NFC EAST
DP: I don’t think the Eagles will be quite as good as the hype but I can see a 11-5 season and Division title. They have speed all over the offense and their secondary is good enough to allow for ‘coverage sacks’. The one worry is offensive line where they will start 2 rookies. Of course, that is the same chief complaint about #2 Dallas. The ‘Boys cleared out some under performing players on the O-line and are going young. Secondary is their other big concern. But they still have a lot of talent and I think that Jason Garrett still has their attention. I give the Giants some chance to surprise people. They have good talent on both the Offensive and Defensive lines which will always keep them competitive. I am not sure if the passing game and the secondary will be enough to get to the play-offs this year. As I have stated before, the Redskins are one of the most talent- depleted teams in the league. I don’t like the Shanahans as coaches and I am unconvinced by their QB options (Beck or Grossman). I can seriously see them contending for the top pick.
1. Philly
2. Dallas (WC)
3. NY Giants
4. Washington Redskins
TJ: I have the Eagles running away with the East, mostly because the other teams in the division just don’t have the talent to keep up. But they’re obviously one Michael Vick injury away from scrapping for the division. I think they’re defense has a ton of talent and great coaching, so even without the offensive fireworks Vick can generate, the Eagles would still be my pick to win the division. The Cowboys seem like the same team they were last year, but last season was a nightmare of bad luck, bad coaching, and bad attitude. They have tons of room for improvement, and the ball will have to bounce their way a little more often this year. Under the right circumstances, they could steal the division, and I think they’ll definitely be in the hunt for the Wild Card. I think this is the year the Giants fold and Coughlin finally loses his job. They seem to have stood still or regressed at every position, and they weren’t that good last year. The Redskins are a travesty. Time for Snyder to rebuild (again).
1. Philly
2. Dallas (WC)
3. NY Giants
4. Washington Redskins
NFC SOUTH
DP: I don’t think Atlanta will go 13-3 again, but they should be good enough to win the division. I am not convinced that Julio Jones will make much of a difference. He is fast, but has bad hands. I love what Tampa Bay is doing using the draft to build a perennial contender. I don’t think they win 10 games again, but I can see 8-8 or 9-7. From my research, it looks like the Saints are going to slip a little. The defense was a little shaky at times last year and I don’t see it getting any better. They have not drafted well and have no depth. I think the offense will actually miss Reggie Bush. Without him, they don’t have a player that can really force mismatches. I do like Drew Brees to pass for a lot of yards and I like Mark Ingram to rush for 1000 yards and 10 TDs and win the rushing title. I don’t see a return trip to the play-offs though as I think they are also stuck in the 8 or 9 win range. Cam Newton is not ready for the NFL yet and I think it will be another long year for the Panthers.
1. Atlanta
2. Tampa Bay
3. New Orleans
4. Carolina
TJ: The Doc and I agree on this division as well, but I think Atlanta will be just as good as last year. Maybe 11 or 12 wins due to some reversal in luck, but they’re point differential should be just as good, and that dome advantage should see them to an easy division championship. I say Tampa Bay keeps doing everything right and wins the tough games, so 9-10 wins and a WC spot seem like a real possibility. One more receiving threat and a couple defensive standouts could make this team a real contender. The window has closed for the Saints. I don’t think losing Bush hurts as much as the defense that is clearly slipping. They’re going to get lit up a few times this season. Carolina was a joke last year, and Cam Newton could be the best rookie QB to ever play and it still wouldn’t be enough to rescue this team.
1. Atlanta
2. Tampa Bay (WC)
3. New Orleans
4. Carolina
NFC NORTH
DP: Green Bay is deep, talented, and has continuity. I think 11 or 12 wins are in the cards and a division title. The Lions seem to be the band-wagon pick this year and that’s fine. Their defense looks fast and active and their offense should be pretty good. I have no concerns about Matthew Stafford’s health. I think he plays 14 or 15 games. If Detroit slips, Minnesota could slide into the #2 spot and contend for the play-offs. For now, I believe Donovan McNabb can still be a productive QB and that the problem in Washington was the Shanahans. Their O-line is not great, but if McNabb’s veteran presence can keep some the pressure off the line, I think they could be a productive offense with Adrian Peterson and Bernard Berrian. They can still rush the passer and they finally have some stability at coach. The Bears over achieved last year and I don’t see them being as lucky this year. Their drafting has also been terrible in recent years and they have no depth. I think they are due for 6-10.
