With our nation giddily pivoting into July Fourth mode, the NFL landscape has fallen silent.
Players and coaches are home with their loved ones, firing up the grill, mixing margaritas and playing catch with the kids -- or, if you're Clipboard Jesus, drinking chablis on the sea like a glorious hero of old:
Manning the news limb of NFL.com on a holiday can make for a long day when absolutely nothing is happening, so we're going to make something with four completely irresponsible early July predictions for the NFL season ahead:
1. The Texans, Giants will make the playoffs -- Denver won't
The Texans lack a franchise quarterback, but Houston won nine games last season with nothing under center. The combination of Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett is suspect, but Hoyer has meshed well into coach Bill O'Brien's system. The team boasts the greatest defensive player alive in J.J. Watt and will finally see meaningful snaps from Jadeveon Clowney. In a weak division, Houston will topple the Titans and Jaguars over the final two weeks of the season to nab the AFC's final wild-card spot.
The Giants don't generate headlines like the Cowboys and Eagles, but New York has something scary cooking on offense. A healthy Odell Beckham, Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle give Eli Manning one of the league's top receiving trios, while Shane Vereen is an underrated free-agent addition. The NFC East looms as a dogfight and Big Blue will do enough to squeak into the show.
The Broncos are a playoff team on paper, but our editors asked for irresponsible -- not robotically methodical -- predictions. Denver's fortunes boil down to Peyton Manning being the same guy he was before last year's injury. Find me in December if the season doesn't end with Brock Osweiler getting a look and San Diego's Mike McCoy earning votes for Coach of the Year. -- Marc Sessler
2. Tom Brady goes 12-0 as a starter
For the sake of this exercise, I'm guessing the league doesn't budge on Brady's four-game ban: While I'm predicting an ugly season for Peyton, Brady will return to the field in Week 6 to shred the Colts on national television. Operating as an unhinged fireball, Tommy will detonate 12 straight opponents en route to another AFC East title for the Pats. Springtime chatter around the Jets, Bills and Dolphins taking over the division will be remembered as the beery cry of fools. -- Marc Sessler
3. Ryan Mathews scoring streak
It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that Chip Kelly signed two very good running backs this offseason for a reason. Based on Kelly's perception of value, Murray would seem to be the workhorse, but it wouldn't surprise us in the least if Mathews is favored at the goal line. Kelly is all about minimizing risk, and while Murray's fumble total has risen steadily over the years, Mathews' has declined. It could be as simple as a coach using the numbers at hand to form a logical theory about when and where Murray is best fit to carry. That way, both running backs stay happy. -- Conor Orr
4. Hoyer is the king in Texas
Bill O'Brien has a great team with a quarterback problem, which is why he'll need to make a decision and stick with it. The malaise the team felt with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center prompted him to make a change late last year, but he's learned his lesson. Chances are that Hoyer will continue to separate himself during camp and earn the job outright in August. Don't be surprised to see him remain there through December. -- Conor Orr
The latest Around The NFL Podcast welcomes back Lindsay Rhodes to recap Antonio Gates' suspension and the 'Top 100' rankings. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
