We are less than a month away from the start of a new season of football. Fans begin to predict schedules, create fantasy football leagues, read reports from training camps and order tickets to big games throughout the season. Football season is one of the most anticipated moments every year.
With a new season upon us, let’s preview the 2018 NFL season beginning with some of the big stories starting with the NFL Draft.
Teams like the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Giants and Arizona Cardinals are focusing on building for their futures with potential stars like Baker Mayfield, Saquon Barkley, Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, all facing questions on whether or not they can prosper on the big stage.
2018 will also mark the year of returns. Quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Aaron Rodgers make their return after injuries sidelined them for sometime. Luck especially because he has been out for almost three years.
Also, New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. makes his anticipated return after an injury sidelined him for most of the season last year.
Each year, familiar faces go to new places with trades or free agency. Towards the end of last year, The San Francisco 49ers acquired quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots. Learning under the wing of Tom Brady, 49ers fans are ecstatic to hopefully have their future of the franchise.
Also, former Green Bay Packer receiver Jordy Nelson found a new home in Oakland with new head coach Jon Gruden, whom is making his return to Oakland and coaching for the first time in almost a decade. The move was made in order to bring in former Seattle Seahawk tight end Jimmy Graham to the Green Bay Packers. These players have new homes but there is one who as of this moment has not found a place to play.
Over the off season, the Dallas Cowboys released receiver star Dez Bryant. Bryant played his entire career in Dallas and over the past few months has yet to find offers to play.
Now that we know some of the big stories, let’s preview and predict who gets to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. This week we’ll look at all the teams in the Atlantic Football Conference (AFC), and the storylines surrounding their potential journey to the Lombardi trophy.
AFC (American Football Conference)
North:
Cleveland Browns (3-13)
The Cleveland Browns team are trying to get back in the win column after a winless 2017 season, but they do not have the strength to compete for the division crown.
However, getting wins is the mission. After rebuilding the offense and revamping the defense, the Browns have a strong chance to get wins and continue the rebuilding process.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-11)
The Cincinnati Bengals seem to also be in a rebuilding mood after the last few years of struggles and dysfunction. After resigning head coach Marvin Lewis, the rebuilding process is struggling to move forward.
The Bengals have made the postseason seven times in 15 years, with no playoff wins in those seven visits. Also, with an above .500 record, getting a new head coach would have been a big transition towards the future for Cinci. However, Cinci will have to manage with Lewis for the next two years and get as much as they can get from this season.
Baltimore Ravens (8-8)
The Baltimore Ravens have the best chances in the AFC North to dethrone the Steelers and are on a mission to get into the playoffs after last year’s heartbreak elimination in the last play of the year.
The biggest story dealing with the Ravens is the quarterback battle between veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Lamar Jackson. If the transition to Jackson comes, if Flacco struggles to begin the season, the Ravens would have to restart and have a long road to try to strive to the postseason.
Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3)
The Steelers are the outright favorite to win the AFC North for the third straight season. The Steelers biggest concern is putting the Le’Veon Bell contract situation either behind them or to rest. With new Offensive Coordinator Randy Fichtner, the offense seems to be just as explosive as they have been for the past few years.
Leaders Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown look to continue their explosiveness in yet another season of the Killer Bees. The defense continues to grow as well.
However, without leader Ryan Shazier it seems that it will be a challenge to find someone who will be dynamic like Shazier was on the field. The Steelers should be in control of their own fate of being contenders in the AFC. This in many ways feel like a must win season for the Steelers.
East:
Buffalo Bills (3-13)
One team that made the playoffs and will not this season will be the Buffalo Bills. After losing quarterback Tyrod Taylor, they will have to start new with quarterback A.J. McCarron, picked up from Cincinnati.
Buffalo will look to rebuild their offense and keep hope alive to build their future. However, in football, miracles fade and the steam for Buffalo’s will run out.
New York Jets (4-12)
This will be yet another season where the Jets continue to rebuild. Last year, the Jets picked up big victories against teams they should have lost to. However, losses to teams they should have beat left the Jets with no direction to gain success.
This season, the future seems to be set with quarterback Sam Darnold. Darnold has earned lots of praise coming out of Southern California. The biggest concern regarding Darnold is his lack of consistency in big games during his college career.
It leaves questions of how well Darnold will do in the NFL. The Jets will be competitive, but in a division dominated by the Patriots, it will be hard for growth.
