The Underdog’s 2015-2016 NFL Preview

The perfect weather. The perfect game. It’s time for America’s sport, the only place where severely injuring someone is (momentarily) celebrated: Football. Here’s a full preview of every NFL team, including outlooks, record predictions, playoff predictions, and I pick not one, but two Super Bowl Winners. Without further ado, let’s play football!

Chicago Bears: Last Season: 5-11

This will be a rough year for Da Bears. Their biggest weakness is their offensive line, where the lone bright spot is Kyle Long. While Long has been described as an “athletic freak” during his transition to right guard, there is little to no hope for a line that allowed 41 sacks in 2014. That, coupled with Alshon Jeffery’s nagging injuries and Kevin White’s stress fracture in his leg, basically spells disaster for the offense. Defensively, the group is led by vet Jared Allen, Kyle Fuller, and Antrel Rolle. The defensive backfield has the ability to create takeaways, 19 picks last year, and set up the offense, but it seems as if the offense won’t be able to score. Prediction: 4-12.

Cincinnati Bengals: Last Season: 10-5-1

After not making the playoffs but not winning a game in each of quarterback Andy Dalton’s first 4 seasons, the Bengals look to change that with a more experienced and more talented supporting cast. Jeremy Hill had over 1,100 yards as a rookie last year and he projects to be one of the most productive running backs on the ground this year. A.J Green hopes to stay healthy after injuries limited him to 13 games last year. One of the most naturally gifted receivers in the game, Green hopes to help Dalton in the air. Dalton had just 19 TD’s compared to 17 INTs in what appeared to be a step back last year. With these pieces, including wideout Mohammed Sanu and tight end Tyler Eifert, who played in just 1 game last year, the offense is poised for a pick up. The defense is littered with big names such as Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins, Rey Maualuga and Dre Kirkpatrick. This squad should improve upon their 21.5 points per game allowed last season with Kirkpatrick slated to make a huge impact at corner. Prediction: 11-5.

Buffalo Bills: Last Season: 9-7

This offseason was one of change for the Bills. They hired Rex Ryan as their new head coach, added LeSean McCoy and Percy Harvin on offense, and named Tyrod Taylor their starting quarterback. Taylor should be in position to run a fast-paced, big play offense with McCoy, Harvin, and Sammy Watkins lined up outside and Greg Norman as the offensive coordinator. Watkins is a big play threat (982 yards as a rookie in 2014) that should help Taylor ease his way into the starting job. After a slow start, McCoy picked it up last season and finished with 1,300 yards. He figures to be the biggest pawn in Buffalo’s offensive scheme, which ran for only 1482 yards in 2014. However, their line in suspect at best, which means Taylor may have to use his feet too often. On defense, the line is their biggest strength with Mario and Kyle Williams lining up with newly-rich Marcel Dareus (who is suspended for the first game). Their defensive backfield is nothing special and could be burned frequently (only 58 passes defended last year). Even with all of the additions, I still don;t think they will gain ground in the AFC East. Prediction: 9-7.

Denver Broncos: Last Season: 12-4

Returning essentially the same personnel as last year with new head coach Gary Kubiak, the Broncos yet again look like favorites in the AFC. Peyton Manning is still a top-tier QB at age 39, and he still has Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders out wide to throw to after totaling over 4,700 yards and 39 TDs last year. After losing Julius Thomas to free agency, the team picked up reliable tight end Owen Daniels, who has had at least 500 yards receiving in 6 of his 9 pro seasons. C.J Anderson (849 yards in 15 games) will take on starting duties at running back following the release of Montee Ball. New defensive coordinator Wade Phillips will look to veterans DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller, and Chris Harris Jr. to provide a spark. 1st-round draft pick Shane Ray will learn and develop as a backup to Ware, meaning he’s learning from one of the best to ever play his position. For the Broncos, it will be how they finish with an aging nucleus and cutting down on their 20 giveaways. Prediction: 13-3.

