With so many marquee teams operating with legitimate hope for success, and with a handful of star players beginning fresh eras with new franchises, the 2019 NFL season is ripe for the kind of drama and excitement that's worthy of the league's celebration of its 100th year.
Many of the NFL's most popular teams — the Cowboys, Steelers, Packers, 49ers and Bears, just to name a few — are Super Bowl contenders. Big names like Le'Veon Bell, Antonio Brown and Odell Beckham Jr. have the Jets, Raiders and Browns, respectively, thinking they can make runs to the postseason, too.
As is the case before every NFL season begins, league-wide optimism is never higher than it is as the calendar hits September. But 31 teams will see their 2019 season end with disappointment. There are 256 games in the NFL season, and barring a few pesky ties, somebody has to lose them.
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That's where Sporting News comes in with our annual NFL predictions. Our method is as follows.
SN NFL writer Vinnie Iyer picks a winner for each of those 256 games. Once those picks are made, SN's NFL team debates each team's final record, and wins and losses are adjusted accordingly. Once the final division standings are set, playoff predictions can be made based on the seeding, all the way to our Super Bowl 54 pick.
Below are the results for 2019. If these predictions come true, the NFL's 100th year will be one to remember, to say the least.
NFL predictions 2019: Final division standings
AFC North
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | Cleveland Browns | (11-5) |
| 2. | Pittsburgh Steelers | (10-6) |
| 3. | Baltimore Ravens | (8-8) |
| 4. | Cincinnati Bengals | (5-11) |
The Browns have not won their division since 1989. The AFC North was called the AFC Central then. The Oilers were in Houston, and in the division, and the Ravens did not exist.
So, yeah, it's been a long time. There is no question Cleveland has been the hype team of this offseason. Can the likes of Baker Mayfield, Odell Beckham Jr. and Myles Garrett deliver on those lofty expectations in 2019, just two years removed from the Browns' 0-16 season?
Baltimore won the AFC North with a 10-6 record last season. The Steelers, who let Le'Veon Bell leave and traded Antonio Brown, are in for interesting season. Rookie coach Zac Taylor will start a new era in Cincinnati.
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 season, here are our predictions for the AFC North.
AFC South
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | Indianapolis Colts | (11-5) |
| 2. | Houston Texans | (8-8) |
| 3. | Tennessee Titans | (5-11) |
| 4. | Jacksonville Jaguars | (4-12) |
Either the Texans or the Colts have won the AFC South in nine of the last 10 seasons, and heading into 2019, the tough choice in the division is again between those two teams at the top.
Houston won the division last season for the third time in four years behind a healthy Deshaun Watson and a defense that still features J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney. Indianapolis, however, beat the division champion in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 season, here are our predictions for the AFC South.
AFC East
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | New England Patriots | 13-3 |
| 2. | New York Jets | 9-7 |
| 3. | Buffalo Bills | 5-11 |
| 4. | Miami Dolphins | 2-14 |
The Patriots last season made it 10 consecutive AFC East titles on their way to winning another Super Bowl. In 2019, they will attempt to finish first in the division for the 17th time in the 19 years of the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick era.
New England, though, actually showed some vulnerability before getting things perfect in the playoffs, as its 11-5 record was its "worst" in nine seasons. The NFL's reigning dynasty still won the East by four games. Will the competition get better enough to make the Patriots sweat?
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 season, here are our predictions for the AFC East.
AFC West
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | Kansas City Chiefs | (14-2) |
| 2. | Los Angeles Chargers | (11-5) |
| 3. | Oakland Raiders | (5-11) |
| 4. | Denver Broncos | (5-11) |
Of the NFL divisions that featured two-team races at the top last season, the AFC West featured the closest competition. Don't expect that to change in 2019.
The Chiefs and Chargers finished with the same record (12-4) last season. Both ended up falling short of the Super Bowl after falling to the Patriots in the playoffs.
The Raiders, in their second year under Jon Gruden, are looking to start fresh after the coach's hands-on, massive overhaul assisted by Mike Maycck. The Broncos are undergoing even more transition, with Vic Fangio and Joe Flacco as their new veteran coach-quarterback combination.
