NFC East
1. Washington Redskins (10-6) Division Champions
2. Dallas Cowboys (9-7)
3. New York Giants (9-7)
4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-13)
Most intriguing game: Redskins at Giants week 17. Down to the wire as the division tends to be.
Sure bet: Growing pains for the Eagles, especially with Jeremy Maclin injured.
Biggest question mark: Can Robert Griffin III stay healthy?
Hot seat: Jason Garrett. The division is up for grabs with three teams capable of taking it. Cowboys have been odd man out too many times lately. No matter what you think, it really isn't Tony Romo's fault and Jerry Jones won't fire himself.
Team Notes
Washington Redskins: Without a healthy RGIII, it's third place for the Redskins.
Dallas Cowboys: An easy early schedule will put them in the drivers seat, but can they finish? History says no.
New York Giants: Could win the Super Bowl, could miss the playoffs. Such is life for a two time Super Bowl winner.
Philadelphia Eagles: They should be fun to watch even though they will assuredly stink. Will they look like an NFL version of the Oregon Ducks? Who's the QB?
NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-4) Division Champions
2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4)* Wild Card
3. St. Louis Rams (7-9)
4. Arizona Cardianls (4-12)
Most intriguing game: Seahawks at 49ers week 14. I think they'll need three tiebreakers to determine the division.
Sure bet: 49ers and Seahawks will both make the playoffs.
Biggest question mark: What will Carson Palmer's impact be on the Cardinals? I mean, what will Carson Palmer's impact be on Larry Fitzgerald in terms of his fantasy production?
Hot seat: Sam Bradford
Team Notes
Seattle Seahawks: How bad is Percy Harvin's injury? Could be a game changer. Can Russell Wilson improve on his rookie season?
San Francisco 49ers: Colin Kaepernick has to stay healthy. With Michael Crabtree out, Anquan Boldin will play a huge role. Rumors of Vernon Davis playing receiver after his production dropped with Kaepernick running the offense. That would be fun to see.
St. Louis Rams: Coaching and defense will once again keep the Rams competitive. The offense is too young to be a true threat.
Arizona Cardinals: Lots of talent but no identity. Could be Palmer's last try.
NFC North
1. Detroit Lions (11-5) Division Champions
2. Green Bay Packers (10-6) Wild Card
3. Chicago Bears (9-7)
4. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
Most intriguing game: Vikings at Packers week 12. Greg Jennings returns after bad mouthing Aaron Rodgers in a game that will have playoff implications.
Sure bet: The division will be a four horse race until late in the season.
Biggest question mark: Can the Lions finally put together a complete season? It seems like their time.
Hot seat: Jim Schwartz. Like I said, it seems like their time. He's driving the the ship.
Team Notes
Detroit Lions: Too much talent to miss the playoffs again, injuries withstanding.
Green Bay Packers: A pair of rookies hope to revive a dormant running game. How good will Aaron Rodgers be? Do we still expect an MVP?
Chicago Bears: Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you.
Minnesota Vikings: As long as Christian Ponder is the quarterback the Vikings will not be a threat.
NFC South
1. Atlanta Falcons (12-4) Division Champions
2. New Orleans Saints (9-7)
3. Carolina Panthers (9-7)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
Most intriguing game: Week 1 Falcons at Saints. Great way to kick off the season.
Sure bet: Atlanta runs away with a very competitive division. I just realized how one sided I think the cross conference matchups will be.
Biggest question mark: Will the reemergence of Sean Payton bring the Saints back to prominence? Before Bountygate the Saints were thought of as Super Bowl contenders.
Hot seat: Ron Rivera. It was a strange hire from the start. I guess if Cam likes him...
Team Notes
Atlanta Falcons: Super Bowl or bust. What will Steven Jackson bring to the table?
New Orleans Saints: Can an offensive head coach reinvigorate a terrible defense?
Carolina Panthers: Make or break season for the entire coaching staff. No room for regression.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: They've got some flashy names but lack credibility in a division this tough.
AFC East
1. New England Patriots (10-6) Division Champions
2. Miami Dolphins (6-10)
3. Buffalo Bills (6-10)
4. New York Jets (2-12)
Most intriguing game: None
Sure bet: Worst division in the NFL
Biggest question mark: Who will Mark Sanchez play for next year?
