Elite Sports NY’s 2016 NFL Preview & Predictions

On the morning of the rematch, Elite Sports NY brings to you its official 2016 NFL Preview. Who’ll take the Vince Lombardi Trophy this season?

The very moment Brandon McManus or Graham Gano strikes leather angled on a small black tee, we, the fans, will finally be able to breathe again.

This will signal that the National Football League is back.

The defending Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos are hosting the defending NFC Champion Carolina Panthers on Thursday night, tonight, and we can hardly wait.

No more minicamp. No more training camp. No more NFL Draft. No more rookie combine. No more over-the-top Deflategate, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Johnny Manziel, or Roger Goodell talk.

RELATED: NFL Power Rankings Ahead Of Week 1

2016 is finally here.

Therefore, it’s appropriate to run through the typical gauntlet that is previewing the new season.

Here is Elite Sports NY’s official 2016 NFL Preview and Predictions:

NEXT: AFC East

AFC East

1. New England Patriots – 11-5, 4-2
2. New York Jets – 10-6, 4-2
3. Miami Dolphins – 7-9, 2-4
4. Buffalo Bills – 5-11, 2-4

We don’t care how badly you may bleed green and white. There’s just no logical explanation in picking the New York Jets to capture their first AFC East crown since 2002.

It doesn’t matter that Tom Brady will be sitting out the first four weeks. These are the New England Patriots. This is Bill Belichick. These guys have won seven straight division titles and 13 of the last 15 total.

It’s been complete domination, and until they officially slip up it’d be rough to try to predict it beforehand. You can call out Brady and Belichick for their deceitful ways, but you simply cannot bet against them. It would be disrespectful based on history.

We’ve chronicled how loaded the Jets roster is. They do, indeed, have a golden opportunity with Brady’s misfortunes and Mike Maccagnan’s sparkling ways.

RELATED: No Excuses For Jets, Fitzpatrick In 2016

They simply have to prove it on the field first.

 

The Buffalo Bills will continue to disappoint under defensive coordinator head coach Rex Ryan while the Miami Dolphins will need a year under rookie coach Adam Gase before anything substantial occurs in South Beach.

NEXT: AFC North

AFC North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – 13-3, 5-1
2. Baltimore Ravens – 9-7, 3-3
3. Cincinnati Bengals – 8-8, 2-4
4. Cleveland Browns – 4-12, 2-4

For the first time in a long time, the highly competitive AFC North is one team’s to lose. It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers and everybody else.

The likes of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’veon Bell will field one of the better, if not they best offense in the league. The question surrounding the Steelers will come when opposing QBs drop back and pass. If Mike Tomlin’s secondary doesn’t greatly disappoint, as they did in 2015, the Steelers will be BYE bound this year.

Never bet agins John Harbaugh and a great organization such as the Baltimore Ravens two years in a row. Last season’s 5-11 record simply shouldn’t be counted on again.

While the Cincinnati Bengals are still talented, the question of Hugh Jackson’s importance will be seriously tested in 2016. The Cleveland Browns may have some solid moments, but will fail to win more than four games.

NEXT: AFC South

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts – 9-7, 4-2
2. Houston Texans – 9-7, 2-4
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – 8-8, 3-3
4. Tennessee Titans – 3-13, 1-5

Suddenly, the AFC South looks good on paper. Even the Tennessee Titans are on the uptick. What we’re doing is simply betting on the best player in the division: Andrew Luck.

What most media members failed to realize a season ago, when the Indianapolis Colts were the preseason AFC favorites, was that the offensive line is still critical to a team’s success. Hopefully for Luck, and this health, general manager Ryan Grigson did enough to improve that putrid o-line.

The Jacksonville Jaguars will also be competitive all season long. Their defense is flat-out sick. Dante Fowler Jr., Malik Jackson and rookie Jalen Ramsey are just three names that’ll flourish all year long.

Although the win totals won’t be on the high side, this division will be competitive from start to finish.

