2011-2012 NFL Predictions

AFC

AFC  EAST	AFC NORTH	AFC SOUTH	AFC WEST
NewEngland Patriots 13-3	Pittsburgh Steelers 12-4	Houston Texans- 11-5	San Diego Chargers- 12-4
New York Jets- 11-5	Baltimore Ravens- 11-5	Indianapolis Colts- 10-6	KansasCity Chiefs- 10-6
Miami Dolphins- 7-9	Cleveland Browns- 9-7	Jacksonville Jaguars- 8-8	Oakland Raiders- 9-7
Buffalo Bills- 4-12	Cincinnati Bengals-  3-13	Tennessee Titans- 7-9	Denver Broncos- 5-11

I may be a little bias, but I think the Patriots are revved up and ready to go this season, and finish with the AFC's best record at 13-3. The Jets will compete for a while, but the Patriots have too much firepower (no pun intended) and will eventually pull away. With the records I have projected right now, however, the Jets, who have played the role of 'spoiler' for two years straight now, will win the wild card, with the Patriots winning the AFC East. Buffalo doesn't have a chance, and the Dolphins defense is too weak, and Chad Henne is one of the worst QB's in the NFL.

In the North division, it will be between the Ravens and Steelers, like it has been the past few years. This year, I think the Steelers, led by QB Ben Rothlesburger, WR Mike Wallace, and RB Rashard Mendenhall, will oust the Ravens from the division spot, and the Ravens will take the wild card. As for the Browns, I think they have a chance, yet it's extremely slim. Unless Colt McCoy throws for 4,000 yards and 30 TD's, Peyton Hillis doesn't have anyone else to help him. To McCoy's credit, he doesn't have solid wide receivers just yet. I don't think the Bengals have a chance, unless their rookies- Andy Dalton (QB) and A.J. Green (WR)- have sensational seasons. Their defense is also a weak factor for this team.

In a weak south division, I think the Texans will out-scrap the Colts for the title, now that Peyton Manning is out for 2-3 months with a neck injury. The Texans defense is revamped, and they have a great offense led by  RB Arian Foster, WR Andre Johnson, and QB Matt Schaub. The Colts have weapons, but a declining Kerry Collins must have a decent to good season for this team to have a chance. Their defense is solid, they have many weapons at wide receiver- Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clarke (TE, but still considered a target), Austin Collie, and Pierre Garcon. At the RB position, Joseph Addai is always a viable option, if he stays healthy. The Jaguars are a team with a great running game (Maurice Jones- Drew), but have a rookie QB in Blaine Gabbert, and they don't have many solid WR options. I know Luke McCown is starting for the Jaguars, but Gabbert will be the QB by the end of the season. The Titans are in the same situation- Chris Johnson leads the team, but they have a 40+ year old QB in Matt Hasselback, and unless he shows us his former self, this team doesn't have a chance.

The west division will be led by the Chargers. They will have a solid season, and Phillip Rivers (4,710 yards and 30 touchdowns) could possibly win the league MVP. Antonio Gates, arguably the best TE in the NFL, is back, and so is pro-bowl WR Vincent Jackson. This teams weak link is it's defense, and some could say running game, but I believe Mike Tolbert and Ryan Mathews will be a great combo. The Chiefs had a great season last year, led by stud running back Jamaal Charles. But I think the offensive Chargers will beat them at the division, however they could win the wild card if everyone stays healthy and Cassel is doing well. WR Dwayne Bowe had a standout season last year, posting 1000+ yards and a staggering 15 touchdowns. Oakland is a team that could go 11-5 or 5-11. It depends if McFadden plays his game well, and staying healthy. I think Jacoby Ford could be a tremendous WR, and Darrious Heyward-Bey, could also have a breakout season. However, the reason this team won't be in the playoff hunt is because of their defense and their QB isn't that good (Jason Cambell). The Denver Broncos have a good offense- Knowshon Moreno is the starting RB, Brandon Lloyd, who had a great year last year is back, and the QB, Kyle Orton, is good when he isn't throwing bad interceptions. The reason this team is so low in the standings is because of its defense- it allowed 25 ppg last year. Not good.


BYE'S- CHARGERS, PATRIOTS
DIVISION WINNERS- CHARGERS, PATRIOTS, TEXANS, STEELERS
WC'S- JETS, RAVENS

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NFC

NFC EAST	NFC NORTH	NFC SOUTH	NFC WEST
Phillidelphia Eagles 13-3	Green Bay Packers 13-3	NewOrleans Saints 12-4	Arizona Cardinals 10-6
New York  Giants 11-5	Detroit Lions 10-6	Atlanta Falcons 11-5	St. Louis Rams 9-7
Dallas  Cowboys 10-6	Chicago Bears 9-7	Tampa Bay Buccaneers 10-6	Seattle Seahawks 8-8
Washington Redskins 4-12	Minnesota Vikings 5-11	Carolina Panthers 4-12	SanFrancisco 49ers 6-10

