Impact Sports prophecy: 2018 NFL Season

1. Bengals (12-4)
2. Steelers (10-6)
3. Ravens (7-9)
4. Browns (6-10)

The Bengals come into the 2018 season with an obscene amount of talent offensively. Joe Mixon will establish himself as one of the top running backs and offensive threats in the NFL. While many of the national pundits don’t put any stock in the Bengals this season, the team has certainly bought into the offensive scheme of Bill Lazor and defensive scheme of Teryl Austin. Since the players have bought in, it could mean big things for the boys in the Queen City. Battling the Bengals will be the Steelers once again. These two teams have been going after the division for a few years now. The Steelers will always be competitive but the question is whether or not they will be competitive enough to make the playoffs. With Ben Roethlisberger almost at the end of his career, the Steelers made the move to pick up his successor, Mason Rudolph. Le’Veon Bell is one of the top running backs in the league and is a huge weapon for the Steelers offense. The talent doesn’t seem to be there for the Steelers like in years past, but one thing is certain, you cannot sleep on the black and gold. The Ravens and Browns will not be a threat to the top two in this division. While they will be competitive, neither team seems to have enough talent to make a major push for the playoffs. The play of Joe Flacco has gone down since his Super Bowl win and massive contract. Granted, the talent around him has been reduced as well. The Browns could be poised to overtake the Ravens and finally get out of AFC North basement. The Browns have stockpiled draft picks over their many years of irrelevancy. When that talent comes to fruition, combined with their organization finally getting it together, they could be a big player in the AFC North.

1. Patriots (13-3)
2. Dolphins (7-9)
3. Jets (5-11)
4. Bills (4-12)

The New England Patriots once again head into the season as the class of AFC East. Tom Brady and Coach Bill Belichick have run rough shot on the East and this year will be no different. As long as Brady is the quarterback of the Patriots, the division will continue to go through Foxboro. The Dolphins have a good amount of talent on their roster but the main concern will be the health of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill has spent a good amount of his NFL career injured and that is the last thing the Dolphins need this year. If he can manage to stay injury free, the Dolphins will hope to compete for a Wild Card spot. Brock Osweiler is the back up for the Dolphins so if Tannehill does go down, their playoff hopes do as well. The Jets and Bills are both made significant moves during the draft, each selecting their franchise quarterbacks. With rookies Josh Allen and Sam Darnold under center for their teams, look for the Bills and Jets to both take a step back. This division will continue to run through Foxboro for as long as Brady and Belichick are leading the way.

AFC West:

1. Chargers (10-6)
2. Broncos (9-7)
3. Chiefs (8-8)
4. Raiders (6-10)

The AFC West is one that is up for grabs. The Chargers might be the one team that can step up and take the division. Phillip Rivers finally has a team that will not be in the AFC West basement. Over the last few seasons, the Chargers steadily improved and it should all pay off this season. Antonio Gates resigned and will give them stability at the tight end position, with the injury to Hunter Henry. The Denver Broncos have been the class of the division for a while but have taken a major step back after their Super Bowl victory. The quarterback carousel through the Mile High city has been one to watch and seems to have stopped with the signing of Case Keenum this offseason. The Broncos defense should once again be solid, with the addition of Bradley Chubb to go alongside Von Miller. The Broncos will need a solid team performance this season if they expect to make it to the playoffs. The Kansas City Chiefs were a solid player in the west over the last few years but they decided to make a change at quarterback. Out went veteran Alex Smith and stepping up is Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs really like Mahomes and his gunslinger type play. Smith was the so called, game manager, which was a mantra that has stuck with him. Smith did a great job for the Chiefs during his time there but was unable to bring home the Lombardi Trophy. The Chiefs are looking for Mahomes to step up and provide more solid play under center. If Mahomes can meet those expectations, then the Chiefs could have a fantastic season. On the flip side of that spectrum are the Oakland Raiders. The Raiders shocked the NFL world when they traded their top player, Khalil Mack, to the Chicago Bears for draft picks. Just when we thought the Raiders were starting to turn the corner, they fall off the ledge and trade away one of the top defensive players in football. Along with the trade went the playoff hopes of the silver and black.