The Colts aren’t even close to the best team in the AFC South. They simply have the best player at the most important and influential position.

NEXT: AFC West

AFC West

1. Kansas City Chiefs – 12-4, 5-1
2. Denver Broncos – 9-7, 4-2
3. Oakland Raiders – 6-10, 2-4
4. San Diego Chargers – 4-12, 1-5

The hard-hitting question revolving around the Kansas City Chiefs will focus on Alex Smith‘s ability to create big plays for Andy Reid. Despite his efficiency, he simply won’t challenge the defense.

Even if Smith fails the stretch the field this year, the Chiefs have plenty to run away with this thing. The big play topic will be the nagging question come tournament time.

Like Jacksonville, the Oakland Raiders have a golden opporunity to impress and improve. We’ll be against it for now as John Elway‘s Denver Broncos are still loaded on defense with the best defensive mind in the game (Wade Phillips).

As far as the San Diego Chargers are concerned, 2016 will be a long campaign, Joey Bossa or not.

NEXT: NFC East

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys – 10-6, 4-2
2. New York Giants – 10-6, 3-3
3. Washington Redskins – 7-9, 3-3
4. Philadelphia Eagles – 5-11, 2-4

When we get the division that fields the other New York City team, we are littered with many questions.

Can Dak Prescott prove to be the real deal? Can Jay Gruden and Kirk Cousins duplicate their crazy 2015? Can Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. get enough from that extremely shaky offensive line?

We truly don’t know. What we do know is this: the Dallas Cowboys offensive line is still the single best unit in the NFL. This is why we’re taking them to win the division by a hair over the New York Giants.

With Damon Harrison, Olivier Vernon and Janoris Jenkins, this Giants defense will be much improved. I mean, they have to be, “Right?” You can’t get much worse than dead last in the league (420.3 yards against per game).

Like previously mentioned, it’ll all come down to New York’s offensive line. That’s the wild card in this formula. If they pleasantly surprise, the G-Men could run away with this thing and boast the league’s most dangerous offense. If they fail miserably, Ben McAdoo’s rookie season can be a nightmare.

 

The Philadelphia Eagles season will come down to one thing: the development around rookie starter Carson Wentz.

NEXT: NFC North

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers – 13-3, 5-1
2. Minnesota Vikings – 9-7, 3-3
3. Detroit Lions – 5-11, 2-4
4. Chicago Bears – 5-11, 2-4

Both North divisions are completely one-sided. The NFC’s version features Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers as the leaders of the pack.

It’s all thanks to the devastating injury suffered by Teddy Bridgewater. There’s no chance Sam Bradford revives his career in Minnesota. If he hasn’t done it up to this point in his career, he simply won’t do it. You also have to feel bad for the Vikings that they knew they were getting fleeced when trading for the oft-injured QB.

Even still, Minnesota will have a tournament shot thanks to Mike Zimmer’s special defense.

Don’t look for anything surprising from the Detroit Lions or Chicago Bears. While the Bears are expected to be bad, the Lions will fall far and feel the loss of Calvin Johnson even more than we could ever imagine.

Look for rookie fourth-rounder Blake Martinez to make an immeasurable impact as the leader of that Pack defense.

NEXT: NFC South

NFC South

1. Carolina Panthers – 10-6, 4-2
2. Atlanta Falcons – 8-8, 3-3
3. New Orleans Saints – 7-9, 2-4
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 6-10, 3-3

When Dave Gettlemen left Jerry Reese and took off for Carolina, little did we know what was to come. The personnel of the Giants slowly took hits while the Carolina Panthers slowly built a powerhouse.

Cam Newton, the reigning NFL MVP, has the best roster in football at his disposal. Still, we only forecast a 10-win season for the NFL champs in anticipating something going wrong.

Dan Quinn’s hot 2015 start won’t happen in 2016 and the Atlanta Falcons will continue mediocrity. The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers can finish anywhere from three wins to 11 apiece.

