On the 11th Day, ESPN Gave to Me…11 NFL Playoff-Bound Teams

It is officially December and playoff time in the National Football League. This year, the race is just heating up. The AFC has eight teams fighting for the two wild card spots. The NFC has just three. That totals 11, giving us the 11th day of Christmas.

I will look at the NFC first, as there are fewer teams. Then, I’ll look at the AFC and make predictions for both conferences.

 

Green Bay Packers (9-5)

They control their own destiny. After the last-second loss to Pittsburgh last week, Green Bay knows they just need to win to continue their playoff hunt.

Luckily, they play the lowly Seattle Seahawks, who have struggled all season. If the New York Giants or Dallas Cowboys lose and Green Bay wins, they are in.

If all three teams win, Green Bay travels to Arizona, who will likely not be playing for anything and could be resting their starters.

 

Dallas Cowboys (9-5)

Dallas is also in the driver’s seat. They clinch a playoff spot with a win and loss by the New York Giants.

Dallas will get a win as they are playing the Washington Redskins. If both teams win, Dallas hosts Philadelphia. Like the Packers, Dallas will play a team that has nothing to play for if they win this week.

 

New York Giants (8-6)

The New York Giants are on the outside right now. They hold the tiebreaker on the Cowboys as they won twice against them. They need the Cowboys to drop a game and then match them the rest of the way.

The Giants host Carolina, a team who just beat the Minnesota Vikings. While Carolina is not playing for anything, they are a team who can show up and beat anyone or forget to play the game.

If the Giants win and Dallas loses, New York travels to Minnesota. The Vikings will have clinched a first-round bye with a win and loss by Philadelphia. Since Philadelphia plays Denver, a team fighting in the AFC, this game could go either way.

If the Eagles lose, Minnesota will rest its starters. If the Eagles win, Minnesota will play Favre and Peterson as long as possible to get the win.

 

NFC Result

Green Bay will win its last two games, as Arizona will rest its starters for the last game. The Packers will be the No. 5 seed and face Arizona in the first round.

Dallas will get in. Dallas and New York will both win this weekend, so it will come down to the final week. Both teams will lose to their opponents in the final week, propelling Dallas in to the playoffs. Dallas will face Philadelphia the first round.

 

Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

One of two teams that control their own destiny, the Ravens play at Pittsburgh this week. They clinch with a win and losses from Jacksonville and the New York Jets or Denver. They also clinch with a win and losses by Miami, New York Jets, and Denver.

If the Ravens need to win in the final week, they face Oakland. Oakland has struggled all season and the Ravens will not lose that game with the playoffs on the line.

 

Denver Broncos (8-6)

The other team that controls its own destiny, the Broncos travel to Philadelphia this week. With Philadelphia fighting for the division, this will be a tough game for the Broncos to win.

They can clinch with a win and losses by Jacksonville, Miami, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh. Denver will lose this week, but beat Kansas City in the final week.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7)

Jacksonville is in the best standing of the 7-7 teams, but they travel to New England this week. New England would like to secure their division this week and the No. 3 seed.

If Jacksonville loses, they will need to win against Cleveland and get some help to get in to the playoffs.

 

Miami Dolphins (7-7)

The Dolphins need to win out to make the playoffs; however, they went .500 in their conference, so they will not hold any tiebreakers over any other 9-7 teams.

Miami hosts Houston and Pittsburgh in the final two weeks, both teams fighting for the wild card. Miami will not win both of these games, dooming their playoff chances.

 

New York Jets (7-7)

The New York Jets have to hope Indianapolis does not go for the record, as they travel to face the Colts this week. If the Colts rest their starters, the Jets have a chance. If they do not, the Jets will not win this game.

If the Jets somehow win, they face Cincinnati the last week, another team that may rest their starters depending on whether the division is wrapped up or not.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Pittsburgh kept breathing after that last-second win against the Green Bay Packers. This week, they host the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore still has a slight chance to win the division, so they will not go down without a fight.

If Pittsburgh wins, they need to win at Miami in the final week and get a little help to make the playoffs. Do not count out the defending Super Bowl Champions yet.

 

Tennessee Titans (7-7)

After starting the season 0-6, no one expected to be talking about the Titans in December as a potential playoff team. Tennessee hosts the San Diego Chargers, one of the quietest hot teams in the AFC.

The Chargers clinch a bye with a win and loss by New England. They will definitely play the Titans tough.

If the Titans win, they travel to Seattle to face a struggling NFC team. The Titans will win this game, but will it be enough?

 

Houston Texans (7-7)

Likely the smallest chance, the Houston Texans can win out and go 9-7. They will need a lot of help to get into the playoffs. This week, they travel to Miami to face another team fighting for the playoffs.

