The debut of the Brinson Model during Monday's for every single ahead of the 2023 season was such a raging succe s, Corporate asked me to dust off my proprietary projection proce s for some more fun the very next day. Which brings us to division title and wild-card picks, e sentially my "way too early" playoff picks.Last year my Frank Jackson Jersey good friend Jason La Canfora (only the and cost him a sweep), although his wild-card record left something to be desired. Picking playoff teams in August is hard. Picking playoff teams in May ... even harder!I plan to abide by the projection system here -- any manual tweaks for my preferred selections usually comes during the actual projection proce s anyway. Plus, given all the fantastic feedback I've gotten from satisfied readers ... how could I not???Over on Instagram ( for my picks!), I've been called "dry trash," a "" and a "doofus." People asked how I "still have a job," told me I "write with my a s," that I'm "higher than Denver itself" ... and someone even angrily complained I gave the a 12-5 record. Twitter () wasn't much better, although it was mostly fans screaming about my giving them a 7-10 record. You know every NFL fanbase is delusional when Browns fans -- despite Cleveland having four seasons with eight wins or more since 1999 -- are apoplectic about a 7-10 record in May. Spoiler, Browns fans: You don't win the division below!Angry optimism runs red through the NFL streets, my friends. Let's dive back in! (Note: Division winners are in bold; wild-card teams have an asterisk.) (12-5) -- Division winner (10-7)* -- Wild-card team (9-8) (8-9)A very easy selection for me at the top: Buffalo might be "down" after failing to beat the again, but this roster is still loaded and -- last I checked -- Josh Allen is still very, very good. The presence of can put up for debate "best quarterback in the division" but I'll still take Allen relative to the continuity i sues each of them face. If the Jets offense takes flight out of the gate -- without any delays, even -- this could be a different story. And I think the Jets will push Buffalo here as long as Rodgers stays upright and healthy. But Buffalo is great value in the betting market and definitely strong Andre Roberson Jersey value in the prediction market if everyone and their brother is dabbling in Big Apple futures. (13-4) -- Division winner (12-5)* -- Wild-card team (9-8)Cleveland Browns (7-10)The Bengals have never been AFC North champs for three straight seasons. Last year was just their 12th divisional title and just the second time they repeated as divisional champs. is pretty good! This year would have been a cakewalk, too, barring something strange, if Baltimore hadn't gotten its act together and inked Lamar Jackson to a long-term deal. Jackson's presence definitely makes this divisional race much more interesting. I've still got the Bengals squeaking it out, although in very narrow fashion with the Ravens projecting as the top wild-card team in the AFC. I love Todd Monken's addition as offensive coordinator plus the weapons Baltimore grabbed for Lamar this offseason. The Steelers were definitely close to being a wild-card team in my model; Matt Canada is very meh but I like what they've done to the roster. The Browns went 3-3 last year with back, beating the , Ravens sans Lamar and Washington. Maybe settle down on this coronation, Cleveland. (11-6) -- Division winnerHouston Texans (7-10) (6-11)Indianapolis Colts (4-13)The AFC South once again represents what will likely be the worst of the conferences in terms of total performance by a division, but this is a potentially enthralling division for the long haul with three top-five picks in , and plus a projected top-five pick () in lined up to run these offenses for the next little bit. I thought I'd be down on Jacksonville a little bit relative to the rest of the "market," but once you run through the schedule it's hard to really hate on the Jags. Stroud or Richardson could definitely surprise and I never rule out Mike Vrabel/Ryan Tannehill/Derrick Henry making chicken salad from le s appetizing ingredients. But right now the Jaguars look like the cream of the crop in this division, particularly if Lawrence makes a leap in his second season with Doug Pederson.Kansas City Chiefs (14-3) -- Division winner (9-8)* -- Wild-card team (8-9) (7-10)People questioned the Chiefs last year, and it . The Chiefs are the defending champions and even though they dealt with some attrition, they still have and Andy Reid, which puts them in the pole position to dominate this division yet again. Anything under -200 should be considered a good bet with how the Chiefs operate. The Broncos and Chargers are a little scary -- as long as Denver's flying under the radar going into the season I'll be higher on them. Sean Payton is a ma sive, ma sive upgrade over Nathaniel Hackett. It really can't be overstated enough. Someone got mad at me for putting the Raiders in fourth place here ... they've finished second three times since 2003 and haven't won the division since Chris Paul Jersey 2002, so maybe settle down on demanding I think the Raiders will be great this season. Baltimore Ravens (12-5)New York Jets (10-7)Denver Broncos (9-8) (10-7) -- Division winner (10-7)* -- Wild-card team (9-8)* -- Wild-card team (6-11)Eagles fans are also very steamed up about this projection. Don't blame me! The Brinson Model is an unbiased, proprietary projection system designed to mathematically simulate an NFL season as accurately as robotically po sible. Also, Philly went from having the easiest schedule in the NFL in 2022 to having the hardest. I actually want to pick the Giants to win the division and the model giving them nine wins in Brian Daboll's second season gives me good reason to do just that. For now I'm rolling with the Cowboys, who might actually be Jerami Grant Jersey improved on offense with a little balance from Mike McCarthy's playcalling, something I'm sure I won't regret later. I'm higher on than most but this is just how Washington's schedule fell. (10-7) -- Division winner (8-9) (6-11) (6-11)Just like the Jags, the Lions surprised me with how high they finished in my model here. I sort of felt like I'd be down on them and higher on Minnesota and Green Bay and yet ... the numbers don't lie. Detroit's got a HUGE game to start the season against Kansas City; I'm more worried about how the Lions from that matchup (win or lose) than how they perform in Arrowhead with a pair of huge home conference games looming immediately afterwards. The NFC North has never been more wide open with Aaron Rodgers' departure. Dan Campbell and would love to take advantage. But I wouldn't put it past any of these teams from winning the North either -- Minnesota was a luck box last year but has a very good roster. taking a leap would make the Bears VERY interesting and is a complete and total wild card, not just in this division but the conference as well. I'm fully prepared for this set of projections to be completely wrong. (10-7) -- Division winner (8-9) (7-10) (5-12)Another division that's just wide open. The Falcons are MY TEAM this year, for better or for worse it seems. I love what they did this offseason, turning a very questionable roster into a Titans-lite type of team that can be physical in the run game and efficient from a pa sing standpoint. The Panthers I initially had higher and would not be surprised to see win 10 games if clicks early on. Carolina is also one of my favorite sleepers in the NFC. I'm not as high on the Saints as a lot of folks -- is an upgrade but he's not a guy to take them over the top and the coaching staff still gives me some pause. Tampa Bay can prove me wrong but it's still dealing with the fallout Mike Muscala Jersey from winning a Super Bowl with and going all-in on trying to chase a second one in 2021/2022. Bruce Arians' departure is still being felt. San Francisco 49ers (12-5) -- Division winner (9-8)* -- Wild-card teamLos Angeles Rams (9-8) (3-14)My model projects the Seahawks over the Rams via tiebreaker, but both teams are pretty far back of the 49ers. Now, things can change, especially if isn't great or isn't healthy or some combination of the two. If the QB situation is a problem, San Francisco can still be a playoff team for sure in a weakened NFC, but the ultimate goal of winning a Super Bowl is gonna be tough. And I think or is capable of snaking the Niners if Kyle Shanahan's crew stumbles for any reason. Both Seattle and L.A. are undervalued coming into 2023. The Cardinals are the worst team in football and it's not particularly close for me.Philadelphia Eagles (10-7)New York Giants (9-8)Seattle Seahawks (9-8)
