Ladies and Gentlemen, the 100th season of the National Football League is now here. After all the frenzy of Free Agency, the Draft, and training camp holdouts/drama, we have finally made it. The Chicago Bears will be hosting division rivals the Green Bay Packers for the first game of the season, and I cannot be more excited. After seeing boring baseball on SportsCenter for three months, our pain is now over. Now, it’s time to predict the 2019-2020 NFL Season.

AFC

AFC East

1. New England Patriots: 12-4
2. New York Jets: 8-8
3. Buffalo Bills: 6-10
4. Miami Dolphins: 4-12

Bold Prediction: Brady Throws Over 4,700 Yards and 35 TDS

Now some of you might think this isn’t that big of a prediction, but Brady hasn’t done this since 2015. The Patriots have become more of a balanced offense with a strong core of running backs Sony Michel, James White, Damien Harris, and Rex Burkhead. However, Brady is coming in with the most dangerous core he’s had in years. First-round pick N’Keal Harry out of Arizona State is unfortunately out for the first half of the season with an ankle injury, but the Patriots are still looking stacked with receiving options. Veteran wideout Demaryius Thomas was brought in this offseason from Houston and has shown that he still can be an elite wideout in the preseason. Returning starters Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett arm coming into this season fully healthy and ready to contribute. However, the main reason I think Brady will reach this goal is because of two players, James White and Josh Gordon. White has become one of the most important pieces on this Patriots team and caught 107 passes last year, tied for ninth best in the league with fellow Running back Christian McCafferey. He’s now going to have a bigger role since Rob Gronkowski retired this offseason, as one of Brady’s best pass catching options. Josh Gordon, is a whole different story. Gordon showed early in his career that he had the potential to be one of the leagues best receivers. He will now be playing his first full season with the defending Champs. Fully healthy and knowledgeable of the playbook, I predict that he will be a big part of Brady’s success this year. All he needs to do, is stay out of trouble and stay healthy.

AFC North

1. Cleveland Browns: 11-5
2. Baltimore Ravens: 9-7
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7
4. Cincinnati Bengals 6-10

Bold Prediction: Browns win the division for the first time in 30 years

The city of Cleveland is experiencing something it hasn’t experienced in a long time with the Browns. Optimism. After going 1-31 with Hue Jackson, the Browns finished the year on a good note going 5-3 with interim head coach Gregg Williams. After Williams left to New York to be the coordinator for the Jets, the Browns stayed in house and named interim offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens their head coach in January. Kitchens is an offensive guru, and with a full training camp and an already established relationship with quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield, a former Heisman winner, is now going into his second season in the league. However, he will be starting this season as QB1, with his childhood friend Garrett Gilbert as his backup quarterback. The Browns went out and had a dream offseason, kudos to GM John Dorsey, who has completely turned this team around with smart drafting and big offseason moves. Their biggest one recently was to trade for Odell Beckham Jr in March. Odell has been a big game-changer ever since he joined the league and is regarded as a top 5 receiver. He joined his former college teammate, Jarvis Landry, to form one of the best receiver duos in the NFL. Even his former LSU and New York Giants receivers coach, Adam Henry, is now the WR’s coach for the Browns. Former Pro Bowl running back and NFL Rushing Yards Leader Kareem Hunt was also signed to a one-year deal to back up the promising Nick Chubb. The defense was also helped out by the acquisitions of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to a three-year deal, defensive end Oliver Vernon on a trade with the Giants, and drafting cornerback Greedy Williams out of LSU. These additions will come in and impact immediately alongside Pro-Bowlers Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Joe Schobert. The Browns have had a strong preseason and have surrounded their core players with depth. I believe they will make the divisional playoffs and lose to either the Kansas City Chiefs or the New England Patriots. I’m very excited to see how Cleveland’s season plays out.

AFC South

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-6
2. Houston Texans: 8-8
3. Tennessee Titans: 7-9
4. Indianapolis Colts: 6-10

Bold Prediction: Leonard Fournette will bounce back for over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns

The Jaguars are coming off a disappointing season where they finished last in the AFC South with a 5-11 record. A forgettable season haunted by injuries and quarterback problems has been turned into a proven quarterback and a humbled Jaguars team. In 2017, the Jaguars made it all the way to the AFC Championship and lost to the New England Patriots. After starting the season 3-1, the Jaguars lost 10 of their last 12 games. However, I think the Jags will go from worst to first in the AFC South this year. With the addition of quarterback Nick Foles to a four-year deal, the Jags bring in a proven winner and a Super Bowl MVP. Wide receiver Chris Conley and tackle Cedric Ogbuehi are also great signings who will impact immediately. With their first pick in the draft, the Jags selected DE/OLB Josh Allen out of Kentucky. Allen, who is a proven pass rusher, will be surrounded by veterans who can mentor him like Calais Campbell, Yannick Ngakoue, and Marcell Dareus. And last but not least, Leonard Fournette. After rushing for over 1,000 yards and 9 touchdowns during his rookie year, Fournette had a little sophomore slump due to injuries, no passing game, and lack of a stable offensive line. Fournette says he has gotten the “bad people” out of his life and that the team was humbled by the struggles of last season. Last season with Marquise Lee out and Bortles struggling, all the pressure of the offense was put on the running attack. Now with the additions of Foles and Conley, the Jags will have a respected passing game to open up opportunities for Fournette to return to his old self. With the retirement of Andrew Luck, the instability of the Houston Texans, and the mediocrity of the Titans, the division is the Jaguars’ to lose. If they stay healthy and disciplined, I think they can do it.

