NFL Preview: Awards, Hype, Prediction Edition

With the NFL Season getting ready to start it’s only right that we answer a few questions in regards to awards, Division winners, Superbowl predictions etc…. Please be sure to sound off and voice your opinions and enlighten us on your predictions.

Division Winners

Who wins the each NFC Division (include record):

Deshawn Hornback {@DeeSportsTalk}:

Packers (11-5)

Cowboys (10-6)

Panthers (8-8) Do not hold me to this

Seahawks (13-3)

R’Mon Allen {@RmonAllen}:

Packers 9-7

Eagles 10-6

Falcons 7-9

Seahawks 12-4

Ryan Fort {@RyanDFort}:

Packers (10-6)

Cowboys (13-3)

Saints (11-5)

Seahawks (12-4)

Hashim Ashimi {no Twitter}:

Packers (10-6)

Cowboys (12-4)

Saints (9-7)

Seahawks (12-4)

Tyler Carter {@AyeMrCarter24}:

Packers (12-4)

Cowboys (11-5)

Panthers (8-8)

Seahawks (13-3)

Jonathan Ayala {@JonathanAyalaa_}:

Packers (12-4)

Cowboys (12-4)

Panthers (9-7)

Seahawks (11-5)

Jabbari Booth {@jabbari_b}:

Packers (9-7)

Cowboys (10-6)

Panthers (8-8)

Cardinals (12-4)

Who wins each AFC Division (include record):

Hornback:

Bengals (11-5)

Patriots (11-5)

Colts (13-3)

Broncos (12-4)

Allen:

Steelers (11-5)

Patriots (12-4)

Colts (13-3)

Broncos (11-5)

Fort:

Steelers (10-6)

Patriots (11-5)

Colts (13-3)

Chiefs (12-4)

Ashimi:

Steelers (11-5)

Patriots (12-4)

Colts (12-4)

Chiefs (12-4)

Carter:

Ravens (10-6)

Patriots (12-4)

Colts (13-3)

Broncos (11-5)

Ayala:

Steelers (10-6)

Patriots (11-5)

Colts (10-6)

Chiefs (10-6)

Booth:

Steelers (11-5)

Patriots (11-5)

Colts (10-6)

Broncos (10-6)

Playoff Teams Prediction (Include Seeding)

Which NFC teams will be Playoff bound:

Hornback:

1. Seahawks
2. Packers
3. Cowboys
4. Panthers
5. Cardinals
6. Rams

Allen:

1. Seahawks
2. Eagles
3. Packers
4. Falcons
5. Cardinals
6. Cowboys

Fort:

1. Cowboys
2. Seahawks
3. Saints
4. Packers
5. Cardinals
6. Giants

Ashimi:

1. Seahawks
2. Cowboys
3. Packers
4. Saints
5. Cardinals
6. Panthers

Carter:

1. Seahawks
2. Packers
3. Cowboys
4. Panthers
5. Eagles
6. Rams

Ayala:

1. Packers
2. Cowboys
3. Seahawks
4. Panthers
5. Eagles
6. Lions or Vikings

Booth:

1. Cardinals
2. Cowboys
3. Packers
4. Panthers
5. Seahawks
6. Eagles/Rams

Which AFC teams will be Playoff bound:

Hornback:

1. Colts
2. Broncos
3. Patriots
4. Bengals
5. Ravens
6. Chargers

Allen:

1. Colts
2. Patriots
3. Broncos
4. Steelers
5. Ravens
6. Bills

Fort:

1. Colts
2. Chiefs
3. Patriots
4. Steelers
5. Broncos
6. Dolphins

Ashimi:

1. Colts
2. Chiefs
3. Patriots
4. Steelers
5. Broncos
6. Ravens

Carter:

1. Colts
2. Patriots
3. Broncos
4. Ravens
5. Bills
6. Dolphins

Ayala:

1. Patriots
2. Steelers
3. Chiefs
4. Colts
5. Broncos
6. Chargers

Booth:

1. Patriots
2. Steelers
3. Colts
4. Broncos
5. Ravens
6. Bengals

Statistical Predictions:

Who will lead the league in Takeaways:

(Majority)

Hornback: Philadelphia Eagles

Allen: Seattle Seahawks

Fort: New York Jets

Ashimi: Miami Dolphins

Carter: Seattle Seahawks

Ayala: Seattle Seahawks

Booth: Miami Dolphins

Which teams will be Top 5 Defensively:

Hornback:

1. Jets
2. Seahawks
3. Bills
4. Texans
5. Dolphins

Allen:

1. Seahawks (with Kam)
2. Bills
3. Jets
4. Ravens
5. Dolphins

Fort:

1. Jets
2. Bills
3. Texans
4. Seahawks
5. Dolphins

Ashimi:

1. Jets
2. Dolphins
3. Bills
4. Texans
5. Seahawks

Carter:

1. Bills
2. Seahawks
3. Texans
4. Cardinals
5. Rams

Ayala:

1. Seahawks
2. Jets
3. Bills
4. Browns
5. Cardinals

Booth:

1. Dolphins
2. Texans
3. Jets
4. Bills
5. Seahawks

The Top 5 Scoring Teams will be:

Hornback:

1. Colts
2. Broncos
3. Packers
4. Falcons
5. Cowboys

Allen:

1. Colts
2. Steelers
3. Patriots
4. Eagles
5. Broncos

Fort:

1. Eagles
2. Packers
3. Cowboys
4. Broncos
5. Colts

Ashimi:

1. Colts
2. Chiefs
3. Cowboys
4. Steelers
5. Eagles

Carter:

1. Colts
2. Steelers
3. Packers
4. Cowboys
5. Broncos

Ayala:

1. Steelers
2. Colts
3. Patriots
4. Cowboys
5. Saints

Booth:

1. Steelers
2. Cowboys
3. Colts
4. Eagles
5. Saints

The League leader in Passing Yards will be:

(Majority)

Hornback: Matt Ryan

Allen: Andrew Luck

Fort: Matthew Stafford

Ashimi: Drew Brees

Carter: Andrew Luck

Ayala: Andrew Luck

Booth: Ben Roethlisberger

The League leader in Passing TDs will be:

(Majority): Same As Above

Hornback: Andrew Luck

Allen: Andrew Luck

Fort: Andrew Luck

Ashimi: Andrew Luck

Carter: Aaron Rodgers

Ayala: Andrew Luck

Booth: Tony Romo

Who will be the leading Rusher:

Hornback: Adrian Peterson

Allen: Adrian Peterson

Fort: Jamaal Charles or LeSean McCoy

Ashimi: Le’Veon Bell

Carter: Le’Veon Bell

Ayala: Adrian Peterson

Booth: Demarco Murray

The League leader in Rushing TDs will be:

Hornback: Eddie Lacy

Allen: Jamaal Charles

Fort: Jamaal Charles

Ashimi: Marshawn Lynch

Carter: Marshawn Lynch

Ayala: Adrian Peterson

Booth: Le’Veon Bell

The League leader in Receiving Yards will be:

(Majority)

Hornback: Antonio Brown

Allen: Calvin Johnson

Fort: Antonio Brown

Ashimi: Julio Jones

Carter: Odell Beckham Jr.

Ayala: Antonio Brown

Booth: Antonio Brown

The League leader in TD Receptions will be:

(Majority)

Hornback: Odell Beckham

Allen: Dez Bryant

Fort: Dez Bryant

Ashimi: Odell Beckham Jr.