NEXT: NFC West

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks – 12-4, 5-1
2. Arizona Cardinals – 11-5, 4-2
3. Los Angeles Rams – 8-8, 3-3
4. San Francisco 49ers – 3-13, 0-6

The Arizona Cardinals are, without question, in the running for the NFL’s best all-around personnel grouping throughout their entire depth chart. The problem for Bruce Arians is his QB, Carson Palmer, and how never seems to show up when it matters most.

Palmer’s dreadful showcase in the postseason (4 TD, 6 INT, 67.1 QB Rating) is the reason we’re jumping on the Seattle Seahawks here. Look for Russell Wilson to firmly breakout and help Jimmy Graham bounce back.

Jeff Fisher will add another 8-8 season to his ledger while the worst team in football, the San Francisco 49ers, will continue to curse the day they ever allowed Trent Baalke to win the highly publicized battle with Jim Harbaugh.

NEXT: AFC Playoffs

AFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round:

• #3 New England Patriots over #6 Denver Broncos
• #5 New York Jets over #4 Indianapolis Colts

Divisional Round:

• #5 New York Jets over #1 Pittsburgh Steelers
• #2 Kansas City Chiefs over #3 New England Patriots

AFC Championship Game:

• #2 Kansas City Chiefs over #5 New York Jets

The big boys on the AFC side of the tournament will still be there, in the New England Patriots, but they’ll falter. It has to happen eventually and while Wade Phillips and Von Miller can get it done, they won’t thanks to their weakness at the QB spot.

Instead, the Kansas City Chiefs, who’ll boast a top-three defense all season long, will finally get enough big play magic out of Alex Smith to officially make their Super Bowl move.

If the New York Jets manage a way to sneak in, they’ll be as dangerous as anybody. A familiar foe in the Indianapolis Colts seems about right. A win over the Steelers in Pittsburgh would be tough, but definitely feasible considering Pitt’s weakness on the backend.

This isn’t your father’s NFL. A strong running game doesn’t win championships. While defenses still do (which the Jets can showcase each week), it’s the short, controlling passing game that gets it done. With Gang Green’s newfound depth at wide receiver, Fitzpatrick will finally be able to throw away his non-tournament demons. New York’s secondary is head and shoulders ahead of Pittsburgh’s.

 

Again, like every tournament opportunity for New York, their routine presence on the road as a wild card will doom them in Kansas City in the AFC title game.

NEXT: NFC Playoffs

NFC Playoffs

Wild Card Round:

• #4 Dallas Cowboys over #5 Arizona Cardinals
• #3 Carolina Panthers over #6 New York Giants

Divisional Round:

• #1 Green Bay Packers over #4 Dallas Cowboys
• #3 Carolina Panthers over #2 Seattle Seahawks

NFC Championship Game:

• #1 Green Bay Packers over #3 Carolina Panthers

Unfortunately for the other team in New York, their former friend, Dave Gettlemen, will get the better of them in the wild card round. The Panthers will take that momentum all the way to the NFC Championship Game before getting knocked off by the most consistent team in the NFL all season long, the Green Bay Packers.

Arizona will have to regroup after realizing Carson Palmer cannot get the job done when it matters most. Dallas will control the entire game on the ground and shock the world by making it to the Divisional Round with rookie Dak Prescott (yes, something else will happen to Tony Romo along the way).

The Round 2 matchup of the Panthers and Seattle Seahawks will be the game of the season. It’ll be an old-fashioned, hard-hitting slobberknocker.

NEXT: Super Bowl

Super Bowl

• Green Bay Packers over Kansas City Chiefs
• Super Bowl MVP: Randall Cobb

Let’s rewind the clock 51 years, “Shall we?” Super Bowl 51 will be a rematch of Super Bowl I featuring the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. Only this time it’ll be a competitive game.

The difference will come down (as it naturally does these days) to quarterback play. Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy will collect their second Vince Lombardi Trophy while Randall Cobb busts out in the biggest game of the season.

The beauty about the Packers is both sides of the ball. With Clay Matthews, Jordy Nelson, Julius Peppers, Bryan Bulaga, and a slimmer Eddie Lacy, talent is littered up and down the depth chart.

