NFL 2018 Forecast: Our writers call winners, losers and ransoms | sport

Best team that will not make the playoffs

The part with which I am confident saying that it will come from the NFC. The teams at this conference have won 41 of 64 games against AFC opponents in 2017 and the exchanges like the one that sent Khalil Mack from Oakland to Chicago hardly correct the balance. There is a lot of hype around the giants after upgrading the line and adding Saquon Barkley, but I'm not convinced they can bridge the gap in a year when the schedule is dark. PB

Green Bay Packers. The thing about the Packers is that we do not know how good Aaron Rodgers will be. If he plays like the old Rodgers, they absolutely make the playoffs. If it's struggling, the Packers probably end up losing a record. Let's divide the difference here and say that Rodgers will be good, but not dominant, and Green Bay will not miss the playoffs. HF

Jacksonville. Jason Mendoza's favorite team had the best league schedule in last year's charming race, his division has improved a lot and his quarterback is Blake Bortles. No sale BAG

The Lions will be balanced and explosive. They finally have a talented offensive line, with at worst an above-average player at each location. This is a decisive advantage considering the state of the groups in the league. Matthew Stafford is also surrounded by a pile of weapons. The defense will be their fatal flaw: the Lions lack speed in the front. In the modern NFL, such things matter. OC

The non-eliminating team of last year who will make the playoffs

With a healthy Aaron Rodgers, the packers are a safe bet to be competitors once again. PB

After trading for Jimmy Garoppolo last season, the 49ers finished his season on a 5-0 run. They thought the rebound was real enough for him to sign a historic $ 137.5 million five-year contract. Time will tell if he ends up being more "big drummer" than "next big hope," but it's hard to see them miss the playoffs he plays as at the end of last season. HF

Green Bay. Last year, the Packers were among the top teams in the NFC when Aaron Rodgers was beaten for the season with a broken collarbone. They finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They will be back. BAG

Texans last year would not have been Deshaun Watson's injury. Health will be the problem again this season. If they can keep their stars on the field – Watson, JJ Watt and Jadeveon Clowney – they will play in the playoffs as one of the best seeds in the AFC. OC

MVP

Aaron Rodgers did not hide his sadness over the Packers' decision to separate from Jordy Nelson, but Jimmy Graham has a new target in the red zone. I'm expecting a big year from the quarterback as he bounces back from the injury that kept him out of the 2017 season. PB

Jimmy Garoppolo. At this point in the history of the NFL, we assume that the MVP will be a quarterback. If my earlier prediction that Garoppolo would lead the 49ers to the playoffs practically by himself, then he will have a serious consideration for the MVP. It is also possible that the league was prompted to hand the trophy to the current 49ers quarterback, despite the fact that the 49ers' former quarterback was making life difficult for the NFL. HF

Rodgers. How fortunate for Green Bay the best player in the sport plays the most important position. Every year he is in good health, the Packers are among the last teams in January. BAG

Andrew Luck! It will bounce back to pre-injury levels, leading to all kinds of hyperboles and equipment. Luck plays on the worst team in a difficult division. If he can coach the Colts in the post-season, he will have won the prize. OC

Rookie of the year

Saquon Barkley is the obvious choice, both for the talent and the opportunity in a Giants attack that has been so long without a viable racing game. So, just to be opposite, I take the Broncos ferryman Bradley Chubb, who looked strong in pre – season and should not face too many double teams with Von Miller lined up on the other side. PB

The chosen giants Barkley second overall in this year's project, which is almost unheard of considering how the halves are generally valued in the modern NFL. Given the place where the Giants recruited him, they expect Barkley to start producing immediately and, if he does, he may be running away with the honors of the rookie. 'year. HF

Barkley. The Giants will again be terrible, but they are in the top five of the paper and the leader of the versatile careers Penn State will be responsible. BAG

Given his position and the market in which he plays, I think it's Sam DarnoldThe price to lose. However, I think the two more impacting The rookies will be Denzel Ward (CB, Browns) and Josh Jackson (CB, Packers). Jackson has a chance to win the award because he will be playing in big games on the national stage, a requirement for non-quarterbacks or halfbacks. And it is more likely to dominate young people in the big metrics: interceptions, forbidden passes, etc. OC

