2019 NFL Season Preview

I feel like I never really knew when the NFL began. I always thought it started in 1929, but that may have been the NHL. I knew the origins of Major League Baseball started in the late 1800s, and that the NBA really began in the 1950s. The NFL has always seemed to be that bastard child that was kind of born out of nowhere and now it grew up and it’s more famous than all of its other legitimate children put together.

What other sports organization owns and entire day of the week?

The NFL begins its 100th season on September 5th, and there’s a lot to discuss. 

From contract holdouts to helmet bullshit and beyond, I want to jump right in. I’ll give you my ten bold predictions for this NFL season, followed by a brief rundown of how I think this season will shape up, along with a way-too-early Super Bowl prediction.

Back to Football!!!

10 Bold Predictions for the 2019 NFL Season
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1. The Cleveland Browns will miss the playoffs.

The new-look Browns are the sexy new team in town: (left to right) Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham, Jr. Miles Garrett.

It’s no secret the Browns are one of the sexier picks to shake up the AFC’s playoff picture this year- and yes, I know I said that last year (and possibly the year before). But it’s for real this time. With the addition of Odell Beckham, Jr., the Browns have now solidified their offense as one of the best in the conference (at least on paper). Jarvis Landry and Beckham make an excellent one-two punch at wide receiver, giving second-year starter Baker Mayfield two really great options to throw to. Second year RB Nick Chubb has solidified himself as one of the better running backs in football, and- oh, by the way- they also signed Kareem Hunt after he was cut by the Chiefs. The last few offseasons for Cleveland have been very good, but we’ve never seen anything like this. The Browns are poised to make their first playoff appearance since 2002, which would end the league’s longest current playoff drought.

Don’t let anyone fool you, though. The Browns are still the Browns. They’ve got a new head coach in Freddie Kitchens, who will have to deal with picking up the pieces from the coaching staff of former head coach Hue Jackson, not to mention bringing together a rather loaded roster of stars, albeit a loaded roster with an average age of 25. It will be difficult for him to match the enormous expectations placed on both him and his team this season. On top of the coaching turnover, the Browns have some holes on the defensive side of the ball, mainly in the secondary. After they traded Jabril Peppers to the Giants in exchange for Beckham, they’ll be relying on Morgan Burnett- who had a mediocre year in Pittsburgh last year- and Demarious Randall- who is playing for a contract extension- down the field at safety this year. At Corner, we’re looking at two very young starters: second year DB Denzel Ward, and rookie DB Greedy Williams. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say the Browns will give up a lot of points based on sheer inexperience in the secondary.

Another thing to consider is their schedule. Between mid-September and the end of October, the Browns will play a Monday night game at Metlife Stadium against the Jets, followed by a Sunday night game at home against the Rams (Cleveland’s first SNF appearance since 2008), two away games at Baltimore and San Francisco (also on Monday night), then a game on a short week at home against Seattle, followed by a bye week… after which they travel to Foxboro to play the New England Patriots. And did I mention two games in three weeks against the Steelers in weeks 11 and 13? If the Browns are to make the playoffs, they’ll need to prove it. If they can, they’ll certainly have earned it.

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2. Juju Smith-Schuster will finish with more catches, receiving yards, and touchdowns than Antonio Brown.

Initially I wrote this right after Antonio Brown inked a deal with the Oakland Raiders. And then I started editing it right after AB was making a huge deal out of wanting to wear his old helmet instead of the league-mandated newer ones. And now after sitting on it, the entire thing has (supposedly) been resolved. And now I can get on to the fact that Juju Smith-Schuster will have a better season in 2019 than Antonio Brown will.

Brown had some choice words for Smith-Schuster after the second year receiver from USC wished him well on his way out the door as AB left for Oakland.

Harsh.

But ever since Brown reached Oakland, it’s been a shit show.

And it’s karma like this that makes me give predictions like the one you’re reading now.