Cleveland Browns: Last Season: 7-9

Oh boy. This team could contend for the playoffs if their offense wasn’t so horrible (54.6 completion percentage and 3.6 yards per carry in 2014). It doesn’t seem to get better for that side of the ball this year with Josh McCown at the helm of a squad of skill position players that have no real NFL credibility. Watching rookie Duke Johnson could be special behind a pretty good offensive line, but in today’s game you can’t win if you can’t throw. The defense, however, has the potential to be nasty. First-round pick Danny Shelton will look to open up holes for Karlos Dansby and Paul Kruger to get in the backfield. Throwing on them will be tough as well, with Joe Haden and Tramon Williams playing corner and Donte Whitner at safety. They led the league with 97 passes defended and were 2nd with 1,164 tackles total last year. If the offense can score, this team can fight, but it looks like another sub-.500 year in Cleveland. Prediction: 4-12.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Last Season: 2-14

The Bucs were really bad last year. Luckily, they got the first overall pick and used it on James Winston. He looked nothing more than an average rookie during the preseason. He does have a good offensive line to protect him and some real weapons like Vincent Jackson (1,002 yards in 2014) and Mike Evans (1,051 yards in 2014) to throw to. Doug Martin hopes to put in a full year’s work for the first time since his rookie year in 2012, when he ran for 1,400 yards and 11 TDs. The problem will be holding a lead on defense. While there are some bright spots like cornerback Alterraun Verner and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, it doesn’t look like the 25th ranked defense from last year will improve. All told, if Jameis can get over his rookie jitters, this team won’t be as bad as last year. Prediction: 5-11.

Arizona Cardinals: Last Season: 11-5

The Cardinals surprised a lot of people last year with their success, and they’re out to prove that it wasn’t a fluke. Carson Palmer hopes to play a full season after starting out hot last year (11 TDs and 3 INTs in 6 games) but injuring his knee. He still has legend Larry Fitzgerald at wide out, who had 784 yards in 14 games despite a merry-go-round at quarterback and Michael Floyd turned into a very reliable 2nd option. Andre Ellington hopes to factor into the offense more after gaining just over 650 yards in 2014, but this is still a pass-first attack. The offensive line hopes to stay strong again after allowing just 28 sacks last season. What this team really hangs its hat on, however, is defense. Although Todd Bowles is gone, the opportunity to be dominant is still present. Calais Campbell is a monster on the D-line that spearheaded a rush defense that ranked in the top half last year in yards allowed. Tyron Mathieu and Patrick Peterson hope to bring life to a pass defense that fell off the table towards the end of the year. If this team can stay healthy, unlike last year, that stability can bring another 10-win season. Prediction: 10-6.

San Diego Chargers: Last Season: 9-7

Unlike Chargers teams in recent memory, last season’s version showed a middling offense but surprisingly good defense. Phillip Rivers had a career year with 31 TDs and 18 INTs to go with a 66.5 completion percentage and 4,286 yards. Malcolm Floyd, Keenan Allen, and Ladarius Green all figure to be back in the fold in the passing game. Allen and Floyd each had at least 700 yards receiving, and Green in finally the top tight end after the retirement of Antonio Gates. The third-worst rushing attack last year seems to have gotten better with the addition of first-round pick Melvin Gordon, which also provides some stability to a position that saw 3 different starters last year. Their defense will still be pretty good, led by Manti Te’o and Melvin Ingram, both of whom missed significant time last season. Eric Weddle is still the best free safety in the game, and he anchors a defensive backfield that isn’t great, but can get the job done. This team will be more like the mid-2000’s Chargers squad, harkening back to the days of LaDanian Tomlinson. Prediction: 11-5