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 12-4
2. Los Angeles Chargers: 9-7
3. Denver Broncos: 6-10
4. Oakland Raiders: 3-13

Bold Prediction: Raiders will finish with the worst record in the NFL

Hold up Yanni, so you saying after the Raiders traded for Antonio Brown they gonna be the worst team in the league? Yes. It’s not even week one and he is already causing problems for himself and the organization. And today, it’s gotten even worse for Mr. Big Chest. Now let’s not get it twisted, AB is a top 5 wideout in the NFL. Quick footwork, reliable hands, and great route running, has made him have a lot of success in the NFL. However, his off the field antics make him sound like this video. The first of the problems with AB and the raiders is when he suffered major frostbite to his feet due to not wearing the correct footwear during cryotherapy. This injury forced him to miss 10 out of 11 training camp practices with his new team. Only six days later, Brown lost a grievance against the NFL to keep wearing his old helmet, a Schutt AiR Advantage, and threatened to retire if he wasn’t able to wear it. He just recently selected his new helmet, a Xenith Shadow. And when everything seemed to be okay, all hell broke loose. Brown took to Instagram to call his own team “haters” for fining him $54,000 for missing a walk through on August 22nd and a training camp practice on August 18th. So in response to this public call out, new GM Mike Mayock got into an argument with Brown about it and now they might be suspending the star receiver. And to go on with the problems, AB did this (see tweet below). I’m predicting that all these antics will destroy the front office and ruin the teams morale. Which will, unfortunately for Raiders fans, result in the Raiders having the worst record in the league this upcoming season.

More on #Raiders WR Antonio Brown and Mike Mayock yesterday: It did not get physical, sources say. But after a screaming match, Brown told Mayock that he would hit him in the face and then punted the ball… and said, Fine me for that. 💸💸💸

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 5, 2019

NFC

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5
2. Dallas Cowboys: 10-6
3. Washington Redskins: 7-9
4. New York Giants: 5-11

Bold Prediction: Carson Wentz will play all 16 games

The Eagles somehow made the playoffs last year after starting the season 4-6 and winning five of their last six games. They won their wild card game off of kicker Cody Parkey’s infamous missed field goal. According to Madden 20, they are the best team in the NFL. With a fully healthy Carson Wentz (hopefully) and a fully healthy offensive line (hopefully), the Eagles have the potential to make a deep playoff run. With underrated draft picks Miles Sanders and JJ Arcega-Whiteside, the Eagles add depth to already solidified positions. On the defensive side veterans Malcolm Jenkins and Fletcher Cox anchor a unit that quietly improved over the offseason with the additions of DE Eli Harold and SS Jonathan Cyprien to an already respected core. On the offensive side the Eagles signed a familiar face in the speedy DeSean Jackson to help take the pressure off Zach Ertz and Nelson Agholor for pass catching options. To help out the running game the Eagles acquired Jordan Howard for a sixth round pick from the Chicago Bears, although his name has already been included in trade rumors for Chargers back Melvin Gordon (Chargers turned it down, of course). The Eagles have even higher expectations this year, but I expect them to thrive under the pressure.

NFC North

1. Chicago Bears: 12-4
2. Green Bay Packers: 9-7
3. Minnesota Vikings: 7-9
4. Detroit Lions: 5-11

Bold Prediction: The Bears go back to back

It’s pretty simple in my eyes. Aaron Rodgers will do better in new head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense. With his defense improving massively with the acquisitions of former Bear Adrian Amos, former Redskin Preston Smith, former Raven Za’Darius Smith, and B.J. Goodson in a trade with the Giants. Rodgers will finally have a better defense to help him get on the field more. Now with the Vikings, it’s a different story. I just still don’t think that Kirk Cousins can lead the Vikings to a playoff spot especially in this tight division. And now for my predicted NFC North champion, the Chicago Bears. The Bears have too much firepower on defense to not win this division. Even when you think they are losing their mind by trading Jordan Howard, they trade up in the draft for running back in David Montgomery to replace him. During the offseason they added Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Buster Skrine, and Cordarrelle Patterson to boost their depth. With first team all-pros like Kyle Fuller, Khalil Mack, and Eddie Jackson, the Bears are one of the most feared defenses in the league. With quarterback Mitch Trubisky and head coach Matt Nagy back for another year together I think that the Bears will defend their division title for the first time since the 2005 & 2006 seasons.