Smith-Schuster’s first two seasons in the league have been stratospheric- he put up over 1,900 yards in his first 25 games, the fourth most ever in that category. He had two fewer receptions than Brown last season but put up 200 yards more than his counterpart.

And Brown being gone means that Smith-Schuster is now Ben Roethlisberger’s top wideout target. 

The Steelers have something to prove this year, having missed the playoffs last year and having two major offensive weapons (the other being Le’Veon Bell, who departed for the Jets after holding out for all of last season) depart for greener pastures. With teams like the Browns on the upswing, Juju Smith-Schuster and the rest of the Steelers offense will need to step it up to make it known to the league that they can still compete. 

And in the span of time it took me to write this entire prediction, Antonio Brown has filed and LOST  yet another grievance with the league over his damn helmet.

This is a reminder that the league made Tom Brady change his helmet that he had been using for, like, 15 years, and the guy went out and won the Super Bowl again last year.

This year’s going to be fun.

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3. The Giants will win more games this year than they did last year (5).

A tale of two Elis: Manning (front) and Daniel Jones (back).

... And Daniel Jones will not replace Eli Manning as starter.

​Man, do I love New York sports. Even when they try to suck, they can’t do it right. Example A: the New York Football Giants. 

They’ve been gutted. And when being gutted is defined as losing one player (an elite receiver in his prime… to the Cleveland Browns of all placers), that’s not really saying much.

And after bungling the draft by taking Daniel Jones from Duke 6th overall at quarterback (and passing on Dwayne Haskins) as heir apparent to the steadily declining Eli Manning, things are looking even worse.

Now, I won’t lie. The Giants offensive line is actually halfway decent. They’ve also got what amounts to the best running back in football, Saquon Barkley, who is entering his sophomore season with lofty expectations. In their current state, the Giants will be looking to build around Barkley for the future. Many anticipate their 2019 season will be an attempt to… let’s say, “position” themselves to favorably land Trevor Lawrence or Tua Tagovailoa in next April’s draft.

Here’s the kicker- they won’t. Because the Giants will win more games this year than they did last year.

Jones has actually looked pretty solid this preseason. In the four games this past month he’s gone 29 of 34 for 416 yards and 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. He is working with a modest receiving group as well that includes Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, and tight end Evan Engram.

“Danny Dimes,” the folks on Twitter are calling him. Cute, right?

The unfortunate issue is that Manning has also looked pretty good, too. In his first two games this preseason, Manning has completed all 5 of his passes, and led the Giants on a nice 79-yard scoring drive in their second game against Chicago.

I think Jones excelling at the position takes a little bit of the pressure off Eli for this season, as his likely farewell tour will have the added security of a capable backup should he not be able to compete at a high level. Ceremonially, I can’t see the Giants giving the starting job to Jones halfway through the Eli’s final season unless Manning drops the first 5 or 6 in a row.

Which brings us to strength of schedule. The Giants have the 5th easiest schedule in the NFL (a combined opponent winning percentage of .473) this season, which involves a lighter stretch of games right in the middle of the season (vs. Arizona, at Detroit, at New York Jets- the latter of which is technically a home game since it's in New Jersey). The Giants also get favorable matchups against the Bills and Dolphins, as well as two games against Washington, in which New York will want to show Dwayne Haskins why they passed him up. 

Mark this up as a positive prediction for New York sports. The New York Giants go 6-11 in 2019. Count it.

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4. Patrick Mahomes will not surpass 40 touchdown passes this season.

Regression is natural, even for reigning NFL MVPs. 

Patrick Mahomes dazzled us all with throwing 50 touchdown passes last season, directing the Kansas City Chiefs’ high-powered offensive attack, in large part thanks to his bevy of weapons: Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, and Travis Kelce, all of whom had career years this past season. 

But the current NFL MVP now has a target on his back. And the Chiefs have had a (let’s say) tumultuous offseason.