Kansas City Chiefs: Last Season: 9-7

Last year’s edition of Kansas City could’ve been so much better if they had some offense to support their number 2 ranked defense. On paper, this team doesn’t look bad on the offensive side of the ball. Alex Smith does have some weapons besides Jamal Charles (1,033 rushing yards in 2014) to look for such as tight end Travis Kelce, speedster Jeremy Maclin, and professional runner D’Anthony Thomas. Smith only threw for 3,265 yards and 18 TDs last season, partially because he was sacked 45 times. The line needs to keep him on his feet and give him time to find his weapons in the open field. This si by no means a deep-ball passing game, but Kelce can be used in short-yardage situations and Maclin can take the ball up the field on screens. This defense, though, is relentless. Justin Houston had 22 sacks last year (I know!) and they still have linebackers Tamba Hali, Derrick Johnson, and Josh Mauga. The defensive backfield is led by Phillip Gaines and Eric Berry, who’s status is uncertain after battling lymphoma for much of last year. Rookie Marcus Peters was a top cornerback prospect coming out of college, and he has prototype size and raw talent. I think that their offense improves this year, and postseason hopes are high. Prediction: 12-4.

Indianapolis Colts: Last Season: 11-5

This team is legit. The front office helped out Andrew Luck by adding Andre Johnson and Frank Gore to ensure that he won’t miss Reggie Wayne and that he has a real running attack. Most importantly, the offensive line need to continue to do a good job of keeping Luck on his feet so he can hopefully throw for 4,700 yards and 40 TDs again (they allowed only 25 sacks last season). Gore comes over from San Francisco after running for at least 1,000 yards in 8 of his first 10 seasons. The additions, plus T.Y Hilton, Coby Fleener, and Dwayne Allen should make this the best offense in the NFL. Defensively, they need to take the ball away more, as the team had a -5 turnover different last season. Trent Cole comes over from Philadelphia to bring an experienced edge rush to get Vontae Davis chances at some interceptions. If that happens, I don’t know if there’s a better team in the league. Prediction: 14-2.

Dallas Cowboys: Last Season: 12-4

After being pretty dominant last year, the Cowboys had to deal with one big change in particular; DeMarco Murray’s departure to Philadelphia. They haven’t really dressed the issue, going with a running back by committee to start the year. That doesn’t mix well for Tony Romo, who thrives off of the play action. Romo had a great year, throwing only 6 picks while completing just under 70% of his passes. He does have perhaps the best receiver in the game in Dez Bryant, who caught 88 passes for 1,320 yards and 16 TDs in 2014, as well as sturdy tight end Jason Witten, and some nice role players like Cole Beasley. Their defense is very average playing under the “bend don’t break” scheme. Morris Claiborne hopes to get back on track after missing parts of the last two seasons with injuries, and the Cowboys may have drafted the most naturally gifted defensive player in Byron Jones (44 inch vertical and 12 foot broad jump). Losing Murray hurts, but the ‘Boys still look good for this season. Prediction: 10-6.

Miami Dolphins: Last Season: 8-8

A lot of people like the Dolphins this year to improve because of the way that Ryan Tannehill played last season. He had virtually no decent options in the passing game, yet still threw for 4,045 yards and 27 TDs. Now he has Kenny Stills, Greg Jennings, and rookie DeVante Parker to help him out. Lamar Miller ran for nearly 1,100 yards last season, meaning he should improve upon that number with a better throwing attack. If they can keep Tannehill upright, the Dolphins should score a lot of points. They have a nasty defensive line after picking up Ndamukong Suh, adding him to Cameron Wake, but the talent level on that side of the ball drops after that. Brent Grimes is the only other noteworthy player on that Dolphins defense, and he can’t stop the pass all by himself. They will get burned, and that’s the only thing holding this team back. Prediction: 6-10.

Philadelphia Eagles: Last Season: 10-6

They made a lot of moves this offseason, but I don’t think that the Eagles made themselves significantly better. They swapped quarterbacks with St. Louis, now being led by Sam Bradford. They added DeMarco Murray in free agency, swiped linebacker Kiko Alonso, and drafted wide receiver Nelson Agholor, just to name a few transactions. Bradford doesn’t fit in well in Chip Kelly’s offensive system, but Murray does as a runner, so he might run for 1,800 yards again, on the edges, Bradford doesn’t have many options (Riley Cooper is the #1 receiver). Nick Foles only threw for 2,100 yards last year anyway, so it sounds like a frustrating year of sweeps and powers for Bradford, who has arm talent but can’t stay healthy. Alonso is anchoring a defense that was horrible against the pass last year, giving up over 4,000 yards through the air. Walter Thurmond and Byron Maxwell hope to change that as newcomers. It’s going to be interesting to watch Kelly’s treatment of his personnel, which is limited on offense, and how much this defense can carry this team. Prediction: 8-8.

