With the 2019 NFL season almost here it only makes sense to make predictions that may or may not come true. Each season there is changeover regarding which teams wind up making the playoffs. This season probably won’t be any different.
Click here to see the predictions for the AFC. Below are 2019 NFC playoff predictions.
2019 NFC Playoff Predictions
NFC East
The Dallas Cowboys took the divisional crown last season after they edged out the Philadelphia Eagles for the top spot in the division. It appears the NFC East will be a two team race between the Eagles and Cowboys again this season. The New York Giants went 5-11 last year and it’s possible they finish with a worse record in 2019, despite Daniel Jones looking really good in the preseason. With Alex Smith sidelined for the entire 2019 season (and his career possibly being over) due to suffering that gruesome leg injury the Washington Redskins will turn to either Case Keenum or rookie Dwayne Haskins to lead their offense this season. Neither the Redskins nor the Giants instill much confidence that they can truly compete for the division crown or even a playoff berth.
The Cowboys have some contract issues hanging over the team. Ezekiel Elliot is holding out right now, but it is still difficult to believe he’d really miss any of the regular season. If Elliot’s holdout does continue into the regular season that could be an issue.
The even bigger issue for the Cowboys is pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence coming back from shoulder surgery. There is a chance he’s back for Dallas’ Week one contest against the Giants, but if Lawrence misses any regular season time that could really impact the Cowboys defense.
The Eagles have the most talented quarterback in the division in Carson Wentz, who they signed to an extension this off-season. But Philly no longer has their security blanket, Nick Foles, who is now with the Jacksonville Jaguars, should Wentz go down with another injury. They do have veteran Josh McCown on the roster, but if Wentz goes down for a significant period of time it seems unlikely the Eagles could take back the NFC East. Picking Philadelphia to win the division is gambling on Wentz being healthy for an entire season, but if he does the Eagles come out on top in the NFC East.
NFC North
The Chicago Bears took the division crown last season in pretty convincing fashion, with a 12-4 record. It was the Bears first NFC North title since 2010. The Bears were successful largely due to an incredible defense, which led the league by allowing only 17.7 points per game. Chicago’s defense probably won’t be that good this season and they most likely won’t force as many turnovers either. But make no mistake, the Bears defense will still be really good. In addition, the offense should improve behind Mitchell Trubisky as the former UNC quarterback enters this third season in the NFL (his second with Matt Nagy as the Bears head coach).
Predictions of the Bears regression in 2019 are not completely without merit, but they also might be greatly exaggerated. Will they cruise to a division title like last season? No. But they will still be a serious contender in the NFC North.
The Green Bay Packers made a change at head coach and now Matt LaFleur is at the helm in Green Bay. Despite Clay Matthews no longer being in Green Bay, the defense should be better this season. If LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers, unquestionably the best quarterback in the division, can work well together and the defense improves the Packers will be a tough team to beat in 2019.
The Minnesota Vikings will be competitive in the division, but it’s difficult to truly believe they will take the division crown. Kirk Cousins is a good quarterback, but probably not quite good enough, even with the duo of Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen at wide receiver, to take the Vikings to the top of the NFC North.
Matthew Stafford can put up numbers, and the Detroit Lions should be kind of competitive this season, but Matt Patricia’s team won’t be in the thick of the divisional race or achieve a playoff berth.
Even though Cousins and Stafford are capable of winning on any given day the North should end up being a two team race between the Bears and Packers. If Rodgers, running back Aaron Jones and wide receiver Davante Adams all remain healthy and the defense does, in fact, improve, then the Packers are the pick here.
NFC South
The New Orleans Saints won the NFC South with a 13-3 record, while the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers both finished 7-9 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers went 5-11. The Saints were knocking on the door of a Super Bowl appearance before they fell victim to a horrendous non-call and equally terrible play calling at the end of the NFC Championship game.
Most people are picking the Saints to win what should be a very competitive division. And for good reason. They have a lot of talent and a really good head coach. Plus, they made good additions this off-season, but Mark Ingram, Ben Watson and Alex Okafor are no longer in New Orleans. Sure, the Saints still have Drew Brees, a surefire lock for the Hall of Fame, and Sean Payton, but Brees struggled down the stretch last season and that is concerning. So, the question is, did the Saints add enough this off-season and can Brees play at a high level for an entire season?
