AFC West Preview

Denver Broncos QB Peyton Manning.

The AFC West division was clearly the worst division in football, with all four teams finishing within a game of each other. The Denver Broncos won the division with an 8-8 record. The San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders also finished the season with an 8-8 record, but lost out on the title on tiebreakers. The Broncos rode the heroics of fan favorite QB Tim Tebow after starting 1-4 under QB Kyle Orton. Tebow had memorable fourth-quarter performances in several wins, including in the AFC Wild Card matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Broncos now have QB Peyton Manning running the show, after winning the sweepstakes over the San Francisco 49ers, Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans. The Broncos have now gone from a team without expectations last season to a team expected to compete for a championship. There is reason to believe that can happen. The Broncos were impressive defensively, especially when Tebow was very inept in most games during the first three quarters. However, S Brian Dawkins has retired, removing a veteran component that helped their defense emotionally. Dawkins only received limited snaps last season, so they will be able to recover in that aspect.

Oakland Raiders QB Carson Palmer.

A major adjustment is coming for the offensive players who played with Tebow last season. Guys like WR Eric Decker and WR Demaryius Thomas would go long stretches without getting any looks or catches. With Manning as the quarterback now, everyone is an option. Manning will scan through his options on every play if his first option isn't open or where he needs to be. The addition of veteran WR Brandon Stokley helps Manning out a lot. This is Stokley's second stint with the Broncos, but he was very valuable as the Indianapolis Colts' slot receiver when Manning was there. The running game which is held down by RB Willis McGahee and RB Knowshon Moreno should be solid like they were last season.

The Raiders decided it was worth the gamble to trade for QB Carson Palmer, who was retired. They gave up numerous high draft picks, in addition to re-working his contract in which he will be paid handsomely for the next couple of seasons. This occurred after incumbent starter QB Jason Campbell snapped his collarbone in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns. After beating the Browns that week, the Raiders were 4-2. Palmer did not do well, especially after the Raiders threw him in right away, as he proceeded to throw three interceptions in his first game. Discipline is also an issue for this club, as they continue to lead the league in penalties every year.

San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers.

The Chargers were the favorites to win the division, but a subpar performance from QB Philip Rivers cost them. Rivers had 27 touchdowns, but was also intercepted a league-high 20 times. They started 4-1 before they went on a six-game losing streak that started with a loss at the New York Jets and included home losses to the Raiders and Broncos. The Chargers did have their chance at the end to still win the division. On Christmas Eve, they blew that chance by laying an egg in Detroit against the Detroit Lions. Now Rivers has to compete against Manning for the division crown at least for the near future.

The Kansas City Chiefs are the only team in the division to not finish 8-8, instead finishing 7-9. They dealt with injuries early and often. They lost RB Jamaal Charles in the second week of the season to a torn ACL, which made it a lot harder for QB Matt Cassel to be effective. Coming off of a 10-6 season and an AFC West crown, the Chiefs started their first two games of the season last year by losing to the Buffalo Bills at home 41-7, then losing to the Lions 48-3 the next week. While the Chiefs did bounce back by winning four straight after losing their first three, they followed that winning streak up by losing four straight.

Kansas City Chiefs RB Jamaal Charles.

This is another unpredictable division because there is a lot of potential for each team. The Raiders will need a solid performance from Palmer in order to have a shot at winning the division. If he doesn't, don't be surprised if new head coach Dennis Allen has a short leash and goes to QB Matt Leinart, or even QB Terrelle Pryor. A lot is riding on their receivers as well. Their top two receivers, WR Jacoby Ford and WR Darius Heyward-Bey, have not produced often to make defenses nervous. The Raiders drafted proficient WR Juron Criner of Arizona to help them in that department, and it seems as if they found something they like in undrafted speedy WR Rod Streater of the Temple Owls.

