stevo's 2019 nfl predictions: the division winners

"I'm alone;
I don't know if I can face the night.
I'm in tears,
And the crying that I do is for you.

I want your love --
Let's break the walls between us.
Don't make it tough --
I'll put away my pride.

Enough's enough!
I've suffered and I've seen the light!

Baby, you're my angel!
Come and save me tonight!
You're my angel!
Come and make it alright! ...

Don't know what I'm gonna do
About this feeling inside.
Yes it's true --
Loneliness took me for a ride!

Without your love?
I'm nothing but a beggar.
Without your love?
A dog without a bone.

What can I do --
I'm sleeping in this bed alone!

Baby, you're my angel!
Come and save me tonight!
You're my angel!
Come and make it alright!

Come and save me tonight! ..."

-- "Angel" by Aerosmith.

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Here are your 2019 NFL Season Predictions, broken down into five parts:

Part I: The Last Place Finishers
Part II: The Third Place Finishers
Part III: The Wild Card Contenders
Part IV: The Division Winners
Part V: The Postseason

Also, this is your Week One Power Poll.  As always, 32 is typical New York Jets bad, 1 is typical New England Patriots good.

Enjoy.

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8. Chicago Bears.
Last Year: 12-4-0, NFC Norris Champions.
Postseason: L Wild Card 15-16 (vs Eagles).
Prediction: 10-6-0, NFC Norris Champions; Four Seed NFC.

I'm not going to overreact to Thursday night.  But circle me concerned, Bert.  Circle me concerned.

Here's your NFC Norris Schedule Run:

Bears got tiebreaker over Packers via Strength of Victory.

7. Dallas Cowboys.
Last Year: 10-6-0, NFC East Champions.
Postseason: W Wild Card 24-22 (vs Seahawks); L Divisional Round 22-30 (@ Rams).
Prediction: 10-6-0, NFC East Champions; Three Seed NFC.

The Cowboys have not had back to back division titles since I lived in Dallas twenty years ago.  They haven't had back to back playoff appearances since Son O' Bum was manning the ship.  If Jerry Jones was fair and impartial, he should have fired himself at least twelve years ago.

Here's your NFC East Schedule Run:

Cowboys got tiebreaker over Eagles via head-to-head sweep.

6. New England Patriots.
Last Year: 12-4-0, AFC East Champions.
Postseason: W Divisional Round 41-28 (vs "Super" Chargers); W Championship Game 37-31 (OT) (@ Chiefs); W Super Bowl 13-3 (vs Rams); Super Bowl Champions.
Prediction: 10-6-0, AFC East Champions; Four Seed AFC.

2019 Patriots = 1996 Cowboys.  The last gasp of a great champion.

Your AFC East Schedule Run:

Patriots got tiebreaker over Bills via Strength of Schedule.  Yes, I had to go six f*cking tiebreakers deep, to figure out the winner of this division.  And I'm still not sure I calculated things right.

5. Cleveland Browns.
Last Year: 7-8-1, 3rd Place, AFC Norris.
Prediction: 11-5-0, AFC Norris Champions; One Seed AFC.

For the first time since Bud Carson was patrolling the sidelines, your Cleveland Browns are going to win a division title.  For the first time since Marty Schottenheimer was patrolling the sidelines, your Cleveland Browns are going to have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

I normally hate buying into the hype ... but I tried, I really tried, to find them more than five losses in the schedule run.  I couldn't.  Enjoy it, Factory of Sadness dwellers.  You've earned it.

Your AFC Norris Schedule Run:

Finally -- a division with no tie-breakers needed!

4. Atlanta "Shane" Falcons.
Last Year: 7-9-0, 2nd Place, NFC South.
Prediction: 11-5-0, NFC South Champions; One Seed NFC.

You can credibly argue that the biggest game in my schedule run was Thanksgiving night.  The loser missed the playoffs.  The winner got home field advantage.  Flip the outcome, and the same would still be true ... only in the Saints favor.

Your NFC South Schedule Run:

3. Houston Texans.
Last Year: 11-5-0, AFC South Champions.
Postseason: L Wild Card 7-21 (vs Colts).
Prediction: 11-5-0, AFC South Champions; Three Seed AFC.

I love this Texans team.  Love them.  And frankly, save for the home game against those people, and possibly the Sunday nighter against the Packers, there is no game on the schedule I'm more amped up for, than the Texans game Week Six.  Watson!  Mahomes!  God I cannot wait!

Your AFC South Schedule Run:

2. Kansas City Chiefs.
Last Year: 12-4-0, AFC West Champions.
Postseason: W Divisional Round 31-13 (vs Colts); L Championship Game 31-37 (OT) (vs Patriots).
Prediction: 11-5-0, AFC West Champions; Two Seed AFC.

Your AFC West Schedule Run:

1. Los Angeles Rams.
Last Year: 13-3-0, NFC West Champions.
Postseason: W Divisional Round 30-22 (vs Cowboys); W Championship Game 26-23 (OT) (@ Saints); L Super Bowl 3-13 (vs Patriots); NFC Champions.
Prediction: 11-5-0, NFC West Champions; Two Seed NFC.

Sadly, we aren't guaranteed a Chiefs / Rams rematch this year.  Or any year again until 2022 at Arrowhead.  I hope I'm not priced out of my seat by then.

Your NFC West Schedule Run:

All that's left now is the playoff runs ...