CBS Sports brings out their six NFL football writers and they project every single division. All right, NFL division, So you and I are going to play along here and maybe early but remember tomorrow opening night for the National Football So they break it down every single division and then they go to the super Bowl. They got their playoff teams. We don't necessarily have to do that, but I do want to know who is your winner in
each division. So we'll start with the AFC East. That's where you got Buffalo, you got the Jets, you got the Dolphins, you got the Patriots. I think the consensus is that New England is the worst team in the division. If they're not the worst team in the NFL, then you have to decide is it going to be Buffalo again, is it going to be Miami and to is led offense? Or is it going to be the chic pick that everybody has with the New York Jets. Who wins that division?
I suppose a lot of this comes down to who.
Do you believe?
Like do you believe who do you give edges to? Who's the best coach of those? Is it Mike McDaniel, is it Sean McDermott, is it Robert the Law, you know, the kid from Dearbort, Who is it? Who's the best quarterback of that group? Who's got the best defense? Those are the different questions you're probably asking yourself. So who wins the AFC East in your mind? So for me, Look, I think the Jets are going to be good. I don't know if Aaron Rodgers are going to stay healthy.
I'm going to take Buffalo again, and Buffalo is a chek pick to miss out on the playoffs. But I think Josh Allen is still one of the best players in the NFL, and I worry about the lack of tent that he has, and I worry that they lose Milano. That's a big loss. But I do believe collectively they're still the best team in the division. So I'm gonna go Buffalo for one more year. Who's gonna win the AFC East?
I'm going Buffalo as well, and I'll take it one step further. I think are they a better team without Stephan Dicks? Of course not. They got worse by losing Stephan Dicks, but I think that frees up Josh Allen to be even more of a superman than he already has been, and I think you could see Josh Allen win an MVP for the first time in his career. This seems interesting, So I'm with you on the Jets. Won't expand on it too much because our listeners know
how I feel about Aaron Rodgers. I just think the hype is ridiculous right now for so many question marks around that team judgment though.
Does that cloud your judgment when when you hear the Jets look, I can just to picture you in the studio, I mean, in the hair on the back of your neck. Don't let that interfere with what you think truly.
Is what the team's going to happen.
Yeah, the Jets have a really good defense man, okay, and many people feel like it's a team that was a quarterback away from reaching the postseason a year ago. So you may hate for Aaron Rodgers. That's fine. I don't necessarily blame you, and I sure as hell don't necessarily disagree with you, but that shouldn't cloud your judgment on whether or not you think they're gonna win. You can root against him, but from a mental standpoint, from a smart standpoint, do you honestly believe that they're a
playoff team if he's healthy, they are. I truly believe they are.
Well. So here's the thing. All this discussion about the Jets and the rhetoric all offseason has been exactly what you said, which is great defense. You Dragons drop a decent quarterback in there. All they need is decent quarterback play, and they should be at least a playoff team, if not winning that division. My thing is the last time we saw Aaron Rodgers fully healthy for a full season, he was okay, he wasn't anything spectacular, and then you roll in the injury and I just too many question
marks for me to pick him. I'm gonna go with the team that's won that Vision five six years in a row. Okay, that's fine.
People think Chicago has greatly improved, right, and they use primarily their quarterback as the reason. Right, people, This is what I hear. They were seven and ten a year ago. Caleb Williams is gonna make a big difference. I got news for you, man. The Jets were seven and two or seven and ten rather. So you don't think Aaron Rodgers can make that big of a difference. You could, You don't think he can make a three win difference. I believe he can.
I think I think he could. But again, that's it, and maybe I'll pick him to make the playoffs. I don't know, but that doesn't.
Sound like you did. You picked Miami. I think here's what I think you can't. Stan Rogers correct. You are tired of the national hype. You don't think it's warranted for the for the Jets. So you've let your emotions get in the way.
Maybe a little bit. But I just I mean, if I if I got to pick a division winner, I'm going with Josh Allen, and I'm going to Sean McDermott, who I think is the best coach in that DIVI so.
Good enough, good enough. That's why I I heard you say Miami is gonna make the playoffs. Nothing about the Jets. I'm not a Jets apologist. I'm just telling you I think they're gonna.
Be a lot better most people do.