If they win against Miami, the Texans will face New England in the final week. They have to hope New England has the bye wrapped up, so they will rest their starters and Houston can win this game.

 

AFC Result

Winners this week will be San Diego, Houston, New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis. These results will eliminate Tennessee, Miami, Jacksonville, and the New York Jets.

In Week 17, Houston will pull an upset because New England leaves out their starters. Pittsburgh, Denver, and Baltimore also all win.

This means there will be a four-way tie for the final two spots. First tiebreaker is to eliminate one of two teams in the same division. This would be between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

The first tiebreaker between Baltimore and Pittsburgh is head-to-head. Since Pittsburgh will win the game in Week 16, both teams will have won a game. The next tiebreaker is divisional record. Baltimore will be 3-3 and Pittsburgh will be 2-4, eliminating Pittsburgh.

This leaves three team—Baltimore, Denver, and Houston. The second tiebreaker after eliminating a divisional foe is if any team swept the others. This did not happen, so it goes to conference record.

Baltimore and Denver will both be 7-5 within the conference. Houston will only be 6-6. This eliminates Houston.

Baltimore holds the tiebreaker, so they will be the five seed and Denver will be the six seed. New England holds the tiebreaker over Cincinnati, so New England will face Denver in the first round. Cincinnati will host Baltimore.

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On the 11th Day, ESPN Gave to Me…11 NFL Playoff-Bound Teams

It is officially December and playoff time in the National Football League. This year, the race is just heating up. The AFC has eight teams fighting for the two wild card spots. The NFC has just three. That totals 11, giving us the 11th day of Christmas.

I will look at the NFC first, as there are fewer teams. Then, I’ll look at the AFC and make predictions for both conferences.

 

Green Bay Packers (9-5)

They control their own destiny. After the last-second loss to Pittsburgh last week, Green Bay knows they just need to win to continue their playoff hunt.

Luckily, they play the lowly Seattle Seahawks, who have struggled all season. If the New York Giants or Dallas Cowboys lose and Green Bay wins, they are in.

If all three teams win, Green Bay travels to Arizona, who will likely not be playing for anything and could be resting their starters.

 

Dallas Cowboys (9-5)

Dallas is also in the driver’s seat. They clinch a playoff spot with a win and loss by the New York Giants.

Dallas will get a win as they are playing the Washington Redskins. If both teams win, Dallas hosts Philadelphia. Like the Packers, Dallas will play a team that has nothing to play for if they win this week.

 

New York Giants (8-6)

The New York Giants are on the outside right now. They hold the tiebreaker on the Cowboys as they won twice against them. They need the Cowboys to drop a game and then match them the rest of the way.

The Giants host Carolina, a team who just beat the Minnesota Vikings. While Carolina is not playing for anything, they are a team who can show up and beat anyone or forget to play the game.

If the Giants win and Dallas loses, New York travels to Minnesota. The Vikings will have clinched a first-round bye with a win and loss by Philadelphia. Since Philadelphia plays Denver, a team fighting in the AFC, this game could go either way.

If the Eagles lose, Minnesota will rest its starters. If the Eagles win, Minnesota will play Favre and Peterson as long as possible to get the win.

 

NFC Result

Green Bay will win its last two games, as Arizona will rest its starters for the last game. The Packers will be the No. 5 seed and face Arizona in the first round.

Dallas will get in. Dallas and New York will both win this weekend, so it will come down to the final week. Both teams will lose to their opponents in the final week, propelling Dallas in to the playoffs. Dallas will face Philadelphia the first round.

 

Baltimore Ravens (8-6)

One of two teams that control their own destiny, the Ravens play at Pittsburgh this week. They clinch with a win and losses from Jacksonville and the New York Jets or Denver. They also clinch with a win and losses by Miami, New York Jets, and Denver.

If the Ravens need to win in the final week, they face Oakland. Oakland has struggled all season and the Ravens will not lose that game with the playoffs on the line.

 

Denver Broncos (8-6)

The other team that controls its own destiny, the Broncos travel to Philadelphia this week. With Philadelphia fighting for the division, this will be a tough game for the Broncos to win.

They can clinch with a win and losses by Jacksonville, Miami, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh. Denver will lose this week, but beat Kansas City in the final week.

 

Jacksonville Jaguars (7-7)

Jacksonville is in the best standing of the 7-7 teams, but they travel to New England this week. New England would like to secure their division this week and the No. 3 seed.

If Jacksonville loses, they will need to win against Cleveland and get some help to get in to the playoffs.

 

Miami Dolphins (7-7)

The Dolphins need to win out to make the playoffs; however, they went .500 in their conference, so they will not hold any tiebreakers over any other 9-7 teams.

Miami hosts Houston and Pittsburgh in the final two weeks, both teams fighting for the wild card. Miami will not win both of these games, dooming their playoff chances.

