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2017 NFL Predictions: Division winners, playoff standings, etc.

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Aug 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) warms up prior to the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

It’s time for a special look at my 2017 NFL predictions.

With the understanding that this is strictly predictions, taking a deeper look into how this season will play out made these 2017 NFL predictions special.

For the first time in a while, there are plenty of teams that could surge that we haven’t seen make a playoff push in quite some time.

At the top of that list are the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and New York Jets.

We get to also enjoy the return of football to Los Angeles thanks to the re-location of the Rams.

That in mind, here’s a break down of each division, who will win each respective section, playoff seeding, and potential Super Bowl LI match up.

AFC East

Aug 26, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady (12) talks with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (10) prior to the game against the Carolina Panthersat Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Even while being suspended, Patriots QB Tom Brady can’t seem to stay out of the headlines.

Due to his role in the “Deflate Gate” debacle, the league succeeded in finally suspending Brady for the first four games of the season.

As a result, New England will have to turn the keys over to Jimmy Garoppolo.

The Patriots have two divisional games in that four game span, with Week 2 and Week 4 featuring home games against Miami and Buffalo, respectively.

Those games seem within reach, but the other two match ups are an opening night clash with the highly talented Arizona Cardinals and a Week 3 battle with the hectic Houston Texans.

Brady’s absence will be felt, but it won’t keep the Patriots out of the playoffs — they’ll just make it as a wild card.

The surprise team to really keep an eye on here is the New York Jets.

After dominating the division for as long as most millennial fans can remember, the reign of the Patriots could easily be extinguished by Todd Bowles and company.

Ryan Fitzpatrick returned to New York in the off-season and can lead the Jets to some serious success.

The only problem?

New York’s schedule in the first four games aren’t much easier than New England’s slate.

Opening night for the Jets is a home game against the Bengals before road games in Buffalo and Kansas City with the finale of that stretch being a home game versus the Seahawks.

While there’s plenty of work ahead of them, expect the Jets to exceed expectations down the stretch.

Division Predictions:
Jets (11-5)
Patriots (10-6)
Bills (8-8)
Dolphins (8-8)

AFC South

Aug 28, 2016; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles (5) runs with the football in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports

This may be the season where we finally see the Jacksonville Jaguars make a playoff push, even if it comes via the wild card.

Tennessee still has a lot of room to develop, Indianapolis’ chances of a decent season seem no more likely than a coin flip, and Houston hasn’t exactly been a Cinderella in the post-season.

Quarterback Blake Bortles has had plenty of weapons on offense, and thanks to Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson, we can expect more of the same explosiveness this season.

Add to that the defensive addition of Jalen Ramsey at CB, and it’s easy to see how things can go Jacksonville’s way.

Even then, opening against the Packers will show us what these Jags are all about.

The best part?

Jacksonville will only need to squeak past .500 to clinch the division title (probably).

Don’t expect them to go down without a fight this time around.

Division Predictions:

Jaguars (9-7)
Texans (7-9)
Colts (5-11)
Titans (4-12)

AFC North

Sep 1, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

If nothing else, the AFC North has the potential to produce two of the most lethal playoff teams that side of the aisle.

Pittsburgh has emerged as a high-end contender, while the Cincinnati Bengals have more questions than answers at this point.

Andy Dalton has done awful when his team has reached the playoffs in recent memory, so in order for anything to change for the Bengals it starts with Dalton.

Antonio Brown keeps finding ways to get faster and better, while Ben Roethlisberger still has some gas left in the tank.

Outside of Cincy and Pittsburgh, a story to watch closely is the shot at redemption that’s being given to RG III as a member of the Cleveland Browns.

The Browns never seem to disappoint, and their choice to trust Robert Griffin III shows how far they’ve come the last few seasons at the quarterback position.

But don’t expect a playoff run out of Griffin’s first year in the dog pound.

Improved play can give the Bengals a chance to compete for the divisional crown, but this one should be relatively easy for the Steelers to take as their own.

