Arian Foster has carried the ball a lot this season – 351 times to be exact. On Saturday, he and J.J. Watt carried the Texans to a first round victory against the Cincinnati Bengals. Foster finished with 140 yards on 32 carries.

Like I said in my preview, this one was going to come down to containing A.J. Green and not getting beat on a defensive or special teams play. The Texans got their special teams play with four field goals from Shayne Graham.

Andy Dalton just wasn’t good enough in this game. He was 14 for 30 with an interception and QBR of 15.8. Things weren’t pretty. BenJarvus Green-Ellis ran the ball for 63 yards on 11 carries, but never got a chance to get going as Houston held the ball for almost 39 minutes.

You can’t win ball games when your drives result in: Punt, Punt, Punt, Punt, End of Half, Punt, Field Goal, Interception, Field Goal. The only touchdown came from a 21-yard interception return by Leon Hall.

With the win, the Texans get a date with the New England Patriots in next week’s Divisional Round. In their last meeting, the Patriots slaughtered the Texans 42-14.

Green Bay Packers 24, Minnesota Vikings 10 (Prediction: Vikings 23, Packers 21)

When I made this prediction, I thought the getting-sort-of-hot Christian Ponder was going to be the starting quarterback. Make no mistake about it, though, I was wrong. Ponder was inactive and it wouldn’t have mattered if he was on the field. Joe Webb filled in with a below-average 11 for 30, 180 yard day. For some reason, Adrian Peterson carried the ball only 22 times to Webb’s 30 passes.

There was one other thing I didn’t take into consideration – Aaron Rodgers was playing. I don’t know what would have driven me, or anyone else, to wager against Aaron Rodgers at Lambeau in a playoff game. I apologize for doing it.

Charles Woodson summed it up nicely, “No disrespect to Ponder, but…it’s about one guy and that’s Adrian Peterson. Our main focus, whether it was Ponder or Webb, was to keep 28 (Peterson) from getting off. And if we were going to keep him from getting off, put the ball in the quarterback’s hands, whatever quarterback it was, we felt good about what was going to happen.”

The Packers will get a date with the San Francisco 49ers next week in the Divisional Round. In their first meeting this year in Week One, the 49ers won by a score of 30-22.

Baltimore Ravens 24, Indianapolis Colts 9 (Prediction: Ravens 38, Colts 20)

Ray Lewis will live to ride another weekend. He led the Ravens with 13 tackles and helped to absolutely stifle Andrew Luck in his playoff debut. In my Wild Card Preview, I talked about the emotion that would be present in this game. After the game, the Ravens let us know that it was still there, “I wanted Denver because they beat us…I came to Baltimore to win a championship. We all did,” said Anquan Boldin.

As is generally true, I was unimpressed with the play of Joe Flacco. He had a decent day, though, going 12 for 23 for 282 yards and two touchdowns. Ray Rice was the surprise of the day. He lost two fumbles and saw Bernard Pierce get 13 carries for 103 yards – slightly better than Rice’s 15 carries for 70 yards.

The young Colts played a decent game, but couldn’t seem to close the door on any drives. Luck threw the ball an incredible 54 times, completing 28 passes for 288 yards and one interception. Vick Ballard ran the ball 22 times for 91 yards and Reggie Wayne had a vintage nine catch 114 yard performance. Things are still looking up in Indy.

The Ravens get a date with the streaking Denver Broncos next week. Three weeks ago, the Broncos beat the Ravens 34-17. Those Ravens didn’t have Ray Lewis, though.

Seattle Seahawks 24, Washington Redskins 14 (Prediction: Seahawks 27, Redskins 13)

Everything that I thought would happen, happened. Robert Griffin was hobbled by his knee injury and didn’t look the same (10 for 19, 84 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT, 5 rush, 21 yards). Russell Wilson stepped up in a big way (15 for 26, 187 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 8 rush, 67 yards). Seattle’s defense played great, especially against the run – holding the league’s best rushing team to a total of 104 yards. Marshawn Lynch made the play that made the difference on his 27-yard touchdown run.

I jumped on the Seahawk bandwagon a few weeks ago and I’m going to continue to ride it until it stops for the season. These Seahawks couldn’t finish a drive all game and they should have won by a lot more points. They were resilient in their comeback and it seemed they wouldn’t be denied.

A lot of folks will point to the RGIII in defense of Washington, but I think this game would have ended much the same with a healthy RGIII. I’ll take Wilson any day of the week.

One more thing…I don’t question a lot of coaching decisions in regards to injury because I’m not on the sideline, but I think Mike Shannahan made a big mistake today when he let Robert Griffin III go back on the field. I know that this was the playoffs and RGIII was the team’s best quarterback, but no one should play with that kind of knee injury. When it finally gave out in the fourth quarter, it looked bad.

The Seahawks have won a date with the Atlanta Falcons next week. These two teams did not play during the regular season.

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The Cleveland Browns also interviewed Chip before the Browns decided to start searching in a different direction.

As a football fan, I was excited to see if Kelly’s brand of football would translate at the professional level. He runs an incredibly fast-paced offense that requires an extreme amount of speed on the roster.

As an Eagles fan, I didn’t want any part of Chip Kelly in the NFL. He’s a winner and has a 46-7 record in the last four seasons. He’s a proven winner…in his own style. I don’t know if he would have been able to adjust his game to make it successful in the NFL.

The Eagles interviewed Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy on Sunday after their lengthy interview with Kelly Saturday. There has been no word on which of the many opportunities McCoy will accept.