Atlanta Falcons: Last Season: 6-10

Last year was frustrating for the Falcons, whose offense was efficient but their defense was atrocious. Like really, really bad. And it didn’t get a whole lot better, either. Their offense will be roughly the same; Julio Jones will continue to be a stud and Matt Ryan will hide their lack of running game well (Steven Jackson was their leading rusher last season with about 700 yards- he’s gone). Scoring has never been the problem for them; it’s been stopping the other team that’s the thing. They allowed over 4,400 yards in the air and 1,800 on the ground. Atlanta did draft potential star Vic Beasley, but one player rushing the edge won;t help their lack of depth in the secondary or their lack of true leadership in the defensive huddle. Prediction: 7-9.

Giants: Last Season: 6-10

A rough year is brewing for the G-Men. After Eli Manning’s career year (4,400 yards, 30 TDs) and subsequent contract extension (4 years, $84 million) and the emergence of superstar Odell Beckham Jr. (1,300 yards in 12 games), I thought the Giants could make another stride this year. I was wrong. Their offensive line has been decimated, and they’re starting a rookie at left tackle as well as a guy named Marshall Newhouse. That doesn’t bode well for Manning, who needs to stay upright to repeat his numbers with Beckham and the return of Victor Cruz, who tore his patella last year. On defense, the lack of Jason Pierre-Paul hurts a pass rush that had the 4th most sacks in the league last year. They look to aging vets Cullen Jenkins and Robert Ayers to supply pressure on the ends, and Jon Beason (4 games last year) to supply the leadership. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Prince Amukamara are pretty good corners, but they’re being helped by untested safeties Cooper Taylor and Landon Collins. If Manning doesn’t get murdered in the backfield by opposing defenses and if the defense surprises people, they Giants could be good. Spoiler: They won’t. Prediction: 5-11.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Last Season: 3-13

These Jags are still a ways away from being competitive, but they will take a small step forward this season. They added monster tight end Julius Thomas to give Blake Bortles a touchdown target (12 TDs each of the last 2 years). It’s a shame that they have no real first option at wideout, because Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson are good second options. T.J Yeldon hopes to make an impact on the running game that was near the bottom of the league last year, and Bortles himself should look to cut down on his rookie mistakes (17 INTs). The Jacksonville defense isn’t anything to write home about, either. Jared Odrick is a big boy at defensive end, but there’s no talent around him so blocking schemes can be drawn up around him. Damon House shouldn’t be a number 1 cornerback in the league, but he is, and he needs to improve on his measly 1 pick last year. Baby steps, Jacksonville. Prediction: 4-12.

New York Jets: Last Season: 4-12

Ah, what a typical Jets offseason. Everything looked promising after signing Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, trading for Brandon Marshall, and drafting Leonard Williams. Then Geno Smith got punched in the face, and now everyone is down on the Jets’ outlook. Smith’s absence might be a good thing for the offense, which was one of the worst in the league when passing (2,946 yards and 15 INTs). Ryan Fitzpatrick is more savvy (played in offensive coordinator Chan Gailey’s system) and will be more open to throwing the ball downfield to playmakers like Marshall and Erick Decker, who racked up almost 1,000 yards last season. This team will have to hang their hat on defense, where it looks like nothing will be completed through the air. That’s drastically different from last year, when they had the worst pass defense in the NFL. Teams just won’t throw to Revis, so look for a lot of picks by Cromartie. The run stoppers up front are huge, too, headlined by Williams, Mo Wilkerson, and Damon Harrison. Quinton Coples finally looks like he can be the edge rusher that they want him to be, and David Harris always makes the tackle. If “Fitzmagic” can play smart, the Jets can be a decent team. Prediction: 8-8.

