NFL Season preview AFC North & South
AFC North
The most polarized division in the NFL.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-5) The Steelers do one thing, win. I see them continuing the trend but the last time they were defending champions they fell flat and went 8-8 and missed the playoffs but that season in ’06 Roethlisberger had a near death motorcycle accident. So will that happen this year? I doubt they repeat as champions but this team’s defense will win them a lot of games.
2. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) Baltimore could be just a monster all season with a defense that just destroys you every week. Joe Flacco is a solid player and will maximize a pretty weak offense and they should be a wild card team again. It is the lack of receivers that keeps the Ravens from making the step over the Steelers but I wouldn’t be surprised if they did win the division.
3. Cincinnati Bengals(6-10) Tank Johnson and Roy Williams come from an underwhelming team in Dallas to a team whose middle name is underwhelming. This will be a make or break season for head coach Marvin Lewis because so far this team has been a disaster. Remember Lewis did win the division in 2005 and since then they have been a speed bump for the Ravens and Steelers ever sense. This team just lacks the playmakers that a good team needs to contend in a real bear of a division like the AFC North.
4. Cleveland Browns(2-14) Derek Anderson or Brady Quinn? Who the hell cares at this point! If the Browns didn’t have bad luck they would have no luck at all as the old sayinggoes. I ask just one question. Why are they so bad? They have a good solid football coach who seems to know his business at least at one time he did, and just two years ago the Anderson led team tore through the league and made people stand up and take notice. Now that notice is: How many drops can Braylon Edwards have this year? Will either QB actually play well enough to deserve a starting job? Will Mangini actually make this a team to even be taken seriously? There are just too many questions for this team to be effective this year.
AFC South
A truly interesting division gets better every year.
1. Indianapolis Colts (11-7) The Colts got rid of their star receiver in Marvin Harrison but there is a lot of talent on the offensive side of the ball with Anthony Gonzalezwho should fit right in. It is the defense that still scares me on this team because they just don’t seem to have made any significant additions on that side of the ball and how long can you put your faith in an undersized yet really effective (when healthy) safety in Bob Sanders.
2. Tennessee Titans (11-7) The Titans lit the league on fire last year and I like what they did but I can’t see the rest of the NFL and the division not keying in on what made them so successful last year and exploiting it. Kerry Collins is the right QB for this team and I am a big fan of how a new slimmer Lendale White looks. They also have a great coach in Jeff Fisher and this defense is full of ball hawks.
3. Houston Texans(9-7) A team that shows marked improvement every year has to get better right? Right!? This team is full of playmakers in both sides of the ball and they are all entering their prime years right now. Andre Johnson is a big, fast and smart receiver and if Matt Schaub can stay on his feet and off of the injury report this team could just make a bigger jump than I am predicting.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11) Maurice Jones-Drew you got your own team, now what?! This team was a chic pic for years for years but those times are past. They have one weapon on offense in MJD and a QB in David Gerrard who at times just looked lost last year. Add to the fact that the defense just looks over the hill and I have to say that this is gonna hurt… bad!