Division Predictions:

Steelers (11-5)
Bengals (9-7)
Browns (7-9)
Ravens (7-9)

AFC West

Aug 27, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper (89) rushes against the Tennessee Titans during the first half at Oakland-Alameda Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

After becoming a place of high interest from free agents in the off-season, the Oakland Raiders are set to do very well this season.

Well as in playoff bound in the AFC.

Rumor has it that they could pull away with the AFC West thanks to the dysfunction in the rest of the division, but count on it just yet.

On top of the promising connection between Amari Cooper and Derek Carr is the potential for a stifling defensive presence.

Led by Bruce Irvin, the Raiders will make a new kind of name for themselves — the dark horse.

Despite their best efforts, Kansas City will come out of the division victorious but Oakland will be right behind them.

Literally.

Division Predictions:

Chiefs (11-5)
Raiders (11-5)
Broncos (8-8)
Chargers (5-11)

NFC East

Aug 26, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins defensive back Josh Norman (24) celebrates after a tackle against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

With a healthy Tony Romo, the Dallas Cowboys would’ve probably been favored to win the NFC East.

Now that we know he’ll actually be sitting out for quite some time thanks to a preseason injury, Dallas’ success, especially early on, will be decided by the play of rookie Dak Prescott.

The former Mississippi State quarterback will have running back Ezekiel Elliott behind him in what could prove to finally be a deadly 1-2 punch for the Cowboys on offense.

That in mind, the Washington Redskins aren’t going to just let that happen.

Washington picked up Josh Norman after a contract dispute with the Carolina Panthers to help bolster their secondary.

In addition to that, Kirk Cousins is going to have another “good enough” kind of season.

His play never really blows anyone away, but he’s proven he can get the job done and at least take them on a meaningful playoff run.

Division Predictions:

Redskins (10-6)
Cowboys (8-8)
Giants (8-8)
Eagles (6-10)

NFC North

Aug 12, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) throws a pass for a touchdown to wide receiver Charles Johnson (not pictured) in the first half against the Cincinnati Bengals in a preseason NFL football game at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The loss of Teddy Bridgewater for the entirety of the upcoming season was more than just a shot in the dark at the Vikings’ chances this season — it’ll ripple throughout the division and possibly the playoff picture.

With the injury, Minnesota went to desperate measures to ensure that Shaun Hill had a backup by trading for former Eagles and Rams QB Sam Bradford.

Unfortunately, that doesn’t make their divisional schedule any easier, as even the Bears and Lions can pose as threats even though they haven’t shared the top of the standings lately.

As a result, the Packers will most likely have this division wrapped up by Week 13, as there’s not much magic we should expect from Hill, let alone Bradford.

There’s only so much that Adrian Peterson can do.

Division Predictions:

Packers (12-4)
Lions (8-8)
Vikings (7-9)
Bears (4-12)

NFC South

Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during the NFC Championship football game held at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

This is really Cam Newton’s division to lose.

Carolina tore apart not just the NFC, but their southern division so badly last season that their embarrassing loss in Super Bowl 50 at the hands of the Denver Broncos hurts that much more.

But they’re ready to move on.

They may not be the 15-1 Panthers from a year ago, as losing Josh Norman will have a bigger impact than most might expect it to.

The other teams in their division just don’t seem ready to be on their level just yet, so it only makes sense to let the Panthers run away with this one.

Division Predictions:

Panthers (12-4)
Falcons (8-8)
Bucs (7-9)
Saints (5-11)

NFC West

August 26, 2016; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Quinton Patton (11, center) is congratulated by tight end Garrett Celek (88, left) and quarterback Blaine Gabbert (2) for scoring a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter at Levi

So now to the most interesting division in all of football — or at least the most bi-polar, anyway.

This year we have the new-look 49ers trusting Blaine Gabbert with their immediate future more than Colin Kaepernick who, just a few years ago, started for the team in the Super Bowl.

Yikes.

Seattle is still a monster all on it’s own, and the Cardinals are going to be neck and neck with their rival birds like last season.

