Smashmouth Football League Articles

AFC East

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills

Analysis: This is a tough division, but the Patriots have to be considered the favorite to win it again. Their defense is really good, doesn't get enough credit, and Brady/Smith are quickly becoming one of the best duos on offense. The Jets and Dolphins will slug it out for second place and I wouldn't be surprised to see both wild cards come from this division. The Dolphins' defense will feel the losses of Madison, Taylor and Peterson - especially short-term, and cause them to finish a close third. The Bills will improve to 7-9 or 8-8 with the addition of Steve McNair alone. But their defense is in transition, back to 4-3 it appears, Blaine Bishop's retirement was not accounted for at strong safety, and why isn't former 1st round pick Woolfolk getting more playing time? Unfortunately, it will probably take .500 or better to get out of the cellar.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals
2. Cleveland Browns
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Analysis: The Bengals won the division last year with a 9-7 record, and while they had few upgrades of significance, they also did not suffer any major player losses. I think they do just enough to take the division again. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Browns be the team to finish tied with the Bengals and lose on tiebreakers, but more likely they end up a game back. With the addition of Kurt Warner, I thought they may take the division before trading away Ricky Williams - can't blame them for taking two 1sts for a YP6 halfback no matter who it is, but it sure doesn't help them win now with Warner. This will force the Browns to go one-dimensional passing the ball and their secondary just isn't up to the task of playing in shootouts every week. The Ravens nearly stole the division from the Bengals with a late-season surge, but they look like a .500 team this year. Mike Williams and Pat Thomas are downgrades from Glenn and Boulware - at least for 2005. Really hard to say what is going on with the Steelers right now. Trufant went AWOL from the team but I don't think they feel that much for another year. Burress is reportedly on his way to Minnesota but as of right now he is still on the Steelers' roster. For all the chaos that surrounds the team, they still have a lot of talent and could challenge for third place in the division. But if the rumors are true and Burress leaves, it could be enough to push the team over the edge and solidly into the basement.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Jacksonville Jaguars
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Houston Texans

Analysis: The Colts won the AFC South again in 2004 although it was contested this year by the Texans. In the process, the Colts scored 494 points - second most in the league, only 5 behind the Vikings - and I just don't see another offense in the division that can keep up with the scoring. Colts will win the division again, this time by 3-4 games as the Jaguars, Titans, and Texans battle over second (and last) place. The Jaguars have put together a great team, and make big strides from their 1-15 season, but they are probably still a year away in experience. The Titans made some great moves this offseason, most of them on defense, but even with Owens I think the offense struggles with a weak offensive line and 75 AWR quarterback. Lastly, I think the Texans slip a little in 2005. Rod Smith will be missed, and a lot went right for the Texans last season which is hard to replicate.

AFC West

1. Oakland Raiders
2. Denver Broncos
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Kansas City Chiefs

Analysis: I think this division comes down to the Raiders and Broncos, but the Raiders pull away at the end. I just trust the Raider defense more and Bledsoe just can't seem to stay healthy for 16 games (and he is getting more statuesque each year, which I believe does have an impact). The Broncos also lost Center Tom Nalen which is a huge blow. The Chargers appear to be another team in disarray. Either their GM still has some position changes to be processed, plans on playing some guys out of position, or is more confidence in some players than I do. Maybe they get this ironed out before week 1, but there are still question marks in their secondary and inexperience on their offensive line holding them back. I like really like some of the moves the Chiefs have made, and I think they will pay big dividends long-term, but for 2005 a raw quarterback with raw receivers results in a rough year. The Chiefs do have a very good, veteran offensive line which could help to mitigate the damage somewhat. Too bad the Chiefs couldn't land Trufant (one spot on waiver wire away) as he would have been nice to pair with Rogers.

AFC Playoff Seedings

1. Oakland Raiders
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. New England Patriots
4. Cincinnati Bengals
5. New York Jets
6. Denver Broncos


NFC predictions coming soon!