East & North NFL Previews

With the season just a week away, and all the rosters now at the standard 53 men let's get to the previews.

AFC East
New England Patriots
Let's set things straight, the Pats are easily the class of this division, but a pair of new developments could make their early season road a bit tougher. DT Richard Seymour was surprisingly placed on the PUP list and will miss the first six games of the season. Rodney Harrison will be suspended the first four on suspension for taking a banned substance, what he said was to aid his recovery from injury and not steroids. With two major cogs missing for New England early on, the acquisitions that Bill Belichik and Scott Pioli made are that much more important. Randy Moss gives their offense a big time threat at receiver, and Donte' Stallworth, Wes Welker and Kelley Washington gives the club depth. Tom Brady loves distributing the ball to a large number of targets, and will be able to do so with the WR's and rising TE Ben Watson. Laurence Maroney is the lone back this year with the departure of Corey Dillon, and he should be able to carry the load more than adequately. Even without Seymour, the front seven is the best in football. Ty Warren and Vince Wilfork are on the line, and super defenseman Adalius Thomas joins Vrabel, Bruschi, and Colvin at LB. The Pats never seem to have depth in the secondary, and Eugene Wilson will have to step up big at Safety. Asante Samuel is back at CB after his holdout and stars alongside Ellis Hobbs. Gostkowski does the kicking, and Welker will bring speed to the return game. They play the Jets, Chargers, Bengals, and Cowboys in their first six games so a slow start is possible. A big game is at Indy in week 9, but it'll be smooth sailing after week 13. Expect 11 wins and another division crown.

New York Jets
Coach Eric Mangini looked brilliant when he guided the Jets to the postseason last year, but a daunting schedule will likely bring New York back down to earth this season. Chad Pennington leads his offense that has a new RB in Thomas Jones, a likely improvement at the position. Laveranues Coles is a solid number one, and Chris Baker and Jerricho Cotchery will be the main targets. The offensive line is young and improving, but the defense may still have ways to go. The run defense was putrid last year, and that may not change at all. Dewayne Robertson hasn't proven that he could plug the holes in the 3-4 defense, and the Linebacking corps is average aside from Johnathan Vilma. The pass defense could be subject to a scorching as well, as Kerry Rhodes is the only sure bet. For this pass defense to succeed, first round pick Darrelle Revis may have to make a difference immediately, and that could be asking a lot especially given his lengthy holdout. The special teams looks good, but the schedule could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. They open with New England and Baltimore, and have the Giants and Eagles in weeks 5 and 6. They have the Bengals in week 7, and the Steelers and Cowboys in weeks 11 and 12. The last portion of the campaign seems easy, but I see 8-8 in their futures.

Buffalo Bills
This is the season where JP Losman makes it happen. The offense has some nice weapons in Marshawn Lynch, Lee Evans, and Peerless Price. The underrated defense is young and improving. What could be the downfall of the team is the offensive line, which must protect Losman in his big year. That could spell problems for Buffalo, and lots of grass stains for the QB. Lynch should be the OROY this year, and Evans is emerging into a big time threat. Kelsay and Schobel anchor the D-line, and Paul Posluszny anchors an average LB corps. The secondary has to step up this year, and the special teams is one of the best. This team is definitely an improving bunch, but could be too young to capitalize off of mistakes and prevail in close contests. Denver, Pittsburgh, and New England starts off the season with the Jets and Cowboys following. They have one of the toughest schedules in the league, so their 7-9 finish shows how much promise they actually have.

Miami Dolphins
I promise that Miami will blow this year. Trent Green looked awful in preseason, and Cam Cameron is already showing doubts that Ronnie Brown can be an every down back in this league. The offensive line is abysmal, and Chris Chambers had as bad of a season as any top WR had ever. Marty Booker may have been a #2 WR 10 years ago, and David Martin is a sorry excuse for a starting TE. Jason Taylor is the only bright spot on an average defensive line, and the secondary is average at best. The shining light for this crew are the LB's with Zach Thomas and Joey Porter showing the way for rising star Channing Crowder. Ted Ginn will be a nice special teams player, and will have to score some TD's so that the Miami faithful don't drown themselves in their own tears. I see a maximum of 6 wins on the schedule, so I see the Phins ending up at 4-12.

AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Last I checked, the Ravens have the best D in the AFC and that should once again be enough for a division crown. Steve McNair leads the offense along with his new backfield pal Willis McGahee who should take some of the pressure that a subpar Jamal Lewis placed on McNair last season. The offensive line could be a concern, but I'll trust all-timer Jonathan Ogden to carry the line forward. Derrick Mason has been a McNair target for years, Todd Heap is still a top tier threat at TE, and Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams should only improve this year. Pryce, Gregg, and Ngata are probably the best line on any 3-4 defense, and Suggs, Ray Lewis and Bart Scott will do just fine without Adalius Thomas. Ed Reed and Chris McAllister make two dominant secondary players, and SS Dawan Landry is on the rise. The concern is Samari role at the other CB spot, if he plays well the D may have no holes at all. But if he gets routinely scorched, it could get ugly. Division games are always tough in this division, but I think that they can handle the NFC West and take home a 10-6 record.

Cincinnati Bengals
Three things can always be assumed with this team: A stellar offense, dozens of mugshots, and a swiss cheese D. The latter can ultimately be Cincy's downfall. We all know that Carson Palmer and his WR's Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh are elite and that Rudi Johnson is Bengalese for reliable, but a weak line could mean that Palmer could be in a world of trouble. Palmer was on his ass 91 times last year, 2nd in the league to only John Kitna. The front seven on D only has Justin Smith as a star, and he's very inconsistent. Madieu Williams is the leader of the secondary, but the defense just can't stop anyone. I'm looking forward to a week 14 Arena League style match against the Rams, and a 9-7 mark in '07 for the Bengals.

Pittsburgh Steelers
New coach Mike Tomlin is asking Big Ben to do more. The last time something good happened to him, he almost killed himself. He threw more picks last year then any other QB and they're asking him to do more? With a suspect O-line besides for Alan Faneca and the rise of Willie Parker as a big threat, maybe they should keep to the run it down your throat approach that Bill Cowher used. Hines Ward, Heath Miller, and Santonio Holmes are nice my dear Tomlin, but not when your QB is severely overrated. The LB's could take a step back without Joey Porter, and Chris Hope's departure really hurts the secondary. Pittsburgh will go 7-9 this season.

Cleveland Browns
At QB, Romeo Crennel can choose from meat loaf, Brussels sprouts, or dog poo. He went with Charlie Frye, with Brady Quinn for desert. By the time Quinn enters, I think that the Dawg Pound will have lost their collective appetites by then. Jamal Lewis is just average now, Kellen Winslow will be pissed that nobody will be able to throw it to him, and Braylon Edwards will continue to be a bust. Asking Ted Washington to anchor a D-line is like asking Neil Armstrong to lead a trip to the moon, he's been there but he's way too old to go back. Davis and Wimbley will make the LB's pleasant and Pool and Jones will be a top safety tandem for a while. Going back to the dog poo for a second, wait make that an entire season. 4-12 for the Browns, and perhaps a trip to the unemployment line for Romeo.

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
I've developed a theory, that for every human being, there's a different opinion about Tony Romo. What's fact is that Terrell Owens and Jason Witten are two of the best players at their positions, and that Wade Phillips's attacking 3-4 defense will bring lead Dallas to a division crown. Adams, Gurode, and Davis lead a line that will pave the way for both Julius Jones and Marion Barber, and a group of LB led by Akin Ayodele and superstud DeMarcus Ware. The addition of Ken Hamlin will enable Roy Williams to not have to cover people (it was like telling a kleptomaniac to watch your house) and Terrence Newman will lead the CB's. A trip to Chicago in week 3 will be a huge test, I see Dallas at 11-5 this season.

Philadelphia Eagles
He ran, he caught, he kissed babies. Brian Westbrook did it all last year, and he should be the clear focal point of the offense to protect Donovan McNabb. McNabb does have one of the best lines in the game, but he seems to be more fragile then a souffle in an opera house. LJ Smith will be the main man in the passing attack, and Brown and Curtis will be targets as well. Kimo von Oelhoffen was added to bolster the D-line along with Trent Cole, and Takeo Spikes anchors a very inexperienced group of LB's. The secondary will as usual be the glue to thie defense, with Sheppard, Brown, and Dawkins leading the way. Games at Dallas and New Orleans in weeks 15 and 16 will go a long way to sealing their fate, I'll give them 10-6.

