2019 NFL Season Predictions

Last year our predictions didn’t really hold true to form as the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers didn’t make it to the Superbowl as we thought. But injuries were a big factor. In 2019 we see the Kansas City Chiefs making all the way and eventually beating the Minnesota Vikings in the Superbowl.

Let’s get right to these predictions. 

AFC East

1. Patriots: 12-4
2. Bills: 8-8
3. Jets: 7-9
4. Dolphins: 5-11

AFC North

1. Steelers: 11-5
2. Browns: 9-7
3. Ravens: 9-7
4. Bengals: 6-10

AFC North Bold Prediction: The Browns make the playoffs.

For most of the past two decades, if you used the words “Browns” and “make the playoffs” in the same sentence, it was a surefire way to get yourself laughed at, but that’s not the case this year, and I’ve decided to take advantage of that. Cleveland has one of the most talented teams in the NFL this year and as long as Freddie Kitchens doesn’t crash the Browns hype-train, I expect this team to live up to expectations. I’m also predicting this because I feel sorry for Browns fans and I’m not sure how much more pain they can take, especially since Cleveland hasn’t made the playoffs since 2002. They also haven’t won a division title since 1989.

AFC South

1. Jaguars: 9-7
2. Colts: 8-8
3. Titans: 7-9
4. Texans: 6-10

AFC South Bold Prediction: The Colts don’t have a losing record.

Having your starting quarterback shockingly retire less than two weeks before the start of the season isn’t an ideal situation, but if any team can survive that kind of wrench being thrown in their face, it’s the Colts. In the hours after Andrew Luck announced his retirement, pretty much everyone wrote the Colts off for 2019, including the oddsmakers in Vegas, but I’m not ready to do that just yet, and here’s why: Although Jacoby Brissett went 4-12 with Indy in 2017, this isn’t the same team. The overall roster is much better than the one Brissett played with two years ago AND the QB now has a coach in Frank Reich who’s proven he can thrive in this kind of crazy situation. Remember, Reich was the Eagles offensive coordinator when Philly lost Carson Wentz late in 2017. Instead of giving up on the season, Reich and the Eagles rode their backup quarterback all the way to a Super Bowl win. Brissett winning a Super Bowl probably isn’t going to happen, but I do expect him to keep this team hovering around .500, which will keep them in the division title race until late in the season.

AFC West

1. Chiefs: 12-4
2. Chargers: 11-5
3. Broncos: 8-8
4. Raiders: 4-12

NFC East

1. Eagles: 10-6
2. Cowboys 9-7
3. Giants: 6-10
4. Redskins: 5-11

NFC East Bold Prediction: Miles Sanders wins Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

When it comes to the offensive rookie of the year award, if voters have proven one thing over the past few years, it’s that they love giving the award to running backs (a running back has won in three of the past four seasons) and they really love giving it to players from the NFC East (a player from this division has won the award four times since 2012), and Sanders checks both of those boxes. If you’re looking for a running back that might win, Sanders makes sense and that’s because he probably has the best offensive line of any rookie running back. The other bold prediction here is that the Cowboys miss the playoffs, and before you come complaining to me that I hate your team Cowboys fans, just remember that we picked Dallas to go 10-6 and win the division last year.

NFC North

1. Vikings: 11-5
2. Packers: 10-6
3. Bears: 9-7
4. Lions: 7-9

NFC South

1. Saints: 11-5
2. Falcons: 10-6
3. Panthers: 8-8
4. Buccaneers: 7-9

NFC West

1. Rams: 10-6
2. Seahawks: 10-6
3. 49ers: 6-10
4. Cardinals: 5-11

NFC West Bold Prediction: 49ers finish under .500.

With Jimmy Garoppolo finally healthy, the 49ers have turned into a trendy pick to make the playoffs in 2019. The problem for the 49ers — besides the fact that Garoppolo keeps throwing interceptions in practice — is that there are two teams in their division that have slightly more talent than they do. With a rusty Garoppolo, the only way the 49ers are going to hit .500 this season is if everything goes right for them, but I think we can all agree that everything never goes right for anyone in the NFL.

NFC Playoffs

Teams: 1. Saints 2. Vikings 3. Eagles 4. Rams 5. Seahawks 6. Packers

Wild Card

(5) Seahawks 20-16 over (4) Rams

(6) Packers 27-24 over (3) Eagles

Divisional

(6) Packers 27-23 over (1) Saints

(2) Vikings 30-27 over (5) Seahawks

NFC Championship

(2) Vikings 34-30 over (5) Packers

AFC Playoffs

Teams: 1. Patriots 2. Chiefs 3. Steelers 4. Jaguars 5. Chargers 6. Browns

Wild Card

(3) Steelers 30-27 over (6) Browns

(4) Jaguars 20-17 over (5) Chargers

Divisional 

(1) Patriots 23-20 over (4) Jaguars

(2) Chiefs 34-27 over (3) Steelers

AFC Championship

(2) Chiefs 31-24 over (1) Patriots

Super Bowl LIV (Fox)

Chiefs 31-24 over Vikings

Playoffs bold prediction: The Chiefs win the Super Bowl.