2008 NFL Quick Hit Preview

Again, it's been difficult to keep up with the work on this site, and I am hopeful that once football season starts up, I will be able to put a lot more effort into this site, and give you comprehensive coverage of the football universe, including an all-encompassing weekly football column that you can rely on for all sorts of info. Until then, please be patient and keep checking back.
So for now, here is a quick hit of how I think the 2008 NFL Season will shake out with my projected standings. More is coming at a later date and time:

AFC East
New England 13-3
New York Jets 9-7
Buffalo 7-9
Miami 4-12
AFC North
Pittsburgh 10-6
Cleveland 8-8
Cincinnati 7-9
Baltimore 6-10
AFC South
Indianapolis 11-5
Jacksonville 10-6
Houston 8-8
Tennessee 7-9
AFC West
San Diego 12-4
Denver 8-8
Kansas City 5-11
Oakland 4-12
NFC East
Dallas 11-5
Philadelphia 10-6
Washington 9-7
New York Giants 8-8
NFC North
Green Bay 10-6
Minnesota 10-6
Chicago 6-10
Detroit 4-12
NFC South
New Orleans 10-6
Carolina 9-7
Tampa Bay 9-7
Atlanta 3-13
NFC West
Seattle 11-5
Arizona 8-8
St. Louis 5-11
San Francisco 4-12

Playoffs:
Wild Card Round
Indianapolis over NY Jets
Pittsburgh over Jacksonville
New Orleans over Minnesota
Philadelphia over Green Bay
Divisional Round
New England over Pittsburgh
San Diego over Indianapolis
Dallas over New Orleans
Seattle over Philadelphia
Conference Championship
New England over San Diego
Dallas over Seattle
Super Bowl
New England over Dallas

Previewing 2008

Folks I truly am sorry about the lack of site updates the past handful of days, but it has been a hectic time for me and now that everything appears to have settled down, I should be able to put up more frequent updates on the site.

The two biggest reasons for the lack of updates are 1) I purchased Madden 09 for my Xbox 360, ‘nuff said. And 2) I had to move into my new apartment at Pitt the past few days, and didn’t have my computer hooked, thus making it quite difficult to get much going on the internet. And, because I’m hooked on my Madden game like it’s cocaine and I’m Amy Winehouse I decided to base a column on it. No don’t worry, I’m not going to review it (although it is a truly great game and I recommend you go buy it immediately), instead I decided to sim an entire NFL season (the ‘08/09 season to be exact) and let everyone know what played out, how it played out, and some of the fun moments from the season. Without further ado…

It turns out that the preseason in Madden games is even more useless then the real preseason now that they took away the fun little improve young players feature that most people agreed was a good one. Whatever. The highest rated preseason passer? Billy Volek at a whopping 146.9, Ryan Fitzpatrick was third, JP Losman was fifth (a potential QB controversy looming in Buffalo?), and proving just how easy the preseason is in these games, Rex Grossman was ninth. Joey Galloway was the leading receiver in preseason ball, Brian Westbrook the leading rusher, Montrae Holland the leading pancake blocker, Cooper Carlisle gave up the most sacks, James Farrior nailed down the tackle title with 37, something named Victor Adeyanju led in sacks, and Ellis Hobbs in interceptions.
And of course, as always there were injuries in the preseason. I downloaded Brett Favre’s character to the Jets, and naturally, he tore his ACL in the preseason and is out for the year. Really glad I spent all that time on my Xbox downloading him for this sole purpose. Other season-ending injuries included: Brodie Croyle (Broken Tailbone) and Paul Posluszny (Hip Fracture). Marcus McNeill broke his ankle and is out 10 weeks, same for Correll Buckhalter, which proves once and for all just how incredibly realistic these games truly are. Terrell Suggs will miss 8 weeks, Nick Kaczur 7 weeks, and Darren Sproles will miss 6 weeks. No one is out who is of significance, and so, we advance to the regular season.