 

New York Jets (7-7)

The New York Jets have to hope Indianapolis does not go for the record, as they travel to face the Colts this week. If the Colts rest their starters, the Jets have a chance. If they do not, the Jets will not win this game.

If the Jets somehow win, they face Cincinnati the last week, another team that may rest their starters depending on whether the division is wrapped up or not.

 

Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Pittsburgh kept breathing after that last-second win against the Green Bay Packers. This week, they host the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore still has a slight chance to win the division, so they will not go down without a fight.

If Pittsburgh wins, they need to win at Miami in the final week and get a little help to make the playoffs. Do not count out the defending Super Bowl Champions yet.

 

Tennessee Titans (7-7)

After starting the season 0-6, no one expected to be talking about the Titans in December as a potential playoff team. Tennessee hosts the San Diego Chargers, one of the quietest hot teams in the AFC.

The Chargers clinch a bye with a win and loss by New England. They will definitely play the Titans tough.

If the Titans win, they travel to Seattle to face a struggling NFC team. The Titans will win this game, but will it be enough?

 

Houston Texans (7-7)

Likely the smallest chance, the Houston Texans can win out and go 9-7. They will need a lot of help to get into the playoffs. This week, they travel to Miami to face another team fighting for the playoffs.

If they win against Miami, the Texans will face New England in the final week. They have to hope New England has the bye wrapped up, so they will rest their starters and Houston can win this game.

 

AFC Result

Winners this week will be San Diego, Houston, New England, Pittsburgh, Indianapolis. These results will eliminate Tennessee, Miami, Jacksonville, and the New York Jets.

In Week 17, Houston will pull an upset because New England leaves out their starters. Pittsburgh, Denver, and Baltimore also all win.

This means there will be a four-way tie for the final two spots. First tiebreaker is to eliminate one of two teams in the same division. This would be between Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

The first tiebreaker between Baltimore and Pittsburgh is head-to-head. Since Pittsburgh will win the game in Week 16, both teams will have won a game. The next tiebreaker is divisional record. Baltimore will be 3-3 and Pittsburgh will be 2-4, eliminating Pittsburgh.

This leaves three team—Baltimore, Denver, and Houston. The second tiebreaker after eliminating a divisional foe is if any team swept the others. This did not happen, so it goes to conference record.

Baltimore and Denver will both be 7-5 within the conference. Houston will only be 6-6. This eliminates Houston.

Baltimore holds the tiebreaker, so they will be the five seed and Denver will be the six seed. New England holds the tiebreaker over Cincinnati, so New England will face Denver in the first round. Cincinnati will host Baltimore.

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On the Second Day of Christmas, ESPN Gave to Me…Two Unbeaten Teams

On the second day of Christmas, ESPN gave to me two unbeaten teams. Only two seasons after the New England Patriots finished the regular season unbeaten, there are two teams that could potentially do the same.

Led by Drew Brees, the New Orleans Saints have quietly started the season 13-0. They have not had as much recognition as the Indianapolis Colts. They have also been overshadowed by the emerging Minnesota Vikings with Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson.

This team has a great offense led by Brees throwing to Marques Colston, Devery Henderson, and Robert Meachem. Brees is helped by having Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush in the backfield.

Will the New Orleans Saints drop one of the last three games? They play Dallas on Saturday Night Football at home. Dallas has been struggling of late, losing to Green Bay, the New York Giants, and San Diego. They also squeaked by the Washington Redskins.

The other two games, the Saints host Tampa Bay and travel to Carolina. Tampa Bay has only won one game all season and continues to struggle. Carolina has been up and down all season, winning five so far.

The other unbeaten team is the flashy Indianapolis Colts. This may be an even better team than the Colts that won the Super Bowl in 2007.

The Colts are led by Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Joseph Addai. Most impressively this season, however, is their ability to come back and not go away.

The Colts have come back this season against the Patriots and Texans. They have had close games against the 49ers, Dolphins, and Colts.

Indianapolis has a tough game at Jacksonville on Thursday Night Football. Then, they host the New York Jets and travel to Buffalo.

The Jaguars and Jets are arguably fighting for the playoffs. Those could be a couple tough games.

Everyone that plays the Saints and Colts will be looking to be that team that gives them a loss. Every game they play will be tough.

The Saints have to keep pace with the Vikings to get homefield throughout the playoffs. The Colts have already clinched homefield.

Regardless, both teams are going to decide between playing for the unbeaten season or playing for the postseason. Do they rest their starters and risk a loss? Or, do they keep the starters in as long as possible and maybe have an injury?

It will be an interesting end to a very good NFL season.

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Let The Detroit Lions Keep Their Thanksgiving Game

Yes, this is another article begging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to let the Detroit Lions keep their Thanksgiving game. I have heard several NFL Commentators talk about getting rid of Detroit on Thanksgiving.