Carter: Dez Bryant

Ayala: Dez Bryant

Booth: Dez Bryant

Award Winners:

Coach of The Year Will Be:

(Majority)

Hornback: Chuck Pagano

Allen: Chuck Pagano

Fort: Jason Garrett

Ashimi: Chuck Pagano

Carter: Pete Carroll

Ayala: Rex Ryan

Booth: Joe Philbin

The Best Offensive Rookie:

(Majority)

Hornback: Ameer Abdullah

Allen: Amari Cooper

Fort: Jameis Winston

Ashimi: Nelson Agholor

Carter: Marcus Mariota

Ayala: Amari Cooper

Booth: Melvin Gordon

The Best Defensive Rookie:

Hornback: Leonard Williams

Allen: Shane Ray

Fort: Dante Fowler Jr. *****

Ashimi: Vic Beasley

Carter: Vic Beasley

Ayala: Leonard Williams

Booth: Randy Gregory

Comeback Player of The Year:

Hornback: Adrian Peterson

Allen: Kiko Alonso

Fort: Carson Palmer

Ashimi: Adrian Peterson

Carter: Adrian Peterson 

Ayala: Adrian Peterson

Booth: Greg Hardy

Offensive Player of The Year:

(Majority)

Hornback: Adrian Peterson

Allen: Andrew Luck

Fort: Aaron Rodgers

Ashimi: Andrew Luck

Carter: Andrew Luck

Ayala: Adrian Peterson

Booth: Jamaal Charles

Defensive Player of The Year:

(Majority)

Hornback: Luke Kuechly

Allen: J.J. Watt

Fort: Ndamukong Suh

Ashimi: J.J. Watt

Carter: J.J. Watt

Ayala: J.J. Watt

Booth: J.J. Watt

Who will be MVP:

Hornback: Andrew Luck

Allen: Andrew Luck

Fort: Tony Romo trolls

Ashimi: Andrew Luck

Carter: Andrew Luck (maybe Romo)

Ayala: Andrew Luck

Booth: Tony Romo

Preseason Superbowl Picks:

Hornback: Colts vs Cowboys

Allen: Steelers vs Seahawks

Fort: Chiefs vs Cowboys

Ashimi: Colts vs Seahawks

Carter: Colts vs Seahawks

Ayala: Colts vs Seahawks

Booth: Patriots vs Cowboys

Conclusion:

Please be sure to follow us on Twitter:

@Fortonsportsinc

Ryan Fort: @RyanDFort

Deshawn Hornback: @DeeSportsTalk

R’Mon Allen: @RmonAllen

Tyler Carter: @AyeMrCarter24

Hashim Ashimi: N/A

Jonathan Ayala: @JonathanAyalaa_

Jabbari Booth: @jabbari_b

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Please leave comments below…. The writers will be responding!

AFC East Preview

 4.   New York Jets

I actually believe this team is moving in the right direction. They got Revis and Cromartie back which was huge for their team because of their veteran leadership, and neither one seems to be anywhere near of being out their prime. I believe in Rex Ryan, but I also believe in the need for a new voice in a locker room. Todd Bowles could be that guy. Problem is that I really really really don’t believe in any QB in the Jets locker room. Hell I don’t believe in anyone on that offense now that I think of it. They did very well this season with the draft and offseason additions, but as far as this season goes; I don’t believe in this team this year. Their schedule is nothing incredibly hard or anything, but this team is just not one to be scared of. Do I believe in the future of the Jets? Yes. Do I believe in them this year to win 5 games? No. I have the Jets going 4-12 being in last place of the AFC division.

3. Buffalo Bills

Like I said in the last one, I believe in Rex Ryan. Even though I don’t find this to be the most ideal spot for him to go, nonetheless, I see the Bills at least staying in the same place if  not better next year. Their defense was stout last year which should continue with Rex; only issue is they lost Kyle Orton who became their savior on offense. This draft was decent for them, but of course the big splash was the trade for McCoy. The Bills already had a strong split back system and now it just got better with the accommodation of LeSean McCoy. McCoy, even with Fred, there is going to have to take a heavy load of the offense for the Bills and that worries me because he’s never been the most durable guy. McCoy has already had some issues with the Bills. I have the Bills going 7-9 placing 3rd in the division.

2. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins are the most intriguing team in this division. I was close to saying they would win the division, but I’ll get into that further down. The Dolphins made the biggest splash this offseason landing Suh. Suh brings an entirely different element to this defense. Tannehill got a new contract which many are sceptical about and have the right to be. I’m huge on guys earning their pay before they get it, but everyone seems to be throwing that idea out of the window, however I do believe Tannehill will earn his pay. During the draft the Dolphins were able to draft their needs and did not really reach on anyone until the 5th round. The Dolphins are the underdog team this year. They’re so strong in so many areas. Only thing I’m really worried about is the head coach situation; who will be on the hot seat if this team doesn’t meet the expectations of the locals. I have the Dolphins going 10-6, second in the division and taking one of the wildcard spots.

