It seems that it could be the San Diego Chargers' year to win the AFC. The loss of Darren Sproles is a big one, but that is why the New Orleans Saints will win the Super Bowl. The Chargers will get to the Super Bowl and Sproles will be a big reason why the Saints will be victorious!
The Jets have been consistently good ever since Rex Ryan came to the Big Apple. The Jets' defense is without question top three in the NFL. The question marks are on offense. It is common knowledge that Mark Sanchez has yet to make the leap into the elite quarterback club. Yet, the Jets have hidden Sanchez's slow development with defense and running the football. The Jets' offense line may be pretty good, but the Jets' backs are fair, at best. LaDainian Tomlinson is old and Shonn Greene is serviceable. The question is can Greene carry the load and protect Sanchez? Too many problems to win it all this year, the Jets will be the wild card and go to the playoffs, but how long will Jets' fans be patient with the Pretty Boy Mark Sanchez?
The Bills will be better than they were last year. The Bills will be improved and win two more games than last year. The Bills drafted DT Marcell Dareus with the 3rd pick. A Defensive Tackle like Dareus could really make a difference on that side of ball, just look at what Ndamukong Suh has done for Detroit. Ryan Fitzpatrick is a smart young quarterback and he has some pretty nice young pieces around him. Buffalo will be better, but the playoffs will have to wait till next year.
The Texans ready to beat down the competition!
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AFC SOUTH
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Houston Texans (11-5)
1st
This is the Texans year, finally! This team has been pretty good for the last few years, but young as well. This is the year the Texans are mature and loaded. The Texans have superstars on both sides of the ball. Hiring Wade Phillips to be the defensive coordinator was a great move. Phillips was not a good head coach, but he is a very good D coordinator and the Texans will be better because of him. Mario Williams will struggle in the 3-4 defense, but the the rest of the D unit should be improved because of the change. The Texans have no weaknesses on offense. They should overpower everyone in their weak division. The Texans will make the playoffs this year, but a deep run is doubtful because of their lack of playoff experience. Still, anything can happen, but most likely a Super Sunday is not in the cards this year.
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Tennessee Titans (8-8)
2nd
Matt Hasselbeck is Seahawks' loss and the Titans' gain. Tennessee can always run the ball and play defense. Chris Johnson is the most exciting home run threat in the game. The addition of Hasselbeck will give them solid veteran leadership at the quarterback position. Still, Hasselbeck, Johnson, etc. will not be enough to get them over 500. So, the Titans win with Hasselbeck, but Titans gain will not be as glaring as the Seahawks' loss.
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Jacksonville Jaguars (6-10)
3rd
The Jags like the Titans can always play defense and run the ball. Maurice Jones-Drew is a beast and will have another good season. Jones-Drew may suffer from not having a consistent passing act. With the departure of David Garrard, Blaine Gabbert will be handed the keys. Gabbert maybe good one day, but likely not this year. With coaching change rumors circulating, the Jags are a team in transition and that means the whole team is most likely looking towards the future.
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Indianapolis Colts (3-13)
4th
No Manning, big problems!
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Man we are Getting Old
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AFC NORTH
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Baltimore Ravens (12-4)
1st
Joe Flacco should step up to become a top 10 quarterback this year. Flacco has some nice weapons at his disposal; Ray Rice, Anquan Boldin, etc.. These guys should help Flacco to run a pretty good offense, but don't expect the Ravens to put 35.0 points on the board every game. The Ravens' defense is their strength, yet they are getting older. The Ravens' defense will be good this year, but their age will keep them from the being the dominant defense that people have to come to expect. The Ravens' age will most likely come into play at the end of the long grueling season. Still, the Ravens are going to be very good on both sides of the ball and that should help them both in the regular season and the playoffs. The Ravens should reach the the AFC conference championship game. The Super Bowl is possible, but in the end the San Diego Super Chargers offense is too much and the Ravens go home one game early this year.
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Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
2nd (Wild Card)
The Steelers have enough to make the playoffs again. The Steelers' offense may struggle this year. Big Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have a whole lot of weapons around him. The Steelers should be able to put up enough points to be in every game. The defense is the strength of the team. The linebacking core of the Steelers is the best in the NFL, and they have the best playmaking safety, Troy Polamalu. Pittsburgh will not get back to the Super Bowl, but they will make the playoffs again.
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Cleveland Browns (9-7)
3rd
The Browns are no longer the laughing stock of the NFL. They have improved their team on both sides of the ball, through the draft and free agency. This year the Browns take the step up to become one of the respectable teams of the NFL. The Browns will have to wait until next year to make the playoffs. Browns' fans should be encouraged with their young team's improvement. The AFC North is a tough division and the Browns will not be able to knock off the big boys this year, but the future is bright for the Browns. The Browns have the best young nucleus in the AFC North.
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Cincinnati Bengals (6-10)
4th
The Bengals are young and rebuilding. The Bengals management may keep them from ever really being an elite team. The Bengals have an easy schedule and have some nice young players. That should be enough to win 5 or 6 games.
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The Big Weapon
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AFC WEST
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San Diego Chargers (11-5)
1st
Everyone has asked when will Phillip River take the next big step and get to the big game. This may be the year. Rivers is an elite quarterback and with no truly complete teams in the AFC Rivers and his high powered offense should overwhelm most teams that they face. San Diego also has a really good defense. So, the Chargers get to the Super Bowl, but in the end lose to the Saints, who have the best offense in football. The story plays out that Darren Sproles will be difference in the big game.
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Oakland Raiders (8-8)
2nd
Most people do not like the Raiders. Whether it is the fans or the wacky Al Davis, the Raiders have been a joke for the last few years. This year the Raiders have enough to be respectable, and a good young foundation to build on.
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Kansas City Chiefs (6-10)
3rd
The Chiefs will not improve on their record from last year. The Chiefs take a step back, even though they have some nice building blocks for the future. The Chiefs have a tough schedule that will force them to step back and fix a few areas before they can be a 10 win team again.
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Denver Broncos (5-11)
4th
The Broncos are a franchise in turmoil. With coaching changes and bad personnel moves made by the former coach, the Broncos are in need of a fix. John Elway will have to get his hands around the situations(like the Tebow dilemma) for the Broncos to become a good team again. Still, the Broncos have enough players to win 5 games, but Elway and the rest of management better get control of things or this team could be sub par for a long time.
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