2017 Division Prediction Thread

[CowboyB]

AFC East: Patriots

Not much of a write-up needed. This is the easiest call year in and year out until Bill Belichick stops being the best coach in the game and the rest of the division stops being pretty awful.

NFC East: Cowboys

If Zeke gets suspended I don't think it will slow the Cowboys down enough. Both the Eagles and Cowboys saw good performances from their rookie QBs and shouldn't much as far as expect sophomore slumps. Kirk Cousins has solidified himself as true threat by being able to put up big numbers but the defense is still developing and won't have enough to take the division. I don't think the Giants will be a threat while they have TO 2.0 otherwise known as Odell Beckham Jr although their defense did make a big improvement last year. Having a distraction like that is only going to hurt them.

AFC North: Steelers

I really like the steps the Steelers took in offseason improving their defense. My biggest concern is Ben's commitment to the game as that can translate into playing with less passion. Still with arguably the best WR / RB combo in the league, I think they have enough to win the division again. I do think the Bengals will give a much better challenge than they did this year. Could the Browns finally not suck? I think they have a chance in the dark to land between 7-9 & 9-6 if Deshaun can manage an NFL offense. I can see the Ravens taking another step back as the Bengals & Browns improve.

NFC North: Packers

This is almost as good of a lock as the AFC East. I don't see Sam Bradford ( ) being the guy to take down the Packers without Adrian Peterson. I also don't think Matt Stafford can repeat the year he had and da Bears are going to be bad for awhile as they are rebuilding

AFC South: Titans

The Titans choked away 2-3 games last year and should have won the division. The recent signing of the 5th pick of the 2017 draft Corey Davis and the addition of Eric Decker gives Marcus Mariota the weapons he needs to make up the difference of those games. The Titans have a solid D and I don't believe in Andrew Luck and don't believe in the Texans. This division is hungry for a standout and I think the Titans will be that team.

NFC South: Falcons

This is a hard one for me. I am a fan of the Cam and the Panthers, I think they will rebound from last year and there is the hangover factor looming on the Falcons but I think they stay hungry and win the division again. The Buccaneers are going to be the sexy pick but I still think they are 1-3 years out from taking the division. There will definitely be at least 1 Wildcard from this division.

AFC West: Raiders

It's going to be interesting watching what the Chiefs do with their QB situation. Will the rookie win the top spot or will they go with Alex Smith so they can ease Mahomes into his role. Either way I think it will keep the Chiefs from winning the amount of games they need in order to keep up with the Raiders. The Chargers will be fighting their own demons with their weird situation in LA and the Broncos still need a better QB option IMO

NFC West: Cardinals

I don't like the Cardinals and really don't like Carson Palmer but I think they will have fixed what prevented them from living up to expectations last year. They have at worst the 2nd best RB in the game and one of those last hurrah vibes with Fitz, Palmer and maybe even Bruce Arians. I also think this is the year all of the drama catches up to the Seahwaks as the team is becoming less and less loyal to HC Pete Carroll. The Rams and 9ers are a joke. Nuff said about those two teams.

 

[Clayton]

Will the rookie win the top spot or will they go with Alex Smith so they can ease Mahomes into his role.

Alex Smith will be the starter and Mahomes will be the backup for as long as the team is competing for a playoff spot and Alex Smith is healthy. Thats a no-brainer imo.

 

[CowboyB]

Alex Smith will be the starter and Mahomes will be the backup for as long as the team is competing for a playoff spot and Alex Smith is healthy. Thats a no-brainer imo.

You are close to the situation so I can't argue with that. I also think it's the most likely but could you see a situation where Mahomes plays extremely well making him the starter? All he has to do is be a game manager and he would automatically give the Chiefs more options with his arm.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

You are close to the situation so I can't argue with that. I also think it's the most likely but could you see a situation where Mahomes plays extremely well making him the starter? All he has to do is be a game manager and he would automatically give the Chiefs more options with his arm.

It would very muchso surprise me if Mahomes started any games that had any meaning whatsoever unless Alex got his head torn off. With that being said, I do think Mahomes starts a couple for insert injury/playoff lock here.

