2015 NFL Preview

This NFL offseason was summed up in one word: Deflategate.

Deflategate, Deflategate and more Deflategate.

If you were a sports fan in New England over the past eight months, that’s all you heard about. Red Sox season? There’s always next year. Bruins or Celtics off-season news?  Please. Just when the story appeared to die down, more gas would be tossed onto the fire, bringing it to a whole new level. And no matter what media outlet you were following, everyone had an opinion.

Regardless of what your thoughts might be about the New England Patriots and their quarterback Tom Brady, the whole fiasco reached levels of absurdity over allegations of tampering with equipment. The violation equates to rolling through a stop sign, and the league’s investigation resulted in no hard evidence that Brady had any involvement in deflating footballs. The fact that the NFL forced Brady to bring the case to federal court and taking us all along for the ride was embarrassing. Now that it’s over (for the time being, subject to the NFL’s appeal) and fans can now focus on football, what effect will the whole ordeal have on the 2015 season?

You poked the bear Roger Goodell, and the rest of the league should be warned.  

AFC Playoff Teams: (1) Indianapolis Colts, (2) New England Patriots, (3) Denver Broncos, (4) Baltimore Ravens, (5) San Diego Chargers, (6) Miami Dolphins

AFC Championship: New England over Indianapolis

NFC Playoff Teams: (1) Seattle Seahawks, (2) Green Bay Packers, (3) Dallas Cowboys, (4) New Orleans Saints, (5) Detroit Lions, (6) Philadelphia Eagles

NFC Championship: Green Bay over Seattle

Super Bowl: New England over Green Bay

AFC East

1. New England Patriots (12-4)

2. Maimi Dolphins (10-6)

3. Buffalo Bills (9-7)

4. New York Jets (5-11)

Tom Brady

On paper, all of these teams improved except the Patriots. In the end, it won’t matter. The addition of Derrelle Revis in the Jets secondary is going to bolster their defense, which will help keep them in games. Receiver Brandon Marshall will spread the offense, but how frustrated will he be when no one will be able to throw him the ball? When Geno Smith is your quarterback, things already look bleak. When you have to turn to Ryan Fitzpatrick because your starting quarterback broke his jaw courtesy of a former teammate’s sucker punch, things can only become worse. It’s going to be a tough first year for Coach Todd Bowles. Coach Rex Ryan, also in his first year with the Bills, will have an easier path to a playoff spot. Although the quarterback situation in Buffalo also doesn’t look promising, Ryan has inherited a quality defense, which has always been his strong suit. The addition of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh to the Dolphins defensive line will have opposing quarterbacks running for their lives. However Miami has a recent history of starting off well and fading down the stretch. The same pre-season hype is there, so it’s time for quarterback Ryan Tannehil to live up to his new contract extension and have his breakout season. Until that happens, this is still the Patriots’ division. Brady’s suspension from Deflategate has been eradicated, and the Pats will be playing with an “us against the world” mantra. They may not be as talented as last year, but Brady and coach Bill Belichick will be more motivated than ever. Not only will they win another division title, their seventh in a row, but look for them to make another run to the Super Bowl.    

AFC North

1.      Baltimore Ravens (10-6)

2.      Cincinnati Bengals (9-7)

3.      Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

4.      Cleveland Browns (5-11)

Joe Flacco

Last season Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Baltimore all made the post-season. Don't be surprised if they do it again this year, even though the Steelers and Bengals have to two toughest schedules in 2015. For the Browns, their main concern is if quarterback Johnny Manziel can blossom into the regular starter they hope he can be. The potential is there, but for now Manziel will be watching the ever revolving door of Browns quarterbacks and Josh McCown. Pittsburgh took a hit by losing center Maurkice Pouncy to a broken bone in his ankle, and will miss running back La'Veon Bell for the first two games of the season due to a suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. But Bell is one of the most versatile backs in the league, and Antonio Brown led all receivers in receptions and receiving yards last year, so the offense should be able to duplicate its production this season. Not much has changed in Cincinnati. Their problem has not been the regular season but being one-and-done in the past four post-seasons. Quarterback Andy Dalton and the offense should be able to put points on the board, which could lead to another playoff berth. If they don’t hurdle their playoff hump, this could be the last season for head coach Marvin Lewis. Not much has changed in Baltimore either besides the loss of defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. They found a solid runner in back Justin Forsett, and Joe Flacco is a serviceable quarterback that turns into Superman in the playoffs. Coach John Harbaugh’s teams are a model of consistency, and he finds a way to win with the talent he has. He should make his seventh trip to the post-season.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts (13-3)