The Broncos are expected to compete for a lot more than a division title, but what happens if Manning's neck injury resurfaces at some point in the season? The Broncos will have to rely on QB Caleb Hanie, who has been in pressure situations before while with the Chicago Bears. If Manning gets injured again, that pretty much dashes all hope of a playoff appearance and a division title. The Chargers have been heavily dependent on Rivers to produce, and he let them down last season as he struggled to keep his turnovers down. Simply put, the Chargers will need the old Rivers if they want to win the division.

There are a lot of unknowns for the Chiefs. You would have to believe that Cassel will be on a short leash with head coach Romeo Crennel. They will need Charles to stay healthy for the majority of the season, if not all. S Eric Berry was also injured last season, so they will need him to stay healthy for their defense to thrive. They lost their best corner in CB Brandon Carr, but they picked up CB Stanford Routt from their division rivals in Oakland to play opposite CB Brandon Flowers. The Chiefs are capable of surprising a lot of people just as they did in 2010. Let's see what happens.

Predictions

Denver Broncos 11-5
San Diego Chargers 9-7
Kansas City Chiefs 7-9
Oakland Raiders 6-10

AFC South Preview

Indianapolis Colts rookie QB Andrew Luck

It can be argued that QB Peyton Manning should've gotten a considerable amount of MVP votes for the performance of the Indianapolis Colts last season. Manning never touched the field after attempting to rehab two offseason neck surgeries. In the 2010 season, the Colts won the division with a 10-6 record with Manning, a four-time NFL MVP. Last season without Manning, it all came apart when they lost their first 13 games before finishing 2-14. This resulted in the Colts receiving the #1 pick and selecting Stanford's QB Andrew Luck.

This division may be a tricky one because of all the uncertainties. The Houston Texans, last year's division champions, are the favorites to win again. However, they may have a couple of issues that may affect them during the season. The big question in Houston concerns QB Matt Schaub. Most experts feel the Texans need Schaub healthy for the season to compete for the division title and a potential Super Bowl berth. Schaub has struggled to play all 16 games in a season since the Texans acquired him in 2007.

Houston Texans RB Arian Foster

The Tennessee Titans have decided to go with QB Jake Locker over veteran QB Matt Hasselbeck. Hasselbeck led the Titans last season to a surprising 9-7 season, and could've made the playoffs with some help on the final day of the season. The Titans now want to go with who they hope to be their quarterback of the future in Locker. This can turn out to be a solid move, or the Titans will struggle as Locker adjusts to being a starter in the NFL.

The Jacksonville Jaguars struggled in a lot of areas last season en route to a 5-11 record. The Jaguars surprised most people by releasing QB David Garrard in camp, electing to go with QB Luke McCown as the starter. Jack Del Rio made the same move in 2007 when he decided to cut QB Byron Leftwich in favor of Garrard. This move worked out very well for the Jaguars, as Garrard led them to a 11-5 record and a playoff win at Pittsburgh. Last season, however, the move backfired as McCown was awful and was quickly benched in favor of QB Blaine Gabbert, who was their first-round pick.

Jacksonville Jaguars QB Blaine Gabbert

The Jaguars are hoping Oklahoma St.'s WR Justin Blackmon, their first-round pick in this year's draft, can be the target Gabbert can rely on for years to come. Blackmon has gone through off the field issues in the past, so his behavior is something the team will monitor. The Dallas Cowboys are going through the same with another Oklahoma St. wide receiver in WR Dez Bryant. If Gabbert can develop a connection with Blackmon, the Jaguars can surprise a lot of people this upcoming season.

The Colts are probably the one team that is very hard to predict. Luck has shown a lot of poise and has made very good decisions in the pocket so far. However, when the games count, how well will Luck perform under an enormous amount of pressure? The Colts have a new coaching regime with former Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano as the new head coach, and former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians as the new offensive coordinator. How well will the Colts play in their new 3-4 defensive scheme will be a big question, which for Colts fans, can be answered with a bang.

Tennessee Titans QB Jake Locker

If Schaub can stay healthy for the Texans, they should be able to win this division. However, it'll be interesting if the Titans, Jaguars and Colts can surprise and make a run for the playoffs. There are positives that each team can look to and build upon. Each team has young franchise quarterbacks where they can build off of for the next five to ten years. The Jaguars and Colts have new coaching regimes as well so it'll figure to be an interesting division race.

