Excitement is mounting among football fans as we hurtle towards the start of a new NFL season.
Ten teams will have new head coaches in place, including Todd Bowlers at the Buccaneers and 36-year-old Kevin O’Connell at the Vikings. Meanwhile, big names such as Russell Wilson, Von Miller and Amari Cooper will seek to bring glory to their new franchises.
It promises to be another fascinating season, especially if some of these NFL predictions come true.
Top 7 NFL Predictions on How it Will Pan Out
The Bills Win the Super Bowl
Buffalo has gambled on securing immediate success by handing 33-year-old linebacker Von Miller a six-year, $120 million contract. He was integral to the Rams’ Super Bowl success last year, and he will bring that same drive and winning mentality to Western New York.
QB Josh Allen is an elite talent, and he now has an embarrassment of attacking riches at his disposal, including Stefon Diggs, Gabriel Davis, Jamison Crowder, Isaiah McKenize and Jake Kumerow. They added Roger Saffold, Tim Settle, and DaQuan Jones, and drafted Kaiir Elam, so it is easy to see why the Bills are the Super Bowl favorites.
They face a baptism of fire in the NFL Kickoff Game against the Rams – check out the best NFL bets for Week 1 at Vegas Winners for expert picks on that eagerly anticipated showdown – but they are favored in 15 of their 17 regular season games. They will storm to victory in the AFC, beating the Chiefs or the Bengals in the Championship Game, before clinching a narrow win against either the Bucs or the Packers at Super Bowl 57.
The Bucs Take on the Packers in the NFC Championship Game
We will witness an epic battle between two veteran quarterbacks in the NFC Championship Game. Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers will drive their teams to victory in the divisional round and the conference semifinals, and then they will engage in an exhilarating shootout for a place in the Super Bowl.
The odds on the Bucs seizing glory plummeted after Brady reversed his retirement decision. He says he has unfinished business, and he should lead Tampa Bay to at least 13 wins in the NFC South. The Bucs kept all the right pieces in place should Brady decide against retiring, and they now look primed for another very strong season.
The Packers will also win 13-plus games to finish top of the NFC North, putting the superstar QBs on a postseason collision course. Their clash could go either way, but Green Bay may have a slight edge, so odds of +4500 on the Bills to beat the Packers at Super Bowl 57 look appealing.
Aaron Rodgers Wins Another MVP Award
There are plenty of formidable contenders for the NFL MVP title. Allen is the favorite, ahead of Brady and Patrick Mahomes, but Rodgers will outshine them all once again to win the award for the third straight season.
You could argue that he will struggle after bidding farewell to Davante Adams, but that will simply bolster the MVP narrative. He does not have the sort of elite weapons that Brady and Allen can rely on, but he will still lead them to the best record in the conference.
Only one player – Brett Favre – has ever won the NFL MVP award three times in a row, but his successor will equal that feat.
The Eagles win the NFC East
The Cowboys are the clear favorites to win the NFC East once more. However, they lost Amari Cooper, fumbled the Randy Gregory situation and failed to make any noteworthy additions in the offseason. There are also concerns over Dak Prescott’s health.
The Eagles have a more complete roster. They clinched the seventh seed with a 9-8 record last year, and the addition of WR A.J. Brown should improve their fortunes this time around. There are undoubtedly question marks over Jalen Hurts’ ability to mature into an elite QB, but a talented coaching staff will inspire him to his best season so far. The Eagles will finish ahead of the Cowboys and then face them in the wild card round.
Nick Bosa is Named Defensive Player of the Year
Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett and T.J. Watt are the joint favorites for the Defensive Player of the Year award. That is understandable, as they are all magnificent talents, but Bosa is criminally underrated.
He will finish with a similar number of sacks as Garrett and Donald this season, having racked up 15.5 last year, followed by four more in the postseason. He will be even more potent this time around. The 49ers have a brutal schedule, but Bosa will power them into the playoffs with his general brilliance, while brother Joey will also have a dominant season with the Chargers.
Justin Jefferson Leads the League for Receiving Yards
O’Connell, the new head coach at the Minnesota Vikings, will inspire Kirk Cousins to the best year of his career. Jefferson will be the main beneficiary. He will finish ahead of Ja’Marr Chase and Cooper Cupp as the league receiving yardage leader, with close to 2,000 yards.
Jerfferson averaged 1,508 yards in his first two seasons, despite being shackled within Mike Zimmers run-heavy offense. He will be unleashed under O’Connell, enjoying a significantly more fruitful season, with at least 14 touchdowns.
Najee Harris Leads in League in Rushing
Najee Harris finished his rookie season with 1,200 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. That saw him finish fourth in rushing yards, while he also led the league for receptions from a running back.
Big Ben has now retired, and he will become even more integral to the Pittsburgh offense. Harris will rush for more than 1,600 yards this season, leaving him ahead of the great Derrick Henry as the league leader for rushing yards.
Jonathan Taylor is the sportsbooks’ favorite for the most rushing yards, ahead of Henry, Dalvin Cook and Nick Chubb. That makes Harris a relative outsider, but he will make a mockery of those futures lines and finish top of the chart.
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