Injuries ravaged the Baltimore Ravens in 2015, as 22 players ended the season on injured-reserve, and the Ravens finished 5-11, their first losing season in the John Harbaugh-Joe Flacco era. Despite an 11 loss season, the Ravens were in every game, with 14 of their games decided by 8 points or less. If quarterback Joe Flacco, running back Justin Forsett, defensive end Terrell Suggs, and wide receiver Steve Smith return to full strength, Baltimore should pick up where they left off, as perennial contenders in the physical AFC North. 2015 was supposed to be Smith’s retirement tour, but after a torn Achilles tendon ended his season the veteran wideout decided to come back in 2016. Smith joins second-year receiver Breshad Perriman, Mike Wallace, and Kamar Aiken to form a potentially dangerous group for Flacco. Baltimore drafted rookie offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley sixth overall from Notre Dame to propel an already strong offensive line, featuring Pro Bowl guard Marshall Yanda. What made the Ravens a threat year in and year out for the past decade has been their defense. Edge rusher Elvis Dumervil was their lone Pro Bowler from that unit in 2015. Baltimore needs more from third-year defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan, but the return of Suggs should help improve the front seven. C.J. Mosley is a rising star in the middle. The Ravens secondary hasn’t been the same since safety Ed Reed retired, but the free agent signing of Eric Weddle will help improve the defense greatly. Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith are two very talented defensive backs, and the Ravens will need them to be productive. The Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers are projected as front-runners in the AFC North, but if the Ravens return to form they should find themselves right in the mix for the division.

It’s homecoming for the Rams as they return to Los Angeles after playing in St. Louis for the past 21 seasons. Rams fans in L.A. rejoice as fans in St. Louis may be bitter, but the team has a promising future as they used the No. 1 overall pick to select quarterback Jared Goff out of the University of California. Now the question is when will the team hand Goff the reigns? The Rams are expected to start the 2016 season with Case Keenum starting behind center. If the team gets off to a rocky start, expect to hear calls for the prized rookie QB. What makes either Goff or Keenum’s job easier is a workhorse running back in Todd Gurley, who eclipsed 1,100 yards rushing in his Pro Bowl rookie year. Gurley will be fed the ball, as the Rams wide receivers are talented, but inconsistent. Tavon Austin has had a lot of hype, but hasn’t always met his potential, and Kenny Britt is as athletic as anyone, but the two receivers need to have big years for Los Angeles to be successful. The Rams front seven on defense is one of the best in the NFL, and they will need to be to make up for a secondary that lost three starters from 2015. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald is regarded as one of the best players in the NFL, and he, Robert Quinn, Michael Brockers, and William Hayes can create havoc for opposing offenses. Akeem Ayers, Alec Ogletree, and Mark Barron are solid behind the stout defensive line. The Rams may be a year or two away from being serious contenders in Los Angeles, especially in a tough NFC West division. The Rams finished 7-9 in 2015 and will have to have a lot of things go right to top that mark in 2016, as the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks are considered major Super Bowl contenders. Rams fans should be excited about Gurley, Goff, and the defense as this team looks to build upon their return to Los Angeles.

As long as the New England Patriots can survive the first four games of the 2016 season without two-time MVP quarterback Tom Brady, they should find themselves right in the mix for the top of the AFC. A lot will be asked of second-year quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who fills in for Brady. It helps having not only the best tight end, but one of the best targets in general in Rob Gronkowski, who will have another monster year. Gronkowski is also a fan favorite, as his jerseys, signed or unsigned, are consistently among the top-selling online. Patriots fans have little to worry about with head coach Bill Belichick still running the team, as New England has missed the postseason only 3 times in his 16 seasons, including 4 Super Bowl titles under his reign. Expect no different in the 2016 season, as they come off a 12-4, first place AFC East finish, where they reached the AFC Championship Game. The offense should have no issues moving the ball, with Garoppolo and Brady throwing to Gronkowski, newly signed tight end Martellus Bennett, and wide receivers Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. It’s near-impossible to predict who will be the running back heading into Week 17, but Dion Lewis, LaGarrette Blount, James White, and Donald Brown all should get a chance to make their claim. Defensively, the Patriots are balanced. Former Rams defensive end Chris Long should be productive, and Dont’a Hightower leads the linebackers. Defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Jamie Collins look to return to the Pro Bowl form in 2016. Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler returns as New England’s top cornerback, and Devin McCourty and Patrick Chung are Pro Bowl-caliber safeties behind him. The Patriots drafted former Alabama star Cyrus Jones in the second round to help the secondary. The Patriots consistently have one of the NFL’s best special teams units, combine that with the best coaching staff and balance on both sides of the football and you have a true Super Bowl contender. In a deep AFC East with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills emerging as contenders, and Brady out four games, it will be tough to match the 2015 win total, but the Patriots should have no problem reaching, or exceeding the AFC Championship.

