The NFC looks exceptionally competitive in 2019 and one team looks like missing out on the postseason with double-digit wins. Still, that’s what fans want to see, going into the 100th season of the NFL and this year there is a good chance that the eventual Super Bowl winner plays in this conference. This is how we think the season will eventually pan out.

NFC NORTH

1st GREEN BAY PACKERS

The Packers have had by their recent standards a poor couple of seasons, hampered by injuries to Aarron Rogers and a limited squad. The two losing seasons has enabled them to grab some talent in the draft, and the defense has been bolstered by a few high profile free agents. Unfortunately, the offense has been a bit neglected, and the O-Line is devoid of depth and the Receiving corp is lacking and there is no clear no 1 running back. Rodgers can make average players look great but he needs to be fully fit to do this and this could be an issue unless the line somehow improves. The schedule is brutal again facing the AFC West with back to back trips to the Chiefs & Chargers, while divisionally they come up against Philadelphia, Dallas, Carolina & San Fransisco. They also have a new coach in Matt LaFleur so who knows how the offense will respond. Green Bay has never had three consecutive losing seasons since the 1980s and they have never missed the postseason three years running since 1993. We think that the additions on defence and the magic of Aaron Rodgers will be enough to make sure neither of these happens in 2019.

Predicted Record 10-6 

2nd MINNESOTA VIKINGS

The NFC North looks like the conferences strongest division this time around and you could make a case for all four teams making the postseason at least, however, the Vikings look just the best and they will be keen to make up for what they will view as a slightly disappointing 2018. They finished 8-7-1 but will look back at that inexplicable beatdown against Buffalo as the game which ended their season as they never seemed to get their confidence back. The other six losses were all against playoff-bound teams including both Super Bowl Finalists. This time around QB Kirk Cousins has a solid O-Line in front of him, and rookie Garrett Bradbury looks a great addition. The receiving corp remains loaded and the defensive line is solid with enough depth to rotate when needed. They might not the division but the schedule gives them the chance of getting double-digit wins.

Predicted Record 10-6 & a Wild Card Place

3rd CHICAGO BEARS

The bears surprised most people last year going from bottom in 2017 to winning the division 12-4. They gave up a lot of draft capital to add Khalil Mack to an already formidable defense and of course, Michell Tribusky benefitted from the addition of WR Allen Robinson. The downside of this was that they had very few picks in the 2019 draft (nothing till round 3) and they have not been able to add much to the squad in free agency. They have pretty much stood still while the rest of the division have improved. They look like prime candidates for a step back in 2019. Being division winners they have a brutal schedule which includes the Eagles, Rams, Saints, Cowboys & chiefs. Throw in a tricky trip to Denver and a strong division and a repeat trip to the playoffs looks hard.

Predicted Record 8-8

4th DETROIT LIONS

The Lions finished bottom in 2018 at 6-10 and look set to end 2019 in the same position, however, the gap is closing and they made some interesting signings in the offseason which should help them compete at least this year. Outside of the O-Line they look loaded on this side of the ball and Matthew Stafford can look forward to  having Danny Amendola as an outlet and a number of Two Tight End sets given they have added Jesse James from Pittsburgh and drafted TJ Hockinson, who could turn out to be the best blocking TE in the conference. Defensively they don’t look quite as good but the addition of Mike Daniels from Green Bay should pay off. The schedule looks a bit tough given they finished bottom last season and starts with a brutal four-game run leading into an early bye week. They could easily be 1-3 coming out of this – a road game in Green Bay.  They will win a few games and it will be interesting to see how the offense develops, but with a few questions on the O-Line it’s hard to see them challenging.