 

[Clayton]

You are close to the situation so I can't argue with that. I also think it's the most likely but could you see a situation where Mahomes plays extremely well making him the starter? All he has to do is be a game manager and he would automatically give the Chiefs more options with his arm.

Mahomes does have an arm though his deep ball is actually the weakest part of his game as a prospect. Alex Smith also missed 2 games last year and is the QB most reliant on YAC possibly in NFL history but the team is still built to be pretty good right now and Alex Smith has respect from the players (ranked #81 in the NFL last year somehow) so he is pretty difficult to replace imo.

Factor in that Mahomes is coming from the Air Raid system and he pretty much has the built in excuse to be the QB of the future. I think the people most expecting Mahomes to rise up are optimistic Chiefs homers but its not something I would bet on unless Alex Smith regresses his play. Smith is in a weird 7.0-7.4 YPA spot where he plays just well enough to keep his job but not good enough to be a franchise QB.

 

[NWPATSFAN]

AFC East: Patriots

Not much of a write-up needed. This is the easiest call year in and year out until Bill Belichick stops being the best coach in the game and the rest of the division stops being pretty awful.

NFC East: Cowboys

If Zeke gets suspended I don't think it will slow the Cowboys down enough. Both the Eagles and Cowboys saw good performances from their rookie QBs and shouldn't much as far as expect sophomore slumps. Kirk Cousins has solidified himself as true threat by being able to put up big numbers but the defense is still developing and won't have enough to take the division. I don't think the Giants will be a threat while they have TO 2.0 otherwise known as Odell Beckham Jr although their defense did make a big improvement last year. Having a distraction like that is only going to hurt them.

AFC North: Steelers

I really like the steps the Steelers took in offseason improving their defense. My biggest concern is Ben's commitment to the game as that can translate into playing with less passion. Still with arguably the best WR / RB combo in the league, I think they have enough to win the division again. I do think the Bengals will give a much better challenge than they did this year. Could the Browns finally not suck? I think they have a chance in the dark to land between 7-9 & 9-6 if Deshaun can manage an NFL offense. I can see the Ravens taking another step back as the Bengals & Browns improve.

NFC North: Packers

This is almost as good of a lock as the AFC East. I don't see Sam Bradford ( ) being the guy to take down the Packers without Adrian Peterson. I also don't think Matt Stafford can repeat the year he had and da Bears are going to be bad for awhile as they are rebuilding

AFC South: Titans

The Titans choked away 2-3 games last year and should have won the division. The recent signing of the 5th pick of the 2017 draft Corey Davis and the addition of Eric Decker gives Marcus Mariota the weapons he needs to make up the difference of those games. The Titans have a solid D and I don't believe in Andrew Luck and don't believe in the Texans. This division is hungry for a standout and I think the Titans will be that team.

NFC South: Falcons

This is a hard one for me. I am a fan of the Cam and the Panthers, I think they will rebound from last year and there is the hangover factor looming on the Falcons but I think they stay hungry and win the division again. The Buccaneers are going to be the sexy pick but I still think they are 1-3 years out from taking the division. There will definitely be at least 1 Wildcard from this division.

AFC West: Raiders

It's going to be interesting watching what the Chiefs do with their QB situation. Will the rookie win the top spot or will they go with Alex Smith so they can ease Mahomes into his role. Either way I think it will keep the Chiefs from winning the amount of games they need in order to keep up with the Raiders. The Chargers will be fighting their own demons with their weird situation in LA and the Broncos still need a better QB option IMO

NFC West: Cardinals

I don't like the Cardinals and really don't like Carson Palmer but I think they will have fixed what prevented them from living up to expectations last year. They have at worst the 2nd best RB in the game and one of those last hurrah vibes with Fitz, Palmer and maybe even Bruce Arians. I also think this is the year all of the drama catches up to the Seahwaks as the team is becoming less and less loyal to HC Pete Carroll. The Rams and 9ers are a joke. Nuff said about those two teams.

