NFL Predictions 2018: Super Bowl winner, awards and more
It’s a league that saw numerous teams end long playoff droughts in 2017. And the feeling in 2018 is that the NFL will have a first-time Super Bowl champion.
In recent seasons, we have seen a few NFL teams reach the playoffs with an opportunity to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. In 2014, it was the Arizona Cardinals who grabbed a wild card berth but were one-and-out come the playoffs.
Two years later, the Houston Texans were AFC South champions and won a playoff game. But they would be ousted by the eventual Super Bowl champion New England Patriots one weekend later. And a year ago, the Minnesota Vikings came within a victory of playing Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium. But it was a long afternoon in the City of Brotherly Love as Mike Zimmer’s team was routed by the Eagles, 38-7.
This year, the feeling here is that it will finally happen. Super Bowl LIII is slated for Atlanta, Georgia. And the pick is for the Falcons to upend the Los Angeles Chargers on Super Sunday in February.
Here are the selections for all eight division champions, as well as Wild Card berth and the picks for conference champions.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
AFC
AFC East: New England Patriots
AFC North: Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC South: Tennessee Titans
AFC West: Los Angeles Chargers
Wild Card: Baltimore Ravens
Wild Card: Jacksonville Jaguars
NFC
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
NFC North: Minnesota Vikings
NFC South: Atlanta Falcons
NFC West: Los Angeles Rams
Wild Card: Green Bay Packers
Wild Card: New Orleans Saints
Super Bowl Representatives
AFC Champion: Los Angeles Chargers
NFC Champion: Atlanta Falcons
So what about the individual awards for 2018? Here are these picks as well:
NFL Offensive Player of the Year: QB Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
NFL Defensive Player of the Year: DE Joey Bosa, Los Angeles Chargers
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: RB Saquon Barkley, New York Giants
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year: OLB Bradley Chubb, Denver Broncos
NFL Coach of the Year: Mike Vrabel, Tennessee Titans
NFL Assistant Coach of the Year: Vic Fangio, Chicago Bears
NFL Comeback Player of the Year: DE J.J. Watt, Houston Texans
NFL MVP: QB Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers
It says here that there will be three new division champions in 2018 (Titans, Chargers and Falcons) and three teams (Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Carolina Panthers) that won’t be back in the postseason this year. And that number is a bit low considering the turnover we have seen in recent years.
Next. 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Quarterbacks ruling in Week 1. dark
Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons and Los Angeles Chargers are two of the 12 franchises that have yet to win a Super Bowl. This is the year a lot comes together for the Bolts and they will make their first appearance in the Big Game since 1994. But when it’s all said and done, there will be quite the celebration for the local crowd at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.