1. New England Patriots

I can’t take this division away from the Patriots regardless of the many losses this offseason. They lost their elite secondary with Brandon Browner going to the Saints and Darrelle Revis going back to the Jets. Their draft was okay, but I did not feel like they addressed their needs. However, tt is hard to argue with the results that have been produced from this organization. I will continue to give out what is owed to the Patriots, which is respect to arguably the greatest QB ever and greatest coach ever. This pick is solely based off of the fact nobody has been able to take the division from them in a long time. The first 4 games will hurt without Brady but somehow they went an entire season without him before and went 11-5. The schedule is nothing too rough so I see the Patriots once again winning the division, but not getting a first round bye this year.

And Coach of the Year goes to…?

If you’re an Eagles fan like me, I am sure these offseason transactions have you worried. Chip Kelly seems to believe these transactions will improve the Philadelphia Eagles’ roster. The big question is how?

In the last two months Chip Kelly has made some questionable offseason moves. However he continues to assure the city of Philadelphia and other Eagles fans that the transactions will improve the Eagles roster in the end.

Only time will tell if the Eagles will improve by the time the 2015-2016 NFL Season starts, however at this point many Eagles fans are seriously concerned about the success of next season.

I won’t discuss all the offseason transactions, but I’ll discuss the most important ones.

Lesean “Shady” McCoy, is a top three running back and one of the best Philadelphia has ever seen. Many defensive backs describe him as one of the hardest backs to bring down. Sure last season was not his best, however he led the NFL in rushing yards two seasons ago with 1,607 beating the previous franchise record set 34 years ago.

He is an aggressive, consistent running back and has broken the 1,000 yard rushing mark four times in his six year career so far. Instead of keeping him Chip traded him away to the Bills for a linebacker who’s been injured for the past couple of years.

A few weeks later Chip Kelly made a deal to get Demarco Murray who led the NFL in rushing yards last season with 1,845 yards.

On the surface this might seem like a good acquirement, but you have to realize that when Murray lead the NFL in rushing yards he had almost 400 rushing attempts and averaged 4.7 yards per attempt. Not to mention the fact that he ran behind what was arguably the best offensive line in the NFL last year.

Two season ago when McCoy lead the NFL in rushing yards he had a little over 300 rushing attempts and averaged 5.1 yards per attempt. Add that to his consistent 1,000 rushing yard season and his value increases past Murray. Don’t get me wrong Murray is not a big down grade, but the fact is the Eagles paid too much to acquire him.

Over paying for players seemed to be a trend for the Eagles this year actually. The Eagles signed Byron Maxwell, an excellent cornerback, for a six year $63 million deal, with a guaranteed $25 million. Byron Maxwell is a great defender however is he worth $63 million without the remaining Legion of Boom? Will he be the same Byron Maxwell we saw in his previous Seahawk years?

The Eagles also had another head scratcher when they signed Ryan Mathews for a three year $12 million dollar deal. That might not be a lot of money in many people’s eyes, but to me it’s too much, he hasn’t proved anything to me for the last two seasons; I’ve never really been a firm believer in Ryan Mathews.

Just when Eagles’ fans began to get over the loss of Desean Jackson the year before Chip Kelly goes and does this. Jeremy Maclin without a doubt was a monumental part of the Eagles offense last year, especially after the Foles injury. Letting Maclin go to the Chiefs was like giving away a third of your offense. Now Jordan Matthews, a second year receiver, is going to have to pick up some major slack. This lack of a move was bad but did not anger me as much as the next.

Really Chip, Samuel Bradford? Come on man, this trade had Eagles fans all over the U.S. pulling their hair out. The amount of frustration I have had during this offseason does not compare to frustration I have from this trade.

