Mikey D

Alright, onto the AFC. This one is much harder to pick in my opinion because there are more "good" teams than in the NFC. But here goes nothing. Literally.

AFC North:
1) Baltimore Ravens~ The defense is still the best in the league. I thought they were on the downhill defensively last year, but boy did they prove me wrong. On offense I think that this is Clayton's breakout year, although I question whether McNair can get him the ball. I think the pick-up of McGahee is what puts them on top of this division though. Jamaal Lewis was good- in 2003- but hasn't been since. If the O-Line develops, McGahee will bring a wonderful balance to this offense.
2) Pittsburgh Steelers~ I think this could be a bounce back year. They have so much talent and pride that it's hard for me not to think so. I like Big Ben to come out firing this year, with Ward, Miller, and an emerging Santonio Holmes. Throw in fast Willy, and the offense looks alright. I love what Pittsburgh did in the draft getting a Michigan man in Woodley, and I think new head coach Mike Tomlin will get the most out of his D. Can the secondary hold up though?
3) Cincinnati Bengals~ Just not a believer- yet. I'm not going to doubt the offense, with Palmer, Johnson, Houshmanzadeh, and Rudi. They'll be fine there. I'm still waiting for the Bengals to develop a defense though. With Thurman not coming back at linebacker, Cincy once again needs improvement in that area. Drafting Hall from Michigan was needed, but it's hard to count on rookies. Still, I definitely wouldn't be shocked if Cincy scored its way to the top, much like the Saints.
4) Cleveland Browns~ Brady Quinn or Charlie Frye? Either way they suck. Jamaal Lewis? Stick a fork in him, he's done. Winslow? I wonder what's going to put him on the IR this year. Braylon? I like him, it's just too bad he's on the Browns. Couple all those offensive questions with crap for a defense, and you have one of the worst teams in football.

AFC South~
1) Indianapolis Colts~ Almost by default, as the other teams in this division have too many question marks in my opinion. With the Colts I wonder about the defense. Like every Super Bowl winner, other teams have picked at the Colts players. Losing Harper doesn't help in the secondary. If they can patch up the defense, I think they'll be fine. Also, replacing Simon at LT is a huge must. Who will protect Peyton's blindside?
2) Jacksonville Jaguars~ Tough and physical, but do they have the offense? They certainly have the running game with Fred Taylor, Maurice Jones-Drew, and Greg Jones, but what about a passing attack? Do you trust Byron Leftwich and David Garrard throwing to nobody? I don't. Still the Jags will beat down weaker teams like it's nobody's business. All-around teams though? They'll struggle.
3) Tennessee Titans~ A terrible off season for them. Vince has zero weapons to throw to, a non-existent running game, and a depleted defense. But Young had little to work with last year and did alright, so I expect him to continue where he left off. Pac Man Jones is gone, which may be good or bad, but the addition of Nick Harper lessens the blow. Titans finish third, only because Houston is in their division.
4) Houston Texans~ A new QB! Unfortunately it's the same offensive line. A year after the Bush fiasco, Houston will line up Ahman Green in the backfield. Bush...or Ahman. Whoops. No O-Line, a new QB, an aging running back, one receiver, and a young defense. Uh-oh.

AFC East:
1) New England Patriots~ I don't want to pick them here because everyone else is, but they looks so good on paper! Getting Thomas upgrades the LB spot, and getting Harrison back at safety is huge. Brady goes from having no receiving weapons to having two studs in Moss and Stallworth. Put them in with Maroney, Welker, and Ben Watson at TE and the Patriots suddenly have a potent offensive attack. The most complete and well coached team gets the nod here.
2) Miami Dolphins~ Saban out, Cameron in. He's an offensive wizard, and I think having a veteran like Trent Green who's played for Cameron makes the offense respectable. Chambers is coming off a down year, but Booker is coming off a decent one. Ronnie Brown is a productive back, so if this offense can come together, it could be serviceable. The defense got a supposed upgrade with Jerry Porter, but he's past his prime, so I'm not sure how much help he'll provide. But Thomas and Taylor are still there, so the Dolphins will be decent.
3) New York Jets~ Great season for the Jets last year, but a lot had to do with their schedule. They played a lot of cupcakes and teams that had off seasons/games. It's a new season, but some of the same questions remain. Can Pennington and Coles stay healthy? I like the running game with the addition of Thomas Jones. The man's a beast and is a definite upgrade. Revis will help in the defensive secondary, and the defense should be solid. Like the Dolphins there are some questions, and I think whichever team gels better will take the second spot in the division.
4) Buffalo Bills~ You get rid of McGahee, Spikes, and Williams, three of your best players. You lose Clements to free agency. It looks like the Bills are rebuilding an already bad team. Lohsman looked good towards the end of last year, as did Lee Evans. The addition of all-purpose back Marshawn Lynch should make this offense interesting and intriguing to say the least. But the defense will really hold this team back, as a team that loses it's top corner and run stopper is in trouble.

