The grueling offseason of "Deflategate" and more "Deflategate" is finally coming to a close on Thursday night, as the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots face off in a Thursday night season opener. The 2015 NFL Season is almost here! Here's my picks for which teams will come out on top in their division:
NFC South
Griff's Winner: Carolina Panthers
This season looks to be another rebuilding year in the NFC South, and each team in this division suffers from their own deficiencies. Carolina has the best defense in the division heading into the 2015 season, but Cam Newton only has a couple of experienced receivers to target. The Panthers drafted Devin Funchess out of Michigan with their second-round pick, who's been battling a hamstring injury all summer that'll prevent him from starting in week one. The Panthers' star rookie of 2014, Kelvin Benjamin, will miss the entire 2015 campaign with a torn ACL, so Greg Olsen is honestly the only proven target Newton will have to throw to entering week one.
What will keep the Panthers afloat is their running game, and Carolina will feature a run-heavy offense against opposing defenses. With the departure of running back DeAngelo Williams to the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Panthers will have to lean on Jonathan Stewart, Fozzy Whitaker and rookie Cameron Artis-Payne for production on the ground. All three have looked good in the Panthers' preseason showings. This offensive scheme will make the Panthers a possession-style team, and Luke Keuchly leads a Carolina defense that will show improvement from 2014. This style of play won't be glamorous, but it will get the Panthers back to the playoffs for the third-straight season.
NFC North
Griff's Winner: Green Bay Packers
The Packers were one quarter away from making a trip to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl last season, and Aaron Rodgers is ready to avenge that 2014 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game.
Rodgers did lose his favorite target, receiver Jordy Nelson, for the season after Nelson tore his ACL in the preseason. This scenario sounds just like my last pick, the Carolina Panthers, except the Packers have a plethora of wide receivers that can step up to fill-in for the injured Nelson. On top of that, the Packers have an elite running back with third-year player Eddie Lacy to be the workhorse of an effective zone running attack. Lacy is considered to be one of the top five running backs in the entire NFL, and he will certainly be one if he can stay healthy throughout the season. Rodgers also has some versatile receivers with Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, and the Packers just re-signed receiver James Jones from the Oakland Raiders to add depth after the loss of Nelson.
The only team that will give the Packers trouble within the division this season will be the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings will have Adrian Peterson back to receive most of the the carries and acquired Mike Wallace from the Miami Dolphins to generate a vertical threat for second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. While I believe Minnesota will have a good season, the Vikings' improvement won't be a good enough effort to knock the Packers from the NFC North throne.
NFC East
Griff's Winner: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles traded Nick Foles to the St. Louis Rams in a multi-player trade that landed them quarterback Sam Bradford. Bradford has shined in the preseason and fits beautifully into Chip Kelly's scheme, but he raises serious questions about his ability to remain healthy during the regular season. Philadelphia does have a backup plan with Mark Sanchez, who produced well managing the Eagles' offense in spots during 2014, but Bradford has a chance to be a top-tiered quarterback statistically this season. Philadelphia has provided Bradford some talented young receivers with Nelson Agholor and Jordan Matthews, but the Eagles also sport one of the best backfields in the NFC with DeMarco Murray, Darren Sproles and Ryan Matthews. Ultimately, the Eagles win this division by maintaining consistency in the NFC East with their ability to create offensive production.
NFC West
Griff's Winner: Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks come into 2015 facing a lot of expiring contracts on defense once the season is over, putting a lot of pressure on their 2015 squad to have a successful season. Seattle provided a handsome extension to quarterback Russell Wilson this offseason, who's led his team to the Super Bowl in both of his seasons as the Seahawks' quarterback. Seattle grabbed Wilson another big target by signing Jimmy Graham from New Orleans during free agency. Couple a good passing attack with one of the best running backs in the NFL, Marshawn Lynch, and the Seattle offense looks like a headache for opposing defenses heading into 2015. The Seahawks also signed veteran running back Fred Jackson shortly after he was released by the Buffalo Bills last week. Jackson is supposed to have a role as a third-down back in Seattle and has "learned the offense well" per Seahawks sources.
The biggest threat to Seattle in 2015 will be the St. Louis Rams, who bring back a stout defense from 2014, along with revamped offense that will be led by Rams' newcomer Nick Foles. The Rams also drafted Todd Gurley in the Spring, and he's expected to get some carries once he's completely healthy. I think St. Louis is capable of knocking off the Seahawks if they're paired up in the playoffs, but the Seahawks will control the NFC West during the regular season.
AFC South
Griff's Winner: Indianapolis Colts
The Colts added some more weapons to their offense with veterans Frank Gore and Andre Johnson, and a lot of writers see them as an obvious Super Bowl pick out of the AFC. I really think that these two additions will have a huge impact on an already elite Colts' offense if they can stay healthy throughout 2015. Gore provides the Colts with a legitimate threat between the tackles, which was supposed to be the job of Trent Richardson, who's just been a disappointment since he's been in an Indianapolis uniform. Johnson adds yet another target to Luck's arsenal, specifically in the red zone where despite his age, he's still one of the best in the game catching balls on that part of the field. I look for even bigger numbers from the Colts on offense this season.
