The NFL is back!
What a weird NFL season it will be without Tom Brady playing after officially retiring (for real this time). Aaron Rodgers will still be wearing green, but not the familiar Packers green and gold as he follows in his predecessor’s footsteps and moves from Green Bay to New York (err Jersey) to play for the Jets. Will his relocation end better than Favre’s did?
Sean Payton returns to an NFL sideline this year to take over in Denver. Can his offensive magic rejuvenate Russell Wilson and have the Broncos live up to the hype they had going into last season?
The Cardinals seemingly have already punted on this season, will they get the #1 overall pick?
As usual, I will have my weekly NFL picks with the spread posted each week of the season. But before we begin the season, let’s get to how I see the 2023-24 NFL season finishing up (italics means I expect that team to make the playoffs):
AFC East
1. Buffalo Bills
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. New England Patriots
Comments: This might be the most interesting division in the NFL this season from a storyline perspective. I could realistically see every team having a winning record this season. The New York Jets are the headliners adding Aaron Rodgers, but is it enough to win the division? Can the Bills finally capitalize on all their potential and make the Super Bowl? Can Tua stay healthy for the whole season and lead Miami to the promised land? The Patriots actually have an offensive coach calling plays this season will it make a difference for Mac Jones? For all the offense talk, defense is going to define the division as each team should have a top 10 defense this season.
AFC North
1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Cleveland Browns
Comments: Joe Burrow’s preseason injury doesn’t look like it will cause him to miss any significant time which is good for the NFL as the Bengals have one of the deepest WR groups in the league. One thing is for certain, as long as Mike Tomlin is the head coach of the Steelers, they will be competitive to the end – his teams never quit.
AFC South
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Tennessee Titans
3. Houston Texans
4. Indianapolis Colts
Comments: This is the season that Trevor Lawrence will cement himself as one of the premier young QBs… or it probably won’t happen. DeMeco Ryans is going to have the Texans more competitive this season, they won’t be an easy out for anyone, but they are probably at least a year away from seriously competing for the division.
AFC West
1. Kansas City Chiefs
2. Los Angeles Chargers
3. Denver Broncos
4. Las Vegas Raiders
Comments: The Chiefs are going to be in the division race for as long as they have Mahomes. If Chris Jones doesn’t end his hold-out it could potentially have the Chargers sneak in to win the division though. I don’t think Sean Payton will be enough to have the Broncos meet their high expectations from a season ago.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Washington Commanders
4. New York Giants
Comments: The Giants overachieved last season and Daniel Jones got paid as a result. Can they do it again? I don’t think so. The Cowboys and Eagles are going to be neck and neck until the end of the season.
NFC North
1. Detroit Lions
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Minnesota Vikings
4. Chicago Bears
Comments: I am on the bandwagon, the Lions have had plenty of preseason hype this season and that usually doesn’t bode well (ie: Broncos last season), but I am a believer. They play hard and the talent is there. This division is not going to be one of the toughest divisions this season so a 10-11 win season could get the job done. The Packers losing Rodgers is obviously a big blow, but their run game is good and I think Jordan Love is going to surprise some people this season.
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Bucs
Comments: I actually could see the Panthers surprise people this season so it won’t be a big shock to me if they finish better than 3rd in this division. Derek Carr is going to have some things to prove this year and I think it leads the Saints to a division title.
NFC West
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Los Angeles Rams
4. Arizona Cardinals
Comments: The 49ers window to win a Super Bowl is absolutely now, but it is going to be short. And yes, Brock Purdy being a 7th round starting QB is absolutely a key reason. His cheap contract allows the team to have as much talent as they do, but it is getting expensive. With having just signed Nick Bosa to a record setting contract, in addition to major contracts for Georgle Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Arik Armstead, Fred Warner, Trent Williams and more already on the books something is going to have to give in the near future. They can only keep restructuring and pushing the money into the future for so long.
Postseason
AFC
Wild Card Weekend
2. Chiefs over 7. Steelers
3. Jaguars over 6. Jets
5. Chargers over 4. Bills
Divisional Round
1. Bengals over 5. Chargers
2. Chiefs over 3. Jaguars
AFC Championship
2. Chiefs over 1. Bengals
NFC
Wild Card Weekend
2. Eagles over 7. Falcons
6. Cowboys over 3. Lions
5. Seahawks over 4. Saints
Divisional Round
1. 49ers over 6. Cowboys
2. Eagles over 5. Seahawks
NFC Championship
1. 49ers over 2. Eagles
Super Bowl LVIII
49ers over Chiefs
The 49ers playoff run will be full of rematches.
NFL Honors
MVP: Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars)
Coach of the Year: Dan Campbell (Lions)
Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffrey (49ers)
Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt (Steelers)
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Bijan Robinson (Falcons)
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Will Anderson Jr. (Texans)
Comeback Player of the Year: Damar Hamlin (Bills)
Still think the Jets will be finishing in second place after what happened to Aaron Rodgers?