First came the release of Kareem Hunt after video surfaced of him kicking a woman in a hotel hallway. Next came the investigation of an alleged battery against Tyreek Hill, leaving serious question marks about the Chiefs’ top two offensive weapons in Mahomes’ arsenal, which meant Sammy Watkins would have been Kansas City’s top receiver. 

The investigation against Hill finished with no conclusive evidence, allowing him to return to the team. Very recently, the team just signed LeSean McCoy, to pair along with Damien Williams and Darwin Thompson at the RB position. This Chiefs team isn’t one with a major facelift, but it is different than last season, and that’s what matters.

And then there’s the whole “target on their backs” thing, especially when it comes to other teams that have been chasing them. 

Take the Los Angeles Chargers, for example. 

The Chargers finished with an identical record to Kansas City last year, earning a Wild Card spot thanks to losing a head-to-head tiebreaker. LA looks a lot better this year, perhaps even without the help of Melvin Gordon. 

Philip Rivers is perhaps the best active quarterback to never have won- or even appeared in- a Super Bowl. With receivers like Keenan Allen and Mike Williams at his disposal, not to mention Hunter Henry, who is poised to become one of the premiere tight ends in football this season, there’s no reason the Chargers should fall second to Kansas City again this year. The Chargers are out for blood this year.

But a solid opposing team isn’t why Patrick Mahomes won’t repeat his feat from last year. History is also not on his side.

There’s only one other quarterback who has thrown for 40 or more touchdowns in consecutive seasons: Drew Brees. Mahomes hasn’t quite reached that level of mystique yet. And with an astounding second season like Mahomes had, defensive coordinators will have had an entire offseason to prepare for what the young QB has to offer. And if the running back situation resolves itself (Williams and Thompson are both supposed to be pretty suitable replacements for Kareem Hunt), we could even see a more balanced attack on the ground for Andy Reid’s high-powered Kansas City offense. But don’t be surprised if Mahomes doesn’t crack the 40-touchdown mark this year.

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5. Nick Foles will finish as a top-10 quarterback.

Nick Foles has had the strangest path toward the title of “potential franchise quarterback.” He was mediocre in Philadelphia, bounced around St. Louis and Kansas City, came back to Philly and won a Super Bowl (not to mention game MVP), and has now been shipped off to Jacksonville- a team in major need of an offensive upheaval after moving on from Blake Bortles- all before the ripe age of 30 years old. 

Now the Jaguars don’t have a bad team. Seriously. They’ve still got a great defense that led them to an AFC Championship two years ago, and a not-too-shabby offensive attack that is led primarily by Leonard Fournette. Of course, last year they were decimated by injury, and everyone wondered why they sucked so much. Players like Marquise Lee, Austin Sefarian-Jenkins, and Fournette all went down with significant season ending injuries. But they should all be back this season, poised to improve on their dismal 5-11 campaign from 2018.

Foles is a significant upgrade from Bortles. He is entering “seasoned veteran” status, having bounced around a few times and, oh, leading his team to a Super Bowl win as a BACKUP. He makes those around him better and can thrive in high-pressure situations. He’s also going to have a good, young group of receivers to work with; players like Lee, rookie Josh Oliver, and second year receiver Dede Westbrook. I really think we might see an unexpected playoff run from Jacksonville this year, and it is due in part to Foles' involvement in the franchise.

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6. The Broncos and Redskins will finish with identical records.

"Let's both agree to suck next season." Keenum (right) went to Washington. Flacco (left) was replaced and went to Denver.

It’s a tale of two quarterbacks: Case Keenum and Joe Flacco. And I’m out to prove that one is just as mediocre as the other.

Keenum went from Denver to Washington in order to make room for the Broncos signing of Joe Flacco. Flacco was traded from Baltimore because Lamar Jackson is an objectively better quarterback than he is.

A mediocre Flacco is as good as a half-decent Case Keenum. And because the two have essentially the same quarterback, they’ll finish with the same record: 5-11.

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7. The Los Angeles Rams will miss the playoffs.

