WS Chronicle

It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, not Christmas, it’s football season. The NFL regular season is rapidly approaching and millions of fans across the nation are hoping this is the year for their team.

The thing about the NFL is that there is a lot of parity, so teams that were bad last year could turn things around and become a playoff team. Injuries, scheduling, free agency and the draft always play a major part in whether a team will be successful or not, which makes it tough to predict who will win each division.

This year brings even more intrigue than years before. There is an extra game that the league added, so each team will now play 17 games rather than 16, which the league has done since 1978. It seems weird for the league to have an odd number of games, but I personally like it.  

What makes the NFL so great is that they have something that interests fans even during the offseason. Based on what I saw from teams, along with what transpired during the offseason, here are my division winners for each conference and why I think they will win.

NFC East: Washington Football Team (2020 winner, Washington Football Team)

This may seem like a homer pick, but trust me, it’s not. The Washington Football Team (WFT) limped to a 7-9 record to win the NFC East last season, which was the worst division in football due to a multitude of injuries to star players. I think the WFT will repeat as champions this season as well. They far and away have the best defense in the division and they have added pieces on offense that will no doubt make them more explosive. A second year under head coach Ron Rivera and his staff will do nothing but make this team better. If Ryan Fitzpatrick can bring some stability to the quarterback position, Washington should win the division.  I think they will be pushed by the Dallas Cowboys, because they are so explosive on offense; however, their lack of a stout defense will be their Achilles heel.  

NFC North: Green Bay Packers (2020 winner, Green Bay Packers)

There were a lot of questions surrounding the Packers and their MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers will be back, along with all of his big-time weapons (Aaron Jones and Davante Adams). I think the Packers will win the division by default. The Chicago Bears are dealing with a quarterback controversy. The Minnesota Vikings are good offensively, but do not have enough pieces on defense to stop anyone. And the Detroit Lions are … well, the Lions. This will more than likely be Rodgers’ last season in Green Bay and I know he would love to leave the city with another championship. They have been in the last two NFC Championship games and this year the Packers are hopeful for another Super Bowl appearance and that will start with another division title.

NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2020 winner, New Orleans Saints)

The Bucs are coming off of a Super Bowl championship. They have weapons everywhere on offense and a defense that can swarm to the football. New Orleans won the division last season, but they are attempting to replace soon-to-be first ballot hall of famer Drew Brees at the quarterback position, which is more of a reason why the Bucs will win the NFC South. The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers have too many holes to compete for the division crown, but they will be competitive. I think Tampa Bay is just too loaded at every position and has too much depth for anyone in their division to challenge them. Brady and company will be in the mix to repeat as Super Bowl champs.

NFC West: Los Angeles Rams (2020 winner, Seattle Seahawks)

The NFC West is arguably the toughest division in all of football, so I went back and forth on this pick. You could logically make a case for all four teams in the division, but I chose to go with the Rams as the eventual winner in the end. The addition of Matthew Stafford is an upgrade from Jared Goff. Although the Rams have lost Cam Akers for the season, they still have enough on offense to complement their stellar defense. The Seahawks won the division in 2020 and they will be in the mix by season’s end. I am not sold on the 49ers due to question marks at the quarterback position, but their defense is still very solid and formidable. Arizona is not a team to overlook because of their offensive firepower. I would not be shocked to see three teams from this division make the playoffs.

NFC Wild Card Teams: Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys, and San Francisco 49ers

AFC East: Buffalo Bills (2020 winner, Buffalo Bills)

Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen took a giant leap forward in his progression as a player in 2020. He was an MVP candidate for most of the season and I see no reason why this season should be any different. His combination of arm strength and mobility is unmatched by any player in the league, which is why the Bills will repeat as AFC East champions. The Jets are not ready to compete. When it comes to New England, they will be better than they were last season with several players coming back to that defense that sat out last season due to the pandemic, but not good enough to compete with Buffalo. I think Miami will be good, but they seem unsure with what they have at the quarterback position, so I’m uncertain what their ceiling can be.

AFC North: Cleveland Browns (2020 winner, Pittsburgh Steelers)

The Pittsburgh Steelers owned the division last year after getting off to an 11-0 start. They fell apart at the end of the year and wound up losing to the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. It feels weird to say the Browns are the best team in the division and will win it, but with how they have built their team over the last few years, I have no option but to choose them. They have the best one-two punch at running back with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and Baker Mayfield are poised to have a breakout season. Their defense is one of the best in the league as well. Pittsburgh will be good, and I think Baltimore will serve as the greatest threat to the Browns in the division, but in the end, Cleveland will walk away as champs.

AFC South: Tennessee Titans (2020 winner, Tennessee Titans)

This division is really a two-team race between the Titans and the Colts. No disrespect to the Texans and Jaguars, but those two teams will be lucky to crack out four wins this season with everything they have going on. When it comes to Indianapolis, I was intrigued by the addition of Carson Wentz as their starting quarterback. He has immense talent, but is often injured, so he is hard to count on. If he can stay healthy all season, the Colts and their stout defense can make some noise in the division. The Titans acquired Julio Jones in the off season to pair with A.J. Brown to make one of the best wideout tandems in the league. With Derrick Henry in the backfield, the Titans should be even better on offense and enable them to win the division once again.

AFC West: Kansas City Chiefs (2020 winner, Kansas City Chiefs)

With quarterback Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs are still one of the best teams in the entire league. They are poised to make yet another run at a Super Bowl appearance. The Denver Broncos and Las Vegas Raiders are not in position to contend for a division championship; however, the Chargers are an interesting team. Quarterback Justin Herbert is one of the best in the league and they have some talent at the skill positions, so I will be watching the Chargers closely to see if they can put it together to make a run at the Chiefs.

AFC Wild Card Teams: Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, and Los Angeles Chargers.