Yeah, yeah, I'm with them. I'm not you know, I'm not part of the sheep herd. I just think if he's healthy, it's going to be a big difference. I mean, if you can make the playoffs, or if you if you can win seven games last year with that quarterback situation. If this guy can stabilize it, it'll be interesting, all right, AFC North, that's the Bengals, that's the Ravens, that's the Browns,
and that's the Steelers. Baltimore is the incumbent. Bengals went to the super Bowl just a couple of years ago with Joe Burrow right, just a few years ago. So who is it. I'm gonna take Baltimore again. I think their coach is at excellent. I think their quarterback and the hunger that they possess. I'll take Cincinnati second, but I think Baltimore is the team to beat in the division.
Yeah, I think both those teams make the playoffs. And for what it's worth, Vegas has both teams at ten and a half wins as they're over under Samos the Lions, by the way, and we'll talk about that later, I'm sure, but I'm gonna agree with you. I just think Lamar's too good, Joe Burrow too many question marks similar to Aaron Rodgers actually coming off injuries, and has it really stayed healthy since their Super Bowl run? So give me the Ravens.
Still arguably the best quarterback in that division. I would take Joe Burrow over any other quarterback in that division.
AFC South.
That's the Texans and the Jags and the Titans and the Colts.
Now here's the thing.
For as much as you kind of shake your head, scratch your head and go, oh man, I'm still tired of the Jets, everybody's picking the Everyone's got Houston. There's a love fest for Houston too, you know. And I get it.
C J.
Streull with an incredible season a year ago, but it's one year.
What have they proven to you? Yeah, they also did. Really they're gonna use it until late in that season where Trevor Lawrence is hurt.
This is winner by default because it's such a bad division. But you've got to take Houston. You have to because Jacksonville hasn't shown you anything. Tennessee is awful, and the Colts are fragile too. So it's easy to take Houston because they wanted a year ago. But the vibe there and the improvements they've made as much as anything else will Anderson's going to be a son of a gun Stroud. You can't imagine him taking too much of a step back,
if at all, Stefan Diggs, he gets another. Their wide receivers are arguably the best collective bunch in all the NFL. So I'll take Houston.
In the AFC South real quick.
Who do you got there?
Yeah? Same, okay?
And then in the AFC West, Now, Kansas City's the incumbent, You're crazy to pick against him. Chargers might be on the come, though.
So let me phrase it like this, then, Chep, I think we're both going to pick Kansas City to win that division. Of course, do you think LA makes the playoffs? No, I don't, not this year, but you think they're on the coming up, I do.
I mean, I think I would pick them second in that division, but I think the AFC North is too strong, and I think when you've got Miami and the Jets in that mix, I think Miami and the Jets are better than the Chargers. And I think if you're going to take the Ravens, I think Cincinnati and Cleveland are better than the Chargers as well. And that's the reason I don't think they make the playoffs. Now, I'll tell you this real quick, and then we're gould do the
NFC on the way back. In the AFC East, of the six writers for CBS Sports, four of them picked the Bills, one took the Dolphins, one took the Jets. Somebody actually picked the Bills. Third in the division, one writer did. In the AFC North, three picked the Ravens, three picked the Bengals. None of them picked either one of those teams any worse than second. In the AFC South, everybody took the Texans, and the AFC West, everybody took the Chiefs, then the Chargers, and then five of the
six took the Broncos. Third.
The AFC is done.
When we come back the NFC, this is where things might get interesting. The NFC East. Now CBS came out. They have six writers. One writer took Washington.
Big Daniels fan must be or Dan Quinn or both or both? Yeah or Big Jaden Daniels believe I should say not fan.