AFC South:

1. Jaguars (12-4)
2. Titans (10-6)
3. Texans (9-7)
4. Colts (5-11)

The AFC South division has flipped from the Colts being the class of the AFC South, to the Jaguars,  Titans and possibly the Texans as the teams to beat. The division has one of the better collection of quarterbacks in the league. The division features Andrew Luck, Marcus Mariota, Deshaun Watson and Blake Bortles. While none of the quarterbacks have had tremendous playoff success, the talent is certainly there for them to make a run. The Colts don’t have much talent around Luck once again, so don’t expect the Colts to be a significant player in the division race. Jacksonville made a run to the AFC Championship last year before getting handled by the Patriots. Jacksonville can do that again this year if Bortles can play like he did last season. Jacksonville boasts one of the top defenses in the league and will rely on them to win them games once again. The talent is there for the Jaguars to contend for the AFC Championship so the Jags don’t need Bortles to win them games, they need him to manage a game and not lose it. The Titans are another team that have a lot of talent and could very well step up and snag the division away from the Jags. Mariota will have to take a step up and lead this team moving forward, as what is expected from a franchise quarterback. Running back Derrick Henry, will help take some pressure off of Mariota, with a solid season. 

Wild Cards: Steelers and Titans


The Patriots will once again be there in the playoff picture along with the Bengals and Steelers. The Los Angeles Chargers, Jacksonville Jaguars and Tennessee Titans will be joining the playoff party. With any team being able to knock off anyone at any time, this could be a fun playoff run to watch. The Bengals, Jaguars and Patriots look to be the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. During the playoffs, it is tough to bet against Brady, Belichick and the Patriots.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE

NFC North:

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

Once again, this will be a two horse race between the Packers and the Vikings. This looks to be the case for the next season or two as both teams are incredibly strong. The Vikings had the best defense in the league last season and added major pieces in Sheldon Richardson and George Iloka. With their defense getting stronger, their offense improved a lot as well. They added Kirk Cousins at quarterback and are getting stud running back Dalvin Cook back from injury. The Vikings will be a very dangerous team this season and don’t be stunned to see them represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The Packers have Aaron Rodgers so they are an almost automatic lock to be in the playoffs. The Lions are going to be average this year under new head coach, Matt Patricia. Being in the same division as the Vikings and Packers doesn’t help. The Lions are lucky to have Matthew Stafford flinging to ball to some talented receivers. The Chicago Bears have their franchise quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky and have added some wide receivers to help him out. The Bears pulled off a blockbuster deal a few days ago when they acquired Khalil Mack from the Raiders for draft picks. Mack is one of the top linebackers in the game and will solidify the defense.
 
NFC East:

1. Eagles (11-5)
2. Cowboys (8-8)
3. Giants (7-9)
4. Redskins (6-10)

The defending Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles are looking to repeat as Super Bowl champions. The Eagles rolled through the season with quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Nick Foles playing fantastic football. When Wentz went down with an ACL injury, Foles stepped in and took the Eagles to the promised land. This year, Foles will have to step up big early until Wentz can come back at 100 percent. While it was only the preseason, the play of Foles brought some cause for concern while Wentz was sidelined. With the Eagles being the clear cut favorite for the division, the battle is for second place and possibly a wild card spot. That battle comes down to the Cowboys and Giants. Both teams don’t have the weaponry to compete for a playoff spot. The Cowboys lost Dez Bryant and Jason Witten so Dak Prescott is going to struggle finding people to throw to the ball to. Ezekiel Elliott is their only hope for offensive points. The Giants defense is what let them down last season and there isn’t really any reason why that will change this year. The Giants might have Eli Manning and OBJ but that is really it. Rookie Saquon Barkley was an absolute stud in college and if he can perform to his expectations, the Giants can easily overtake the Cowboys for the runner up spot in the division. The Redskins lost Kirk Cousins and with that came losing any hopes of making the playoffs. While they did replace him with veteran Alex Smith, Smith hasn’t been one to step up and take a game over. Without that, the Redskins will once again be in the division basement again.

