It’s finally here! I think this is the exact phrase used annually, yet it always seems to feel right—football is back and the NFL is back! For those that have read this entire time with me, my condolences, it must be painful, however thank you! So let’s get to it, shall we?
For the first time in a while it feels as though the NFL is wide open. Well, at least it feels like there’s more than 2-3 teams with a legitimate shot to win the Lombardi Trophy. Speaking of wide open, I have no clue what to expect from the Packers this year. They’ve gone through a 99% rebuild (I’d say complete, but that would mean 100% and as long as Rodgers is here, the Packers haven’t turned every stone) and it was needed. I wish, as a growing minority also believe, Green Bay would’ve gone through the completion of the rebuild—but here we are. I can see the Packers finishing anywhere from 8-8 to 12-4 and as awesome as it would be, there’s no chance this team wins the Super Bowl. With that, let’s move on to what the entire league will look like…
As I do every year, in order to pick records for every team, those records must add-up correctly, so I go through the schedule grid for all 32 teams and pick Wins and Losses, then coincide those selections to each team’s schedule, making up their record. It’s tough to do since a lot of the time you’re conscious of a team you always pick against and another couple you always pick to win. What I’m mainly looking for is rankings in the standings and playoff seeding. That seems to have worked out.
| NFC | ||||||
| North | East | |||||
| Chicago | 10 | 6 | Philadelphia | 11 | 5 | |
| Green Bay | 10 | 6 | Dallas | 9 | 7 | |
| Minnesota | 8 | 8 | New York | 7 | 9 | |
| Detroit | 3 | 13 | Washington | 5 | 11 | |
| South | West | |||||
| New Orleans | 9 | 7 | Los Angeles | 12 | 4 | |
| Carolina | 8 | 8 | Seattle | 8 | 8 | |
| Atlanta | 7 | 9 | San Francisco | 5 | 11 | |
| Tampa Bay | 6 | 10 | Arizona | 4 | 12 |
| AFC | ||||||
| North | East | |||||
| Cleveland | 12 | 4 | New England | 11 | 5 | |
| Pittsburgh | 11 | 5 | Miami | 7 | 9 | |
| Baltimore | 9 | 7 | Buffalo | 6 | 10 | |
| Cincinnati | 5 | 11 | New York | 5 | 11 | |
| South | West | |||||
| Jacksonville | 10 | 6 | Kansas City | 12 | 4 | |
| Houston | 9 | 7 | Los Angeles | 12 | 4 | |
| Indianapolis | 6 | 10 | Denver | 7 | 9 | |
| Tennessee | 5 | 11 | Oakland | 4 | 12 |
| NFC Seeds | AFC Seeds | |
| Rams | 1 | Chiefs |
| Eagles | 2 | Browns |
| Bears | 3 | Patriots |
| Saints | 4 | Jaguars |
| Packers | 5 | Chargers |
| Cowboys | 6 | Steelers |
Wild Card Round:
- Dallas @ Chicago
- Pittsburgh @ New England
- LA Chargers @ Jacksonville
- Green Bay @ New Orleans
Divisional Round:
- Chicago @ Philadelphia
- New England @ Cleveland
- New Orleans @ LA Rams
- LA Chargers @ Kansas City
Championship Sunday:
- New Orleans @ Philadelphia
- New England @ Kansas City
Super Bowl LIV, Miami, FL:
- New Orleans vs. Kansas City
Super Bowl LIV Champions…
- This is tough, both would go against most of what I’ve been saying about winners in the last 4-5 years. Either Brees gets a 2nd, along with his head coach, Sean Payton and it’s been 10 years since they won their 1st—or Andy Reid finally wins one after coaching forever and having boatloads of talent on most of his teams…If this is the matchup I really don’t have a rooting interest because either Brees solidifies himself as a QB with 2 rings or Mahommes and Reid get their 1st and further prove the point that ANYONE can win ONE (borrowed phrase from a friend)…
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS—win their 2nd Super Bowl
sportsjudgejury 