FTI Sports prophecy: 2016 NFL Season

by Chris Asbrock

The NFL season kicked off this Thursday when the Carolina Panthers travel west to take on the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos. The Broncos survived their woes early on and managed to walk out 21-20 winners. While there is excitement in the air, football fans all got a little taste this past weekend, with the incredible slate of college games. Like most seasons in the NFL, there will be intriguing story lines throughout this 2016 season. If you are a fan of the league, it will be fun and nerve wracking for all, to watch everything play out.

AFC North:
1. Steelers (12-4)
2. Bengals (10-6)
3. Ravens (9-7)
4. Browns (5-11)

The Steelers are the best team in the AFC but have the unfortunate luck of playing in the very tough AFC North Division. Playing the Bengals and Ravens four times a season, certainly takes its toll, as these three teams beat each other up every season. Under new head coach Hue Jackson, the Browns will be better, but will struggle to make a serious push for the division, as it is very top heavy. As for the Bengals, if Andy Dalton can play as he did last year before his injury, look for the Bengals to battle it out with Pittsburgh for the North title. The Ravens, decimated by injuries in 2015, will not be the 5-11 team that we saw last year. The Ravens will look to bring a renewed offense that will help to balance a struggling defense from last year. Again, injuries were the name of the game last year, so a healthy Ravens team could make a run at the division.

AFC East:
1. Patriots (11-5)
2. Bills (9-7)
3. Jets (8-8)
4. Dolphins (8-8)

Even without Tom Brady for the first four games of the season, due to the Deflategate, the Patriots are still the best team in this division. With Rob Gronkowski leading the receiving corps, the Patriots will always be in good hands. Gronk is one of a kind and will help lead the Patriots to the playoffs once again. The battle for second in this division, and possibly a Wild Card spot is between the final three teams in this division. Any of the three can make a run at the second spot. The Dolphins are certain to improve from their 6-10 record as they have improved on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins got the steal of the draft when they took troubled offensive lineman, Laremy Tunsil in the first round. Tunsil helps fortify their offensive line and will provide much needed size on the line. The Jets are an interesting team in this division. They have the talent and with the signing of Matt Forte, coupled with bringing back Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Jets are poised to challenge for the Wild Card. The Jets were a tough team to call last year due to the fact they had the leagues easiest schedule. Will their solid 2015 translate to a successful 2016? The team with the most intrigue surrounding them is the Buffalo Bills. The Bills under new head coach Rex Ryan, failed to live up to expectations. The seat is already getting warm under Ryan unless he can turn this ship around. The Bills have a solid talent at the skilled positions on offense, which will help improve their offense. The defense is where the improvement must come from. The Bills focused their draft on defense and if Ryan can get this defense to where they should be, look for the Bills to make some serious noise in the AFC.

AFC West:
1. Chiefs (11-5)
2. Broncos (10-6)
3. Raiders (9-7)
4. Chargers (7-9)

There is some intrigue with the AFC West as the defending Super Bowl champions come into 2016 looking much different than last year. The legend PFM, “Peyton bleepin’ Manning” as he is known in Denver, has retired. Under center is untested signal caller Trevor Siemian, who is expected to lead the Broncos to the back to the playoffs. Siemian and the Broncos survived a very tough opening night test against a very good Carolina Panthers team. The Broncos will contend for the division with the Chiefs who are coming off a 11-5 season, where they fell in the AFC Divisional round. While the offense isn’t high flying and flashy, they get the job done. With veteran Alex Smith under center, the Chiefs are in good shape at the quarterback position. Smith will protect the football and manage the game, not putting his team in a bad situation. The Raiders made it a little interesting last season going 7-9, showing flashes of brilliance. That can and will continue if quarterback Derek Carr can continue his solid form from last year. The Raiders will go as far as Carr can lead them. If he struggles, then it won’t be pretty in Oakland. If he plays well, with the weapons around him, the Raiders can challenge for the playoffs. The Chargers are the big wild card in this division. Coming off a 4-12 season, it is certain they won’t be that bad this year. The offense looks to be there for Philip Rivers but can the defense carry their end of the bargain.

AFC South:
1. Texans (13-3)
2. Colts (9-7)
3. Jaguars (8-8)
4. Titans (6-10)

The Houston Texans are the team to beat in the South. The addition of Brock Osweiler stabilizes the quarterback position and upgrades the offense immediately. The Texans should be in great shape to build off their 9-7 as their offense will be much improved from the 19th ranked unit last year. The Colts are coming off a season that saw their franchise quarterback injured. Andrew Luck is playing behind an offensive line that is bad. That line gave up 37 sacks last season. They must improve if the Colts have any hopes of keeping Luck healthy all season. The Jaguars will be the most improved team in the division and have a good chance to make the playoffs. The defense has struggled but the additions of Malik Jackson and Prince Amukamara will help solidify that defense. The Jaguars will be much improved and could be the team that finishes in second in the division. The Titans will be once again fighting an uphill battle. Coming off a dreadful 3-13 season, the Titans will be improved somewhat but not at the same level as the other teams. Second year quarterback Marcus Mariota will be the key for this team. As expected, he struggled last season but must rebound to put up better numbers if the Titans hope to improve.