2. Houston Texans (7-9)

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11)

4. Tennessee Titans (2-14)

Andrew Luck

Same sub-par division, same results. The Titans certainly addressed their quarterback issue by drafting Marcus Mariota. He has looked impressive in the pre-season, however the team did little to address their run defense, which was last in the league in 2014. It will be hard for Mariota to learn and develop when he’s watching from the sideline. The Jaguars took a step in the right direction by bringing in tight end Julius Thomas, which will be a big target for sophomore quarterback Blake Bortles. They will be a combination to watch if they can develop a rapport, but Jacksonville is still far away for competing for a playoff spot. The Texans hope that linebacker and first overall pick from 2014 Jadeveon Clowney can stay healthy and on the field. They did add nose tackle Vince Wilfork to bolster the defensive line, and still have the most dominant player in the game in J.J. Watt, so the defense has the capability to be one of the tops in football. However when you bring in journeyman and Browns castaway Brian Hoyer to be your starting quarterback, things aren’t so promising. The Colts are a popular pick by many to win this year’s Super Bowl, and rightfully so. They have the most talented signal caller in the game in Andrew Luck, and brought in veterans Frank Gore and Andre Johnson as more weapons to Luck’s arsenal. The Colts will dominate during the regular season due to their cookie-cutter schedule, but until they can figure out how to defeat their nemesis New England Patriots, they will remain second in the conference.

AFC West

1. Denver Broncos (11-5)

2. San Diego Chargers (10-6)

3. Kansas City Chiefs (9-7)

4. Oakland Raiders (6-10)

Peyton Manning

There has to optimism in Oakland. Second-year quarterback Derek Carr looks to improve on his strong rookie campaign, and adding receivers Michael Crabtree and fourth overall pick Amari Cooper will help. An increase in wins is probable, but a playoff spot is still unlikely. The Chiefs did little to make improvements, but did bring in receiver Jeremy Maclin to replace the aging corpse of Dwayne Bowe. With Alex Smith at quarterback, they will continue to run back Jamaal Charles into the ground. Expect close to the same results as last year, including coach Andy Reid’s stellar display of clock management. The Chargers were in the playoff hunt in 2014 despite their dismal running game, which ranked 30^th in the league. They looked to fill that void by drafting running back Melvin Gordon out of Wisconsin. If Gordon can help open up the offense more for quarterback Philip Rivers, then the playoffs will be within reach. At the moment the division still belongs to the Denver Broncos, which will all depend on the health of quarterback Peyton Manning. If the Broncos have the Manning that showed up for the last five games of last season, where he threw six interceptions compared to five touchdowns, then it could be a long season for first year coach Gary Kubiak. The good news is that besides the loss of tight end Julius Thomas, Denver’s high-powered offense is still intact. If Manning stays healthy and is efficient, then the Broncos will win their fifth straight division title.

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys (11-5)     

2. Philadelphia Eagles (10-6)

3. New York Giants (8-8)

4. Washington Redskins (3-13)

Dez Bryant

It’s really hard to believe that three years ago RGIII was going to be the savior in Washington. He had a quality rookie season, leading the team to a division title. Now the team is having trouble trying to trade him. Will his name be in the same breath someday with Ryan Leaf and Jamarcus Russel? When you lose your starting job to Kirk Cousins, it’s not a good sign. The Eagles gave the keys of the ship to coach Chip Kelly, who traded for quarterback Sam Bradford and his bad left knee He also signed leading rusher Demarco Murray and back Ryan Matthews, giving the Eagles one of the more versatile backfields in the game. Kelly’s off-season moves will either pay off significantly, or it will be a frustrating season for Philly fans. The Giants scored one of the gems of the 2014 draft with the emergence of receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and with the potential return of receiver Victor Cruz, there are plenty of weapons on the offense for quarterback Eli Manning. However the Giants defense was one of the worst in the league last year, and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul’s status is still up in the air after losing his right index finger to a fireworks accident on the 4^th of July. The result could see the Giants playing from behind. Dallas took a hit by losing Murray to Philly, but the offensive line that allowed Murray to thrive last year is still intact. Receiver Dez Bryant will continue to dominate opposing defenses, and the Cowboys should see the same success as last year with another division title.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (12-4)

