NFL Preview

September in New England. There’s really nothing quite like it. About 250,000 students invade the city of Boston as they make their way to college. There's early signs of fall, where the leaves begin to change color and the temperature starts to cool down. The local breweries are putting out some of the best seasonal beers of the year. And if we’re lucky, the Red Sox are making a late season push to play in October.

But most importantly, football returns.

One the greatest things about the NFL is how unpredictable it is. Despite the match up, any team can go out and win on Sunday. Early season contenders can have a disappointing season and some teams can come out of nowhere to make the playoffs. This year looks to be no different. You have your contenders (Denver, San Francisco, Seattle), your up and comers (Miami, Kansas City, St. Louis) and the just plain bad (Oakland, Jacksonville, and the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!!!!).

It’s been said that defense wins championships, which has sometimes been the case. But on occasion a better offense trumps a strong defense. In the case of winning the Super Bowl, it’s usually a team peaking at the right time, and not necessarily a preseason favorite. The current odds-on favorites to meet in the Super Bowl are the Denver Broncos (great offense) and San Francisco 49ers (great defense), which is all well and good. But I’m going to go a little against the grain. Denver will play in the AFC Championship, but they will have to go through Foxboro, where Peyton Manning is 0-2 in the post-season. He is also 4-9 in his career against Tom Brady. That doesn’t bode well for Denver. In the NFC, I like a rematch of last year’s championship game, but this time Atlanta gets the best of San Francisco. In a New England and Atlanta Super Bowl, playing in the first outdoor, cold weather championship game in league history in the Meadowlands, I have to go with the Pats. But then again, a Houston and Green Bay match up wouldn’t surprise me either.

* Wildcard Team

AFC East

1. New England Patriots (11-5)

2. Miami Dolphins (8-8)

3. Buffalo Bills (6-10)

4. New York Jets (4-12)

Tom Brady

Both the Bills and the Jets have quarterback problems to begin the season. The Bills lost Kevin Kolb for the season to a concussion and promising rookie EJ Manuel to a knee injury. Depending on Manuel’s status, they might have to turn to undrafted rookie Jeff Tuel. The Jets defense should keep them in games, but their offense has too many holes in it, beginning at quarterback. We might see the end of Rex Ryan in New York before the season is over. The Dolphins made the most of improving during the offseason, acquiring Mike Wallace as another target for second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Their defense should be better, and they are the most improved team in the division. Tannehill is still developing though, and his progress this season could determine if Miami can push for a wild card spot. But the division still belongs to Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Brady might have lost some important parts of his receiving core, but he’ll bring out the best of the new receivers around him. Their defense is also on the rise, and the Pats should be in line for their fifth straight division title.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6)

2. Baltimore Ravens (10-6) *

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7)

4. Cleveland Browns (5-11)

Joe Flacco

This is one of the toughest divisions that can be won by three of the four teams. The defending world champion Baltimore Ravens return with a reloaded defense that’s younger and faster, led by outside linebacker Elvis Dumervil. Joe Flacco needs to show he’s a leader and play up to his $120.6 million dollar contract after his remarkable postseason and Super Bowl run. The Pittsburgh Steelers have some question marks, especially in the running game with second round draft pick Le’Veon Bell having to miss the start of the season with a foot injury. Their defense is a year older, and Ben Roethlisberger will need to stay on the field if Pittsburgh wants to make the playoffs. Cleveland is still rebuilding and is heading in the right direction, but they will be the victim of the other tough teams in the division. I’ve never had much confidence in Coach Marvin Lewis, and part of me is surprised he has lasted as long as he has in Cincinnati. His Bengals are talented on both sides of the ball, but it remains to be seen if Andy Dalton can take this team to the next level and win a playoff game.

AFC South

1. Houston Texans (11-5)

2. Indianapolis Colts (10-6) *

3. Tennessee Titans (5-11)

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-13)

J.J. Watt

The biggest question in this division is if Andrew Luck can make the leap in his sophomore season and lead the Colts to a division title over the Houston Texans. Probably not this year, but he is close. Luck should continue to improve with his college offensive coordinator coming to Indy, taking another step to become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL. The Texans are still the best team in this division, with a balanced running attack and a strong defense led by Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Matt Schaub needs to play more consistent than he did down the stretch last season if they want to make a deep playoff run. Both Blaine Gabbert and Jake Locker need to prove they can be the answer at quarterback for their respective teams. It will be a long season for both Jacksonville and Tennessee if they can’t.

