Best team that won’t make the playoffs
Paolo Bandini: I’ll take St Louis and one of the best defensive line rotations in the league to stay trapped in NFC West purgatory.
David Lengel: Denver. All Mannings need strong O-lines to make magic happen. The Broncos have yet to play together and have two rookie starters. Coach Kubiak and Peyton bicker quietly.
Dan McQuade: Philadelphia. Most years the Eagles miss the playoffs fans talk about it like they would have won it all had they just qualified, so I’ll put the Eagles here.
Raf Noboa y Rivera: Houston. In a quarterback-dominated league, it’s rare for a running back to be a team’s offensive linchpin, but that’s the role that Arian Foster plays. With Foster injured, even a fantastic defense can’t save the Texans.
Non-playoff team from last year that will make the playoffs
PB: Adrian Peterson’s return gives Minnesota the right combination of talent and opportunity in a division where nobody else appears to have got stronger.
DL: Buffalo and their holy trinity: Rex Ryan, LeSean McCoy and ... Richie Incognito? Who needs a quarterback when you’re that loaded. The Bills are primed for a 2009 Jets-like run.
DM: The Saints. New Orleans lost four games last year where they were leading with two minutes left and still almost made the playoffs. They’ll sneak in this year!
RNR: Buffalo. A stacked defense, plus the addition of gamebreaking wide receiver Percy Harvin and the oft-maligned Ryan as head coach means that the Bills end their 15-year playoff drought.
Team you’re looking forward most to watching
PB: Chip Kelly with Sam Bradford, DeMarco Murray and some very talented young receivers will be fun to watch in Philadelphia, but I’m even more intrigued by Miami. Ryan Tannehill has quietly developed into a very good quarterback and now there’s Ndamukong Suh on the other side of the ball …
DL: Philadelphia and their mad scientist head coach Chip Kelly. In a copycat league, genius/freakshows are welcome. Absolutely no one knows how it ends but it’ll be fun finding out.
DM: Indianapolis. Andrew Luck has a few new weapons in Andre Johnson and Frank Gore. If they drink from the fountain of youth this year, the Colts could be very good.
RNR: Green Bay. You probably know them as QB Aaron Rodgers’ team, but the Packers have a superlative roster. After back-to-back 1,100-yard rushing seasons, Eddie Lacy is set to breakout, and though the defense has questions, this is as complete a team as you’ll find in the NFL.
First coach to get fired
PB: Tough one. If the Dolphins struggle out of the gate it could well be Joe Philbin, but that’s not what I’m predicting to happen, so maybe Ken Whisenhunt in Tennessee?
DL: None: 24 coaches have been fired mid-season since 2000, just two of those teams finished above .500. What’s the point? Take your whoopin’ and regroup.
DM: Jay Gruden. Washington had a messy, sometimes hilarious offseason. Who’s to say it won’t continue during the regular season?
RNR: Guys like Jeff Fisher, Joe Philbin, and Gus Bradley are all on the hot seat, but the first NFL coach fired will be Washington’s Jay Gruden. It’s a matter of when, not if. Not that a new coach will make a difference.
Game you’re looking forward to most
PB: DeMarco Murray getting his first chance to remind Dallas what they’re missing (or perhaps it’s the other way around) in week two.
DL: Who doesn’t want to see how Buffalo’s Rex Ryan will be welcomed back by those classy Jets fans. Who knows, maybe the game will actually mean something.
DM: The Pro Bowl. It’s back in Hawaii this year! That means we get to see coaches in leis (this used to be an every-year thing Andy Reid did).
RNR: As a sports history junkie I’m most looking forward to the Patriots-Broncos game on 29 November. The rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning defined the NFL for the last decade. It’s likely the last time they’ll ever play each other, save for a possible playoff meeting.
Roger Goodell is ...
PB: ... going nowhere, sadly.
DL: ... learning that possessing unchecked power isn’t as much fun as he may have initially thought.