Once again, I have to defend Detroit.

Yes, the Lions suck. They have two wins this season against two of the worst teams in the NFL.

No, maybe it is not that fun to watch the Lions on Thanksgiving. The Lions on Thanksgiving is as traditional as eating turkey. Here are a few reasons the Lions should keep the “Thanksgiving Classic.”

Reason Number One: Tradition

The Detroit Lions began the Thanksgiving game tradition in 1934. The Lions’ first owner, G.A. Richards, started the tradition as a way to get people to come to the games.

Since then, the Dallas Cowboys started the tradition in 1966. The two teams have hosted a Thanksgiving game ever since.

To please the fans, the NFL Network added a third game. This allows for a competition game as well as keeping the tradition alive.

Reason Number Two: Let Detroit Have Something to Celebrate

You do not truly understand how bad Detroit really is unless you live there. I moved away in May and came to visit in October. In the six months I was gone, Detroit had depleted so much more.

There are former CEO’s that have lost their houses, cars, and jobs. There are houses that have a rent payment of $99 per month gone vacant because even that is too expensive.

The unemployment rate in Detroit is 22%, almost three times the national average.

As for their sports teams, the Lions obviously suck. The Detroit Tigers only had to win a few games in September to get into the playoffs. Instead, they lost a play-in game.

The Detroit Pistons are struggling. The pride of Detroit, the Red Wings, lost the Stanley Cup last year and have started this hockey season 12-9-4.

The Thanksgiving game is something Detroit fans are truly proud of. They love tailgating and heading over to the game with their families who are in town. Then, they head home and have a nice dinner.

Leave Detroit alone. They have few things to be proud of right now. Do not take away their tradition.

Reason Number Three: It Is Only One Game

There are 17 weeks in the season. Each week has a nationally televised Sunday Night and Monday Night Football Game.

Starting in November, the NFL Network also broadcasts a nationally televised Thursday Night Football Game.

After college football ends in December, there are a few more nationally televised Saturday games.

Add the three Thanksgiving games and that is almost 50 nationally televised games.

Detroit is asking for one measly nationally televised game.

The Lions have not appeared on Monday Night Football since October 8, 2001 when they hosted the St. Louis Rams.

They have not appeared on Sunday Night Football since December 11, 2005 when they travelled to Green Bay to face the Packers.

Let Detroit have their one nationally televised game. There are flex games so we can watch great match-ups towards the end of the season.

Monday Night Football usually has great match-ups with playoff implications. Detroit having a Thanksgiving game is as traditional as Dallas having one and the New York Giants having their home Saturday game in December.

Roger Goodell, leave the Lions alone and let them have their one game. If you don’t want to watch it, plan to eat dinner at one.

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NFL Midseason Report

With eight weeks gone in the NFL, most teams are approaching the turning points in their seasons. This NFL season has witnessed unbeaten teams, back and forth games, disappointments, and controversies. Here is a midseason report through Week Eight.

 

Midseason MVP

Adrian Peterson, RB, Minnesota Vikings

Peterson is third in the league in rushing with 163 attempts and 784 yards. He averages almost five yards per carry and has nine touchdowns.

 

Midseason Rookie of the Year

Brian Cushing, LB, Houston Texans

Cushing has 66 tackles (36 solo), one-and-a-half sacks, one safety, nine passes defensed, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles.

 

Midseason Coach of the Year

Josh McDaniels, Denver Broncos

The Broncos faced controversy this offseason when trading Jay Cutler for Kyle Orton. The fans were holding their breath after an abysmal preseason. This proves that preseason means nothing, as McDaniels has his team off to a 6-1 start.

 

Winners

Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos, Minnesota Vikings

 

Losers

Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins

 

Falling Down

New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks

 

On the Rise

Arizona Cardinals, Houston Texans, Miami Dolphins

 

Underachieving

Green Bay Packers, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans

 

Overachieving

Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings

 

Which Team Is the Worst in the League?

With six teams fighting for this awful title, which team will get another win or two by the end of the season?

Playing eeny-meeny-miney-moe with quarterbacks has not fared well for the Browns. Their only win came against the Bills in a 6-3 ugly game. The Browns face the Lions, Raiders, and Chiefs, so they may get one or two more wins this season.

After going 0-16 last season, the Lions can only get better, right? Well, they do have one win and may get another one. Their only chances for wins are against the Seahawks and Browns.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! The Rams have only beaten Detroit this season, which is not much of an achievement. Their only chance for another victory is against the Titans later this season.

Can we see another 0-16 team? The Buccaneers are 0-7 to date and have the toughest part of their schedule remaining. They face Miami, Green Bay, Carolina, New York Jets, Seattle, and New Orleans and Atlanta twice. You tell me who their win will be against.

