September 8th will mark the beginning of the 97th season of the NFL. Every team has one goal: to win Super Bowl LI. Some will have better luck than others. Predicting the NFL is hard, but here are my playoff picks for 2016.

NFC:

NFC North:

The NFC North is a two-team race all season between the Packers and Vikings. The Packers have a better offense, including Aaron Rodgers. The Vikings have a better defense. The Bears have too many questions on both sides of the ball and the Lions have to find an offensive replacement for Calvin Johnson. Both teams should be playoff teams. Winner: Green Bay Packers.

NFC South:

This division has a clear winner, the defending NFC champion Panthers. Led by reigning MVP quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers are the most complete team in the division on both sides of the ball by far. The Buccaneers are young, the Falcons are a middle of the road team and the Saints are rebuilding. Winner: Carolina Panthers.

NFC East:

The NFC East is the weakest division in football. Between the Cowboys, Giants, and Redskins, each can win this division if they stay healthy. The Giants are led by Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. The Redskins have nice overall talent. Dallas was the best team on paper in the division before Tony Romo got hurt in the preseason. Winner: New York Giants.

NFC West:

A two team race between teams that could possibly be in the Super Bowl. The Cardinals are the reigning division champions, and the most balanced team in the NFC. The Seahawks, led by quarterback Russell Wilson offensively and the Legion of Boom, are also contenders. Both should be in the playoffs. The 49ers are rebuilding under Chip Kelly, and the once-again Los Angeles Rams are a little too young to compete. I think this division comes down to head to head play. Winner: Arizona Cardinals.

Wild Cards:

There are two clear wild card favorites in the NFC: the Vikings and Seahawks. Both teams were playoff teams last year, and should be back after having only improved their teams from a year ago.

AFC:

AFC North:

The AFC North race is between my Bengals and the Steelers, two bitter division rivals. These two teams could possibly be the AFC team in the Super Bowl. The Bengals, to me, are the most balanced in the AFC with top-five talent overall. The Steelers have one of the best offenses in the league, but their defense is subject to question. The Browns are in serious rebuild mode, and the Ravens are aging. In the regular season, I hate to say this. Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers.

AFC South:

The Texans or Colts should win this division. Houston have a great defense led by JJ Watt, and now have a revamped offense. The Colts should have quarterback Andrew Luck back and healthy after injuries plagued his 2015 season, but he would have to carry the team. Once again, the head to head will determine the division. Winner: Houston Texans.

AFC East:

Even with Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, the AFC East still runs through the Patriots. Brady will be back, and Bill Belichick is still the game's best coach. The Jets are a near playoff team, with a great defense and a solid offense, so they could surprise us and take the division if New England gets off to a slow start without Brady. The Bills still need to take the next steps to getting back into being a competitive team, as do the Dolphins. Winner: New England Patriots.

AFC West: The AFC West features three potential playoff teams: the Raiders, Chiefs, and the defending champion Broncos. Oakland is a young team, but is built well around their youth and should compete. The Chiefs were a wild card team last year with a balanced team overall. The Broncos might not have a great offense, but they still have one of the best defenses in the game. Winner: Kansas City Chiefs.

Wild Card: The Bengals will take a wild card after just missing out on a division title. They will make it six straight years in the playoffs. About five teams will compete for the last spot. In the end, the Oakland Raiders return to glory and make it in.

Super Bowl LI Prediction:

To make a long playoffs short, the Cardinals and Steelers make to the Super Bowl. They Cardinals have the best balance in the NFC, and will be able to not only score with the league's best offense, but also possibly slow it down enough to win a rematch of Super Bowl XLIII and take home their first Lombardi trophy. Winner: Arizona Cardinals