2015 NFL Season Predictions

The NFL season is here and that is good news for football fans everywhere.While I prefer the college game personally, I get jacked for NFL as well. Since the season is here, it is prediction time. Hopefully, these picks go slightly better than last year.

NFC East
Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
New York Giants (9-7)
Dallas Cowboys (8-8)
Washington Redskins (5-11)

NFC North
Green Bay Packers (11-5)
Detroit Lions (9-7)
Chicago Bears (6-10)
Minnesota Vikings (5-11)

NFC South
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11-5)
Carolina Panthers (10-6)
New Orleans Saints (6-10)
Atlanta Falcons (5-11)

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals (12-4)
Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
St. Louis Rams (6-10)
San Francisco 49ers (5-11)

AFC East
Buffalo Bills (13-3)
New England Patriots (9-7)
New York Jets (7-9)
Miami Dolphins (5-11)

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens (13-3)
Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8)
Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
Cleveland Browns (3-13)


AFC South
Houston Texans (10-6)
Indianapolis Colts (9-7)
Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9)
Tennessee Titans (2-14)

AFC West
San Diego Chargers (11-5)
Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)
Denver Broncos (8-8)
Oakland Raiders (6-10)


MVP
Joe Flacco QB Baltimore Ravens

People love to hate on Joe Flacco for some odd reason. However, all Flacco does is win. He also has a receiver again in Beshaud Perriman and the two best DBs on the Steelers retired. Everything is pointing towards Flacco having a terrific season. Do not be surprised when he gets a lot of MVP votes this year.

Coach of the Year
Bill O'Brien

Look, I know I picked this last year too, but this year it comes true. It was a little too ambitious at that time considering that the team had no real option at QB. This year you may think there is no real option, but Brian Hoyer is a big step up from Ryan Fitzpatrick. Additionally, Tom Savage is in year 2 of O'Brien's offense. Everything should go much better this year for the Texans who win the AFC South.

5 Bold Predictions outside of records
1. The Rookie of the Year will be Jameis Winston.
2. Marcus Mariota will not start every game and the Titans will have the worst record in the NFL finishing with the #1 overall pick next year. I realize that goes with a record prediction, but adds the tidbit about Mariota.
3. TY Hilton will lead the league in receiving.
4. Darren McFadden will have 1,500 rushing yards behind the Cowboys offensive line if he stays healthy.
5. Sam Bradford will be comeback player of the year and make the Philadelphia Eagles a Super Bowl Contender.

NFL Playoffs Round 1
Buccaneers over Giants
Packers over Panthers
Colts over Chargers
Texans over Chiefs

Round 2
Cardinals over Packers
Eagles over Buccaneers
Ravens over Colts
Bills over Texans

NFC Championship
Cardinals over Eagles

I do not have a lot of faith in Carson Palmer. In fact, I think he is nowhere near a typical Super Bowl Winning QB. However, he leads the Cardinals to the Super Bowl simply because they are the best and most talented team. They were the best team last year and will be one of the best again with the only hangup in this prediction being the health of Carson Palmer. Heck, actually as long as Drew Stanton stays healthy too, they were still the best team with him. It took the dreadful Ryan Lindley playing to knock down the Cardinals. Assuming that they aren't forced to go with Lindley again, the talent around Palmer is so good that this is a legit Super Bowl contender.
Most people hate on the Eagles and Chip Kelly, but I have a feeling his moves are going to workout. However, all of his moves depend on the health of his QB Sam Bradford. While I am incredibly high on Bradford still, I must admit that he is incredibly injury prone. He leads the Eagles to a familiar position as the NFC Championship Game loser.

AFC Championship
Bills over Ravens

In my typical fashion, I have picked somebody that not many people have picked here. Stale predictions are boring 1 and 2 you have to go with what you truly feel will happen. Joe Flacco simply wins in the playoffs and if not for a collapse from the defense last year against New England, he could have easily picked up his second ring last year. The Ravens will certainly be in the mix again this season.
My prediction though is that they lose to Rex Ryan's Bills. Ryan is a defensive mastermind that just inherited perhaps the most talented starting defensive line in football. There is a lot of talent on that Bills defense, and Ryan will have them performing at the top of their game. One of the reasons they get to this game is that the Pats lost some players on defense and Brady will start the season suspended creating opportunity. One of the reason they win this game is because they will be one of the few teams that can really get pressure on Joe Flacco. The big question with the Bills is how their quarterback play will be with a talented supporting cast.

Super Bowl

Bills over Cardinals

The Bills have historically lost this game when they got here, but not this time. That defense against an injury prone QB on a big stage and the QB will make a lot of nervous mistakes. The Bills will take advantage. They put everything together and win the Lombardi Trophy.