$78 million, really? $78 million dollars for a QB that has had several knee injuries and only played two full seasons since being drafted 1st pick overall in 2010. $78 million for a guy who missed all of last season due to an ACL injury. $78 million for a guy who hasn’t proven himself in the NFL and continues to show his true weakness when he faces a little pressure in the pocket. And worst of all, $78 million for Samuel Bradford.

Come on Chip. You’re starting to lose us.

NFC East Evaluation

With about a third of the season over with the sample size to evaluate teams is legit. It’s now time to a look at the NFC East to see how things are shaping up.

Cowboys:

After the last two losses to the Washington Redskins and Arizona Cardinals we saw that Romo is more valuable than we thought. Even with concerns on his back vs the Jaguars he looked like the old Romo throwing for over 250 yards and 3 TD’s. Dez Bryant was lost the last two games but regained his swagger in London with over 6 catches and over 150 yards and a TD. There’s no need to worry about the O-line either as Murray had his 9th 100 yard game this season and Randle had a huge 40 yard TD. The only concerning factor is the defense. I still don’t trust them. They need to get more pressure on the QB and they need to cover better. But it’s hard to argue the 7-3 record for “Dem Boys”. I’m still sticking with my prediction of a 11-5 record and a NFC East tittle. You have to applaud the job Jerry Jones has down with making this team able to compete.

Eagles:

The high flying Eagles are one of the most explosive offenses. With the departure of DeSean Jackson you would think that the offense would slow down, but it hasn’t. At first the Eagles were winning off of good defense and special teams while Lesean McCoy wasn’t shady and Nick Foles wasn’t producing like he was last year. But thank god for the pick up of Darren Sproles who’s putting up big numbers. Breaking the all time scrimmage yards record back in 2011 with the Saints he has exploded with the Eagles with rushing TD’s receiving TD’s and kick and punt returns. He’s the definition of an athlete. As the season concludes the Eagles Cowboys games will decide the winner of the NFC East even though I feel that both the Eagles and Cowboys will make the playoffs. Now that Foles is out indefinitely for the season the next man up, Mark Sanchez will lead the Eagles to the Playoffs

Giants:
There isn’t much to say about a 3-6 team but the Giants have a lot of young superstars in the making. Leading these stars are Odell Beckham Jr. The rookie star from LSU missed a couple games but has came back with 18 catches 262 yards and 3 TD. The season is pretty much over for the Giants but the future is bright. They drafted a good rookie running back in Andre Williams from Boston college and have drafted well in the secondary and linebacking core. If Jason Pierre-Paul can get back to his dominant early years I then believe the defense will become one of the leagues best defenses. But until then this team won’t go anywhere.

Redskins:
With the Redskins not much is positive. Even with the impressive victory in Dallas nothing much from this team has improved or changed this year. They have started three QB’s this season RG3, Colt McCoy and Kirk Cousins which has lead to a 3-5 record. The O-line hasn’t been able to protect the QB, the running lanes for Alfred Morris has been none existent and the defense hasn’t been able to stop anyone. The best thing they have is the new addition of DeSean Jackson who has over 40 catches 700 yards and 4 TD’s. With the return of RG3 we can finally see him in the new system by Jay Gruden. To improve the Redskins need to keep RG3 healthy. He seems to have lost his confidence after that amazing rookie campaign. If they can get him playing like the offensive rookie again you’ll see everyone around him play to their potential. One example would be Alfred Morris. When RG3 and Alfred Morris came in the league together they had combined for more than 2100 rushing yards as they lead there team to a NFC east tittle. If those two can click then the Redskins will be right back to that 2011 form.

The NFC East always comes down to the final week . Even though I feel like two teams will make it to the Playoffs I’m still sticking with my prediction that the Cowboys will win the NFC East and the Eagles will get in as a Wildcard.

NFC East Preview

This division is considered by many to be the most entertaining of any of the other divisions as all of the teams have a deep lore in the NFL and the competitiveness they play with every year.

