As students return to school, football players return to the field, and this NFL season should be an intriguing one. With many star players holding out for bigger contracts, and some teams moving during the offseason, the NFL was shook up before the season even started. While the returning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, have a strong team, there are many others eager to bring home the coveted Lombardi trophy. Below are five bold predictions that will make this NFL season a standout one.

1. Saints will have best running back

     New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara will be the best running back this season. Considering New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram’s suspension for the first four games, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell boycotting the NFL and Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley expected to get less carries, the door is wide open for the Ingram to become the best running back in the league. “Alvin Kamara has the potential to become an amazing running back,” junior Vincent Du said. “He can be the biggest sleeper in any fantasy draft.” Kamara’s 728 rushing yards and 826 receiving yards during the 2017-2018 season shows that he has the running and catching ability to become the best running back in the league.

2. Bears’ record to surpass Packers’

     The Chicago Bears will close the season with a better record than their bitter rivals, the Packers. The Bears have not had a better record than the Packers since 2010, when the 10-6 Packers defeated the 11-5 Bears in the NFC championship, en route to their Super Bowl XLV victory. Ever since then, the Packers have been dominating the Bears, but that is about to change. The Bears outperform the Packers in every aspect with the exception of the quarterback position. The Bears defense is going to bring fear to every team in the league, especially the Packers’ underperforming offensive line. “That defense is scary. They are going to torture every offense in the league,” sophomore Brandon Carlson said. The Bears have the potential to be a playoff contender, but second year quarterback, Mitch Trubisky, needs to become a better all-around player to be able to compete for a Super Bowl title.

3. Jaguars will go to the Super Bowl

     The Jacksonville Jaguars will be representing the American Football Conference (AFC) in the Super Bowl. With the New England Patriots getting notably worse during this offseason by losing key players like Malcolm Butler, Danny Amendola and Dion Lewis, the Jaguars have the highest chance to win the AFC. They have a decent offense that possesses the superstar sophomore running back Leonard Fournette, even though he has been plagued with injuries throughout the first quarter of the season. However, when Fournette returns to full form, he will make a big impact on that Jaguars offense. They also have an unstoppable defense led by Calais Campbell, Jalen Ramsey and Dante Fowler. The Jaguars have already gotten off to a good start, having a record of 3-1 going into week five. They have only lost to the Tennessee Titans, in which they only lost by a field goal. The amount of potential this team has is tremendous, and they will be able to fulfill some of that potential this year in a Super Bowl appearance.

4. Barkley for Rookie of the Year

     Saquon Barkley will win Rookie of the Year. When the draft rolled by in April, most scouts said that New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was the most talented player in the draft. While playing for Penn State, Barkley dominated, racking up 3,843 rushing yards and 1,195 receiving yards in his three year collegiate career. Many scouts have predicted that his dominating play at Penn State will translate to the New York Giants. Barkley has all of the assets to become a star in the NFL: he has the speed, quickness and power to become a hall of famer, but first he will earn rookie of the Year. The only thing potentially stopping him is the Giants awful offensive line, who have the ability to hold back his potential.

5. Bills will be the worst NFL team

The Buffalo Bills will have the worst record in the NFL.The Bills were lucky last year; they would not have made the playoffs if the Chargers had a capable kicker or if the Ravens could keep the lead against the Bengals for one more minute. “The Bills suck, it’s just that simple. [Josh] Allen is just not a ready NFL quarterback yet,” P.E. teacher and NFL fanatic Raymond Trail said. The team responded to their first playoff appearance since 1999 by having an awful offseason. They made some questionable draft choices like choosing Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen with the seventh overall pick in the draft instead of the obvious choice, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen. This team has a lot of holes and all fans should expect this season to be a complete rebuild for the Bills.