Our Boston Herald writers make their picks for how the 2016 NFL season will play out:
RON BORGES’ PICKS
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers
AFC East champ: New England
AFC North champ: Pittsburgh
AFC South champ: Houston
AFC West champ: Oakland
Wild card 1: Cincinnati
Wild card 2: Indianapolis
NFC East champ: Washington
NFC North champ: Green Bay
NFC South champ: Atlanta
NFC West champ: Seattle
Wild card 1: Carolina
Wild card 2: Minnesota
AFC champs: Cincinnati
NFC champs: Seattle
Super Bowl champs: Cincinnati
Skinny on SB champ – How long can you have great talent and play like you don’t? Bengals finally prove not forever.
STEVE BUCKLEY’S PICKS
NFL MVP: Tom Brady
AFC East champ: Patriots
AFC North champ: Steelers
AFC South champ: Texans
AFC West champ: Chiefs
Wild card 1: Bengals
Wild card 2: Broncos
NFC East champ: Giants
NFC North champ: Packers
NFC South champ: Panthers
NFC West champ: Seahawks
Wild card 1: Cardinals
Wild card 2: Buccaneers
AFC champs: Patriots
NFC champs: Seahawks
Super Bowl champs: Patriots
Skinny: Tom Brady. On. A. Mission. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
KAREN GUREGIAN’S PICKS
NFL MVP: Russell Wilson, Seattle
AFC East champ: Patriots
AFC North champ: Steelers
AFC South champ: Texans
AFC West champ: Chiefs
Wild card 1: Bengals
Wild card 2: Broncos
NFC East champ: Giants
NFC North champ: Packers
NFC South champ: Panthers
NFC West champ: Seahawks
Wild card 1: Cardinals
Wild card 2: Cowboys
AFC champs: Patriots
NFC champs: Seahawks
Super Bowl champs: Patriots
Skinny: Can’t resist the notion they’ll get the last laugh at the league, buoyed, of course, by a P.O’d quarterback as Tom Brady’s second revenge tour scores the big one.
JEFF HOWE’S PICKS
NFL MVP: Andrew Luck
AFC East champ: Patriots
AFC North champ: Steelers
AFC South champ: Colts
AFC West champ: Chiefs
Wild card 1: Broncos
Wild card 2: Bengals
NFC East champ: Redskins
NFC North champ: Packers
NFC South champ: Panthers
NFC West champ: Cardinals
Wild card 1: Seahawks
Wild card 2: Vikings
AFC champs: Patriots
NFC champs: Cardinals
Super Bowl champs: Patriots
Skinny: Loaded with talent and anger, whether it’s the scorned quarterback or the remainder of the roster that feels cheated by injuries in 2015, the Patriots have assembled the most talented roster in the NFL once again.
SEAN LEAHY’S PICKS
NFL MVP: Cam Newton
AFC East champ: Patriots
AFC North champ: Steelers
AFC South champ: Texans
AFC West champ: Chiefs
Wild card 1: Broncos
Wild card 2: Colts
NFC East champ: Giants
NFC North champ: Packers
NFC South champ: Panthers
NFC West champ: Seahawks
Wild card 1: Cardinals
Wild card 2: Buccaneers
AFC champs: Patriots
NFC champs: Panthers
Super Bowl champs: Panthers.
Skinny: Fourteen years later, Cam Newton leads the comeback Jake Delhomme couldn’t last time these teams met in Houston.
ADAM KURKJIAN’S PICKS
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers, Packers
AFC East champ: Patriots
AFC North champ: Bengals
AFC South champ: Texans
AFC West champ: Chiefs
Wild card 1: Broncos
Wild card 2: Steelers
NFC East champ: Cowboys
NFC North champ: Packers
NFC South champ: Panthers
NFC West champ: Cardinals
Wild card 1: Seahawks
Wild card 2: Giants
AFC champs: Patriots
NFC champs: Cardinals
Super Bowl champs: Patriots
Skinny: The defense has come into its own as one of the league’s best, and as long as injuries on the offensive side of the ball don’t pile up any further, the Pats can overcome the Brady suspension.
CHRIS MASON’S PICKS
NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers
AFC East champ: Patriots
AFC North champ: Steelers
AFC South champ: Colts
AFC West champ: Broncos
Wild card 1: Raiders
Wild card 2: Bengals
NFC East champ: Giants
NFC North champ: Packers
NFC South champ: Panthers
NFC West champ: Seahawks
Wild card 1: Cardinals
Wild card 2: Vikings
AFC champs: Patriots
NFC champs: Seahawks
Super Bowl champs: Patriots
Skinny on SB champ – Tom Brady caps off a tumultuous 2016 with his fifth Super Bowl title. Roger Goodell is forced to hand the quarterback a fully-inflated Lombardi Trophy.