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Cincinnati Bengals @ Houston Texans, 4:30 PM Saturday

It’s no secret that the Texans last four games weren’t beautiful. It all started with an ugly loss to the New England Patriots on the road and they never seemed to recover. Before that Week 14 loss to the Pats, the Texans looked to be locked in to the one seed. They dropped two of their last three and had to settle for the three seed. I don’t know how much to make of this decline because the Texans may have been coasting in to the playoffs.

The Bengals, on the other hand, won seven of their last eight. Their only loss came by one point to a desperate Dallas Cowboys team. The Bengals have an extremely underrated defense (7th against the pass and 12th against the run) and should be feared in this game. If A.J. Green can break off two big plays to go along with a decent day from BenJarvus Green-Ellis, this could get interesting.

I think these teams are relatively even on paper and the home-field advantage for the Texans should be the difference. They have decent corners and should be able to contain Green. If they can, they’ll squeak this one out.

Prediction: Texans 34, Bengals 27

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay Packers, 8:00 PM Saturday

There are a lot of things that could sway this game. The obvious thing is the play of Adrian Peterson and Christian Ponder. Ponder has been less awful in recent weeks and Peterson has been brilliant for the last 16 weeks. The Packers are allowing 118.5 rushing yards a game, however, Peterson has averaged 205 yards against them in two games this season.

I’ve talked myself into the Packers and Vikings about five times each this week. Much like the first Wild Card game, this one comes down to location. The Vikings beat the Packers last week in Minnesota, but this won’t be the same game. Ponder will be playing in terrible weather at Lambeau Field and his game will suffer for it. This game will come down to ball control and a few big plays from a dangerous Packers offense. Wait….

If this comes down to ball control and the Packers can’t contain Peterson, this one could get away from them. See, I can’t decide who’s going to win.

Okay. I made a decision. I think Peterson’s incredible run (pun intended) will continue and he’ll will his team to another unlikely win before getting slaughtered in the next round by Atlanta.

Prediction: Vikings 23, Packers 21

Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens, 1:00 PM Sunday

Before Ray Lewis announced his retirement, I would have picked the Colts to win a close game. The magic of #chuckstrong coupled with a red-hot Andrew Luck seemed to be too much for the not-as-good-as-we-thought-they-were Ravens. The emotion will be flying on both sidelines, now. The Ravens playing for Ray’s “Last Ride” and the Colts playing for their cancer-beating coach.

Joe Flacco is not a great quarterback. He does have his back against the wall in a contract year and has had success against poor defenses. The Colts are a bad defense – 21st against the pass and 29th against the rush. Flacco and Torrey Smith should be able to put enough big plays together to compliment a big day from Ray Rice.

Unfortunately, the storybook season for the Colts will probably end here. If it doesn’t, and the Bengals win their game, Luck will be heading to Denver to play Peyton Manning. Who doesn’t want to see that game!?

Prediction: Ravens 38, Colts 20

Seattle Seahawks @ Washington Redskins

As the Ravens are winning their playoff game, the Redskins will get theirs started right down the road. The Seahawks are favored by 4.5 points in this game for good reason. Their defense is better and their offense fires on all cylinders behind Russell Wilson. Robert Griffin III is still wearing a heavy knee brace and doesn’t seem to have the same mobility as earlier in the season. He’ll be rushed by a great four-man front and that should prove the difference. I think this is the only game of the week where you can’t talk me in to both teams winning the game.

Prediction: Seahawks 27, Redskins 13 (take the points!)

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

Buccaneers 22, Falcons 17…The Falcons had clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs before this game ever started. I didn’t expect to see Matt Ryan and the rest of the starters for more than two series. When they stayed on the field, I expected a vanilla script because they’d, obviously, save the good stuff for the playoffs. Well, even with a vanilla script, the Falcons did not look like a one-seed. Their leading rusher had 28 yards, and Matty Ice had to throw the ball 44 times. The Bucs, on the other hand, rushed for 80 more total yards, threw for nine more yards, and gained three more first downs on only three more offensive snaps. Atlanta has some work to do before the playoffs start. Oh. And they also lost John Abraham to an apparent ankle injury and Dunta Robinson to a head injury. Neither are believed to be serious.

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

Bills 28, Jets 9…Look, I knew the Jets were a bad football team, but I was stunned to see just how bad they’ve become. I haven’t watched a lot of Jets football (as evident by my pick this week), but I really didn’t think it was this bad. They managed to lose by 19 points to a team with a quarterback completing 12 of 26 attempts and a leading rusher (C.J. Spiller) going for 59 yards. Early reports have Rex Ryan staying put next season and the GM will be the fall guy. Either way, this Jets team will be rebuilding for years to come…hopefully without Mark Sanchez. It’s good to have the real Jets back, though, right?

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals 23, Ravens 17…Both teams played their backups for at least a portion of the game and the outcomes weren’t surprising. Ray Rice did not get a single carry. Andy Dalton and Joe Flacco threw a combined 23 passes.

A not unrelated to the game…the sixth sellout crowd in eight home games for Cincinnati is awesome! Last season, the Bengals sold out two games on their way to the playoffs. It’s good to see fans getting excited about their team.

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions

Bears 26, Lions 24…The Bears needed some serious help to get into the playoffs. Lovie Smith was fired today, and for good reason. This football team looked like a sure thing earlier in the season and they just couldn’t stay motivated or fill in around the field with mounting injuries. The Lions ended the season on a horrific losing streak and they have some serious holes to fill as well.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

Titans 38, Jaguars 20…The Titans scored four times in a row without their offense taking the field. They returned two punts and two interceptions for touchdowns in that time. No team has ever returned two punts and interceptions in the same game before. The Titan offense scored one touchdown. That’s all you need to know about the Jaguars and Titans of 2012.