Wild Cards: Bengals and Broncos

The Texans, Patriots and the Steelers are the class of the AFC this season. The Steelers are the best team in the AFC but have the unfortunate luck of playing in the very tough AFC North Division. Playing the Bengals and Ravens four times a season certainly takes its toll as these three teams beat each other up every season. The Texans and Patriots will be the teams to push the Steelers to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

NFC North:
1. Packers (12-4)
2. Vikings (10-6)
3. Lions (8-8)
4. Bears (7-9)

This will be a two horse race between the Packers and the Vikings. The injury to Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, took away the hopes of a repeat division title. While the division may be out of the question, the playoffs certainly aren’t. The Vikings defense will continue to improve under the finger of defensive mastermind, Mike Zimmer. This Vikings defense will certainly step up and cover for the offense, leading them to the playoffs for the second straight season. There isn’t much to say about the Packers. The offense will be loaded once again and that is great news for the Packers, as they will look to win the division for the fifth time in six years. The Lions will be improved this year but the pressure is once again on quarterback Matthew Stafford. He must be consistent for this team to have any chance to compete. The addition of Marvin Jones to replace Calvin Johnson will help, but he must produce like a number one receiver. The Bears are in the same boat as they were last year, fighting to be noticed in the crowded North. Jay Cutler is known as a gambler and a gunslinger which has caused some issues in the past. The loss of running back Matt Forte will be bigger than some think as the pressure continues to mount on the back of Cutler. Jeremy Langford will take over for Forte and a solid season from him will certainly help Cutler, especially if he can take care of the ball.

NFC East:
1. Redskins (9-7)
2. Cowboys (9-7)
3. Giants (8-8)
4. Eagles (6-10)

This division changed with another injury to Tony Romo and the decision to trade Sam Bradford and start Carson Wentz in Philadelphia. The Redskins won the division last season which was a surprise to everyone in the NFL. The big loss in Washington was the departure of running back Alfred Morris. The loss of Morris really puts a dent in the running game but the passing offense will make up for that. The injury to Romo throws a wrench into the Cowboys early season. Can rookie Dak Prescott continue his fine form from the preseason? If Prescott and rookie stud running back Ezekiel Elliott impress, the Cowboys could be in good shape for when Romo returns under center. The schedule is somewhat favorable for the Cowboys to keep them afloat for the return of Romo. The Giants defense must improve from last year and that is a very good possibility with the additions of Janoris Jenkins, Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison. The Giants can certainly make some noise in this division, like they seem to every year. The Eagles will be just too inexperienced to make a push for the division. The decision to go with rookie Carson Wentz brings clarity to the quarterback position. The rookie can go out and take his lumps this year and hope to improve next year.

NFC West:
1. Cardinals (12-4)
2. Seahawks (11-5)
3. Rams (7-9)
4. 49ers (5-11)

Another division that is a two horse race. The Cardinals and Seahawks will battle it out once again for division supremacy. The Cardinals were blown apart in the NFC Championship game by Carolina. Can they rebound and build off a great regular season is the question that is being asked. Nobody wants to move on more than Carson Palmer who was atrocious in that game. The Seahawks are that team that can pounce if the Cardinals cannot rebound. The Seahawks lost Marshawn Lynch due to retirement but that shouldn’t be too bad as Thomas Rawls stepped in just fine last season. You know what you are getting from the Seahawks so don’t expect much different. The Rams have had an interesting offseason as the team relocated back to Los Angeles. Even though the pressure is there to perform in Los Angeles, the Rams will use the emotion of the return to LA to parlay that into a solid season. The problem is, they are in one of the toughest divisions in football. There isn’t much to say about the 49ers as they are going to struggle mightily. They haven’t recovered from the firing of Jim Harbaugh and that won’t change this season either.

NFC South:
1. Panthers (13-3)
2. Falcons (8-8)
3. Saints (8-8)
4. Buccaneers (7-9)

There is no doubt this division belongs to the Panthers. The Panthers are coming off a trip to the Super Bowl, after dominating the regular season, going 15-1. The Panthers will roll through this division once again. This is the year for Matt Ryan to step up and lead this team back to the playoffs. The receiving corps is good enough to compete and running back Devonta Freeman should have another solid season. The problem is the Falcons have a non-favorable schedule and that will knock them back a few notches. The Saints are in the exact same boat as the Falcons. Drew Brees just signed an extension and the Saints made some solid moves to help improve a dreadful defense. The Buccaneers are one team that could leapfrog the others and make a play for the second spot in the division. The Jameis Winston and Mike Evans combination is one that has blossomed and could be even better this season. Winston had a solid rookie season and will be improved. If Jameis can play like he is expected, the Bucs could be better sooner rather than later.

Wild Cards: Seahawks and Vikings

Wild Card Round:
AFC: Bengals over Chiefs & Patriots over Broncos
NFC: Vikings over Redskins & Packers over Seahawks

Divisional Round:
AFC: Bengals over Texans & Steelers over Patriots
NFC: Packers over Cardinals & Panthers over Vikings

AFC Championship: Steelers over Bengals
NFC Championship: Panthers over Packers

Super Bowl: Steelers over Panthers

MVP: Cam Newton (Carolina Panthers)
Coach of the Year: Bill O’Brien (Houston Texans)