But yeah, I'm gonna take Philly. I think Philly has a bounce back year and I'm gonna slip into a Trent Valley trap. Here the national love for Dallas and Dak Prescott. You get irked by the Jets to a certain extent. I do too, but they're so far removed because in the AFC doesn't bother me. The Dallas love bothers me more and again. I try to think with my head, not my heart. I think Philly's better. I
picked Dallas second. They'll probably make the playoffs. And I had this conversation with a trainer at my gym yesterday after the show. He's like, man, Dallas, I just you know, they're not very good. He was just ripping on the Cowboys, and the talk show hosting me immediately stands up and says, Jason, this is his friend, friend of mine. Jason. He says, I said, they've won twelve games in each of the
last three years. Man, you may not like Dak Prescott, you may not like Mike McCarthy, but if your team and his team's the Packers, he loves the Packers. If your team won twelve games three years in a row, thirty six games over an extended over a three year span, and you weren't getting any respect, you'd be pissed, right. He's like, yeah, that's a good point, but they just don't win in the playoffs. I said, that's fine, and you're right about that. But they went undefeated at home
last year. They had the second best record in the NFC last year to San Francisco. There's a little respect earned there, regular season respect. You don't want to pick him in the postseason. I get it, but regular season they got to be under consideration. And what would be considered, especially with Philadelphia, you gotta play Philly twice. Washington wasn't very good last year. Giants weren't very good last year. They had a decent schedule. The Cowboys had a decent
schedule last year. But I'm going to take Philly to win the NFC East. And only one writer took the Eagles. Who you taking.
There's a statistic out there that has been beaten into oblivion, but I'm gonna bring it up because it matters. There has not been a back to back champion in the NFC East since two thousand and four, when McNabb and t O did it. It has been a different team every single year, whether it's Washington, New York, Philly, or Dallas. Dallas won a last year. I'm with you. I'm going with Philly.
Okay, I didn't know that statistic. It's a great one though. Should tweet that out. Okay, We'll save the NFC North for last. NFC South that's Tampa, that's Atlanta, that's New Orleans, and that's Carolina. No, it's taking Carolina, right, I'm taking Atlanta. Tampa wanted a year ago. I'm taking Atlanta this year. Kirk Cousins, I think Steady's that ship and I think he's got a lot of weapons. I'm gonna take the Falcons to win the NFC South.
Yeah, I hate to just tell you on all these but that's the right answer. I'm picking the Falcons as well. Too many weapons. NFC West.
It's hard to pick against San Francisco, but half the writers CBS took the Rams. I'm not going against the Niners. They've got the best running back. They have the best obviously, just a wide receiver, but a dual threat in Deebo Samuel. We'll see if Trent William How much longer can you say a thirty six year old's the best tackle, even though we think it's Penney Sewel. I think they have one of the best defensive ends. I think they've got the best linebacker and Fred Warner. It's hard to go
against San Francisco. I'm gonna keep it with the Niners. Rams will finish second in the division with San Francisco Rams, Seahawks, and Cardinals.
I think the Seahawks are better this year. They make that division a little bit more competitive. I think even Arizona's improved. I'm gonna take LA. I think LA and San fran are both gonna finish with twelve wins. LA will have the tiebreaker by beating them twice.
How about that is one of those wins opening night?
No f Lions get them start one at all? All right?
Speaking of the Lions, NFC North Lions, Packers, Bears, Vikings, four of the six writers pick the Lions. No writer picked the Lions worse than second. One writer actually picked the Bears second. I'm obviously I'm going with the Lions. You know how I feel about it. I think they're going to the super Bowl. So I'm taking the Lions than the Packers, than the Bears and the Vikings. But I do not expect Chicago to make the postseason.
No, I don't either. I'm with you. I think the Bears are almost in Jets territory for me, where they're getting talked about to the extent that it is annoying and it's irritating. But I'll leave my feelings out of it. Like you said, everyone knows how we both feel about the Lions. They're winning twelve games again, They're going to the super Bowl. You and I both think they got a real chance to win. The damn thing I do. The Lions are gonna win this NFC North.
It's an interesting pairing for the six writers. Again, this is not gospel, but just giving you an idea of the six men who follow the NFL and have done it for a long time and who they think ready for the Super Bowl predictions. One writer has the Packers over the Bills, One writer has the Bills over the Rams, one writer has the Lions over the Texans. One writer has the Bengals over the Lions, one writer has the Chiefs over the Niners, and one has the Packers over
the Jets. There are as you can deduct three teams who are multiple options from the six writers. The Bills, one has them winning, one has them losing. They've appeared twice, the Packers. Two writers have them winning it all, and the Lions. One writer has them winning it, one has them losing it. So I think it's fair to say and considering for the sixth pick them to win the division. None of them picked them worse than second. The respect for the Lions is true and fair, just like we have it.