Tagged As: football, NFL, Sports, Super Bowl, Steelers, Patriots, Terrell Owens, AFC

The preseason schedule has just started, meaning that its time to get revved up to watch NFL starters play at half speed for a quarter before the scrubs take over until half time, giving way to the future stars of the AFL, USFL, and the rest of the new defacto minor league system of football leagues sloppily missing tackles and looking out of place on the field.

I broke down the season predictions for the NFC last week and need to finish with the AFC before changing my predictions at three intervals, just before the season begins, halfway through the season, and with four weeks left until the playoffs start. I will, of course, quote injuries as the source of my ill-fated analysis. So, let’s take a look at my impressions of the AFC.

AFC East

This division is full of quarterback quandaries. Is Mark Sanchez ready to be a full-time starting NFL quarterback? Is Chad Pennington’s arm going to be a problem after teams adjust to the wild cat formation once again? Is Tom Brady going to be the same player as before the injury and the marriage to Gisele? Will Terrell Owens destroy Trent Edwards’s confidence this season or next season?

First Place: New England Patriots

Tom Brady is said to have an amazing work ethic and the team silently bolstered its skill positions by adding Joey Galloway as the third receiver and Fred Taylor as the second running back. The Pats also replaced an ever-aging Mike Vrabel with a talented young linebacker in Jerod Mayo.

Second Place: Miami Dolphins

The team simply tried to upgrade at receiver and got a player in Pat White they hope can operate the wild cat as a running back and quarterback. This team is pretty solid, though if the wild cat fails to be as effective the offense is looking at an ineffectual passing game with Pennington’s limp noodle of an arm and Greg Camarillo as the best receiver.

Third Place: Buffalo Bills

The Bills have a great receiving tandem with Terrell Owens and Lee Evans, as well as a good running back in Marshawn Lynch. People forget that early in 2008 they looked playoff bound. The addition of Owens and another year of experience for Edwards may be all the Bills need to make a run at the postseason.

Fourth Place: New York Jets

The team tried to build on an awful and underperforming defense from last season and is planning to start a rookie quarterback who is used to the gentle summer breeze in California and not the whirlwind in New Jersey. Things are not going to go well. Then again the front office knew that already, why else do you think they did not actually give Sanchez another starting receiver after losing Laveranues Coles.

AFC North

The AFC North is best won with dominating defense, big play quarterbacks (even when they are supposed to play with a little more control, ahem, Ben Roethlisberger), and good running games.

First Place: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers kept the stars on offense and defense. They may have lost a few very good role players, but they feel that they addressed the need in the draft or that they can cultivate someone else to take their place. Let’s face it- this team is not going to lose because Byron Leftwich is in Tampa. Plus, Big Ben can go back to being a big play quarterback if his running backs are healthy this season.

Second Place: Baltimore Ravens

Great defense led by Ray Lewis-check Power running game with Willis McGahee and a fullback in Le’Ron McClain that runs like an old school fullback-check Big play quarterback in second year starter Joe Flacco-check. This team could probably win three or four other divisions, but they play in the AFC North and it is too soon to bet against the Steelers.

Third Place: Cincinnati Bengals

The rational is pretty simple. The Bengals have Carson Palmer who can be great if he is healthy and a receiver tandem in Chad Ochocinco and Laveranues Coles that is the second best in the division. Eventually someone has to usurp Cedric Benson at running back and this team is already down on itself, so the Marvin Lewis effect is void.

Fourth Place: Cleveland Browns

Quarterback controversy between overpaid veteran quarterback and unproven first round draft pick- check. Self-destructive wide receiver that ruins team spirit before the first preseason game- check. Terrible defense that tried to improve by signing head cases Oakland Raiders-style – check.

AFC South

The AFC South is place where extremes dominate. Teams have an extremely talented quarterback, an extremely dominant running game, an extremely dreadful defense, or extremely desperate coach. There is no middle ground in this division.

First Place: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts will have a healthy Peyton Manning to begin the season without the “let’s resuscitate Marvin Harrison’s career” project. He has the receivers he needs in Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Dallas Clark, and who ever he chooses to make into an All-Pro caliber receiver. The defense simply has to fight off injuries to remain as great as last season. Everything is aligning at the Oil Can.

Second Place: Tennessee Titans

The Titans lost defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, which will send shock waves that reach the secondary this season as they have to protect against the deep ball that much longer. The team may have two great running backs that force the other team to keep eight in the box, but they also have a troubled former starter who will almost assuredly bring the team down from the inside or start and begin throwing inaccurate interceptions once again.

Third Place: Jacksonville Jaguars

Coach Jack Del Rio needs a good year to keep his job. The team lost quite a few players, but none were irreplaceable. David Garrard still has nobody to throw too, but this season should be exciting as the rebuilt offensive line gets to block for Maurice Jones-Drew, the new without-a-doubt starter.

Fourth Place: Houston Texans

The reigns have been handed to quarterback Matt Schaub and though he still has the best receiver in football in Andre Johnson, he has little else to scare the opposing secondary. Steve Slaton remains the running back too, which is good. Still the defense has been grossly revamped. I get the feeling that big free agent signings defensive linemen Antonio Smith and Shaun Cody are going to be busts that ruin the rest of the season.

AFC West

To finish in first place in this division you simply have to try and aim for mediocrity, which is apparently extremely difficult for this group of teams.

First Place: San Diego Chargers

The loss of linebacker Shawne Merriman to start the season took the wind out the Chargers season early on, as did the suddenly human LaDainian Tomlinson and Antonio Gates. Still this team should rebound with a potentially above average defense and an offense that learned how to survive without a dominant LT by the end of last season.

Second Place: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs made the big move and traded for Matt Cassel. Cassel immediately becomes their best quarterback in years. The Chiefs second pace finish is being made assuming the father time linebacker core is able to squeeze one more good season before everyone ups and retires and assuming Larry Johnson is able to do enough damage taking the ball out of the backfield to give Dwayne Bowe and Mark Clayton (a receiver I continue to believe has big play potential) to get open.

Third Place: Denver Broncos

The defense is still bad, but now they are old too. While the Chiefs are old, they are old in one position in the middle of the field. The Broncos are old in the secondary, so the answer is just go deep. The offense may be moving toward a more conventional running attack with rookie running back Knowshon Moreno and under the direction of rookie head coach Josh McDaniels, but they still have Kyle Orton at quarterback and an increasingly unhappy Brandon Marshall. There is too much going on here for the season to go well, even in the AFC West.

Fourth Place: Oakland Raiders

This team has a strong quarterback with no accuracy, a head coach fearful of being fired and embarrassed nationally by the team owner, a questionable first round pick fighting for the number one receiver role, and a terrible defense. This might be the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.

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