The Super Bowl hangover is a real, real thing. The last two NFC Champions, the Falcons and Eagles, went from earning playoff byes to clinging to final Wild Card playoff spots the following year. The Rams will be no different, as I predict they’ll miss the playoffs, not just due to a competitive division that includes the Seahawks and 49ers (the latter looking to rebound from a lost season where Jimmy Garoppolo tore his ACL), but also due to a talent regression on the field. 

Now, don’t get me wrong. The Rams have all the pieces (or, at least, one piece) that could very well make a run at a Super Bowl. Aaron Donald, the reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Year, is now in the second year of his enormous contract, led the league in sacks last year, and shows no signs that he won’t be one of the most talented and most dominating defensive forces in the NFL. But there are still questions about the interior of their offensive line- not to mention I still stand by the idea that Jared Goff is a mediocre quarterback at best- not to mention the performance of Todd Gurley, whose playing time was significantly impacted after a knee injury allowed CJ Anderson (who signed with Detroit this April) to take the lead as the Rams’ feature back down the stretch. We can also blame the schedule for the Rams’ projected woes this season: Their first ten weeks feature four east coast trips, which is followed by a home game the week after… and don’t forget about Super Bowl LIII ½ in week 2 against the Saints. The Rams have lofty expectations to get back to the Super Bowl after falling short back in February, but Sean McVay’s team will have an uphill battle if they want to avoid that Super Bowl hangover this year.

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8. Josh Rosen and the Dolphins will make Kyler Murray and the Cardinals look silly.

Please don’t take this as “the Dolphins and Cardinals will have opposite records.” That’s not where I’m going with this. I am simply implying that Josh Rosen will make the Cardinals wish they never traded him. 

The reasoning is this: Arizona’s offense is straight up terrible. Sure, they’ve got David Johnson, but the supposed fantasy rushing stud has been a dud the last three years. They’ve got Larry Fitzgerald, but he’s easily 90 years old by this point. And then there’s the offensive line which is in shambles. Pair it with a division that includes Seattle, San Francisco and the reigning NFC Champions, and there go six of Arizona’s potential wins this season. Another factor is Kliff Kingsbury, who may have other things to juggle other than his quarterback in his first stint as an NFL head coach. 

Rosen might have it made a little better in Miami- and I think it’s because Ryan Fitzpatrick will eventually run out of FitzMagic once again, leaving room for Rosen to come in and save the day. The Dolphins’ offensive line is just a little bit less in shambles than Arizona’s is, Rosen will have a little bit of help thanks to running backs like Kalen Ballage and Kenyan Drake, both of whom are good pass catchers. 

Arizona is one (or five) offensive linemen away from being solid enough for Kyler Murray to thrive. I just think Rosen and the Dolphins are better off this season. It’s not much, but I think Miami finishes with a better record than Arizona…

And that Rosen passes Murray in passing yards, touchdown passes, completion percentage, turnover margin, and passer rating.

You know. The basics.

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9. Melvin Gordon will play this season.

I never thought that Ezekiel Elliott was going to go unsigned by the Cowboys this year. And sure enough, Jerry Jones made it happen- Dallas signed the two-time rushing champion to a 6-year, $90 million deal two days before the opening of the NFL season.

It seems like Melvin Gordon and the Chargers just keep moving further and further away from an agreement, though. First came the request for a contract extension, then came Gordon’s trade request and the team’s subsequent allowance of him to talk with other teams, until finally LA’s front office noted that any negotiations with Gordon’s contract would be tabled until after this season. 

The Chargers aren’t completely lost without Gordon. They’ve still got Austin Ekeler and Justin Jackson, both of whom were excellent when Gordon was out with an injury this season. If LA wanted to let Gordon walk and trade him to another team, I don’t think it would kill them. 

That said, we could be looking at teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, or Green Bay Packers as potential suitors for Gordon. And if the Chargers trade him to any of those teams, you best believe he’ll play. I fully expect LA to pony up and trade him so they can stop embarrassing themselves with this whole circus they’ve bungled themselves into.

