American Football Conference

This division will again be dominated by the Patriots as Miami, New York, and Buffalo will be rebuilding and nowhere near their level.  With New York and Buffalo expected to play rookie quarterbacks, expect rough seasons for each of these franchises.

 

Another porous division in terms of competition, expect it to be dominated by the Steelers, but a little closer than usual due to the Le’Veon Bell contract situation.  Baltimore will compete for a wild card spot, though whether they are led by Joe Flacco or Lamar Jackson remains to be seen. We foresee another rough season for the Cincinnati fan base, as it might end the tenure of head coach Marvin Lewis.  Cleveland will experience the most improvement in this division by winning 4 games after going 0-32 the past two seasons.

This division will surprise a lot of people by being surprisingly competitive. It will be led by Jacksonville, who will get better after losing in the AFC Championship game last season.  Deshaun Watson will lead the Texans and work himself into the MVP conversation, with a defense bolstered by the return of superstar J.J. Watt.  Tennessee will regress a bit but will still have star potential with Marcus Mariota and receiver Corey Davis, while the Colts will remain in the cellar with an inadequate offensive line to protect Andrew Luck and a lackluster defense.

The Los Angeles Chargers will dominate this division with a dangerous passing attack led by veteran quarterback Philip Rivers and pass rush led by Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.  The Chiefs will rely on a high-powered offense to produce wins, while Denver and Oakland undergo significant personnel changes in a rebuilding year.

 

National Football Conference

This will be one of the best divisions in football, led by the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, who record could even improve with the return of a healthy Carson Wentz.  New York will complete a 360-turnaround from a year ago with a revamped offense, while the Cowboys will remain competitive with running back Ezekiel Elliott.  Washington will be one of the best teams with a losing record with their season dependent on the quarterback play of new acquisition Alex Smith.

This will be a sleeper division with all four teams having the possibility to be competitive, led by the Packers with quarterback Aaron Rodgers looking to rebound  from a lost season.  Minnesota will regress a tad, possibly regretting  the switch in quarterbacks, and Chicago improves mightily with the offseason acquisition of linebacker Khalil Mack.  Detroit will remain in the cellar with a decent offense held back by a suspect defense.

Atlanta wins this division with the best overall combo of potent offensive and a deep defensive unit, while New Orleans comes close with a dangerous tandem on offense with Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara.  Carolina falls off the table compared to last season based on a declining offense with a lack of weapons to support quarterback Cam Newton.  The Buccaneers finish in the cellar with a discombobulated roster with a lack of playmakers on either side of the ball.

With a down NFC West division, the Rams run away with it, boasting one of the best records in the league, led by running back Todd Gurley and a stout defense.  San Francisco gets off to a hot start after a fantastic finish to last season, while Arizona continues the rebuild with rookie quarterback Josh Rosen.  Seattle finishes with one of its worst records in recent years due to a horrible offensive line and a deteriorating defense after the exit of multiple stars.

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