AFC West~
1) Denver Broncos~ I loved their off season. Cutler looks like he can manage the offense, and it helps having a beast of a running back in Travis Henry. Javon Walker, Rod Smith, and Brandon Marshall are all quality receivers to throw to, and the addition of tight end Daniel Grahm makes the offense even more attractive. The defense features two shut down corners in Champ Bailey and Dre Bly, with a defensive front that was upgraded in the draft. The defense looks like it might be almost impossible to throw on with top flight corners and pressure D-Line.
2) San Diego Chargers~ The team returns with all its pieces from last year, but loses all its coaches. That's rough, and I don't think they'll bounce back like people think they will. Rivers is still young, and he doesn't have much to throw to still. It's a young receiving corps. The O-Line and defense are great though, and will carry this team to plenty of wins. Oh yeah, and that guy with the initials L.T.
3) Oakland Raiders~ Yeah, not last! The offense will once again be terrible, there's no doubt about that. Culpepper and McCown will be okay starters until Russel gets in, and a backfield of Jordan, Rhodes, and Michael Bush isn't all that bad. There is, however, no receivers on this team (Mike Williams doesn't count), and no offensive line. It just can't be as bad as last year, it just can't. The defense was a top-10 defense last year though, and I see no reason why it won't be again this year. Their D actually kept them in quite a few games last year, and won a couple for them as well (like against the Steelers, returning Big Ben picks for TDs, while their QB threw for negative yardage).
4) Kansas City Chiefs~ You have L.J. and Priest, but that's it. Your offensive line has gone from a strength to a weakness, you still have no receiving corps, Gonzalez isn't getting younger, and your possible starting QB is a guy named Croyle. Also, Coach Edwards has never been considered one for his offensive prowess, so that's probably not going to help matters. On top of that you have a suspect defense. When was the last time you can remember the Chief's defense stopping anybody? I think we have to go back to the Derrick Thomas days.

Alright, time for the playoff picture:
1) Denver Broncos
2) New England Patriots
3) Indianapolis Colts
4) Baltimore Ravens
5) San Diego Chargers
6) Pittsburgh Steelers

Wildcard:
Pittsburgh at Indianapolis: Bounce back year for the Steelers ends here. The Indy offense will expose the Steeler secondary, and the Colts will light up the scoreboard.
San Diego at Baltimore: What a treat to have this match-up in the first round. An absolute slug fest between two of the top defenses in the NFL, with Baltimore coming out on top. The balanced offense helps Baltimore score just enough as the Ravens soar in front of the home crowd.

Division:
Indianapolis at New England: Revenge. The Patriots know they should have won last year. The game was theirs. Not going to happen two years in a row. Brady uses all his weapons to dismantle the patchwork Indy D, and the Patriots move on.
Baltimore at Denver: Baltimore flies across the country to take on another physical football team after playing San Diego. They are feeling it. The defense, however, won't let them down. They intercept three Cutler passes and break Travis Henry's leg on the first play of the game. Baltimore wins in an upset over the AFC's top team.

Conference Championship:
Baltimore at New England: It's cold. Baltimore has just fought two fifteen-round fights with San Diego and Denver. New England is fresh, after expending little energy against the soft Colts. Their fresh legs are their biggest advantage as Moss, Stallworth, and Welker spread the field and Maroney slices through the defense with big 8-10 yard runs. Baltimore is gassed. And cold. And going home. New England wins by ten.

There it is. The New England Patriots will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. A rematch against Philly. My Superbowl pick? Hmmm....

Superbowl:
The New England Patriots versus The Philadelphia Eagles: New England comes into this game as the overwhelming favorite, loaded with talent and surviving the brutal AFC. The Eagles get little respect, but are hungry. New England comes out lackadaisical, and the Eagles jump out early. In the second half the Patriots fight back, and take a late fourth quarter lead. This is McNabb's year, however, and he drives the Eagles inside Patriot territory with under two minutes to go. On a 3rd and 7 from the Patriot 12 yard line, Philly spreads three receivers wide and runs the draw play to Westbrook. He scampers into the end zone virtually untouched, giving Philly a five point lead with only twenty seconds to play. A couple of failed Hail-Mary's and the Eagles are Superbowl champions, 31-26. McNabb then breaks both his legs tripping over Brain Westbrook, whose ankles snap in two after McNabb's protruding leg bone falls and crushes them. Hey, they're going to get hurt sometime. Just a matter of how...

Congrats to the Eagles, my Superbowl champs.