| NFC EAST |
| 1 | Dallas Cowboys |
T.O., love him or hate him, doesnt matter. This guy can
get a team over the hump. I am not saying Dallas will be
Superbowl bound, but they will be playoff bound this season. And
in this tough NFC East, the only way to make the playoffs will be to
win the division. |
| 2 | New York Giants |
They won the division last year, so now they face one of the
toughest schedules this season. They will be competitive, but
they will also get pretty beat up playing some tough defenses each week. |
| 3 | Philadelphia Eagles |
Some think, a return to glory? Not quite, at least not
yet. There defense appears to be a bit improved, but losing a
great WR like T.O. will hurt. Yes, the argument that they made
the playoffs before with less at WR is true, but that was when this
division was weak. Look around, it's not anymore. |
| 4 | Washington Redskins |
Losing LB Arrington and the distraction of S Taylor's off
field issues will hurt this defense. Even though they added
Randle-El and Lloyd at WR, remember that QB Brunell will be 36.
It will only be a matter of time that QB Campbell gets handed the
reins, and that wont help this team make the playoffs. |
| NFC NORTH |
| 1 | Chicago Bears |
One of the best defenses in the NFL last season. Expect
them to be at the top in that category again this year. They
improved at QB by adding Griese, although Grossman is still the
starter. Their running game (they ran over 50% of their offensive
plays last season) still has Thomas Jones at the starter, but Cedric
Benson may take away some carries |
| 2 | Detroit Lions |
The Mike Martz show lands in Detroit this season as an
Offensive Coordinater, and although he failed last year in St Louis as
Head Coach, the bottled talent in Detroit is promising when
opened. The passing offense should be exciting, and let's not
forget RB Kevin Jones, he is a talent despite his bad season last year. |
| 3 | Minnesota Vikings |
With a new coaching staff and a new offense it will take time
for this team to rise up again, but some pieces are already here.
RB Chester Taylor, and Mewelde Moore will likely split carries.
WR Troy Williamson has the talent to be an elite WR in this
league. But the biggest question is at QB. Can Brad Johnson
last all year? And if not, can Mike McMahon rebound from his poor
play last year? |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers |
My prediction, the worst team in the league right here.
They hired a head coach that as a previous offensive coordinater, was
one of the worst in yards gained. Favre will probably retire
after this season, or after he gets planted into the turf by a big
defensive lineman. |
| NFC SOUTH |
| 1 | Carolina Panthers |
This is the team to beat in the NFC. Their defense will
still be great this year. They have a solid QB in Delhomme.
They have one of the best WRs in the game in Steve Smith, and they
added Keyshawn Johnson. Then after all their RB injuries last
year, they drafted DeAngelo Williams. This team is built to win
now. |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Bucs |
If Carolina was not in this division, they would probably win
it. The Bucs are a good coached team. They have a tough
schedule, but should still battle for a wild card spot. They have
nice young talent at their key offensive positions, QB Simms, RB
Williams, WR Clayton and TE Smith. |
| 3 | Atlanta Falcons |
It has become apparent that QB Vick will never be a solid
passer. This is a run first type offense with Vick and RB's Dunn
and Duckett. The last 2 years they drafted WR's Jenkins and
White, but have yet to make use of their talents. Until that
time, Atlanta will reside in the bottom portion of the division. |
| 4 | New Orleans Saints |
They added QB Brees in the offseason and drafted RB Reggie
Bush. Bush will generate a lot of excitement for this team, but
there is not much more after him. |
| NFC WEST |
| 1 | Arizona Cardinals |
Ok, before everyone thinks I am crazy, hear me out
first. Yes the OL is still terrible and yes QB Warner has yet to
remain healthy for an entire year, but the addition of a stud RB will
do wonders for this team. They have the best WR duo in the NFL,
and their defense was much improved last season. |
| 2 | St. Louis Rams | New coach and a new offensive scheme in St Louis. They
will battle for the division and for a wildcard spot. This year,
the burden does not fall on QB Bulger and his WRs, but rather on the
power running of Stephen Jackson. |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks |
I chose Seattle to finish here based on history. The
majority of Superbowl losers do not make the playoffs the following
year. Seattle is still a very good team, but Superbowl losers
have a hangover that lasts a year. See you in 2007. |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | QB Alex Smith will hopefully show why he deserved to be
chosen #1 overall a few years ago. RB Frank Gore has a good
chance of taking over the duties in the backfield. And TE Vernon
Davis will be a stud. But they still reside here in last place |
| NFC DIVISION WINNERS |
| EAST | DALLAS COWBOYS |
| NORTH | CHICAGO BEARS |
| SOUTH | CAROLINA PANTHERS |
| WEST | ARIZONA CARDINALS |
| NFC WILCARDS |
| FROM
NORTH |
DETROIT LIONS |
| FROM
SOUTH |
TAMPA BAY BUCS |
| NFC CHAMPIONSHIP |
| CAROLINA
PANTHERS |
TAMPA BAY BUCS |
| AFC EAST |
| 1 | New England Patriots |
This is the weakest division in the NFL. How can anyone
not pick the Patriots to win it again? They lost some players,
but QB Brady, WR Branch and RB Dillon are still here. As long as
Bill Belichick is coach, I wont bet against him, at least not now. |
| 2 | Miami Dolphins | A heathy QB Culpepper vastly improves this team. RB
Ricky Williams now running in Canada, his departure doesnt matter much
with RB Ronnie Brown taking over the reins. And WR Chris Chambers
was incredible last season with a sub par QB, lets see what he can do
with a top 5 QB. |
| 3 | Buffalo Bills |
Who will be the QB, Losman or Holcomb? RB McGahee and
WR Evans did better statistically in games that Holcomb was under
center. But the Bills invested their future in Losman's
hands. This QB battle will not end in the preseason. Expect
more headaches, Buffalo fans. |
| 4 | New York Jets |
This will be the worst team in the AFC, and they will battle
Green Bay for the right of the top pick in next year's NFL draft.