Predictions

Houston Texans 10-6
Indianapolis Colts 8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9
Tennessee Titans 5-11

AFC North Preview

Will there be a sophomore slump for QB Andy Dalton and
WR A.J. Green?

Going into the start of the 2011 season, some analysts had the Cincinnati Bengals as the worst team in the NFL. Low and behold, they would be one of three teams in the division to make the playoffs, a turnaround that couldn't have been predicted by a psychic. In the 2010 season, the Bengals disappointed many after coming off a division title and adding WR Terrell Owens that offseason. QB Carson Palmer seemed fed up with the Bengals inability to win games, even though he was the main reason why they weren't winning any. He abruptly retired, forcing the Bengals to draft QB Andy Dalton in the second round.

It remains to be seen what Dalton and WR A.J. Green, the Bengals first round pick last season, will do in their sophomore seasons. This much is clear however. The Bengals have pieces on their team they can build around. What they do this season will be interesting. While the success of the Bengals this upcoming season may be foggy, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens are not just expected to contend for the division crown. They are expected to compete for championships.

Is LB Ray Lewis chances of winning another Super Bowl
gone?

The Ravens and Steelers both went 12-4 last season, and the Ravens won the division by virtue of sweeping the Steelers in the regular season. They did struggle in the divisional round against the Houston Texans, prompting some to question QB Joe Flacco's ability to take the team where it needs to go. However, he bounced back against a porous New England Patriots defense, and almost led the Ravens to a Super Bowl berth. Expectations are now high for Flacco. He has to win now.

The Steelers decided to change their offensive philosophy, letting offensive coordinator Bruce Arians walk and bringing in Todd Haley. It didn't appear as if QB Ben Roethlisberger was on board with the move. Slowly but surely, Arians was giving Roethlisberger freedom in the offense. Haley has a knack for being a hot head, and a clash between quarterback or coordinator may happen. Also, WR Mike Wallace's late arrival to the team will probably have the offense out of sync. That means more opportunities for WR Antonio Brown, who signed his surprising five-year extension earlier this month.

Will QB Brandon Weeden's age give him an
advantage in his rookie season?

Since the AFC North was formed in 2002, the Cleveland Browns have never won a division title. The last time they actually won a division title was 1989, when they won the AFC Central title. The Browns did make it to the postseason in the first year of the AFC North division, but lost a great battle against their rivals in Pittsburgh. They've only come close once since, when they went 10-6 in the 2007 season behind the surprising great performance from QB Derek Anderson. Now the Browns have benched a 25-year old quarterback with a couple years of experience in favor of a 28-year old rookie. We'll see how it works out.

There isn't much doubt about who will be competing for the division title. The Ravens and Steelers are clearly the two best teams in the division, but they both have their issues. The Steelers defense is aging, which could be a concern if they do not perform well. In the 2009 season, the season after winning the Super Bowl, their defense was not as solid as many people expected, and they missed the playoffs altogether. Also, how will Roethlisberger perform with Haley calling the shots for the offense? Does Haley put pride to the side and defer a little to the two-time Super Bowl champion? These are questions they will need to answer early.

Will QB Ben Roethlisberger and new offensive
coordinator Todd Haley get along?

The Ravens main components on defense are aging as well. They already lost LB Terrell Suggs for a significant portion of the season due to a torn Achilles tendon. S Ed Reed has expressed doubts about continuing his career in the past, so he may be slowed from the grind and toll his long NFL career has put on his body. LB Ray Lewis is entering his 17th season in the NFL, so the things he can bring to the table may be limited. Can the Ravens offense pick up the slack? RB Ray Rice is satisfied with his new deal, and Flacco is next for his extension. However, Flacco has to show the Ravens they don't only have to depend on defense to win football games.