DM: ... is going to get booed at the draft the rest of his life.
RNR: ... the most incompetent sports commissioner in modern history.
Will there be an NFL team in London in 10 years?
PB: Yes. I have a ton of logistical concerns but the will is there among the people that matter. This will happen.
DL: Yes. The key is for home and away teams to pretend they’re in their home time zones regardless of where they actually are so that their bodies don’t explode.
DM: Yes, because the NFL could have an extra 9:30am game for half the season in the US. They could get millions of people to watch commercials (uh, and games) for 15-16 hours half the weeks. Too profitable to pass up.
RNR: Not unless the NFL can solve two critical issues: jet lag and the exchange rate. It’s one thing for teams like the San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, or even the Houston Texans to play one-off quasi-exhibitions at Wembley. It’s an entirely different thing for a London team — say, the Jaguars — to do it on a weekly basis, even with a bye week. Also, will London players be paid in pounds sterling, or dollars? That matters, as Canadian NHL teams will tell you.
Most Valuable Player
PB: With Andre Johnson lined up opposite TY Hilton, and Frank Gore in the backfield to distract defenses’ attention, Andrew Luck is in line for a huge year. Indy might still bomb out in the playoffs, though.
DL: The NFL will be annoyed when Tom Brady wins the trophy. Roger Goodell leaves it on the steps of a New York courthouse for collection. Man, that’s cold.
DM: Aaron Rodgers. His great season will subject us to at least another three years of increasingly less cute insurance commercials.
RNR: As a football coach friend of mine put it: Aaron Rodgers is the best when doing it wrong. He’ll have to be, as he’s lost his favorite target, Jordy Nelson, to injury. But he’ll do it, he’ll look effortless doing so, and he’ll be the NFL MVP.
Coach of the year
PB: Mike McCarthy could be rewarded for taking a step back on offensive play-calling duties if the Packers finally make it back to the Super Bowl.
DL: If the Rex Ryan had a LinkedIn page, his title would be “Breath of Fresh Air”. Let’s face it, the man was built for Buffalo.
DM: Joe Philbin. This award usually goes to Bill Belichick, Bruce Arians or the coach of a team expected to be crappy that overachives. Let’s say the Dolphins do OK this year!
RNR: Chip Kelly, Eagles. Kelly was a fantastic college coach, but that doesn’t always translate to success in the NFL. Kelly proved his skeptics wrong in his first season, and has the Eagles poised to win the NFC East (again) in his third.
Offensive player of the year
PB: Probably Luck again, but that’s no fun so I’ll say Antonio Brown to continue his upward trajectory and become the first receiver to win this award in 22 years.
DL: You mean besides Tom Brady? Let’s go with the Giants’ Odell Beckham Jr. Opposing defenses smothered the wideout after his life-changing catch, and it mattered not.
DM: Rodgers. Does Freddie Mitchell get royalties when Rodgers does the “strapping the belt on” gesture?
RNR: Andrew Luck. When I watch Aaron Rodgers play, I hear Miles Davis or Coltrane. When I watch Luck play, I hear a Bach cantata. That’s how he plays: clinically, with mechanistic perfection and implacability. This is the year Luck and the Colts take the next step, and he’ll get rewarded for it.
Defensive player of the year
PB: Unless he gets hurt, JJ Watt.
DL: JJ Watt. If HBO’s Ballers says he’s changing the game then it must be true. And yes, he does catch touchdown passes.
DM: JJ Watt. This is definitely a pick where I’m just playing the odds. Watt is a star; he’ll win the award for the third year.
RNR: JJ Watt. He’s a freak of nature, probably the dominant defensive end in the AFC, if not the entire league. If the Houston Texans are going to contend for the playoffs without Arian Foster, they’ll need their defense to step up; Watt is the key.
Rookie of the year
PB: Nelson Agholor should get plenty of balls thrown his way in Philadelphia, and has the talent to make the most of them.