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 season, here are our predictions for the AFC West.
NFC North
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | Green Bay Packers | (12-4) |
| 2. | Chicago Bears | (11-5) |
| 3. | Minnesota Vikings | (9-7) |
| 4. | Detroit Lions | (5-11) |
The Bears traded for Khalil Mack last season, and it tilted the balance of power in the NFC North in their favor.
Chicago won the division last season for the first time since 2010 behind first-year coach Matt Nagy and quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Despite a heartbreaking loss to the Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs, this team has playoff experience and will be in the mix with the other Super Bowl contenders. The Bears begin the NFL's 100th year against the Packers in the Thursday night season-opener, a game that also will mark a new chapter in Green Bay with first-year coach Matt LaFleur.
Will LaFleur work well with two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers? The Vikings also will be in the mix, and the Lions are working into their second year under Matt Patricia. Minnesota's Kirk Cousins and Detroit's Matthew Stafford can beat anybody, including the Bears and Packers, on any given week. All of that makes this division race even more intriguing than usual.
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 NFL season, here are our predictions for the NFC North.
NFC South
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | New Orleans Saints | (13-3) |
| 2. | Carolina Panthers | (8-8) |
| 3. | Atlanta Falcons | (8-8) |
| 4. | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | (3-13) |
Entering 2019, the NFC South has a strong argument as the best division in the NFL. A deep playoff run for the Saints, Falcons or Panthers should surprise nobody, and the Buccaneers, even in a coaching transition, have enough talent to make some noise of their own.
This also makes the NFC South the NFL's biggest pain to predict. Defending-champion New Orleans is the favorite to win what would be its third consecutive title, but Carolina and Atlanta are a sniff of Saints blood away from chomping at the bit.
Three things factored into the Falcons and Panthers both falling to 7-9 last year and allowing the Saints to run away with the division: injuries, injuries and injuries. Will presumed health in Atlanta and Carolina bring the records closer together, or is New Orleans that much more talented than its challengers?
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 NFL season, here are our predictions for the NFC South.
NFC East
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | Dallas Cowboys | 12-4 |
| 2. | Philadelphia Eagles | 11-5 |
| 3. | New York Giants | 4-12 |
| 4. | Washington Redskins | 4-12 |
The NFC East, in line with its recent history, was one of the NFL's tightest and toughest divisions last season. The Cowboys (10-6) edged out the Eagles (9-7) to take back the division title, while the Redskins (7-9) and Giants (5-11) remained rather competitive.
Dallas three seasons ago went 13-3, and Philadelphia is only two years removed from a Super Bowl victory. Those teams will look to maintain their momentum as NFC playoff teams and conference championship contenders, while Washington and New York work to catch up after drafting quarterbacks in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 season, here are our predictions for the NFC East.
NFC West
| Place | Team | Record |
| 1. | Los Angeles Rams | (11-5) |
| 2. | Seattle Seahawks | (8-8) |
| 3. | San Francisco 49ers | (8-8) |
| 4. | Arizona Cardinals | (3-13) |
In many ways, the NFC West in 2019 features new wrinkles that will reshape the division standings as the season progresses. The most notable, of course, are the quarterback developments in San Francisco and Arizona, two bottom-feeder teams from a year ago that have reason for optimism centered around their passers.
But, at the same time, the NFC West in 2019 could be more of the same. The Rams, winners of the division in each of the last two seasons, remain loaded in the wake of their Super Bowl run. And at the risk of being overly simplistic, as long as the Seahawks have Russell Wilson making plays at a Pro-Bowl level, Seattle will remain a contender.
The two key wild cards in the NFC West are the aforementioned 49ers and Cardinals offenses. Jimmy Garoppolo and Kyler Murray both cracked SN's list of the QBs with most to prove in 2019, albeit for different reasons. Their successes or failures, combined with the staying power of the Rams and Seahawks, will define this season in the division.
