It’s finally that time of year again. You know, that time of year when you can justify scarfing down a whole bag of chips and assortment of grilled meats and a few beers.

The NFL is back.

And before your mouth starts watering thinking of the nachos you’ll be making or if you’re already thinking all the touchdowns you’re going to see, let’s see how things are going to pan out this year.

                            AFC East

  1. New England                       10-6
  2. Miami                                    9-7
  3. Buffalo                                   7-9
  4. New York                              5-11

My take: The Patriots’ reign continues as it wins its fifth straight division crown. The Dolphins make huge strides with sophomore Ryan Tannehill and second-year coach Joe Philbin. The Bills are bad, but not nearly as much of a train wreck as the Jets. Rex Ryan better start proofing his resume.

                          AFC North

  1. Cincinnati                        11-5
  2. Baltimore*                        10-6
  3. Pittsburgh                        8-8
  4. Cleveland                         6-10

My take: This is the year the Bengals make the ‘Nati proud. The moment James Harrison came over from the Pittsburgh, this team instantly became a winner. The Ravens are good, but losing Ed Reed and Ray Lewis on defense as well as Anquan Boldin on offense is too much for an average quarterback like Joe Flacco. The Steelers are turning into rust and it would behoove them to start thinking about trading Ben Roethlisberger to make room for the future and the Browns continue to depress.

                          AFC South

  1. Houston                        12-4
  2. Indianapolis*                10-6
  3. Tennessee                     6-10
  4. Jacksonville                  4-12

My take: Arian Foster will be nursing a sore back early on, but the defense will carry this team. And it helps when the league’s best defensive player (J.J. Watt) is on your team. With Andrew Luck at quarterback, the Colts are a whisper from being really good, but first they have to play some D. Now, the last two teams I don’t like at all. I’m giving Jake Locker a two-game cushion only because he has better personnel and Blaine Gabbert is still light years from being an efficient NFL quarterback.

                          AFC West

  1. Denver                        13-3
  2. Kansas City               10-6
  3. Oakland                      8-8
  4. San Diego                   6-10

My take: Peyton Manning may be 37, but he has never been blessed with the kind of offensive arsenal he’s got. Three quality wideouts, a rookie running back with promise and an offensive line that has been consistently solid. He will asked to win some games early on, and he there’s no reason he can’t do it. Andy Reid is the perfect coach for Alex Smith, who doesn’t have the best of arms. The Raiders, mired in mediocrity forever it seems, look to reboot with second-year pro Terrelle Pryor. The Chargers will continue its underwhelming ways led by its obnoxious vocal leader Philip Rivers.

                              NFC East

  1. Washington                        10-6
  2. New York                              9-7
  3. Dallas                                    8-8
  4. Philadelphia                        6-10

My take: The Redskins will win its second straight division crown with balance on both sides of the ball — not leaning too much on Robert Griffin III to run it. The Giants will have their fair share of hiccups with two hurt wideouts and a special second-year running back, but the defensive line is still special. The Cowboys have been proclaiming their greatness for how long now? I like Dez Bryant on the outside and Jason Witten underneath, I just don’t think Tony Romo was ever a good fit. The new system with Chip Kelly will take time to digest and when it does, the rest of the NFL better be on notice.

                          NFC Central

  1. Green Bay                        11-5
  2. Chicago                           10-6
  3. Detroit                               8-8
  4. Minnesota                       6-10

My take: The Packers will win its third straight division title thanks to a herculean effort by Aaron Rodgers. He proves his worth by winning games late in the year with two starting wideouts sidelined with injury. The Bears upgraded at tight end and wide receiver and pending a Jay Cutler meltdown, should have no problems scoring. The Lions desperately need to upgrade its secondary or else the defensive line and for that matter, the impressive offense is completely a waste. The Vikings think they have the answer with Greg Jennings. The problem is that Christian Ponder is their quarterback.

                             NFC South

  1. New Orleans                        12-4
  2. Atlanta*                                10-6
  3. Tampa Bay                            8-8
  4. Carolina                                6-10

 My take: The Saints are soft at defense but have one of the game’s best quarterbacks in Drew Brees, along with coach Sean Payton back from a year hiatus, will claim the division. The Falcons, are a mirror image of the Saints, but Matt Ryan is no Brees. This is the year that the Buccaneers need Josh Freeman to step up. He won’t. Unless Superman is actually on the roster, the Panthers won’t get out of the cellar.

                               NFC West

  1. Seattle                                    12-4
  2. San Francisco*                    11-5
  3. Arizona                                   7-9
  4. St. Louis                                6-10

My take: The Seahawks have a defense that you would love to use in a video game. And it doesn’t hurt that they have one of the smartest quarterbacks in the game. The 49ers need to prove they can win without its top wideout in Michael Crabtree. The Cardinals went 4-0 last year before fading. They upgraded at quarterback with Carson Palmer, but that still isn’t enough. The Rams need to trust in Sam Bradford, but coach Jeff Fischer is too inclined to make his team run first.

 

AFC Playoffs

Wild card round

New England over Baltimore

Cincinnati over Indianapolis

Divisional round

Cincinnati over Houston

Denver over New England

AFC Championship Game

Denver over Cincinnati

 NFC Playoffs

Wild card round

Washington over Atlanta

Green Bay over San Francisco

Divisional round

Washington over New Orleans

Seattle over Green Bay

 NFC Championship

Seattle over Washington

Super Bowl XLVIII

Denver over Seattle

 

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Cory Jennerjohn is from Wisconsin and has been in sports media for over 10 years. To contact Cory e-mail him at jeobs -at- yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter: Cory Jennerjohn

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