Detroit Lions: Last Season: 11-5

Ndamukong Suh is a big loss in the middle, but they adeptly replaced him with Haloti Ngata. That equals another year of being the top rush defense (league-best 1,109 yards allowed), especially with a healthy Stephen Tulloch (ACL tear last year). Their front 7 is strong, but the back end isn’t up to par with the rest of the league. Good safety play by James Ihedigbo and Glover Quin can mask the average play of Darius Slay and Rashean Mathis, and that’s not out of the question. They do pick off a lot of passes (3rd most in the league), but the Lions give up a lot of yardage in the air. Offensively, Matt Stafford will have a healthy Calvin Johnson and a confident Golden Tate (1,331 yards in 2014) at his disposal. In the backfield with him is Joique Bell (over 800 yards) and dynamic rookie Ameer Abdullah. This team will be very, very similar to last year’s squad, which is good for head coach Jim Caldwell. Prediction: 10-6.

Green Bay Packers: Last Season: 12-4

Another perennial playoff team with Aaron Rodgers at the helm, this year’s Packers team looks to continue their dominant run through the NFL over the last few seasons. There might not be a better quarterback than Rodgers, who threw for 4,381 yards and 38 TDs in 2014 (with only  5 INTs) en route to an MVP award. That was with str receiver Jordy Nelson, who is lost for the year with an ACL tear. Instead, he looks to throw to established option Randall Cobb (1,200 yards and 12 TDs last year) and untested DeVante Adams. Eddie Lacy should continue to make a name for himself after rushing for 1,100 yards last year and spearheading a top-10 rushing attack with Rodgers’ ability to scramble. Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers need some help on defense from their average secondary to really put their stamp on the league, though. Ha-Ha Clinton Dix is becoming a good safety, and Sam Shields is an above-average corner, but the other spots need to play above their talent level to improve a pass defense that allowed 26 TDs through the air in 2014. All in all, it still looks like an impressive season for the Cheeseheads. Prediction: 13-3

Carolina Panthers: Last Season: 5-8-1

A sub-.500 team in the playoffs? Yup, it happened last year, as things didn’t really come together for the Panthers in 2014. A dazzling offense led by Cam Newton was stagnant in the air with only 3,500 yards and 23 TDs between Newton and Derek Anderson. The running game was good, highlighted by Jonathan Stewart’s 809 yards and Newton’s 539. However, that was also with budding wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who is gone for the year after tearing his ACL in training camp. Philly Brown and Ted Ginn Jr. are hardly replacements for the production Benjamin had in his rookie year (1,008 yards, 9 TDs), but Pro Bowler Greg Olsen is back and he also sported a 1,000 yard season in 2014. The defense was supposed to be the pride and joy of this squad, but it ended up being pedestrian, especially against the run. Luke Kuechly hopes to change that and repeat his 100-tackle season last year. Star Lotulelei is a monster on the D-line, and he should improve on a down season a year ago. The secondary looks average yet again, with Roman Harper and Charles Tillman anchoring the 15th best pass defense from 2014. This team could b so good, but injuries cost them dearly. Prediction: 7-9.

New England Patriots: Last Season: 12-4

Don’t we just love the “Gate” ridden, allegedly cheating, Super Bowl Champions? They’ve already played their first game, a 28-21 victory over the Steelers. I gathered a few things from that win. First, a pissed off Tom Brady is really bad for the other 31 teams. He threw for 288 yards and 4 TDs, all of them to his tight ends, and looked even better than the stats showed. On the ground, their committee of Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden, and LeGarrette Blount is the only weak spot offensively, as they gained only 80 rushing yards. Brady knows this, so he completed a pass to 7 different receivers, a trend that should continue all season long with no definitive star wide receiver and some really good tight ends in Rob Gronkowski and Scott Chandler. On defense, they played the ‘bend don’t break” scheme perfectly, allowing the Steelers to throw for 351 yards and run for 134 yards. However, they only gave up 2 real TDs as the third one was scored in garbage time in the 4th quarter. This type of shoddy defense may not work so well going forward against good teams like the Steelers. I don’t think that this is a Super Bowl team, but Bill Belichick is a nefarious hooded genius and may surprise us. Prediction: 13-3.