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10. The Patriots will finish with a top-5 defensive unit.

The Patriots’ defense looks ready to defend its title, even with a few minor changes to be had this offseason.

The secondary is as good as ever, and that’s where New England’s defensive strength lies. Stephon Gilmore, both McCourty twins and Patrick Chung are four of the best pass defenders in football, with Gilmore potentially being the best cornerback in the game himself. Even newer players like Joejuan Williams look prepared to make names for themselves. The secondary is also deep- let’s not forget about Duron Harmon, J.C. Jackson, and Jonathan Jones.

At linebacker, everything remains relatively unchanged, with Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower remaining forces in the middle. A familiar face returned this season- Jamie Collins is back at the outside linebacker position, who signed a one year deal after coming over from Cleveland. 

Up front, the defensive line is probably the most This-way-or-that-way front four in football. Michael Bennett, Lawrence Guy, Danny Shelton, and Deatrich Wise, with rookie Chase Winovich coming off the bench. Winovich made a great showing in preseason, and it’s possible he could be the x-factor of the Pats’ defensive line. 

Moreover, the strength of the defense all lies in how they’re coached. The team rode its defensive schemes all the way to a Super Bowl last year, holding the league’s second highest-scoring offense to three points (not to mention shutting out the league’s highest-scoring offense in the first half of the AFC title game). If Bill Belichick has that same mindset going into this season- and he should, considering the offense is already moving toward a run-first offense to get as much out of Tom Brady as humanly possible- I imagine New England will have the same success this year. Pair it with the league’s fifth-easiest schedule, and don’t be surprised if a record-setting seventh Lombardi Trophy comes to Foxboro in February.

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Projected NFL Standings:
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AFC East

New England 12-4
Miami 7-9
New York Jets 6-10
Buffalo 5-11

Until Tom Brady and Bill Belichick both retire, the Patriots aren’t losing the division. They also just got Josh Gordon back. Enjoy!

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AFC North

Baltimore 10-6
Pittsburgh 10-6
Cleveland 9-7
Cincinnati 7-9

The AFC North has the potential to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL this season. The defending AFC North winner Ravens are looking to continue their success from last season with Lamar Jackson, who will now have Mark Ingram to use full time, not to mention a strong young group of receivers which includes rookies Marquise Brown and Myles Boykin. The Steelers should- theoretically- be out for blood this season after missing the playoffs thanks to a heart-breaking loss to the New Orleans Saints forcing the fate of their playoff destiny out of their hands. The Steelers also have a lot to prove after two entirely different but equally weighty fiascos, namely the distractions and subsequent departures of Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. They should be in great hands though, as James Connor not only equaled, but surpassed Bell’s output last season, and Juju Smith-Schuster did the same over Brown- and Brown played 15 games last year. The Browns, as previously discussed, have what could be a highly explosive offense for the foreseeable future. What people aren’t about are the Cincinnati Bengals. RB Joe Mixon has established himself as the feature offensive weapon for the Bengals, and Tyler Boyd had himself a breakout year last year (not to mention that he’s projected to go ahead of A.J. Green in most fantasy football drafts). Distractions like Vontaze Burfict, Adam “Pacman” Jones and Marvin Lewis are all gone. Andy Dalton is entering the twilight of his career, and he’s looking to prove that he’s still got it. It’s a new era for the Cincinnati Bengals, and if they can string a couple of division wins together, they’ll be right in it. ​
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AFC South

Houston 10-6
Jacksonville 10-6
Tennessee 8-8
Indianapolis 5-11

Well damn. Andrew Luck retired. This leaves open a whole mess of things. Jacoby Brissett is a fine quarterback, but I think he’s going to need some experience for a full season before the Colts make any headway. Brissett will show flashes of brilliance, but the impact of Jim Irsay ruining two franchise quarterbacks until they were catastrophically injured and had to leave the team will be too much for the rest of the team to bear. 

