AFC East
Patriots (7-2)
No surprise here. After starting the season 1-2 the Pats have won 6 straight. No team in this division will threaten New Englands reign as King of the East. They average 30 PPG and James White has turned into one of the most dynamic RB's in the NFL, bads news for defenses. With the best coach in the NFL is there anyone that can stop the Pats from making yet another run at the Superbowl? Time will tell
Dolphins (5-4)
Miami started 3-0 but have gone 2-4 in there last 6. Two of there five wins are against the Jets and only one win has come against a team with a winning record. Miami has lost by double digits in all four losses this season all vs playoff caliber teams which tells us all we need to know about there chances in the division and at the playoffs. Outside of two games vs the Bills the Dolphins play all mid to top teams the rest of the way. 7-9 or 8-8 looks to be the way Miami will finish the 2018 season.
Jets (3-6)
Rookie Qb says it all for New York. He has shown signs of brilliance but has struggled mightily when it counts. Darnold leads the league in int's with 14 including 2 pick sixes. Jets defense has played pretty well this year ranking 18th vs the run and 13th vs the pass despite all the injuries to the secondary. If I am New York I make a serious push to bring in Leveon Bell. They are a couple years away from being a contender if they keep the core pieces together. Unfortunately for this year they have two matchups against Brady and company remaining as well as other playoff hopefuls Houston, Tennessee and Green Bay. Probably looking at 6-10 at best this year which might not be bad considering the injuries and a rookie QB. I hope they keep HC Bowles as I do like him.
Bills (2-7)
Probably the worst team in football. They have scored just 96 points this year while surrendering 241. Heard a stat that said the Chiefs have scored more points in the 2nd qtr alone this year than Buffalo has in all of its games! Really doesn't matter who they throw out at Qb as this team has sunk to all time lows. Rookie Allen did have the shocker vs the Vikings where he showed promise but I'd be shocked if they win more than 1 more game this season so I'll say 3-13 looks like the future for Buffalo.
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AFC North
Steelers (5-2-1)
A 1-2-1 start to the season had critics wondering what has become of the Steelers, how much they missed Bell, should Ben retire, do they trade AB? Yadda yadda yadda... Pittsburgh has now won 4 straight and lead the North. Conner is more than an adequate replacement for Bell and quite frankly the Steelers might be better without him, he leads the AFC in rushing with 706 yds and 9 rushing tds second in both these catergories to only Gurley! When you look at the schedule sitting at 5-2-1 is very respectable considering the quality teams Pittsburgh has faced. Schedule doesnt get a whole lot easier the rest of the way with Carolina, La Chargers, Pats and Saints all still left. I'll call for a 10- 5-1 finish for the Steelers and another division title.
Bengals (5-3)
A pretty good first half of the season for Cincy could take a turn for the worse. AJ Green has an injury they might not require surgery but will sideline him for a couple games. Cincy has been able to over come injuries at the RB position with Mixon missing time as well as Bernard but AJ is almost irreplaceable so it will be interesting to see. Defense is a big concern for the Bengals ranking last in the league vs the pass and 26th vs the run as well as surrendering 29.6 PPG only better than Oakland and Tampa Bay. I'm calling for an 8-8 finish for the Bengals, they miss the playoffs and fire Marvin Lewis
Ravens (4-5)
Losers of 3 of there last 4 the Ravens have sunk to 3rd place in the division. Is it time to bench Flacco? I don't think that's the answer yet as you look at where the Ravens have struggled and it's running the ball more than passing as they rank 10th in the passing game but 27th running it. Ravens strength as always is it's defense, ranking 2nd in PPG and top 10 vs both rush and pass. Downfall for Baltimore seems to be the play calling as they have been a very pass heavy team, Flacco leads the league in pass attempts with 379. They have a bye in week 10 to get things right and settle in for the final 7 games. I think they win there last 4 home games and will need to steal a road win at Atlanta, Kansas City or La Chargers to have an outside chance at the playoffs. Lets say 9-7 for Baltimore with playoffs a possibility.
Browns (2-6-1)
Cleveland has lost 4 in a row, fired there HC and dropped to the bottom of the North division which doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. A respectable 1-1-1 start turned into a loss to the lowly Raiders and downhill from there. I didn't understand the trade of Carlos Hyde, Chubb seems like he has a bright future but having a solid veteran like Hyde is never bad. Mayfield is going to be a solid QB and is exciting to watch. Early rumors have Pagano or Arians landing the HC job in Cleveland which would be great for that organization and next season. As for this year lets forecast another last place finish and a 4-11-1 finish for the Browns.
