Okay, part two, here we go! If you find yourself getting a little choked up while reading, that's OK, you're not alone. And remember, seven months until kick-off. Hang in there.
NFC EAST:
Washington Redskins (11-5): Arguably the worst division in 2015 won’t get much better in 2016. It was hard to pick a champion, but the Redskins looked great in the latter end of last year. Kirk Cousins finally got his chance for a full season in command. Robert Griffin III will be gone, which leaves Cousins in command in the foreseeable for Washington. An inflated record of 11-5 is due to poor inner division competition, but the ‘Skins still have a solid unit for the 2016 season. You like that.
New York Giants (9-7): I have a feeling that the Giants are going to regret “parting ways” with Tom Coughlin. Eli Manning will continue to be the NFL’s most under-appreciated quarterback, even though he had the best QB rating of his career in 2015 (93.6). The Giants need to load up on defensive talent this off season to improve a unit that gave up the most yards on average per game in the NFL last year. Don’t worry Giant fans, you still have the best cheap shot specialist in the league, who doubles as a dancer, too!
Dallas Cowboys (6-10): Hopefully all the Cowboy fans who have crucified Tony Romo in the past will come into 2016 with a better appreciation for him. The clear MVP of 2015 showed just how valuable he was while starting only four games. The Cowboys were a train wreck last year, and Romo only has so many healthy years ahead of him, if any. Jerry Jones should not even be thinking about the idea of acquiring the disaster that is Johnny Manziel, but he will think about it, and he will probably sign him. Fun times ahead in Dallas.
Philadelphia Eagles (4-12): Chip Kelly is finally gone, and the Eagles can begin cleaning up the mess he left in Philadelphia. I would love to see the Eagles select a quarterback in the draft, Sam Braford is not even close to being the answer, and they might as well get a new beginning with Doug Pederson as their new head coach. DeMarco Murray needs to be utilized a lot more than last year if he is going to be worth the annual 8 million the Eagles have invested in him. Philly gave up 401 yards per game in 2015, good for third worst in the league.
NFC NORTH:
Minnesota Vikings (12-4): Absolutely love what Mike Zimmer is doing in Minnesota; bringing the Vikings from 5-10-1 to 11-5 in two years was not an easy task. However, Teddy Bridgewater needs to do more. With Adrian Peterson only having a few productive years left in the tank, the Vikings offense cannot thrive with Teddy constantly resorting to his check down routes. They still need to improve on the offensive line, but that unit is improving. Look for the Vikes to have one of the best defenses in the NFL in 2016.
Green Bay Packers (12-4): I didn’t buy into the Jordy Nelson excuse last year. Yes, he is a great deep threat for Aaron Rodgers, but maybe Packer fans should consider this: perhaps teams have finally found a way to combat one of the most explosive offenses of the decade. Teams are starting to press Packer receivers and it has been bad news for the Pack. In 2015, they averaged about one touch down less than 2014, along with going from sixth to 23rd in total offense. You can’t possibly put that all on missing one player. Oh, and don’t count on completing two Hail Mary’s again this year.
Chicago Bears (6-10): The Bears looked atrocious in the front end of 2015, losing their first three, came on in the middle of the year, only to win two of their last seven to wrap up the season. Matt Forte will not return to Chicago in 2016, but at 30 years of age, I can’t say he will be missed all that much. Jeremy Langford was very solid as a backup, although he needs to improve as a receiving threat. The defense has a couple good pieces, but still has many holes. John Fox has already taken two teams to the playoffs in his career, I don’t see why the Bears can’t be a third a couple years down the road.
Detroit Lions (4-12): Right now Matthew Stafford is gnawing at his fingernails and praying Calvin Johnson will not retire. After all, that seems to be the only offensive strategy the Lions have had in the past. Lob it up to Megatron and hope he makes a play, ready, break! The Lions finished dead last in total rushing yards, so add that with the possibility of losing 30 percent of your receiving production? Not good. Just a quick observation, Matthew Stafford still has some great trade value in case the Lions were thinking about rebuilding. Update: Calvin retired. When I picked the records, I thought he’d be back, but he will not be. Trade Stafford, expedite the rebuilding process and make this a lot less painful for Lion fans.
NFC SOUTH:
Carolina Panthers (13-3): Cam Newton became the third Pro Bowl quarterback in three games to be victimized by the Denver defense. Not only that, but he was also terribly exposed in the Super Bowl spotlight. It was all smiles and dabs when the wins kept coming, but Newton’s true colors showed in his post-Super Bowl press conference. Nonetheless, Carolina still returns one of the league’s most talented teams for 2016. One of the most remarkable feats of Cam Newton’s MVP season was the fact that he did not have 1,000 yard receiver Kelvin Benjamin for a second of the regular season. Notable free agents Mike Tolbert, Charles Tillman and Josh Norman will need some attention this off season, but Josh Norman is the only player the Panthers absolutely need to bring back in order to maintain their stout defense.
