2020 NFL Preview

 

Fear not, Confessions of a Sportscaster is back from hiatus!

The COVID-19 pandemic threw a huge monkey wrench into the world of sports that... I'm still not totally over. I kind of feel bad that I haven't written anything since feeling compelled to address a race issue on North Central's campus, but for a long time there wasn't anything to watch except for old sporting events. Then the NBA and NHL set up some bubbles and got started, which I took in some of.

But now the NFL season is upon us, and by some miracle (and largely timing of everything) the season appears to be going on as planned, with the only difference being a ton of empty stadiums for the time being.

So it's time to get back into the swing of things. With the college football season largely in shambles even though some FBS conferences are playing on as if nothing is happening, this means we won't see a 2020 Death to the BCS Playoffs, though I still have to simulate through the 2019 iteration. I have ideas for a pseudo-Tournament of Champions for the Death to the BCS Playoffs of the past that, time permitting, I may try to undertake. But more importantly... the COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em contest is back for its ninth season as I try to maintain even year magic and retake my crown from Adam.

So with that in mind, I need to power through some NFL previews. Last year I condensed the eight posts, one for each division, down to two. This year I'm cutting it down to one and cutting back because I haven't paid a ton of attention to preseason training camps, and without preseason games or anything, it's hard to get a read on some things. But even so, I'm willing to put my neck out there and make predictions that almost certainly will go wrong.

2019 NFC Preview

With the NFL season just days away, I figure it's time to get on the preview train!

I'm doing this a little bit differently compared to prior years. In the past I've done a post for each division, and I used to do one a day for eight days leading up to the season. This year I'm condensing it down from divisions to one post for each of the two conferences. It will make these posts a little bit longer, so I'll try to keep my thoughts about the individual teams brief.

Part of the reason I'm condensing this down is due to time; I think it's easier to build out two long posts especially given when I had a chance to sit down and write this out. But I'm also doing this because in talks with Adam we may have another NFL preview feature coming to lead up to my favorite series in Confessions of a Sportscaster: the Pigskin Pick 'Em contest.

For now, let's take a look at the NFC.

2018 NFC North Preview

We're onto Day 2 of my NFL preview series for the 2018 season, and I'm also settling into a rhythm.

As in prior years, I'm alternating conferences while circling my way around the league. This year began with the North, and yesterday saw the AFC get priority. This means today I'm back in my home park, so to speak, looking at the local division of the NFC North.

2017 NFC North Preview

We're only a week and a half away from the start of another NFL season, and I'm starting to get excited again. As such, I need to get the previewing into high gear.

I'm continuing my annual tradition, working my way around the country, only this year I'm going counterclockwise, and alternating conferences until we end with the division of the defending champion.

I also take this opportunity to invite you, dear readers, to join me in picking NFL games against the spread. We're in Year Six of this contest now, with Adam Quinn joining me for a fourth season of a weekly post with our picks. You can join our ESPN group here.

I'm beginning at home again this season with the NFC North.

2016 NFC North Preview

I've got a busy few mornings coming up. We're about a week away from the start of the 2016 NFL season, and I have eight divisions I need to do previews for.

In an annual tradition, I've been predicting outcomes of upcoming seasons for a few years now, going division by division to pick out win totals for every NFL team. Now, admittedly, I haven't paid as much attention to what's gone on this offseason, so I'm not as confident as I normally am with predictions. Of course, I end up being wrong half the time, so what else is new.

Like in prior years, I alternate conferences and go kind of in a circle through the four geographical regions of divisions, ending with the division hosting the defending champ. With the circle being what it is, I am going to start in my home division with the NFC North. Tomorrow I'll switch over to the AFC North, then spin my way clockwise to the East, South, and finally, the West.

Before I get to the preview, I do want to make a shameless plug. For the fifth straight season, I will be picking NFL games against the spread, and this will be my third year picking against Adam Quinn, who won last year's pool. If you want to make us look like a bunch of dopes, you can join our ESPN Pigskin Pick 'Em group.

Let's start predicting.

2015 NFC North Preview

Happy Friday! We're on to the second half of Confessions of a Sportscaster's NFL predictions for the 2015 season. This is the one that's most relevant to me, as I'm from Chicago and a Packers fan (which, if you're a regular reader of COAS, you already know and are probably shaking your head at). Given much of the demographic is around here just based on who I know, this is probably the preview you've most been looking forward to as well.

If you want to read more in-depth previews for the NFL, my friends over at UKEndZone are continuing their preview series, and are doing a phenomenal job of it. Meanwhile, if you want to get involved with picking NFL games, you can join my ESPN Pigskin Pick 'Em group and try to beat me and Adam, who will be writing up picks with me every week again, as well as my dad and defending champion/Grabbing the Bull Horns blogger Geoffrey Clark.