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AFC South
Texans (6-3)
An 0-3 start has turned around into a 6-3 record going into the bye week for Houston. They made the move to get Demaryius Thomas before the trade deadline after the injury to Fuller which could prove to be big for the Texans. Question mark for the Texans is the O-line. Watson has been sacked 30 times, second only to Eli Manning. An injury to Watson would all but end the Texans shot at any kind of run in the playoffs. Defense is top 15 in rush, passs and PPG allowed. Schedule favors Houston here who have a bye week then travel to Washington but then go home for 3 straight and face the Jets after the 3 home games. Lets give the Texans a division title with a 10-6 record.
Titans (4-4)
I can't figure this team out. I like HC Vrabel, he comes from a great background of intelligent players and coaches and tailors his team who is not as talented as others to play smart football. I said earlier in the year they were the worst 3-1 team I had ever seen after they beat Philadelphia and they went on to lose 3 straight after that including one to the Bills! Now they go to Dallas and get a pretty big win to stay in the race for the division or a potential wild card. The defense ranks first in PPG at 17.6 but the offense only scores 16.7 better than only Arizona and Buffalo! If they figure out how to use Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry they have a slim chance to make some noise but with Indy improving and Houston's favorable remaining schedule I don't see a playoff run in the Titans future. I'm forecasting a 7-9 finish for the Titans.
Colts (3-5)
Colts started 1-5 but have won 2 straight before the bye last week. Andrew Luck has returned to his early form but the Colts have probably been a little more pass heavy than Coach Reich or Luck himself would like to be. The Oline may be one of the best in the league which is a great sign now that Mack is back healthy. Colts do have the luxury of having 5 of there 6 division games left which gives them an outside chance of making a run despite the bad start. Colts offense ranks 6th in PPG but the defense must get better ranking in the bottom half at PPG allowed. Week 10 starts a 3 game home stand with all winnable games. If they get through that stretch it could get interesting in the South. I'm giving the Colts a 9-7 finish with an outside chance at a wild card.
Jaguars (3-5)
A 3-1 start including a win over the Patriots has turned into a nightmare for Jacksonville. They have lost 4 straight and there offense has averaged just 11.5 PPG in those 4 losses. Fournette should return soon which will help and the defense is still very good ranking first in pass defense but they may have dug themselves too big of a hole to get back to the post season especially with the rest of the division improving. Five of the remaining eight games for the Jags are on the road including 3 division games which will go a long way in predicting how things shake out in the South. A disapointing 7-9 final record is what I'll predict for Jacksonville. Despite Bortles contract I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jags move on from him in the off season.
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AFC West
Chiefs (8-1)
Mahomes has been amazing. With 2901 yards passing and 29 td passes he leads the league and is at the top of the MVP race. Chiefs offense is a machine with weapons everywhere and average 36.3 PPG #1 in the league. The question mark for KC is going to be on the defensive side of the ball. Chiefs rank in the bottom half of the league in stopping both the run and pass and allow 25 PPG. This could become an issue in the cold playoff months when they match up against a team that can run the ball and limit Mahomes and co. but for now lets just enjoy what Kansas City is doing. 13-3 and a division title looks like a reasonable finish especially since they have the Cardinals up next and two cupcake match ups with Oakland who have quit.
Chargers (6-2)
LA started 1-2 and has won 5 straight since. They might be the hottest team in the NFL and possibly one of the most underated and disrespected teams as they rarely are menttioned in the Chiefs, Pats and Steelers conversation but definetely belong. The only two losses the Chargers have suffered are against the Rams and Chiefs who are two of the best teams in the NFL. Rivers is having one of if not his best season ever with 19 tds and just 3 ints and the Chargers are a top 5 rushing team with Melvin Gordon leading the way. Defensively the Chargers are tough and are doing it without Bosa. Lets not sell them short at making a serious run at any of the top contenders in the AFC. I'm gonna say they finish 11-5 with tough road matchups against the Steelers and Chiefs down the road but look for LA to spoil the party when January rolls around.
Broncos (3-6)
Not a whole lot to like here. Keenum doesn't seem to be the answer Denver was looking for. After a 2-0 start the Broncos have lost 6 of 7. They traded possibly there best WR and have surprisingly struggled defensively. Two of there 3 wins are against the Raiders and Cardinals if that's any indication of how the season has gone. The bright spot is they do have some promising young talent who will gain some valuable playing time. Lets give the Broncos a 6-10 final record as they do face Oakland and SanFrancisco and have a couple other winable games at home.
Raiders (1-7)
Like Denver there's not much to say. Gruden started his 10 year plan before the season even started trading the best defensive player in the league. He since has sent Cooper and Irvin packing. Is anyone really safe there? Don't see many more W's in the Raiders future this season and that seems perfectly OK with Gruden who is stacking 1st round picks. I'll give them 2-14 as they do get Arizona and Denver at home so who knows.
