Writer's Block: Time for NFL season prognostication
Another football season is upon us. This is the best time of the year because every NFL team is 0-0 and the most fans are optimistic.
The NFC North race will likely be decided in the final week or two. On paper, the Packers and the Chicago Bears are the best in the division. I think the Packers will repeat as champions mostly because I trust Aaron Rodgers more than Jay Cutler. Both receiving corps are excellent, as are the running backs.
But I think the Bears will have a better defense than the Packers, mostly because the addition of Jared Allen to the Bears is a better upgrade than Julius Peppers going to the Packers. I'm also very skeptical of the Packers safeties and am a big fan of the Bears newest safety Brock Vereen. That's probably the Minnesota Gophers fan in me coming out though.
The Vikings will compete for the division title in the next two to three years. Mike Zimmer is the main reason the Cincinnati Bengals went from laughingstock to AFC North division winners because of the stout defenses he put together. Norv Turner is one of the best offensive minds in the NFL and will do a great job in developing Teddy Bridgewater as long as he gets time to develop.
The New England Patriots will win the AFC East because no other team comes close to their talent level in terms of players, coaches and front office staff. I love the Buffalo Bills defense and running game and the addition of Sammy Watkins, but I need to see more consistency from E.J. Manuel.
The Bengals will maintain hold of the AFC North. Quarterback Andy Dalton is my sleeper Most Valuable Player candidate.
Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the NFL right now and the Denver Broncos spent a lot of money in free agency on upgrading the defense.
My surprise team is the Tennessee Titans. The Indianapolis Colts is the best team on paper, but there are always a few new division winners every year. The Titans finished 7-9 last year, but only two loses by 10 points or more. One loss was 20-13 at Seattle, the toughest place to play in the NFL right now. It all comes down to quarterback Jake Locker staying healthy.
The Philadelphia Eagles will win the NFC East in the final week of the season with a victory over the New York Giants. I really like Tom Coughlin, but cannot pick the Giants to win it when Eli Manning has been a turnover machine and they no longer have the dominate offensive line that helped them win two Super Bowls.
The Arizona Cardinals are my surprise team in the NFC, defeating the defending Super Bowl champs Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West. Arizona finished third in the division last year, at 10-6. They have a solid defense, good wide receivers in Larry Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, a rising star in running back Andre Ellington, veteran quarterback Carson Palmer and a great coach in Bruce Arians.
The team that will win the NFC South and represent the NFC Conference in the Super Bowl will be the New Orleans Saints. Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but where they have improved is the defense. Adding safety Jairus Byrd in the offseason was a key move.
The Patriots are my pick to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, mostly because they win so much even when going through adversity.
My Super Bowl prediction is the Saints over the Patriots.
Eric Hagen can be reached at eric.hagen@ecm-inc.com
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