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

Colts 28, Texans 16…You don’t mess with things like #ChuckStrong. If you’re the Texans, though, you should be worried going in to the playoffs. There won’t be a third-string quarterback trying to win this playoff game, but it could still be ugly. Andrew Luck did not have a great game, but he didn’t throw an interception for the third straight game and got some good run support from fellow rookie Vick Ballard. This offense starts four rookies total, but you wouldn’t know it when you’re watching them play. Isn’t that right, Houston?

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

Panthers 44, Saints 38…The Saints defense might be the worst defense in the history of the National Football League. Carolina rushed for 273 yards and passed for 260. Oh, and they also scored FIVE TIMES on the ground. The Saints have some work to do when Sean Payton gets back. He’ll earn every penny of that $8 million per year.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

Giants 42, Eagles 7…A fitting way for both seasons to end. The Eagles got embarrassed by a division rival that hasn’t played well in weeks; meanwhile, that same division rival is knocked out of the playoffs. Eli Manning threw for a career-high five touchdowns in this contest. That speaks volumes to both his ability in big games and the failure of the secondary project in Philly. Both teams will have some serious questions to answer in the postseason.

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers 24, Browns 10…Thad Lewis went 22 for 32 for 204 yards and a touchdown. If I said I was surprised that he did that well, I’d be lying. Watch out Brandon Weeden, your job could be up for grabs. The rest of the Browns didn’t play well, though, and Ben Roethlisberger’s three touchdowns were the dagger that killed the Browns…and helped the Steelers avoid a loosing season.

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

Broncos 38, Chiefs 3…Did I call it or did I call it? I said the Chiefs would lose by thirty and I wasn’t too far off. The Broncos are playing at a level I haven’t seen since the 2007 Patriots. Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker are ten times better than they were last season. The offensive line can block anyone. The Chiefs on the other hand sealed up the number one pick in the draft and need a quarterback. This team has talent all over the field. This might be my Eagles bias shining through, but I think they should shoot for Andy Reid. He can help develop Geno Smith and bring in a great defensive mind to bring the defensive talent together a little more.

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

Vikings 37, Packers 34…The Vikings needed to win in order to make the playoffs and keep the Bears out. Adrian Peterson had 199 yards rushing and dominated the last drive to ensure the Vikings would win…and that he’d miss the all-time rushing record by eight yards. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t get it. With the Vikings pushing in to the playoffs, Peterson should win the MVP trophy. The Packers will play the Vikings again next week and that should worry them.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

Patriots 28, Dolphins 0…Ryan Tannehill didn’t play poorly, but the Dolphins couldn’t seem to muster any points. Some people may say that’s due to an improved Patriot defense. I’d say it’s due to zero running game, an average-at-best offensive line, and a not-so-good defense.

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

Chargers 24, Raiders 21…This may have been the most unwatchable game ever. Terrell Pryor went 13-28 for 150 yards and two touchdowns but it was worse than it looks. Philip Rivers went 13-17 for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The leading rusher on either side had 57 yards. There was a combined 475 yards of combined offense. Twenty-two more than the Patriots had against the Dolphins. Both of these teams have a lot of work to do next season.

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

49ers 27, Cardinals 13…Colin Kaepernick completed 16 passes for 276 yards. Michael Crabtree caught eight of those for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Something tells me that they didn’t miss Mario Manningham as much as I thought they would. The 49ers will be just fine heading into the postseason. Cardinal fans should be happy about the performance of some of their offensive stars, though. Brian Hoyer wasn’t awful and Michael Floyd had a great day.

St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

Seahawks 20, Rams 13…Russell Wilson tied the rookie record for touchdown passes in a season. There’s a reason that people are finally starting to say his name in the Rookie of the Year conversation – he’s damn good. For some reason, though, not enough people are talking about Marshawn Lynch. He only finished the season with 1590 yards and 11 touchdowns. There were some teams who didn’t do that well! No, seriously. There were nine teams that rushed for 1,593 yards or less.

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins

Redskins 28, Cowboys 18…Always go with your first instinct. Damn it. Although, I’ll be honest…I thought Robert Griffin III would be the reason they won this game, not Morris running for 200 yards. RGIII still doesn’t look completely healthy and that’s good news for the Seahawks this week.

There’s Week 17, folks! This week, we have columns on the coach firings around the league, a Wild Card preview, and other news! Stay tuned!

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There was much speculation that Payton would head for Dallas after this season where he was an assistant from 2003-2005. After a 67-37 record in New Orleans and a Super Bowl victory, Payton has decided to stay put. With
Payton’s extension, the potential market for coaches becomes thinner. With a few college coaches expected to garner interest at the top of the list. Eagles coach Andy Reid may be a “free agent” after this season and there are rumors that Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, and maybe even Mike Holmgrem are interested in returns to the sideline.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have a two game lead with one to play and have, obviously already locked up the number one seed in the NFC. The Buccaneers are out of playoff contention after they imploded these past few weeks. We will probably see a lot of backups for Atlanta after a series or two. The Bucs will be playing for pride and a few people might be playing (or coaching) to keep their jobs. There isn’t much at stake here. If the Bucs keep imploding, the Falcons should win this one in a low scoring matchup.
Falcons 17, Bucs 14

New York Jets at Buffalo Bills

There isn’t anything at stake in this game either as both teams are out of playoff contention, even though it took the Jets about three weeks longer than it should have to get there. Rex Ryan is probably on his way out the door. This might also be the last time that you see Mark Sanchez in a Jets uniform and Tim Tebow in any uniform at all. After the media debacle in New York, I’ll be surprised if the Jacksonville Jaguars make a run at him.
Jets 24, Bills 10