This offense was one of the worst last year. The Jets 2 young
OL-men, but it will take time for them to develop, time is not a luxury
33 year old RB Martin has. |
| AFC NORTH |
| 1 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
If QB Big Ben misses any time from his motorcycle accident,
the Steelers may dip in the standings. They lose the Bus, but
thats no problem, RB's Parker, Staley and Haynes remain. Their
defense is still among the tops in the league. They will make the
playoffs again, by then, Big Ben should be healthy enough to defend
their championship |
| 2 | Cincinnati Bengals | QB Palmer could miss a few weeks from his injury in the
playoffs last year. Last year was so promising and finished so
heart breaking. Palmer is a stud QB, and he has 2 stud WR's in
Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. But until Palmer returns, a lot rides
on the legs of RB Rudi Johnson. They will battle for a wildcard
spot |
| 3 | Baltimore Ravens |
Hopefully the addition of QB McNair adds some fire power to
this pass offense. Reuniting with WR Mason and with young stud WR
Clayton, this team might actually be fun to watch. The defense is
still stifling, and they still have the power running game with Jamal
Lewis and Mike Anderson. |
| 4 | Cleveland Browns |
They wont contend for a playoff spot this season, but they
are certainly going in the right direction. They are willing to
spend money to help turn the team around and I can respect that.
Adding OL Bentley, LB McGinest and WR Jurevicius is a good sign from a
coach and GM. Let QB Frye, WR Edwards and TE Winslow develop and
they will compete soon. |
| AFC SOUTH |
| 1 | Indianapolis Colts | So, the Colts lost their Edge? Maybe in the running
game, but not the edge to grab another division title. The
running game will take a hit, but they should be ok with RB Rhoads and
rookie RB Addai. The deadly WR threesome in Harrison, Wayne and
Stokley will catch a ton of passes from QB Manning this season. |
| 2 | Jacksonville Jaguars | WR Jimmy Smith retires, RB Taylor becoming "fragile" again,
and now more pressure falls on QB Leftwich to succeed. And on top
of all that, they face a tough schedule. Unless someone else
steps up, other than Leftwich, this team will not make the postseason. |
| 3 | Houston Texans |
It is time for the Texans to climb out of last place.
The offensive line has been their sore spot for years. If QB Carr
can stay protected in order to get the ball into the hands of either RB
Davis, WR Moulds or Johnson, they will surprise some people. They
also made some improvements on defense. |
| 4 | Tennessee Titans |
This team has been falling quickly. QB Volek takes the
reins, and he is a good backup. WR's Bennett and Givens are good,
but nothing special. RB Brown cant stay healthy. Rookies QB
Young and RB White should provide excitement when they enter the
game. Oh, and the defense is just terrible. |
| AFC WEST |
| 1 | Denver Broncos |
Adding WR Walker may just be what Denver needs to get in
order to reach the Superbowl. Still no word on who will be the
starting RB, but that will change every week as coach Shanahan proves
he can make anyone a top RB in this league. The only question I
have, was QB Cutler drafted to play this season when Plummer fails? |
| 2 | Kansas City Chiefs |
Watch LJ run. That should sum up the season for the
Chiefs. The defense is still not up to par, but as long as they
control the ball with RB Johnson's running, they dont have to worry
about it too much. QB Green is a solid at his position and TE
Gonzo is still one of the best in the game. |
| 3 | Oakland Raiders | I, for one, am very glad to see Art Shell back as head coach
for the Raiders, but he has a lot of work to do. Adding QB Brooks
may be a slight upgrade to Kerry Collins, but he is not the long term
answer. They did not select a QB in the draft and that was a big
mistake. It will cost them in the long run. |
| 4 | San Diego Chargers | QB Brees is gone and in steps QB Rivers. They drafted
him high a few years ago so let's see what he can do. RB
Tomlinson will still get the bulk of the attention on offense.
What I am interested to see is how well Rivers gels with TE
Gates. That will have a huge fantasy impact, but the impact here
will be last place in the division. |
| AFC DIVISION WINNERS |
| EAST | NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS |
| NORTH | PITTSBURGH STEELERS |
| SOUTH | INDIANAPOLIS COLTS |
| WEST | DENVER BRONCOS |
| AFC WILCARDS |
| FROM
NORTH |
CINCINNATI BENGALS |
| FROM WEST | KANSAS CITY CHIEFS |
| AFC CHAMPIONSHIP |
| INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS |
DENVER BRONCOS |
| SUPERBOWL |
| CAROLINA PANTHERS |
INDIANAPOLIS
COLTS |