As stated in the previous article, it is never too early to make a prediction for the NFL playoffs. Whether or not those predictions are accurate, is still up for judgment. However, this early means I am judging the teams based on their players and their talent.
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
I can hear all the critics yelling at me now. “Teamist” “Biased” “Stupid Fanboy”, and they may have some legitimacy to them. However, this team looks good this season.
The offense this year looks poised to take control of the NFC. One of the biggest questions fans had coming into this season, is how would the team fare without Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. Well, with Thomas Rawls coming off an injury and Christine Michael looking solid this far into the season, the teams rushing attack looks fine. The passing attack looks solid with Tyler Lockett, Doug Baldwin and Russell Wilson leading the charge.
I’m not even going to talk about the defense. It’s solid.
The Arizona Cardinals are the biggest competition for a few simple reasons. The first is that their defense is a stronghold. One of the best secondaries in football is nothing to scoff at. Not only that, but Larry Fitzgerald is on a tear after the first week of the season. The offense is scary, the defense is scary, the Arizona Cardinals are scary.
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
This should be fairly easy to predict. The Packers have one of the best offenses in the NFL and have only gotten better by getting Jordy Nelson back from injury. The NFC North is a pretty weak division overall, but the Packers are the brightest shine they have.
As previously mentioned, this division is not too strong. The Vikings would have been better competitors, but those playoff chances went down the drain along with Teddy Bridgewater’s knee. However, even without Teddy, the Vikings have the best chance of any team. The Lions and Bears have next to no chance this year, so the Vikings are still better even without their star QB.
NFC South: Carolina Panthers
Raise your hands if you saw this coming from a mile away. The defending NFC champs are ready to try and defend their title. With Cam Newton at the helm, this team is almost a lock to at least make the playoffs. This team is full of stellar talent on both sides of the ball, but Cam Newton is the centerpiece to this Super Bowl caliber team.
In the south, The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are another team to really watch out for. However, it really rides on one player’s performance. That player is Jameis Winston. They have a stellar offensive core, but it can only be good if Winston plays to even a decent level. If he is good, the Bucs have a chance to make an upset. However, if he falls off, the team will fall along with him.
NFC East: Washington Redskins
The NFC East looks once again like the NFC least, which makes picking a winner even harder. All that being said, I think the Redskins are the team to watch for in the division. Kirk Cousins is proving himself to being a viable starting QB and the defense is starting to look like a strong point instead of a weakness with the addition of CB Josh Norman. My main reason for picking them is because they are the most balanced team in the division. Looks like all it took to make Washington a playoff caliber team was get rid of RG3.
The biggest threat to the Redskins is the New York Giants. Eli Manning is starting to look like a solid QB again and with WR Odell Beckham Jr. still in his prime, the offense can stand up to pretty much any defense.