The Titans are by far the most underachieving team with one win against division-rival Jacksonville. Let’s not forget when they forgot to play in England against the Patriots. The Titans have a chance for some more wins when they face Buffalo, St. Louis, and Seattle.

 

Which Undefeated Team Will End the Regular Season 16-0?

New Orleans Saints.

Yes, that sounds weird to say the Saints will remain undefeated, but they have faced some tough competition and have a bit of a coast the rest of the season.

Their only tough games come against New England and Dallas at home, and on the road in Atlanta. Other than those, they face St. Louis, Washington, and Carolina and Tampa Bay twice.

On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts host New England and Denver, while travelling to Baltimore to face a tough defense. The rest of their games include Tennessee, Jacksonville, New York Jets, Buffalo, and Houston twice.

If both teams remain undefeated during the regular season, the Colts have the best chance to finish the season without a blemish. Manning has the playoff and Super Bowl experience.

The Saints will likely have to go through Minnesota, the New York Giants, Dallas, Philadelphia, or Arizona. All those are tough games.

 

Midseason Super Bowl Prediction

The All-Manning Bowl. Yes, the Indianapolis Colts will beat the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLIV.

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The 10 Things We Know After Week 2 in the NFL

It has been an exciting first two weeks of football season in the NFL. Many teams have had dominating games, while others have kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Some teams are off to a great start at 2-0, most teams are 1-1, and a few are even winless. So, what do we know after week 2?
Weeks 1 and 2 have answered some questions about certain teams. Have injuries affected some teams too much? Will the 2-0 teams make the playoffs? Here are 10 things we know after week 2 in the National Football League.

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AFC North: Will The Super Bowl Champions Defend Their Title?

Last year, the AFC North sent two teams to the playoffs. They sent those same two teams to the AFC Championship game to play each other for the third time in a season.

Everyone should remember what happened. The Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the Baltimore Ravens en route to their sixth Super Bowl Title.

Will the Steelers defend their title or suffer the Super Bowl hangover? Here are the predictions for the AFC North.

4. Cleveland Browns: Let’s face it, the Cleveland Browns are going nowhere fast. They have not even named a starting quarterback and they are only days away from kickoff.

The Browns tried to help themselves in the offseason by picking up Donte Stallworth, only to have him suspended for the season. They still have wide receivers Braylon Edwards and Joshua Cribbs.

Without a quarterback, good wide receivers do not mean much. As for their running back, Jamal Lewis can still play; however, he is getting old. One too many hits could knock him out for a few games.

As for their defense, the Browns finished 26th overall last season. The 3-4 defense has a decent line with Shaun Rogers Kenyon Coleman, and Robaire Smith.

As for their secondary, the Browns have cornerbacks Eric Wright and Brandon McDonald. The safeties Abram Elam and Brodney Pool are not household names.

This whole defense still has a few holes. The Browns will eventually improve, but this year is not their year.

As for their schedule, the Browns travel to Denver, Buffalo, Chicago, Detroit, and Kansas City. This is the easy part of their schedule. They also host Minnesota, Green Bay, San Diego, Oakland, and Jacksonville.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: Carson Palmer is healthy this year and has high hopes for his team. Signing Leaveraneus Coles to replace TJ Houshmanzadeh was a good off-season pickup. He will join Chad Ochocinco.

As for the backfield, the Bengals re-signed Cedric Benson. He is a big, bruising running back that can have success. Unfortunately, the Bengals were 32nd in overall offense last year. Look for them to improve, but still not end up on top of the division.

The Bengals defense was the highlight of their team, finishing 12th last season. The linebacking core of Dhani Jones, Rashad Jeantry, and Keith Rivers all return from last year.

The passing defense is anchored by cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathon Joseph. Joining them is strong safety Roy Williams.

The Bengals will head on the road to Green Bay, Oakland, Minnesota, San Diego, and the New York Jets. Three of those games will give the Bengals trouble.

The Bengals will host Denver, Houston, Chicago, Detroit, and Kansas City. This will bode better for them, but still give the Bengals some trouble.

2. Baltimore Ravens: The Baltimore Ravens return Joe Flacco. With a year of experience under his belt, Flacco will have another good season. Flacco will have the help of running backs Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.

The Ravens had the 18th overall offense last year. Mark Clayton and Derrick Mason have good hands and will support Flacco as well as last season.

The Ravens are more well-known for their defense, who finished in second place last season. Re-signing Terrell Suggs and Ray Lewis was big for their defense as these two anchor the defense.

Anchoring the secondary is free safety Ed Reed.

The Ravens have a tough schedule this season. They travel to San Diego, New England, Minnesota, Green Bay, and Oakland. Only one of these teams is a relatively easy game for Baltimore.