1. Green Bay
2. Detroit- WC
3. Minnesota
4. Chicago
TJ: Well, the Doc is right, it’s hard to argue against the Packers. They dealt with a ton of injuries last year, so they have to be healthier this season. Great QB, stellar defense, and finally healthy at running back. They’re the class of the NFC North. I don’t buy the hype in Detroit. That awesome D-line is already banged up, and the O-line wasn’t great to begin with. Unless Travis Best has a breakout season, I see them as a 7-9 or 8-8 team. Chicago was super lucky last year, and that won’t happen again. Their skill players on offense are OK, but they have a weak O-line, and that defense is aging rapidly. 6-10 might be right. Minnesota is where I disagree with the Doc. This team has fallen far and fast, and McNabb is good but not good enough to rescue them. I see this as another poor season for them as they try to figure out their long-term plan. For L.A.
1. Green Bay
2. Detroit
3. Chicago
4. Minnesota
NFC WEST
DP: Who the hell knows about the West. I will go with the Rams for now as I think they have the best QB and coach and because I think the GM is building a team instead of collecting players (like Seattle). The real question mark is how long will it take Bradford to master Josh McDaniel’s new offense. People remember Arizona’s crappy QB play last year, but they forget that the defense was pretty terrible as well. Kolb may be an improvement, but I can’t see much more than 6 wins. Everything I have heard from San Francisco has been bad. I like Harbaugh, but it will take more than a year to turn this around and their drafting has not been very good. I hope the Seattle fans enjoy their play-off victory last year. It could be their last one for a while
1. St. Louis
2. Arizona
3. San Francisco
4. Seattle
TJ: Last year, this was the worst division in modern NFL history. I think they’ll improve (hard not to), and I think Arizona will lead the pack. I really wish they’d have improved the defense in free-agency, but this was a superbowl team not long ago. Kolb will improve the offense, and they’ll get a lot out of Beanie Wells (as much as I hate to hype an OSU guy). I say they go 9-7 and take the West. St. Louis won’t be far behind, and I think they’re building a great base for the future. The future isn’t here yet, though, and they’ll win 7 or 8. Seattle is making some really confusing roster moves, and I think they regress a bit. Hey, Pete Carrol, I thought NFL coaches were supposed to improve in their second job! I also like Harbaugh ( a Michigan man), but the 49ers have a long way to go to be competitive.
1. Arizona
2. St. Louis
3. Seattle
4. San Fran
AFC EAST
DP: I think New England has had a few really nice drafts in a row and it will start to pay off. I think the Jets are still a little over rated. They didn’t really get any better in terms of players. They resigned Santonio Holmes, but I think Braylon Edwards to Plaxico Burress will be a downgrade. They haven’t drafted that well and I don’t think they can count on Ladainian Tomlinson to be as productive as he was last year. Their one real hope to get better is that Larry Moore (Peyton Manning’s former mentor) can improve Mark Sanchez’s accuracy. I think there is too much uncertainly at coach and QB for Miami to really thrive. Buffalo will probably play better but they are still a mess and I can’t see more than 6 or 7 wins.
1. New England
2. NY Jets- WC
3. Miami
4. Buffalo
TJ: Man, I’d like to disagree with the Doc more, but I’m really on the Pats bandwagon this year. I think they roll over the division and own the Jets. Speaking of the Jets, I’ll bet a few more people solve those Rex Ryan defensive schemes this year, and Sanchez’s constant overthrowing leads to more picks than last season. I think they’re too talented to miss out on the playoffs, but not good enough to beat the Pats. Miami and Buffalo are both shit-shows. I hope Henne has a good season, but there’s nothing else to be excited about on either of these two teams.
1. New England
2. NY Jets (WC)
3. Miami
4. Buffalo
AFC SOUTH
DP: Houston’s offense is still pretty good and Wade Phillips will improve the defense. I like their draft and I like their free agent signings. The rest of the South will stink. Matthew Hasselbeck doesn’t scare me much, but they still have a decent defense and Chris Johnson. They just better hope that Jake Locker doesn’t see the field. Indy has been living on borrowed time as Peyton Manning has been able to hide a lot of their mistakes. Bad drafting, coaching departures, and injuries will finally catch up to the Colts who I see going 6-10. Jacksonville is another confusing team that seems to be trying to ‘win now’ while still mortgaging their future to develop a young QB. These kind of mis-matches between the coaching staff and GM never seem to work out and I see bad things in the Jags future.
1. Houston
2. Tennessee
3. Indianapolis
4. Jacksonville
TJ: OK, I think the Doc has it all wrong here. Manning will heal up, and will continue to do just enough to overcome the Colts’ shortcomings. This is a weak division, and they’ll take it like they always do. Tennessee lost it’s best defensive player (Babin) and Munchak is untested as a head coach. Johnson’s holdout was crazy, and I think the football gods will make him pay. This team will not run the ball the way they have in the past, because they will always be playing from behind. Houston is everybody’s favorite every season until about week 5, when we remember this team has constantly underachieved and is substantially no different than last year. And Jacksonville is always my punching bag. They’re a team that simply shouldn’t exist.
