Jonas Knox & Brady Quinn's 2018 NFL Season Predictions

With the 2018 NFL season launching, Jonas Knox and Brady Quinn share their predictions for every division. Each team is in the order of how each host ranked them in their division.

Jonas Knox & Brady Quinn Airs Sundays 9pmET/6pmPT

AFC EAST

Brady Quinn
- New England Patriots will be at the top of the division
- Miami Dolphins have no depth but will be second
- New York Jets will get close to .500 and be 3rd in the division
- Buffalo Bills will be dead last because they lost a ton on their offensive line
  - Quarterbacks lack experience
  - lots of trouble at defense
Jonas Knox
- New England Patriots will be at the top of the division
  - I trust that the best run organization is going to figure out their problems
- New York Jets may have worst supporting cast around Sam Darnold, but I like them to finish second in their division
- Buffalo Bills Will be 3rd in their division.
  - Will be a .500 team.
  - Tossed their quarterback who got them to playoffs
  - They could be a six-win team based on their schedule.
- I have not heard a single thing about the Miami Dolphins.
  - Maybe that's a good thing?

AFC SOUTH

Jonas Knox
- Houston Texans will win the division,
  - I have serious concerns about Deshaun Watson (turnover prone)
- Jacksonville Jaguars will take a step back.
  - I still love their defense
  - Blake Bortles may not have much to throw to.
  - They will hover around .500
  - I want Bortles to succeed
  - Will finish 2nd in their division
- Tennessee Titans have one of the easiest schedules
  - Not sold on Marcus Mariotta or the team's offensive coordinator
  - Overpaid for Malcolm Butler
- Indianapolis Colts are dead last
  - Quentin Nelson will be a Monster
  - They open up with five road games before the bye week.
Brady Quinn
- Jacksonville Jaguars will be 10-6
  - They have depth but need to stay healthy
  - Will continue to hang with their running game
- Houston Texans will be 9-7
  - Deshaun Watson's health is a concern
  - Questionable defense
- Tennesee Titans will take a BIG step back at 6-10
  - They haven't really developed a passing game
  - Marcus Mariotta has looked really bad in the preseason
- Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck is not back to form
  - I want to see how Luck handles getting hit
  - O-Line and defense are not where it needs to be.

AFC NORTH

Brady Quinn
- Steelers are still by far and away the best team in the AFC North
  - they don't have a very difficult schedule
  - The roster has solid parts at several positions
- Bengals and Baltimore Ravens will bounce back
- Cleveland Browns could make a big jump to 5-11
  - They are still too young
  - Baker Mayfield will be good but not as good as they need him to be.
Jonas Knox
- Steelers will win the division
  - Ben is happier without Todd Haley
  - O-Line is intact which is pretty rare today
- Ravens will be in the division hunt until late in the season
  - Joe Flacco plays his best when something is on the line or he has a contract year
  - Lamar Jackson could spark a fire under Flacco
  - No concerns about Raven's defense
- Browns will improve because it's impossible not to.
- Cincinnati Bengals have no buzz and feel like the same team with the same recipe that's never gotten them a playoff win before.

AFC WEST

Jonas Knox
- LA Chargers have everything you need to win a Superbowl outside of a stadium.
  - This is the year that luck falls on their side
- I like the Oakland Raiders to finish second
  - Jon Gruden Dynamic is fascinating
  - They have one of the top offensive lines in the league.
  - Have a franchise QB that's eager to improve
- Chiefs got rid of Alex Smith for some reason...
  - I don't get that move, but I give Andy Reid credit for taking a chance on Patrick Mahomes
- Broncos are in a tough spot
  - Case Keenum is a starter, but Chad Kelly is the most talented QB on the roster
  - Paxton Lynch is a disaster
  - I love the pass rush of Bradley Chubb and Von Miller
  - They'll have a strong push in the beginning and then fall back later in the season
Brady Quinn
- LA Chargers Will be at the top
- Oakland Raiders will be Second
- Chiefs have a tough schedule in first six games of the season
  - Protection has not gotten any better
  - The defense has looked awful in preseason
- Broncos have a good defensive front
  - I'm concerned about their offensive line
  - Their run game has been inconsistent during the preseason
  - Case Keenum will come back down to earth
    - He needs to play at a high level for Broncos to have a shot

NFC EAST

Brady Quinn
- New York Giants will win the Division
  - They are healthy (OBJ)
  - They have Saquon Barkley
  - Addressed issues with O-Line as well as that left side and the center
  - The biggest key is their tough first half of the season.
  - If they can win up to 3 games out of the gate, the second half of the season eases up big time
- Eagles will be hard to predict Week 1
  - Nick Foles has not looked good in the preseason
  - They still have a stacked roster despite not having Carson Wentz
  - They will take a step back
- Redskins could be a tough team and a competitive team
  - They have a rough schedule and an early bye week
Jonas Knox
- New York Giants will Win the Division
  - They are starting to look more like the playoff team they were a couple of years ago
  - Pat Shurmur will re-energize Eli Manning and the offense
- Cowboys Will be in the division race down the line
  - I trust Dak Prescott more than most people do
  - Cowboys will get Ezekiel Elliot for a full season
- Eagles will Finish Third
  - There's something about winning it for the first time in a city that's never had it before that makes you take the foot off the gas
- Washington Redskins will be last in the division
  - This team is in a tough spot