Also, just for fun, there are six players who are 99’s in this game. Take a moment and try to pinpoint them. It’s actually a fun game. I’ll discuss it down one paragraph with my thoughts.
By far the worst player in the game is Bills left tackle Demetrius Bell, who has an abysmal 54 rating, when the next lowest (King Dunlap) had a 60. I mean, did they really know enough about Demetrius Bell to make him by far the worst player in the game? That has to hurt his feelings, right? Couldn’t they have made 5 or 6 miserable offensive and defensive linemen all 60 ratings, just so no one is the worst. If I’m Demetrius I’m screaming at the top of my lungs to the Players Union, although I suppose they have more important matters to deal with. Still though, that just bothers me.

Okay, the 99’s: Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Bob Sanders, Peyton Manning, LaDainian Tomlinson, and… Antonio Gates. I mean, those first five are obvious, but Gates? Yeah he’s a great player, but did you ever consider him to be one of the six best players in football? Hell no. And how pissed are the linemen right now? They dominate the 98 category (1 OL and 3 DL), but still. For the record, I guess those first five, figured they would add 1-2 more, so I threw in pre-knee injury Shawne Merriman (who is only a 97!) and figured they would have a lineman somewhere, so tossed in Albert Haynesworth, too (a 98). But I probably would have guessed 10-12 more players before I guessed Gates for a 99. It just doesn’t feel right. Some of the most surprising ratings I noticed: Jason Taylor (a 98! Since when is he still that good?), Tony Gonzalez (also a 98!), Shane Lechler (it just feels icky putting a punter as a 97), Casey Hampton (still chugging at a 96 even though he’s been average the past two seasons), the entire Patriots O-Line (somehow I don’t think Osi Umenyiora, Justin Tuck, and Michael Strahan would be giving them a 96, two 95s, a 94, and an 86), Matt Birk (nearly was forced to retire due to injury and yet he is still somehow a 95), Zach Thomas (can barely control his motor functions but yet is a 94), and of course, DeAngelo Hall (the most overrated player in football continues that trend with a 93).

Okay, seriously now, onto the regular season:
Some fun notes:
-Tom Brady picked up where left off last season, winning the first two Offensive Player of the Week awards.
-Injuries: Kevin Curtis (Week 2), Ronald Curry (Week 2), Jeff Otah (Week 1), Larry Johnson (Week 2), Aaron Smith (Week 4 meaning the Steelers D should now fall apart), James Harrison (Week 6), Keith Brooking (Week 5), Antonio Cromartie (Week 6), Jerry Porter (Week 7), Rex Grossman (Week 7), Jon Kitna (Week 8), Devin Hester (Week 9), Derrick Johnson (Week 10), and Clinton Portis (Week 11) all suffered injuries that kept them out for at least 6 games or longer.
-Through the first three weeks of the season, 2 of the top 4 receivers in football were Derek Mason and Isaac Bruce. This is Madden ’09 not Madden ’99 right?
-Someone named Cortland Finnegan had 4 picks in one game in Week 2 for the Titans. According to my game, that tied an NFL record.

-Through six weeks, some of the surprises included: Vince Young is 4th in passer rating behind Brady, Roethlisberger, and Manning; Joe Flacco is very good; David Garrard, Matt Hasselbeck, Donovan McNabb, and Carson Palmer all have passer ratings below 75.0; Chester Taylor leads the NFL in rushing touchdowns; Isaac Bruce is still 4th in receptions, Derek Mason is 7th; Alan Branch and Alex Brown (two notorious loafers) lead the league in sacks with 8 apiece; Matt Turk has already punted 42 times for Houston; The Titans and Patriots are the only unbeaten teams left, both at 5-0; our beloved Steelers are 4-1; We had a tie! The Cardinals and Cowboys kissed each other’s sister, or however that works; The Bills and Jets are 0-5; Expected contenders the Vikings, Browns, Redskins, and Cowboys are all under .500. If the playoffs started today we’d have the Titans, Patriots, Chargers, Steelers, Colts, and Jaguars as our AFC seeds, in that order; The NFC would be considerably more surprising: The Cardinals, Eagles, Packers, Panthers, Giants, and Seahawks.

