Charlie Klein
With the NFL Regular Season ready to get under way within the next two hours, it is now time for my NFL season predictions, by division, and then of course a Super Bowl winner.
AFC EAST
1. New England Patriots
2. Miami Dolphins
3. New York Jets
4. Buffalo Bills
New England is the class of the division. With one team starting a rookie at QB (NYJ), another an inconsistent veteran (MIA), and the last having Team Obliterator (BUF) it makes the Patriots the easy pick to win the division. Brady to Moss could be even better than Montana (or Young) to Rice, and I'm not kidding.
AFC SOUTH
1. Tenessee Titans
2. Indiannapolis Colts
3. Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
I know, I know, you're yelling at me for picking the standings from last season so far, but honestly I see no change in the status quo. Tenessee has a top 5 NFL defense and a great tandem of running backs. Peyton Manning should still lead the Colts to the playoffs and I love Dallas Clark. I'm interested to see how Joseph Addai bounces back from a sub-par 2008 season. The bottom two teams are also decent but I do not see either making much noise.
AFC NORTH
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Baltimore Ravens
3. Cinncinatti Bengals
4. Cleveland Browns
The two games between the Steelers and Ravens could be the best games we as football fans get to watch all season. And I mean that. Unless you like seeing games that are 45-41, you will love these games. And it is in these two games that the division will be decided. I have not seen anything to suggest that the Steelers will not win this again. I've even heard that James Harrison is even better than last season. As for the bottom two, the Bengals will be much improved so long as Carson Palmer stays healthy and their young defense comes of age. If not, there's always Chad Ochocinco to entertain. The Browns made a bad decision in hiring the Mangenius, who is witholding the name of their starting qb for absolutely no reason.
AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Denver Broncos
4. Oakland Raiders
Everyone except the Chargers in this division is awful. The second place team in this division, which could be any of the remaining three, will have no more than six wins.
NFC EAST
1. New York Giants
2. Philadelphia Eagles
3. Dallas Cowboys
4. Washington Redskins
The so-called best division in football is really a two-horse race in my mind. I honestly just don't see it from Dallas this year. I know they have DeMarcus Ware and Marion Barber and Jessica Simpson's ex, but honestly I think that their spineless coach Wade Phillips will be their downfall. As for the best of the division, I have to go with the Giants. Even though they don't have a number one receiver (which never prevented the Eagles from winning the division) they still have a stellar defense, a bulldozer in the backfield (Brandon Jacobs), and a franchise quarterback ready to fully assume the mantle. While the Eagles definitely improved their receiving corps by adding Jeremy Maclin to the tandem of Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson, there are too many questions about their offensive line and the health of Brian Westbrook. I still think they make the playoffs, but I just don't see them winning the division.
NFC SOUTH
1. Atlanta Falcons
2. Carolina Panthers
3. New Orleans Saints
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
I really like what the Falcons have put together in the past few years. They have a legitimate triple threat on offense in Matt Ryan (QB), Michael Turner (RB), and Roddy White (WR). Then they went out and traded for future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. The Panthers will hang tough but I have not been convinced by the play of Jake Delhomme in the preseason and are an injury to DeAngelo Williams away from being a distant second in this division. The bottom two of this division are not going to offer much this season. I picked the Saints over the Buccs just because the Na' Leans boys have much more certainty at QB in Drew Brees.
NFC NORTH
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions
For me there is no clear-cut winner in the NFC Norrest. It could be any of the top three. I picked the Packers for three reasons: 1) I, like everyone else, believe that Aaron Rodgers is on the verge of becoming a top quarterback in the game 2) Rodgers has the best receivers in the division (Jennings and Driver) and 3) I personally dislike the other two QB's (Favre and Cutler). The Packers have the best overall package and regardless of how nice the Vikes defense may or may not be, I don't see that being a major dealbreaker.
NFC WEST
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. San Francisco 49ers
4. St. Louis Rams
Call it a homer pick, call it what you will, but the Hawks are legitimate contenders this season. The offseason authored by Tim Ruskell is one of his best to date. The Seahawks added two good defensive tackles (an area of weakness last season) in Colin Cole and Cory Redding and drafted the best player in the 2009 NFL Draft in OLB Aaron Curry. Combine that with the sack master Patrick Kerney, All-Pro middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, and Pro Bowler Marcus Trufant and you have a recipe for success. And I almost forgot, the Seahawks added T.J. Houshmandzadeh to a great receiving corps. Plus, Matt Hasselbeck is healthy. As for the rest of the teams in the division, I do not think that Kurt Warner can pull two straight injury-free seasons together. Sure Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin are the best 1-2 receiving tandem in the NFL, but for the Cardinals I'll believe it when I see it. In San Francisco they want winners, but they have none. And the Rams are just a bad team.
AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New England Patriots
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
3. Tennessee Titans
4. San Diego Chargers
5. Baltimore Ravens
6. Indiannapolis Colts
NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE
1. New York Giants
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Atlanta Falcons
4. Green Bay Packers
5. Philadelphia Eagles
6. Carolina Panthers
AFC CHAMPION: PITTSBURGH STEELERS
NFC CHAMPION: NEW YORK GIANTS
SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: NEW YORK GIANTS
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