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints: 13-3
2. Atlanta Falcons: 10-6
3. Carolina Panthers: 8-8
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 5-11

Bold Prediction: The Saints fans will finally stop crying about last year because they are going to the Super Bowl this year

After getting arguably robbed in last years NFC championship game, the Saints leveled up this offseason. They went and re-signed a team captain Cameron Jordan and signed some players for valuable depth in free agency. They replaced the retired Max Unger by drafting OL Erik McCoy in the second round and also selected FS Chauncey Gardner-Johnson in the fourth round to add depth to the defense. They added more to their defense by signing former Patriots DT Malcolm Brown and trading for LB Kiko Alonso. For the offense, they added veteran running back Latavius Murray to replace Mark Ingram, and also gave Drew Brees another weapon by signing TE Jared Cook. With Michael Thomas getting a massive extension, Alvin Kamara returning, and Drew Brees leading the way, I don’t see anyone in the NFC stopping this team. Also, it does help your team when you have the GOAT Taysom Hill.

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks: 10-6
2. Los Angeles Rams: 10-6
3. Arizona Cardinals: 6-10
4. San Fransisco 49ers: 6-10

Bold Prediction: Jadeveon Clowney leads the NFL in sacks while Seahawks win the division

Now before you accuse me of being on crack, hear me out. I believe the Rams will suffer the same fate as the Eagles did last year. They are going to be the team that lost the previous Super Bowl that goes on to have a bad year. And it’s going to be only a bad year for them, 10-6 is usually a great year for any team. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo is out here throwing five CONSECUTIVE interceptions in practice, so God knows what’s going to happen in the Bay Area. I can’t fully believe in someone who has only 9 starts in two years with his team. Kyler Murray is an incredible player who can create magic out of nothing. I believe that the Heisman Trophy Winner will be able to create just enough magic to win them six games. And now, for my surprise pick to win the division, the Seattle Seahawks. After starting the season with a dismal 4-5 record the Seahawks won 6 of their last 7 games to qualify for the 5th seed in the NFC. Quick reminder, they are even better this year. Yes they let go of DE Frank Clark and WR Doug Baldwin was forced to retire after being cut, but this team is going to shock a lot of people this year. First they started with a solid draft picking up DE L.J. Collier from TCU and WR D.K. Metcalf from Ole Miss. Then the madness happened just this past week. They traded for star DE Jadeveon Clowney from the Houston Texans. Clowney, the #1 pick in the 2014 draft, never really found his groove in Houston. Mostly dealing with injuries, his best year was in 2017 where he recorded 9.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 3 fumble recoveries, and 59 tackles. This was the only year of his career where he played all 16 games. With Collier, third round pick Jachai Polite, Bobby Wagner, and newly acquired Ziggy Ansah, the Seahawks talented front seven will allow Clowney to get some 1 on 1 battles with offensive lineman. Clowney is an absolute freak of an athlete, running a 4.53 40-yard dash weighing in at 255 lbs. Another huge reason why I think he’ll have such a big year is because this is a contract year for Clowney. And yes not all NFL players are motivated solely for the money, but trying to become one of the richest players ever isn’t exactly a turn-off. On the offensive side, Russell Wilson will be able to spread the ball around to his group of talented and young receivers while running back Chris Carson will keep defenses guessing after finishing fourth in the rushing title race with 1,151 yards last year. They have the recipe for success and I think they can go on and win the division for the first time since 2016.

Playoff Predictions

NFC: 1. Saints 2. Bears 3. Eagles 4. Seahawks 5. Falcons 6. Cowboys

Wild Card

(4) Seahawks 27-21 over Falcons (5)

(6) Cowboys 33-23 over Eagles (3)

Divisional

(1) Saints 44-26 over Cowboys (6)

(2) Bears 17-14 over Seahawks (4)

NFC Championship

(1) Saints 23-20 over Bears (2)

AFC: 1. Patriots 2. Chiefs 3. Browns 4. Jaguars 5. Chargers 6. Ravens

Wild Card

(4) Jaguars 14-10 over Chargers (5)

(3) Browns 33-20 over Ravens (6)

Divisional

(1) Patriots 31-27 over Browns (3)

(2) Chiefs 38-14 over Jaguars (4)

AFC Championship

(1) Patriots 27-21 over Chiefs (2)

Super Bowl LIV

Patriots 35-31 over Saints

Tom Brady and Drew Brees go back in forth in one of the greatest quarterback battles ever. Saints get off to a hot start going up 14-0 in the second quarter, but Belichick and Co. outsmart Sean Payton and the Saints in the second half. Brees throws a 47-yard screen pass to Alvin Kamara to make it 31-28 with 2:13 left on the clock, giving the Patriots a little too much time to answer. Brady leads a 75 yard game-winning drive as Sony Michel runs it in with 44 seconds left on the clock. Brees and the offense get the ball back, but frequent Super Bowl hero Dont’a Hightower sacks him on 4th & 7 on the Patriots 40 yard line to end the game. Tom Brady gets his 7th ring and his 5th Super Bowl MVP to end the 100th NFL season.