AFC Preview

Well, I guess I took the summer off from writing about sports, and that may have been a good thing. There was lots of baseball to watch, lots of MLB trades to not care about, and plenty of softball to be terrible at. Very busy. But, as the new sports year is gearing up, it brings with it the excitement of football! I know way more about the NFL than I do about NCAA football, so that is where I will focus. However, be prepared for some college football posts this fall as well.

To start the fall off, here is my NFL AFC preview. The teams are listed in the order that I think they will finish within the conference. I thought about projecting records, but then I remembered that that would require math. Nevermind.

AFC

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

            It is tough for a team to stay at the top of their division when their most productive and disruptive defensive player goes down. That will be the challenge that the Ravens face this year, as Terrel Suggs rehabs from a torn ACL. It will be up to the slimmer Ray Lewis and the rest of the Baltimore LBs to replace that production. The Ravens do still have one of the best running backs in football in Ray Rice, and Joe Flacco is back to his yearly routine of looking really good in training camp.

Pittsburgh Steelers

            For the Steelers, very little changes year to year. The offense will look very similar, although it will perhaps be without speedster Mike Wallace as he looks for a new contract. And the defense will be as annoying and stifling as ever. Although the older players on this Steeler’s defense are getting a bit gray haired, don’t expect their production to drop at all this year.

Cincinnati Bengals

            The Bengals are trying to build on a surprisingly successful 2011, where Andy Dalton grabbed the reigns at QB and A.J. Green looked like a superstar at wideout. The defense has added a couple of strong contributors, including a couple of starters at CB. This team probably can’t compete with Baltimore and Pittsburgh at the top of the division, but they will be entertaining to watch.

Cleveland Browns

            I hope the Browns like having high draft picks! I loved the 2011 Cleveland draft class, as Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson should both start and contribute mightily. However, there are too many holes on this roster for them to compete, although the defense could be SLIGHTLY improved this year.

AFC South

Houston Texans

            With the Texans, the questions on offense are all about health. If healthy, this team has a top 3 RB, a top 3 WR, and a top 12 (ish) QB. If Foster, Johnson, and Schaub can finish a season together, this could be a very dangerous team. On defense, they have lost some of their cornerstones, but the roster is deep and should adjust well to the losses.

Tennessee Titans

            The grizzled veteran versus the unpolished youngster. Jake Locker and Matt Hasselbeck will battle for the starting job this year, and if Locker wins the job, expect a more downfield offense. Chris Johnson returns from a full offseason of work, so should see his production tick upwards as well. Tennessee’s defense is very middle of the pack, so a slight increase or decrease in effectiveness should not be surprising. They need to work more on the run D than the passing defense.

Jacksonville Jaguars

            MJD, he of the very muscular body, is holding out for more money. If you remember, Chris Johnson held out last year, then had a tough time regaining his former brilliance. If MJD misses all of the preseason, this team could be absolutely horrendous to watch. Blaine Gabbert had a lot of growing pains last year, and the Jags have to be praying he shows some positive growth during the 2012 season.

Indianapolis Colts

            As a Colts fan, you have to be excited for the youth at QB. Unfortunately, other than Andrew Luck, the recognizable faces of this franchise are all on the backsides of their career. Reggie Wayne, Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are all incredibly talented players. However, it would be naïve to see expect any of these players to still be playing in 4 or 5 years. The Colts will try to groom their youth and draft well again next year.

AFC East

New England Patriots

            How do you make an offense with Tom Brady, Welker, Hernandez, and Gronkowski even scarier? Add Brandon Lloyd to it! The speedy wide receiver will make the Pats offense even harder to stop this year. To me, there are no questions about this team regressing, its just how much other teams progress.

Buffalo Bills

            Case in point for progression, the Bills. They added the scariest defensive end on the market in Mario Williams, and he should help make their defensive front very sturdy. If the Bills offense, and especially their quarterback, can find some consistency, they really should challenge for a Wild Card spot in the AFC

New York Jets

            When the most interesting thing that has happened in a while is that your 2^nd string QB took a rainy job with no shirt on, you know that NY will try to spice it up. Camp brawl anyone? If the Jets can get to the regular season without hurting anyone, I still have a hard time imagining them improving much with Mark Sanchez at the helm. I have never been a big fan, and I don’t think Tebow can steer this team to the promised land either. Oh, Revis island decided not to hold out, so that is good.

Miami Dolphins

            I don’t know about you, but I am overjoyed that Chad Ochocinco got cut from the Dolphins this week. He can’t produce anymore, and he is a constant distraction for a team that is seriously trying to get better. And the Dolphins are doing that. Reggie Bush showed last year that he can be a feature back, and the pass rush should provide the defense something to build on.

AFC West

Denver Broncos

            As you can see, I have the Broncos finishing at the top of this division. Care to guess why? Peyton Manning, that’s why. The Broncos ran the ball really well last year, even without a threat of throwing the ball. If you add in the respect that Manning will bring to the passing game, the runners should have a lot more space to work with this year. Like a lot of teams, Denver needs to improve its secondary, but their pass rush should be very effective.

San Diego Chargers

            The Chargers just can’t seem to shake the injury bug. Ryan Matthews and Vincent Brown will both be out for several weeks, although Matthews hopes to be back by Week 1 or 2. The success of this team largely rides on Philip Rivers. He needs to have a bounce-back year after he threw 20 interceptions last year.

Kansas City Chiefs

            The Chiefs are pretty scary on the offensive side of the ball. They have plenty of playmakers with Charles, Bowe and McCluster all on the field together. If Tamba Hali can get back on the field from his suspension and be effective, the defense will be just fine too, as Eric Berry comes back from injury to bolster the secondary.

Oakland Raiders

            Oakland fans are excited and probably a bit sad about their first full season without crazy man/owner Al Davis. However, the team is full of athletes that he drafted, and they have some optimism as they are relatively healthy this preseason. If Darren McFadden can stay on his feet for 16 weeks, the Raiders could move into the top 2 of this division. They have that kind of offensive talent.