It’s never too early for predictions, especially when it comes to the pre draft NFL. In the upcoming draft, each team will make selections to try and help their current rosters make a run at the Super Bowl. Although the rosters for the start of the season won’t be complete until much later in the year, it’s still fun to look at what each team has done up to this point and make predictions for what will happen. Here are my predictions for the upcoming NFL season, pre NFL draft:

Russell Wilson and the Seahawks will take the next step and beat out the NFC champion 49ers in 2013. By Larry Maurer, via Wikimedia Commons

NFC West:

1. Seattle Seahawks: If not for a collapse in the playoff game against the Falcons, they might have made an incredible run towards the Super Bowl last season and I expect the Seahawks to improve. With the additions of Percy Harvin and Cliff Avril, they are legitimate contenders. They basically stole the Vikings receiving duo in Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin and now look poised to be a force. It starts with a division title in 2013.
2. San Francisco 49ers: The defending NFC champions got even better on paper with the additions of Anquan Boldin and Nnamdi Asomugha. They will still be a dominant force because of their defense but I believe that teams will start to figure out Colin Kaepernick. He showed me a lot in the Super Bowl as a rookie and hopefully, for ‘Niner fans, that experience makes him better. For now, though, I’m picking the Seahawks as the best team in this division.
3. St. Louis Rams: The Rams are a good young team that is improving each year and 2013 won’t be any different. Except this year they won’t have Danny Amendola, who was a huge factor on offense for them but look for them to build upon a decent year and look to improve their players and gain more experience to try and get back to the playoffs in a year or two.
4. Arizona Cardinals: Arizona started 4-0 last season and look liked a legit sleeper team in the NFC but then dropped 11 of their next 12 games. They added Carson Palmer, who should help the offense some. But unless 2005 Carson Palmer arrives in Arizona, the Cardinals will be at the bottom of the standings again, which is sad for a franchise that made it to the Super Bowl just five years ago.

NFC South:

1. Atlanta Falcons: The dirty birds were the best team in the NFL last season and if not for a bad non holding call, would have probably made the Super Bowl. This year’s Falcons look to finally improve on a year where they actually won a playoff game. The additions of Stephen Jackson and Osi Umenyiora plus the return of Tony Gonzalez will help the Falcons be legitimate title contenders once again.
2. New Orleans Saints: After looking dead in the water early in the season, the Saints somehow went 7-9 and I believe if the season was longer would have snuck into the playoffs. Getting Sean Peyton back this year will greatly improve the team and I expect them to get back into the playoffs. Some people think that Peyton was the cause for the bizarre blackout in the Super Bowl so maybe he is out for revenge against the NFL and the best way to start that is by making the postseason.
3. Carolina Panthers: Cam Newton has gotten much scrutiny over his two years and I’m not quite sure why. He hasn’t had a good team around him in either year and still the Panthers have been 7-9 both seasons. Get some good players around him and good things will happen. I am a huge fan of Newton no matter what the newest college football scandal is. That being said, the Panthers are the third-best team in the South.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Doug Martin was a pleasant surprise for the Bucs last season but he can’t do everything on offense. The Buccaneers went 7-9 last year but I still think they are the worst team in this division, which is an understatement since this is such a good division in my opinion. Josh Freeman has potential but he needs to leave the Bucs in order for it to show, he isn’t the quarterback for this team and the sooner the front office realizes that the better for them.

NFC North:

1. Green Bay Packers: Even with the departures of Greg Jennings and Donald Driver, the Packers will still be a force in the NFC. After all, they have Aaron Rodgers, who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. They had a disappointing end to their seasons the last two years and I believe they will be back to try and reclaim their dominance in the NFC.
2. Chicago Bears: How many teams fire their head coach after going 10-6? That’s exactly what the Bears did by firing Lovie Smith. The Bears aren’t a bad team and with Jay Cutler, Matt Forte and Brandon Marshall on offense, the Bears will still be a force. Unfortunately for ‘da Bears, they play in the NFC where there are too many good teams and the Bears just can’t keep up with the higher-powered offenses they’ll have to face. Still, this should be a good year for the loyal Chicago fans, at least in the regular season.
3. Detroit Lions: I am not quite sure what happened last year the Lions; I mean, they finally made the playoffs two years ago, then followed it up with a 4-12 record last season. It makes no sense. Then again it is the Lions. Matthew Stafford still has the best receiver in all of football in Calvin Johnson, who to this day is the only player that can claim to have broken the famous “Madden Curse”. The Lions will contend for a while, but won’t have enough to go back to the playoffs.
4. Minnesota Vikings: This might be the most surprising part of these predictions since the Vikings made the playoffs last year but I believe that the trade of Percy Harvin really hurt the Vikings. It takes away speed on offense and a return game. Adrian Peterson is an absolute monster on the field and he will keep the Vikings relevant next season but it won’t be enough to make an encore trip to the playoffs. They are the cellar dwellers in the NFC North.

NFC East:

1. New York Giants: I think last season was just a hardcore case of a Super Bowl hangover and the Giants will be back and ready next year. Eli Manning is a baller and will have this team ready to contend again. Fans of New York, don’t worry you won’t have to wait another year to see your team in the playoffs… unless you are Jet fans….
2. Philadelphia Eagles: A lot of people have been calling me crazy recently because I believe that the Eagles will actually improve a lot this season and be back near the top of the standings. Chip Kelly will make a big difference, especially on a team with so much talent as the Eagles. Injuries killed this team last year. At the beginning of the 2012 season, they looked poised to finally become the dominant team we have been expecting since Michael Vick joined the Eagles. Maybe they get close to that in 2013.
3. Washington Redskins: Congratulations to all the accomplishments of the Redskins last season but that’s last season. Robert Griffin III is one of my favorite players in the NFL, but his injury in the playoffs looked pretty bad. Like the 49ers’ Kaepernick, I think that teams will start to figure his game out. If RGIII can change his game up, it would not only confuse teams but also help prolong his career. I am going out on a limb here by saying the Redskins regress some and finish third in the division.
4. Dallas Cowboys: America’s Team? Not anymore. If anything, they have become a team that most people like to watch lose. Tony Romo got a huge contract after only winning one playoff game in his career, which had lots of football fans, including me, questioning this franchise. I don’t see the Cowboys ending the season at the bottom of the NFL standings, just at the bottom of this division’s standings.

Division Winners:

NFC West: Seattle Seahawks

NFC South: Atlanta Falcons

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

NFC East: New York Giants

Wild Card Teams: San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints (Notable other teams: Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions)

Playoff Bracket:

1. Atlanta Falcons (12-4)
2. Seattle Seahawks (11-5, own tiebreaker over San Francisco)
3. Green Bay Packers (10-6)
4. New York Giants (9-7)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-5)
6. New Orleans Saints (9-7)

6 New Orleans Saints @ 3 Green Bay Packers: (Packers 34-31)

5 San Francisco 49ers @ 4 New York Giants: (49ers 27-14)

5 San Francisco 49ers @ 1 Atlanta Falcons: (Falcons 28-24)

3 Green Bay Packers @ 2 Seattle Seahawks: (Seahawks 35-28)

AFC Championship Game:

2 Seattle Seahawks @ 1 Atlanta Falcons: (Falcons 27-24)

AFC Champions: Atlanta Falcons

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