The NFL is finally back with a Super Bowl rematch between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers kicking things off Thursday night. TSN.ca makes their predictions on the upcoming season.

AFC

Mike Hetherington

Even with Tom Brady suspended for the first four games of the season, the Patriots remain the class of the AFC East. The Bills are coming off of a drama-filled offseason and I don’t expect Ryan Fitzpatrick to have the same magic he did a year ago with the Jets.

The North could go to either the explosive Steelers or the run-heavy Bengals. The Bengals have the edge on defence but, thanks to their dominant offence, the Steelers take the crown.

The Jaguars are a trendy playoff pick right now, but with so many young players, I they’re at least a year away. The Texans are a hard team to recognize from a season ago after their offensive overhaul and are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Colts have a lot of question marks but if Andrew Luck can stay healthy, he’ll lead them to the division title.

The AFC West is the toughest division to predict in football this year. The Broncos are coming off a Super Bowl win but are starting former seventh-rounder Trevor Siemian at quarterback; the Raiders showed a lot of promise last season but still have some holes on their roster; and the Chiefs rebounded from a 1-5 start to finish 11-5 last season. Kansas City will be without pass rusher Justin Houston for at least the first six weeks, but they do have star running back Jamaal Charles back in the fold. This one comes down to the wire, but the Chiefs have what it takes to edge the Broncos and Raiders, who both miss the playoffs with winning records.

Ben Fisher

Twelve games of a pissed off Tom Brady should more than make up for the first four he’ll miss, and the Patriots should once again win the AFC East. The Jets return pretty much the same team as last year but could have trouble matching that season’s overachieving mark of 10-6. The Dolphins will be better with Adam Gase at head coach but nobody will mistake them for the Pats and the Bills, after the preseason from hell, should finish in the division’s basement.

The Steelers are the consensus pick to win the AFC North but everyone seems to be forgetting the inevitable injuries they’ll run into. And because of that, the standings should look a lot like last year’s, with the Bengals finishing on top. The Ravens will be better than last year but still figure to be an also-ran with the Browns.

Andrew Luck’s return from injury doesn’t necessarily restore order in the AFC South. The Texans won the division last year based off their solid defence and presumably have a better quarterback this year in Brock Osweiler. Osweiler only has to be good enough to get out of JJ Watt’s way for another division title. The Jaguars are on the cusp of being good, but they’re not there yet.

The AFC West is another tough division to predict, but those forecasting the Broncos’ doom are exaggerating the drop-off at QB. Not because Trevor Siemian is any good necessarily, but because Denver’s QBs last year were so bad. The Broncos should win the division again based off their defence, with the Chiefs too banged up and the Raiders still too green to mount a formidable challenge.

NFC

Hetherington

With Tony Romo likely sidelined for likely half the season, the Redskins should be able to repeat as champions in the East. Kirk Cousins is once again playing for a contract and the defence added All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman. If Dak Prescott is all the Cowboys hope he can be, the rookie combination with Ezekiel Elliott could lead Dallas to a surprise title.

I already had the Packers winning the North before Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater tore his ACL, but that was only by one or two wins. Now, the Packers have a much easier road to the division title, while the Vikings will be clawing for a playoff spot with Sam Bradford.

Like the North, the South also has a clear favourite in the Carolina Panthers. The team may not go 15-1 again, but the Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints aren’t scaring anyone. The Panthers take this division by a comfortable margin.

The Arizona Cardinals will be the best team in the NFL this season. Their offence is has dynamic weapons in both the passing and running game and their defence is built to create turnovers. The Seahawks’ defence is once again one of the best units in the league, but the pressure is on Russell Wilson to lead offence with his arm. The division goes to the Cardinals, but Seattle should have no trouble reaching the playoffs in the top-heavy NFC.

After the Bradford trade, the Minnesota Vikings should be once again considered the favourite for the final wild card spot, but throwing in a new quarterback just before the season is a risky bet. The Vikings bet a lot on Bradford, believing their defence and running game are championship worthy. Another team with a similar mentality is the Los Angeles Rams. With their defence stacked and running game led by Todd Gurley, the Rams mortgaged their future earlier this year to select Jared Goff first overall. Now, Goff won’t start for the Rams who will instead give the nod to Case Keenum, but I’m still California Dreamin’ with Gurley and the Rams.