The Bengals could be one of those teams who improve upon their 9-7 record last season, or bottom out, similar to what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did last season. Their defense is solid, and adding veteran CB Terrence Newman can only be good for their young defense. Marvin Lewis has surpringly hung on to his job this long. The Bengals have only made the playoffs three times in his nine seasons as head coach. Naturally, he'll be on the hot seat this year, so unless injuries pile up during the season, expect the Bengals to be solid again.

The Browns are the team we don't know much about. They are now turning to QB Brandon Weeden, who they used their first round pick on. Weeden's age didn't scare away the Browns. The Browns have not gotten the production they expected from QB Colt McCoy, but if Weeden struggles, he can be right back in it with something to prove. Adding a running back in RB Trent Richardson can only help, as the Browns have not had a solid every down back in a while.

The Ravens should win the division because of their continuity on offense. Don't be surprised if the Steelers win the division however. Flacco has a lot to prove, and Roethlisberger is still a better quarterback at this point. Those two teams will be battling all year, while the Bengals and Browns will be looking to grow as a team.

Predictions

Baltimore Ravens 12-4
Pittsburgh Steelers 11-5
Cincinnati Bengals 7-9
Cleveland Browns 6-10

AFC East Preview

Other than the 2002 and 2008 season, QB Tom Brady
has been king of the AFC East.

Other than the Miami Dolphins winning the AFC East crown in 2008, when was the last time a team other than the New England Patriots won the division? You'll have to go back to 2002, when the New York Jets won the crown with a 9-7 record. Since QB Tom Brady has taken over for an injured QB Drew Bledsoe in the 2001 season, courtesy of the New York Jets, the Patriots have not looked back. When it comes to talking about who has a chance to win this division, the conversation usually starts and ends with the Patriots.

In the 2008 season, the Patriots were coming off of a perfect regular season and a loss to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl to end their perfection. Expectations were high going into the 2008 season. However, it took a turn for the worse when Kansas City Chiefs S Bernard Pollard, currently of the Baltimore Ravens, attempted to sack Brady at the knees, subsequently tearing his ACL. The Patriots still went 11-5 with QB Matt Cassel, but a couple of division losses at home to the Jets and Dolphins, two games they probably would win with Brady, cost them the division and a playoff berth.

DE Mario Williams signed with the Buffalo Bills for six years
and $100 million.

The other teams in the division have changed things up a bit in an attempt to remove the Patriots as the dominant force in the division. The Buffalo Bills signed DE Mario Williams to a $100 million contract, and were able to pry DE Mark Anderson away from the Patriots. They also retained their best offensive threat in WR Steve Johnson, and they just traded for QB Tarvaris Jackson. That resulted in the release of QB Vince Young, who had a horrible game this past weekend against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jackson has been a starter in Minnesota and Seattle, so if incumbent starter QB Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn't get it right sooner than later, Jackson could be the starter sometime this season.

New Dolphins coach Joe Philbin
will start QB Ryan Tannehill right
away.

The Miami Dolphins used their #1 pick to draft Texas A&M QB Ryan Tannehill. They also hired Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to be their new head coach. Philbin hired Mike Sherman, who was fired in the middle of a rough season at Texas A&M, to be the Dolphins offensive coordinator. This reunites Sherman with Tannehill, so the transition from college to the NFL could be a little easier for Tannehill. Tannehill won the job over QB Matt Moore, who rescued the Dolphins a bit after a horrible start under QB Chad Henne. However, like in Carolina, Moore loses his job to a rookie after doing a solid job the season before. In the 2010 season, the Panthers gave the job to QB Jimmy Clausen after Moore got off to a bad start. At the end of the 2009 season, Moore was excellent in the games he started, going 4-1.

The New York Jets made headlines by trading for QB Tim Tebow. Ever since then, he has been the dominating topic on all NFL shows. The Jets, however, had a lot more work to do to better a team that only went 8-8 with lofty expectations last season. QB Mark Sanchez had to repair his relationship with volatile WR Santonio Holmes. After not bringing back WR Plaxico Burress, the Jets had to draft a receiver, and did so in the second round by drafting WR Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech. The Jets used their first round pick on promising DE Quinton Coples of North Carolina. The year prior, the Jets used their first round pick on DE Muhammad Wilkerson, so developing a pass rush has been the focus for the Jets.