Good unbiased write up. Nice to see some honesty on these boards. You said you don't like x team but still pick them. Good on you.

AFCE spot on
NFCE need to count Brandon Marshall addition to that WR Corps. So I'm taking them over Dallas. But their season ends with their first playoff appearance and NE fans rejoice.
AFC and NFC North Steelers and GB you nailed it.
AFCS I like the Titans but can't sleep on the Texans. I think this is a battle all year.
NFCS give me the sexy pick. I can't stand Cam and I think the SB hangover will undo the Falcons.
AFCW I'm with you on the Raiders.
NFCW I'm taking the Seahawks. One last year before they are done. AZ gives them a run at it this year.

 

[Clayton]

Slam Dunk picks:

AFC East: Patriots
Easily the possibility of having a top 3 offense and a top 3 defense and being favored in almost every game by double digits.

AFC North: Steelers
Probably closer to a 10 or 11 win team with Big Ben maybe missing a couple of games or the D getting exposed here and there but the top half of their roster is as good as it gets in the NFL.

NFC North: Packers
Rodgers will find a way. Bradford and Stafford will find a way not to. Bears still a year away.

Contested:

AFC South: Titans
They had some secondary issues last year and some receiver issues and Mariota always seems to get banged up but certainly they have some legit talent especially in the trenches. Not the type of team that will win more than 10 or 11 but like the Steelers a team that can do legit damage in the playoffs.

AFC West: Chiefs
I'm too biased here to pick anything other than the Chiefs. I think every team has about even odds, to be honest, though I'm not sure the Chargers really have to wonder if they are cursed because on paper they should be the favorites and yet their team always falls apart with injuries and turnovers. Raiders dont have any defensive success and are coming in with a highly paid QB that is used to awesome protection and lots of tight wins. I think this might be the weakest division in the AFC next year.

NFC South: Panthers
2 horse race with the Falcons and Panthers. Bucs might flirt with competing but I feel like Winston has a ceiling that the other more veteran QBs don't have in this division. Picking the Panthers is based more on emotion that anything else because the Falcons lost in one of the worst ways possible.

NFC East: Cowboys
I always pick the Cowboys wrong so I'd be worried if I was a Dallas fan but in theory they should only be getting better while other aspects were maybe a bit of an overachievment. The Redskins and Eagles maybe overachieved a little bit last year and the Giants might have, too. I don't think this division will be as strong as it was last year and the Cowboys seem like the safest bet.

NFC West: Seahawks
Arizona has a ton of turnover and Carson Palmer is probably too old to rely on at this point. David Johnson probably can't be any better than he was last year and they didn't win last year and now their defense is probably not going to be as good. I actually think the Rams have the best chance of challenging the Seahawks but I'm too sober to pick the Rams to win a division.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

AFCE: Pats. Miami is a little interesting but they're a year away from being a serious anything as far as contention is concerned. Could be a factor int he WC race this year, but they are moving in the right direction more than not for the first time in a while. Bills and Jets aren't relevant.

AFCN: Steelers need to keep Ben healthy and happy. Should be enough to hold off the Ravens but again- everyone needs to stay healthy or they're a bad bounce away from a WC. Ben's statistical decline last year is very worrisome longterm, but this season he's probably good still.

AFCW: Raiders can roll out the same gameplan from last year and win 9-10 games after accounting for 1 score regression. Might not be enough, but if they want to avoid being leapfrogged for the division by the other three teams, that defense or Carr will need to make a jump. Not convinced it will happen, but they do oddly appear to be the most stable team out of a chaotic bunch. Marginal favorite, but only by a weak plurality. Probably the most up in the air division in football right now.

Chiefs have a lot more flux than you'd think for a roster with low roster turnover for the most part outside of the name guys in Maclin and Poe. But they also have a clear as mud outlook at ILB, CB2, WR, and LG. There are also questions about if the passrush can be relied upon with its health. Run D? Also in flux though I do think it looks noticeably better on paper. Alex Smith is the progenitor of ALEX. I have little to no idea what to expect from this team and I have been pretty opinionated there in the past.

