By the time you are reading this, the 2010-2011 NFL Season has been underway for one week, and I’m sure all of us fans are throwing around season predictions like Drew Brees throws big touchdowns. Now, I want to publicly expose my own predictions by division as to what this upcoming season will bring in the beauty that is the National Football League. I would also like some feedback and debate from my fellow Captains, because there are few things in this world more wonderful than a fired up football fan. Enjoy!

AFC North: In a division dominated by strong defense, Baltimore will be king this season with the additions of veteran receivers Anquan Boldin, Donte Stallworth and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, giving Baltimore’s rising stud of a quarterback Joe Flacco more reliable targets. They will miss Ed Reed at safety, but with Rray Lewis leading a defense, they can never be counted out. The Steelers will struggle on offense because of the off-season fiasco involving quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, which is piled on top of the loss of their old Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes. The fact that Troy Palamalu and James Farrior led defense, surrounded by other quality defenders, will prove to be a problem for opposing offenses all year.

1.     Baltimore Ravens: 10-6

2.     Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7

3.     Cincinnati Bengals: 7-9

4.     Cleveland Browns: 4-12

AFC West: Most agree that the Chargers will once again conquer this division with style, but watch for a little fight from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chargers have the most balanced team in the division, and new running back Ryan Matthews is slated to be one of the top rookies in the league this year, but Philip Rivers may have some questions to answer as he plays without his most talented lLineman, LT Marcus McNeill. Kyle Orton of the Bronco’s is a relatively consistent and low-key quarterback who will probably not throw more than 15 touchdowns,TD’s but can lead the team to some close victories. The Oakland Rraiders are going to struggle per as usual, and Jason Campbell cannot cure their quarterback hell,woes, but at least their head coach wasn’t fired.

1.     San Diego Chargers: 10-6

2.     Kansas City Chiefs: 8-8

3.     Denver Broncos: 8-8

4.     Oakland Raiders: 5-11

AFC East: Everybody knows about all the activity that happens in New York on a daily basis, but the Jets organization itself probably accounted for a decent percentage of that activity this past off-season. Quarterback Mmark Sanchez is growing up fast. They also have new , and new veteran acquisitions from the Chargers, LaDanian Tomlinson and Antonio Cromartie, who will find themselves with heavy roles in Rex Ryan’s revamped offensive and defensive schemes. The Patriots will continue to win as always, and Tom Brady’s offense will always find ways to make plays in tight spaces, but the defense is not what it was in the earlier parts of this decade. Head Coach Tony Sparano’s Dolphins are still better than they were two seasons ago, but how can they compete with the Patriots and the Jets for this division while also worrying about their difficult schedule early on?

1.     New York Jets: 12-4

2.     New England Patriots: 9-7

3.     Miami Dolphins: 8-8

4.     Buffalo Bills: 5-11

AFC South: You guessed it! Peyton Manning and the Colts will somehow overcome the Super Bowl loss hangover syndrome and win this division., Bbut for the first time ever they will have the Houston Texans breathing right down their neck for the entire season. Jim Caldwell is a brilliant coach, but it will be difficult for the Colts’ defense to keep Andre Johnson, Matt Schaub, and the new kids on the block Texans in  in check. Speaking of bBrilliance, Titans hHead cCoach Jeff Fisher will probably call forcoach a great year out of quarterback Vince Young, and running back Chris Johnson’s, as far as their efforts at breaking the 2000- yard mark this season. It is something that should be taken seriously, however they cannot contend with the other two blue powerhouses of their division.

1.     Indianapolis Colts: 11-5

2.     Houston Texans: 10-6

3.     Tennessee Titans: 7-9

4.     Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-10

NFC North: This will be the year that Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, shows everyone that this is his team, and if anybody still thinks of him as Brett Favre’s old backup, then prepare to be amazed. It also helps that that Green Bbay, led by middle linebacker A.J. Hawk and newly-resignednewly resigned cornerback Charles Woodson, has taken the spotlight from the Bears as the toughest defense in the North. Behind old man Favre, the Vikings won’t be far behind Green Baywill be in a dauntingly close second place, but the 2010 playoff run will be too much to ask of them.

1.     Green Bay Packers: 11-5

2.     Minnesota Vikings: 10-6

3.     Chicago Bears: 8-8

4.     Detroit Lions: 4-12

NFC West: It will be interesting to see what happens in this division, as it is arguably one of the weaker in football, but it still featuresuring teams that can surprise any of us. Coach Mike Singletary’s 49ers, with that offense of rising stars, will win this in a close contest against with quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and his’s Seahawks. For the first time in several years, the Rams will not finish last in this division race, as the Cardinals will struggle with the loss of many key players to retirement, injury, or free agency.

1.     San Francisco 49ers: 9-7

2.     Seattle Seahawks: 7-9

3.     St. Louis Rams: 6-10

4.     Arizona Cardinals: 5-11

NFC East: Without doubt, the beasts from the East will be at each other’s throats all year. This is one of the strongest divisions in football, and by far the toughest to play in right now. In all honesty, it would not surprise me at all to see any of these teams take the divisional crown, as each has certain intangibles that can factor into plenty of wins. On paper, the Cowboys look the most balanced., However, but with a new veteran coach and quarterback combination in Washington with Mike Shanahan and Donovan McNabb, respectively, the Redskins should not be ruled out just yet. The Giants had a decent off-season and a balanced running game, and of course postseason experience is not new to them. But expect Eli Manning and company to stagger when faced with pressure from their other divisional opponents.

1.     Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

2.     Washington Redskins: 9-7

3.     New York Giants: 8-8

4.     Philadelphia Eagles: 8-8

NFC South: This division has bragging rights as arguably the second most difficult division in the NFL right now.pro football to play in.  Who dat?! Even though they’re coming down from a Super Bowl high, the Saints remain the class of the NFC and have the most electrifying offense and reliable defense possibly in the entire league. Sean Payton could coach a housecat with special needs to hunt like a lion if he had to, and of course quarterback Drew Brees will average around 400 yards and three3 touchdownsTD’s per game. With their bend-but-not break defense led by middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma, the Saints should still be high on any postseason bracket. The Falcons will make noise this year, and so far I really like cornerback Dunta Robinson on their defense, but how can they keep up with the speed of thedem Saints? The Buccaneers will not endure any lengthy winless streaks like they did last year, but with young Josh Freeman under center and head coach Raheem Morris enacting a second rebuilding era in Tampa Bay, they will fight hard with the Panthers in Coach John Fox’s last year on contract for third place in this division.

1.     New Orleans Saints: 14-2

2.     Atlanta Falcons: 10-6

3.     Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-10

4.     Carolina Panthers: 4-12

So, what do college and the NFL season have in common? They’re very stressful, they can make or break you, and you of course will want to cry when it’s all over. Not to mention they each go by faster than a bullet pass from Peyton Manning, so enjoy it while it lasts and enjoy your fanhood to the fullest.

Let the games begin!

Posted by Paul Mikowski on Sep 15 2010. Filed under Paul's Perspective. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.