This story appears in the Aug. 27, 2018, issue of Sports Illustrated. For more great storytelling and in-depth analysis, subscribe to the magazine—and get up to 94% off the cover price. Click here for more.
One thing is predictable in the NFL: The season will be unpredictable—just ask the reigning Super Bowl champs. (SI saw Philly going 8–8 this time last year.) We asked Andy Benoit to forecast the 2018 season anyway, and below he has a few notes about his predictions.
• The NFC will be stronger at the top and deeper than the AFC.