Chargers probably have the best team on paper on both sides of the ball, but at some point you're going to want to see the production come forth and not just hype. Keenan Allen is where to be found? Can Varrett be healthy? How does Phillip look over 16 games at his age? New coach? I have so many questions for this group but it has gotten much, much more talented in the past two years. This is the most volatile group- bet on these guys at your own risk but don't be shocked if they win the division.

Broncos with the all world pass defense. Can they stop the run? and can they score? I don't think Siemian or Lynch currently inspire confidence as I write this, and this team probably has the lowest floor out of all these teams on paper. Outside chance at playoffs nonetheless though. They won a SB with a carcass at QB- something about lightning striking twice though.

AFCS: Titans. Talent on both sides of the ball. That'll do fine in this division. Don't @ me about Watson or Luck for this year. And hell to the no with Bortles.

NFCW: Seattle. Don't overthink it. Arizona might get a WC if things go well.

NFCS: Toss-up, feeling Falcons today but could say Bucs tomorrow. Bucs OL and QB I am not enamored with but the defense is increasingly interesting. WR's are nice too. Saints could sneak into a WC as well.

NFCE: Cowboys. I think in the end this offense will prevail long enough for the defense to put humpty together back together enough to win this division. Not seeing it for Washington or New York. No confidence in Wentz to take advantage.

NFCN: Packers. Aaron Rodgers. The Lions aren't good, the Bears are going to be terrible, and the Vikings OL will prevent that team from making a more serious push at the division, imo.

 

[Clayton]

AFCS: Titans. Talent on both sides of the ball. That'll do fine in this division. Don't @ me about Watson or Luck for this year. And hell to the no with Bortles..

I think Luck is the best QB in that division but I'm not sure there is a team in the NFL that has failed the draft as much as the Colts in the past 5 years.

 

[rmilia1]

AFC East
1. Pats 14-2
2. Dolphins 7-9
3. Bills 6-10
4. Jets 3-13

AFC North
1. Pitt 11-5
2. Cincinnati 9-7
3. Baltimore 9-7
4. Cleveland 6-10

AFC South
1. Titans 10-6
2. Colts 8-8
3. Jags 7-9
4. Texans 6-10

NFC East
1. Dallas 10-6
2. Philly 9-7
3. Giants 9-7
4. Redskins 5-11

NFC North
1. Packers 10-6
2. Vikings 8-8
3. Lions 8-8
4. Bears 3-13

NFC South
1. Atlanta 11-5
2. Tampa 10-6
3. New Orleans 8-8
4. Carolina 7-9

NFC West
1. Seattle 11-5
2. Arizona 10-6
3. San Fran 5-11
4. Rams 4-12

 

[Southieinnc]

I think Luck is the best QB in that division but I'm not sure there is a team in the NFL that has failed the draft as much as the Colts in the past 5 years.

Not to worry, Luck is learning to throw left-handed.....

 

[Fountain City Blues]

I think Luck is the best QB in that division but I'm not sure there is a team in the NFL that has failed the draft as much as the Colts in the past 5 years.

The latter is more what I am focused on.

 

[rmilia1]

Andrew Luck has roughly the same career numbers for most stats as Colin Kaepernick

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Andrew Luck has roughly the same career numbers for most stats as Colin Kaepernick

Proof that stats can lie.

 

[rmilia1]

Proof that stats can lie.

Or proof that either Luck is overrated or Kaepernick is getting blackballed

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Or proof that either Livk is overrated or Karpernick is getting blackballed

Both can be true without comparing a sub top 25 guy to a top 10 guy.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Kaep YPA: 24th
Luck YPA: 5th

 

[rmilia1]

Both can be true without comparing a sub top 25 guy to a top 10 guy.

Personally I have Luck 13-15 and Kaepernick around 18-20

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Personally I have Luck 13-15 and Kaepernick around 18-20

We can't be friends if we can't resolve this crisis of QB Ranking

 

[rmilia1]

We can't be friends if we can't resolve this crisis of QB Ranking

It's a real pickle