NFC SOUTH

Jonas Knox
- I like the Atlanta Falcons to Win the Division
  - Good culture and a mentally tough team
  - Good head coach and offensive coordinator
  - Love their backfield, and they have a lot of homegrown talent
  - Matt Ryan will have a better year with great weapons to throw to
- Saints will finish Second
  - Hopefully picking Marcus Davenport in the draft will help their defense
  - They have a good schedule early on, but after the bye week, it gets nasty
- Tampa Bay Will Finish Third
  - They will be a little better defensively this season
    - Must improve on low sack totals from last year
- Carolina Panthers will finish fourth
  - Can Cam Newton's body hold up?
Brady Quinn
- Saints will win the Division
  - Draft pick indicates "win now" mentality
  - The roster is well set to compete on both offense and defense
  - O-Line depth is built to withstand injuries
  - Michael Thomas is quietly one of the best wide receivers in the NFL
- Atlanta Falcons will finish Second
  - I wonder how hungry the Falcons are
  - One of the most talented rosters in the NFL
  - This biggest issue is their schedule early on
- Carolina Panthers roster is too talented, and the defense is too good
  - Norv Turner will get the best out of Cam Newton
  - The biggest challenge is their schedule
    - Early bye and several back-to-back road games
- If Tamba Bay Buccaneers aren't winning games Dirk Koetter might be out

NFC WEST

Jonas Knox
- Rams will win it all, but it seems too good to be true.
  - So talented from a football standpoint
  - Key players on defense are playing on a contract year
  - Aaron Donald is back
  - Wade Phillips is a solid defensive coordinator
  - Brandin Cooks addition should help their offense
  - Aside from the Eagles, I'm not sure there's a more talented and volatile team than the LA Rams
- 49ers will finish second
  - They looked like one of the better teams in football towards the end of 2017
  - Jimmy Garappolo is back for a full season
  - Not much weaponry on the offense
  - The defense should be better overall
  - One year away from competing in the division
- Cardinals will finish Third
  - They still have David Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald; Chandler Jones is back, Patrick Peterson is back
  - Improved at the quarterback position
  - Josh Rosen/Sam Bradford scenario will be interesting
  - O-Line is concerning
- Seahawks will finish last in the division
  - They are a shell of what they were
  - Is this the end of an era?
  - Is this the end of Pete Carroll?
Brady Quinn
- Rams will win the division.
  - Oct 7th to Nov 4th they will be stuck on the road except the 28th.
  - I love their additions to the team which means there will be feeling out period
  - That road schedule is still problematic
- I like the Seahawks 2nd because Russell Wilson plays a winning brand of football
  - It looks like they could enforce a new offensive philosophy
  - Their schedule is rough at the beginning but the second half of the season looks good for them
- 49ers will finish Third
  - Jimmy G did great last time, but it's a new year
  - Their defense really needs to step up
- Arizona Cardinals will finish last
  - This team is in the middle of a transition from the coach position and the quarterback position
  - Even with the return of several players, it won't be enough this year

NFC NORTH

Brady Quinn
- A healthy Aaron Rodgers along with some additional solid pieces puts Packers at the top of the division
- Minnesota Vikings adding Kirk Cousins was all they needed even though they also strengthened the defensive line
  - Cousins will bring some more consistency than Case Keenum did
- Chicago Bears will be third
  - Adding Kahlil Mack and some of the other weapons the bears have alongside Mitch Trubisky, this team could achieve an 8-8 record this year.
- Detroit Lions will finish last
  - There will be a transition period for Matt Patricia in his first year as head coach.
  - I don't think they have the defensive firepower they need to compete in this division
  - I'm not really sure what their overall direction will be going forward
Jonas Knox
- Packers will be number one in the division
  - Aaron Rodgers will be on a mission
  - The defense will improve under Mike Pettine
  - O-Line can be very good if healthy
  - Addressed secondary in the draft
- Bears will Edge out The Vikings due to Khalil Mack acquisition
  - They have a very good O-Line if Kyle Long can stay healthy
  - Curious about how Mack fits in with the defense
- Vikings Will Finish 3rd
  - While Kirk Cousins is an upgrade and changes were made to their offensive coordinator, I see this team taking a step back
  - O-Line concerns me
  - The Defense is great
  - I just don't see a rerun of 2017 in 2018, and I don't think they're going to make the playoffs
- I have the Detroit Lions finishing last place in the division
  - I'm having a hard time buying Matt Patricia as a head coach