WS Chronicle

AFC East: Buffalo Bills

The Bills finished last season with an 11-6 record and won the AFC East. They were bounced out of the playoffs in a thriller against the Kansas City Chiefs. That was a game that none of us will soon forget. As we head into the 2022-23 season, the Bills are one of the betting favorites to not only win the AFC East, but to also represent the AFC in the Super Bowl as conference champions. It would be hard to argue with that due to what the Bills have coming back and the additions they made in the offseason.

The Bills added players such as Von Miller, Tim Settle, O.J. Howard, Shaq Lawson and Jamison Crowder to their roster this offseason. I think that Miller and Crowder will have the most impact. And another year of growth for Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs will only mean better results for the tandem. The Bills will have more competition for the AFC East crown this year as Miami and New England have gotten better; however, there is too much talent in Buffalo, and they will repeat as division champs.

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens

Earlier this offseason, I was leaning toward the Cleveland Browns to win the AFC North. With the suspension of Deshaun Watson, I am going to have to choose the Ravens as winners of the AFC North. Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson missed several games last year and has been subject to a lot of unwarranted scrutiny this offseason due to contract negotiations, so I envision he will come out with a vengeance and shut a lot of people up.

The Ravens were also decimated with injuries to their running back corps. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards should both be back at some point early on in the season to solidify the Ravens’ backfield. The Ravens did trade wide receiver Hollywood Brown to the Cardinals, but Rashod Bateman should be able to step into that No. 1 wideout position for Jackson. 

By no means will the Ravens run away with the division as the Browns will be competent and the Cincinnati Bengals, last year’s AFC representative in the Super Bowl, will be back and better than ever with their upgrades on the offensive line. Pittsburgh will also be a team to look out for as well, so there will be no easy wins in this division.

AFC South: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts were a good team last year led by now Washington Commanders’ quarterback Carson Wentz. This season the Colts have former Atlanta Falcons’ MVP winning quarterback Matt Ryan leading the charge. Running back Jonathan Taylor had a breakout year in his sophomore season and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. is emerging as one of the young stars at the position.

Their defense was a solid unit led by Shaquille Leonard and newly acquired Stephon Gilmore. The Colts should be good on both sides of the ball that will probably lead to a better record than their 9-8 record of last season. They were on the verge of a playoff spot last season, but this year I feel they will make it.

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs

The AFC West is the best division in all of professional football. I think all four teams should have a winning record and all four have a shot at a playoff berth. One could make a case for all four teams as division winners because every team made significant upgrades in the offseason. I went back and forth for a while, but I think the Chiefs will once again win the division.

Yes, I know the Chiefs lost Tyreek Hill to Miami, but Kansas City brought in some quality alternatives in the offseason. Players like JuJu Smith-Schuster, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Mecole Hardman should pick up a lot of the slack left by the departure of Hill. The Chiefs also drafted Skyy Moore out of Western Michigan. Moore is a shifty wideout that runs good routes. They still have Travis Kelce and Clyde Edwards-Hilaire as reliable playmakers at the skill position. 

The AFC West is going to be the most competitive division in the league with Las Vegas bringing in Davante Adams to pair with Derek Carr. Denver brought in Russell Wilson to be their signal caller and the Chargers brought in Khalil Mack to play opposite of Joey Bosa, making them one of the best pass rush tandems in the league. Until otherwise, the Chiefs are still the class of the division.

NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles

The Dallas Cowboys ran away with the division last year, going 6-0. This year it will be a different story as the Cowboys have lost some significant pieces from last year’s team, like Amari Cooper and Randy Gregory. The Eagles, on the other hand, have added necessary pieces to their team that should get them the division crown.

Former Tennessee Titan wide receiver A.J. Brown is one of the best young pass catchers in the league and his presence should make Jalen Hurts’ job a lot easier. The Eagles were also the No. 1 running team in the league, so they should remain one of the leagues’ best this season. Their defense is also a solid unit and probably the best in the division. 

Historically the NFC East has been one of the best divisions in football but has been down in recent years. All four teams are making strides to become respectable once again, but this year the Eagles should take the division, with Dallas and Washington fighting for second place and possibly a playoff spot.

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers have been the class of the division for years and I see no change for this upcoming year. The Packers did lose Adams and Scantling, but with reigning two-time MVP Aaron Rodgers still at the top of his game, I think the Packers will be just fine. 

I don’t have much faith in the Vikings or the Bears to try and make a push for the division and the Lions are still a long way away from competing. Rodgers is still one of the best two quarterbacks in the league and he should make up for any deficiencies that the Packers have on offense. 

NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs finished the regular season last year with a 13-4 record and they were close to yet another Super Bowl berth with Tom Brady under center. Fortunately for Tampa Bay, none of the other teams in the division made any significant strides to challenge their status as the best in the division.

I will admit that I am interested to see how the New Orleans Saints play this year. Their offense should be scary this year. Jameis Winston has weapons all over the place with Michael Thomas, Jarvis Landry and rookie Chris Olave at wideout. He also still has Alvin Kamara in the backfield as one of the most versatile backs in the league. 

Atlanta and Carolina are still rebuilding so they pose no threat to Tampa. With question marks still in New Orleans, I feel the Bucs will take the NFC South, but not by a landslide as many think.

NFC West: Los Angeles Rams

I have my reservations about choosing the Rams because of the shoulder injury concerns of quarterback Matthew Stafford. The defending Super Bowl champions are the best team in the division, hands down, but shoulder concerns to a starting quarterback are scary. 

Seattle is a non-factor and I don’t think Arizona will be a threat due to the suspension of DeAndre Hopkins. San Francisco could be an intriguing team. The 49ers were just in the conference championship game a year ago, but we are all waiting to see how good new starting quarterback Trey Lance really is. If Lance is as advertised, the Niners could challenge the Rams for tops in the division.