Fancy Boys Football: Season Predictions & Super Bowl Picks

Football season is finally here. And the Fancy Boys Football team is done reading Matt Drufke’s crystal ball and ready to share our expert predictions for the 2019 season.

Who will be the MVP? Will Aaron Donald win a third straight Defensive Player of the Year award? Will the Dolphins win a game? [Editor’s note: they will not] How many types of cheese will be on Matt Drufke’s pregame charcuterie plate?

Find out who will win every award, division, and the Super Bowl. Spoilers for the 2019 NFL season to follow.

MVP

Baker Mayfield, QB, Cleveland Browns – Brandon Andreason

There was so much hype on this team in the preseason, that we are now getting the inevitable backlash against them among talking heads. It’s a scary world to live in that the Browns might be good, and that feels like the thing that is driving a lot of the anti-Browns sentiment. There is undeniable talent on both sides of the ball, and the skepticism feels like it’s going to give way to genuine excitement by Thanksgiving. 

In 14 games last season, he threw for 3,700 yards and had a 2:1 TD to INT ratio. He completed 64% of his passes, and did all of this while learning a brand new offense under a coach that was fired mid-season. They also started last year with their best running back, Nick Chubb, firmly set as the number three running back. The other running backs are gone. Odell Beckham is here. I’m unapologetically enthusiastic about this offense.

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs – Jack Baker

I get the Mayfield hype, but you’re basically hoping that he’ll become as good as of a player as Mahomes already is. Last year, Mahomes threw for 5,000 yards with a TD to INT ratio of better than 4:1. He put together one of the greatest seasons in the history of football in only his second year. He’s a superstar, with a talented group of skill players to throw the ball too, and one of the best offensive minds in football running the show. Mahomes could be even better in 2019.

Offensive Player of the Year

Saquon Barkley, RB, New York Giants – Jack Baker

The Giants are terrible, but Saquon Barkley is not. After trading away Odell Beckham Jr., the Giants are going to trot out an offense featuring Barkley and the two dopiest QBs in league history. As a rookie, Barkley had over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 15 TDs. He’s already the best running back in the NFL and is primed for a big 2019. While team success factors heavily in MVP voting, a statistically dominant season from a superstar on a bad team should be enough for Barkley to take home his first OPOY award.

Russell Wilson, QB, Seattle Seahawks – Brandon Andreason

I have a lot of faith in the fact that Russ is gonna put up ungodly huge numbers this season. Offensive Player of the Year feels more like “Fantasy Football Player of the Year” and I think Wilson is gonna be on his feet running more than he has in a few seasons to go along with having to huck the ball through the air 40 times per game.

Defensive Player of the Year

Aaron Donald, QB Destroyer, Los Angeles Rams – Jack Baker

My heart says, “Take Khalil Mack.” My head says, “Yeah, take Mack.” But my gut says Donald has won two DPOY awards in a row, and as long as he stays healthy, he’ll be taking home a third at the end of this season. Donald is the single most disruptive force in the NFL. He destroys QBs almost as well as the Washington Redskins medical staff. He might be both the best run stuffer and pass rusher in the NFL. Before the start of the season, his peers voted him as the best player in football and I see no reason to disagree.

Khalil Mack, LB, Chicago Bears – Brandon Andreason

Your gut is stupid. Follow your heart. Khalil Mack is now going to be in a much more aggressive defense that is going to blitz more often. Mack is consistently at his best when he is barrelling off of the edge, overwhelming left tackles. If he stays healthy, 20 sacks is in play this season. Four total games against the Vikings, Giants, and Raiders might be good for 10 sacks just right there.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders – Brandon Andreason

Call me crazy, but I don’t think Kyler Murray is going to be good this year. It might not be an indictment on Murray as much as the Cardinals are going to be a trash ass team this year. I’ll give it to Jacobs because he is probably going to be the heavy use lead back for the Raiders this season. His main backup is already on injured reserve. His new backup is Jalen Richard who is a career third stringer for a reason. Jacobs might end up with 1,500 all purpose yards this year, which should be enough in a weak year for rookie of the year candidates.

David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears – Jack Baker

I’m right there with you on Kyler Murray. He may be the preseason favorite, and should get all of the opportunities in Arizona, but their offensive line is so bad, it will likely bring Murray and Texas Tech coaching reject Kliff Kingsbury’s offense right down with it.

The most recent draft was really lacking in offensive skill players, but the Bears got a third round steal in Montgomery. He’ll likely get the bulk of the carries now that Jordan Howard is on the Eagles and Cohen is expected to have a smaller role in the running game. 1,000+ yards rushing on a division winning team feels like enough to get the award in what feels like a pretty disappointing year for offensive rookies.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

Devin White, LB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Jack Baker

Tampa Bay’s defense was so bad last year, they made real-life Mitchell Trubisky look like the QB he is in my dreams. Lucky for Tampa Bay fans, the Bucs got a real playmaker with the fifth pick in the draft. Devin White is the prototypical linebacker for the modern NFL. He’s fast, can play sideline to sideline, and is equally adept at covering backs out of the backfield and blowing them up in the backfield. He’s going to be featured a lot in Todd Bowles exotic blitz packages and will wreak havoc on opponents all season long. Tampa Bay’s defense will see a big improvement this year and White will get a lot of the credit.

Josh Allen, DE, Jacksonville Jaguars – Brandon Andreason

Oh man, I’m excited for this guy. He isn’t going to be able to be double teamed because the Jaguars do have a very good existing defense. Allen and Ed Oliver were considered the top players in college football going into last season, before some people got inflated ahead of them. Both players ended up in great spots where they are gonna put up some sacks. Sexy, sexy sacks. Allen has the better opportunity to be on a playoff team, and should be a higher profile player, so I’ll lean to him.

Playoff Teams & Super Bowl Champs

Jack Baker

AFC Championship Game: Patriots over Chiefs 31-28
NFC Championship Game: Bears over Saints 21-17 

Super Bowl: Patriots over Bears 35-24

Brandon Andreason

AFC Championship Game: Patriots over Chiefs 33-27
NFC Championship Game: Rams over Bears 45-20

Super Bowl: Rams over Patriots 29-26