DL: Only one man can reverse the rep Ron Dayne bestowed upon Wisconsin running backs: San Diego’s Melvin Gordon. In a league lukewarm on runners, Gordon gallops beautifully.
DM: Nelson Agholor. Chip Kelly’s up-tempo offense (and improved situation at quarterback) will allow Agholor to put up big numbers. Can we nickname him “Agh”?
RNR: Amari Cooper. The spotlight is on Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, but Cooper has talent on Odell Beckham’s level. A technically proficient wideout, he’s got excellent hands, and he’s Oakland’s first big-play threat since Tim Brown.
AFC East champion
PB: I didn’t think they had a great offseason (successful legal appeals notwithstanding) but after 12 division titles in 14 years, Bill Belichick and New England get the benefit of the doubt.
DL: If the Patriots dominated a respected team like the Steelers, how do you think they’ll do against AFC East drek? I’ll let you ponder that one.
DM: Patriots. It’s incredibly hard to pick against a team that will literally cheat to win.
RNR: This is probably the toughest division in the league, but now that Tom Brady’s avoided suspension for Deflategate, the Patriots will prove to be just a bit better than the Dolphins and Bills.
AFC North champion
PB: With Le’Veon Bell and Martavis Bryant both suspended, it could be a slow start for Pittsburgh. But once everyone is present and correct that offense should be monstrous.
DL: Pittsburgh’s secondary figures to have more dandruff without Troy Polamalu, and they’re bound to miss defensive wiz Dick LeBeau. Still, the Steelers are almost always organized and effective.
DM: Ravens. Justin Forsett turns out to have a monster year in his first season in Baltimore. A side prediction: More crab meat will be consumed during the season in Baltimore than in any other NFL city.
RNR: The Steelers’ defense is, finally, going a massive transition. The Ravens, in contrast, have plenty of continuity. You can expect new offensive coordinator Marc Trestman to maximize Joe Flacco’s skills. That combination means the Ravens get the title.
AFC South champion
PB: Once again, this is Indy’s to lose. The Texans look like their closest competition, and they start the season missing Arian Foster and having just sent one of their top two receivers to go catch passes from Luck.
DL: If the Houston Texans actually had a quarterback they would have a chance, but this is the season Indy and Andrew Luck break through – it starts with a division title.
DM: Colts. This is the season when Andrew Luck becomes a breakout star to the casual football fan. Get ready to hear a ton about his beard: It’s already mentioned in a TV commercial.
RNR: The Indianapolis Colts. In the NFL’s weakest division, Colts will prosper from sharing it with Houston, Tennessee and Jacksonville. The Texans will dearly miss the injured Arian Foster, the Titans are a hot mess with a rookie quarterback in Marcus Mariota, and Jacksonville is still rebuilding.
AFC West champion
PB: If Peyton Manning truly is on the wane, then this division could be wide open. With an established running game and a stingy defense, Kansas City is my pick.
DL: The aging Philip Rivers is under-appreciated, but the 33-year-old QB leads the title charge in what could be one of their last seasons in San Diego.
DM: The Chiefs. Peyton Manning ages rapidly. He’s closer to a life as an avuncular football commentator than to another Super Bowl.
RNR: One of the two most balanced divisions in the NFL. Denver wins the division in what’s likely Peyton Manning’s swan song. Broncos have a stout defense, and even a diminished Manning is a far better signal-caller than Philip Rivers and Alex Smith.
AFC wild card teams
PB: Bengals, Dolphins
DL: Bills, Ravens
DM: Dolphins, Steelers
RNR: Bills, Dolphins
NFC East champion
PB: I’ll stick with Dallas, mostly because of how good that offensive line is. But this is the NFC East, so you know things are going to get messy.
DL: Eli Manning betters Tony Romo in a battle of DirecTV ads, but a division title comes easier in what becomes a giant season in Big D.