The Bucs should be more competitive than last season, but it is almost impossible to pick them as the division winner when they have Jameis Winston under center. The former Florida State quarterback has proven time and again that he can’t be trusted on or off the field. The Bucs and their fans are hoping new head coach Bruce Arians can reel in Winston and get more out of him, but Winston has been and continues to be too immature and mistake prone to really believe in.
The Panthers rely far too much on quarterback Cam Newton on offense and linebacker Luke Kuechly on defense. Kuechly is tremendously talented and a real difference maker on the defense, but he must remain healthy for 16 games for the defense to reach their potential.
Newton is an incredible athlete, but only a mediocre quarterback. The former Auburn quarterback also dealt with shoulder issues last season which caused him to be even less effective than usual. Newton also suffered what is being reported as an ankle sprain Thursday night in the preseason. Newton just can’t seem to get and stay healthy and the Panthers don’t have enough around him. And even if he’s healthy, Newton isn’t capable of carrying a team.
The Falcons have a lot of talent on their roster on both sides of the ball. On offense they have Matt Ryan, Devonta Freeman, Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, and Mohamed Sanu, among others. On defense they have Grady Jarrett, Vic Beasley Jr. and Deion Jones, among others. Atlanta made some changes in their staff this off-season, including bringing in Dirk Koetter as the new offensive coordinator, but that shouldn’t be a problem for the Falcons. But they do have a difficult schedule (at least on paper at this point).
This division will probably be a two team race with the Saints and Falcons fighting it out to see who takes the crown. The Saints schedule isn’t quite as difficult as the Falcons and, despite his late season struggles last year, it’s easier to trust Brees than Ryan, even though Ryan has proven just how talented he is. The Saints will make it three division titles in a row, but it’s a closer race than last season.
NFC West
The Los Angeles Rams won the West last season and made it to the Super Bowl, where they lost to the New England Patriots. This off-season they added some talent on the defensive side of the ball, by signing Clay Matthews and Eric Weddle in free agency. The Rams offense should still be as high powered as it was last season, though Todd Gurley’s knee is certainly a concern.
Gurley was one of the best running backs in the league and the Rams paid him as such. But the former UGA running back was largely ineffective in the playoffs last season, particularly in the NFC Championship game and Super Bowl, due to a knee issue. But Sean McVay is still the head coach and Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp are still in Los Angeles and Jared Goff seems to be thriving in McVay’s system.
The San Francisco 49ers finished 4-12 last season and finished ahead of only the 3-13 Arizona Cardinals in the division. But the 49ers should be better this season with Jimmy Garoppolo back under center after he suffered a season ending ACL tear last season. They also drafted Nick Bosa and traded for Dee Ford so their defensive pass rush should be formidable.
The Cardinals made many personnel moves this season, including drafting quarterback Kyler Murray. They also have a new, rookie, head coach in Kliff Kingsbury. While it’s certainly possible, maybe even likely, the Cardinals are better than last season, it’s difficult to believe they will truly be contenders in the West.
The Seattle Seahawks finished last season with a 10-6 record after starting the season 0-2. And they still have Russell Wilson under center, Pete Carroll on the sideline and they just traded for Jadeveon Clowney. If the offensive line is actually an improved unit from last season the Seahawks could be even better than they were last season.
Even though the 49ers and Cardinals should be more competitive than they were last season this division will come down to the Rams and Seahawks. The Rams may suffer a little bit of a drop off from last season, but they still have too much firepower for the rest of the division. McVay and company will repeat as the division champions.
Wild Card
Last season the Eagles and Seahawks earned wild card berths in the NFC. So far, according to these predictions, the Eagles, Packers, Saints and Rams are in as the division champions. That leaves four other teams as true contenders. The two NFC wild card teams will come out of the Cowboys, Bears, Falcons, and Seahawks. But which two will get in and which two will be on the outside looking in? Looking at the whole picture, expect Atlanta and Seattle to get in and Dallas and Chicago to start early off-seasons.
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