Based on SN's picks for the entire 2019 NFL season, here are our predictions for the NFC West.
2019 NFL RANKINGS:
QBs | WRs | TEs | Defenders | Coaches
NFL predictions 2019: Playoff projections
- AFC wild-card round: Browns over Steelers | Chargers over Colts
Mayfield will give the Dawg Pound a win for the ages by out-dueling Big Ben to dispatch the Browns' hated rivals when it counts.
Rivers will get the better of Brissett in a gritty shootout. Defense will play a part, but per usual, superior quarterback play will punch the tickets to the next round.
- AFC divisional round: Patriots over Browns | Chiefs over Chargers
Brady will remind Mayfield of how many rings he has, and Bill Belichick will get his first shot at creating some heartbreak for Cleveland by frustrating Odell Beckham Jr.
Mahomes and Rivers will light up the scoreboard in Arrowhead in what should be a spectacular rubber match, with the Arrowhead advantage being the difference in January.
- AFC championship game: Chiefs over Patriots
The Chiefs will avoid overtime this time as Mahomes raises his game to sneak past the GOAT with help from the defensive scheme responsible for foiling the Patriots in Super Bowl 42.
Andy Reid gets his first conference title and Super Bowl trip in 15 years, and Kansas City gets to play in the big game for the first time in 50 years.
MORE: Explaining all AFC playoff picks
- NFC wild-card round: Packers over Bears | Eagles over Rams
Green Bay will build on its finish ahead of Chicago in the regular season. LaFleur will outwit Matt Nagy, and Rodgers will resurrect his reputation as a big-game quarterback.
Philadelphia will prove again it matches up well with LA, leading to a second quick exit in three playoffs for McVay. Wentz will have plenty of moments to prove he is much better than Jared Goff.
- NFC divisional round: Cowboys over Packers | Saints over Eagles
Dallas didn't get its desired outcome in this round as the host against Green Bay a couple years ago, but this time, the Cowboys will grab the lead, build on it and hold it to put the game away. Rodgers will get stuck in a more ground-heavy affair, with the tougher defense deciding who advances.
The Saints were pushed by the Eagles in the playoffs last season, but they will find a happy medium between blowout and comeback in what turns out to be a classic, high-scoring game.
- NFC championship game: Cowboys over Saints
Dallas will survive a tough playoff field because it will be the team most adept at winning on both lines of scrimmage while also letting Prescott loose for big plays. Trading conservatism for more aggressiveness overall will change the results in Dallas from good to great.
The Cowboys have been to the playoffs 10 times since they last won the Super Bowl 24 long years ago. Much to the delight of Jerry Jones, they will take full advantage of their first NFC championship appearance since 1995.
The Cowboys are a tough matchup for the Saints because they bring the right brand of physicality. While New Orleans thinks about what could have been yet again, Jason Garrett will finally stop hearing about what could have been had Jones landed Sean Payton as Dallas' coach, instead.
MORE: Explaining all NFC playoff picks
NFL predictions 2019: Super Bowl pick
- Super Bowl 54: Cowboys 31, Chiefs 27
The NFL is screaming for a "new" Super Bowl. SN's prediction for the 2019 season would be exactly that.
What better way to end the NFL's 100th season than to see the Chiefs try to win their first Super Bowl in 50 years before the Cowboys win their first in 24 years? The upcoming season is about tapping into professional football's history but also fast-forwarding to its future.
MORE SUPER BOWL PREDICTIONS:
Why Kellen Moore is the key | The ripple effects of a Cowboys title
Headlined by Andy Reid vs. Jason Garrett and Patrick Mahomes vs. Dak Prescott, this Super Bowl matchup would represent the best of the game's new school and old school, offense and defense. The fact that these are two potentially great teams that look good on the marquee, too, doesn't hurt.
The game has instant classic written all over it. Dallas will win because of a little more defense combined with an offense that will open up to become capable of outscoring Kansas City.
Here is more on why we like the Cowboys to win Super Bowl 54.
Contributing: Vinnie Iyer, Bill Bender