Johnny Manziel waiting for a disaster

A team playing in a city that wants to sue? Yes, that can only end well. PB

We will see the end of the Roger Goodell era. At some point, there will be enough public pressure on Goodell from all sides for him to realize that it's just not worthwhile to remain an NFL commissioner. Maybe this will happen because of the way he handles the controversy over the anthem. Perhaps this will happen when another star player is caught committing a horrific act of abuse and the league's response will be terribly inadequate. Anyway, we get the impression that at some point in the season, an overburdened Goodell will accept an offer of "golden parachute" and retire quickly but profitably. May God have mercy on anyone who ends up having to clean up his mess. HF

It's not fun to be right about these things. But the problems never seem to be far behind the Tampa Bay quarter Jameis Winston, who is already starting the season with a three-game suspension for allegedly fumbling with an Uber driver. BAG

How about … Johnny Manziel. Look at the state of the quarterbacks of the league. Someone will talk to Manziel during the season, especially if we suffer a series of injuries. Manziel will prepare for at least one race this season. It's not going well. OC

A bold prediction

The Colts will make the playoffs. OK, this prediction rests entirely on the fact that Andrew Luck remains healthy, but in seasons when he starts 15 games or more, Indianapolis went 11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 8- 8. People forget everything that changes the game. Yes, there are many questions elsewhere on this list, and his health is far from certain. But Frank Reich is an excellent offensive coach, and the Colts have at least tried to improve pass protection during the off season. I can see a path to nine or ten wins for this team in a shallow AFC. PB

It's going to sound like a heresy here in New England, but there's a real chance we're seeing Tom Brady, who has just turned 41, declines this season. No, we have not seen any signs of significant problems yet, but as we saw with Peyton Manning, the end of the NFL is coming fast. HF

The Los Angeles Rams are coming off an 11-5 season and have emerged as the Super Bowl pick, but they will be condemned for lack of chemistry and miss the playoffs while the San Francisco 49ers win the NFC West. BAG

Trade Jacksonville for Tyrod Taylor. Cleveland will start the season with Taylor at quarterback, but Baker Mayfield is ready to take over. The Browns will use the first weeks of the season to increase Taylor's commercial value. Taylor represents an improvement over Bortles. If the Jacksonville quarterback fights early, the Jags should seek an agreement. OC

This year, the protests against the anthem will be …

Be distorted by opponents to protest against the national anthem and / or American values. PB

Continue to be the biggest scenario in football. It is clear that the NFL's attempts to determine the appropriate punishment for protesting players have just reignited the controversy. It will be another long season for the crowd of "sportsmen". HF

Make headlines in national newspapers beyond the sports page as Trump approaches the election campaign to try to win his events before the mid-term elections, which take place just after mid-season. BAG

Lead to the decertification of the NFLPA. At this point, it seems like this is the unique option of the players if they want to make significant and lasting changes. The middle class of the NFL declines. The elite players have wisely used the pre-season packages to achieve significant gains. Rookie contracts are as valuable and profitable as ever. The middle players, still the majority of the league, continue to lose their influence. This, in addition to the bad will towards the owners and the commissioners, could lead the players to a radical stage. OC

East AFC Champion

The patriots. Again. PB

Even if Brady loses a step or two in the coming season, it should not be enough to prevent the patriots to win their division. Bill Belichick is still the head coach and the competition in the AFC East should not, again, spark a lot of competition. HF

New England. We have seen cracks in the Brady-Belichick-Kraft triumvirate over the last two years and three-quarters of MVPs, who turned 41 last month, will inevitably slow down at some point. But the advantage of the garbage division ensures a 15th title of East AFC in 17 seasons for the Patriots. BAG

Nobody in the AFC has caught up the patriots … again. The biggest defect of New England in the last two years has been speed in the first seven. They added Adrian Clayborn in free agency and saw Derek Rivers come back, a rider who missed his rookie season with a knee injury. These names may not mean much to you right now, but they improve the weaker part of an already busy team. OC

AFC North Champion

Between the prolonged inactivity of Le'Veon Bell, the Ryan Shazier-shaped hole in the middle of the defense and the 14 seasons of Ben Roethlisberger's wear, it is not clear that the Steelers keep their division crown. But if the running back returns to the field in time for the first week, it will be hard to beat again. PB

This could be the AFC's toughest call, as the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens should both be tough no matter who they play. The Steelers, however, just seems like a scariest team. Maybe the advantage is that Roethlisberger has this strange talent to play games despite his defeat against the opposing defense while Joe Flacco is … Joe Flacco. HF

