Here they are. Write them down and place your bets, here is how the teams will finish this season. Also, take note of two of the boxes on the side of this page every week. One will be the winners of each game, the other will be picks against the spread. Take note and I’ll be sure to keep my record updated, don’t worry.
AFC East
New England 13-3
Buffalo 10-6
NY Jets 8-8
Miami 4-12
I keep trying to tell people this, but the Bills will be one of the surprise teams in the AFC this year. Trent Edwards had a decent year last year, and you can only expect him to get better with more playing time. They have a good running attack with Marshawn Lynch and enough receivers around Edwards to make plays. They upgraded the defense in the offseason (Marcus Stroud, Kawika Mitchell) and they still have some of the best special teams in the business. New England won’t be perfect, but they’ll still be the best team. Brett can’t get the Jets to the playoffs – yet – and Miami is on the upswing.
AFC North
Pittsburgh 10-6
Cincinnati 8-8
Cleveland 7-9
Baltimore 6-10
Cleveland is bound to have a down year after the ugly preseason they had. Derek Anderson slumped the second half of last year and that defense is suspect. Playing the NFC East doesn’t help their case. Pittsburgh wins this division mostly because every other team is incredibly flawed. Rashard Mendenhall better figure out his fumbling problems, though.
AFC South
Indianapolis 12-4
Jacksonville 11-5
Houston 10-6
Tennessee 6-10
This is the other surprise team of the year: Houston. A franchise that has been down for so long finally rises up and makes a serious run at the playoffs, that is if Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson stay healthy. Mario Williams is no joke, and Amobi Okoye is talented. DeMeco Ryans is a special talent, and don’t be surprised is Xavier Adibi out of Virginia Tech gets some playing time and surprises people. But this is the Colts’ division until proven otherwise. Peyton is still there, but the Jaguars are ready for another run. Tennessee doesn’t have the offense to hang with everyone.
AFC West
San Diego 12-4
Denver 8-8
Kansas City 6-10
Oakland 5-11
There always has to be one division that isn’t up to snuff with the others, and that division is the West in the AFC (and NFC for that matter). The Chargers are clearly the class of the division, although Denver will make things interesting. Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall have a special connection, and playing in Mile High is never easy. Kansas City and Oakland continue to rebuild, and watch out for Herm Edwards’ job security. Another terrible year and he could be gone.
NFC East
Dallas 11-5
NY Giants 10-6
Philadelphia 10-6
Washington 6-10
Super Bowl champs have too much to replace to win the division, but it’s still a team that can compete (see previous post for further analysis). Dallas is just a tad too talented for the rest, but Philadelphia will hang tough. The Eagles success hinges on the health of Donovan McNabb, but their wide receivers are just too – how do you say it – underwhelming? – to make a difference. Washington struggles under first-year head coach Jim Zorn, but they could be a factor in a year.
NFC North
Green Bay 11-5
Minnesota 9-7
Chicago 7-9
Detroit 6-10
So what if Brett is gone? The Pack are still set up to be a force in the NFC for years with a stalwart defense lead by AJ Hawk and a solid running game, courtesy of Ryan Grant. Sure, Aaron Rodgers is no Favre, but he doesn’t have to be. Minnesota’s passing game will bring the team down, and Chicago’s resurgent defense will bring them up (but not enough to overcome Kyle Orton, Rex Grossman, or whoever they put in at quarterback). Detroit’s passing game will decline with the departure of Mike Martz, but they will rediscover a running game with Kevin Smith and Rudi Johnson.
NFC South
New Orleans 12-4
Tampa Bay 8-8
Carolina 7-9
Atlanta 5-11
I think New Orleans is the best team in the NFC. A loaded offense with Brees, Bush, Shockey, and Colston, and an improved defense will make a difference. The addition of DT Sedrick Ellis (#7 overall pick was a beast at USC) in the middle will help the run defense, and the pass rush of Will Smith and Charles Grant will help a shaky secondary. Jonathan Vilma will also display the form that won him the 2004 defensive Rookie of the Year award. Joey Galloway finally shows his age, and Earnest Graham goes back to being, well, Earnest Graham. Carolina sputters under the expectations again, and Matt Ryan doesn’t pan out his first year in Atlanta.
NFC West
Seattle 10-6
Arizona 8-8
St. Louis 7-9
San Francisco 6-10
Seattle plays too well at home to not win this division. Any team that wins 7 or 8 games at home already has a jump start, and when you throw in Matt Hasselbeck, you have a recipe for success. Kurt Warner keeps Arizona competitive, though, but the defense is ultimately their undoing. The Rams rebound from a disastrous 2007, but Marc Bulger won’t be the same. Expect them to struggle, but start showing signs of life again. San Francisco is an absolute mess, but don’t blame head coach Mike Nolan. It’s not his fault Alex Smith was a product of the Urban Meyer system.
AFC Playoff Teams
1. New England
2. San Diego
3. Indianapolis
4. Pittsburgh
5. Jacksonville
6. Buffalo
AFC Championship
New England over San Diego
Shawn Merriman’s knee isn’t bad enough to lose the division, but it’s not good enough to beat the Patriots. Remember, New England still has the best coach (Belichick), best quarterback (Brady), and best wide receiver (Moss), and one heck of a defense. Speaking of which, watch for Jerod Mayo to be the defensive Rookie of the Year.
NFC Playoff Teams
1. New Orleans
2. Dallas
3. Green Bay
4. Seattle
5. NY Giants
6. Philadelphia
NFC Championship
New Orleans over Dallas
Tony Romo actually wins a playoff game, but still doesn’t get to the Super Bowl. New Orleans somehow finds a way to score enough points to win, and it costs Wade Phillips his job. Home field advantage plays a huge factor in this one, and Dallas can thank the tough NFC East for costing them a game or two for a trip to New Orleans. However, they get what they want when Jason Garrett agrees to become their head coach.
Super Bowl
New England over New Orleans
You don’t think the Pats are hungry after losing last year’s Super Bowl? This won’t be a perfect season, but they won’t be dogged by those questions all season. Brady cements himself as the best quarterback who ever lived, and Randy Moss and Junior Seau get their long-awaited rings. Last year’s version is still the best team to ever play (even without the ring, and it’s something I will contest forever) and this team wouldn’t beat last year’s, but they are still the best team this year, and that’s all that matters to Belichick.
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