Will QB Tim Tebow become the starter sometime this
season?

The New England Patriots didn't need to make a lot of changes, but they did anyway. After losing offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien to Penn State, they hired Josh McDaniels to fill the role. McDaniels was their offensive coordinator in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. In the 2007 season, McDaniels guided the offense to record-setting numbers for QB Tom Brady and WR Randy Moss. They signed WR Brandon Lloyd, giving Brady a sure-handed receiver. However, the focus of the Patriots was to get better defensively. They used their two first round picks on DE Chandler Jones of Syracuse, and LB Donta Hightower of Alabama.

There is no reason to believe anything will be different this upcoming season. The Jets simply need better production from QB Mark Sanchez to compete for a playoff spot and the division crown. The Jets also need to look for receiving weapons before the season starts. Simply put, the receivers have not been good at all this preseason. The Dolphins don't know what they'll get from Tannehill, but I have a hunch that it will not be pretty for the Dolphins. Tannehill has a ways to go before he is a solid quarterback in the NFL. He is still refining his mechanics, as he started his career at Texas A&M as a tight end.

The Bills have the players on both sides of the ball to compete and get their first playoff berth since 1999. Everything rests on one guy -- QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. He played very well at the start of the 2011 season that the Bills gave him a solid extension. After the extension, Fitzpatrick, along with the rest of the team, imploded. If Fitzpatrick gets off to a rough start, look for Chan Gailey to pull the plug and start Jackson.

It could be argued that the Patriots wins the Super Bowl if WR Wes Welker makes that catch in the fourth quarter. However, their defense simply needs to play better. The Patriots wouldn't have been in the Super Bowl in the first place if WR Lee Evans doesn't drop the touchdown pass, or if K Billy Cundiff forces overtime by making an easy field goal. QB Joe Flacco had one of the better games of his career, and that is simply unacceptable for the Patriots. Their schedule this year isn't as easy as it was last year, but it still fairly easy. Therefore, the Patriots will continue their dominance in the division.

Predictions

New England Patriots 12-4
Buffalo Bills 9-7
New York Jets 8-8
Miami Dolphins 5-11

A Jet-Like Situation

About 20 members of the New York Jets engaged in a
brawl that has made its rounds through the tabloids.

Jets' head coach Rex Ryan was not happy the fighting continued
the next day.

While there are many position battles going on across the NFL, the New York Jets seem to be the only team getting a lot of attention so far during training camp. A day after a brawl erupted involving at least 20 players, the Jets were at it again, with several near-fights and disagreements in camp today. It infuriated head coach Rex Ryan to the point he ordered the team to run punishment laps. Fans are already annoyed at the fact a team that finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs last season are getting so much attention.

The bickering and tension against one another may be a good thing or a bad thing as they prepare to rebound from their 2011 season after making it to the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and 2010. CB Antonio Cromartie was talking a little too much when he told ESPN’s First Take last week that he was the second best wide receiver on the team behind WR Santonio Holmes, despite not playing the position in the NFL. That did not sit well with the rest of the wide receiving group, and WR Chaz Schillens made his disagreements with the statement public.

After QB Tim Tebow was acquired from the Denver Broncos, the main story of the team was the upcoming quarterback battle between QB Mark Sanchez and Tebow. However, it has turned out that Tebow is working exclusively in Wildcat formations while Sanchez is taking the starter’s reps and running the normal offense. If Sanchez doesn’t play well in the first three or four games, will Sanchez be replaced by Tebow?

That could be a potential controversy, as it may be the case that some players may be against Tebow starting. Tebow is a poor throwing quarterback, which will result in a lot of offensive players seeing declining numbers. If Sanchez does poorly however, he won’t be received well by his teammates either. Sanchez has been in the league long enough to learn from his mistakes. Sanchez needs to go out and lead this team, or the Jets might need to look for another franchise quarterback sooner than later.