The start of every new NFL season brings a set of questions about which players will stand out and which teams will compete well enough to earn a spot in the playoffs.

Last year, everyone was wondering how Peyton Manning would do with a new team after a year off; how the Saints would fare without Sean Payton calling the shots and which team would raise the Lombardi trophy at the end of the year.

Now, over seven months after the Baltimore Ravens were crowned Super Bowl Champions, we start it all over.

This year, there are burning questions, such as how the Patriots will cope with the loss of both Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez; whether Luck, Wilson, and RGIII will fall into sophomore slumps and, again, which club will hoist the championship trophy. Anything can happen, but here are four bold predictions about how the season will end up:

1. Alex Smith will lead the Chiefs to a winning record

Last season, Alex Smith started nine games, threw for nearly 1,800 yards and tossed 13 TDs for the San Francisco 49ers. Then, a concussion during a matchup against the St. Louis Rams put untested backup Colin Kaepernick in charge. Alex Smith would never see action again for the 49ers. So even though he was responsible for more than half of the team’s wins and played well as a starter, a small injury was enough to end his chances to lead San Francisco to a Super Bowl championship. This year, he will take the same talent to turn the hapless Chiefs into a respectable team.

2. Rex Ryan will be fired by the Jets’ bye week

Why Rex Ryan is still a head coach in New York is inexplicable. After a 6-10 finish in 2012, there are more questions than answers for the Jets and it doesn’t seem they will be answered anytime soon. Because of injuries, they are forced to rely on their depth at quarterback, which is non-existent. Rookie second-round pick Geno Smith started the team’s first two games after incumbent Mark Sanchez was injured during the preseason. Also, with the loss of Darrelle Revis, there is no glue to hold the defense together, which will prove problematic in a division that Tom Brady is playing in. Rex Ryan squeaked by after the 2012 season, but soon enough the management of the franchise will realize changes need to be made.

3. Andrew Luck will throw for over 4,700 yards

Last year as a rookie, Luck turned a team that went 2-14 in 2011 into an 11-5 squad, locking up a wild card spot in the playoffs in the process. He also set the rookie regular season record for yards with 4,374, making him the first rookie in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and have 10 wins. This rookie of the year nominee will not only avoid the dreaded sophomore slump, but will break Peyton Manning’s franchise record 4,700 yards.

4. Ravens will finish 3rd in the AFC North and miss the playoffs

Throughout his five-year career, Joe Flacco has never missed the playoffs. In fact, he’s never even lost in the first round of the playoffs. This year, all of that will change. Super Bowl syndrome is nothing to be taken lightly, and the Ravens lost too many players to be considered an elite team. Without Ray Lewis and Ed Reed on defense and Anquan Boldin on offense, it will be a tough road for Baltimore to make it past a .500 record.