The 2008 NFL season kicks off in a little under an hour. Who will be the biggest surprise this season? The biggest bust? Rookie of the year? We'll find out as the season unfolds.
This is how I see the season shaking out:
AFC East – New England Patriots
AFC South – Indianapolis Colts
AFC North – Pittsburgh Steelers
AFC West – San Diego Chargers
Wild Card – Denver Broncos
Wild Card – New York Jets
None of these are sexy picks, but they're realistic. Being a New England fan, it's good to see they have one of the easiest schedules of any AFC team. Can they get another perfect season and win the Super Bowl? Maybe, maybe not. But I know I wouldn't bet against them. Would you?
The Colts' season hopes rest solely on the strength of Peyton Manning's knee and infected bursa sac. Even if he is mediocre for them, they'll win their division.
The Steelers are a no brainer here: the Ravens are hurting QB-wise and will have to rely on Joe Flacco to lead them to the playoffs. He's good, but not that good. The Browns have some offensive line woes to deal with, and their biggest question is whether spending the money on Derek Andersen was worth it or was he a one season wonder. Could Brady Quinn have done the same for the Browns this season? We just might find out with Andersen already having sustained a mild concussion in the preseason.
The Chargers are one of the easiest picks here, especially if Antonio Gates gets back to his old form. They are in a division that features the Raiders and the Chiefs, both having major issues at the WR and QB positions. The Broncos are a threat here but the Chargers look like they have an easier schedule.
The Broncos have a good defense, and their offense is always solid. The big question is whether or not Cutler is a liability or the next chosen one. Shutting down Denver with Cutler means shutting down the running game for the Broncos. That means Cutler will need to take control. If he can, they'll be fine. If not, they'll be bounced out of the playoffs faster than you can saw "Where is Elway?"
The Jets could be a reach, but I have a few reasons why I chose them over teams like the Browns, the Jaguars, the Titans, and Baltimore. They had the best offseason as far as free agency, they had a solid draft, and they replaced their weakest position with one of the all-time greats in Brett Favre. I think they get to 9, maybe 10 wins with Favre and a solid running game with Thomas Jones. With a good defense to back them up, they could make some noise.
I see the Pats and Colts getting byes, and the Chargers playing (and beating) the Jets, while the Steelers beat the Broncos. I see the Pats beating the Chargers at Foxboro, and the Colts beating the Steelers. The Pats would then go on to beat the Colts to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
Onto the NFC, which is a bit murkier.
NFC East – Dallas Cowboys
NFC South – New Orleans Saints
NFC North – Green Bay Packers
NFC West – Seattle Seahawks
Wild Card – Philadelphia Eagles
Wild Card – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
A bit of a surprise the Giants aren't in the playoffs? Not really. Their defense is what got them their last year and injuries (and a retired Strahan) will spell an early demise to the Giants playoff hopes. The Cowboys are looking to get to the big game after losing last season when they should have met the Patriots in Arizona. They'll have very few problems this season.
For me it's between the Saints and Tampa Bay for the South, but I went with the Saints because the Bucs have to play the Seahawks and the Cowboys back to back late in the season. They'll make the playoffs as a Wild Card though and turn some heads.
The surprise pick is the Packers. Everyone is screaming that the Vikings are hot and they will dominate. Not so fast: we'll have to see if Adrian Peterson can be the workhorse for all 16 games and Tavaris Jackson is still a learning QB that has trouble reading defenses. He's very hot and cold. Aaron Rodgers on the other hand I think will make people happy with Packers management for giving him the helm. With Driver, Jennings, and Lee, along with Ryan Grant, I think he'll do just fine.
The Seahawks? More of the same: dominating at home, and if they can get past their road wonders I think they'll be just fine. With Julius Jones getting handoffs the Seattle fans will quickly forget about the Supersonics leaving town and a guy named Alexander.
The Eagles are my dark horse, and I see special things from them. A healthy McNabb, a blossoming DeSean Jackson, and a super dangerous Westbrook, this is the team to watch out for in the NFC.
I see Dallas and the Seahawks winning the first round byes, and pitting the Packers against the Saints, and the Bucs against the Eagles. Eagles will beat the Bucs with the Saints beating the Packers. Dallas is a fresh and faces Eagles, only to lose to Philly, while the Saints beat the Seahawks. The Saints show off against Philly, and lose a heartbreaker. Philly goes on to the Super Bowl for a rematch against the Patriots.
This Super Bowl would have 1000 storylines: Asante Samuel vs. his old team. Can McNabb beat the Pats the 2nd time around? How will Moss do against the Eagles secondary? In the end, I see the Patriots winning by two TDs, giving Randy Moss his 1st ever Super Bowl ring, and bringing New England fans back to life after last season's shocker.
If the Patriots didn't get an easy schedule this season, and Manning's knee was 100%, I might be leaning elsewhere.
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