64/60 NFL Predictions

NFC

East

The talk of the division is without a doubt the Eagles and who can blame people. Vick was the most dominate player in the NFL last year. Jackson is the most explosive player. The Cornerback with the hard to spell name was the biggest name in the free agent frenzy and that's not even considering all the depth building talent such as Ronnie Brown and Steve Smith. Offensively they will be fine. Andy Reid is as good as they get and though I don't feel Vick will repeat his 2010 performance it still will be enough to win plenty of games. My issue with the Eagles is their inability to effectively tackle which has plagued them for several seasons now. Make no mistake the Eagles will battle for a playoff spot but notions that this unit is a "Dream Team" is laughable man. That's why this guy has the Cowboys winning the division. Romo's return makes the Cowboys offense just as explosive as the Eagles. Austin, Dez Bryant, and Felix Jones all have HR capability. The defense will be a different unit under Rob Ryan and has the athleticisim and overall speed to effectively defend the Eagles. Elsewhere look for the Giants to be the Giants meaning they will win 8-9 games playing effectively on both sides of the ball but only showing glimpses of spectacular play. Once this Mike Shannahan tenure is complete can we all realize that his status in the game is a direct result of John Elway. Don't get me wrong Shannahan has a solid track record in terms of W's and L's on the field but his ego managed to turn a once perenial threat in the AFC into a one and done playoff team and I believe 0 playoff wins without #7 under center.

1. Cowboys
2. Eagles
3. Giants
4. Redskins


NFC North

If you were to ask a NFL fan which division is the most difficult they would likely shout out one of the Two East divisons. In my mind the NFC North is easily the most competitive division from top to bottom and let it be known this isn't the NFC West were mediocrity should not be confused with parity. The Packers in my opinion are the clear cut favorites in the division and for that matter the Super Bowl. I cannot recall a team that I felt was more prepared for a repeat since perhaps the Bucs Super Bowl winning squad which came back the next year and fittingly missed the playoffs. Given all the injured starters not on the active roster for the season opener I don't anticipate this team being complacent. I really like the Lions to threaten for a playoff spot this year. The defense should emerge as a Top 10 overall unit this year and the offense should also have another solid season. Should Matthew Stafford stay under center for 14 Weeks or more this team will find themselves playing meaningful Football in January. I tend to think the Vikings and Bears mirror one another. I could easily see both teams winning the division. With that being said I can also see both teams battling for 6 Wins on the year. Vikings have the better players on offense while the Bears feature Urlacher and company on defense.

1. Packers
2. Lions
3. Vikings
4. Bears


NFC South


Many expect the Falcons to breakthrough this season after some recent brushes with playoff football. I'm not seeing it. Ryan is a nice QB option but how much tread does Michael Turner still have left. If the Falcons can't run the ball effectively I don't feel Ryan can fling it 40+ times and pick Defenses apart. To me this league belongs to the Saints. They have the best offense in the league and their defense seems to have the knack for a big play in the most needed situations. Not buying the Bucs pushing for a playoff spot up to this point. Look for Freeman and the offense to struggle compared with last season but fear not Buc fans for as long as Cam Newton is under center during his rookie year you can fully expect not the be burdened with the pressure of being last. The Panthers have that market cornered.

1. Saints
2. Falcons
3. Buccaneers
4. Panthers


NFC West

The division no one wants to claim. Pete Carrol continues to make move upon move yet they seem to be without purpose unless the purpose is to continue to threaten .500 but doing so with different players. The Rams seem to be the up and comer of the bunch as many expect Bradford to have a very solid season. Even after the Seahawks clinched the division last season it's hard for me to conceed that a .500 team is playoff worthy. I look at the Rams and I see nothing more than .500 football therefore I cannot sign off on a Ram playoff unit. The 49ers seem more content on a new franchise QB than pursuing a playoff spot with the 2011 version. It's the only way I can explain why Alex Smith is once again getting another shot. What on earth could someone still be looking for? I'll take the Cardinals to win the league for one reason only. Fitzgerald is by far the best the division has to offer and with all things being equal I'll side with the best talent. Look for Kolb to become a Top 15 QB and lead the Cardinals to a division crown.