As for the rest of the division, I think Nick Foles leads a ragtag group of Jaguars to a 10-6 record, ultimately winning a must-win game to- guess who- the Jacoby Brissett-led Indianapolis Colts in week 17, just squeaking into the playoffs over the Cleveland Browns, who fall to 9-7 after an upset loss to Cincinnati.

Tennessee falls back to earth again as Marcus Mariota and Derrick Henry both rediscover that they are mediocre. 

The only team left is Houston, who, even after losing Lamar Miller, picked up Carlos Hyde, who is a halfway decent running back. Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins are coming off career years, but Watson’s star is only getting brighter. Houston wins the division once again.

AFC West

Kansas City 12-4
Los Angeles Chargers 12-4
Denver 5-11
Oakland 4-12

The AFC West is going to be a dog fight this year. Kansas City is anxious to repeat its success; Los Angeles is anxious to get over the hump as Philip Rivers begins to descend the hill of his career. The Raiders’ failure to win football games leads to their incredibly toxic environment spiraling out of control, leaving them plummeting toward the bottom of the standings. Denver has Joe Flacco as their quarterback and zero weapons.

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NFC East

Dallas 11-5
Philadelphia 10-6
New York Giants 6-10
Washington 5-11

This entire division is a tale of running backs. Even with Saquon Barkley as their offense, New York doesn’t have the tools it needs to get to .500. As for Washington, Case Keenum is not an upgrade from Alex Smith, and they’ll likely be relying on Adrian Peterson to be the horse that he once was. The real battle will be at the top of the division, with Philadelphia in a dog fight against its upstart defending division champion, the Dallas Cowboys, who have (just recently) extended Ezekiel Elliott for 6 more years and $90 million more. The Eagles are stacked at the RB position, with four that can do as much damage as one. The lineup of Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sproles and Corey Clement should make defenses worried, but it all depends on how Carson Wentz does on his return from yet another season-ending injury. As for Big D, we’re still not sure how good Dak Prescott is yet. But if the second coming of Amari Cooper is any question, it should be a good indication of things to come this season. If Dallas gets rolling, look out.

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NFC North

Chicago 12-4
Minnesota 11-5
Green Bay 8-8
Detroit 3-13

Chicago has the best defense in the NFL, there’s no doubt about it. Also, side note, how is it that the addition of one player can completely alter the face of a defense, and why didn’t Khalil Mack make this kind of difference in Oakland? The Bears should win this division. Hopefully they have a kicker who can handle the wind this time around. Minnesota should also be fine, as Kirk Cousins, mediocre as he may be, still has Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs to throw to. 
Also, until Green Bay returns to form, can we hop off this “Aaron Rodgers is the GOAT” train? Tom Brady has done way more with a lot less, and we’ve all seen that Aaron Rodgers with less is freaking pitiful. One quarterback wearing #12 does not a whole team make. As for Detroit, they’re trying so hard. It’s going to be really funny when Matt Patricia becomes the first coach to lose his job this season.

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NFC South

New Orleans 11-5
Atlanta 10-6
Carolina 6-10
Tampa Bay 4-12

If there’s one team with a chip on its shoulder this season, it’s the New Orleans Saints, who are anxious to avenge their loss from the NFC Championship last season featuring the "PI call not heard around the world". One team close at hand is Atlanta, as Matt Ryan looks to return to MVP form. I think he can, with both and Julio Jones still at the top of their respective games. It still remains to be seen if Cam Newton’s ankle injury will linger, and because that team also doesn’t quite know what a receiver is (unless their name is Christian McCaffrey… or until we see the advent of D.J. Moore), I can’t count on them winning more than 6 games. Everyone is high on Tampa Bay this season for some reason… but I still can’t figure out why. Jameis Winston is still their quarterback. Give it another year or so. When Mike Evans wants out, we might see some mutiny.