AFC West

1. Denver Broncos (11-5)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (8-8)

3. San Diego Chargers (6-9)

4. Oakland Raiders (2-14)

Peyton Manning

Philip Rivers will need to have a strong campaign this year if the Chargers are going to have a chance at making the playoffs. The offensive line needs to protect him better than they did last year, where Rivers was sacked 49 times, the second most in the league. If he continues to struggle this could be his last season in San Diego. Kansas City has the potential to be one of the most improved teams this year with new quarterback Alex Smith and Coach Andy Reid. Oakland will struggle to win games, and should be in line for a top draft pick next season. That leaves the Denver Broncos, an early season favorite to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning has a loaded receiving core, adding Wes Welker to join Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker. Losing linebacker Von Miller for six games could hurt them early, but their offense is too good for any other teams to compete with them for the division.

NFC East

1. Washington Redskins (10-6)

2. New York Giants (9-7)

3. Dallas Cowboys (8-8)

4. Philadelphia Eagles (5-11)

RGIII

Michael Vick is being given another chance to run the Eagles offense. The question will be if he can stay on the field, where Vick has missed nine starts in the past two seasons. New Philly coach Chip Kelly will look to make the transition from the college game to the pros, and he will have his work cut out for him. As always, expectations will be high in Dallas. The question will be which Tony Romo will show up on Sundays. If he’s on top of his game and not turning the ball over, he can lead the Cowboys to a postseason berth. With Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin still running the ship for the Giants, they will still find a way to contend for the division. But all eyes will be on RGIII and his surgically repaired right knee. If he can stay on the field, he will improve in his sophomore season, and the Redskins should win their second straight division title.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (11-5)

2. Chicago Bears (9-7)

3. Minnesota Vikings (7-9)

4. Detroit Lions (6-10)

Aaron Rodgers

The Bears will miss linebacker Brian Urlacher and his leadership, but most of the defense that scored nine touchdowns off turnovers last season will be returning. They should be able to come close to duplicating last season and make a run at the playoffs. Adrian Peterson had a season for the ages last year, but inconsistencies at quarterback will make it tough for them to reach the postseason again. If Christian Ponder struggles early, look for the Vikings to turn to Matt Cassel. Matthew Stafford will continue to put up passing yards in Detroit, but his touchdowns and completion percentage dropped last year from 2011. He needs to play as a top-notch starter if the Lions want to win games. That leaves the Green Bay Packers. With Aaron Rodgers still in his prime, the Packers are one of the best teams in the NFC. The offensive line needs to protect Rodgers more, where he was the most sacked quarterback last season. The running game should improve for the Packers, which will help open up an already efficient passing game.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons (12-4)

2. New Orleans Saints (10-6) *

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9)

4. Carolina Panthers (6-10)

Drew Brees

Josh Freeman’s time in Tampa is running out. He is in a contract year, and has plenty of weapons around him to succeed. The acquisition of Darrelle Revis should bolster the secondary and the defense. Cam Newton turned it on during the second half of last season. He needs to continuously play at that level if Carolina is going to compete in the division. The return of Coach Sean Payton can only mean good things in New Orleans. The defense might have some question marks, but this team should be motivated and they will score a lot of points while Drew Brees is running the offense. The best team in the division, and possibly the NFC, is the Falcons. The offense is already loaded, and they’ve upgraded at the running back position with Steven Jackson. Atlanta has its eyes set on not only winning the division, but making a trip to the Super Bowl.

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks (12-4)

2. San Francisco 49ers (11-5) *

3. St. Louis Rams (7-9)

4. Arizona Cardinals (6-10)

Russell Wilson

The Cardinals made a smart upgrade by bringing in Carson Palmer at quarterback. Larry Fitzgerald should be happy for the first time since Kurt Warner retired in 2009. The Rams might be another surprise team. They are well coached and have an underrated defense. The question will be can Sam Bradford continue to develop and give St. Louis a chance to make the playoffs. The 49ers have some injury concerns and will miss wide receiver Michael Crabtree. But they have a competent quarterback in Colin Kaepernick, a good running game and a solid defense that still make them a favorite in the NFC. The advantage has to go to Seattle, who play in one of the toughest stadiums for road opponents in the NFL. Second year quarterback Russell Wilson will only continue to improve, and the defense is one of the game’s best. They should live up to expectations and contend for the Super Bowl.