Hot seat: Rex Ryan. Go ahead and pack your bags. Remember, any team would be lucky to have you as their defensive coordinator. Leave that head coaching stuff alone for a couple of seasons.
Team Notes
New England Patriots: Should've been the year they finally miss the playoffs, but they will win their crappy division instead.
Miami Dolphins: Work in progress. Sort of like the Buccaneers last season.
Buffalo Bills: They won't be pushovers, but they won't be very good either. You know, just like the last thirteen seasons.
New York Jets: "...should die of gonorrhea and rot in hell." "What do you know? They're little footballs." Ace Ventura is the only person who can properly express my feelings for the Jets.
AFC West
1. Denver Broncos (12-4) Division Champions
2. San Diego Chargers (8-8)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-8)
4. Oakland Raiders (4-12)
Most intriguing game: Broncos at Cowboys week 5. There's not a division game worthy of the "intriguing" label.
Sure bet: Raiders, once again, make the rest of the division feel good about themselves.
Biggest question mark: Can Andy Reid and Alex Smith transform a talented roster in their first year together?
Hot seat: It should be Phillip Rivers, but there's no such thing as a hot seat in San Diego. Just a comfortable 72 degree seat that sometimes isn't fully in the shade.
Team Notes
Denver Broncos: A runaway AFC favorite, but injuries to the offensive line might make life harder than expected in Denver.
San Diego Chargers: This team has been stuck in neutral since losing to the Jets in the 2009 playoffs. One of the least fun teams to root for in the NFL.
Kansas City Chiefs: New coach, new quarterback and a plethora of first round draft picks. The Chiefs are on the rise, but it's a rise from the doldrums, that's a long climb.
Oakland Raiders: Goodbye, Carson Palmer. Hello, Matt Flynn. Do you know what you signed up for?
AFC North
1. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) Division Champions
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8) Wild Card
3. Baltimore Ravens (7-9)
4. Cleveland Browns (7-9)
Most intriguing game: Week 7 Ravens at Steelers. Will it have the same feel in a weakened year for both franchises?
Sure bet: We're going to be forced to watch way more of this division than we'll want to.
Biggest question mark: Will the Ravens even make the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl?
Hot seat: Brandon Weeden. The Browns didn't learn much from Chris Weinke.
Team Notes
Cincinnati Bengals: It's a great year to be the Bengals, the only divisional foe that didn't regress is the Browns.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben will earn his money if he can keep the Steelers competitive.
Baltimore Ravens: One Super Bowl was enough to ruin the next seven seasons. Flacco forever and no money to pay anyone else. Yay!
Cleveland Brown: Honestly, they're a quarterback away from winning the division.
AFC South
1. Houston Texans (10-6) Division Champions
2. Indianapolis Colts (9-7) Wild Card
3. Tennessee Titans (7-9)
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15)
Most intriguing game: Colts at Texans week 9.
Sure bet: I will get annoyed when the Texans are on every week in Austin. That means I get to see Jacksonville and Tennessee twice a year. Awesome.
Biggest question mark: Will the Jaguars win a game? It's the NFL, so I'm sure they'll win one game. I got them beating the Titans in week 16.
Hot seat: Jaguars franchise. Someone's going to Los Angeles. Thank God for the Chargers that the Jaguars exist.
Team Notes
Texans: Out of division schedule is as difficult as divisional schedule is easy.
Colts: I'm not convinced last year wasn't a fluke. Double digit wins is very unlikely with 49ers, Broncos and Seahawks on the schedule. They still might make the playoffs since the AFC is terrible.
Tennessee Titans: Seven wins might be a generous prediction. Jake Locker has a few more developmental years coming.
Jacksonville Jaguars: How is Chad Henne backing up Blaine Gabbert? It's tough to find a Jaguars topic.
NFC Champions: Atlanta Falcons
AFC Champions: Denver Broncos
Excellent article. This points out to me there are very few poor teams throughout the NFL. Additionally, there are a handful of potentially great teams. At the end of the day injuries and play on the field will determine the outcome.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a fun year!