So with the plugs out of the way, let's take a look at the division.

NFC North

Common opponents on schedule: NFC West, AFC West

1. Green Bay Packers
2014: 12-4 (1st), lost in NFC Championship Game
There's already a little bit of panic given the way the injury bug has bitten the Packers so far. However, as long as Aaron Rodgers remains healthy, this is the team to beat in the North. He still has several good weapons in Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and Eddie Lacy, so I don't think things will be a problem. The loss of Tramon Williams hurts the secondary a little bit, but there are good pieces around to fill the gap, and hopefully Clay Matthews can follow up last year with another full season. All in all, this team is one of the top Super Bowl contenders even without Nelson. I just hope there isn't a hangover from the last trip to Seattle.
2015 Prediction: 11-5

2. Minnesota Vikings
2014: 7-9 (3rd), missed playoffs
I wrote in-depth about the Vikings for UKEndZone back in June, and I maintain most of those claims two and a half months later. I think the Vikings found their franchise quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, and he will benefit from having Adrian Peterson in the backfield with him for all of 2015. While I'm not particularly sold on his receiving corps still, the natural progression plus the mere presence of Peterson will upgrade the Minnesota offense. The thing is, their defense is pretty underrated. Everson Griffen leads a pretty good pass rush, and the secondary is one of the best this side of Seattle. If they can improve their run defense from a year ago, Minnesota will be right in the thick of things at the end of the season.
2015 Prediction: 9-7

3. Detroit Lions
2014: 11-5 (2nd), lost in NFC Wild Card Game
Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is going to have his work cut out for him this season. After heading up a top-three defense in 2014, he lost the lynchpin of his defense in Ndamukong Suh as well as Nick Fairley. The Lions did replace them with Haloti Ngata, which may help. Pretty much the entire rest of the defense returns, including Stephen Tulloch who hopefully learned from his idiotic sack dance in Week 3 last year. On offense, the Lions drafted Ameer Abdullah to help Joique Bell in their continued attempts at finding a successor to Barry Sanders, and a full season from Calvin Johnson will definitely help. I think overall though, the loss of Suh will hurt them quite a bit, and Jim Caldwell is Jim Caldwell. They'll be okay, but they're not going to return to the playoffs.
2015 Prediction: 8-8

4. Chicago Bears
2014: 5-11 (4th), missed playoffs
Last season I felt bad, but I also enjoyed the dumpster fire that was the Chicago Bears. Now, they're commencing with a rebuild. Some things have changed since I wrote that at the end of July: Tim Jennings is no longer with the team, a decision that will probably hurt an already bad defense, though with new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio in the fold, they'll improve within the next year or two. Offensively though, I'm not sure what's going on. The Bears have arguably had more injury woes than Green Bay, as Alshon Jeffery and Marquess Wilson have had trouble staying on the field, and first round pick Kevin White had surgery on a stress fracture and will miss at least the first six games. This may mean trouble for Jay Cutler, who is who he is at this point: a guy with a heck of an arm, but a coach killer (this is his third head coach and fifth offensive coordinator since coming to Chicago), and isn't going anywhere any time soon. Consider it a rebuilding year for the Bears.
2015 Prediction: 5-11

I'll be back tomorrow with a look at the AFC North.

NFC North Preview

This is one that I and probably most of the readership was looking forward to. Seeing as I work in Chicago and live in the western suburbs, a lot of my readers are probably here, though I know this blog randomly gets reads from around the world (a lot from Russia for some reason). Today, we look to see if the oldest and greatest NFL rivalry is tilted the other way.

In the meantime, I'm still taking entries for the COAS Pigskin Pick 'Em contest. I'll have another Bears fan picking games here on COAS with me to provide some semblance of balance, but you can compete against us at the link above. It's free to sign up and join, and you can prove me wrong dozens of times over!

With that out of the way, here's how I see the NFC North unfolding.

Common opponents on schedule: NFC South, AFC East

1. Green Bay Packers
2013: 8-7-1 (1st), lost in NFC Wild Card Round
For years, the Packers have had to deal with a ton of major guys missing time due to injury... and yet they've continued to find ways to make the playoffs. Last year the bigger deal was a horrible defense. BJ Raji is already out for the year with a torn bicep, so they'll need their youth to step up. Tramon Williams and Sam Shields need to have bounceback years at corner, but the big hole last year was at safety. Moving Micah Hyde helps, and I was excited to see Ted Thompson draft Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to help out. On offense, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are a good 1-2 punch, with a lot of youth behind them. Rookie of the year Eddie Lacy is back, as is James Starks. Oh, and that Aaron Rodgers guy. He's pretty good, I guess. As long as he's healthy, the Packers will be fine.
2014 Prediction: 11-5

