The safe way into the playoffs is to win your division. No risks involved. A guaranteed berth. Have to post as many wins as you can to get better playoff positioning. Looking ahead, some teams look like solid chances to repeat while others are at-risk.
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
The NFC East has not seen a repeat champion since the Philadelphia Eagles won four straight titles from 2001-04. The streak continues as Philadelphia picks up on its strong finish in 2018 and outlasts the Dallas Cowboys in what is a two-horse race. The Redskins and Giants should be way back of the top teams.
NFC North: Chicago Bears
The Bears won 12 games and the division by a long margin in the first year under Matt Nagy. Khalil Mack and the defense will only get better as they head into their second season. Mitchell Trubisky is going to miss Jordan Howard in the backfield, but Chicago is still stronger than Minnesota and Green Bay, which will duke it out for the second spot.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
Nothing fancy here. You don’t win the division by six games with Sean Payton and Drew Brees and regress enough for anyone to catch you. The Falcons and Panthers figure to be stronger. However, making up that kind of gap is almost impossible no matter how much you turn the team around.
NFC West: Los Angeles Rams
Sean McVay, Jared Goff and the Rams are the juggernaut in the NFC West. Would love to think the Seattle Seahawks can close the gap. The Rams’ defense led by Aaron Donald is simply too strong and there is way too much distance between LA and Seattle. San Francisco and Arizona would be thrilled to come close to .500.
AFC East: New England Patriots
It would be great to go out on a limb and pick someone other than the Patriots. It would also be lunacy. The Jets, Dolphins and Dolphins all have flaws and simply don’t look like they have done close to enough to threaten Tom Brady & Co.
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers
One of the trickier divisions to pick. Going to go with the Steelers, who had all sorts of distractions and injuries in 2018 and almost won the AFC North, anyway. The headaches that are Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell are gone to Pittsburgh can focus on football. The Browns would be the fashionable pick, yet they still have to prove they can continue to improve. Not going to believe the Ravens can repeat despite adding Earl Thomas and Mark Ingram. Lamar Jackson faces a major test in his second season.
AFC South: Houston Texans
This was a tough call. In the end, had to go with Houston to repeat. The Texans were 0-3 and then went 11-2 after the rocky start. If they get out of the gate smoothly, they should be a force and a threat to advance to the Super Bowl. The Colts were an impressive 10-6 in 2018 and figure to be better as Frank Reich hits Year Two. They are the team that will test Houston.
AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are going to win the AFC West and dethrone the Kansas City Chiefs in the process. This sets up as a critical season for Philip Rivers, who isn’t getting younger. If Los Angeles can improve on a strong 2018, it has a big, big shot at being the AFC rep in the Super Bowl. Distractions will take their toll on KC, which has Patrick Mahomes but needs to replace Kareem Hunt for an entire season and has no guarantee it will have Tyreek Hill.