At home, Baltimore will host Kansas City, Denver, Indianapolis, Detroit, and Chicago. Over half of these teams can give Baltimore real trouble.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers: Yes, the Steelers will defend their Super Bowl title by winning the AFC North. Of course, they are anchored by their quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. He will again throw to Hines Ward and the Super Bowl Hero Santonio Holmes.

The Steelers re-signed tight end Heath Miller to help Roethlisberger have another person to pass to. In the backfield are a great tandem of Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall. Either of these backs provide solid support for Roethlisberger.

Who did the Ravens finish second to in defense? That’s right, the Steelers. They are led by strong safety Troy Polamalu. He always seems to be in exactly the right place on almost every play.

The Steelers have the support of solid linebackers with LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Lawrence Timmons, and James Harrison. Just so no one is left out, do not forget corners Ike Taylor and William Gay. This team just has too many weapons.

The Steelers do have a slightly tough schedule. They head to Chicago, Detroit, Denver, Kansas City, and Miami. Chicago and Miami will be the toughest games, but the Steelers defense has the prowess to overcome the road disadvantage.

As for their home field advantage, the Steelers host Tennessee, San Diego, Minnesota, Oakland, and Green Bay. This is a much tougher schedule than their away schedule; however, having home field advantage will help the Steelers.

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AFC East Preview: Will the New England Patriots Reign Once Again?

The AFC East had some shakeups last season. Quarterback Tom Brady went down with a knee injury. Brett Favre led the New York Jets. Chad Pennington surprisingly rocked with the Miami Dolphins and led them to a division championship.

Last offseason, the Buffalo Bills maybe made the biggest move by picking up Terrell Owens for this year’s run.

Last season was strange but competitive. This year, it will continue to be a challenging division for the teams involved. The teams are pretty equal, and it will be a tough fight for the division championship.

Who will win the AFC East? Here are my predictions.

 

Fourth Place: New York Jets

This will be a bit of a rebuilding/building for the future year for the New York Jets. With QB Mark Sanchez taking over the team as a rookie, there will be some growing pains. Sanchez will do well but may not lead the team to the championship.

He has good wide receivers in Jerricho Cotchery and Chansi Stuckey. They will help Sanchez feel more comfortable in the pocket. 

Running back Thomas Jones will take some pressure off Sanchez. The Jets will probably run a few more running plays to ease Sanchez into his new role.

The defense is led by their big men up front. Marques Douglas, Kris Jenkins, and Shaun Ellis lead the 3-4 defense. The defense looks good under new defensive-minded head coach Rex Ryan but will face a speed bump in Week One because Ellis has been suspended for the first game.

Losing the first game will not kill the Jets’ season. They were seventh against the rush last year and should be up there again this year.

The Jets head to Houston, New Orleans, Oakland, Tampa Bay, and Indianapolis. West coast games can be tough, but that’s a pretty favorable road schedule.

As for the home games, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Carolina, Atlanta, and Cincinnati travel to the Meadowlands. 

With a young offense full of potential and a head coach with a sense for the defensive side of the ball, the Jets should fare well considering it is a rebuilding year.

 

Third Place: Buffalo Bills

The big offseason pick-up this year was wide receiver Terrell Owens. He looks to make an impact opposite Lee Evans. With two speedy receivers, Trent Edwards should have a better passer rating this year.

The reason the Bills will finish third is partly due to the fact that Marshawn Lynch is suspended the first three games of the season. Fred Jackson is a solid number two running back but missing Lynch for three games will hurt the Bills. Three weeks is not quite a quarter of the season, but enough to make a significantly negative impact for Dick Jauron’s boys.

The defense was 13th against the pass last year. Terrence McGee, Leodis McKelvin, Bryan Scott, and Donte Whitner will start in the secondary this season. Last year, they all started in almost all the games they played in.

They missed a few games, but still had decent numbers. As for their rush defense, the Bills drafted Aaron Maybin from Penn State to help in that facet of the game. They finished 22nd last year and are looking to improve.

Their schedule is reasonably favorable. The Bills travel to Carolina, Tennessee, Jacksonville, Kansas City, and Atlanta. Most of these games are in the second half of the season.

The first half of the season features a lot of home games. The Bills host Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Cleveland, Houston, and Indianapolis.

If Owens can duplicate the first-year performances he had in Philadelphia and Dallas, the Bills have a chance to make some noise in the AFC East.

 

Second Place: Miami Dolphins

Chad Pennington stepped in to the starting role last year and proved he still has a lot left. He will have the explosive Ted Ginn Jr. to throw to again this year.  On the other side will be second year receiver Davone Bess.

In the backfield, Pennington has the support of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. Ricky Williams will not do much but can be a good supporting blocker and extra receiver.