2. Chicago Bears
2013: 8-8 (2nd), missed playoffs
When I was growing up, the Bears were about good, if not great, defense and horrible offense. That script has flipped. The Bears have arguably the best 1-2 receiver punch in the league in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. They have a very good tight end in Martellus Bennett. Matt Forte is one of the best complete backs in the league. The question mark is Jay Cutler. People are talking about him as an MVP candidate, but he needs to be smarter with the ball. The big question mark here though is defense. Julius Peppers defected to Green Bay, but the Bears replaced him with Jared Allen. He lines up opposite Lamarr Houston, so there's a retooled D-line. If Tim Jennings and Peanut Tillman do Tim Jennings and Peanut Tillman things again this year, the Bears could steal the division.
2014 Prediction: 10-6, Wild Card

3. Detroit Lions
2013: 7-9 (3rd), missed playoffs
Reggie Bush was a godsend for this offense last year. He topped 1000 yards and helped balance things out so Matthew Stafford could keep throwing bombs to Megatron. Golden Tate is a good counterpart to him, and there's a lot of talent at tight end. They'll light up some scoreboards. Unfortunately for them, their opponents will probably also light up some scoreboards. I really don't think the secondary improved, and up front, Nick Fairley showed up to training camp overweight. They'll need to win a lot of 35-31 type games to have a shot at the postseason.
2014 Prediction: 7-9

4. Minnesota Vikings
2013: 5-10-1 (4th), missed playoffs
Minnesota is trying its hand at another first round quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, but he won't see the field right away. Instead Matt Cassel gets to show what he can do. I'm not totally sold on him though through no fault of his own; his weapons are the same as last year. Making Norv Turner the offensive coordinator should help though, as it unleashes Adrian Peterson in the passing game. Could be deadly. Some of the defensive line depth is gone now (there's no "Williams" at tackle anymore), and I'm not impressed with the secondary. Captain Munnerlyn is a decent addition, but wasn't a world beater with Carolina. The Vikes need more weapons and defensive help before they can compete with the aerial assaults this division can launch.
2014 Prediction: 6-10

Two wild cards are in, two more remain. Tomorrow I'll head out west for the second-to-last preview before the season starts. That's on Thursday! We're almost there!

NFC North Preview

Hope your long weekend was enjoyable! For me, it was good to get a few days away from the chaos that is Southern California traffic. But I'm back at it today, as well as getting back into the NFL previewing game. Today I'm in my element as we look at the NFC North.

This division, along with the NFC West, might be the strongest divisions in the league from top to bottom. I don't think the North is as top heavy, but the floor is much higher.

Common opponents on schedule: NFC East, AFC North

1. Green Bay Packers
Last year: 11-5 (1st), Lost in NFC Divisional Round
There's a pretty common truth in the NFL that if you have an elite quarterback, your team is going to be in a great position to make the playoffs. When you have the best quarterback in the league, I'd argue this is all but a certainty. So it is with Green Bay; as long as Rodgers stays healthy, the Packers are going to be all right. They lost two of their long time receivers in Donald Driver (retirement) and Greg Jennings (free agency), but still have some really good targets, and Ted Thompson added a ground game with Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin via the draft. Releasing Charles Woodson was tough, but Casey Heyward might be the successor to that nickel role. Really, as long as Dom Capers has learned how to defend against the read-option, this team is a strong contender for the Super Bowl.
2013 Prediction: 12-4

2. Minnesota Vikings
Last year: 10-6 (2nd), lost in NFC Wild Card
I named one Viking the 2012 Most Valuable Player, when really, another was the main reason for whether or not these guys won or lost. We learned last year that Adrian Peterson is a freak, but I don't think a freak to the extent of 2500 yards in a season. Ultimately it all depends on how well Christian Ponder has developed in his first couple years. He has some decent weapons now in rookie Cordarrelle Patterson and signee Greg Jennings (who I've lost some respect for for not shutting his mouth) to help keep defenses honest. On the other side of the ball, the big question is whether or not their secondary can stop anyone. Jared Allen will do his damage, but if he can't get to the quarterback, can the back seven contain the quarterbacks this division boasts?
2013 Prediction: 9-7