Except this time, they won’t let their strong image fade away in the playoffs.

All of that combined with the Rams finally transitioning back to Los Angeles makes the NFC West the must-watch division again this season, with no excuses not to want to keep up.

Los Angeles is still a few years out of contention, but that doesn’t mean that their divisional games won’t mean anything.

The experience they get from such difficult opponents means that they’ll be even more prepared when their big moment as a team finally comes in the post-season.

However, this year it’s a battle of the birds.

Division Standings
Cardinals (13-3)
Seahawks (11-5)
Rams (7-9)
49ers (7-9)

AFC Playoff Predictions – First Round

Aug 26, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) celebrates after a touchdown with wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) during the first half of a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Before we go into the predictions, here are the six teams from the AFC that I see making it to the playoffs (by seed):

WC 1. Oakland Raiders (11-5)

WC 2. New England Patriots (10-6)

Wild Card weekend is bound to intriguing this season, as it has the potential to have Tom Brady & Co. in the mix due to his early season suspension.

In this set of predictions, New England sneaks in as the sixth seed and sets themselves up for a date with the Jets in the Meadowlands.

It’s a new type of playoff run for the Patriots, who in this case won’t have a single home game to their advantage if they want to represent the conference in the Super Bowl again.

In the second wild card game, two teams will be fighting for the chance to finally stop being part of the laughingstock of professional football.

Jacksonville would be hosting the game, but Oakland would be coming into the match up with a much better record and, considering the strength of their divisional tests throughout the season, much more confidence.

This season will show signs of life for the Jaguars, but it won’t answer all of their questions or concerns about their playoff drought.

For Oakland, however, this year is the real deal.

Pittsburgh and Kansas City will be getting the first-round bye.

AFC First Round Predictions:

Jets 17, Patriots 13

Raiders 31, Jaguars 14

AFC Playoff Predictions – Second Round

Aug 18, 2016; Green Bay, WI, USA; Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr (4) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Now the Steelers and Raiders will get to clash for something meaningful in the playoffs, and it will be beautiful football to watch considering they’re the two bad boy teams of the NFL.

Pittsburgh will host Oakland, since in this case they’re the top overall seed, but the Raiders will come out swinging and take an early lead they’ll be able to maintain.

The Steelers will be taken down by the pesky Raiders despite a wild comeback attempt at home in the cold.

On the flip side, the Kansas City Chiefs will be hosting the New York Jets in a second round match up that will be far more mild compared to the Pittsburgh-Oakland scenario.

Alex Smith could see a return to form like when he took the 49ers on a long playoff run, but it won’t come easy since the Jets’ defense is rather unforgiving.

Even then, New York isn’t ready for a longer playoff run than the second round.

It’s just not in them.

AFC Second Round Predictions:

Raiders 35, Steelers 30
Chiefs 13, Jets 12

2017 AFC Championship Game

Aug 20, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Jeremy Maclin (19) celebrates after a touchdown during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports

So, we’ve made it to the AFC Championship game and it’s the two teams we’ve all been expecting — except not really.

Instead of a bold fight between two usual suspects, the Raiders and Chiefs are going to provide a new flavor of rivalry to post-season football.

Derek Carr will get the best of Alex Smith, but Jamaal Charles will get creative and tear up the Oakland defense for big runs.

Other than that though, don’t expect too much offensive production on the Chiefs’ side of things.

Alex Smith has had a lot of almost good enough moments, especially during his time in San Francisco, and this season will be more of the same for him.

As for Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, they’re going all the way and will represent the AFC.

The Raiders will make it to Super Bowl LI and play on the biggest stage in professional football.

2017 AFC Championship Prediction:

Raiders 27, Chiefs 15

AFC Champion: Oakland Raiders

NFC Playoff Predictions – First Round

Jan 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) reacts as he celebrates a play in overtime against the Green Bay Packers during an NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the AFC playoff picture’s been looked at, let’s take a look at the teams that will fight for the right to be kings of the NFC:

Yeah, I put the Cowboys in there.