-After 8 weeks, the leading candidates for the awards are: MVP: Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Vince Young, Tony Romo. Offensive POY: Brady, Roethlisberger, Fred Taylor, Willie Parker, and Manning. Defensive POY: Roderick Hood (huh?), Cortland Finnegan (double huh?), Sabby Piscitelli (infinite huh?), DJ Williams, and Ronde Barber (needless to say its not a great year for the DPOY award. Offensive Rookie: Joe Flacco, Felix Jones, Malcolm Kelly, Marcus Smith, Matt Forte. Defensive Rookie: Joe Dizon, Leodis McKelvin, Keith Rivers, Curtis Lofton, Mike Jenkins. Coach of the Year: Jeff Fisher, N. Coach (evidently Bill Belicheck was paranoid about being in this game or something so they called him N. Coach instead. What a freakin’ weirdo), Andy Reid, Mike McCarthy, and John Fox.
-Bryant McFadden was the Week 9 defensive player of the week thanks to 2 picks.
-The Patriots lost a regular season game! A week 8 defeat at the hands of… the St. Louis Rams!

-Through 12 weeks, here are some tidbits: Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are locked atop the passer rating boards and no one’s that close to them; Brady has 29 TD’s in 11 games; The worst starting QB in football is Damon Huard, the second worst? Donovan McNabb (69.8 rating, 8 TD’s, 15 Int.) if only they had press scrutiny and booing fans calling radio stations in Madden. Now THAT’S a game I want to play; Brian Westbrook leads the league with 1102 yards, Marion Barber is second with 1,044, and third is… Kolby Smith! After LJ went down with an injury that knocked him out for most of the season, Smith has stepped in with 988 yards on 240 carries and 3 TD’s through 11 games; Roderick Hood has 8 interceptions; David Akers had attempted 37 field goals so far; Shane Lechler, Matt Turk, and Brian Moorman are all over 70 punts already this year; The AFC’s playoff picture looks like this: Patriots, Steelers, Titans, Chargers, Colts, and Jaguars in, with the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Chiefs just a game out. The NFC is the Saints, Eagles, Bears, Seahawks, Panthers, Rams with the Cowboys, Vikings, and Packers on the cusp; The Falcons and Jets are fighting for the top overall pick

-Heading into Week 17, here’s what’s at stake: The Patriots (12-3) are locked in at 1, the Colts, Steelers, and Chargers all have their divisions clinched at 10-5, so they are competing for the second bye. Not sure about the tiebreakers. The wildcard is still wide open. The Titans (8-7) and Texans (8-7) have it right now, but the Ravens (8-7) and Browns (8-7) also have the same record; The NFC is much more muddied. The Saints (11-4) and Panthers (11-4) have the top two records, but one will be the fifth seed, right now it is Carolina. They both have playoff spots clinched, though. The Cowboys (9-5-1) and Rams (9-6) both lead their divisions but can be caught, and the Bears (9-6) have the only division title in the NFC right now. The Eagles (9-6) would be the sixth team right now, and can catch Dallas, and the Seahawks (8-7) could catch several teams. The Falcons are 2-13, the Jets 3-12 in the fight for the top pick. Some of the surprisingly terrible teams were the Broncos (5-10), the Giants (6-9), the Redskins (6-9), the Buccaneers (6-9), the Vikings (7-8), and the Jaguars (7-8). Perhaps the team that overachieved the most was the Dolphins who are somehow 6-9 despite a heavy dose of Josh McCown this year; Tom Brady and Peyton Manning will likely be the only two quarterbacks to throw for 4,000 yards this year, though neither has it yet; Brian Westbrook is trying to hold off Marion Barber for the rushing title. Westbrook has 1,550 yards this year; Willie Parker leads the AFC with 1,288 yards; the most surprising entrant to the 1,000 yard club (besides Kolby Smith) could be Travis Henry who has 1,234 yards for the Lions; Reggie Wayne has the receptions title all but locked up with 101 grabs for 1,336 yards; I’m not sure if this is a lot, but Leonard Davis leads the NFL in pancake blocks (or maybe eats pancakes eaten, not too sure) with 121. It sounds like a lot; Somehow Zach Thomas has overcome severe brain damage to lead the league with 112 tackles; 6 guys lead the league with 11 sacks; Roderick Hood has 9 picks, DeAngelo Hall and Ronde Barber both have 8; the amount of field goals in this game is obscene. 5 kickers have attempted 40+ field goals, another 18 have attempted at least 30; And Matt Turk and Shane Lechler are each at 90 punts.