3. Chicago Bears
Last year: 10-6 (3rd), missed playoffs
A lot of people were surprised that the Bears fired longtime coach Lovie Smith after a really good regular season that just wasn't quite good enough, but maybe a change was due. Their defensive scheme will stay the same, but the retirement of Brian Urlacher leaves a big gap in the middle of their defense as well as in the locker room. This defense will still do its thing, especially the Master of the Ball Punch. What will make this team succeed or fail in 2013 though is how well Marc Trestman adjusts the offense. I've taken great joy in the last four or five years laughing as Jay Cutler throws passes straight to Green Bay defenders or DeAngelo Hall while trying to avoid getting sacked for the umpteenth time. The offensive line should be better this year, but can they help clear lanes for Matt Forte? And can Cutler utilize a passing game that doesn't revolve around, "Eff it, I'm throwing to a triple covered Brandon Marshall!"? They'll be a decent team, but I don't think the playoffs are in the cards this time.
2013 Prediction: 8-8

4. Detroit Lions
Last year: 4-12 (4th), missed playoffs
This was a team that had horrible luck in close games last year, so regression to the mean is due. Matthew Stafford now has a decent running back in Reggie Bush to help out the running game, which should help take a little pressure off his connection with Megatron. He also still has some other decent targets even with Titus Young being released. They'll score plenty of points; the question is whether or not they can keep other teams off the board. They lost defensive ends Cliff Avril and Kyle Vanden Bosch in the offseason, and while there are decent pieces in place, I'm not sure how well they'll be able to help that interior combination of Suh and Fairley. The other issue remains that secondary. In this division, if you can't stop opponents' passing games, you will have problems.
2013 Prediction: 7-9

Seven down, one more to go. I'll be back tomorrow morning with a look at the AFC North, including the defending Super Bowl champs.

NFC North Preview

For the NFC East preview, click here.
For the AFC East preview, click here.
For the NFC South preview, click here.
For the AFC South preview, click here.
For the NFC West preview, click here.
For the AFC West preview, click here.

It took several days but I'm finally to the one I care most about and probably the one most of my readership cares about in the NFC North. Home to my team, the local team, the team much of my extended family roots for, and Detroit. I've been looking forward to this one since I started writing these, so much so that I've all but decided what I'm going to write for most of these teams. And thrown in a few fun references and jokes for good measure.

NFC North
Common opponents on schedule: NFC West, AFC South

1. Green Bay Packers
2011 Record: 15-1, lost in NFC Divisional round

Last year's Super Bowl defense was cut prematurely short by greatest fall of a defense maybe ever in NFL history. Ted Thompson promptly took care of the major issues via the draft as he often has, so while the defense probably won't necessarily be great aside from Thor, Charles Woodson, and hopefully a healthy Tramon Williams, they can't be nearly as bad as they were last year. Either way, scoring points shouldn't be an issue again barring injury. I liked the late addition of Cedric Benson to add balance to an attack that already has the best player alive right now. Rodgers has a little bit of a Jordan gene to him in that he will take advantage of any slight, even if perceived. We'll see how he responds to last year's early exit.

2. Chicago Bears*
2011 Record: 8-8, missed playoffs

This team probably scares me the most among pretty much any of the other NFC contenders, especially given how close the Bears always seem to play the Packers. Jay Cutler finally has some weapons to throw to in being reunited with Brandon Marshall and the Bears drafting Alshon Jeffrey, while getting rid of the unintentional comedy Mike Martz brought to the team (WARNING: link contains strong language, though I think you all probably know what this is). Meanwhile that defense is still scary, with or without Urlacher, though their biggest question mark will be if the safeties can keep receivers in front of them. They're getting back to the playoffs this year though, I have no doubt.

3. Detroit Lions
2011 Record: 10-6, lost in NFC Wild Card round

Amazingly last year, Matthew Stafford was finally able to stay healthy and that helped this team reach the playoffs for the first time in a long time. It also helps that Stafford has a guy like Megatron who can catch anything regardless of whether you have him single covered, in a zone, triple covered, or with Optimus Prime guarding him. Defensively is where this team gets some question marks. They were fairly easy to pass against last year, as evidenced by Matt Flynn going insane in Week 17 against these guys, and there's always the concern like with Oakland about taking dumb penalties. I'm looking at you, Suh, you scumbag.

4. Minnesota Vikings
2011 Record: 3-13, missed playoffs

Year 2 of the Christian Ponder experience should bring a little improvement over his rookie year, and it's always a plus not to be learning from a guy who seemed to spike every pass 5 yards in front of his intended receiver. The big question will be the impact on the running game with Adrian Peterson coming off that torn ACL. On defense, they were porous last year, though if nothing else the presence of Mike Singletary had some sort of impact. This team is a far cry from what it was just a few years ago when they were one totally expected Brett Favre pick away from a possible Super Bowl berth.

We're down to one last division in the AFC North, which will come up tomorrow. But with all 4 divisions set, here's how the general NFC playoff picture looks according to me:

1. Green Bay
2. NY Giants
3. San Francisco
4. Atlanta
5. Chicago
6. New Orleans