Oakland Raiders: Last Season: 3-13

The Raiders seemed to have improved a lot in the offseason, making the fans’ hopes a little higher for this year. They added the best wide receiver in the draft in Amari Cooper to help out 2nd year quarterback David Carr (3,200 yards, 21 TDs in 2014). Their offensive line will be good again after allowing only 28 total sacks a year ago, so that will help Carr’s quest to lead the offense through the air. My goodness is this running attack back, though. Latavius Murray is listed as their first-string running back, which isn’t really good at all. Maybe he’ll split carries with Taiwan Jones (who?). The only area that they really needed help in (32nd in rushing offense last year) they didn’t improve. This defense, however, is big and bad. Khalil Mack is an absolute animal and he’s only in his 2nd year. Justin Tuck and Curtis Lofton provide the experience and some solid play at D-end and linebacker. They added Aldon Smith to their edge rush after he was released by the 49ers due to legal troubles (classic Raiders). The secondary looks promising as well, with D.J Hayden hoping to play a full season in the NFL for the first time in his career. He is still under the tutelage of safety Charles Woodson, who has become a sage in the defensive backfield (4 INTs in 2014). Like the Jaguars, this team will make baby steps. Prediction: 4-12.

St. Louis Rams: Last Season: 6-10

Jeff Fisher swapped quarterbacks with Philadelphia in the offseason, and I think that the Rams got the better end of that deal. Nick Foles is an established arm in the pocket, and he has some interesting weapons in Kenny Britt and, most notable, Tavon Austin. Austin has all of the tools but just hasn’t panned out yet in the NFL, so it will be interesting to watch him with Foles, who threw for 2,163 yards in half a season last year. The O-line needs to keep him on his feet and reverse their 47 sacks allowed in 2014. The strongest part of the offense will be the running game with Tre Mason and first-rounder Todd Gurley getting touches. That is a nice two-headed monster in the backfield that can create plays off of play-action for Foles. This defense has one of the best from 7’s in the game, headlined by Chris Long, Robert Quinn, James Laurinaitis, and Alec Ogletree. It’s the secondary that will get burned often with Trumaine Johnson and Janoris Jenkins starting at corner. T.J McDonald is an outstanding safety, but he can’t doit by himself. With the tough luck of playing the Seahawks and Cardinals twice, I think that this team may stay exactly where they were. Prediction: 6-10.

Baltimore Ravens: Last Season: 10-6

The Ravens were a good team last year, winning 10 games, but they had a lot of off-field problems (read: Ray Rice). Now with that out of their heads, they can focus on playing good football. Joe Flacco has a big target in rookie Breshad Permian, but he had a case of the drops in college and needs to fix that to be a deep threat. Steve Smith Sr. said that this will be his final year, and he hopes to finish off with yet another 1,000 yard season (1,065 yards in 2014). Justin Forsett is the most underrated running back in the league (1,266 yards last year) and he will continue his upward ascent into the top tier or RB’s in the league. The defense is led by linebackers Terrell Suggs, C.J Mosley (133 tackles) and Courtney Upshaw. This was a top-10 defense last year primarily because of their ability to stop the run (1,412 yards allowed), and it looks no different this year. The secondary will have it’s lapses, but Will Hill is a stabilizing force at free safety. You can never count the Ravens out, and they just might make the playoffs again in 2015. Prediction: 9-7.