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

The Ravens can move into the three-seed if the New England Patriots can find a way to lose to Miami, but I don’t think it will happen. The Ravens probably want to stay in the four seed, anyway, so they can play Indianapolis in Round One. The Bengals are locked into the six seed and would love for the Ravens to move up so they can play them again in Round One instead of going to New England. Neither team really wants to win this game and you’ll probably see some reserves marched out in the second half.
Ravens 27, Bengals 24

Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions

The Bears need the Packers to lose to the Vikings and they need to win this game if they want to make the playoffs. The Lions, at 4-11, obviously have nothing to play for, except for Calvin Johnson’s 2,000-yard mark. If you don’t think they’ll come out pumped up, you’re nuts. The Bears defense has been bad for the last eight weeks and the offense can’t seem to move the ball. Oh, and the game is in Detroit.
Lions 31, Bears 17

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans

There is literally nothing at stake here…except maybe a few coaching jobs. I’m not going to waste your time because you probably won’t be watching it.
Titans 13, Jaguars 10

Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts

The Texans, somehow, are playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. They can lock it up with a win or a loss by both Denver and New England. The second scenario is pretty unlikely, so they’ll be going for the win here. The Colts are locked into the five-seed and will only be playing to get hot for the playoffs.
There are two things that would scare me here if I were a Texans fan. The first thing is the return of Chuck Pagano to the sideline. You don’t mess with this kind of thing, ever. The second thing is the crowd. The Colts are going back to the playoffs and they won’t be playing a game in Indy, so this crowd will be alive. Oh, wait. There’s a third thing. In the first 15 games of his career, Andrew Luck has seven game-winning drives. I think he’ll make it eight on Sunday.
Colts 24, Texans 23

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints

Before today, I would have said the Saints were playing to keep Sean Payton in New Orleans. He signed a five-year extension today, though, so that’s unlikely. Other than that, there isn’t much at stake. Cam Newton has been heating up and he gets to face an awful Saints defense. Drew Brees throws into double and triple coverage like it’s his job and the Saints leading rusher has 563 yards. This game might be the hardest to pick this week because I don’t know which two teams will actually show up. I picked from a hat.
Panthers 23, Saints 17

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants

In order to make the playoffs, the Giants have to win along with losses by Dallas, Minnesota, and Chicago. I can’t believe I’m saying it, but that’s not all that far-fetched. You already know that I think Chicago will lose. Soon you’ll learn that I think the Cowboys and Vikings will, too.
There’s one thing, though. Michael Vick is auditioning on Sunday. His teammates love him. LeSean McCoy is healthy. Andy Reid doesn’t want to lose his job. The Eagles, when backed against a wall, should never be underestimated. Call me a homer, but I think they’ll pull it out against a reeling Giants squad.
Eagles 37, Giants 31

Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Browns are starting Thad Lewis because Brandon Weedend AND Colt McCoy are hurt. Do I even need to keep talking?
Steelers 27, Browns 6

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos

The Chiefs are probably going to lose this game by 30 points. The Broncos need to win to clinch the number two seed in the AFC. If my Colts prediction is right, they clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Chiefs clinch the number one pick in the draft with no franchise quarterback because God hates Kansas City, apparently. If the Broncos don’t win this game by at least 30, I’ll eat my shoe and put it on YouTube. Don’t hold me to that.

A side note…When the Chiefs lose this game, Romeo Crennel’s record will be 28-55. That’s 27 games below .500 for those of you counting. Do you think he’ll get fired?
Broncos 41, Chiefs 10

Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings

This game will be fun to watch. The Packers can clinch a two-seed with a win because of the tie on the 49ers record. Aaron Rodgers will be trying to play his way back into the MVP conversation. Peterson will be scampering to the 2,000-yard mark and Dickerson’s record. The Packers can’t really stop the run and the Vikings can’t throw the ball. Who knows what’s going to happen?!
Packers 28, Vikings 24…and Peterson breaks the record.

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots

If I’m right, the Patriots have to win this game to clinch a first-round bye. If I’m wrong, they’re the three-seed and will play the Bengals in Round One. I think they’ll be happy with either scenario. The Dolphins are really bad, though, and that means they’ll get the win.
Patriots 41, Dolphins 13

Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

The Raiders are starting Terrelle Pryor at quarterback. The Chargers will probably be cleaning house after this game. No one cares.
Chargers 23, Raiders 10

Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers need to win this game and hope the Packers lose to clinch a first-round bye – something that seemed like a guarantee just three weeks ago. That’s not all, though. They could also lose the NFC West title to the Seahawks. Crazy. They probably won’t lose this game, though. I think the Cardinals are starting Kurt Warner at quarterback.
49ers 38, Cardinals 13

St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

The Rams will be playing for a winning record, but not much else. If this game was in St. Louis I would think the Rams had a shot. The Seahawks are the NFL’s best home team and they are playing for a division title. If they don’t win this game, I’ll be absolutely stunned. Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch are great, by the way.
Seahawks 45, Rams 20

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins

The Cowboys have done it again. They have their fans in a frenzy for the winner-take-all NFC East Championship game. We’ve all seen this movie before. Except this time, the bad guys have a super hero named Robert Griffin III. RGIII is probably playing at less than 100% still, but these Redskins are playing far above their talent level. I think playing in Washington will make the difference here.
If my prediction is wrong and the Cowboys win, Tony Romo should be in the MVP conversation. Laugh if you want, but make sure you take a look at his numbers before you do. He’ll be close to 5,000 yards and 30 TD after this game. He hasn’t exactly had a stellar running back behind him this season and he’s been the main reason that Dez Bryant looks better every week.
Redskins 27, Cowboys 24

Wait…Ugh. I can’t help it. I think Romo will finally come through in December.
Cowboys 34, Redskins 24.