NFC West

Seattle 10-6
San Francisco 10-6
Los Angeles Rams 9-7
Arizona 4-12

There’s no whoever gets out of this division will have earned it. Seattle somehow continues to succeed, given that Russell Wilson is one Tyler Lockett injury away from throwing the ball to himself. It still remains to be seen if Jimmy Garoppolo is still worth San Francisco’s time, considering he blew out his knee last year and threw five interceptions in a row during practice this preseason. You all already know my thoughts on the Rams and how a major regression and jealousy among players regarding Jared Goff’s $134 million extension and why it was given to a mediocre player like him. The only remaining piece of the puzzle is Arizona, where 4-12 might actually be hyperbole. Seattle wins this division in some sort of absurd tiebreaker.

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And those standings leave us with...


AFC Playoff Teams

1. New England (12-4)
2. Kansas City (12-4)
3. Houston (10-6)
4. Baltimore (10-6)
5. Pittsburgh (10-6)
6. Jacksonville (10-6)

NFC Playoff Teams

1. Chicago (12-4)
2. New Orleans (11-5)
3. Dallas (11-5)
4. Seattle (10-6)
5. Minnesota (11-5)
6. Philadelphia (10-6)

And now... some purely gut-reaction playoff picks!

Wild Card Weekend:

3. Houston Texans vs. 6. Jacksonville Jaguars

Predicted Score: Houston 24, Jacksonville 17
The game was over when: JJ Watt strip sacks Nick Foles on a crucial fourth down play in Houston territory.


4. Baltimore Ravens vs. 5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Predicted Score: Pittsburgh 34, Baltimore 20
The game was over when: Pittsburgh goes up 17-0 in the first quarter, silencing the Baltimore crowd.


3. Dallas Cowboys vs. 6. Philadelphia Eagles
Predicted Score: Dallas 23, Philadelphia 21
The game was over when: Dak Prescott his Amari Cooper for 68, setting up Ezekiel Elliott's game winning touchdown from two yards out.

4. Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings
Predicted Score: Seattle 13, Minnesota 6
​The game was over when: Kirk Cousins throws his fourth interception of the game, this one to Bobby Wagner, who returns it for a touchdown late.


​Divisional Round

1. New England Patriots vs. 5. Pittsburgh Steelers
Predicted Score: New England 41, Pittsburgh 24
The game was over when: Pittsburgh pulled into the parking lot.

1. Kansas City Chiefs vs. 3. Houston Texans
Predicted Score: Houston 34, Kansas City 32
The game was over when: Tyreek Hill's potential game-winning touchdown is called back for offensive pass interference, and Patrick Mahomes is sacked on the very next play, allowing time to expire.


1. Chicago Bears vs. 4. Seattle Seahawks
Predicted Score: Chicago 28, Seattle 3
​The game was over when: Russell Wilson's first pass attempt results in a strip sack for Khalil Mack. 


1. New Orleans Saints vs. 3. Dallas Cowboys
Predicted Score: New Orleans 48, Dallas 30
The game was over when: New Orleans stops Dallas on a crucial third down inside the red zone, forcing the Cowboys to settle for a field goal instead of a touchdown that would have put them within 7.



AFC Championship
New England Patriots vs. Houston Texans
Predicted Score: New England 28, Houston 17
The game was over when: Julian Edelman's punt return touchdown puts the Patriots ahead for good. 

NFC Championship
Chicago Bears vs. New Orleans Saints
​Predicted Score: New Orleans 20, Chicago 16
The game was over when: Chicago misses a field goal in the first quarter, allowing Drew Brees to march down the field and score a touchdown.

Super Bowl LIV
New England Patriots vs. New Orleans Saints
Predicted Score: New Orleans 24, New England 21
The game was over when: New England's pass defense goes cold, and Drew Brees' pass to Michael Thomas burns Stephon Gilmore for a long touchdown in the third quarter.

Fight me.

What kind of predictions for this NFL season do you have? Leave a comment down below. 

The NFL Season begins Thursday, September 5th, as the Green Bay Packers take on the Chicago Bears.