-After Week 17, here are the playoff teams: AFC: 1) New England (13-3), 2)Indianapolis (11-5), 3) San Diego (11-5), 4) Pittsburgh (10-6), 5) Cleveland (9-7), 6) Baltimore (9-7). Tennessee and Houston both crapped the bed in Week 17 with L’s. NFC: 1) New Orleans (12-4), 2) Chicago (10-6), 3)Philadelphia (10-6), 4) St. Louis (9-7), 5)Carolina (11-5), 6) Dallas (9-6-1). Also, the Falcons get the number one pick with a 3-13 record.

-The Playoff Results:
First Round
San Diego 44 Baltimore 24
Philadelphia 38 Dallas 23
Pittsburgh 27 Cleveland 7 (The Browns are still our bitch!)
St. Louis 16 Carolina 13
That’s right, the home teams won every time. Could this be a trend? Hmm…

Second Round:
New England 21 Pittsburgh 9 (Damn Patriots, we can’t beat these guys anymore)
New Orleans 23 St. Louis 13
Indianapolis 28 San Diego 13
Philadelphia 20 Chicago 12
Uh-oh, another Colts-Patsies AFC Championship game. Talk about predictable.

Conference Championship Round
New England 24 Indianapolis 7 (Peyton chokes with 2 picks, and Moss catches 2 Brady TD passes)
New Orleans 44 Philadelphia 34 (McNabb gets hurt, Philly turns it over 4 times despite outgaining NO)

SUPER BOWL
New England 29 New Orleans 10 (CRAP! Brady wins MVP for 24/34 257 Yards 2 TD)

-Postseason Awards: MVP: Tom Brady, OPOY: Brady, DPOY: Ronde Barber, OROY: Joe Flacco, DROY: Curtis Lofton, Coach of the Year: John Fox.

-Roethlisberger, Parker, Ward, Simmons, Farrior, and Reed all make the Pro Bowl for the Steelers.

AFC West Rundown

AFC West Rundown
Over the next week or so, I'm going to churn out one of these Rundowns for each of the 8 NFL divisions, which will be the beginnings of my NFL Preview. As the season gets closer, I will have some more in-depth coverage, including projected standings, and an in-depth Steelers preview. Part 4 of 8 can be found below. Enjoy.

The Chargers are the class of this division, without question. LaDainian Tomlinson continues to be the best all-around back in football, though he could be challenged this season by the amazing Adrian Peterson. It will be very interesting to see how well Phillip Rivers recovers from the knee injury he suffered at the end of last season, and he still remains something of a question mark as a franchise type quarterback. He is in the middle of an incredibly talented offense but questions about his character and his overall talent are still being raised. His main targets will again be the trio of Antonio Gates, Chris Chambers, and Vincent Jackson. Chambers is the consistent top receiver the team had been lacking, and enables Jackson to slide over as a lesser option in the offense, a spot he is much better suited for. The offensive line is the capper to this talented offense, as they are a solid unit led by the franchise tackle Marcus McNeill and sound young center Nick Hardwick. The defensive side of the ball is just about as talented as the offense, which is really saying something. Linemen Luis Castillo and Jamal Williams, linebacker Shawn Merriman and corner Antonio Cromartie are all among the best at their position in the conference, though Williams may be declining, and I personally think Cromartie is overrated because of his ball skills. The rest of the defense is sound enough, and this squad as a whole may be the most talented in the league from top to bottom. This could be a make or break year though for coach Norv Turner as the team's window is definitely closing.