There you have it folks. After the games are final, I’ll be back here to recap the week and preview the upcoming playoff matchups. Make sure you head over to our Facebook page and click the like button. While you’re at it, click that follow button on our Twitter page.

There is no race this season that doesn’t have at least two deserving winners. They’re all close and I’m anxious to see your opinions in the comments section.

Coach of the Year

There will be a ton of coaches that get votes for this award. The Indianapolis Colts duo of Chuck Pagano and Bruce Arians took a team that many believed to be awful to the playoffs. Mike Shannahan turned the Washington Redskins around much faster than expected – with a little help from Robert Griffin III. Pete Carroll took a gamble by starting Russel Wilson and has his team headed to the postseason. The most deserving candidate of the group is probably the Pagano/Arians combination, but it’s not every day that an interim coach shares the award with the actual head coach.

Offensive Rookie of the Year

This race is probably the most heated on the list. Andrew Luck has helped lead the “should be worse” Colts to the playoffs. RGIII has led the Redskins on an emotional ride to a division championship game this weekend against the Dallas Cowboys. Russell Wilson has led the Seattle Seahawks to a playoff berth and a potential division title and first round bye.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
237/374 (63.4%), 2868 yards, 25 TD, 10 INT, 69.99 QBR, 27 sacks, 84 rushes, 431 yards, 3 TD

Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
325/599 (54.3%), 4183 yards, 21 TD, 18 INT, 64.57 QBR, 40 sacks, 57 rushes, 254 yards, 5 TD

Robert Griffin III, Washington Redskins
249/375 (66.4%), 3100 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT, 71.09 QBR, 29 sacks, 114 rushes, 752 yards, 6 TD

I could sit here and make an argument for any one of these quarterbacks. They will all likely battle each other for years to come. I look forward to the first battle – a potential Seattle @ Washington Wild Card game. Oh. Luck gets my vote here, but only barely. He’s been asked to do a lot more than the other two and his turnovers aren’t that a big a deal for me.

Defensive Rookie of the Year

When I said that there wasn’t a race without two legitimate contenders, this was the exception. There can be arguments made for a ton of defensive rookies that have made impacts. None of them have even come close to the impact that Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly has had on his team. Oh, and he also leads the league in tackles with 151.

Offensive Player of the Year

This award, coupled with the MVP, will have a lot of people getting votes. Adrian Peterson is having, arguably, the greatest season of all time. Peyton Manning is having one of his best seasons ever after four neck surgeries and a new team. Aaron Rodgers is throwing the leather off the ball.

My vote goes to Adrian Peterson, though. He is probably also going to win the Comeback Player of the Year, too. Unfortunately, he likely won’t win the MVP award.

With this line, though, he should get some hardware (through week 16): 314 attempts, 1898 yards, 11 TD, 6.0 Y/A, 39 catches, 215 rec yards.

Defensive Player of the Year

This is a three-horse race between Aldon Smith, JJ Watt, and Von Miller. Like the ROY race, you can make an argument for all three guys.

Aldon Smith
47 tackles, 19.5 sacks, 1 INT, 1 pass defended, 3 forced fumbles

JJ Watt
65 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 0 INT, 15 passes defended, 4 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries

Von Miller
53 tackles, 17.5 sacks, 1 INT (1 TD), 2 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles,

This is not an easy choice. I think that Aldon Smith has a bright future, but his game is not yet as well rounded as Watt and Miller. Watt has a chance to break the single-season sack record and he’s defended a ton of passes. Miller is third in sacks and he has a slightly better overall game. Either one of them is deserving. If I got a vote – and I don’t – it would go to Watt.

Most Valuable Player

I think this award will, eventually, come down to three guys. You’ve seen Peterson’s stat line, so here are the other two fellas that will probably garner the most votes. You may recognize their names.

Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
377/554 (68.1%), 4355 yards, 34 TD, 11 INT, 82.66 QBR, 21 sacks, 23 rush attempts, 6 yards, 0 TD

Tom Brady, New England Patriots
379/601 (63.1%), 4543 yards, 32 TD, 8 INT, 77.47 QBR, 26 sacks, 23 rush attempts, 32 yards, 4 TD

The question of the year. Which of these three guys should win the MVP award. I think that all three have been the most vital, across the league, to their team’s success. Manning has taken a 2011 playoff team and made it a 2012 Super Bowl contender. Peterson has shouldered the load of an entire offense and the blows of defenses that know he’s getting the ball. Brady has continued to be nearly perfect in leading the Patriots offense to one of the highest scoring totals in history.

The difference between Manning and Brady is very small and I give Manning the edge. The difference between Manning and Peterson is small, too. If I had to give one of them the edge, I suppose it would be Manning. He’ll likely get the edge from a lot of others on the way to his fifth MVP award.

Before the games start on Sunday, I’ll have my Week 17 NFL Preview up. Make sure to tune back in!

Everyone reading this knows how I feel about Joe Paterno and the scandal. I wrote about it this past January and my feelings haven’t changed much – even with the Freeh Report. My feelings about the future remain the same, too. Penn State will serve out its sanctions issued by the NCAA and they’ll probably suffer on the field, but they are in great hands with Coach Bill O’Brien and Linebacker U will return.

Quarterback Matt McGloin controlled this game from start to finish. He ended up with 231 yards and four touchdowns on 13 for 21 passing. He threw three of those touchdowns and 136 of those yards to Allen Robinson.

The biggest story from the game was the Nittany Lions defense, though. We all sort of knew that McGloin was grasping this offense and would excel as the season progressed. I was not so sure about the defense. They proved me wrong. The numbers aren’t overly impressive – PSU allowed 255 rushing yards on 60 attempts. The impressive part is the four forced turnovers – three fumbled and an interception.