Giants:

The Giants, I find are a bit hard to predict. While I am definitely not a fan of Eli it seems like every time they hit rock bottom they come back and beat the Patriots in ridiculous fashion. If I am to give my honest objective opinion here I don’t see how they can get out of being the worst team in this division.

They lost Hakeem Nicks and didn’t really find anyone suitable to replace what he was capable of bringing to the team (despite his horrific season last year.) They’ve lost Justin Tuck as well who was without a doubt their best defensive player. The Giants by the end should be about 4-12 but do not sleep on them or we will all have to see Eli hoist another one.

Cowboys:

Ahh this one is fun for me. I could go on for days and days about the Cowboys but we’re going to shorten this up a bit.

These guys have lost their best defensive player in Sean Lee for the year and have yet to replace him with a solid replacement. The highest hope in the LB core is Rolando McClain based off of potential shown in college. Even if he can be anything like he was in college the rest of the defense is so horrible I doubt he will be able to carry them to even being respectable. This offense can be though, has potential to be very scary. Dez is a monster, Romo is a stat stuffing monster of a QB and Demarco is a top 10 RB in this league. The main issues are how Jason Garrett doesn’t want to give Murray the ball and how Romo is one bad hit away from being done. I have no doubt in this offense becoming elite. But because of the worst defense I’ve seen in my lifetime and a lack of any true leaders on the roster or staff I can’t see this team finishing above 3rd in the division. I see them going 6-10 as they have one of the hardest schedules in the NFL.

The Cowboys mystique may bring them to 8-8 but I think that is even stretching it based on what we’ve seen from this team. ( Here goes another article pertaining to the Cowboys https://fortonsports.wordpress.com/2014/08/29/reason-to-believe/)

Eagles:

Nick Foles… That’s the question many have when they’re asked about the Eagles. Can he be what he was last year for this team? I’m not ruling it out but I do not have faith in Foles. Who I do have faith in though is Chip Kelly.

I thought he was going to be a great coach in the NFL and so far he has been. Chip will have this offense going without a doubt. Lesean McCoy is already a monster and with the addition of bringing in Darren Sproles and the return of Jeremy Maclin I don’t see how Foles can mess this up.

Now their defense is not horrible, definitely better than others in the division, but do I see them winning this division? Simply put no.

They have major issues scoring on the Cowboys which is beyond ridiculous but that fact remains I’m chalking that up as 2 losses if Romo is healthy. I do not see them beating the Cardinals Seahawks or Niners so that’s up to 5 losses right there. Then there are the games that will be up for grabs and they won’t win all of those. In the end I see them narrowly missing the playoffs finishing 7-9 and 2nd in the division.

Redskins:

RG3. That’s the question everyone has in regards to the Redskins. Can he be the RG3 we saw in college and his rookie year? I believe so.

Preseason has not treated him well for sure but I don’t like to put much stock in preseason. He has one of the best arms in the league and without a doubt when healthy he’s the fastest QB in the NFL. He told media that the team would go where he goes and he is 100% right about that. If he cannot be even 2/3 of what he was his rookie year then this team will go down very early in the season and never recover. But if he is that guy and I believe he will be then this is without a doubt the most complete team in the NFC East.

Alfred Morris walked in as a 1,000 yd rusher and never looked back. Garcon had the most receptions of any WR last year, DeSean Jackson is a major deep threat on the other side and is coming off of his best season of his career. They even found themselves a nice young TE last year in Jordan Reed. The offense is stacked and can be a great West Coast offensive team.

And then there’s the defense, which is more than likely the best in the division. They upgraded their D-line with ex-Cowboy Hatcher and at safety they found themselves a veteran in Ryan Clark. I see the makings of a good team here. They have the young talent and veterans who know how to win big.
I see the Washington Redskins winning the division in the last week and finishing 9-7, thus receiving a playoff birth….

NFC North Preview: (https://fortonsports.wordpress.com/2014/09/01/nfc-north-preview/)

NFC West Preview: (https://fortonsports.wordpress.com/2014/09/06/nfc-west-preview/)

NFC South Preview: (https://fortonsports.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/nfc-south-preview/)

De’Shawn Hornback