In the second position in the division, the Denver Broncos are a team that is very tough to read for the coming year. They seem to be stuck in the middle of the conference, and are led into this middling position by the solid but unspectacular Jay Cutler who has had health issues of late. Selvin Young appears to be another nice find in Mike Shanahan's stable, but he isn't the franchise back the team once had in Clinton Portis. It's sometimes worth thinking about whether the Broncos have been hurt over the years but Shanahan's smugness and the fact that he has outsmarted himself on too many occasions. The line has faltered in recent years from its once legendary status, but is still among the better units in the league. Losing Rod Smith will certainly hurt, though, and Brandon Marshall being suspended for the first two games (at least) of the season will also damage an already limping passing game. The defense for Denver also appears to be on the down slope, as players like longtime vets Champ Bailey and Dre Bly may not have many years of effectivness left, and outside of DJ Williams and Elvis Dumervil there is little in the way of young playmaking ability at their disposal. All in all, the Broncos don't appear to be any better then 8th or 9th in the AFC, but are still good to enough to be considered well ahead of cellar dwellers. It's a tough spot to be in, and they need to make a definitive move in one direction or the other.

The Raiders are among the most intriguing young teams in the league, which is stunning considering how dreadful they were just two seasons ago. Young studs JaMarcus Russell, Darren McFadden, and Michael Huff all have bright futures on the way, but none are proven entities yet and have room to grow. The Raiders may have hurt some of their natural young progress, though, with the foolish spending spree they went on this past offseason, handing out ludicrous contracts to the likes of Tommy Kelly (inconsistent and injury-prone), Javon Walker (What happened in Vegas didn't stay there), DeAngelo Hall (maybe the most overrated player in football), and Gibril Wilson (a nice enough player, but they paid him like an All-Pro). Still, the Raiders have a ton of natural talent, and if Lane Kiffin, who evidently has zero ownership support, can mold this group and get them pointed in the right direction, this club could be wildly intriguing in 2009, and will certainly be a tough opponent for many squads in the coming season.

The Chiefs appear to be bringing up the rear for the coming year, but like Oakland, they have quite a bit of young talent, and a potentially bright future. The Chiefs were widely praised for their work in last April's draft, and I couldn't agree more. First rounders Glenn Dorsey and Brendan Albert should both be impact starters for this club for a long time, and other rookies Jamaal Charles and Brandon Flowers could both be impact players before long with bright futures. The big issues in KC, besides the need for Larry Johnson to have his workload drastically reduced, is the quarterback position. If there's one beef with the Chiefs offseason plan, it's that the team is still relying on the mediocre Damon Huard and the unproven and equally mediocre Brodie Croyle to helm an otherwise talented offensive squad. Young receiver Dwayne Bowe will help out whoever starts quite a bit, and he is expected to build on a shockingly productive rookie season. Losing Jared Allen from the defense will hurt, but it may have been worth it to further the rebuilding process and keep the team chemistry intact. All in all, this team is moving in the right direction, but they will take their lumps while they build for beyond the coming season.

AFC South Rundown

AFC South Rundown
Over the next week or so, I'm going to churn out one of these Rundowns for each of the 8 NFL divisions, which will be the beginnings of my NFL Preview. As the season gets closer, I will have some more in-depth coverage, including projected standings, and an in-depth Steelers preview. Part 3 of 8 can be found below. Enjoy.

The Colts have been the class of this division since its inception, and there is little reason to think that will change this year. Sure, the core of the team is aging and Peyton Manning is coming off of offseason surgery, but with their usual undersized, speedy defense, and the pass heavy attack, there’s little reason to think the Colts won’t be in the mix yet again in the AFC contender picture. One potential emerging star this year for the Colts could be WR Anthony Gonzalez who came on towards the end of last season and will be handed the slot receiver spot, one of Peyton Manning’s favorite safety nets on the field. Joseph Addai had another productive year last season, but the team is still expecting more from the third year running back, and he hopes to deliver this season. The O-Line is steady as ever, and youngster Tony Ugoh played admirably last season after Tarik Glenn’s stunning retirement, and he will be the star of this line before long. On the defensive side of the ball, Bob Sanders remains the best safety, and possibly best defender, in the game. Dwight Freeney has battled continuous health issues, but when he is on the field there are few more dominant players in football. The linebacking corps continues to be wildly undersized, a staple of the Colts for years, but their effectiveness cannot be questioned. And, of course, in close games, they have the ultimate weapon, Adam Vinatieri, waiting in the wings.