DM: Cowboys. The upside: Since Chris Christie is busy running for president (and sometimes governing New Jersey), we don’t see him in Jerry Jones’ box this year.
RNR: Philadelphia Eagles. They have questions – can QB Sam Bradford avoid injury? – but Chip Kelly’s proven himself as a offensive mastermind, and they plucked away DeMarco Murray from division rivals Dallas.
NFC North champion
PB: Green Bay – as long as nobody else gets hurt. I do think people are underestimating the loss of Jordy Nelson somewhat.
DL: Even with Aaron Rodgers’ girlfriend Olivia Munn lining up under center the Green Bay Packers would win this division. Megatron and Detroit just can’t break through.
DM: Packers. Losing Nelson is tough, but the Packers always seem to be able to produce star wideouts from out of nowhere. It’ll work out.
RNR: Green Bay Packers. They were less than a minute away from the Super Bowl. They’ve got the best quarterback in the league, and even without Nelson, their roster is still Super Bowl-caliber.
NFC South champion
PB: I went with Atlanta in my division preview, but I’m not confident. Dan Quinn should get more from the defense, but can he fix the running game?
DL: Actually, the question is, will this division be worse than it was last year? Bishop Gorman High School of Las Vegas would have a real shot.
DM: Saints. They might not be good. But they’ll be good enough to win the South.
RNR: The most even division in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons edge out the New Orleans Saints to win the title. Saints are still rebuilding from last season’s trainwreck. Carolina and Tampa Bay have too many holes to contend.
NFC West champion
PB: This is still Seattle’s division to lose. Not having Kam Chancellor would hurt a lot, but Arizona lost a Pro Bowl defensive back (Antonio Cromartie) too, and the Rams are not catching up quick enough.
DL: The Cardinals are healthier, the Rams are better, but Seattle still can’t be touched. It’s a cake-walk for the would’ve been should’ve been repeat Super Bowl champs.
DM: Seahawks. They were a yard away from a Super Bowl victory last year. Seattle will put up huge numbers again this season.
RNR: Seattle Seahawks earn the crown, over a dismantled 49ers team, the hot-or-not Cardinals, and a perpetually-rebuilding, on-the-verge-of-moving Rams squad.
NFC wild card teams
PB: Cardinals, Vikings
DL: Cardinals, Lions
DM: Cardinals, Lions
RNR: Cowboys, Giants
AFC Championship Game
PB: Steelers over Patriots
DL: Colts over Steelers
DM: Colts over Patriots
RNR: Colts over Patriots
NFC Championship Game
PB: Packers over Cowboys
DL: Cowboys over Seahawks
DM: Seahawks over Packers
RNR: Packers over Eagles
Super Bowl 50
PB: I love the idea of Rodgers and Roethlisberger slinging it out at Levi’s Stadium. Neither team is especially well-equipped to slow down their opponents’ ground game either. I’ll take Pittsburgh to edge a high-scoring game and make it seven wins in nine Super Bowl appearances.
DL: It’s a rematch of Super Bowl V with the Cowboys facing the Colts, except this time, there are no roman numerals to be found. Tony Romo presents crownies to the first 15,000 fans in Levi’s Stadium, but all that goodwill can’t buy him a title. This is Andrew’s lucky year, and the Colts win, 34-21.
DM: Seahawks over Colts. Seattle will not short-circuit in the big game this year. Richard Sherman and Russell Wilson will do the talk-show circuit after the team’s big win, and Marshawn Lynch will continue to be there so he doesn’t get fined.
RNR: Green Bay versus Indianapolis. The two best quarterbacks in the game, Aaron Rodgers and Andrew Luck, facing off for the championship. Rodgers’ second Super Bowl trip, and Luck’s first. Experience matters in a game like this, and I give Green Bay the edge here. Green Bay won the first two Super Bowls, and they’ll win the 50th to make it five titles in total.