Miami Dolphins (4-12)
The Dolphins have not really been in the news over the offseason. Which is not a bad thing. However, the return of quarterback Ryan Tannehill hopefully leads to some success in South Beach. Last year after a hectic start, the Dolphins were able manage a 6-10 record. However, the rebuild of the Dolphins is still a work in process.
New England Patriots (12-4)
This year is the first in a long time the Patriots do not have a clear path to runaway with the AFC due to trading away Brandin Cooks to the Rams and Julian Edelman’s four game suspension.
It might lead to a rocky start to the year for the Patriots. However, quarterback Tom Brady and the Pats always seem to show their power and domination of the AFC East and will most likely have a bye going into the playoffs.
South:
Tennessee Titans (5-11)
Another team to miss the playoffs that were there last year will be the Titans. Even though they raised a ton of eyebrows with their win over Kansas City in the playoffs, they showed they still do not have the power to hang with the elites of the AFC.
Quarterback Marcus Mariota continues to show growth though each year. Within the next few years, the Titans could be up there as top dogs of the South.
Indianapolis Colts (10-6)
The much anticipated return of Andrew Luck is here. Colts fans have been waiting anxiously for Andrew Luck to return to lead the Colts. However, the big concern regarding this is how Luck will look. He has not thrown a pass in almost 3 years.
Can he be the Luck that led the Colts to AFC Championship games or will there be rust that Luck cannot overcome? The Colts will barely make the playoffs with a week 17 win.
Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)
There are questions in Jacksonville going into 2018. Last year the Jags shocked the world making the AFC Championship and came close to making the Super Bowl. However in 2016, the Jags were 3-13.
Can the Jags stay consistent and progress towards a bright future? The Jags have the potential and will be a team that makes it back to the playoffs, just not as AFC South champions.
Houston Texans (12-4)
Last year seemed to be a year of rejuvenation with rookie quarterback DeShaun Watson. However, an injury in practice sidelined him for the rest of that season and collapsed the rest of the Texans season.
This year he is back under the helm with success on his mind. The defense has concerns with the healthiness of J.J. Watt in question.
However the schedule is in their favor and there seems to be a path towards a successful season. The Texans could be dueling the Patriots and Steelers for a bye heading towards the postseason.
West:
Denver Broncos (3-13)
Since the end of the Peyton Era in Denver, the Broncos have not been able to find success. Their defense is still one of the best in football. However, the Broncos have had trouble finding a quarterback to lead their offense.
Their signing of QB Case Keenum could be a positive for the Broncos. However, there are still concerns regarding the depth of the Broncos offense and how well will Case do with the new team.
Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
After a year that started hot, and ended poorly, the Chiefs look to rebound and reclaim yet another AFC West title. However, with second year quarterback Patrick Mahomes taking the helm as starting quarterback after the Chiefs shipped Alex Smith to Washington, it raises questions on how the new quarterback will do.
The Chiefs still have a dynamite secondary and a good front seven on defense. However the biggest questions lie on offense. Can Kareem Hunt duplicate his rookie season? Is Mahomes the future of the franchise? Is this the last chance for Andy Reid to have a successful season?
Oakland Raiders (9-7)
The Raiders are the biggest question mark of the AFC West. The Raiders last year went in as favorites to win the AFC West and contend with the Patriots in the AFC. However, that did not happen. It was a year of dysfunction and frustration, leading to the firing of Jack Del Rio and the hiring of former Raiders head coach Jon Gruden.
This will be the first season Gruden has coached a football team in almost a decade. Also, this is the last year the Oakland Raiders will be in Oakland as they move to Las Vegas next year. The biggest question is if they can leave Oakland with a bang and make the postseason.
Also, how will Jon Gruden lead the Raiders being that he has not coached in the NFL in almost a decade. This will be a year of progress, however the Raiders will nearly miss the playoffs as they move to Vegas.
Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
The Chargers are the team that is going to surprise people in the West. The depth on offense continues to grow with quarterback Philip Rivers at the helm. Also Melvin Gordon in the backfield who can easily be a difference maker in key games.
The defense led by Joey Bosa gives the edge to Chargers as one of the best defenses of the AFC West. The Chargers are the favorites in the AFC West and could make an underdog run in the postseason.
That’s it for the AFC. Check back next week when we look at the chances of the NFC’s 12 teams to ride the wave all the way to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta, and my prediction of who goes all the way.
David Jacobus
Reporter