If anyone from this division can unseat mighty Indianapolis, it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars. From top to bottom, the Jags just may have more overall talent then their counterparts in Indy, but they continue to have major issues with the wide receiver position, and while David Garrard had a very good first year as the full-time starter, he is certainly not in Peyton Manning’s class, and likely never will be. What makes Jacksonville dangerous, though, is the potent running game they boast. The ageless Fred Taylor was once an injury-prone star in the making who could never make it through an entire season. Now, though, entering his 11th year, you have to wonder if maybe those injuries actually prolonged his career, as he made his first Pro Bowl this past season after a 1200 yard rushing season. Taylor is joined in the backfield by the small but incredibly powerful Maurice Jones-Drew (or MoJo for short). Jones-Drew gives the Jags the best 1-2 punch in football at the running back position, and will be a star when he finally wrests the full-time job from Taylor. As mentioned above, though, the Jags have had terrible luck at the wide receiver position, with several wasted high draft picks and free agent signings. They acquired not one but two career underachievers at this position in the offseason in Jerry Porter and Troy Williamson, and if even one of them pans out, the Jaguars will be ecstatic. Reggie Williams is a solid red zone target, but is mediocre on the rest of the field. The Jaguars defense was weakened by the loss of Marcus Stroud and John Henderson now stands alone in the middle. After failing to nail down a Jason Taylor trade, the Jags instead snatched a pair of pass rushers in the draft in Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves, but it is questionable as to whether either is ready to consistently make a difference at this level. CBs Rashean Mathis and Brian Williams may be two of the most underrated players in football. Mathis has garnered some attention as a ballhawk, but Williams may actually be the more technically sound and consistent of the duo. The defense as a whole will still be a major strength for Jacksonville, and they are a team built to win in the postseason with their strong running game. If they can find even one legitimate deep threat for Garrard this could be the most dangerous team in the AFC.

Yes, we all know the old spiel by now about how all Vince Young does is win football games. But, until the ultra-talented young quarterbacks learns to throw the ball consistently enough to be a threat, this team will not be a threat to win in January. With that said, it’s a testament to Young’s ability and skill set that this team is even as good as they have been the last season and a half under his guidance. For whatever reason, the Titans have opted to give Young next to zero weapons at the receiver position, and have insisted on drafting running backs when they have one of the best running QBs in NFL history. Burly RB LenDale White isn’t a threat to break any long runs, but he is a grinder and was effective enough last season to maintain the starting spot. The Titans need speedy Chris Johnson to step up immediately and take some carries away from the plodding White. Ideally, the Titans would probably like to keep White to 12-15 touches a game, instead of the 20 or so he got last season. If Johnson can play, he and White could be one of the most effective Thunder and Lightning tandems in the league. At receiver, young Roydell Williams has shown some promise and could be a scary deep threat if he continues to mature, but that’s a big if. The other receivers and tight ends can best be described as mediocre (and that’s being generous), and it amazes how they expect Young, who has below average passing skills to begin with, to grow as a passer when they give him next to nothing to work with downfield. On the defensive side of the ball, much like an offense, it all revolves around one man, Albert Haynesworth. He was probably the most dominant defender in football a year ago, and is a mixture of both a run-stopping giant and solid pass rusher. It will be interesting to see how Jevon Kearse plays now that he is back in Tennessee. There is no question that Kearse still has the talent to be a difference maker on defense, but he hasn’t been an elite player in years. Keith Bulluck is the emotional leader of the defense and is still a serious playmaker at age 32. The secondary is steady, led by emerging star Michael Griffin and certainly won’t hurt a very solid defense.

