NFL Bold Predictions: What To Expect In 2015 Season
By Erik Lambert
Nov 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) meets with Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) after the game at Levi
It’s still a long way before the 2015 NFL season begins, but here are some bold predictions to mull over in the meantime.
St. Louis Rams Win The NFC West
Marshawn Lynch may be retiring from Seattle. The San Francisco 49ers look directionless. As for the Arizona Cardinals, they just lost their defensive coordinator and could lose one of their key corners to free agency. It makes for a perfect situation for a team to come out of nowhere in that division. That is what the St. Louis Rams are poised to do. Already boasting a top defense, they are a quarterback away from balancing things out on offense, making them dark horse favorites for the NFC West crown.
Joe Flacco Reaches His First Pro Bowl
Since 2008, Joe Flacco has only missed the playoffs once his entire career. He also has a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl MVP honors. So it might be hard to imagine that the Baltimore Ravens quarterback has never reached a Pro Bowl. Well expect that to change. With the arrival of offensive coordinator Marc Trestman, Flacco is poised to have his best season as a pro and finally get some of the recognition he deserves by heading to play in Hawaii.
Chicago Bears Defense Finishes In The Top 10
It didn’t get more ugly for the Chicago Bears defense than going back-to-back games giving up 50 points in 2014. There should be no reason to expect this unit to get much better in one season, right? Well thanks to the arrival of head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, that’s exactly what will happen. Thanks to some heady free agent deals and drafting, not only will the Bears rebound, they will actually finish in the top 10 overall.
Eli Manning Wins NFL MVP
Most of the season it was pretty ugly for Eli Manning with all the interceptions, but he actually finished with a flourish. Now the veteran New York Giants quarterback is set to enter a season with Victor Cruz and Odell Beckham Jr. as his primary receivers. Not to mention a stable ground attack led by Rashad Jennings and Andre Williams. Not only will Manning have a career year, but he will finally join his brother Peyton in an exclusive club by winning NFL MVP.
Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick Each Rush for 1,000 Yards
Even as teams begin to swing back towards appreciating pocket quarterbacks more, the era of the running quarterback goes on. Most people might not realize that Russell Wilson rushed for 849 yards and his divisional counterpart Colin Kaepernick managed 639. Not only will the two best those numbers in 2015, they will become first quarterbacks in NFL history to break 1,000 yards rushing as a pair.