A Super Bowl rematch 20 years in the making?

Apparently, I’m getting pretty good at this NFL prognosticating stuff.

Two years ago, I picked Baltimore and San Francisco to meet up in the Super Bowl, which they did, and last year I told you that the Seattle Seahawks would use a solid running game and a stingy defense to take down the Cincinnati Bengals and capture the Vince Lombardi Trophy. (Ok, so I missed on Cincinnati, but still...)

Picking these things aren’t easy. There is turnover in the playoffs each and every year. If you go by averages, half of the teams that made the post-season last year won’t make it this year.

I mean, I suppose I could just throw darts at a list of teams and come up with 12 names to stick in the playoffs, but that doesn’t make for very fun or interesting writing when it comes to columns.

So I will try to keep the streak going again this year as I offer my thoughtful take on each of the eight NFL division races. Let’s start this year’s division-by-division breakdown with the defending champs in the NFC West.

Just two plays in the pre-season turned this division on its ear. A season-ending knee injury to defensive lineman Dar- nell Dockett put a crimp in the division hopes of Arizona, while another ACL injury derailed St. Louis quarterback most likely ended any possible thoughts the Rams had of winning the division. San Francisco has looked like a shell of itself on offense in the pre-season (although it is the preseason), but Seattle has simply looked as good, if not better, than it did last year. There is no reason to believe that the Seahawks won’t win the West and possibly go back to the Super Bowl again.

So much for the old Black-n’-Blue Division. The NFC North is shaping up to resemble the Pac-12 with teams loaded in offense but lacking in defense. It may take 30 points a game or more to win and Chicago looks like the team most capable of doing that with arguably the top WR combo in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. Green Bay can also put up points, but was hurt on defense with the recent injury to B.J. Raji.

Detroit is still too undisciplined to be a threat and Minnesota is too risky pick because of an unsettled quarterback situation.

Will this be the year the Falcons rise up and get back to Super Bowl contender? No. A possible wild card berth is in play for Atlanta, but the division title should go to New Orleans. The Falcons have too many injury concerns at too many key spots, while the Saints simply have a better defense. Carolina may have to shut out all its opponents to have a shot to win. The offense looks anemic and the only true threat, quarterback Cam Newton, has some injury concerns. As for Tampa Bay, the atmosphere should be much better with Lovie Smith at the helm, but the Bucs and their alarm clocklooking jerseys are still a year or two away.

And in the NFC East, Dallas may be the first team to score 49 points a game and give up 50 on defense. Injuries have ravaged an already bad Cowboys defense, and in New York, the Giants have the defense, but questions linger on offense, especially in the running game and along the offensive line. Washington has all the potential to win the division, but should Robert Griffin III or Kirk Cousins be the man under center? That leaves Philadelphia to win the division by default. The Eagles’ offense could be the most explosive in the league.

Their defense isn’t great, but it should be enough to get them through the playoffs.

Division winners: Seattle, Chicago, New Orleans, Philadelphia

Wild Cards: Atlanta, San Francisco

Moving to the AFC West, Denver shored up its defense with free agency in the off-season and even with the health status of Wes Welker in question (he probably should retire for his own sake due to the concussion issues), the Broncos should roll to the title. I expect Kansas City to take a step backward because you can’t win a division with just with Jamaal Charles as your only offensive threat. San Diego is intriguing because of their offense, but can Phillip Rivers put together great backto-back seasons? And the biggest question concerning Oakland revolves around whether I will be typing “San Antonio Raiders” or “Los Angeles Raiders” by this time next year.

Last year, an early season-ending injury to Geno Atkins derailed my Cincinnati Super Bowl pick before it really got started. The Bengals could still win the division this year, but I think Pittsburgh is the team to beat in the AFC North. Their passing game is better than you think and the running game will be better (if they can keep their running backs away from the doobies), plus the defense is getting younger and more aggressive. There are just too many question marks in Baltimore, while Cleveland has a sneaky good defense, but they

are shaky on offense, especially without Josh “Second-Hand Smoke” Gordon all season long. And yes, I think Johnny Manziel will be the starter by the midway point of the year, if not sooner.

The weakest division in football this year? Probably the AFC South, where Indianapolis appears to be the favorite, but would you bet the house on them in a playoff game? Neither would I. Still, they get the nod due to the fact that they have a proven NFL quarterback in Andrew Luck. Your sleeper team is Tennessee. Jake Locker was playing at an All-Pro level before he got hurt last year and he knows he has to produce this season. Throw in an above-average defense and maybe the best offensive line in the league and the Titans have a shot. Houston has the best two defensive end in J.J. Watt and Jadaveon Clowney, but little else. As for Jacksonville, the Blake Bortles Era may begin earlier than expected...maybe even before they relocate to L.A.

And in the AFC East, New England is still the default champion of a division that ranks just above the AFC South. Take Tom Brady off the Patriots and you are looking at 5-11 at best, but with Brady, the Pats still have a chance. He hasn’t gotten as much credit as he should, but Rex Ryan is a darn good NFL coach and he will somehow have New York battling for a division title. We keep waiting for Miami to finally turn the corner, but the Dolphins still feel two steps be-

hind in the division. And as far as Buffalo goes, all Bills fans should be “livin’ on a prayer” that the club stays in Western New York once it finally gets sold.

Division Champions: Denver, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, New England

Wild Cards: Tennessee, Cincinnati

You have to go back to eight years to find the last time a defending Super Bowl champion won even a single playoff game the following year, much less went back to the Super Bowl. We haven’t had a repeat Super Bowl champion since New England (2003, 2004). And as for two teams facing off in two straight Super Bowls? Well, that’s only happened once — 20 years ago when Dallas topped Buffalo in 1993 and again in 1994.

If that is ever going to happen again, this may be the year. Denver appears to be the best team in a relatively weak AFC (only five teams turned in double-digit win totals last year) and Seattle is simply head and shoulders above anything else the NFC has to offer.

That leaves us (well, me at least) with a Denver-Seattle Super Bowl rematch, if you can call it a rematch considering last year’s game was over before the first bowl of buffalo dip got polished off at my house. I picked them last year and I see no reason to jump off the bandwagon now.

My Super Bowl prediction: Seattle over Denver (again)

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