Pittsburgh. Anyone, except the Steelers, where Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Bell (perhaps) will find real stars, would be a surprise after winning four of the last five AFC North titles, even though a Baltimore team improved will be able to carve out a place. . BAG

I am very happy in Cleveland. The team has young, talented and exciting players on both sides of the ball. Baltimore may have the best defense in the league; in any case it is the most versatile. And keep an eye on Cincinnati. The Bengals slide under the radar. They have a scary run like everyone else, and just enough explosiveness in attack to worry their opponents. Yet, it is the Steelers division loses. The only thing I can see Pittsburgh derail is another injury to Roethlisberger. OC

South AFC Champion

I've already defended the Colts as a more competitive team than many have predicted. Houston should also be stronger, with Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt, both injured. Tennessee won nine games last year and made useful additions to each side of the ball at Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler. Jaguars are still my choice, however, thanks to this suffocating D. PB

This division feels as if it is going to fall to who will succeed in having a year round caliber player back. If luck plays like a quarter of a franchise, the Colts have the advantage. If Watt plays like the force that he once was, Texans could take control of the division. I like the chances of Watt. HF

Houston. Emerging star Watson is expected to pick up where he left off before getting injured last year. Watt is back too. Add to that the additions of Tyrann Mathieu and Aaron Colvin and the Texans should have enough to overcome the Jaguars. BAG

With Watson in the fold and a defense at all levels, Texans have the composition of a division champion. Houston's offensive line is less talented than any other in the league; the depth of defense is a problem. Health will probably be the decisive factor. OC

AFC West Champion

With a competent kick game, chargers could have taken the division last year. Caleb Sturgis is not able to provide it, but its modest professional success rate of 81% remains well above the 66% achieved by an unfortunate distribution in 2017. PB

The Chiefs The season could boil down to the quality of Patrick Mahomes who is in his first full year at quarterback, but it looks like a team capable of winning enough regular season wins to capture the division and continue to suffer from Andy Reid. assisted disappearance in their first playoff game. HF

Chargers. Philip Rivers is back to attack the highest ranked offense of last year and the defense is better than it is. They finished strong, winning nine of their last 12 games after being without a win in September. That should be enough to put an end to Kansas City's two-year reign at the top of the division. BAG

The pre-season prejudices tortured chargers, again. Still, LA is ready for a playoff race. They still have the fastest duo in the league, an excellent quarterback and an experienced quarterback. OC

NFC Champion East

When will Carson Wentz return to the field? Can he play at the same level of MVP he reached before his injury last year? Does it really matter, given that Eagles won the Super Bowl with Nick Foles anyway, and reinforced the rotation of the defensive line with Michael Bennett and Haloti Ngata since then? PB

the reigning world champions should be favorite again to win their division. It will be interesting to see how things are going to happen with Wentz taking over the reins of the Foles, but that probably falls into the category of good problems to have. HF

Philadelphia cream. It's been 13 years since a team in the NFL's glamorous division won it twice, but there's every reason to believe the Eagles are going to break the schneid. They are in the middle of the two lines, they added some nice pieces in defense (including Michael Bennett and Sidney Jones) and Wentz played at MVP level until he was injured. BAG

Eagles should go back to back. They have the embarrassment of wealth everywhere in the field. Watch Sidney Jones, the second-year cornerback. He missed the rookie year with an Achilles tendon injury. If he returns to his pre-injury level, he will be an instant star. Of course, all this means that Wentz will be back in the third week. Otherwise, Philly will have problems. OC

NFC North Champion

The Vikings won 13 games last season and think they will be better with Kirk Cousins ​​behind the center and a good Dalvin Cook in the backfield. But as long as Packers have a Aaron Rodgrs right, they are going to be difficult to face. PB

It's odd to choose the team that will launch the Cousins ​​on the team that starts with Rodgers, but the latter is a question mark and Minnesota has the feeling of winning thanks to the talent that he has in the defensive part. It would not be a huge surprise if the division comes down to a break in the tie. HF

Minnesota. It could be said that the blistering free-agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, to a team that won a 13-3 campaign, made the Vikings the most complete team in the NFL. But the Packers, enjoying the return of Rodgers and a reworked defense, will push them to the end. BAG

