The Scout sports staff picks the best teams in the NFL this year.
AFC East Winner: New England Patriots
This season will probably be the toughest test for New England since quarterback Tom Brady missed the entire 2008 season with an ACL tear. Usually, New England’s divisional foes are weak. That changes a bit this year. New York has some serious offensive firepower, while Buffalo boasts a threatening defense and some consistency in the offensive backfield.
Despite the better competition, no one has a better team or coach in the NFL than the Patriots. It seems inevitable that Brady will lose one or fewer games when he comes back from suspension, and Bill Belichick will continue to be the best coach in the game. It will be a tall task for any team to conquer New England when they’re at full strength
AFC North Winner: Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have a solid squad. Though they lost one of the best defensive minds in former defensive coordinator Hue Jackson, they still have the same personnel. Safety Reggie Nelson, linebacker Vontaze Burfict and corner Adam Jones anchor a potent defensive unit that may be the best in the division.
Remember, this team was dangerously close to making it to the divisional round last year. Cincinnati has nearly the same roster, which bodes well for team chemistry, too. As long as quarterback Andy Dalton, wide receiver A.J. Green and running back Jeremy Hill stay healthy, the Bengals should find themselves back in the playoffs.
AFC South Winner: Jacksonville Jaguars
This season is what the Jacksonville front office has been waiting on for so long. Head coach Gus Bradley has a track record for building great defenses, and he finally has a team in Jacksonville filled with tremendous talent. Cornerback Jalen Ramsey, linebacker Myles Jack and defensive end Dante Fowler are all young and versatile players who will anchor their defense and wreak havoc.
This division crown is completely dependent on the performance of quarterback Blake Bortles. He showed last year he could score and lead the offense. With elevated expectations this year, can he do the same? I think he can. It’ll be a close race between Jacksonville and Indy, but the Jags will claim their first division crown since 1999.
AFC West Winner: Denver Broncos
I have some reservations with this, but it is really tough to pick against undoubtedly the best defense in the league. The Broncos know what it takes to win when they really need to (see: NFL Super Bowl Champions 2016) and no one is going to be able to run the ball against them.
The team’s offense is obviously worrisome as second year Northwestern grad Trevor Siemian is taking over at quarterback, but can their offense really be any worse than last year? Denver has a solid offensive line and quality playmakers everywhere. They showed that teams don’t necessarily need a high-quality quarterback to win a Super Bowl, much less win a division.
Wild Card Winners: Kansas City Chiefs and Indianapolis Colts
Kansas City is too good to not make the playoffs this year. Andy Reid has routinely put Kansas City in the playoff hunt, and Alex Smith continues to show poise and confidence at quarterback. The Chiefs can be even better if they get great production out of running back Jamal Charles, who is coming off of his second ACL surgery. They will fight for a division crown, but they will certainly claim the fifth playoff spot.
There is no reason the Colts should not make the playoffs, either. Andrew Luck is a phenomenal player and has taken the Colts to the playoffs every year he’s been healthy. Indianapolis’s offense has weapons everywhere and they should be one of the best offenses in football. He’ll get beat up, and the defense will lose a few too many games for Indy, but Luck and head coach Chuck Pagano will get them into the postseason.