Predicted Record 5-11

NFC SOUTH

1st NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

The saints would have been in the Super Bowl last year had it not been for a misunderstanding in the officiating crew at the Divisional game, where they forgot that blatant pass interference should draw a flag. Anyway, the Saints will be keen to avoid a third heartbreaking end to the postseason in a row having lost to the Vikings in 2017 by an as time expired TD. Drew Brees remains a pro bowl calibre QB despite his advancing years and the offense is loaded with a bit of depth at every position. On the other side of the ball, they gave DT Malcolm Brown a huge contract extension this year to keep him on what looks like a formidable D-Line and after spending most of their draft picks on defense they look very well balanced here too. That contract could come back to haunt them but kudos for going all-in on what could be Drew Brees’s last NFL season. The schedule features tricky road games at The Rams, Seattle & Chicago, however, they should win the division and get a 1st round bye at least.

Predicted Record 12-4 & Home Field Advantage

2nd ATLANTA FALCONS

The Falcons had an up and down 2018 finishing 7-9. They had some narrow losses and a big dip in form midseason, however, the one constant was that with the exception of the loss to the Ravens, we that Matt Ryan passed the ball well. You couldn’t say the same about the running game though and as for the defence well let’s just say they were not good and leave it at that. Jess Simpson is now in as defensive line coach and if he can get what is a talented bunch back to something like their best then a bounceback looks on the cards. The schedule is not that tough and there are plenty of winnable games and they have some of the tougher ones at home. Double-digit wins look possible.

Predicted Record 10-6 Miss out on a Wild Card on Head To Head

CAROLINA PANTHERS

The Panthers started 6-2 in 2018 and were looking good for the postseason until Cam Newton’s shoulder started hampering him. They went on a seven-game slide but five of those were single score encounters and three were settled by 3 points or less. so their 7-9 season could easily have been 10-6 if the ball had bounced differently at some stage in the games. This season will probably go the way of Cam’s shoulder and possibly Greg Olson’s foot (he has broken it in each of the last two seasons. We are not convinced by the rest of the receiving corps, however, Christian McCaffrey will pile up the yards on the ground. The O=Line looks slightly suspect too, so it might be up to the defense to win them games. Speaking of which they look loaded on the line and rookie Brian Burns could be a bargain, being tipped to go top ten in the draft by many but eventually sliding to 16 he alongside Alabama Line Backer Christian Miller has added some nice depth to an already strong front seven. The schedule is not awful and two of their tougher games against Seattle & the Rams are at home. we can see a slew of winnable games and they could push for a wild card berth.

Predicted Record 8-8

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS

The Buccs persuaded Bruce Arians to come out of retirement and that is worth a win or two alone. However, expecting him to turn the team around in his first season back is a tall order. They stocked the defense in the draft picking six of their choices on that side of the ball and they have a few bits there already including Ndamukong Suh & Vita Vea, so they will be hard to score against.  The offense looks a lot less formidable though, and unless Jamies Winston makes the leap, they might be in the market for a new QB in 2020.  Winston was a bit inconsistent in 2018 looking great some weeks and well not great often the following week and threw far too many picks. The Buccs managed 5 wins in 2018 but two of them were with Ryan Fitzpatrick at QB and in the three games, he played the only loss was by 3 points to Pittsburgh. Overall this looks like a consolidation season.

Predicted Record 5–11

NFC EAST

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

The East has two genuine playoff contenders in 2019 and a couple of teams which could be anything, but most likely won’t be that good. The Eagles are shaping up to be one of the two good teams and the 2017 season Super Bowl Champions should make the postseason again. When fit Carson Wenz is one of the NFC’s best QB’s and he has a solid supporting cast on offense with a stout O-Line a good if not necessarily great receiving corp and now Jordan Howard in the backfield following his switch from Chicago. Scoring points shouldn’t be an issue. The Frond seven are solid onn Defense led by Pro-Bowler Fletcher Cox and they have Malcolm Jenkins in the secondary too. Overall they look the best-balanced team in the division. The schedule is quite tough but there looks to be double-digit winnable games on it and they should take the division.

