2013 NFL Previews & Predictions

The Patriots are going to win this division but it won’t be as easy as it has been in the past. The Pats didn’t necessarily get better but other teams got worse, namely the Jets. The Dolphins got to gel a little with second year head coach/quarterback combo Joe Philbin and Ryan Tannehill. The running game leaves something to be desired but the entire offense will benefit from the addition of Mike Wallace. Dustin Keller’s injury is a huge setback and cannot be ignored. The Bills have a rookie head coach/quarterback duo of their own in Doug Marrone and EJ Manuel. Manuel won’t set the world on fire but he won’t have to if he hands the ball off to CJ Spiller 40 times a game. The Jets drafted defensive guys and most notably Geno Smith. Its probably best to sit him in favor of Mark Sanchez but either way they won’t win too many games with either player under center.

New England Patriots – 11-5

Miami Dolphins – 9-7

New York Jets – 6-10

Buffalo Bills – 5-11

This division is pretty wide open. Brandon Weeden is the preseason MVP and that might not sound like a lot but the second year quarterback is leading the league in passer rating and he’s playing out of his mind. Part of that is due to the emergence of tight end Jordan Cameron. You looking for a sleeper tight end? Look no further. Not to mention the Browns defense is improved and they have a solid running game. The Steelers are still the Steelers despite losing Mike Wallace. The Bengals are also improved and now they have an explosive running back in Giovani Bernard. The Ravens, of course, are the reigning Super Bowl champs and should transition well despite losing Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Anquan Boldin and Paul Kruger. Don’t forget- signing Elvis Dumervil was an absolute steal. Plus they get the benefit of the doubt for winning the Super Bowl.

Baltimore Ravens – 11-5

Cincinnati Bengals – 11-5

Pittsburgh Steelers – 10-6

Cleveland Browns – 9-7

The AFC South shouldn’t change much from where it was last season. The Colts should be improved with Andrew Luck’s former offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton being brought in. That should maybe mean more production for Colby Fleener, I hope. TY Hilton is going to be a monster this season too. The Houston Texans got a lot better and might finally have a quality number two wide receiver opposite Andre Johnson. Throw a healthy Ed Reed into the mix and that secondary is certainly improved. It looks like Chris Johnson might earn his CK2K nickname and that Titans offensive line is way better. Unfortunately, the rest of the offense very good. They might be a quarterback and wide receiver away from being a very good (offensive) team. Finally the Jaguars are terrible. They could replace Blaine Gabbert with Sunshine from Remember The Titans and not miss a beat…or make a beat. Whichever.

Indianapolis Colts – 11-5

Houston Texans – 10-6

Tennessee Titans – 6-10

Jacksonville Jaguars – 3-13 (at best…hello Teddy Bridgewater/Jadaveon Clowney!)

I really could sum up this division with two words…Denver Broncos. It doesn’t really matter what anyone else does because the Broncos are probably winning that division. Anyone else is just playing football for fun at this point. Even without Von Miller for 6 games, that offense is pretty damn good. The running backs and offensive line will have to step up to protect Peyton’s neck to time but how about these wide receivers? Who’s happier than them right now? The Chargers, if healthy, could make a push for a wildcard spot. The Raiders aren’t bad but the offense is going to struggle, even more so if Darren McFadden gets hurt again. The Chiefs should be better but they feel like a fantasy football team to me. They have several good to great players, especially on defense, but it doesn’t look like they play that well together. Maybe Andy Reid can fix that.

Denver Broncos – 12-4

Kansas City Chiefs – 10-6

San Diego Chargers – 9-7

Oakland Raiders – 7-9

Its tough for me to stay objective as a Giants fan but here we go. I think this division will come down to the Giants and the Cowboys. The Giants have some injury concerns but the running game is much improved. This is a make or break season for a lot of guys including defensive coordinator Perry Fewell. The Cowboys are looking extremely stable heading into the season after locking up Tony Romo and Jason Garrett. Dez Bryant might have all of his legal issues behind him and if the running backs (Demarco Murray especially) can stay healthy, the division might be theirs. The Redskins season hangs on the surgically repaired ligaments of Robert Griffin III. Kirk Cousins is a quality backup but he won’t lead them the way RGIII will. The Eagles have a rookie head coach and they really don’t know what their long term option is at quarterback. What we do know is that they’re going to run the ball often. Luckily for LeSean McCoy, it doesn’t look like he really needs an offensive line.

Dallas Cowboys – 11-5

New York Giants – 9-7

Washington Redskins – 9-7

Philadelphia Eagles – 6-10

Any of these teams can win the division. I think the Vikings have the lowest odds but they have a chance if AP has another historic season. Man that team is really just a quarterback away from making some waves. The Lions are improved and finally have a legitimate threat in the backfield. The Bears will be improved under Marc Trestman even though he’s a relatively new head coach in the NFL. The Packers have some injury issues as well but they finally have a running game and boy does Eddie Lacy look good.

Green Bay Packers – 12-4

Detroit Lions – 10-6

Minnesota Vikings – 9-7

Chicago Bears – 8-8

This division changes more than any other from year to year. Are the Saints back? They might be. Sean Payton doesn’t get paid enough for the impact he makes. He’ll be a Hall of Famer some day. Bounty-Gate won’t hurt him that much. I don’t like the fact that they’re switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 defense because it limits what their players can do. Jonathan Vilma was dreadful for the Jets when they played 3-4. He’s a 4-3 linebacker than likes to line up 8 yards off the ball and keep everything in front of him. But all that is moot because their offense is fantastic. The Panthers need to run the ball to be effective. I get that Cam Newton has a big arm but Steve Smith is getting to the end of his prime and they have very few other targets. The Falcons are still the Falcons and the Buccaneers are probably the most improved team in the NFC. Dashon Goldson doesn’t need to be great, just good…Revis, if healthy, is the best cornerback in football and Mark Barron keeps getting better.

Atlanta Falcons – 13-3

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 11-5

New Orleans Saints – 10-6

Caroina Panthers – 7-9

Another tough division to call. The Seahawks initially got way better by trading for Percy Harvin and when he comes back by December or January, he’ll give them a huge push going into the playoffs. The 49ers have some questions in the receiving corps but that team is built on balance. The AJ Jenkins-Jonathan Baldwin trade will benefit them more than it will the Kansas City Chiefs…unless Andy Reid can get to Jenkins and unlock some of that talent. The Rams didn’t really get better but they didn’t get worse either. The Cardinals, believe it or not, are a better team with Carson Palmer at quarterback. All they need is a quality guy in the backfield.

San Francisco 49ers – 12-4

Seattle Seahawks – 11-5

Arizona Cardinals – 8-8

St Louis Rams – 6-10

Questions or comments? Email me at s_talouis@yahoo.com or you can follow me on twitter @FunnyManStan