Super Bowl MVP

EJ Manuel

The Bills will have to get super play out of whoever wins their starting job this year. Whether it be Manuel or somebody else, whoever wins the job must play well. They have the supporting cast to do it, especially after the Bills traded for Shady McCoy. These guys are primed and ready for a Super Bowl run and win. EJ Manuel will be the man behind center helping them to win it. At least that is how I see it today. It is time for him to take over and if he can take the reigns at the level I and many others expect, the Bills will have a rather memorable season.

-Noland

Top 100 NFL Players

With all this talk about top 100 in my past few posts, I decided to start doing my own top 100 list for the 3 major sports. These lists will be based on value provided the rest of this upcoming season. For instance, Ronde Barber is not eligible because he will not play in 2014. Past accomplishments factor in, but it isn't an all-time list, so a guy like Ed Reed will not be in the top 10, eventhough he is arguably the best player of today over his career. Finally, no players linked to PEDs will be included, so no Jarvis Jenkings, Aquib Talib, Joe Haden, etc. from me.

Richard Sherman also fails to make the list. Sherman tested positive for PEDs. Sure, he won his appeal, but we have heard the chain of custody appeal before. It is a strange appeal and the last guy to do it got caught later on. I think we may be dealing with a similar thing with Sherman. Innocent until proven guilty, but he was caught. 6 Seahawks not including him have been caught since 2011 also, so its not like the culture there is really against PED use.

I also didn't include guys like Sam Bradford and Kirk Cousins that I am 100% confident will be franchise quarterbacks because they haven't produced on the field as much as they will. No current rookies either, they haven't stepped onto an NFL field yet.

100. Trent Richardson               Cleveland Browns            RB
99. Matthew Stafford                Detroit Lions                    QB
98. Tramon Williams                 Green Bay Packers          CB
97. Torrey Smith                       Baltimore Ravens             WR
96. Jermaine Gresham               Cincinnati Bengals             TE
95. Lavonte David                     Tampa Bay Buccaneers    LB
94. Ike Taylor                            Pittsburgh Steelers           CB
93. Lawrence Timmons              Pittsburgh Steelers            LB
92. Ndamukong Suh                  Detroit Lions                    DT
91. Jerrell Freeman                    Indianapolis Colts             LB
90. Darren Sproles                     New Orleans Saints         RB
89. Will Montgomery                 Washington Redskins       C
88. Danieal Manning                  Houston Texans                S
87. Jerod Mayo                         New England Patriots       LB
86. Logan Mankins                    New England Patriots      OG
85. Perry Riley                           Washington Redskins       LB
84. Phillip Rivers                        San Diego Chargers         QB
83. Brandon Mebane                 Seattle Seahawks             DT
82. Jason Pierre-Paul                 New York Giants            DE
81. Julius Peppers                     Chicago Bears                  DE
80. Tim Jennings                        Chicago Bears                 CB
79. Michael Vick                       Philadelphia Eagles           QB
78. Chad Greenway                   Minnesota Vikings            LB
77. Champ Bailey                       Denver Broncos                CB
76. Jason Witten                        Dallas Cowboys               TE
75. Heath Miller                         Pittsburgh Steelers            TE
74. Marques Colston                  New Orleans Saints         WR
73. Steve Johnson                      Buffalo Bills                      WR
72. London Fletcher                  Washington Redskins         LB
71. Cameron Wake                   Miami Dolphins                  DE
70. Dwayne Bowe                     Kansas City Chiefs            WR
69. Roddy White                       Atlanta Falcons                  WR
68. Frank Gore                         San Francisco 49ers           RB
67. Chris Long                          St. Louis Rams                   DE
66. Dashon Goldson                 Tampa Bay Buccaneers      S
65. Donald Penn                       Tampa Bay Buccaneers      OT
64. Mario Williams                    Buffalo Bills                       DE
63. CJ Spiller                            Buffalo Bills                       RB
62. Demariyus Thomas             Denver Broncos                WR
61. Duane Brown                     Houston Texans                 OT
60. Dez Bryant                         Dallas Cowboys                WR
59. Jimmy Graham                   New Orleans Saints            TE
58. Jamal Charles                      Kansas City Chiefs            RB
57. Collin Kaepernick               San Francisco 49ers           QB
56. Joe Stahley                          San Francisco 49ers          OT
55. Cam Newton                       Carolina Panthers              QB
54. Tony Gonzalez                    Atlanta Falcons                   TE
53. Geno Atkins                        Cincinnati Bengals               DT
52. Russell Wilson                     Seattle Seahawks               QB
51. Robert Griffin III                 Washington Redskins          QB
50. Andrew Luck                      Indianapolis Colts               QB
49. Andy Dalton                       Cincinnati Bengals                QB
48. Ed Reed                             Houston Texans                  S
47. Marshal Yanda                   Baltimore Ravens                OG
46. Anquan Boldin                     San Francisco 49ers          WR
45. Antonio Cromartie              New York Jets                    CB
44. Alfred Morris                      Washington Redskins           RB
43. Doug Martin                       Tampa Bay Buccaneers        RB
42. NaVorro Bowman              San Francisco 49ers             LB
41. LeSean McCoy                  Philadelphia Eagles                RB
40. Ben Roethlisberger              Pittsburgh Steelers                QB
39. Charles Tillman                    Chicago Bears                      DB
38. Terrell Suggs                        Baltimore Ravens                 LB
37. Max Unger                          Seattle Seahawks                  C
36. Vincent Jackson                   Tampa Bay Buccaneers       WR
35. Reggie Wayne                      Indianapolis Colts                WR
34. Brandon Marshall                 Chicago Bears                     WR
33. Marshawn Lynch                 Seattle Seahawks                  RB
32. Earl Thomas                        Seattle Seahawks                  S
31. Patrick Peterson                  Arizona Cardinals                 CB
30. Justin Smith                        San Francisco 49ers              DL
29. Julio Jones                          Atlanta Falcons                     WR
28. BJ Raji                               Green Bay Packers               DT
27. Clay Matthews                   Green Bay Packers               LB
26. Darrelle Revis                     Tampa Bay Buccaneers        CB
25. Aldon Smith                      San Francisco 49ers               LB
24. Vince Wilfork                    New England Patriots            DT
23. Matt Ryan                          Atlanta Falcons                     QB
22. Larry Fitzgerald                  Arizona Cardinals                 WR
21. Andre Johnson                   Houston Texans                   WR
20. DeMarcus Ware                 Dallas Cowboys                   DE
19. AJ Green                           Cincinnati Bengals                 WR
18. Luke Kuechly                    Carolina Panthers                  LB
17. Von Miller                         Denver Broncos                    LB
16. Ray Rice                           Baltimore Ravens                  RB
15. Arian Foster                      Houston Texans                    RB
14. Joe Thomas                      Cleveland Browns                 OT
13. Trent Williams                  Washington Redskins             OT
12. Eli Manning                      New York Giants                  QB
11. Patrick Willis                    San Francisco 49ers               LB
10. Vernon Davis                   San Francisco 49ers               TE
09. Tom Brady                      New England Patriots             QB
08. Joe Flacco                        Baltimore Ravens                  QB
07. Drew Brees                      New Orleans Saints              QB
06. Haloti Ngata                     Baltimore Ravens                  DT
05. Peyton Manning               Denver Broncos                    QB
04. Aaron Rodgers                 Green Bay Packers               QB
03. Adrian Peterson                Minnesota Vikings                RB
02. JJ Watt                            Houston Texans                    DE
01. Calvin Johnson                 Detroit Lions                        WR

