The NFL Season is upon us! This Thursday the Dallas Cowboys and reigning Super Bowl champs Tampa Bay Buccaneers kick off year 102 of NFL Football. With that being said, myself and a few other writers here at CSM decided to give our takes for the playoffs and Super bowl. Without further ado, here is the first ever CSM NFL Season Predictions Forum.
NFC
| Bryce Wolff | Shane Davis | Steven Lawson | Ben Parker | JD Holler | |
| NFC East | WSH | WSH | WSH | DAL | DAL |
| NFC North | GB | GB | GB | GB | GB |
| NFC West | TB | TB | TB | TB | TB |
| NFC South | LAR | SEA | LAR | SEA | LAR |
| WC | SF | LAR | NO | LAR | SF |
| WC | DAL | SF | SEA | ARI | MIN |
| WC | NO | NO | DAL | WSH | SEA |
Looking into the standings this year got me very excited for the NFL this season. There were so many teams I wanted to put on this list but just couldn’t. Also, seeing the variety from the rest of the writers means it’ll be a fun year. The NFC North and South were the only two unanimous divisions. The Buccaneers are coming off a Super Bowl and returned practically all their roster and only got better through the draft. Also, Tom Brady is back for another year and ready to take this team to the promised land again. The Packers went through a stressful offseason, but were able to get MVP Aaron Rodgers to play for the season. That alone puts the Packers in Super Bowl contention and gives them a firm lead for NFC North favorite.
The NFC East was nearly split between the Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys, with WFT getting a slight advantage. This is a classic offense defense debate as the Football Team are returning most of the defense that almost knocked out Tampa Bay last year, and the Cowboys have the most prolific offensive roster in the league. The laughingstock division of last year is in store for a dogfight between these two teams.
The NFC West was probably the toughest division to predict. Filled with four very talented teams, this division is by far the best in football. Most of our writers believed the addition of Matthew Stafford in the offseason would be enough for Sean McVay and the Rams to take down the Seahawks. All four teams could legitimately fight for contention, not only in the division, but in the NFC.
AFC
| Bryce Wolff | Shane Davis | Steven Lawson | Ben Parker | JD Holler | |
| AFC East | BUF | BUF | BUF | BUF | BUF |
| AFC North | CLE | CLE | BAL | BAL | BAL |
| AFC West | KC | KC | KC | KC | KC |
| AFC South | TEN | TEN | IND | IND | TEN |
| WC | BAL | LAC | LAC | TEN | CLE |
| WC | MIA | MIA | PIT | NE | MIA |
| WC | DEN | NE | CLE | CLE | PIT |
Similar to the NFC, the AFC has two unanimous conferences. The Chiefs look like they’re creating a dynasty through Patrick Mahomes and won’t be going anywhere for the next few years, barring injuries. The Bills are coming off their first division win since 1995 last season, and made some key additions this offseason. These two teams open as the favorites to come out of the AFC.
The AFC North had two votes for the Cleveland Browns and all the other votes going to the Ravens. A few years ago, the Browns vote would be laughed at, but this year, it isn’t crazy at all. They were a few plays away from beating the Chiefs in the divisional round last year and made a lot of good moves this offseason. The Ravens are already hitting the injury bug, with J.K Dobbins tearing his ACL and backup Justice Hill tearing his achilles. The team went out and signed Le’Veon Bell, but based off his play with the Chiefs last season, he won’t have a huge role. That puts a lot of pressure on Gus Edwards and 2020 UDFA Ty’Son Williams. They will both be key to the Ravens success as they rely heavily on the run for their offensive production. I know it sounds crazy, but it feels like everything is already going the Browns’ way.
The AFC South figures to be the weakest division in the AFC, and maybe all of football. The Titans hold one of the best offenses in the NFL, especially after the addition of Julio Jones. But, their defense still leaves a lot to be desired, and wasn’t addressed much in the offseason. As for the Colts, they signed Carson Wentz to replace retired Philip Rivers, but he immediately got hurt. He has a chance to play early in the season, but still might not reach 100% if he rushes his recovery. It is very possible one of these teams squeak into the playoffs with a record under .500 with the current state of the divison.
Super Bowl Matchup
| Bryce Wolff | GB def. KC |
| Shane Davis | SEA def. BUF |
| Steven Lawson | TB def. BAL |
| Ben Parker | KC def. TB |
| JD Holler | KC def. TB |
Based on our experts’ predictions, the Chiefs are expected to win this season according to our writers. Ben and JD have the Chiefs and Bucs coming back for a rematch, but with the script flipped in favor of Kansas City. Steven predicts that the Buccaneers will overcome the Ravens in the championship game. Putting the Ravens in there was a surprise for sure, but not as surprising as Shane’s pick. Seeing the Seahawks play the Bills would be a very fun matchup, with a lot of points probably. It seems pretty out there right now, but both teams have good rosters and could have some luck go their way in the season. As for me, I think Rodgers’ own “Last Dance” will prove fruitful and he’ll win his second Super Bowl in what could be his last year ever as a Packer against the Chiefs.