Predicted Record 11-5

DALLAS COWBOYS

The Cowboys won the division on 2018 and will start the 2019 season with most of the key parts intact. The O-Line remains their strength and this has greatly benefitted Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot who both had a good season. Elliot is currently in contract talks which could be a distraction, but they will probably sort something out before the season starts. This is important as there is not a whole lot behind him on the depth chart. Cole Beasley is gone but the Wide Receiver group now includes Randall Cobb and of course Mr Reliable Jason Witten is still there at Tight End.  The defense remains serviceable and second-round draft pick Trysten Hill could see some action as the season wears on.  The schedule is not too bad considering they won the division last year but does include four tricky non-division road trips, to the Saints, New England, Detroit & Chicago. Still, there are enough winnable games to get double digits again.

Predicted Record 10-6 & a Wild Card Berth

NEW YORK GIANTS

The Giants were part of the off seasons biggest trade, one which took Odel Beckham Jr to Cleveland. This coupled with the question marks over Eli Mannings future post the shock Daniel Jones draft move has a lot of people down on the Giants. However although we don’t expect then to compete for the division, they might not be all that bad.  Despite the bad press, Eli had 4299 yards passing last year 21 TD’s against 11 picks and his highest passer rating since 2015. He is not the player of old, but if the O-Line is better with the addition of Kevin Zeitler and his receiving corp are better than expected then he could eclipse last seasons TD number. However, Golden Tate is suspended for four games and a starting duo of Cody Latimer & Sterling Shepard is probably not going to worry too many corners re the deep ball, so a lot of early offense may go through RB Saquan Barkley who had 721 yards receiving in his rookie season. Defensively the front seven is a worry although the addition of Dexter Lawrence should help. The secondary might be a bit better though with Julian Love & Jabril Peppers compensating for the loss of Landon Collins and Deandre Baker should slot in at Left Corner. The schedule could have been worse and there are winnable games scattered through it and one of their away games is technically a home game as its against The Jets. The Giants may be better than expected and although we can’t see a winning season they might hang around in the wild card picture for long enough to keep Daniel Jones on the sideline till 2020 (which for him might be a good thing).

Predicted Record 6-10

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

The Redskins once again look to be trying to rebuild on the fly but with an uncertain QB situation (Haskins doesn’t look anywhere near ready) no standout wide receiver and problems on the O-Line (with Trent Williams highly unlikely to play for them again) it’s not working.  Add to that the fact that Rookie Running Back Bryce Love still recovering from an ACL and it is hard to see much progress this side of the ball. Sure they have tight ends who can play in Vernon Davis & Jordan Reed and veteran RB Adrian Peterson can still churn out a few yards, but it doesn’t look enough to win games. So it’s over to the defense which could be better than expected, with 1st round pick Montez Sweat having huge upside and he should figure in the front seven early on. The secondary is also not bad with established corners and the addition of Landon Collins from the Giants will add a bit of oomph. The schedule starts rough, with four of their first five opponents being playoff teams from 2018 and the other game is on the road to the Giants –  a 1-4 or 0-5 start is not beyond the realms of possibility and it doesn’t get a lot easier. A trip to Miami might give them a bit of respite, but then it’s the 49ers followed by road trips to the Vikings and Buffalo. Washington will pick up the odd win but will probably be in line for the no one draft pick in 2020.

Predicted Record 3-13

NFC WEST

LOS ANGLES RAMS

The Rams have been good now for the last couple of seasons and reached the Super Bowl (all be it rather fortuitously) last year and with the squad pretty much as was they will be fancied to challenge again. Jared Goff is maturing into a decent QB and he has all his favourite weapons available plus they have added rookie Running Back Darrell Henderson out of Memphis who will take some of the pressure off of Todd Gurley. The Defense looks ferocious again and they have one of the best front sevens in the NFL with the likes of Arron Donald, Michael Brockers & Dante Fowler all able to bring the pressure. They even managed to add a few pieces including ex-Green Bay LB Clay Matthews – who at his best would benefit any team and despite having limited draft picks available added Safety Taylor Rapp from Washington which has added depth to what was a shallow group. Even their special teams is well er special with Greg Zuerlein being a Field Goal machine rarely missing anything from inside 40 yards and above average in clutch long attempts. In Jonny Hekker they have one of the best and most consistent punters in the game. The schedule is not easy as would be expected for a divisional winner, and road trips to Cleveland, Pittsburgh Atlanta & Dallas will test them, but they get the Saints & Chicago at home, so should make double-digit wins.

