I have broken out my crystal ball once again like I do every year in late August to look into the future and tell you how the 2017 NFL season will play out. After my amazing spot on predictions for the 2015 season I took a small step back last year with my 2016 picks. I still predicted 4 of the 8 division winners correctly and I predicted one division exactly in the order they finished (AFC West.) I feel a little more confident about this years picks and everything is coming in very clearly on my crystal ball.
So, without any further fan fare here are my predictions on how the season will play out with a quick little blurb on each team.
AFC East
1) New England-The Edelman injury hurts more than some think but they are still the class of this division.
2) Miami (WILD CARD)-Defense is a mess; if Miami can fix it they will be fine. Offense will be great.
3) Buffalo-Organization is a disaster top to bottom and Tyrod Taylor is overrated.
4) NY Jets-If they didn’t play Buffalo twice I would think there is potential for the Jets to go 0-16, but odds are they win at least 1 and maybe 2 games this year.
AFC North
1) Pittsburgh-They are the only team in the AFC that can beat New England in the playoffs.
2) Cincinnati-Down year last year but I think they bounce back with a nice season.
3) Baltimore-Flacco’s health is key and he isn’t 100%. Offense is so-so and defense is rebuilding.
4) Cleveland-Not as bad as some think. They will win 4 to 5 games. Team that is on the rise.
AFC South
1) Tennessee– Good young roster. Want to see more from Marroita though. Team on the rise.
2) Houston- Poor QB play will hold this team back.
3) Indianapolis- Luck has no help around him and this team is still weak on o-line and d-line.
4) Jacksonville- A total dumpster fire on offense. They win free agency every offseason then win 3 games during the season.
AFC West
1) Kansas City– Great coaching, smash-mouth style, overall a solid team.
2) Oakland (WILD CARD)- I’m not totally buying the Raiders hype. Defense wasn’t good last year and Carr had one good year. Nice team but not great in my eyes.
3) Denver- They don’t have a quarterback, it’s just that simple.
4) LA Chargers- This team is ok but something is just missing. Team doesn’t have a strength on either side of the ball you can depend on.
NFC East
1) NY Giants– I think the Giants are ready for a big season. Parts on offense and defense are in place.
2) Dallas (WILD CARD)- Not having Ezekiel Elliot for a few games will hurt. Dak has to prove last year wasn’t a fluke. (Even if Elliott suspension is put on hold or reduced, I still like the NYG better than Dallas)
3) Washington- Cousins and the offense will score enough just not sure about that defense.
4) Philadelphia- In any other division they are better than a last place team. Defense overall and offensive line issues here will hold them back.
NFC North
1) Green Bay– Class of this division and best team in NFC North by far.
2) Detroit- The head coach holds them back but if they get better on defense they will be ok and fight for a wild card.
3) Minnesota- The skill positions on offense aren’t impressive at all. QB is average at best. Bland boring team here.
4) Chicago- Bad, Bad, Bad!
NFC South
1) Atlanta– The Super Bowl hangover is real. Solid team top to bottom still.
2) Tampa Bay (WILD CARD)- Like Tennessee this is a team who is on the verge of greatness.
3) New Orleans- They still have Drew Brees and Sean Payton but not much else around them.
4) Carolina- If Newton isn’t a clown they could fight for a wild card spot, but Newton is always a clown.
NFC South
1) Seattle-Horrible division they will win by default. Seattle is an o-line away from being great again.
2) Arizona-Great coach, great RB, old QB. If they stay healthy this is a sleeper team to watch in 2017
3) LA Rams-Goff looks like a total flop. Team is a mess.
4) SF 49ers- Organization in disarray in my opinion.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Pittsburgh over New England
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: NY Giants over Green Bay
SUPER BOWL: Pittsburgh over NY Giants
NFL MVP: Russell Wilson
SUPER BOWL MVP: Ben Roethlisberger
NFL COACH OF THE YEAR: Ben McAdoo
NFL ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Dalvin Cook
Follow Us on Twitter: @DolphinsTalk
Visit DolphinsTalk.com
Be sure to check out our friends at The Phinstones on their Facebook Page: CLICK HERE
And check out their store where they sell Custom Made T-Shirts: CLICK HERE