NFC West:

1. Rams (12-4)
2. Cardinals (8-8)
3. 49ers (7-9)
4. Seahawks (6-10)

The NFC West is really a one team show with the Rams building an incredibly solid team out west. The Rams already had a solid team and added more talent on both sides of the ball. The Rams will be a force for years to come. With Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh leading the offense and defense respectively, the Rams don’t look like they will be going anywhere soon. The Cardinals and 49ers will be battling it out for the second spot and possibly a wild card birth. The Cardinals drafted Josh Rosen to eventually take over as the franchise quarterback. Sam Bradford is slated to be the starter with Rosen as the backup. If Bradford struggles early this season, the calls for Rosen to start will increase. The 49ers added a few veteran pieces to try and improve their team. After acquiring Jimmy Garoppolo, the Niners went 5-0 with him under center. The expectation is there for Jimmy G to repeat his impressive performance from last year. Don’t expect the Niners to be as solid as they were towards the end of last season, especially with teams getting accustomed to Garoppolo and the offense. If Garoppolo can find his form from last season, the Niners could make a serious push for double-digit wins and a wild card birth. The basement of the NFC West will be occupied by the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle quickly went from the cream of the crop to the cellar. The Seahawks lost a lot of key pieces, including the Legion of Boom. Losing the Legion of Boom means losing the entire identity of the team. For years, when you thought of the Seahawks, you thought of the Legion of Doom on defense. Without them, the swagger has gone away from this team and so will the wins. Until they can rebuild, Seattle doesn’t look to contend for the division any time soon.

NFC South:

1. Falcons (12-4)
2. Saints (10-6)
3. Panthers (8-8)
4. Buccaneers (5-11)

The Atlanta Falcons are one of the most talented teams in the NFL and pose one of the most lethal offenses. Former NFL MVP quarterback, Matt Ryan is blessed to have an incredible set of receivers to spread the football to. Ryan has the luxury of picking Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu or Calvin Ridley to get the ball. Toss in running back Devonta Freeman, and you get one of the favorites to hoist the Lombardi Trophy at the end. With Drew Brees under center, the New Orleans Saints have the potential to make a run in the playoffs. Any offense that is lead by Brees will be potent and that won’t be any difference this season. Brees and the Saints offense will put up points. The pressure will then fall on their defense to keep them in games and lock down a few wins. If the improved Saints defense can step up alongside the offense, the Saints can be a serious player when the postseason comes calling. The Carolina Panthers are one team that could be either 6-10 or 10-6 this season. The Panthers should have enough offensive talent to be competing for a playoff spot. The defense is where things could go sour. The secondary is where the Panthers could be taken advantage of. Should the Panthers secondary step up in support of the defense, Cam Newton and Panthers could be playing deep into January. There isn’t much to say about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers aside from them being a massive disappointment once again. The Bucs looked to be in a great spot to take a step forward but once again found themselves in the basement of the NFC South. Unless Jameis Winston can rise up and carry this team on his back, the Bucs will once again be firmly planted in the NFC South basement.

Wild Cards: Packers and Saints


The Philadelphia Eagles will head into the playoffs, looking to defend their Super Bowl title but will face resistance from a few teams. The Vikings, Rams, Packers, Falcons and Saints are just a few teams that could derail the Eagles championship hopes. Depending how the knee for Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz holds up, it could go a long way in determining where the Eagles will finish the season. Heading into the season, Wentz had yet to be cleared for contact. The Eagles could be prime for the picking if Wentz sees any more time off. The NFC playoff picture is more wideopen compared to the AFC playoff picture. With that being the case, the NFC playoffs will be must see playoff television.

Wild Card Round:
AFC: Jaguars over Steelers & Titans over Chargers
NFC: Eagles over Saints & Rams over Packers
 
Divisional Round:
AFC: Bengals over Jaguars & Patriots over Titans
NFC: Vikings over Eagles & Falcons over Rams

AFC Championship: Patriots over Bengals
NFC Championship: Falcons over Vikings

Super Bowl: Falcons over Patriots

MVP: Matt Ryan (Atlanta Falcons)
Coach of the Year: Dan Quinn (Atlanta Falcons)