Matthew Ross
It’s predictions time, the time of the year to feel smug about your football knowledge, only to have it all shattered by Week 5. DeadHitSports spent a ton of time putting together these NFL 2017 Division predictions, so they are bound to stand the test of time, right? Right? Well, we hope so.
NFL 2017 Division Predictions
AFC East – Patriots
This is the easiest prediction that we’ll make all year. No matter what the NFL odds are on this division prop, lay it and take it. Heck, even if Tom Brady is somehow suspended for looking too pretty, or for having too pretty of a wife, New England wins it easy. Miami will be .500 and the Jets and Bills will be bad.
AFC Central – Steelers
The pickup of Joe Haden and the return to health of some of their stars is simply too good to pass up. The Ravens will hang around for a while and the Bengals will continue to regress. And the Browns are the Browns. Pittsburgh is a great football bet for this division.
AFC South – Texans
It doesn’t matter who is playing quarterback; J.J. Watt is healthy! The city of Houston, and America for that matter, will lift this team to new heights. The Titans will be fine, but not as good as everything thinks they’ll be. Give me the Texans for this division.
AFC West – Raiders
Derek Carr had to watch the postseason from the sidelines with an injury, as his teammates and suffered from inferior quarterback play and lost. He’ll be on a mission and the Raiders should be on a mission to right the playoff wrong. Denver will be right behind them, but the Chiefs, to me, may take a step back.
NFC East – Cowboys
Whether Zeke plays or not to start the year is irrelevant. The offensive line in Dallas is simply too good and the competing teams in the division are simply too inconsistent. The key here will be how the Giants play on defense. If they can be much better on that end then they could push Big D for the division. But give me Dallas.
NFC Central – Packers
Really? Is there any other team to pick here? The Lions are overpaying their QB who will succumb to pressure, the Bears are a mess and the Vikings have too many question marks. Similar to the Patriots, Green Bay is an automatic.
NFC South – Falcons
This wasn’t an easy pick. Historically, the Super Bowl loser usually takes a step back the next year. Carolina should be improved, the Buccaneers may be more consistent and the Saints are bound to score a lot of points. But in the end Atlanta has the best balance on both sides of the ball to win the division.
NFC West – Cardinals
This is the year that Bruce Arians and the Cards get back on track. Injuries have derailed this team greatly. With a healthy Carson Palmer, a dominant David Johnson and a revamped defense, the Cards should be able to hold off the Seahawks in what I think will be a close race. The Rams will be close to .500 and the 49ers will be awful.
So there you go. My divisional picks. Come back to the site this week for my playoff teams and Super Bowl prediction.
Matthew Ross is a sports commentator and a radio host on TSN 690 Radio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Follow him @MatthewWords.
