NFC
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Tampa Bay has been quietly building a contender for a couple seasons now. They have enough pieces to spread teams out and move the ball fairly quickly. The hardest part of their scheme will be balancing out the run and pass. Each year they’ve gotten better. If this season continues the trend they’ll find themselves in the postseason.
Atlanta Falcons: Atlanta was a quarter away from one of the biggest upsets of Tom Brady’s career. Unfortunately for them, we all know how the Super Bowl ended. Expect they come into this season holding a grudge and ready to work. The Falcons ought to be able to find their way back to the top of their division as well as make a deep playoff run. It’d be shocking for them to miss the postseason if another team takes the NFC South.
Green Bay Packers: Green Bay has been one of the luckiest teams the past few seasons. With their injuries, bad breaks with players who don’t work out, or just coming up short, in general, they’ve still found ways to win. Ugly game after ugly game they still pull it off. Aaron Rodgers has a knack for finding ways to win football games, and this year should be no different. Another division where teams struggle to find an identity and the Packers could very well punch their ticket to the postseason.
New York Giants: While it’s hard to predict who will come out on top in the NFC East, the Giants stand out the most. They’ve done the most to bolster their team this offseason as well as keep talent in house. Manning to Beckham Jr. seems to be one of the best duos in the game. With New York focusing on their defense this offseason the division should be in reach. The one team that is almost guaranteed to give them fits is the Cowboys should quarterback Dak Prescott avoid a sophomore slump. The Eagles are always in the background making noise and Redskins often shock teams. However, New York on paper has more chemistry than their division rivals and should edge out the rest of the competition.
Seattle Seahawks: Seattle and Arizona battle it out every year for a playoff spot. While the rest of the NFC struggles to put together playoff-worthy teams, Seattle and Arizona always make it in. Whether Seattle wins the division and Arizona is a wild card or vice versa the two are always there. This year ought to be no different. The NFC has a habit of having 4-5 solid teams and one that always backs their way into the playoffs. With the Rams and 49ers lacking direction, these two teams have room for error.
Arizona Cardinals: With one of the better running backs in the NFL the Arizona Cardinals will have promise again this season. The Cardinals only need to get their receivers all on the same page at the same time to be a deadly opponent for defenses to face. They should have no problem doing so if they spread the field and balance the run. Arizona rarely misses out on playoff spots lately and should easily be the final team in.