The Texans finally saw .500 last season, and they definitely got better once again this offseason, but I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelash to see that record slip just a bit this year. They played a bit over their head last season, and while they did get better in the offseason, the rest of the elite AFC squads got better as well, and their division is either the deepest or second deepest in football, depending on who you ask. Matt Schaub finally got his long awaited chance and was decent when healthy, but that wasn’t really that often. Schaub missed five whole games and parts of three others. He needs to stay healthy and make more progress in his second year as a starter if this team is to get beyond that .500 threshold. Schaub will be assisted by the spectacular Andre Johnson who is among the most talented receivers in football, but like Schaub has had health issues. Kevin Walter had something of a breakout year in ’07, and the team thinks he can be a legit threat opposite ‘Dre. TE Owen Daniels also had a surprising year with 63 catches and is a nice safety valve for Schaub. What isn’t helpful for the offense though is the Texans dreadful running back position. The fact that they are still relying on Ahman Green as a starter tells you everything you need to know about the Texans. Green was washed up three years ago. Backup Chris Brown had a bunch of opportunities in Tennessee but things never worked out for him on a long-term basis. He will steal some carries though, simply because there is no way Green will be healthy or good. The offensive line will not do this running game any favors, either, as they are an average group, but are made mildly intriguing by the hiring of the great Alex Gibbs as the OL coach this offseason. The defense is what makes this team go. Mario Williams may be the best defensive player in a division full of impact defensive stars, and is certainly the most talented around. Amobi Okoye showed signs of being a very good interior lineman last season, and teaming him up with Super Mario could be a terror for opponents for the next decade. DeMeco Ryans is one of the better linebackers in the AFC, an all-around player out of the Derrick Brooks mold. This team has poured money and high picks into the secondary, but so far have not had a ton of success back there. Dunta Robinson is coming off serious injuries after a promising start to last season, so he will be a major question mark. The rest of the defense should help the ailing secondary though, and it will be the defensive side of the ball that pushes the Texans toward respectability ever so slowly.

AFC East Rundown

Over the next week or so, I'm going to churn out one of these Rundowns for each of the 8 NFL divisions, which will be the beginnings of my NFL Preview. As the season gets closer, I will have some more in-depth coverage, including projected standings, and an in-depth Steelers preview. Part 1 of 8 can be found below. Enjoy.
Division Rundowns:
AFC East
The Patriots are still the class of this division, make no mistake about it. And, with a relatively easy schedule, don’t be the least bit surprised to see them rack up an alarmingly high win total. However, unlike last season, I think this bunch has absolutely no desire whatsoever to make a run at perfection. They saw how badly they were beaten down by the questions and the media hype of a year ago, and, while I think they will run away with the top seed in the AFC, I also think they will be more then happy to slide in at, say, 13 or 14 wins, instead of another extended winning streak. Their secondary continues to be a serious weak spot, but the rest of their defense should be pretty stout, and if Jerod Mayo can make his way into the lineup, I think he could make a definite run at the Defensive Rookie of the Year crown. Offensively, they are as potent as ever, and while I don’t expect Tom Brady and Randy Moss to equal their scoring production of a year ago, I still think they will be the best in the league at their position and that Wes Welker will snag upwards of 80 passes, and Laurence Maroney should also have a nice year and should challenge for 1,000 yards rushing. The Offensive Line, after being pummeled by the Giants D-Line a year ago will still be a vulnerable spot for teams with prolific pass rushers, but Belichick has never met a challenge he didn’t know how to scheme for, and I think that will be less of an issue this season
The Jets made the transaction of the off-season, and the off-season technically wasn’t even in session any longer when they dealt for Brett Favre last week. I’m still not so sure that acquiring Broadway Brett makes this team a playoff team, but they should at least challenge for a spot, and his addition gives them the best of both worlds that they previously had. He has the veteran moxy, leadership, and accuracy of Chad Pennington, while also having more then the arm strength of Kellen Clemens, so he vaults this team from 5 or so wins to probably somewhere around 8-9 wins, and while they have no chance at the AFC East title, don’t be surprised to see them fight for a wildcard spot down to the last weekend. The big key for the Jets, though, will be establishing a solid running game. Thomas Jones was mediocre last season, and Leon Washington does not have every down back potential, but a major upgrade in the offensive line could elevate their running game to a higher level. Favre will also have a better set of receivers then he had in Green Bay, with solid deep threat Jerricho Cotchery and the ageless Laveranues Coles. They don’t have the depth the Packers had, though, so it will be interesting to see if Favre can develop some of these unknowns the way he would develop them in the Bay. Defensively, the Jets are an intriguing team. They certainly have the talent to be a top flight unit, but an eclectic bunch that includes the wildly inconsistent Kris Jenkins, talented rookie Vernon Gholston, dangerous DE Shaun Ellis, steady LB David Harris, and a talented young secondary led by Darrelle Revis has much to prove in the coming year, which the front office has clearly anointed as a playoff or bust type season.
Prior to the Jets bring in Favre, the Bills were everyone’s favorite sleeper team in the AFC. The theory held that, with a steady young QB, a talented and fresh running back, some sound wide receivers, a steady defense, and a manageable schedule, the Bills could rack up 9 or so wins and potentially find a back door into the playoffs. Now, though, they get both Brady and Favre twice, not to mention trips to Jacksonville and Denver, a visit from San Diego and a home game in Toronto. Maybe we all jumped the gun a little on anointing the Bills a sleeper team. Nevertheless, the Bills should be a steady team in Dick Jauron’s third year, but Trent Edwards showed little signs of being the type of QB who can win games for you in his first year, and while those days may be coming, they certainly aren’t here yet. Until then, the team will rely heavily on young Marshawn Lynch, the dangerous Lee Evans, and hope that a very talented defense can play up to its impressive potential. They have one of the best all-around D-Lines in football thanks to the likes of Aaron Schobel, the mammoth Marcus Stroud, and John McCargo, and Paul Posluszny will anchor the middle in the LB corps. Expect the Bills to hang tough with a lot of teams, but unless Edwards makes some unforeseen progress this season, we’re pegging the Bills as still being another year away in a division that just got much tougher.
But hey, at least the Bills are in much better shape than the Dolphins who moved through last season completely directionless, and after doing that spectacular impersonation of an amoeba, they think they’ve found some direction in the Book of Parcells. This time, the Tuna isn’t the coach, and one of his many disciples, Tony Sparano, is instead the man running the show in South Beach. The Fish, following the lead of their Florida counterparts in Tampa, have decided to collect as many average quarterbacks as possible, and have quite the collection at this point. After the signing of the noodle-armed Chad Pennington, the QB competition appears to be over, but with the young Chad Henne waiting in the wings, the young but old John Beck (he’ll be 27 on Opening Day in just his second year!), and the mediocre Josh McCown, if Pennington’s arm troubles hurt the team, there could be a quick hook. The Fins, though, clearly are building for beyond 2008, and will start a number of inexperienced and underqualified players this season in the hopes of picking up a few gems, as Parcells has been known to do over the years.

