It’s that time of year again as I have broken out my crystal ball like I do in late August every year to look in to the future and tell you how the 2019 NFL season will play out. I will share with you what I am seeing and what teams will be good and what teams will disappoint this upcoming 2019 season.
Oh yes, my crystal ball never lies…. never!
Being a Miami Dolphins fan and the owner of this website, I have some bad news for all of the Dolphins fans reading this right now. The 2019 season will not be a good one I am sad to say. I do like the direction the team is going in and trust Chris Grier to build this franchise from the ground up, but I think this team is in for a rough 2019. But brighter days are ahead Fin Fans, so don’t give up hope. We must take this bumpy ride through 2019 and my crystal ball is showing me better days are ahead for the Miami Dolphins.
Last year my predictions were, well not so good. The crystal ball was a little foggy and my 2018 predictions reflect that. This year though, oh this year, the crystal ball is coming in very clear. Very very clear. And here is how the 2019 season will play out. I see some new teams in the playoffs in 2019 and of course some familiar faces as well will win their divisions again and make deep playoff runs. I see 2019 being a bounce back year for some teams that slipped up and didn’t meet expectations in 2018. So without any further ado, here are my 2019 NFL predictions.
AFC East
1. New England: Still the Pats and the rest of the division is trash.
2. Buffalo: Getting better slowly over time. Still not there yet.
3. NY Jets: Adam Gase will struggle in his first year in NY.
4. Miami: With the 1st pick of the 2020 NFL Draft.
AFC North
1. Pittsburgh: Still have Big Ben and this is a quarterback’s league. No Bell, No Brown=NO PROBLEM. Less drama and more winning for Pittsburgh in 2019. Plus they own the Browns whenever they play them.
2. Cleveland (WILD CARD): Look, they are still the Browns. Mayfield was 2-5 on the road last year so pump the breaks on him. The one big thing in their favor is a favorable schedule. I think they get the last wild card spot. I also predict Olivier Vernon with double digit sacks playing opposite Myles Garrett.
3. Baltimore: This is a passing league and until Lamar Jackson can prove he can win games with his arm; I think this offense will struggle in spots.
4. Cincinnati: AJ Green is already hurt, Dalton is Dalton. Zach Taylor as a head coach? This is a last place team.
AFC South
1. Jacksonville: Rebound year for Jacksonville and the rest of the division is taking a step back. I think their defense could be elite and carry them in 2019.
2. Houston: If Watson stays healthy, they will fight for a wild card.
3. Tennessee: Tannehill and Wake won’t make this team better. The fact they are thinking about starting Tannehill or playing him at some point over Mariota is a very bad sign.
4. Indianapolis: This team was all about Andrew Luck. With Luck gone …well good luck in 2019 winning games!
AFC West
1. LA Chargers: Melvin Gordon or not, I think the Chargers are finally ready to make a jump to the next level. The loss of Derwin James for some time hurts but this team has a great pass rush.
2. Kansas City (WILD CARD): Mahomes has a bit of a slump and comes back to earth, and the defense has taken a hit losing a couple guys. KC is still a very good team and Andy Reid always finds the playoffs.
3. Denver: The best defense in the AFC maybe. Flacco if he stays healthy will have this team fighting for a wild card spot. If they were in any other division they would have a better record.
4. Oakland: I like the Raiders a bit here, but it’s a brutal division.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia: Eagles are loaded, and Wentz is healthy.
2. Dallas (WILD CARD): They need Elliott on the field, and they have a quarterback playing for a big pay day. Cowboys will be very good in 2019
3. NY Giants: I am not sure Daniel Jones is the real deal, but he is looking like it in the preseason. Giants have some sneaky good talent and they will surprise in 2019 and be competitive.
4. Washington: Tough division, uncertainty at quarterback. A bad combo.
NFC North
1. Minnesota: Everyone predicted big things from them last year, everyone was a year off. Cousins plays well in 2019 and the Vikings will win a lot of football games.
2. Chicago (WILD CARD): The Bears come back to earth a bit, but find a way to sneak into the playoffs as the 6 seed.
3. Green Bay: Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2016 and the streak will continue. I think they will be nip and tuck with Chicago for that final wild card spot.
4. Detroit: Name one thing the Lions do well, and you can hang your hat on? I will keep waiting.
NFC South
1. New Orleans: By far the class of this division, not even close.
2. Atlanta: I think they will finish above .500, and I think they make a push for a wild card..but come up short.
3. Carolina: I’m not a huge Newton fan. The team is good but I see them as a 3rd place team in this division.
4. Tampa Bay: They will be better than last year, but damn it’s a tough division.
NFC West
1. LA Rams: They will take a step back, but they are still very good. This is a team who I think will be focused only on the playoffs and may slip up a bit in the regular season.
2. Seattle: I just see an 8-8 or 9-7 team.
3. SF 49ers: Team moving in the right direction but still a little bit away
4. Arizona: They are brutal and Kyler Murray might have his eyes on baseball by Week 17.
AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: LA CHARGERS over JACKSONVILLE
NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: PHILADELPHIA over NEW ORLEANS
SUPER BOWL: PHILADELPHIA over LA CHARGERS
NFL MVP: Carson Wentz
SUPER BOWL MVP: Carson Wentz
COACH OF THE YEAR: Anthony Lynn
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: David MontgomeryÂ
COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Earl Thomas