NEXT: NFL Awards

NFL Awards

• NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers (QB-GB)
• OFF POY: Antonio Brown (WR-PIT)
• DEF POY: Khalil Mack (DE-OAK)
• OFF ROY: Ezekiel Elliot (RB-DAL)
• DEF ROY: Jalen Ramsey (CB-JAX)
• Coach of the Year: Andy Reid (KC)
• Comeback Player: Andrew Luck (QB-IND)

The Comeback Player of the year is an easy one. If rookie Ryan Kelly stays healthy, Andrew Luck’s offensive line should be improved enough for him to do serious damage.

Jalen Ramsey is a complete stud and Ezekiel Elliot is walking into the best situation in the history of the NFL (thanks to that offensive line).

When hedging your bets with Aaron Rodgers, Antonio Brown and Khalil Mack, you’re bets will usually turn out golden.

NEXT: ESNY Staff Picks

ESNY Staff Picks

Vincent Rapisardi:

AFC:

• AFC East: Patriots
• AFC North: Bengals
• AFC South: Colts
• AFC West: Chiefs
• Wildcards: Raiders, Steelers
• AFC Winner: Steelers over Colts

NFC:

• NFC East: Cowboys
• NFC North: Green Bay
• NFC South: Panthers
• NFC West: Seattle
• Wildcards: Cardinals, Vikings
• NFC Winner: Seahawks over Packers

Super Bowl:

• Seahawks over Steelers
• SB MVP: Russell Wilson

Awards:

• MVP: Aaron Rodgers
• OFF POY: Antonio Brown
• DEF POY: Aaron Donald
• OFF ROY: Zeke Elliot
• DEF ROY: Vernon Hargreaves
• SB MVP: Russell Wilson
• Coach: Pete Carroll

Justin Weiss:

AFC:

• AFC East Champs: Patriots
• AFC North Champs: Steelers
• AFC South Champs: Colts
• AFC West Champs: Broncos
• 1st Wild Card: Chiefs
• 2nd Wild Card: Jets
• AFC Title Game: Patriots over Steelers

NFC:

• NFC East Champ: Giants
• NFC North Champ: Packers
• NFC South Champ: Panthers
• NFC West Champ: Seahawks
• 1st Wild Card: Cardinals
• 2nd Wild Card: Vikings
• NFC Title Game Cardinals over Giants

Super Bowl:

• Super Bowl Champ: Cardinals
• Super Bowl MVP: Carson Palmer

Awards:

• NFL MVP: Russell Wilson
• OFF POY: Aaron Rodgers
• DEF POY: Aaron Donald
• OFF ROY: Devontae Booker
• DEF ROY: Jalen Ramsey
• Coach of Year: Bruce Arians

Chris Boccia:

AFC:

• AFC East Champ: New England Patriots
• AFC North Champ: Pittsburgh Steelers
• AFC South Champ: Indianapolis Colts
• AFC West Champ: Denver Broncos
• 1st Wild Card: Kansas City Chiefs
• 2nd Wild Card: Buffalo Bills
• AFC Title Game: Steelers over Bills

NFC:

• NFC East Champ: New York Giants
• NFC North Champ: Green Bay Packers
• NFC South Champ: Carolina Panthers
• NFC West Champ: Arizona Cardinals
• 1st Wild Card: Seattle Seahawks
• 2nd Wild Card: Minnesota Vikings
• NFC Title Game: Cardinals over Packers

Super Bowl:

• Super Bowl Champ: Pittsburgh Steelers
• Super Bowl MVP: Ben Roethlisberger

Awards:

• NFL MVP: Carson Palmer
• OFF POY: Carson Palmer
• DEF POY: Von Miller
• OFF ROY: Ezekiel Elliot
• DEF ROY: Shaq Lawson
• Coach of Year: Mike Tomlin

NEXT: 2016 NFL Power Rankings Heading Into Week 1