The NFC East will be dominated (kinda) by the powerhouse Eagles. They revamped their defense this season, as well as their offense. Ndami Asomugha and Domonic Rodgers-Cromartie will help Asante Samuel at the cornerback position, and Ronnie Brown will be a great second option to Leshean McCoy. The WR's, Desean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and newly acquired Steve Smith will help and QB. But, the Eagles have Michael Vick, who can pass and run. The teams that play Philly will have a huge challenge on their hands. This division is a tough division. The Cowboys and Giants are both threats to Philly. Dallas has a great offense led by Tony Romo. His WR corpse is one of the best in the game- Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, and TE Jason Witten will be his main targets. He has a solid running back in Felix Jones, who is poised for a breakout year, and their defense is decent to good. As for the Giants, they have Eli Manning at the helm, and interceptions could be a problem for him, as always. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham are two WR capable of each having 1,000 yards and double digit touchdown totals. Ahmad Bradshaw is the starting running back, and he could be a top 10 running back at the season's end, and their defense isn't bad either, however, the loss of CB Terrel Thomas will be a big blow. No way the young Redskins can compete with the other powerhouses in this division.In the North, the reigning Super Bowl Packers are set to have another great season and a playoff appearance  is almost inevitable, barring key injuries. Their defense is top 5 in the league, Jason Starks and Ryan Grant are two solid running backs, and the WR position is loaded with depth, led by Greg Jennings. Jeramichael Finley is also a great addition. We know all about Aaron Rodgers, arguably the best QB in the game. The second place team is one of my sleeper picks; the Detroit Lions. They have Jahvid Best at the running back position, Calvin "Megatron" Johnson and Brandon Pettigrew as downfield targets, and Mathew Stafford is capable of 4,000 yards if he stays healthy. Their defense is loaded with young talent- Ndamukong Suh (former first rounder; second overall), Nick Fairley (first round pick out of Auburn), and  Steven Tulluch lead the charge on defense. The Bears will be solid as they have a top 10 RB in Matt Forte, a good QB (Jay Cutler) who may have to cut down on interceptions if they want a chance at all. Cutler has a decent WR table, but he is a little inaccurate. The defense is decent, but Brian Urlacher won't be the player he used to be. The Vikings have the best running back in the game- Adrian Peterson. But a mediocre defense and a confusing QB situation (with not much WR talent either) may put them out of playoff contention early.The NFC South is another tougher division. Atlanta and New Orleans both had 12+ wins last year, and Tampa Bay is not a team to be reckoned with. The Saints are led by QB Drew Brees, and he has loads or WR to throw to. His TE is almost at the elite level as well. Their defense is solid, and this team is always a threat in the playoffs. I think they beat out Atlanta and their offense to win the division. Atlanta has a great offense, and they didn't waste their first round pick- Julio Jones. He will give opposing secondaries to think about. Not just stud WR Roddy White. Matt Ryan is a solid QB, and Michael Turner has been a top 10 running back in years he hasn't been injured. Their defense is okay, but may have some problem with offensive teams in their division. The Buccaneers are also a young team, and they have options at every offensive position. Josh Freeman, going into his third year, is a bright young QB, capable, and expected, to have a 4,000, 30 TD year. Mike Williams has "grown up" on Tampa along with Freeman, and he could wind up a top WR by the end of the year. Search "LaGerrete Blount hurdle" on the internet. This RB has ups. And he could also be a threat for 1,100 yards and 10 TD's. Their defense is a work in progress, and that may keep them out of playoff contention. As for the Panthers, they are in full rebuilding mode, having just drafted Cam Newton. It will be interesting to see how he progresses through this season. Now the NFC West. This division is almost a toss up, it's so hard to predict. I think the Cardinals will come out victorious, but with just a 10-6 record. The addition of Kevin Kolb may just put them over the top. Larry Fitzgerald has loads of talent, and Beanie Wells is a good RB. Everything/Everyone else on the team is just decent. The Rams squeak into the second place spot, with a solid young QB in Sam Bradford, and a great, but tiring, Steven Jackson at the RB position. The problem is, Bradford doesn't have a Torry Holt to throw too. He has no targets. Danny Amendola is decent at best, and Mike Sims-Walker is not the player he was with the Jaguars. The Seahawks will fall to third. Their problem is at QB and WR. And defense. But remember Marshawn Lynch? Look him up on youtube.com, and the first hit you see will be his spectacular run against the Saints last year to knock them out of the playoffs. I think Lynch will have a good year. The 49ers have possibly the worst QB situation in the game- rookie Colin Kaepernick and Alex Smith won't cut it. The WR situation isn't much better. The only bright spot is Frank Gore, but he hasn't played a full season in a while. The defense is led by LB Patrick Willis, and he is a great tackler. Even so, he won't propel the 49ers into the playoffs.
BYES- EAGLES, PACKERSDIVISION WINNERS- EAGLES, PACKERS, SAINTS, CARDINALSWC WINNERS- GIANTS, FALCONS
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PLAYOFFS

AFC
WC-----Divisional--Conference-- Super Bowl
Jets vs. Steelers
-----------------------Steelers vs. Chargers
Ravens vs. Texans-------------------------------Steelers vs. Patriots---------Patriots
-----------------------Ravens vs. Patriots
NFC----------------------------------------Patriots
Saints vs. Giants
-------------------------------Saints vs. Eagles
Cardinals vs. Falcons--------------------------------Eagles vs. Packers---- Eagles
-------------------------------Falcons vs. Packers