1. Cardinals
2. 49ers
3. Rams
4. Seahawks

AFC


East- The Jets and Patriots are the NFL's two most discussed teams outside of Philly and for good reason. As much as I would like to go against either or both I cannot allow myself to do so. Though the Jets offense struggles at times it always seems Schottenheimer always seems to call the game well enough to make the Jets middle of the road offense better than average. With the addition of Burress I really like Sanchez to become a higher % QB this year so the offense should be effective even without a stellar running game. The Pats offense is to good and the defense should continue to improve over last season as that once youthful defense is getting closer and closer to it's prime years. I fully expect the Dolphins to be better this year and I look for Henne to be much improved in year three. Marshall returns to top WR status and Reggie Bush gives them the HR threat they have lacked since as long as I can remember. As for the Bills it's looking as though 2011 will be another long year up in Buffalo or Canada or wherever it is the NFL has you testing the market.

1. Jets
2. Patriots
3. Dolphins
4. Bills


North- The NFL's most intense division. It could just be a somewhat local bias here but it seems that not a single franchise within the division doesn't hate the other. In this area we see plenty of Browns, Bengals and Steelers fans and I wish I had a dollar each time I saw Calvin pissing on one of the emblems. The Ravens and Steelers matchups are the most anticipated games during the season for my taste. The Ravens once were the Browns. The Bengals and Browns have the in state rivalry. And the Steelers tend to have that Big Brother quality to them as everyone in the division just wants a small piece of the pie that the Steelers seem to enjoy each and every season. For all the built in story lines this divisions greatest attribute is it's ball playing ability. The Steelers offense should be explosive and though this unit may not be confused with the Steel Curtain of the 70's the defense is still among the games best. Though the Ravens are another year older the defense should still be among the games elite and the offense though not as explosive as the Steelers should be very effecient. The Browns seem to be at the start of a nice run assuming McCoy can continue to build on a strong rookie season. They still lack a playmaker at WR but seem to be on the upward track. The Bengals continue to be one of the Ten Worst franchises in sports.

1. Steelers
2. Ravens
3. Browns
4. Bengals


South

Perhaps the most uncertainlty of all the division and it all stems from the Neck/Elbow of Peyton Manning. With Manning the Colts have dominated this division since it's inception. Without Manning the Colts could be one of the worst teams in football as not only the offense is built around him but also the defense who rellies on playing with the lead to force teams into passing it 30+ times a game therefore Frenney and Mathis can pin their ears back and go after the QB. You tell me when Manning returns and I can tell you where the Colts finish. As for the rest of the division. The Texans seem to be the favorite as this appears to be the year they break out. Only problem is that I have heard this for five seasons and they have 0 playoff appearences to show for it and only one winning season. With that said I do see this team improving in 2011 on the defensive side of the ball but will it be enough to unseat the Colts. With David Garrard under center I actually liked the Jags to compete in this division with Manning sidelined but the decision to release Garrard tells me 2011 will sooner rather than later belong to Gabbert. Hasselback should make the Titans a improved team from a talent standpoint however I just don't see them at the level of a Titans or Colts. My best guess is Manning returns by Week Four which gives them a good shot at 9 wins which will be enough to win the division.

1. Colts
2. Texans
3. Titans
4. Jaguars


AFC West- It is hard for a team to accomplish what the Chargers did last season therefore I expect the Special teams to be at least good enough not to negate both a solid offense and a solid defense. Easily the most talented team in the division the Chargers should achieve double digit Win totals and win the division by three games.
I expect both the Raiders and Chiefs to take steps back this season. The Raiders will continue to be meddled with by Al Davis and the Chiefs will feel the departure of Charlie Weis. The Broncos will be better under Fox because the defense will be better and Fox won't give in to the Tebow pressure. However I still don't see them or any team for that matter as a serious threat to the Chargers.

1. Chargers
2. Raiders
3. Broncos
4. Chiefs


Playoff Teams AFC: Chargers, Colts, Steelers, Ravens, Jets, Patriots
Playoff Teams NFC: Cowboys, Eagles, Packers, Lions, Cardinals, Saints
Super Bowl: Ravens vs. Packers
Super Bowl Winner: Packers