High octane offense and high scoring games headlined the 2018 NFL season. This trend was evident in multiple games such as Rams vs. Chiefs, Patriots vs. Chiefs, and others.

With many newcomers cracking the top of the NFL such as Bears, Colts, Rams Chargers, Cowboys, Texans and Browns, the NFL is looking like it could be flipped upside down in the years to come.

This being said, here are my way-too-early top five NFL teams looking into the 2019 NFL season.

Honorable Mention: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts didn’t break my top five for a couple of reasons. Reigning comeback player of the year winner quarterback Andrew Luck and head coach Frank Reich are the reasons the Colts are ranked as high as they are. They had a complete turn-around season in which Luck’s health was in question at the beginning of the season. Their young defense is stacked and the Luck-to-Hilton connection is on point. My only hesitation is if the Colts can compete with the higher octane AFC teams in the Chiefs, Patriots and Texans, just to name a few. If the Colts meet any of those three teams in the playoffs, it’s hard to see the guys in blue coming out on top.

#5: Chicago Bears

What a great story this year’s Bears squad was. They finally surpassed their nemesis in the Green Bay Packers, and the Bears are true contenders once again. Their early exit in the playoffs left some questions in my mind, but I believe that their quarterback Mitchell Trubisky will pick up the slack and perform well. The NFC is no stranger to elite defenses, and the Bears definitely fall into this category. Chicago’s elite defense will carry them to the playoffs once again.

#4: Los Angeles Rams

Most people expected the Rams to get better with the firing of Jeff Fisher and the hiring of Sean McVay. Jared Goff could only get better. Not many people expected the explosion of the Rams, as they made it all the way to Super Bowl LIII. The Rams’ 2018 season is a testament to how important a good head coach is to a football team. The Rams improved on both sides of the ball, but questions were planted into peoples’ minds as MVP candidate Todd Gurley touched the ball only a handful of times on the biggest stage. I see the Rams staying dominant and potentially making a deep run into the playoffs once again.

#3: New England Patriots

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots come in at number three. The Patriots shocked the world as they took out two of the three top rated offenses in consecutive games in the playoffs against the Chiefs and Rams. However dominant their playoff run was in the 2018 season, the inconsistencies place the champs at number three. How the team adapts from the departure of defensive coordinator Brian Flores will play a huge role in this team’s success or demise next season. The talented linebacker duo of Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower alongside the elite secondary of the Patriots will surely propel this team forward. This could be the year for Bill Belichick to consider drafting Brady’s replacement. At 42 years old, you can’t be too safe, as career-backup Brian Hoyer is notthe long term answer moving forward.

#2 New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees is the most underrated quarterback in the history of the league, I beleive. Should the Saints have played in Super Bowl LIII? Probably. I believe that the Saints are the NFC favorites to play in Super Bowl LIV, as Brees shows no signs of decline. Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas were unstoppable forces for the Saints all season, and I just can’t think of an answer for that duo. Kamara can lineup in the backfield and torch defenses with his legs, or he can lineup wide and torch secondaries with his unique-route running abilities and abilities to read opposing defenses. Saints at number two. We could be seeing the best duo of 40+ quarterbacks in NFL history in Brees and Brady. 

#1 Kansas City Chiefs

This will be the year that the Chiefs make the Super Bowl. This will be the year that the Chiefs will topple the Patriots as the dominant AFC team. I believe that Patrick Mahomes will have another stellar season under center, although I do not believe that he will throw 50 TD’s. The Chiefs will settle down and rely on their running game more and take some of the pressure off of Mahomes’ arm. Look out, defenses! The Chiefs are still here, and they are here to stay.