Say It Ain't So Brett

Yeah I had to weigh in on the Brett Favre saga as well.

For the most part, I usually try to steer clear of columns dedicated specifically to other teams in a league when we have our own team here in the Steel City, but in the case of Brett Favre and his ongoing saga with the Packers, I couldn't stay silent any longer.
Brett, I'm going to make this very clear, stay the hell retired. I could care less what Peter King, Gene Woji-whatever his name is, Mort, and the 10 million other writers nationwide may say about you deserving this chance, I say you blew it Favre. If you really were being pushed out in Green Bay, then why did you retire and only decide to grow a pair 4 months after the fact?
If the Packers were pushing you out, fine, frankly I don't blame them, they need to move on with Aaron Rodgers, who I think could be a serviceable if not spectacular QB in this league, and they can't continually pander to your whims. But, Brett, if it's true they were pushing you out, then you did the worst thing that you could have done, and that would be to listen to them, and then decide not to listen to them a few months later. If you wanted to keep playing, you should have demanded back in February that you wanted to be released to play elsewhere, before the OTA's and the draft happened. Instead, with training camp just days away, you decide to put even more pressure on poor Aaron Rodgers, who is about to have the most scrutinized season in NFL history. His own fans already seem to be plotting ways to turn on him should the occasion arise. Way to go Brett, way to go down as a team player, Brett.
Favre, if you elsewhere, like Baltimore or Minnesota or Chicago or Tampa Bay or even Buffalo, there is an incredibly strong chance that it works out horrifically for you wherever that new home is, and Topps gets another card to add to as-yet-unreleased special edition "Guys who switched teams instead of retired" series. Trust me, no one wants to see you go down with Franco Harris in a Seahawk uni, Emmitt Smith in a Cardinal uni, or Jerry Rice in a Raider uni, it would only tarnish your legacy, hurt the Packers standing with their fans, and tarnish what is now a terrific legacy. Because, while people may have mostly forgotten the lost years the above players spent away from their real teams, your never-ending soap opera has ensured that no one will soon forget your fate.