2016 NFL Season Predictions

The 2016 NFL season officially kicked off on Thursday night but the first full Sunday of football action is still a few days away. With that in mind, there’s still time for some predictions to be made for the upcoming season. Here’s one take on how the 2016 NFL season will play out, along with a specific record prediction for the Philadelphia Eagles. Eagles Record Prediction

The feeling here is the Eagles will finish with a 7-9 record, give or take a game. The truth is it’s hard to get a great feel for this team. The Eagles have a rookie head coach and a rookie quarterback. Growing pains are to be expected. At the same time, there could be reason for optimism. Carson Wentz was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft for a reason. The rookie is talented, and if he’s as good as the Eagles think he can be, he might be able to elevate an offense coming in with low expectations.

On the other hand, Wentz could struggle due to a questionable supporting cast. It remains to be seen how Philadelphia’s offensive line will hold up. The 34-year-old Jason Peters struggled with injuries last season. Right tackle Lane Johnson will start the season on the active roster but he’s still potentially facing a 10-game suspension. Starting running back Ryan Mathews is talented but injury-prone. The Eagles’ receiving corps ranks near the bottom of the league.

If the Eagles are going to have success in 2016, they’re probably going to have to rely on their defense. Jim Schwartz has overseen top seven defenses in his last three seasons as a defensive coordinator. The Birds have a lot of talent on defense, especially when it comes to the defensive line. Fletcher Cox and Bennie Logan combine to form one of the NFL’s best defensive tackle duos. Pass rushers Brandon Graham and Vinny Curry have the potential to be very effective playing the 4-3.

Another factor to consider when evaluating the Eagles’ outlook is how the division shapes up. The NFC East appears to be up for grabs yet again. The Giants had an historically bad defense last season. The Cowboys will be without their starting quarterback, Tony Romo, for a significant amount of time. Washington won the division in 2015 without beating a team with a winning record all year. It’s not impossible to think the Eagles have a chance to finish on top.

How the Eagles finish in 2016 isn’t necessarily the most important indicator for this franchise moving forward. It goes without saying the most important thing for the Eagles this year is the development of Wentz. He might not be perfect as a rookie, but the Eagles need to at least see franchise quarterback potential out of him.

Division Outlook

NFC

NFC East
1 – Washington
2 – Eagles
3 – Cowboys
4 – Giants

NFC North
1 – Packers
2 – Vikings
3 – Lions
4 – Bears

NFC South
1 – Panthers
2 – Falcons
3 – Saints
4 – Buccaneers

NFC West
1 – Seahawks
2 – Cardinals
3 – Rams
4 – 49ers

AFC

AFC East
1 – Patriots
2 – Bills
3 – Jets
4 – Dolphins

AFC North
1 – Steelers
2 – Ravens
3 – Bengals
4 – Browns

AFC South
1 – Texans
2 – Colts
3 – Jaguars
4 – Titans

AFC West
1 – Raiders
2 – Broncos
3 – Chiefs
4 – Chargers

2016 NFL Playoffs

NFC

1 – Seahawks
2 – Panthers
3 – Packers
4 – Washington
5 – Cardinals
6 – Vikings

NFC Wild Card Round

Packers over Vikings, Cardinals over Washington

NFC Divisional Round

Seahawks over Cardinals, Panthers over Packers

NFC Championship Game

Seahawks over Panthers

AFC

1 – Patriots
2 – Steelers
3 – Raiders
4 – Texans
5 – Broncos
6 – Ravens

AFC Wild Card Round

Ravens over Raiders, Broncos over Texans

AFC Divisional Round

Patriots over Ravens, Steelers over Broncos

AFC Championship Game

Steelers over Patriots

Super Bowl 2016

NFC Champion – Seahawks
AFC Champion – Steelers

Super Bowl Champion – Seahawks

NFL Awards

MVP – Russell Wilson
Offensive Player of the Year – Aaron Rodgers
Defensive Player of the Year – J.J. Watt
Offensive Rookie of the Year – Carson Wentz
Defensive Rookie of the Year – Jalen Ramsey
Comeback Player of the Year – Jordy Nelson
Coach of the Year – John Harbaugh