NFC tomorrow
Patriots (7-2)
No surprise here. After starting the season 1-2 the Pats have won 6 straight. No team in this division will threaten New Englands reign as King of the East. They average 30 PPG and James White has turned into one of the most dynamic RB's in the NFL, bads news for defenses. With the best coach in the NFL is there anyone that can stop the Pats from making yet another run at the Superbowl? Time will tell
Dolphins (5-4)
Miami started 3-0 but have gone 2-4 in there last 6. Two of there five wins are against the Jets and only one win has come against a team with a winning record. Miami has lost by double digits in all four losses this season all vs playoff caliber teams which tells us all we need to know about there chances in the division and at the playoffs. Outside of two games vs the Bills the Dolphins play all mid to top teams the rest of the way. 7-9 or 8-8 looks to be the way Miami will finish the 2018 season.
Jets (3-6)
Rookie Qb says it all for New York. He has shown signs of brilliance but has struggled mightily when it counts. Darnold leads the league in int's with 14 including 2 pick sixes. Jets defense has played pretty well this year ranking 18th vs the run and 13th vs the pass despite all the injuries to the secondary. If I am New York I make a serious push to bring in Leveon Bell. They are a couple years away from being a contender if they keep the core pieces together. Unfortunately for this year they have two matchups against Brady and company remaining as well as other playoff hopefuls Houston, Tennessee and Green Bay. Probably looking at 6-10 at best this year which might not be bad considering the injuries and a rookie QB. I hope they keep HC Bowles as I do like him.
Bills (2-7)
Probably the worst team in football. They have scored just 96 points this year while surrendering 241. Heard a stat that said the Chiefs have scored more points in the 2nd qtr alone this year than Buffalo has in all of its games! Really doesn't matter who they throw out at Qb as this team has sunk to all time lows. Rookie Allen did have the shocker vs the Vikings where he showed promise but I'd be shocked if they win more than 1 more game this season so I'll say 3-13 looks like the future for Buffalo.
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AFC North
Steelers (5-2-1)
A 1-2-1 start to the season had critics wondering what has become of the Steelers, how much they missed Bell, should Ben retire, do they trade AB? Yadda yadda yadda... Pittsburgh has now won 4 straight and lead the North. Conner is more than an adequate replacement for Bell and quite frankly the Steelers might be better without him, he leads the AFC in rushing with 706 yds and 9 rushing tds second in both these catergories to only Gurley! When you look at the schedule sitting at 5-2-1 is very respectable considering the quality teams Pittsburgh has faced. Schedule doesnt get a whole lot easier the rest of the way with Carolina, La Chargers, Pats and Saints all still left. I'll call for a 10- 5-1 finish for the Steelers and another division title.
Bengals (5-3)
A pretty good first half of the season for Cincy could take a turn for the worse. AJ Green has an injury they might not require surgery but will sideline him for a couple games. Cincy has been able to over come injuries at the RB position with Mixon missing time as well as Bernard but AJ is almost irreplaceable so it will be interesting to see. Defense is a big concern for the Bengals ranking last in the league vs the pass and 26th vs the run as well as surrendering 29.6 PPG only better than Oakland and Tampa Bay. I'm calling for an 8-8 finish for the Bengals, they miss the playoffs and fire Marvin Lewis
Ravens (4-5)
Losers of 3 of there last 4 the Ravens have sunk to 3rd place in the division. Is it time to bench Flacco? I don't think that's the answer yet as you look at where the Ravens have struggled and it's running the ball more than passing as they rank 10th in the passing game but 27th running it. Ravens strength as always is it's defense, ranking 2nd in PPG and top 10 vs both rush and pass. Downfall for Baltimore seems to be the play calling as they have been a very pass heavy team, Flacco leads the league in pass attempts with 379. They have a bye in week 10 to get things right and settle in for the final 7 games. I think they win there last 4 home games and will need to steal a road win at Atlanta, Kansas City or La Chargers to have an outside chance at the playoffs. Lets say 9-7 for Baltimore with playoffs a possibility.
Browns (2-6-1)
Cleveland has lost 4 in a row, fired there HC and dropped to the bottom of the North division which doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary. A respectable 1-1-1 start turned into a loss to the lowly Raiders and downhill from there. I didn't understand the trade of Carlos Hyde, Chubb seems like he has a bright future but having a solid veteran like Hyde is never bad. Mayfield is going to be a solid QB and is exciting to watch. Early rumors have Pagano or Arians landing the HC job in Cleveland which would be great for that organization and next season. As for this year lets forecast another last place finish and a 4-11-1 finish for the Browns.