I know that this Penn State team is going to run through the Big Ten and make everyone wonder if they were the best team. I’m not stupid. We beat a bad Navy team and we still have issues all over the field and the Big Ten is not terrible this year.

I do know one thing, though. I know that Penn State can finally start playing football with everyone hovering and asking about the pressure to win. “I felt very good for this football team. It was a long time coming,” said O’Brien. Yes, Bill. It was. Nearly 15 years coming.

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We’ll start this week by previewing the early games and we’ll move through the schedule. As always, I’ll pick your winners and we’ll keep a running tally of just how bad I do all season. Last week I went 9-7. You’ll just have to trust me.

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers: This game is being played as we speak. You don’t have to believe me, but I thought the Packers were already in a must-win situation and that they would play like it. Starting 0-2 is not going to be good enough to win the NFC North and they know it. They’re winning as we speak, and that’s the way I had this one going.

Bears 17, Packers 24

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills: Last year, I got tricked into believing that Ryan Fitzpatrick was better than his numbers in the second half. He was nursing some broken ribs and I thought (and so did you) that those ribs were the reason for his downfall. After watching him in week one, I’m not so sure that’s true. This Bills offense isn’t that great and the loss of Fred Jackson isn’t going to help Fitzpatrick’s passing game.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, scored 24 points and still got beat by a pretty good Atlanta Falcons team. They have a decent offense and their defense is not nearly as bad as it looked, giving up 40 points in week one. I think we’ll see a bounce back game from the Chiefs and they’ll squeak one out here.

Chiefs 20, Bills 14

Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals: I’m not sure if I can adequately describe how bad Brandon Weeden was last week. Actually, I can…it was one of the worst performances I’ve ever witnessed. Throwing four interceptions is one thing, but this guy made throws that literally made me laugh out loud. He’s truly bad and Trent Richardson can’t save him.

The Bengals, though, are not nearly as bad as the Baltimore Ravens made them seem. When that Bengals-Ravens game went to halftime, it was still anyone’s game. The Ravens were just too good and the Bengals aren’t built to come from behind. Oh, and Benjarvus Green-Ellis is good. Write that down.

Browns 6, Bengals 24

Minnesota Vikings at Indianapolis Colts: The Vikings were not good last week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, there are two things that make me think the Vikings will win this game and (somehow) start their season 2-0. Adrian Peterson is the first thing. He tore his ACL nine months ago and he looks like the same Peterson that was tearing defenses up the last few years. That’s incredible and you should really be in awe of it. The other thing that swings this game in the Vikings favor is the terrible offensive line of the Colts. Andrew Luck will spend a lot of time on his back all season and this game won’t be any different. Donald Brown is a decent running back and Reggie Wayne can still play the game, but it won’t matter if they can’t get the ball out of Luck’s hands. Doesn’t Indy feel like an expansion team this season?

Vikings 27, Colts 17

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers: Every season we see a team fall from playoffs to bottom-of-the-barrel. I’m not saying the Washington Redskins are a bad team (because they aren’t), but I am saying that the Saints are the more talented team. Cam Newton is a more talented version of Robert Griffin III and he should go off this week against a defense that looks like it’s in shambles.

The Saints’ defensive line isn’t bad, but the Panthers will almost certainly do better than 13 rushes for 10 yards in this game. If they don’t, I’ll eat my shoe and probably lose my fantasy game for the second week in a row.

I obviously own Cam Newton in my league and really need him to come through for me here. Please?

Saints 17, Panthers 34

Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars: In my AFC Preview (you probably didn’t read it), I said that the Jacksonville might be a team you have to look out for. They play in, by far, the worst division in football and they aren’t as bad as they were last year. Blaine Gabbert has gotten much better and Laurent Robinson (or whatever his name is) and Justin Blackmon aren’t slouches at wide receiver. You may have also heard of Maurice Jones-Drew.

The Texans looked great last week but they were playing the worst team in the league. They put up 30 points and Arian Foster looks like he’s ready to have “one of those years.” I’m still not sure they’ve fixed their problem at wide receiver, though. Andre Johnson is good, but he’s not as elite was we think. No, seriously. Look at his career numbers sometime. It might surprise you.

In a nutshell, I think this might be our upset pick of the week. Houston might be looking over Jacksonville and thinking about playing the Denver Broncos next week. That’s not a good recipe, but it happens all the time.

Texans 20, Jaguars 21

Oakland Raiders at Miami Dolphins: Do I even need to talk to you about this? The Raiders lost their Monday night game because of a long snapper. The San Diego Chargers might have still won, but I don’t know for sure. The Dolphins are the worst team in the National Football League because they insist on playing Ryan Tannehill over (the much better) Matt Moore. I don’t get it.

Raiders 24, Dolphins 3

Arizona Cardinals at New England Patriots: If there were knocks on the Patriots last year, it would have been the lack of a pass rush and a bad secondary. The secondary is healthy and playing much better, and, don’t look now, but the pass rush is there. For the first time in years, the Patriots have some young impact guys in their front seven.

The Cardinals looked to be a team trying to compete with the Dolphins for worst in the league, but they pulled out a victory last week against Seattle. I’m not sure if Seattle is bad or if Arizona might not be as bad as I thought. The Cardinals’ defense has four or five guys who could be Pro Bowlers and Kevin Kolb looked like he remembered how to play football for five minutes. Recent reports show that Patrick Peterson might be hurt and be limited this week. That’s not good news against Brandon Lloyd and the New England receivers. Oh, and Kolb will be getting the start this week.