New York Giants
Their best player is at NBC. Their 2nd best player just walked in the door. Their new team leader can't even find his own way. Their coach is on the hot seat. This team could be in trouble. Eli Manning has to prove his leadership to himself and the rest of the world for the Giants to have any shot at the postseason. The RB tandem of Jacobs and Droughns may take a while to click, and Burress and Shockey will have to take leadership roles both on and off the field. The O-line is average, and will need to hold up in pass protection in order to succeed. Strahan may take some time to get back in the swing of things, so Osi Umenyiora may have to step up even more early on. Antonio Pierce leads a decent LB grouping, but the secondary is pretty weak and could prove to be a liability. They play the division and the Jets in 4 of their first 5, so they'll be testedt immediately. If that doesn't get them, games against the Bears, Eagles, and Pats in 3 of their last 5 will. 7-9 is the prediction.

Washington Redskins
Is Jason Campbell ready for the big time? His career seems to be mapped out a lot like JP Losmans' and that's not very promising. The offensive line is among the league's best, and the running game will have to be a factor whether it's Portis or Betts in the backfield. Moss and Cooley are the only reliable targets via the air, and Llyod and Randle El seem to be busts. For the team to have a shot at the postseason, they MUST create more turnovers. They created 12 last year, less than a team I saw made of dyslexic, cross-eyed parapalegics. Their defensive line is below average, and London Fletcher-Baker will have to do wonders at LB especially with the loss of Marcus Washington. Springs, Landry, and Taylor make up a promising secondary but the teams' deficiencies may prove to be too much for this team to be successful. A midseason stretch against the Patriots, Jets, Eagles, and Cowboys will likely do them in. 6-10 is the prediction.

NFC North
Chicago Bears
This division is so bad, that SprungOnSports could be the QB and the Bears would still get a home playoff game. Rex Grossman has shown some improvement in camp, but he still has to prove himself on the field, or be a constant punch-line throughout his career. Cedric Benson takes over full time at RB, and he has to show some drive and durability. The offensive line is solid, and Berrian and Muhammad are solid WR's. Devin Hester, Desmond Clark, and Gregg Olson make for good secondary options. Anderson and Harris lead the defensive line, and Briggs and Urlacher make for the best LB corps in the game, and the Tillman and Vasher show is quite nice at CB. They're at San Diego week one, and they play the Saints in week 17 but everything should be fine in between. 10-6 will be plenty to take the division.

Detroit Lions
I want what Jon Kitna's taking. With his offensive line and his running game, .500 would be quite the feat. Tatum Bell and Kevin Jones won't be good enough at the position to win consistently. Air Martz will be flying nonstop one way to Williams, Johnson, and Furrey and will not stop until the final gun. Rogers and Redding lead a nice D-line, but the rest of the defense is awful. Detroit has a pretty easy schedule so they'll end up 7-9.

Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre is keeping this franchise in handcuffs, but the team doesn't find it so kinky. He doesn't have many weapons on offense besides for Donald Driver, and the line is bad besides for Chad Clifton. Vernand Morency and Brandon Jackson will carry the running load, the fans will have to bring their own barf bags. This team will do better then people expect because of their rock solid defense. Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins are very good on the line, and AJ Hawk is turning into a star at LB. Harris and Woodson are good at corner, and the D will keep Green Bay classy. It'll be trial by fire for the Cheeseheads as they'll face the Eagles, Giants, Chargers, and Bears in 4 of their first 5 and they'll fight for their 7-9 finish.

Minnesota Vikings
Tarvaris Jackson is the worst starting QB a team has had in recent memory, and that includes Joey Harrington. Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson will have to run circles around opposing defenses. The offensive line will be there for Jackson to do well with McKinnie, Hutchinson, and Birk, but Bobby Wade and Troy Williamson are 4th receivers on most teams not 1-2. Pat and Kevin Williams anchor a good defensive line, and the LB's are young and hungry. But will youth and energy bring success for Henderson, Greenway, and co? Winfield and Sharper are good in the secondary but an abover average defense can't make up for a horrible offense. Their first 4 games are winnable, but they get Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, San Diego, and Green Bay after their bye in a row. Uh-oh, 4-12 is in the works for the Purple People.