Atlanta Falcons (6-10): Atlanta saw a surprising 5-0 start to their 2015 season end in a mediocre 8-8 fashion, losing eight of their last 11. Matt Ryan has to be more consistent down the stretch next year, especially with the weapons in Julio Jones, Roddy White and Devonta Freeman. Dan Quinn has the Atlanta defense on the rise, bringing them from 32nd in total yards allowed in 2014, to 16th in 2015. I fully expect that unit to improve again in 2016, but I’m not sure I believe Atlanta has what it takes to take the next step forward just yet. Not to mention they have seven games against 2015 playoff teams in 2016.
New Orleans Saints (6-10): Drew Brees could be entering his last season as a member of the Saints. The only bright spot of the organization has been rumored to be leaving the organization for the last year, and on top of that, Sean Payton may not be far behind him. On the defensive side, New Orleans fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and had the league’s second-worst defense as well. That could be part of the reason why New Orleans did not have a win against a team with a winning record in 2015.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13): Firing a head coach in the middle of the development of a budding young quarterback has to be one of the worst ideas ever. Jameis Winston had a great rookie campaign, throwing for 4,042 yards, and 22 touchdowns. But as a rookie quarterback, he did make an ample amount of mistakes as well, finishing the season with 15 interceptions and three fumbles. The only way I could make sense of the coaching change was the fact that the Bucs went with an internal option in Dirk Koetter, former offensive coordinator and now head coach.
NFC WEST:
Seattle Seahawks (13-3): Marshawn Lynch’s surprising departure won’t hurt the Seahawks as much as you think. Undrafted free agent Thomas Rawls had a terrific rookie year, leading the league in yards per rush (5.6), although he only had 147 carries. Russell Wilson had a career year and threw 24 touchdowns in his last seven regular season games against just one interception. Seattle has some free agents whom they must retain for the 2016 season, including Bruce Irvin and Russell Okung. The Seahawks haven’t missed the playoffs since 2011, and I don’t see that happening for a while as long as Russell Wilson and the defense keeps playing at the level they have been
Arizona Cardinals (12-4): Carson Palmer is 36, and who knows how many good seasons he has left in him. It wouldn’t be surprising if he and the Cardinals never came back from being absolutely embarrassed in the NFC Championship game. We hadn’t seen such an awful performance in an NFC Championship game since the infamous Jay Cutler game in 2010. But Bruce Arians will have this team ready to contend again in 2016, as long as they can stay healthy, which has never happened in Arizona.
Los Angeles Rams (5-11): Sorry Ram fans, new and old, but a relocation back to the West Coast will not help the success of the team itself. The Rams’ highly touted defense was underwhelming at best, allowing 363 yards per game, ranking 23rd in the league. That wouldn’t be as big of a problem if it weren’t for the offense being dead last in the league in total yards and 29th in points scored with 17.5 a game. Nick Foles was a terrible acquisition for the Rams, and drafting a quarterback is an absolute must. Todd Gurley was a risky draft pick at 10th overall, but man did it pay dividends.
San Francisco 49ers (2-14): I’m surprised Chip Kelley hasn’t traded away every valuable asset the 49ers have at this point. After he left the Eagles organization in ruins, I don’t see how the 49ers will fare any differently. San Fran ranked in the bottom four in offense and defense in 2015, and it won’t get any better, to be frank. Best case scenario: Colin Kaepernick fits the Chip Kelly offense like a glove, has a resurgence year, regains the starting job, wins Comeback Player of the Year, and brings the 49ers into third place in the NFC West, and pigs fly. Best case scenario, people. Best case.
NFC PLAYOFF TEAMS
No. 1 seed: Seahawks
No. 2 seed: Panthers
No. 3 seed: Vikings
No. 4 seed: Redskins
No. 5 seed: Cardinals
No. 6 seed: Packers
Conference Champions
AFC: New England Patriots
NFC: Carolina Panthers
Super Bowl Champion
New England Patriots
Yearly Award Picks
MVP: Tom Brady, QB, New England Patriots
Offensive Player of the Year: Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers
Defensive Player of the Year: Khalil Mack, DE, Oakland Raiders
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Laquon Treadwell, WR
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Myles Jack, OLB
Comeback Player of the Year: Tony Romo, QB, Dallas Cowboys
Coach of the Year: Mike Zimmer, Minnesota Vikings