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AFC South
Texans (6-3)
An 0-3 start has turned around into a 6-3 record going into the bye week for Houston. They made the move to get Demaryius Thomas before the trade deadline after the injury to Fuller which could prove to be big for the Texans. Question mark for the Texans is the O-line. Watson has been sacked 30 times, second only to Eli Manning. An injury to Watson would all but end the Texans shot at any kind of run in the playoffs. Defense is top 15 in rush, passs and PPG allowed. Schedule favors Houston here who have a bye week then travel to Washington but then go home for 3 straight and face the Jets after the 3 home games. Lets give the Texans a division title with a 10-6 record.
Titans (4-4)
I can't figure this team out. I like HC Vrabel, he comes from a great background of intelligent players and coaches and tailors his team who is not as talented as others to play smart football. I said earlier in the year they were the worst 3-1 team I had ever seen after they beat Philadelphia and they went on to lose 3 straight after that including one to the Bills! Now they go to Dallas and get a pretty big win to stay in the race for the division or a potential wild card. The defense ranks first in PPG at 17.6 but the offense only scores 16.7 better than only Arizona and Buffalo! If they figure out how to use Dion Lewis and Derrick Henry they have a slim chance to make some noise but with Indy improving and Houston's favorable remaining schedule I don't see a playoff run in the Titans future. I'm forecasting a 7-9 finish for the Titans.
Colts (3-5)
Colts started 1-5 but have won 2 straight before the bye last week. Andrew Luck has returned to his early form but the Colts have probably been a little more pass heavy than Coach Reich or Luck himself would like to be. The Oline may be one of the best in the league which is a great sign now that Mack is back healthy. Colts do have the luxury of having 5 of there 6 division games left which gives them an outside chance of making a run despite the bad start. Colts offense ranks 6th in PPG but the defense must get better ranking in the bottom half at PPG allowed. Week 10 starts a 3 game home stand with all winnable games. If they get through that stretch it could get interesting in the South. I'm giving the Colts a 9-7 finish with an outside chance at a wild card.
Jaguars (3-5)
A 3-1 start including a win over the Patriots has turned into a nightmare for Jacksonville. They have lost 4 straight and there offense has averaged just 11.5 PPG in those 4 losses. Fournette should return soon which will help and the defense is still very good ranking first in pass defense but they may have dug themselves too big of a hole to get back to the post season especially with the rest of the division improving. Five of the remaining eight games for the Jags are on the road including 3 division games which will go a long way in predicting how things shake out in the South. A disapointing 7-9 final record is what I'll predict for Jacksonville. Despite Bortles contract I wouldn't be surprised to see the Jags move on from him in the off season.
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AFC West
Chiefs (8-1)
Mahomes has been amazing. With 2901 yards passing and 29 td passes he leads the league and is at the top of the MVP race. Chiefs offense is a machine with weapons everywhere and average 36.3 PPG #1 in the league. The question mark for KC is going to be on the defensive side of the ball. Chiefs rank in the bottom half of the league in stopping both the run and pass and allow 25 PPG. This could become an issue in the cold playoff months when they match up against a team that can run the ball and limit Mahomes and co. but for now lets just enjoy what Kansas City is doing. 13-3 and a division title looks like a reasonable finish especially since they have the Cardinals up next and two cupcake match ups with Oakland who have quit.
Chargers (6-2)
LA started 1-2 and has won 5 straight since. They might be the hottest team in the NFL and possibly one of the most underated and disrespected teams as they rarely are menttioned in the Chiefs, Pats and Steelers conversation but definetely belong. The only two losses the Chargers have suffered are against the Rams and Chiefs who are two of the best teams in the NFL. Rivers is having one of if not his best season ever with 19 tds and just 3 ints and the Chargers are a top 5 rushing team with Melvin Gordon leading the way. Defensively the Chargers are tough and are doing it without Bosa. Lets not sell them short at making a serious run at any of the top contenders in the AFC. I'm gonna say they finish 11-5 with tough road matchups against the Steelers and Chiefs down the road but look for LA to spoil the party when January rolls around.
Broncos (3-6)
Not a whole lot to like here. Keenum doesn't seem to be the answer Denver was looking for. After a 2-0 start the Broncos have lost 6 of 7. They traded possibly there best WR and have surprisingly struggled defensively. Two of there 3 wins are against the Raiders and Cardinals if that's any indication of how the season has gone. The bright spot is they do have some promising young talent who will gain some valuable playing time. Lets give the Broncos a 6-10 final record as they do face Oakland and SanFrancisco and have a couple other winable games at home.
Raiders (1-7)
Like Denver there's not much to say. Gruden started his 10 year plan before the season even started trading the best defensive player in the league. He since has sent Cooper and Irvin packing. Is anyone really safe there? Don't see many more W's in the Raiders future this season and that seems perfectly OK with Gruden who is stacking 1st round picks. I'll give them 2-14 as they do get Arizona and Denver at home so who knows.
NFC tomorrow