Cardinals 17, Patriots 38

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants: If I told you that I have no idea how to call this game, would you believe me? You should. The Giants do this every year. They play just good enough to sneak into the playoffs and then run off a few games to win a Super Bowl…or come close. They weren’t great against the Cowboys in week one, but they had some extra time to prepare for the Bucs.

The Bucs looked good in week one and their defense is better than I thought it was going to be. I thought they could make a run at a Wild Card spot, but they might be better than that. This team could win the South if the Falcons falter even a little bit. I think the Giants might be in a must-win situation here early because the Redskins and Cowboys look to be much improved. I also don’t think that they’re going to get that win.

Buccaneers 24, Giants 23

Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles: I don’t want to overreact after one week of football, but I think the Ravens might be the best team in the AFC. They have a defense that can stop almost anyone, even without Terrell Suggs. They opened up their offense with Torrey Smith, Ray Rice, Jacoby Jones (no, seriously), and Anquan Boldin. They are dangerous.

The Eagles are not any of those things. Their defense only allowed 16 points against the Browns last week and forced four interceptions. That’s great and the cornerback situation is much better than last season. So is the linebacker spot with DeMeco Ryans. As an Eagles fan, I’ve been considerably outspoken when it comes to Michael Vick. I know that Kolb doesn’t look good in Arizona, but Andy Reid is a quarterback genius and could have been good enough in Philly. Vick is not worth the money he’s being paid and we all know it. We need a pocket quarterback who can utilize the incredible speed of DeSean Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, and Jason Avant. We could have spent that money on some offensive linemen to protect a young quarterback (Nick Foles?). I’m sad.

Ravens 38, Eagles 17

Washington Redskins at St. Louis Rams: I wasn’t kidding when I said the New Orleans defense was bad. The Rams aren’t terrible and RGIII will probably have a tougher test playing in the dome. If the ‘Skins fans think that Pierre Garcon is going to continue to produce like that, they might be crazy. RGIII is good, but I think the Rams will sneak out with this one in one of those weird, low-scoring game.

Redskins 9, Rams 13

Dallas Cowboys at Seattle Seahawks: I might have to eat my words about DeMarco Murray. He might be a game-changing running back. The Seahawks probably made the right move with Russel Wilson, but he is going to be a work in progress. The Cowboys still don’t have much of a pass rush, but their defense isn’t bad.

If this game stays close any longer than a quarter, it will probably become a game of wits between coaches. I don’t know about you, but I don’t trust Pete Carrol…at all. Or Jason Garret. That means it will come down to which quarterback can navigate his mediocre receivers down the field without making any mistakes. I never thought I’d say this, but I trust Tony Romo to do that more than Russell Wilson.

I know that none of that makes sense…just go with it.

Cowboys 22, Seahawks 14

New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers: If you had asked me to predict this game before the season started, I wouldn’t have blinked. Steelers by two touchdowns, easily. After watching the Jets offense last week, I’m not so sure. They definitely weren’t trying during the preseason and you can’t blame them for it. If the Steelers are as bad as I think they are, they might not be a playoff team, either.

I know that I literally just posted an article saying the Steelers would win the AFC North, but I can’t stick to that, and you can’t make me. Their defense still doesn’t look to be able to generate turnovers. They barely hit Peyton Manning and I’m not sure their pass rush will get better this week. If Mark Sanchez has time to throw to…wait. Who does he throw to? Never mind.

Jets 20, Steelers 31

Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers: The Titans aren’t going to win a lot of games this year. The Chargers are the better team, and that’s all there is to it. Ryan Mathews will be coming back this week and I don’t think this one will be close. If it is, sue me.

Titans 10, Chargers 24

Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers: The Lions surprised me last week, but it wasn’t for good things. Matt Stafford threw three interceptions and couldn’t seem to get in a rhythm. It wasn’t pretty and it’s even worse because he doesn’t have a running game to support him.

That brings me to my next point – the 49ers’ defense is better this year than it was last year. If that’s hard to believe, I beg you to watch some of the film from last week. It’s scary. Oh…and Alex Smith might actually turn out to be for real, finally.

If the Lions can’t establish some semblance of a running game, this could get out of hand quickly. If they can establish a ground game and put up some points, it might turn into a shootout. If the game was in Detroit, I’d favor that. It’s not, though, and I don’t.

Lions 17, 49ers 35

Denver Broncos at Atlanta Falcons: I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a Broncos or Falcons game. The Broncos have a great defense with Von Miller healthy and they could give the Falcons running game (and Matt Ryan’s back) fits all night. Peyton Manning looks like he might still have something great left in the tank, but he has to show it to me a few more times before I’ll believe it.

Manning will probably take some more hits in this ball game and be forced to prove his neck is fine (it is). The Falcons will have to find a way to free Julio Jones from the Denver defense and score at least 27 points to win the game. I think they’ll squeak it out, though.

Wait. Am I picking against Peyton Manning on Monday night? Nevermind.

Broncos 28, Falcons 24

That’s all I’ve got for your preview this week. Make sure you come back later in the week for a recap of the week and some other thoughts! As always, if you have questions or comments, hit up the Twitter account!

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AFC West: If it wasn’t for the AFC East, the AFC West would be the deepest division in football. With the exception of the Raiders, this is a deep division all over. This will be a lot of fun to watch. Here’s your preview!

Denver Broncos: I’m not completely sold on Peyton Manning being healthy. I don’t trust four neck surgeries very much. I also don’t know if I trust a 36 year old quarterback who, in his last season, had more attempts than ever before, a steadily dropping quarterback rating, and four neck surgeries!!!! Not to mention, this cat doesn’t play well outside…15 of his games are outside.