1. Indianapolis
2. Tennessee
3. Houston
4. Jacksonville
AFC NORTH
DP: I am fairly concerned about the age on Pitt’s defense catching up with them (8 players over 30), but the Steelers traditionally draft well so I think they have the depth to manage. I love everything Cleveland is doing and Colt McCoy seems like he is ready to make ‘the jump’. Their early schedule is easy and I think they build some confidence. They’re gonna need it though because 4 out of the last 5 are against the Ravens and Steelers. As for the Ravens, I think they slip a little this year. Its just feels like they have peaked and are due to have an off season. Cincy is back to being Cincy.
1. Pittsburgh
2. Cleveland
3. Baltimore
4. Cincy
TJ: It’s true that Pittsburgh D is getting old, but they are so well-coached, they’ll plug in new guys whenever they have to and never miss a step. They’ll run away with the division this year. The Ravens won’t stink, and I think they have one more good (not elite) year in their defense. They’ll win the games they need to get to 11-5 and a Wild Card spot. Cleveland will improve, and I have a definite man-crush on Colt McCoy, but the running game can’t be as good as last season, and they’ll have trouble getting past 7 wins. Cincy was always Cincy.
1. Steelers
2. Ravens (WC)
3. Cleveland
4. Cincy
AFC WEST
DP: The Broncos have improved at coach and on defense getting Von Miller in the draft and Elvis Dumervil coming back at injury. I think those two will form a formidable pass rush. On offense, I think I can envision a productive combination of Kyle Orten and a few packages with Tim Tebow. The first 4 games are favorable and I can see the Broncos gaining some momentum early. Everyone loves the Chargers and I don’t see it. Their coaching is bad. Their drafting has been bad. The players seem unhappy and unmotivated (after signing all of their free agent deals). The only way that they have significantly improved is the kick-off rule change that will help their terrible special teams. Phillip Rivers is still great but I see some real 2010 Dallas Cowboys potential here. I still like KC, and I think they have a good future, but I think they slide a little this year. They needed some luck and trick plays to score enough points last year, but they lost their offensive coordinator and have to incorporate a couple of new wide receivers. Oakland, like Cincy, is back to being as dysfunctional as ever.
1. Denver
2. San Diego- WC
3. Kansas City
4. Oakland
TJ: The only thing the Doc and I agree on in this division is KC sliding. I think San Diego has a good young running back, and their TE and WR combos will finally be healthy enough for that offense to put up the kind of points they need to make up for a sub-par defense. I think San Diego is a good team, while KC is a barely decent team that got very lucky last year. They won’t get the same play out of Cassel this season, they won’t sneak up on anybody, and I think their head coach is a nutcase, and Charlie Weis (as much as I dislike him from his Notre Dame tenure) was the reason for their offensive success. They drop off to 8-8 and watch the playoffs on TV. Oakland may actually improve a bit on offense, but they lost a lot on defense (especially at corner), and will not compete for a playoff spot. Denver is still a wreck after the McDaniels debacle. They have no direction or talent on offense, and their defense is suspect at best. I see Denver battling Oakland for the cellar in this division, with both teams winning 6 games or so.
1. San Diego
2. KC
3. Oakland
4. Denver
Play-offs
Doctor Psych’s Picks:
NFC
1. Green Bay
2. Philly
3. Atlanta
4. St. Louis
5. Dallas
6. Detroit
WC- Dallas over St. Louis. Atlanta over Detroit.
Divisional- Green Bay over Dallas. Atlanta over Philly.
Conference- Green Bay over Atlanta.
AFC
1. New England
2. Pitt
3. Houston
4. Denver
5. NY Jets
6. San Diego
WC- San Diego over Houston. NY Jets over Denver.
Divisional- New England over San Diego. Pitt over NY Jets.
Conference- New England over Pitt.
Superbowl- Green Bay over New England. Repeat Champs!
The Juice’s Picks:
NFC
1. Green Bay
2. Philly
3. Atlanta
4. Arizona
5. Tampa Bay
6. Dallas
WC- Tampa Bay over Arizona. Atlanta over Dallas.
Divisional- Green Bay over Tampa Bay. Philly over Atlanta.
Conference- Green Bay over Philly.
AFC
1. New England
2. Pitt
3. San Diego
4. Indy
5. NY Jets
6. Baltimore
WC- Baltimore over San Diego. NY Jets over Indy.
Divisional- New England over Baltimore. Pitt over NY Jets.
Conference- New England over Pitt.
Superbowl- New England over Green Bay, for the final trophy of the Brady/Belichek era.
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