Fisher

Even before Tony Romo got injured in the preseason I was hesitant to pick Dallas to win the NFC East because I knew he’d get injured; or at the very least someone else of consequence on the Cowboys. That leaves Washington and the Giants and while I think Kirk Cousins should develop into a solid starting QB this year, the Giants’ free agent additions should push them to the top of the division standings. Carson Wentz will need some time before he pulls the Eagles out of the division basement.

A spirited battle for the NFC North was lost for the year alongside Teddy Bridgewater when he tore his ACL in the preseason. Sam Bradford may still get the Vikings into the playoffs, but the division will once again belong to the Packers. The Bears could make some noise, and the Lions very little to round out the division.

The Panthers won’t have the cakewalk they had to the NFC South title last year, but they’ll end up with it all the same. An improved Buccaneers team could jump into second but the Saints have enough offence to challenge them for the spot. The Falcons figure to be more 2-7 finish from last year than 6-1 start, and finish in the division basement.

Two teams, in the Seahawks and Cardinals, figure to be locks for the playoffs in the NFC West with the only question being which of them ends up with the division title. The Seahawks have the longer track record so get my nod as the safer pick, but the Cardinals figure to be explosive and finish a close second. The Rams are probably a QB away from contending while the 49ers could be the worst team in the league.

Super Bowl

Hetherington – Cardinals over Patriots

The Arizona Cardinals are most the complete team in football entering the season and own some depth at their skill positions, a valuable trait come December. Stacked with talent in the running and passing game with a high-pressure defence to boot, the Cardinals have everything it takes to emerge from the tough NFC. The Patriots on the other hand, will be on the Tom Brady revenge tour this season and will edge the Steelers and their shaky secondary for the AFC crown. In the end, the Cardinals offence will be able to put up too many points for the Patriots to keep up. Cardinals 31, Patriots 24.

Fisher – Bengals over Seahawks

With a weakened Broncos team and Brady missing the first four games for the Pats, the Bengals have a real shot at earning home field advantage throughout the playoffs this year. That could be enough to shed their playoff reputation and carry them to the Super Bowl. After all, Andy Dalton was playing at a MVP candidate level before getting injured late last season and if he can pick up where he left off this year, the only thing standing in the Bengals’ way could be their past reputation.

There are four teams a cut above in the NFC and I’d be shocked if the conference’s eventual champion isn’t one of the Seahawks, Packers, Cardinals, or Panthers. While my colleague is siding with the Cardinals, I’ll take the Seahawks to make their third Super Bowl appearance in four years.

Whoever the NFC sends to the Super Bowl will be a formidable foe, but I’m sticking with the Bengals to get the playoff monkey completely off their back with a Super Bowl win. Who doesn’t like a feel good story?

MVP

Hetherington – Aaron Rodgers, Packers

I picked Aaron Rodgers for this award in 2014… and again 2015. Call me predictable, but it’s hard to go against the game’s best passer. With Jordy Nelson healthy again and a new weapon in Jared Cook, I think Rodgers will have no problem finding his old form to win his third MVP award. The surprise release of Josh Sitton gives cause for concern as Rodgers’ season could be derailed by pressure, but if the offensive line holds up, Rodgers has the talent around him to tear apart defences.

The Steelers duo of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown are exactly that, a duo. Each will steal votes from each other, taking them out of the MVP race. I think Russell Wilson is a dark horse for this award in as the Seahawks lean on him more than ever, but I’m not sure he’s quite ready to make the leap. My MVP sleeper is Todd Gurley, who will deserve it if he can get the Rams to the playoffs.

Fisher – Russell Wilson, Seahawks

I would love to include a wide receiver in the conversation but the voters have proven it’s not an award receivers can win. A receiver has never been awarded MVP in the 60 years it has been handed out, despite the fact a placekicker is among the illustrious list of winners. The award is more often than not a quarterback’s to lose and two stick out as the frontrunners ahead of the season in Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers.

