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2017 Super Bowl predictions from Shutdown Corner

Can Tom Brady and the Patriots repeat as Super Bowl champions? (AP)
Can Tom Brady and the Patriots repeat as Super Bowl champions for the first time since the 2003 and 2004 seasons? (AP)

The NFL season kicks off Thursday night as the New England Patriots start defense of their Super Bowl championship. Will they have another last laugh at the league?

Most of our analysts are predicting the Patriots will repeat as Super Bowl champions … though that’s not unanimous. Here’s how six Yahoo Sports writers – Jordan Schultz, Shalise Manza Young, Charles Robinson, Kevin Kaduk, Jay Busbee and Frank Schwab – charted the division winners, wild cards and Super Bowl LII participants (and click here for our picks for MVP and the other major awards):

JORDAN SCHULTZ

AFC East: New England, AFC North: Pittsburgh, AFC South: Tennessee, AFC West: Oakland, AFC wild card 1: Kansas City, AFC wild card 2: Miami
NFC East: Washington, NFC North: Minnesota, NFC South: Carolina, NFC West: Seattle, NFC wild card 1: Atlanta, NFC wild card 2: Green Bay

SHALISE MANZA YOUNG

AFC East: New England, AFC North: Pittsburgh, AFC South: Tennessee, AFC West: Oakland, AFC wild card 1: Kansas City, AFC wild card 2: Denver
NFC East: N.Y. Giants, NFC North: Green Bay, NFC South: Tampa Bay, NFC West: Seattle, NFC wild card 1: Atlanta, NFC wild card 2: Dallas

CHARLES ROBINSON

AFC East: New England, AFC North: Cincinnati, AFC South: Houston, AFC West: Oakland, AFC wild card 1: Pittsburgh, AFC wild card 2: Kansas City
NFC East: Dallas, NFC North: Detroit, NFC South: Atlanta, NFC West: Seattle , NFC wild card 1: Green Bay, NFC wild card 2: Arizona

KEVIN KADUK

AFC East: New England, AFC North: Pittsburgh, AFC South: Tennessee, AFC West: Oakland
AFC wild card 1: Denver, AFC wild card 2: Houston
NFC East: N.Y. Giants, NFC North: Green Bay, NFC South: Atlanta, NFC West: Seattle, NFC wild card 1: Dallas, NFC wild card 2: Tampa Bay

JAY BUSBEE

AFC East: New England, AFC North: Pittsburgh, AFC South: Tennessee, AFC West: Kansas City, AFC wild card 1: Oakland, AFC wild card 2: Cincinnati
NFC East: N.Y. Giants, NFC North: Green Bay, NFC South: Atlanta, NFC West: Arizona, NFC wild card 1: Tampa Bay, NFC wild card 2: Dallas

FRANK SCHWAB

AFC East: New England, AFC North: Pittsburgh, AFC South: Tennessee, AFC West: L.A. Chargers, AFC wild card 1: Cincinnati, AFC wild card 2: Oakland
NFC East: N.Y. Giants, NFC North: Green Bay, NFC South: Atlanta, NFC West: Seattle, NFC wild card 1: Tampa Bay, NFC wild card 2: Arizona

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(Yahoo Sports graphic by Amber Matsumoto)
(Yahoo Sports graphic by Amber Matsumoto)

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!