With the preseason almost over, here is the fifth installment of questionable record predictions.
The number inside the parentheses indicates the change from last month’s set of predictions.
AFC East:
| New England Patriots | 13-3* (+0) |
| NY Jets | 8-8 (+0) |
| Buffalo Bills | 6-10 (+0) |
| Miami Dolphins | 3-13 (-1) |
AFC North:
| Baltimore Ravens | 11-5 Y (+0) |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 10-6 X (+1) |
| Cleveland Browns | 9-7 (+0) |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 2-14 (+0) |
AFC South:
| Indianapolis Colts | 4-12 (-7) |
| Tennessee Titans | 9-7 Y (+0) |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 9-7 (+1) |
| Houston Texans | 8-8 (+1) |
AFC West:
| Kansas City Chiefs | 11-5 Z (+0) |
| Denver Broncos | 9-7 (-1) |
| Los Angeles Chargers | 11-5 X (+1) |
| Oakland Raiders | 3-13 (+1) |
NFC East:
| Philadelphia Eagles | 11-5 Y (-1) |
| Dallas Cowboys | 11-5 X (+2) |
| Washington Redskins | 7-9 (+0) |
| NY Giants | 2-14 (-1) |
NFC North:
| Chicago Bears | 12-4 Z (+1) |
| Minnesota Vikings | 10-6 (+1) |
| Green Bay Packers | 8-8 (+1) |
| Detroit Lions | 3-13 (-1) |
NFC South:
| Atlanta Falcons | 12-4 * (+3) |
| Carolina Panthers | 8-8 (-1) |
| New Orleans Saints | 10-6 (+2) |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 6-10 (+1) |
NFC West:
| LA Rams | 10-6 X (-3) |
| Seattle Seahawks | 11-5 Y (+2) |
| San Francisco 49ers | 6-10 (-3) |
| Arizona Cardinals | 3-13 (+1) |
Key:
* -Home Field Advantage
Z – Bye
Y – Division Winner
X – Wild Card
Tiebreakers:
AFC 2: Chiefs beat Ravens head-to-head.
AFC West: Chiefs had a better record against common opponents
AFC 5: Broncos had better division and conference record than Chargers.
NFC 1: Falcons had a better conference record than the Bears
NFC 3: Seahawks had a head-to-head win over the Eagles
NFC East: The Eagles had a better division record than the Cowboys.
NFC 6: Rams own strength of victory tiebreaker over Saints and Vikings.
Playoff Predictions:
#5 Chargers over #4 Titans
#3 Ravens over #6 Steelers
#4 Eagles over #5 Cowboys
#3 Seahawks over #6 Rams
#1 Patriots over #5 Chargers
#2 Chiefs over #3 Ravens
#1 Falcons over #4 Eagles
#2 Bears over #3 Seahawks
#1 Patriots over #2 Chiefs
#1 Falcons over #2 Bears
Patriots win Super Bowl LIV over Falcons
Final thoughts:
Nine of 12 playoff teams return to the playoffs with the Texans, Colts, and Saints missing out. It seems unlikely that there will be this little parity, but this set of predictions had a variety of playoff contenders who narrowly missed the playoffs.
The Bengals and Giants bring up the rear as both finish with abysmal 2-14 campaigns. Both teams have subpar offensive lines and have had injuries knock their skill positions. Both are likely to be crushed within their division, and neither is likely to eclipse six wins in the 2019 season.
The Patriots lead the league in wins, posting 13 and only losing in New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
The biggest change from the July predictions comes in the form of Andrew Luck retiring. The Colts drop a massive seven games and allow the Titans to sneak into the playoffs at 9-7.
In terms of risers, the Falcons, Cowboys, and Seahawks each moved up multiple positions. The Falcons add an extra win over the Rams (at home) and the Colts (on the road) in addition to a win over the Vikings in Week 1. The Cowboys now split with the Eagles and add a win against the Bears in Chicago. For the Seahawks, they split with the Rams and add a win in Philadelphia.
The Patriots win yet another Super Bowl in the series of prediction. The Pats are a lock to go to the Super Bowl for the 10th time in the Brady era.
Be sure to check back in January to reminiscence on how bad these predictions will be.