Both are obviously among the most talented at their position and each has a case this year provides the opportunity to take their performance to the level needed to win the MVP. Rodgers gets his top receiver back in Jordy Nelson and Wilson will have more chance to take games over with the retirement of running back Marshawn Lynch and the expected higher reliance of the passing game. Wilson’s torrid finish to last year’s campaign gives him the edge in my books to be named this year’s MVP. As for the top receiver, he’ll have to settle for the redundant Offensive Player of the Year.

Defensive Player of the Year – Tyrann Mathieu, Cardinals

Hetherington

J.J. Watt has won defensive player of the year three of the past four years. He’s the favourite to win it again this season, rightly so. But, I’m taking the Cardinals safety to become the first defensive back since 2010 to be named the league’s top defender.

Mathieu has been on the rise the since joining the Cardinals and 2013 and was all over the field before tearing his ACL in Week 15 of last season. Mathieu’s statistics from last season speak for themselves. With 89 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, five interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) 17 passes defenced and nine stuffs, Mathieu had one of the most well-rounded stat sheets of any player in the game.

Now, he’s ready to take the next step in his development so long as he can stay healthy for a full 16 games. I believe he can.

Mathieu edges Watt, Luke Kuechly and Von Miller for the award.

Fisher – Khalil Mack, Raiders

This is Khalil Mack’s year. And that’s good news for people who don’t like fraudulent records. The record I’m referring to of course is the single-season sacks record, which Brett Favre gifted to Michael Strahan in 2001. Mack’s QB Derek Carr said he could get 30. Carr’s a better teammate than he is a prognosticor, but 23 is certainly reachable, which would eclipse Strahan’s 22.5. Now, there’s definitely work to do, Mack only had 15 last year, but 10 came down the stretch in his last six games. The key for Mack is Bruce Irvin. If he can dissuade teams from double-teaming Mack as often as he’s been the first two seasons of his career, Strahan’s sack record could be in real trouble. Alongisde as JJ Watt’s hold on scariest lineman to face title.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Hetherington – Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys

Elliott has been the most obvious choice for this award since draft night. With or without Tony Romo, Jason Garrett wants to run the ball behind his dominant offensive line, meaning Zeke should get no shortage of carries. Elliott seems destined for a 1,000-yard season as a rookie and that should be enough to win him the award.

Houston Texans first-rounder Will Fuller and Cincinnati Bengals second-round pick Tyler Boyd are both candidates to pull the surprise upset. Both wide receivers are slated to open the season in a starting role and could flirt with the 1,000-yard mark themselves.

Fisher - Elliott

We should really be picking the runner up in this category because barring injury, it’s hard to see Ezekiel Elliott not running away with the award. His case was hurt a little with Romo’s injury, as the Cowboys’ offence doesn’t figure to be as explosive; but Elliott still figures to have an essential role on offence maybe even more so now. No other rookie, other than teammate Dak Prescott ironically, can say that.

And if we are picking a runner up, Prescott is still too much of a risk for me and I’ll instead go with Will Fuller on the Texans.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Hetherington – Jalen Ramsey, Jaguars

Between Ramsey and second-round pick Myles Jack, there’s a very good chance this award goes to a Jaguar. Ramsey made plays all over the field while playing cornerback and safety at Florida State. Jaguars head coach - and former Seahawks defensive coordinator - Gus Bradley is creative enough to put Ramsey in a position to shine as a rookie at cornerback. One thing that could hold him back, though, is his hands. He had only three interceptions in three college seasons, and he’ll need to create turnovers to win this award. Jack’s role as a sub-package linebacker to open the season limits his opportunities, leaving Ramsey as my pick.

Fisher – Robert Nkemdiche, Cardinals

The early favourites both play for the Jags, with teammates Myles Jack and Jalen Ramsey figuring to duke it out for this year’s honour. But too much can still go wrong in Jacksonville for my liking, so I’m going to head west and pick a player on a team that figures to be a Super Bowl contender. Robert Nkemdick fell in the draft just like Jack, albeit for entirely different reasons, but the Cardinals rookie is a Top 10 talent who’s talent (sacking QBs) generates a lot of headlines. Nkemdiche could be a middle class man’s Aaron Donald, which should be more than enough to take home Defensive Rookie of the Year.