Indianapolis will need to win the games that they're supposed to, and if they accomplish that, then they'll be able to create space in the standings between them and the Houston Texans. The Texans will have a difficult first month of their season without workhorse running back Arian Foster, who's sidelined for the beginning of the season with a groin injury. The Tennessee Titans will make a step in the right direction in 2015, but the amount of youth that will be leading the charge for the Titans will catch up with them before they get a chance to make some noise in the division. The Jacksonville Jaguars are still "under construction," but believe it or not, they'll also show some improvement, especially if the Jags' offensive line can protect quarterback Blake Bortles better than they did in 2014. Indianapolis is certainly the team that's closest to winning the big one from this division.
AFC North
Griff's Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers must stand strong to start 2015, despite having two of their best offensive weapons suspended to start the year with Le'Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant being on the sidelines. Ben Roethlisberger turns to DeAngelo Williams to pound the rock and still has one of the best receivers in the NFL as a target in speedster Antonio Brown. A lot of people also don't value veteran tight end Heath Miller very much, but he's a proven target each season and always seems to catch the passes he needs to come down with.
The Steelers hardest tasks within the division will be the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals, and Pittsburgh matches up well with both teams this season. Baltimore brings a tough running game to the table, but the Ravens lack enough vertical threats for Joe Flacco to complete the long ball as much as he's been used to in seasons passed after the departure of Torrey Smith. If rookie Breshad Perriman can get himself healthy and complete a difficult task by stepping right into the NFL as a deep-ball threat that the Ravens drafted him to be, then the Ravens might be in better shape than I'm giving them credit to be. The Bengals have a more advanced rushing attack, but A.J. Green is Cincinnati's only legitimate deep threat for Andy Dalton. Tyler Eifert will need to make himself a dependable target to relieve some pressure off the Bengals' running game. The Cleveland Browns don't have a chance unless Johnny Manziel steps into the starter role and is clearly the "chosen one."
The Steelers are the most proven team in the AFC North coming into the season, and that's why they will win the the division this season. It will be a fun opener to watch between them and the New England Patriots on Thursday night.
AFC East
Griff's Winner: New England Patriots
So why can't anybody beat them? Like for real?
New England's offense is like water. It's fluid. It takes whatever shape Bill Belichick and his assistants design it to be, and it continues to be just as effective each year. If he's cheating (which is alleged, so don't think that I'm saying he is), then somebody needs to present some hard proof so we can all move on with what's actually important: the game that's played on the field. The Patriots have proven time and time again that they'll beat you how you let them beat you, whether that's pounding the ball on the ground or choosing among the plethora of receivers they seem to find each season. With Darrelle Revis headed back to the New York Jets, the Patriots will be exposed a bit at cornerback when facing opposing offenses, but that doesn't mean they won't find a way to compensate for the loss of "Revis Island."
The Miami Dolphins are viewed as a playoff contender by many experts this season, and among the other teams besides New England in the division, they're the biggest threat to knocking off New England's AFC East crown. Ryan Tannehill will have to make the next step this season, and Ndamukong Suh will have to be the presence on the defensive line that allows Miami's defense to stop the run late in games. The Buffalo Bills and New York Jets will show some improvement this season, but the quarterback play of both teams raises some serious questions about how far they can go. If New England didn't have an incredible track record, I would think about taking a flyer here with the Dolphins, but the Patriots just always seem to find a way. This year won't be any different.
AFC West
Griff's Winner: Denver Broncos
This appears to be the last go-round for Peyton Manning, unless he goes completely unscathed and Denver loses the Super Bowl by one point (hey, it can happen). The Broncos have a dangerous duo of receivers for Manning to use in DeMaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. C.J. Anderson get his shot as "the guy," and Denver has made "the guy" look pretty good the last few seasons with Manning under center. Head coach Gary Kubiak won't be any different, as he makes the running game a top priority in his offense, and Anderson will get a huge chance to be one of the premier running backs in the NFL. The Broncos signed Owen Daniels from the Baltimore Ravens to replace Julius Thomas after his flight to Jacksonville, and I think he's a guy that can catch a lot of passes if he can find the openings in the coverage that opposing defenses present. Manning likes to throw to his tight ends, and Daniels has proven to be a reliable target in the passing game in past seasons, despite an uneventful preseason this year.
Denver will have to watch out primarily for the Kansas City Chiefs, who maintain a smash mouth style under head coach Andy Reid. Along with the Chiefs, the San Diego Chargers are another threat to the Broncos in the AFC West, and they will look to showcase draft pick Melvin Gordon as the centerpiece to their running game. Philip Rivers is a veteran quarterback that's had proven success during the regular season, but Rivers has only won four of his nine playoff starts in a Chargers' uniform. Manning hasn't yet announced that he's going to retire after the 2015 season (and he even has some time left on his contract), but you'd have to think that Father Time is catching up with him. If 2015 is his final year, then at least the Broncos will hang another division banner under his tenure as the Denver quarterback.
2015 Playoff Predictions (click to expand the image)
As always, thanks for reading! Be sure to follow me on Twitter @griffaldo and enjoy the first night of the 2015 NFL season!
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