It's a real throw. Bears trading for Khalil Mack changes the dynamics of the division. Vic Fangio comes for the title of best defender Mike Zimmer. Chicago is young and has deadly speed on all levels of his defense. In Green Bay, there's that guy Aaron Rodgers has to call. And you can not exclude Lions either. On the other hand, I like it the VikingsChances. They are the most proven team on each side of the ball. Kirk Cousins ​​represents an improvement over Case Keenum at quarterback. Dalvin Cook, back from an injury, will help push Minnesota to the top. OC

NFC South champion

Hey, remember how the Saints Was there a miracle to go to the NFC Championship game last year? Yes, they have not lost a lot of coins since. It will be another very competitive division, but a team that can turn to Drew Brees when the current game does not work, rather than the other way round, is a team in very poor health. PB

The Saints He signed a two-year extension with Brees in March, hoping to have at least one more season to play as Drew Effing Brees. While he looks at the records held by legends like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning, one must think that his goal will return to the Super Bowl. This is not out of the question. HF

Former MVP Matt Ryan leads a Atlanta Falcons crime involving an embarrassment of wealth, among them Julio Jones, Devonta Freeman, Tevin Coleman, Mohamed Sanu, Austin Hooper and Justin Hardy. No shortage of playmakers in defense either. New Orleans and Carolina should fight but look for the Falcons to win in the seed of the NFC. BAG

I have no confidence in this choice. I like the offense that was set up in New Orleans. But I still do not trust all the young puppies in defense. Certainly, I do not trust Steve Sarkisian for the games of AtlantaThe offense, but I trust him little more. Note: I think Tampa has the potential to be a real fire. OC

NFC West champion

I chose Gurley and Donald to win player of the year awards. It is an exaggeration to suggest that anyone other than the rams would win this division if they did. PB

The Rams could they end up being good enough this season so that Los Angeles can buy them? Maybe not, but they have the opportunity to stay in the public consciousness long enough for people to stop forgetting that they no longer play in St. Louis. HF

The 49ers started 1-10 before Jimmy Garoppolo had a chance in the center and finished with five straight wins. If the Rams' bold gamble to reach the Super Bowl is not paying off, expect the Niners to take advantage of it. BAG

The Rams transformed the western nature of the NFC in two or three years with two coaching hires (Sean McVay and Wade Phillips) and a series of free moves and trades. Do win-now movements still work? No, but the Rams were smart with whom they targeted this off season. They strengthened the forces and improved the weakness. Their high school reads like an All-Pro list. Their defensive line is even better. The 49ers will push them closely, but eventually the rams have too much quality to disappoint OC

Generic characters of the AFC

Ravens and Colts PB

Ravens and Jaguars. HF

Chiefs and crows. BAG

Jaguars and Colts. OC

NFC generic characters

Vikings and Bears. PB

49ers and panthers. HF

Saints and Packers. BAG

Packers and 49ers. OC

NFC Championship Match

Rams on Eagles. PB

Saints Over Eagles. HF

Eagles over Falcons. BAG

Vikings on the packers. OC

AFC Championship Match

Patriots on Chargeurs. PB

Steelers on the patriots. HF

Patriots on Chargeurs. BAG

Patriots on the Texans. OC

Super Bowl LIII

Rams on Patriots. After becoming the youngest NFL head coach in modern history and then the youngest coach of the year, Sean McVay completes the series by becoming the youngest to win a Super Bowl. Better yet, he does it against the most successful ones. PB

Steelers over Saints. The old man of the watch! Roethlisberger will be 36 years old. Brees will be 40 years old! As a game, however, it could end up being anti-climatic. One can imagine Brees burying Pittsburgh in touchdowns, winning MVP honors and announcing his retirement live on television. At least, that 's the end of Hollywood, we should know now that Super Bowl games rarely follow the script. HF

Eagles over Patriots. It's really Carson Wentz. But if Philadelphia's third-year quarterback is fully recovering from his knee injury and can regain the form of player that he showed in his second season (where he had 33 touchdowns against just seven interceptions), the Eagles will become the first team. more than a decade to repeat as champions of the Super Bowl. BAG

Vikings on the patriots. Dumping Case Keenum for Kirk Cousins ​​is paying off. The Vikings' skill positions are as talented as any other group in the league. Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen may well be the best tandem for two. Dalvin Cook is a special talent. Add this attack to a high level defense and you get a powerful championship formula. I have patriots who are suffering from another ripping at the Super Bowl. There are concerns with their receiving group and offensive attack points. But they still have Brady at the top of his powers and a potentially frisky defense that has filled his gaps. No other team at AFC has the same proven quality. OC