NFL Season Preview

With the start of the NFL approaching, the sportswriters of the Voice decided to put their best Marty McFly jacket on and predict the entire upcoming season. From division winners all the way to the Super Bowl MVP, here are their predictions.

AFC East:

Andy Deossa: New England Patriots – New England has won this division nine out of the last 11 years. The competition is getting tougher in the East, but as long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are still around, it still belongs to the Patriots.

Mike McMahon: New England Patriots – I look at their schedule and I see no threats; another stroll to the playoffs.

Eric Russo: New England Patriots – They were minutes away from another Super Bowl title last season and have only gotten stronger on both sides of the ball this offseason. Brady is still in New England so it's a no-brainer.

Ryan Tartaglia: New England Patriots – New York is the appetizer. Buffalo is the dessert and Miami is the complementary Andes you receive on your way out of the restaurant. New England is the entire prix fixe.

AFC North:

AD: Baltimore Ravens – Although Joe Flacco isn't the greatest QB, this is still one of the most well-rounded teams in the league. Baltimore was actually my early pick to win the Super Bowl this year until Terrell Suggs tore his Achilles tendon.

MM: Baltimore Ravens – I’m predicting the Steelers will have a down year, which helps the Ravens case, but a tough schedule stands in front of them as well.

ER: Baltimore Ravens – Losing Terrell Suggs will be a big blow to that defense, but they will edge out the Steelers, who seem to be trending south.

RT: Baltimore Ravens – To win the North, you need to be able to pound the rock and nobody runs the ball better than Ray Rice.

AFC South:

AD: Houston Texans – Similar to last year, I can't see any team in this division besides Houston winning more than ten games. If Arian Foster stays healthy throughout the season, expect him to lead the league in rushing yards.

MM: Houston Texans – To think the Texans won the division last year without Andre Johnson and Arian Foster’s hamstring issues… How could they not be the favorite this year if everyone is healthy?

ER: Houston Texans – With Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster leading the way on offense plus their top-tier defense, the Texans could be a scary team if they still healthy, which prevented them from doing some damage last year.

RT: Houston Texans – This team doesn’t even need to be healthy to win this division.

AFC West:

AD: San Diego Chargers – All it took was eight games to win this division last year, and that was with the emergence of Tebowmania. Sure, Peyton Manning is now in Denver but look for Philip Rivers, Ryan Matthews and company to edge out the Broncos.

MM: San Diego Chargers – Phillip Rivers will bounce back and hopefully Ryan Mathews’ broken clavicle heals properly because he could have a huge year.

ER: San Diego Chargers – The Broncos will challenge with Peyton Manning at the helm, but it's time for the perennial underachievers in San Diego to get back to the playoffs.

RT: Kansas City Chiefs – What do Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer and Norv Turner all have in common? All three won’t be starting in their respective positions by season’s end.

AFC Wild Cards:

AD: Pittsburgh Steelers – With Mike Wallace finally back on the field, the Steelers are now ready for the season. It'll be another constant battle in the division between them and Baltimore, but both teams will make the postseason.

New York Jets – The combination of Tim Tebow and Mark Sanchez will be very interesting to watch, and it just might work. Bottom line: this is a talented team that will remain a threat on any given Sunday.

MM: Cincinnati Bengals: I thought Andy Dalton was really impressive last season and I find myself rooting for him to have a huge year. We’ll see how The Law Firm does as a running back in a more standard offense.

Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning is going to make Eric Decker a very, very rich man. If Tebow could get them to the playoffs, I would like to think Manning could too.

ER: Denver Broncos – Manning in a Bronco uniform will be enough to get them back to the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Steelers– They may be on the decline, but they will be playing on Wild Card Weekend.

RT: Pittsburgh Steelers –Their play won’t be pretty but their record will be.

Buffalo Bills – With an inferior schedule, the Buffalo Bills will finish 9-7 and make the playoffs for the first time in thirteen years.