Dak Prescott will do much better in his first year at the helm than a lot of people think and will be a major factor in the playoffs alongside Ezekiel Elliott.

The Redskins will win the NFC East, but Dallas will prove themselves worthy of a wild card berth despite barely getting to .500.

In the first round, Carolina will have to play Dallas which is the opposite of how things went last time around since they received a first round bye.

Dallas will present plenty of challenges and maybe even a blueprint for other teams to beat Cam Newton and the Panthers, but since it’s the Cowboys it’s hard to argue that they won’t find a way to mess things up.

The second NFC wild card game will be the Seahawks visiting the Redskins.

Seattle, like Oakland in the AFC, will have to play the wild card round on the road despite having a better record than their hosts.

In the same fashion, we should expect the Seahawks to come out strong and take care of business pretty handily.

NFC First Round Predictions:

Panthers 21, Cowboys 20
Seahawks 42, Redskins 21

NFC Playoff Predictions – Second Round

January 16, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws a pass against Arizona Cardinals during the first half in a NFC Divisional round playoff game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Moving on to the second round of the NFC playoffs, the Panthers and Packers will take aim at each other on the field at the historic Lambeau Field in Wisconsin.

Having to play a second round game away from home will shake the mentality of the young Panthers up a bit, but that’s what they have wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin for.

Without Benjamin as a healthy option last year, Cam Newton still managed to take his team to a 15-1 record, a first place seeding, and a Super Bowl appearance.

While their seeding and regular season didn’t pan out the same, their confidence on the road is still through the roof.

Green Bay getting a bye week will make them too at ease with handling Newton, especially considering that he’s much more elusive than Aaron Rodgers.

There will be tons of scoring in this game, though.

TONS.

Then we have the Seahawks and Cardinals fighting for a spot in the NFC title game, because when don’t they fight over something important?

Much like the bad blood a few years ago between San Francisco and Seattle, Arizona is emerging as the kind of team that can give the Seahawks a run for their money.

We will see a rematch of last year’s NFC title game in 2017.

NFC Second Round Predictions:

Panthers 33, Packers 31
Cardinals 14, Seahawks 10

2017 NFC Championship Game

Jan 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) walks off the field after the NFC Championship football game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers won 49-15. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve managed to find ourselves in a rematch of titans between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers.

Instead of a trip to Super Bowl 50 on the line, it’s now going to come down to one of them to represent their conference again.

And they want to represent it well.

Last year, Arizona got embarrassed because they didn’t know what they had coming in Carolina.

Now they know, and they’ll be intent on learning from their mistakes.

Not to mention that by now, Cam Newton will be pretty full of himself.

Carson Palmer has this year to show he and Larry Fitzgerald can bring the elusive Lombardi Trophy back to Arizona with them, and after escaping in an overtime thriller will get the chance to face Oakland for it all.

2017 NFC Championship Prediction:

Cardinals 31, Panthers 29

Super Bowl LI

Aug 12, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) and head coach Bruce Arians against the Oakland Raiders during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Palmer’s ultimate shot at redemption has come in Super Bowl LI in Houston.

After taking care of any lasting playoff demons via conquest of Carolina, the Oakland Raiders are the only thing standing in the way of him and hero’s welcome in Arizona.

Two years ago, the Raiders left him looking for work elsewhere and this Super Bowl chance would be the best way for him to exact revenge.

Going out with a bang is something only a few quarterbacks have successfully done, including last year’s spectacle with Peyton Manning.

Now it’s Palmer’s turn to get a ring.

Oakland will be the team that jumps out to a big lead, even taking it into the fourth quarter with them, but they won’t hold on.

This game will go to overtime and be decided on special teams, with a blocked punt being returned for a touchdown to seal the deal.

It’s never happened before like that, but that’s what predictions are all about.

Crazy, right?

Super Bowl LI Prediction:

Cardinals 34, Raiders 28