2. Detroit Lions (10-6)

3. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

4 Chicago Bears (5-11)

Aaron Rodgers

The most impactful addition to the Chicago Bears is head coach John Fox, who has a lot of work ahead of him. Versatile back Matt Forte is still manning the backfield, but quarterback Jay Cutler needs to improve on his league leading 18 interceptions for this team to begin to turnaround. The Vikings are also a work in progress, and sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is a step in the right direction. Minnesota will also benefit from the return of running back Adrian Peterson, who sat out 15 games last season due to a suspension. Peterson has all the capabilities to return to one of the top rushers in the game, but a playoff spot is still a way off. Detroit filled in the loss of tackle Ndamukong Suh with Haloti Ngata, so one of the league’s top defenses from 2014 shouldn’t miss a beat. With receivers Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate giving the Lions a vibrant receiving core, a return to the playoffs is imminent. The loss of receiver Jordy Nelson for the season to a knee injury will show on the Packers offensive, but it still has viable pieces in receiver Randall Cobb and running back Eddie Lacy. The most important factor is that reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers is still manning the ship. With Rodgers at the helm, this team has the capabilities of making another deep playoff run.

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints (9-7)

2. Carolina Panthers (7-9)

3. Atlanta Falcons (6-10)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13)

Drew Brees

Not much has changed with this lowly division from a year ago, with the only playoff representative winning only seven games. The biggest highlight is the addition of number one overall pick Jameis Winston to Tampa. The question still remains if the Bucs new quarterback has put his days of stealing crab legs behind him. The combination of Winston and sophomore receiver Mike Evans can give some hope to Tampa fans, but the playoffs are still a long way off. To fix Atlanta’s woeful defensive problems, Atlanta brought in former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as its new head coach. The offense with quarterback Matt Ryan and receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White has the capability to put points on the board, but they need more consistency from the running game. Carolina took a hit by losing blossoming receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a knee injury, which leaves them weak at wide receiver. They have the best defense in the division, which will keep them in games and close to repeating as division champions. Even with a quarterback as mobile as Cam Newton, the rest of their offense is limited. The Saints lost end zone target Jimmy Graham, but Brandon Cooks has the tools and potential to be quarterback Drew Brees’ new favorite receiver. The Saints also brought in running back C.J. Spiller, who should complement Mark Ingram in the back field and also be an asset in the passing game. With Brees still manning the offense, the Saints will score a lot of points. It should be enough to win a poor division.

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-4)

2. Arizona Cardinals (9-7)

3. St. Louis Rams (8-8)

4. San Francisco 49ers (5-11)

Marshawn Lynch

Letting head coach Jim Harbaugh go might have been a mistake for the 49ers. What’s worse is that the once stingy defense lost Patrick Willis, Justin Smith and Chris Borland to retirement while also releasing troubled linebacker Aldon Smith after his third arrest for suspicion of drunken driving. To say things are a mess in San Francisco is an understatement. The strength of the St. Louis Rams will be their defense. Their success will be based on how well quarterback Nick Foles can adapt to the mediocre offensive parts around him, all while hoping rookie back Todd Gurley can fully recover from an ACL injury. The Cardinals had a laundry list of injuries last season, but still managed to sneak into the playoffs. The biggest relief is to have quarterback Carson Palmer back, and their defense should be good enough to make another push towards the post season. The division still belongs to the Seahawks. They gave quarterback Russell Wilson another target by acquiring tight end Jimmy Graham, and work horse Marshawn Lynch shows no signs of slowing down. Even though Pro Bowl safety is Kam Chancellor is too busy being disgruntled and holding out for a new contract, Seattle’s defense is still one of the best in football. They are primed to make another deep playoff run.