Everyone's favorite time of the year is upon us. Newly-constructed teams take the field for the first time with the ultimate goal of a championship on everyone's minds. We have had quite the quarterback carousel and it will be intriguing to watch how they fit in their new environments. We have new General Managers entering the league leading new teams and other familiar faces who we won't be seeing this season. And while life and the league continues on, there's one thing we can always count on: someone offering an opinion about something that nobody asked them to weigh in on. Hi, it's me Brandon, offering my third installment of "Predictions Nobody Asked For".
AFC EAST:
1. New York Jets
2. New England Patriots
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills
The Jets have been a model of consistency since the league's inception, with never having had a losing season. And while they've never finished below .500, they have also never won the division, and I think we see that change this year. A trio of very good wideouts, an excellent RB, a veteran QB and a solid defense will lead this team to a successful season. The Patriots will be back healthy, but new their GM aims to change things a bit, so while it'll look different from years past, it's still the Patriots and they have a deep roster of talent. Miami has the number two overall pick from each the last two drafts as weapons for QB Drew Stanton. With Portis behind him, they appear to be quite capable of scoring a lot of points. But Stanton is still young, and thus will be struggling at times, but the team has a high ceiling. The Bills are rolling with a rookie QB which pretty much precludes them from getting the three-peat as division champs. They have some high quality players on defense and above average players at the skill positions on offense, so we'll see if they can make up for the big dip in production at quarterback.
AFC NORTH
1. Cleveland Browns
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Browns had a great year in 2007 that ended in a loss in the AFC championship game. I don't see any reason they can't have similar success this time around. I think Rivers stays healthy all year and gets the Browns back deep into the playoffs. The Bengals have a well-balanced team, and despite the questions of who is playing QB for the team, they'll find success and probably a 10-win season, maybe more. I think Baltimore will be better than their four wins from a year ago, maybe up to seven this year. With Thigpen getting better, I think the team will begin to jell and be a more cohesive unit. Pittsburgh also stands to get better with the additions of Jordy Nelson and Darren McFadden in offense. Will it be enough to keep them out of the basement of the division? Time will tell, but GM Miller has them going the right direction.
AFC SOUTH
1. Jacksonville Jaguars
2. Houston Texans
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Indianapolis Colts
This division will be a fun one to follow, with two teams fighting for first place, and two fighting for last. Ultimately I think Kitna leads the team to its first division title since 2006, with Kasim Osgood, Plaxico Burress and Deshaun Foster. The Texans also will find success with Brian Griese, Javon Walker and LT. They've improved their defensive backfield when adding Deltha O'Neal and reinforced their OL by adding RG Brian Rimpf. I think these two teams finish with identical records, but the Jags holding the tiebreaker. I believe the Manning brothers will also be fighting for who's better (or worse). I think these two teams will also finish with identical records, but Eli manages to best his brother in the head-to-head matchups and thus the tiebreaker.
AFC WEST
1. San Diego Chargers
2. Oakland Raiders
3. Denver Broncos
4. Kansas City Chiefs
Last year's AFC champion will find great success this year as Steve McNair comes in to lead these young receivers. They have some talent, but also some question marks. Can Tory James keep defying father time? Will the defense be as successful with the rookie MLB? Does McNair have enough left in the tank to develop two young WRs? I say yes. The Raiders, I think are better than their 7-9 record from a year ago. They added Ricky Williams and rookie Matt Forte to lead the charge offensively. They added Antoine Winfield to their defensive backfield, and I think they'll finish with 10 wins and a playoff spot. The Broncos are banking on some old guys to help improve: DT Pat Williams, MLB Zach Thomas, CB Duane starks, to name a few. I think there's good reasons behind these signings, but they are just temporary solutions. HB Stephen Jackson will be a blessing for the team as he'll help alleviate some pressure from Roethlisberger, and HB Travis Henry has a decent track record and will be a good supplement. Lastly, I see Chiefs struggle, but I think they're playing the long game. They have the lowest projected salary for 2009 and third lowest cap number. I see them making big moves next season, while this season is a developmental one.
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