The Dolphins run a 3-4 on defense. Jason Taylor returns to the Dolphins this year in a slightly different role.  He will be a linebacker that comes up on blitzes for the 3-4.  Taylor joins other linebackers Channing Crowder, Akin Ayodele, and Joey Porter.

As for their schedule, the Dolphins do not have it too tough. They head to Atlanta, San Diego, Carolina, Jacksonville, and Tennessee. That sounds like a tough road schedule but the Dolphins should have an upset or two in that mix.

Heading to Miami are Indianapolis, New Orleans, Tampa Bay, Houston, and Pittsburgh.  They play the defending Super Bowl champs near the end of the season, so there’s a chance one of those teams will be fighting for their playoff lives once that game comes around.

 

AFC East Champions: New England Patriots

The only way they will win the division is if Tom Brady stays healthy. No offense to Brian Hoyer, but he will not lead them to many wins this year if Brady gets hurt.

Brady returns to Randy Moss, Wes Welker, and Joey Galloway who will serve as a backup and slot receiver. With Sammy Morris, Kevin Faulk, and Fred Taylor in the backfield, Brady has plenty of support. No matter which back is behind him, Brady has a solid backfield.

Their schedule is the easiest of the division. The Patriots travel to Denver, Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, New Orleans, and Houston. Denver, Tampa Bay, and Houston are not going to be as good as they were last year.

As for their home schedule, the Patriots host Atlanta, Baltimore, Tennessee, Carolina, and Jacksonville.  These teams are tough, but the Patriots have good home-field advantage at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.

With a healthy offense, Brady and the Patriots could show the flashes of brilliance they demonstrated during the 2007 regular season.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

AFC West: Which Team Will Fall in to The Playoffs?

The AFC West is probably the worst division in the NFL.  As of last year, they had two tough teams to watch out for.

This year, however, the winner may be .500 or less when they win the division.  This could be one of the worst playoff teams in history.

So, which team will take it home?  Here are the predictions.

4. Oakland Raiders: The best chance the Raiders have of improving is to fire their GM.  JaMarcus Russell will be more comfortable in the pocket this year.  He has some receivers to throw too, but they are young. 

The Raiders drafted Darrius Heyward-Bey.  He has lightning speed and good moves, but how will he hold up in the NFL?

The backfield does not have big names, but has a couple young guys in Justin Fargus and Darren McFadden.

The defense did little to improve this year.  They finished 27th in overall defense last year and may end up in the same position.

They are led by their defensive line.  They have Trevor Scott, Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, and Greg Ellis.  They also re-signed cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha.  He helps the pass defense, but cannot do it himself.

As for their schedule, the Raiders head to Houston, the New York Giants, Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.  They host Philadelphia, the New York Jets, Cincinnati, Washington, and Baltimore.

3. Denver Broncos: Oh, how the mighty have fallen.  Trading Kyle Orton for Jay Cutler is one of the worst moves the Broncos could have made.  While Orton does not suck, he is no Cutler.

Look for the Broncos to have no where near the offense production they had last year.  Even with decent receivers, Orton just does not have the stuff to bring the team to the playoffs.

The Broncos signed Correll Buckhalter and Lamont Jordan to boost the backfield.  This may help take some pressure off Orton until he gets comfortable.  It will be too little, too late.

As for the defense, they are led by their secondary.  With veterans Brian Dawkins and Champ Bailey, they have the ability to stop offenses.

Unfortunately, their offense will still have to score some points in order to win the game.

As for their schedule, the Broncos host Cleveland, Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh, and the New York Giants.  With four of those teams as picks to make the playoffs, look for the Broncos to lose some at home.

The Broncos will travel to Cincinnati, Baltimore, Washington, Indianapolis and Philadelphia.  Most of these teams are looking for the playoffs, so the Broncos will not have any amazing road wins.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: The pick-up of Matt Cassel was a great move for the Chiefs this offseason.  Hopefully, his knee will heal with plenty of time left in the season.  If he misses two games or less, the Chiefs will have a better chance of challenging for the AFC West title.

Cassel will throw to Terrance Cooper, Mark Bradley, Dwayne Bowe, and Bobby Engram.  With the support of Larry Johnson in the backfield, look for this offense to improve a lot from their 24th ranking last year.

On defense, the Chiefs picked up Mike Vrabel at linebacker.  He will help Corey Mays, Tamba Hali, and DeMorrioWilliams.  This defense ranked 31st last year, but should improve with the linebacking core.

Now for their schedule.  The Chiefs go on the road to Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Jacksonville, and Cincinnati.  They will host the New York Giants, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, and Cleveland.

1. San Diego Chargers: Retaining Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Darren Sproles kept this team intact.  They will roll through this division.  As for the rest of the NFL, we will see. 

Rivers has great receivers to throw to.  Joining Darren Sproles out of the backfield are wide receivers Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson. 

