NFL Predictions

The NFL season kicks off on Wednesday and I couldn't be more excited. It's no secret that football is my favorite sport, though baseball is a close second. The thing about baseball is it's such a long season. Whereas football is short and every week, every game is vitally important (except for maybe those week 17 games for teams that have already made the playoffs). I'm not saying that each baseball game doesn't mean something - of course they always want to win and wins are important. But, other than falling incredibly behind in the beginning of the season, losses in April don't mean the same as losses in August or September. In the NFL, each loss hurts.

Speaking of baseball though, we're in September so it's down to the final month of games until playoff time. At this moment, other than a couple of teams the playoff picture is still hard to predict. It looks like the Nationals and the Reds will win their divisions but you never know - just ask the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. Am just hoping the Cardinals can hang on to a wild card spot. Right now it looks very possible, but we'll see how it goes.

So, the NFL season starts this week and I wanted to get my predictions for this 2012 season so here we go!

AFC East

DIVISION WINNER: New England Patriots

WHY: Have you seen the Patriots schedule? Buffalo is a better team this year I think, but the Patriots have pretty much the same weapons as last season and have one of the easiest schedules in the league. The Jets Sanchez-Tebow soap opera is going to be interesting to watch but so difficult to see how this team will perform. I give them a shot at a wild card spot but don't think they can overcome the Pats. Oh and Miami is...well, Miami.

AFC North

DIVISION WINNER: Baltimore Ravens

WHY: I'm not big on Cleveland, other than seeing how Trent Richardson performs. The Bengals have a decent QB in Andy Dalton and he has A.J. Green but I'm just not sure Cincinnati is where it needs to be to be a playoff caliber team. The Steelers defense is not nearly as scary as it used to be and they haven't done much to make their offense better. Baltimore was a great team last season and they have pretty much the same key players as last season. I think the Bengals and Steelers could contend for a wild card, but I think Baltimore takes the division.

AFC SOUTH

DIVISION WINNER: Houston Texans

WHY: Jaguars are terrible, Tennessee isn't much better and the Colts are rebuilding. The Texans have a top 5 ranked defense and as long as their offense stays healthy, I think this is really no contest. 

AFC WEST

DIVISION WINNER: Denver Broncos

WHY: Honestly, the AFC West could really go any way. I think this division is full of 8-8, 9-7 caliber teams at the moment. However, if there is a team that looks like they have the best shot at winning the division, it's Denver. They have a decent defense and they have Peyton Manning. I don't think that Denver is going to take the division by a landslide, they'll win with a record of 9-7 or 10-6. But I like their chances.

NFC EAST

DIVISION WINNER: New York Giants

WHY: Redskins will be better, but they are rebuilding with RGIII and I just don't think they'll be playoff ready this season. The Cowboys have been overrated for years and based on what I saw last year, I have a hard time seeing them as a playoff team. The offense struggled to stay healthy last season - if they can stay healthy then they may give the Giants a run for their money. As for Philly...I want to like the Eagles, but they make it difficult to do so. They have the pieces to be a playoff team, but injuries seem to plague them too. The Giants have the same weapons as last season and I think they have the best shot at winning the division. The Eagles and Cowboys could have a shot at the wild card.

NFC NORTH

DIVISION WINNER: Green Bay Packers

WHY: The team is intact from last season and they were pretty damn good last season. I expect them to have a similar season this year as long as everyone stays healthy. The Vikings have a long way to go to get back to playoff caliber. I think the Bears and the Lions will both be good teams this season, but just don't think they are good enough to top Green Bay. Both have decent shots at a wild card spot. 

NFC SOUTH

DIVISION WINNER: Atlanta Falcons

WHY: New Orleans is going to struggle with the sanctions that have been placed on them due to bounty gate, and no Sean Payton to lead them is going to hurt. I still think they are a good team, but I think it's definitely going to be a rough season for them. Tampa Bay's got a lots of holes and Carolina I'm just not sure about them. The Falcons have a solid team and Matt Ryan's got a great weapon with Julio Jones. The Saints and the Panthers might have a shot at a wild card spot, but I don't think they can overcome the Falcons for the division.

NFC WEST

DIVISION WINNER: San Francisco 49'ers

WHY: It absolutely pains me to pick the Niners but you can't argue with the facts, and that is, they are a good team. Top ranked defense and their offense does enough to get it done. The Cardinals can't even figure out their QB right now so I'm not high on them. Seattle has a top ranked defense and I think will be a scary team once all of the offense holes are filled but can Russell Wilson really lead them to offensive greatness this season? And if Russell struggles, can Flynn do it? Lots of questions still. The Rams are going to be a much better team this season than last year. I like how Sam Bradford has been throwing the ball and I like the changes Jeff Fisher has made. But not sure if they can be better than 9-7. I can hope, but if I'm realistic I know that the Rams will be better, but may not be a playoff contender.

WILD CARDS: If I had to pick right now, I'd say the wild card spots will be the Steelers and Jets in the AFC, and the Saints and the Eagles in the NFC. But I think there are going to be a lot of close races for the wild card spots so it's really wide open.

So there you are, my 2012 NFL predictions. We'll see in January how right I was!

Only 2 more days to kickoff!