re-building Bears. Like the Jets, they are an unofficial extra bye week for their co-AFC North teams.
It should be interesting to see how well the Falcons could response from the heartbreaking Super Bowl loss, although whichever direction it will be, they are the worthy favorites of the division. They still have both units intact, which is good, with the offense having Matt Ryan, monster receiver Julio Jones, and a pair of speedy, pass-catching backs, and the defense having Vic Beasley and rising coach, Dan Quinn.
The Panthers have Cam Newton and an aggressive defense that underachieved last year, the Bucs have momentum from an inspiring 2016 and got big-play receiver DeSean Jackson to help Mike Evans, while the Saints are left to be a possible last-placer again. Drew Brees can indeed have his usual 300-plus yards every week, but with his receiving corps losing Brandin Cooks, it’s hard to see any upside.
WRITER’S PREDICTION:
The Falcons (+155) win the division, with the Bucs being a close second.
The Seahawks are the bullies of this division, as evidenced in their vaunted defense – third overall in scoring defense last year and first in the four previous years – and three division titles in the last four seasons. They are bound to punish more teams, as their stop unit’s main core is still young.
The Cardinals, led by the veteran leadership of coach Bruce Arians, QB Carson Palmer, and WR Larry Fitzgerald, are the only team that’s capable of challenging “The Legion of Boom.” If they can avoid the last-second losses they suffered in 2016, we can definitely expect them to once again knock the ‘Hawks out of the top .
As for the Rams and 49ers, they’ll remain way down in the standings. Both have made interesting coaching hires – Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, respectively – but the next few seasons are still rebuilding years, so a division win is far-fetched.