Rice's New Deal and Other Ravens News

There has been a lot going on for the Baltimore Ravens lately. As you know I love Baltimore teams, and eventhough the Ravens are not my favorite team, I do root for them. I like a lot of players on the Ravens and Anquan Boldin and Ray Rice are two of my favorites. Some would also consider the Ravens a Super Bowl favorite this season.

New look, new season, same Ravens. So what are some of the expectations for this group?

Well, the 1st and most important expectation was to resign Ray Rice. They did that very well. Ray Rice agreed to a 5 yr/35 million dollar deal a couple of days ago. Many would argue that Ray Rice is the best back in football, so it was imperative that he get resigned. All Ravens players and fans love Ray Rice. He is a fearless runningback and one of the last of a dying breed of dominant rushers. Great deal for Baltimore.

Rice is a beast. You can follow him on Twitter @RayRice27. He also has a website RayRice27.com where you can get your Ray Rice news.

The expectations for Joe Flacco are pretty high. Everyone seems to be having high praise for Flacco. Ron Jaworski listed Flacco as the 9th best QB on his QB Countdown. He was placed ahead of Matt Ryan. I think Flacco was kind of low though honestly. Cutler and Roethlisberger were ahead of Flacco to which I say no way. Then Rivers was ahead as well which I disagree with. I think Flacco should be the #6 QB in the league and he has potential to move up. Especially if Peyton Manning cannot recover. Phil Simms seems to think even higher of Flacco than Jaws.
"Even then, he might not get the credit that he deserves. I don’t think he’s good, I think he’s awesome. I know I’m right. I don’t need your stamp of approval.” - Phil Simms

Joe Theismann has incredibly high expectations, picking the Ravens to play in the Super Bowl.

The real question now is how long Terrell Suggs is out? The linebacker thinks he can play this season, but after tearing his ACL in April, how likely is it? A Ravens Super Bowl run is far less likely with an injured Terrell Suggs. All Ravens fans are hoping desperately for a speedy recovery.

-Noland