Sproleswill be a great team player as a running back receiver and back up for Tomlinson.  Tomlinson will get lots of rest with Sproles coming in on several offensive schemes.

The defense has not vastly improved from last year, when they ranked 25th.  Their secondary should improve as they were 31st last year.

With Quentin Jammer, Antonio Cromartie, Clinton Hart, and Eric Weddle, the secondary has experience to help them improve. 

The Chargers travel to Pittsburgh, the New York Giants, Cleveland, Dallas, and Tennessee.  That is a slightly easier road than their AFC West-mates. 

The Chargers will also host Baltimore, Miami, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Washington.  With Washington and Cincinnati having possible off-years, this will help the Chargers.  Also being at home should help the Chargers against tougher opponents.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFC East: Who Will Take Home The Title This Year?

Arguably the toughest division in the NFC, the NFC East, has some of the top teams in the NFL including the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, and New York Giants who all finished in the top 15 last year on both offense and defense. 

That is, except the Washington offense, which ranked 19th.

The NFC East sent two teams to the playoffs including the Philadelphia Eagles who played in the NFC Championship Game to the Arizona Cardinals.

Which of the toughest teams will win the NFC East this year?  Here are the picks:

4. Washington Redskins: The Redskins did not do a lot to improve their team. They will still perform hopefully a little better this year with more experience. They will ride the arm of Jason Campbell who gets more comfortable each year. 

Campbell has the support of Santana Moss and Antwaan Randle-El.  The Redskins have a two-headed monster in running backs Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts.

The Redskins defense ranked fourth last year. They return big men inside in Cornelius Griffin and Albert Haynesworth and used their draft choice on Brian Orakpo. 

Orakpo will most likely start this year while assisting London Fletcher at linebacker. Do not forget about the corners, DeAngelo Hall and Carlos Rogers.

The Redskins have an easy schedule because they got last place in their division last year. They play St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Denver, and New Orleans at home.  The only real challenge is New Orleans. On the road, they travel to Detroit, Carolina, Atlanta, Oakland, and San Diego.

3. Dallas Cowboys: Yes, he caused a lot of problems and has a big mouth, but the cutting of Terrell Owens could play a factor in the offense this year. Tony Romo will still have Roy Williams, formerly a Detroit Lion, and Jason Witten to throw to. 

He will also have Jon Kitna as a backup in case anything happens. Romo will have help with Marion Barber and Felix Jones in the backfield.

The defense ranked eighth last year and signed all their draft picks. Michael Hamlin will probably start at free safety which could be a great move or a risky one. The professional game is much faster than the college game and will be quite an adjustment for Hamlin. 

The Cowboys have a good linebacking group with Anthony Spencer, Bradie James, Keith Brooking, and DeMarcus Ware.

The schedule for the Cowboys has some tough games and some easy ones. They travel to Tampa Bay, Denver, Kansas City, Green Bay, and New Orleans while hosting Carolina, Atlanta, Seattle, Oakland, and San Diego.

2. New York Giants: Eli Manning and Brandon Jacobs are the biggest assets on the Giants this year. 

The loss of Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer could prove fatal. They do still have Shaun Bodiford, David Tyree, Steve Smith, and Mario Manningham. That may not be enough to win the division though.

The Giants finished fifth in overall defense last year. They have a great defensive line with Mathias Kiwanuka, Justin Tuck, and Osi Umenyiora and also have good support with Antonio Pierce and Kevin Dockery.

The Giants have a decent schedule. They host Oakland, Arizona, San Diego, Atlanta, and Carolina, but will travel to Tampa Bay, Kansas City, New Orleans, Denver, and Minnesota.

1. Philadelphia Eagles: The team with the X-Factor usually wins the NFC East. This could be a stretch, but Michael Vick will be the X-Factor this year. Yes, it is preseason, but he looks really good so far. 

Having Vick and Donovan McNabb in formations together will help boost this offense.  That is saying a lot since they finished ninth last year. 

They also have great wide receivers, led by Kevin Curtis and DeSean Jackson. Backing them up is Jason Avant and Jeremy Maclin. Do not forget about Brian Westbrook at running back either.

The Eagles finished third last year in total defense. Look for them to retain that strength. They have a strong secondary with Asante Samuel, Sheldon Brown, Quintin Mikell, and Quintin Demps. 

The defense is not amazing, but they are consistent.

DeSean Jackson and draft pick Jeremy Maclin will help the special teams with their kick returns. They have lightning feet and great moves. Look for Jackson or Maclin to return a few for touchdowns this year.

The schedule could hurt the Eagles, but they should be able to lock up some big wins.  They head to Carolina, Oakland, San Diego, Chicago, and Atlanta. The Eagles will host New Orleans, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, San Francisco, and Denver.

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