Washington Redskins: Last Season: 4-12

Kirk Cousins definitively takes over after a hotly debated QB competition, and he should run an offense that fits their personnel much better than Robert Griffin III would. He has playmakers on the edges with DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, and Alfred Morris (1,074 yards last year) will line up with him in the backfield. The key will be to cut down on turnovers (18 INTS by 3 QBs) and to keep Cousins upright (58 sacks allowed in 2014). Jackson and Garcon are both big play threats whenever they touch the ball, so it is imperative that Cousins finds a way to give it to them. The defense is horrible against the pass (35 TDs allowed and only 7 INTs) and mediocre against the run (1,722 yards and 11 TDs allowed). That won;t change much this year with a subpar linebacking corps and no edge rush, giving opposing QBs all the time they need to make their reads. Last year was marked by inconsistency, this year will be more of the same, even with a stable QB situation (for now). Prediction: 3-13.

New Orleans Saints: Last Season: 7-9

The Saints have the most prolific QB in the league, solid running back depth, and decent pieces at wide receiver, but still only won 7 games? Yup. Drew Brees threw for almost 5,000 yards again last year but threw a lot of interceptions (17) and was sacked a good number of times (30). His receivers are average ad untested in Marques Colston and Brandin Cooks, who played in only 10 games his rookie year in 2014. Mark Ingram will now combine with C.J Spiller to form a formidable rushing attack, one that scored 17 TDs on the ground last year. This offense is like lightning, but the defense is really bad. They were in the bottom 10 in the league against the pass and even worse against the run last year. The lack of linebacking depth is the main culprit, but they didn’t really have secondary help, either, Brandon Browner comes over to try to help out Kenny Vaccaro and Jairus Byrd who form a nice safety tandem. If Browner does what he can do, he can eliminate a side of the field. It;s the other side that Saints fans should worry about. Prediction: 10-6.

Seattle Seahawks: Last Season: 12-4

I still think that the Seahawks should’ve won the Super Bowl last year. They were the hardest hitting and luckiest team I’ve seen in recent memory. They had the top defense again last season, but now they’re missing a big player in Kam Chancellor, who is holding out for a new contract. Richard Sherman will continue to shut down the number 1 receiver on each team, and K.J Wright and Bobby Wagner (80+ tackles for both of them) will continue to clog up the middle for the top-ranked rushing defense (1,304 yards and just 8 TDs against). Russell Wilson made the necessary plays and got lucky more than a few times en route to his second Super Bowl berth in 3 years, but now he has a huge target in tight end Jimmy Graham. Imagine Wilson scrambling out of the pocket with the defense closing in, and he dunks it to Graham for a big 3rd down conversion? We’ll see that more than enough, I’m sure. Marshawn Lynch knows why he’s here, to score touchdowns (13 last year). This Seahawks team is strong again, and is a trendy Super Bowl pick for the third straight year. Prediction: 12-4.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Last Season: 11-5

I really like this team on offense. Ben Roethlisberger has a lot of weapons at his disposal, and he showed it in their opening game, throwing for 351 yards in a 28-21 loss to the Patriots. He’ll continue to put up big numbers with Antonio Brown (9 catches, 133 yards, 1 TD in the game) and Martinis Bryant when he returns from a 4-game suspension. Le’Veon Bell will return from his one-game suspension, but they didn’t miss a beat with DeAngelo Williams in the backfield (21 carries, 127 yards). Bell might be the most well-rounded running back in the league with his ability to catch and block as well. The “Steel Curtain” looked more like a velvet sheet on Thursday night, allowing Tom Brady to rip into them for 288 yards and 4 scores. They have no real thumper or presence in the secondary, but Ryan Shazier will come into his own at linebacker. They have a big D-line with Cameron Heyward and Stephon Tuitt up the middle. They limited the scrawny Patriots rushing attack to just 80 yards. That will be the bright spot for the Steelers’ defense. The offense will carry them, but how far until the defense falls Prediction: 9-7.