Predicted Record 11-5 & a First Round Bye

 

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

Seattle made a wild card game in 2018 despite appearing to be rebuilding after the breakup of the “Legion of Boom”, the main reason for this Russell Wilson. As long as Wilson remains fit Seattle will have a chance in every game and despite the O-Line still looking a bit porous he is nimble enough to avoid trouble. He will welcome the addition of Rookie WR DK Metcalf, who surprisingly (well to us anyway) slipped right to the bottom of round two, and they added a couple of other receivers with potential in John Ursua & Gary Jennings Jr. He will have a few options in 2019 and they are stacked at Running back meaning they can rotate as needed. The defense would have missed Frank Clark, however, they have drafted L.J.Collier and traded for Jadaveon Clowney as replacements, and they raided the PAC-12 to add even more depth this side of the ball picking up two LB & two Safety’s from that conference, including teammates Marquis Blair & Cody Barton from Utah. The “new legion of boom” may still be in development but this is a very good start. Schedule wise the road games are quite brutal with visits to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Atlanta, Philadelphia & Carolina, and this might be what stops them from reaching the postseason this year.

Predicted Record 9-7

SAN FRANSISCO 49ers

The 49ers had the misfortune of having starting QB Jimmy Garroppolo go down with a season-ending injury three games in, and neither CJ Bethard or Nick Mullens was able to get them back on track. Jimmy G should be back this year and he has a pretty solid looking offense around him which includes a couple of promising rookie WR’s.  Defensively the addition of Dee Ford Nick Bosa should improve the pass rush significantly and overall the starting front seven looks solid. The secondary has Richard Sherman but otherwise, look more ok than lights out.  The schedule is not the easiest, but they do get five of their non-divisional games at home and only trips to Baltimore & The Saints look tricky from this slate. The divisional games should decide their fate and we think they will just come up short

Predicted Record 7-9

ARIZONA CARDINALS

The Cardinals are [possibly the most intriguing team in 2019 thanks to what will probably go down in history (good or bad) as the “Kliff Kingsbury Experiment” which will see him try and bring the college-style air raid offense to the NFL. It didn’t work out too well at USC or at Texas Tech, but who knows. He has his preferred QB having drafted Oklahoma star, Kyler Murray and with Larry Fitzgerald still in the team, he has a guaranteed target man. Unfortunately, the O-Line doesn’t look any better and as Josh Rosen will attest it’s hard as a rookie running for your life every game. Still, Murray is mobile and there is a bit of a running game led by David Johnson so they could score a lot of points. However, the defense doesn’t look good and they will be without the suspended Patrick Peterson for six games which means that rookie Byron Murphy will be thrown in straight away. The secondary will also be missing Alford & Shaw who are both on injured reserve, which leaves lt looking a little exposed.

The scheduler has done them no favours either and after their opener against Detroit, they have Baltimore, Carolina & Seattle.  We should know quite early how the experiment is working. The mid part of the schedule includes a few winnable games but December is brutal with the final five matches against teams who will likely be challenging for the playoffs. This will most probably be a learning year for all and expecting a winning season would be unreasonable. They will probably beat last years win total but not by much.

Predicted Record  4-12

Postseason Predictions

So if things pan out as we predict the postseason will look something like this:

WILD CARD ROUND

3 Philadelphia vs  6 Minnesota – Vikings win

4 Green Bay vs 5 Dallas -Packers win

DIVISIONAL ROUND

1 New Orleans  vs 6 Minnesota – Saints win

2 Los Angles Rams vs 4 Green Bay – Rams win

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

1 New Orleans Saints beats 2 Los Angles Rams

Super Bowl LIV (54) Feb. 2, 2020, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami

New Orleans Saints Beat New England Patriots