The NFL season is upon us, and so it’s time once again for the PFT staff to tell you how the season is going to play out.
Spoiler alert: We’ll probably be wrong. Last year none of us had the Eagles winning the Super Bowl. Or getting to the Super Bowl. Or getting to the NFC Championship Game. Most of us didn’t even have the Eagles in the playoffs.
We won’t be alone. The reality when it comes to picking playoffs teams and Super Bowl champions in September is that teams will get better, teams will get worse. As the video attached to this blurb illustrates regarding the NFC teams, success or failure based on quality of early-season schedule also is a factor.
And it can have a huge impact. Playoff turnover each year is roughly 50 percent. Last year, the NFC had five new playoff times. Five. Out of six.
So here’s how we see this season going down, even if the only thing we really know at this point is that we’re very likely to be wrong.
Josh Alper
AFC
1. Patriots; 2. Chargers; 3. Steelers; 4. Texans; 5. Ravens; 6. Chiefs.
Wild card: Ravens over Texans, Chiefs over Steelers.
Divisional round: Pats over Chiefs, Chargers over Ravens.
Conference championship: Pats over Chargers.
NFC
1. Rams; 2. Saints; 3. Packers; 4. Eagles; 5. Vikings; 6. Falcons.
Wild card: Packers over Falcons, Vikings over Eagles.
Divisional round: Saints over Packers, Rams over Vikings.
Conference championship: Saints over Rams.
Super Bowl: Saints over Pats.
Curtis Crabtree
AFC
1. Patriots; 2. Chargers; 3. Steelers; 4. Jaguars; 5. Chiefs; 6. Jets.
Wild card: Steelers over Jets, Chiefs over Jaguars.
Divisional round: Patriots over Chiefs, Steelers over Chargers.
Conference championship: Steelers over Patriots.
NFC
1. Vikings; 2. Rams; 3. Eagles; 4. Saints; 5. Panthers; 6. Packers.
Wild card: Eagles over Packers, Panthers over Saints.
Divisional round: Vikings over Panthers, Eagles over Rams.
Conference championship: Vikings over Eagles.
Super Bowl: Vikings over Steelers.
Mike Florio
AFC
1. Patriots; 2. Ravens; 3. Texans; 4. Chiefs; 5. Steelers; 6. Jaguars.
Wild card: Texans over Jaguars, Steelers over Chiefs.
Divisional round: Patriots over Steelers, Ravens over Texans.
Conference championship: Ravens over Patriots.
NFC
1. Packers; 2. Saints; 3. Seahawks; 4. Eagles; 5. Vikings; 6. Rams.
Wild card: Seahawks over Rams, Eagles over Vikings.
Divisional round: Packers over Eagles, Saints over Seahawks.
Conference championship: Packers over Saints.
Super Bowl: Packers over Ravens.
Darin Gantt
AFC
1. Patriots; 2. Chargers; 3. Jaguars; 4. Steelers; 5. Texans; 6. Chiefs.
Wild card: Jaguars over Chiefs, Texans over Steelers.
Divisional round: Patriots over Texans, Jaguars over Chargers.
Conference Championship: Patriots over Jaguars.
NFC
1. Eagles; 2. Packers; 3. Falcons; 4. Rams; 5. Panthers; 6. 49ers.
Wild card: Falcons over 49ers, Rams over Panthers.
Divisional round: Eagles over Falcons, Packers over Rams.
Conference championship: Packers over Eagles.
Super Bowl: Packers over Patriots.
Michael David Smith
AFC
1. Patriots; 2. Steelers; 3. Jaguars; 4. Chargers; 5. Texans; 6. Chiefs.
Wild card: Chiefs over Jaguars, Texans over Chargers.
Divisional round: Patriots over Chiefs, Steelers over Texans.
Conference championship: Patriots over Steelers.
NFC
1. Rams; 2. Packers; 3. Eagles; 4. Saints; 5. Falcons; 6. 49ers.
Wild card: Eagles over 49ers, Saints over Falcons.
Divisional round: Rams over Saints, Packers over Eagles.
Conference championship: Rams over Packers.
Super Bowl: Rams over Patriots.
Charean Williams
AFC
1. Steelers; 2. Patriots; 3. Texans; 4. Chargers; 5. Jaguars; 6. Chiefs.
Wild card: Texans over Chiefs, Jaguars over Chargers.
Divisional round: Patriots over Jaguars, Steelers over Texans.
Conference championship: Steelers over Patriots.
NFC
1. Falcons; 2. Rams; 3. Vikings; 4. Cowboys; 5. Eagles; 6. Packers.
Wild card: Packers over Vikings, Eagles over Cowboys.
Divisional round: Falcons over Packers, Rams over Eagles.
Conference championship: Falcons over Rams.
Super Bowl: Falcons over Steelers.