The 2015 Carolina Panthers came just short of a near-perfect season, starting 14-0 and finishing 15-1 en route to a Super Bowl matchup with the Denver Broncos. The Broncos would beat the Panthers 24-10, but Carolina returns a serious contender to avenge their Super Bowl loss entering the 2016 NFL season. The Panthers had 10 players voted into the Pro Bowl and 8 All-Pro selections. A major loss heading into 2016 was All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman being released due to salary cap concerns, and he signed with the Washington Redskins. That leaves the secondary as the Panthers only area of weakness, with the departure of Norman and the retirement of Charles Tillman. Still, with 2015 MVP Cam Newton returning at quarterback, the Panthers are as good as anyone. Newton also gets his top target back in wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who returns from a torn ACL suffered in the preseason. Benjamin and tight end Greg Olsen pair with receivers Ted Ginn Jr. and Devin Funchess to form a scary aerial attack. Pro Bowl running back Jonathan Stewart returns with All-Pro fullback Mike Tolbert to give the Panthers some balance offensively. An offensive line featuring Michael Oher and All-Pros Ryan Kalil and Trai Turner gives Newton and head coach Ron Rivera little to worry about. Despite some question marks in the secondary, Carolina‘s front seven still puts them among the NFL’s best defenses. Linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis form the best group in the league, and defensive tackle Kawann Short returns and defensive end Charles Johnson and tackle Star Lotulelei add bulk to a stout defensive line. Carolina should have no trouble holding off the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, or Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC South. Don’t expect another 15-1 season in 2016, but behind MVP Cam Newton a balanced group on both sides of the football, the Panthers emerge as one of the favorites to represent the NFC in Super Bowl 51.

Entering the sixth season since the Green Bay Packers last brought the Lombardi Trophy back home to “Titletown,” expectations can’t be any higher entering the 2016 NFL season for a team that consistently contends under head coach Mike McCarthy and two-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers. The return of Rodgers’ prime target, wide receiver Jordy Nelson, and the rare free-agent signing of tight end Jared Cook hope to get the Packers offense back to their typical dynamic form after a tough 2015 season, where they finished 10-6 and advanced to the NFC Divisional Round, where their offense struggled more than in previous years. The Packers have arguably the most loyal and passionate fans, known as “Cheeseheads,” and they will pack Lambeau Field as they always have, and you typically see as many Green Bay jerseys as the home team when they travel. An intriguing story line has been the slimmed down appearance of running back Eddie Lacy, who the Packers will need to be more productive to add balance to the offense. Wide receiver Randall Cobb is poised for another strong season, and the Packers look for more out of third year receiver Davante Adams, whose drops and inconsistent play hurt Green Bay in 2015. The Packers have made an emphasis on improving on defense with the past few drafts. Former Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is a rising star and cornerback Damarious Randall has the making of a breakout player this season. Two rookies are expected to start on defense, including top pick from UCLA Kenny Clark at defensive tackle and Stanford linebacker Blake Martinez. The Packers have perennial All-Pro Clay Matthews returning to his natural position rushing the quarterback from outside linebacker, after filling in at middle linebacker out of necessity. Defensive end Julius Peppers looks to have a strong year and push for a Super Bowl victory at the tail end of his great career. Defensive end Mike Daniels, safety Morgan Burnett, and cornerback Sam Shields all return to a defense that should continue to improve. The Minnesota Vikings ended up winning the NFC North in 2015, but expect the Packers to regain the top spot that they’ve held for much of the past decade as their rival Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions will be looking up in the division standings. The Packers have as good of a chance as any to reach Super Bowl 51, and if they can use some of the magic they saw in the two Hail Mary throws from Rodgers with a more consistent offensive attack in 2016, bringing the Lombardi Trophy back to Titletown is a strong possibility.