Houston Texans: Last Season: 9-7

I don’t know how this team finished with 9 wins a season ago. They played 4 quarterbacks and the one that started the majority of their games (Ryan Fitzpatrick) is gone. Now Brian Hoyer has the reigns of an offense that is also without Andre Johnson but a fully confident DeAndre Hopkins (1,236 yards in 2014). Arian Foster has injury troubles again, but if he gets right, he can really help out Hoyer by  doing what he does best: running. He had 1,246 yards and 8 touchdowns in 13 games last year, expect similar numbers this year. J.J Watt is the best defensive player in the game without question, and he worked extra hard this offseason to make an even bigger impact than what he did last year (78 tackles, 5 fumble recoveries). The defense overall is stellar, especially against the run (6 TDs on the ground allowed last year). Kareem Jackson and Jonathan Joseph need to step up and stop the pass, as the secondary allowed nearly 4,00 yards through the air in 2014. I think that the QB stability will help this team, and the young defense will steadily improve. Prediction: 8-8.

Tennessee Titans: Last Season: 2-14

My pick for the worst team in the league! They did draft QB Marcus Mariota, but something about an undersized running QB doesn’t bode well for me in the NFL. The rushing attacks was very bad last year (only 1,400 yards and 6 TDs) but Bishop Sankey developed in the offseason and could surprise some people. Mariota has no real receivers; Harry Douglas is their number 1 option. Dealanie Walker is a top-tier tight end in the game with 890 yards last year. Marietta should look to him as safety net if/when his wideouts don’t produce. The defense is bad, plain and simple. They ranked almost dead last against the run last year (over 2,000 yards allowed), and they were below average against the pass (3,773 yards and 28 TDs allowed). Derrick Morgan and Brian Orakpo are really solid linebackers, but there’s really no other help for this defense. It looks like another year of futility in Tennessee, and it may stay that way for a couple years. Prediction: 2-14.

Minnesota Vikings: Last Season: 7-9

All hail AP! The return of Adrian Peterson will really, really help out this team, especially 2nd year QB Teddy Bridgewater.He ended with an average campaign by the numbers (2,900 yards and 14 TDs in 12 games) but he played much better than that the last few weeks of the season. He will be a better arm than he was last year, especially with new option Mike wallace coming over from the Dolphins. Peterson is back with a vengeance, and he’s so angry he might run for 4,000 yards. Just kidding. But a big year seems to be on the horizon for one of the best backs ever. That will really help a team that was middle-of-the-pack in rushing last year with Matt Asiata leading the way (14th in rushing years in 2014). The line needs to keep Bridgewater upright unlike last year, when they surrendered 51 sacks between 3 different QBs. The defense needs to shore up against the run (almost 2,000 yards allowed), but it looks like that won’t happen with this front 7. A patchwork secondary did fairly decent against the pass last year (7th in yards allowed, 17th in pass TD allowed), but I don’t think they’re so lucky this time around. A lot of question marks for this team, and that doesn’t translate into NFL wins. Prediction: 6-10.

San Francisco 49ers: Last Season: 8-8

Last season was really disappointing for San Fran. Colin Kaepernick did not play the way he has in recent years, throwing only 19 TD passes and 10 INTs. He also only ran for 600 yards, which is unusual for a QB who carves up defenses with his legs. They lost 1,000 yard back Frank Gore to Indianapolis, meaning the running game rests solely on Carlos Hyde and Reggie Bush. That’s not the best case scenario for first-year coach Jim Tomsula. They did pick up deep threat Torrey Smith for Kaepernick to throw to, meaning he can show off his strong arm. They also have offensive line troubles, as the QB was sacked 52 times last season. A good defense last year went to waste, and now they don’t have Aldon Smith, Patrick Willis, or Chris Borland. Their D-Line takes a hit as well, as only Glenn Dorsey returns. The 49ers have always hung their hat on defense, but with a depleted front 7, they can’t expect similar numbers from last year. That means the offense will be behind the 8 ball fro most of the game, which isn’t good for a mediocre attack either. Prediction: 5-11.

AFC Playoff Picks: Steelers, Patriots, Colts, Broncos, Chiefs, Bengals

NFC Playoff Picks: Packers, Cowboys, Seahawks, Saints, Lions, Cardinals

Super Bowl L Winner: Indianapolis Colts over Green Bay Packers

Underdog Super Bowl Pick: Chiefs over Lions