The most wonderful time of the year—football season is finally upon us! After a pretty intriguing offseason, it's time for some bold predictions before the madness of football sets in. Which team will rise from worse to first in their division? Which teams will prosper and which teams will plummet? Which rookie will set the bar high this season? Live In The Mix got those questions answered and much more, as we dive into the bold predictions and records for every team in the 2018 NFL season.
AFC East
New England Patriots: 13-3
Buffalo Bills: 6-10
Miami Dolphins: 7-9
New York Jets: 10-6
Bold Prediction: Sam Darnold wins Offensive Rookie Of The Year
After finishing a solid season at USC being top 3 in Pac-12's Passing Yards, Pass Attempts and Pass Completions, the future is bright for Darnold as the starting quarterback of a newly revamped Jets offense. Incredibly, Darnold seems to have a firm grasp on the Jet's playbook, along with a mature approach to the passing game. While the Jets don't have the most talented roster, Darnold taking what the defense gives him instead of forcing the ball to receivers will be the key for the Jets winning the AFC East and Darnold being the OROY.
Photo: NJ
AFC West
Kansas City Chiefs: 10-6
San Diego Chargers: 12-4
Denver Broncos: 5-11
Oakland Raiders: 7-9
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: 11-5
Cincinnati Bengals: 6-10
Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7
Cleveland Browns: 7-9
Bold Prediction: Baltimore Ravens will take over AFC North
Despite the Ravens missing the postseason, they campaign a playoff-worthy defense that allowed the sixth-fewest points in the NFL, with an ageless Terrell Suggs coming off an 1-sack campaign and a top safety duo of Eric Weddle and Tony Jefferson. The Ravens has also imported a flock of veterans receivers like Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead. Given these notions, the Ravens has a case to knock off a team like the Pittsburgh Steelers out of the AFC North race. However, it all comes down to QB Joe Flacco's impact; Flacco has the chance to redeem himself from grueling injuries and return to his prime to bring the Ravens back in the conversation as AFC North's strongest team.
AFC South
Tennessee Titans: 9-7
Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-6
Houston Texans: 8-8
Indianapolis Colts: 6-10
NFC East
Washington Redskins 4-12
Philadelphia Eagles: 10-6
New York Giants: 11-5
Dallas Cowboys: 8-8
Bold Prediction: Giants goes from worst to first in NFC East
The NFC East is always a crazy division, every year coming down to the wire. As Eagles soared down to a championship, Ben McAdoo's Giants went down horribly with injuries causing them to plummet to 3-13. The Giants optimistically look ready to make a complete 360 turnaround this season with the rookie Saquon Barkley along with a revitalized offensive line. If the offensive line stays healthy, Giants look like the team to look out for in the NFC East.
Photo: Elite Sports NY
NFC West
Seattle Seahawks: 11-5
Los Angeles Rams: 14-2
Arizona Cardinals: 9-7
San Francisco 49ers: 8-8
Bold Prediction: 49ers will make it to the playoffs
The rise of Jimmy Garoppolo has been the buzz this upcoming season, accomplishing a 7-0 start in the first 5 games as 49ers starting quarterback, throwing over 1,560 yards, as well as two victorious starts for the New England Patriots. While some analysts believe it's just beginner's luck, Garoppolo's IQ and the mind of coach Kyle Shanahan will be an unpredictable creative force, as Shanahan has proved to make the most out of his quarterbacks like Matt Ryan and RGIII. The valuable mix of youth and experience in the offensive and defense line is appealing as well with youth talents like Solomon Thomas and veteran talents Richard Sherman and Pierre Garcon. If the cards are played right, the 49ers could potentially win the NFC West and make a interesting run in the playoffs.
Photo: CBS Sports
NFC North
Green Bay Packers: 11-5
Minnesota Vikings: 12-4
Chicago Bears: 9-7
Detroit Lions: 8-8
Bold Prediction: Khalil Mack eclipses 20 sacks
One of the boldest moves of the off-season was the Oakland Raiders trading linebacker Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears. The Bears added an extra "oomph"to their defense with Mack on board. The talent that will be playing alongside Mack led by defensive coordinator Vic Fangio leads to the belief that Mack will have a career year; Fangio has a history of putting his players beyond their own abilities, making them better. Considering Mack already had a 5-sack season in Oakland, we're boldly predicting he will excel with at least 20 this season.
Photo: ClutchPoints
NFC South
New Orleans Saints: 12-4
Atlanta Falcons: 10-6
Carolina Panthers: 8-8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-13
Bold Prediction: Buccaneers finish with the worse record in the NFL
The Jameis Winston 3-game suspension along with the Bucs being considerably the weakest link in their division gives them a double whammy this season. While the Bucs depth is promising with wide receiver Mike Evans, running back Payton Barber and other offensive weapons, if the Bucs doesn't have a decent record without Jameis (@ Saints, vs. Eagles, vs. Steelers) it will be hard for them to push through the NFC South.
Photo: Sportsbook Review
Where to Watch NFL Games
Games are broadcast on CBS and Fox Sunday afternoons, NBC Sunday and Thursday nights, and ESPN Monday nights. Games can also be watched and streamed live through NFL RedZone, NFL App, Yahoo Sports App, and Hulu with Live TV and Amazon FireStick with the Mobdro App. There are also NFL games that can be watched live on Youtube! Just type in the game then "live stream" in the search bar and you should find live NFL games to watch for free.