The 2018-2019 NFL season is upon us. Will there be any surprises? Will some teams shock the world? Here are my bold predictions for this season.
- The Cleveland Browns will make the playoffs.
- You can call me crazy if you want. I figured I'd start with a bombshell though. Going from 0-16 to making the playoffs the next season has never been done. Why do I think it will happen this year for the Browns? I get it, its still the Browns, but they've added a lot of talent especially at the WR position. Some could argue its the 2nd or 3rd best in the league, maybe even 1st. They also added a decent QB in Tyrod Taylor. Their running backs are very solid as well and they added Carlos Hyde who has rushed for almost 1,000 yards the last two seasons. Don't get me wrong they might just slip in the playoffs, but these definitely aren't the same Browns as last year.
- The Chicago Bears will win the NFC North
- I have to say I feel the least confident about predictions 2 and 3. A lot of both of these hinge on the quarterbacks of both teams. I think Mitch Trubisky takes a big step forward and leads this team to the playoffs. They added All-Pro receiver Allen Robinson, and if Kevin White can do absolutely anything at all with his career except get hurt, Trubisky should have plenty of weapons to throw to.
- The Minnesota Vikings will miss the playoffs.
- Is Kirk Cousins the real deal? I don't think he is. I think he is a fringe Top 20 QB. What I think this means is the Vikings regress in the win column and lose just enough games to miss the playoffs altogether. If I'm wrong about Cousins though, this team might win a Super Bowl. So I think it all rests on whether or not "You like that!"
- The Green Bay Packers will make the Super Bowl as a wild card team.
- The reigning NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings will miss the playoffs. That means the Green Bay Packers are an automatic lock to win it, right? Nope, I think the Bears win the North crown. That being said, the Packers will earn a Wild Card spot and make a run all the way to the Super Bowl.
- No one will get suspended for kneeling.
- The anthem kneeling doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and neither do those opposed to the players expressing their freedom of speech. Supposedly some NFL teams will start suspending players who kneel. I don't think this is going to happen as it would just be dumb. These guys aren't doing anything wrong and I think the backlash that would come from suspending a player would be worse than what the players get for kneeling in the first place.
- The Seattle Seahawks will only win 5 games.
- This team is really far from the same team that went to back-to-back Super Bowls, winning one of them. Really far. This team was known for its defense, the self-proclaimed "Legion of Boom". The legion has lost most of its boom after losing several key players such as Richard Sherman (signed with 49ers), Michael Bennett (traded), Cliff Avril (released after failed physical), Kam Chancellor (career ending injury), and Bruce Irvin who signed with the Raiders a couple seasons ago. Earl Thomas could soon follow if he and the team can't agree on an extension. Outside of Russell Wilson this team no longer has an identity. I honestly have a feeling
- Ben Roethlisberger will win his first MVP.
- Some people love him, some people hate him, but Ben Roethlisberger has been a very solid quarterback his entire career. He's never the first thing that comes to mind, however, with regards to MVP. If Le'Veon Bell misses any games (which is more than likely going to happen), that will put more on Roethlisberger's shoulders and I think its number will go up drastically this season as they will probably air it out more at least early in the season. I think in turn that will lead him to be the MVP.
- The New England Patriots will not make the Super Bowl.
- The Patriots will again make it to the AFC Championship game, but will fall to the team mentioned in #10.
- Both Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski will retire after this season.
- After the loss in the AFC Championship game, the Patriots two stars will call it quits and prepare for their trip to Canton in five years.
- The Jacksonville Jaguars will win the Super Bowl.
- Defense wins championships. And the Jaguars were one win away from playing for a Super Bowl Championship against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jags had a 10-point 4th quarter lead over the Patriots, and yet ended up losing 24-20. In this instance you can't blame them, since Tom Brady and the Patriots always seem to find a way to escape with a victory. I think these two teams will again match-up in the AFC Championship game, but I think the Jaguars will get the better of the Patriots this time and will go on to beat the Packers in the Super Bowl.