Don’t get me wrong – I like Denver’s defense more than anyone else in the division, but we all know that you can’t win a championship without a great offense. When you’re expecting Ronnie Hillman, a rookie third-round pick, to be a “big part of your offense,” we might have to talk. A few other issues? I think I can come up with them. Willis McGahee is the main running back. If that doesn’t make you worry, you must be a Broncos fan.

With all of that said, I think that the Broncos are real contenders to win the West and take another trip to the playoffs. As you’ll see in a little bit, there are aspects of this division that scream 9-7 to win the division. If Manning is healthy for 16 games, they’ll win nine of them. Probably.

Kansas City Chiefs: I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t love the Chiefs. As soon as you stop laughing, we can talk about this. Done? Good. This is a deep team. Dwayne Bowe had a full camp, Jon Baldwin showed flashes that he could be good, Steve Breaston isn’t bad (ok, you’re right. that’s funny.), Jamaal Charles is back from ACL surgery, and Peyton Hillis is good.

The most important part of this team, though, won’t be on offense. We all know that these guys can play. The biggest impact will have to come from defense. Safety Eric Berry tore his ACL in Week One last season and his presence was certainly missed. The Chiefs took Dontari Poe with the eleventh pick of the draft. He plays one of the hardest spots on the field at nose tackle, and I don’t think he’ll be Ndamukong Suh, but I think he’ll make an impact and improve the league’s 26^th-ranked rush defense from 2011.

If the Chiefs can get good production from Charles, Hillis, and Bowe while keeping their defense happy, they’ll stay in the West race all season. Mark it.

Oakland Raiders: I’ve seen a lot of hype about the Oakland Raiders this season. I don’t get it. In a nutshell, I think they have two problems and one positive. Their first problem is the guy under center – Carson Palmer. I don’t think that Palmer still has whatever “it” is that makes a quarterback good. He lost velocity last year and just didn’t look good. I know that he had a full camp this year, but I don’t think that he’s going to be a difference maker.

The second problem is the guy lining up behind Palmer. Darren McFadden has to stay healthy because he is the wheel that moves the Raider’s offense forward. While he’s not as talented as Ray Rice, he’s tasked with the same load as Rice in Baltimore. McFadden has missed at least three games in his first four seasons. If he does that again, the Raiders will have a lot of work to do.

The obvious upside for the Raiders is their defense. They were good on that side of the ball last year and, for the first time since John Madden, they have a defensive coach leading the way.

Wait. There’s one more problem. This team isn’t nearly as deep as anyone else in the West and that’s going to end up being a problem.

San Diego Chargers: At the end of last season, I would have expected Norv Turner to get fired. He didn’t get fired, and now no one seems to care. I think Norv Turner is the reason this team hasn’t seen the playoffs in two years. I could be wrong, but we’re about to find out.

Antonio Gates is, allegedly, healthy and primed for a big season. If he’s really over the foot injuries, it will be interesting to watch him to see if he dominates again. In order for him to dominate, he’ll need someone to throw him the ball. That’s where Philip Rivers comes in to play. I’m not convinced that Rivers is actually a good quarterback and his numbers don’t exactly argue. This season will go a long way in solidifying my opinion about his ability. No one is going to scream about the Chargers defense, which is why they’ll need to be able to score a lot of points. That’s why the return of Ryan Mathews will be so important for him to have a big year.

The Chargers, Broncos, and Chiefs will be battling for the division crown until the end of the season here. With the deep AFC East, I’m not sure that two teams will get in to the playoffs. That makes the division games ever more important. The West is going to be fun to watch this year. Winner: San Diego Chargers.

AFC South: The South is, maybe, the worst division in football…ever. I’ll get a little more in depth as we go along, but I think the Texans could win eight games and still run away with this division by two games.

Houston Texans: Like I said in the paragraph above – the Texans should win this division easily, even if T.J. Yates has to play six or seven games. Before Matt Schaub went down with an injury last season, the Texans were widely regarded as the best team in the AFC. I have a few concerns with the Texans this season. The first one is Matt Schaub’s health behind a new offensive line. If Schaub is healthy, this is a good football team with a lot of weapons that can score a lot of points. The new offensive line also begs the question – can Arian Foster and Ben Tate produce like they did last year? If they can, this team should walk to ten wins.

The defense lost Mario Williams to the Buffalo Bills this offseason, and that had a lot of people talking about the drop-off that this defense is bound to take. I couldn’t disagree more. This might be the best defense in football and Wade Phillips (ugh, I hate complimenting this man) is a great coordinator that will have them more than ready to play.

A good quarterback, awesome run game, dominant defense – yeah. That’s enough for a Super Bowl run.

Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck is going to be a good quarterback. I have absolutely no doubt about that, and you shouldn’t either. That doesn’t mean the Colts will finish anywhere but fourth in the division. There will be a lot of changes, but it will be at least one more year before this team can make a run at eight wins.

The biggest change will come on defense, as new coach Chuck Pagano will run a 3-4 scheme after years of the Tampa 2 defense. With any new scheme comes turnover. The Colts will have to bring in the right players for the job and that takes time. Andrew Luck is the kind of quarterback that helps draw free agents, though, and it won’t be long until we’re talking about the Colts to win more games than they lose. Makes you sick, doesn’t it?

Jacksonville Jaguars: I know that Blaine Gabbert looked good during the preseason and he has some people excited. You’d play better too if you were threatened with Tim Tebow in the offseason. Most quarterbacks make vast improvement in their sophomore year, and  I think Gabbert will make strides too. The addition of Justin Blackmon and Laurent Robinson should also help his passing numbers.

The Jaguars play good defense, too. If they can get a consistent pass rush, it should cover up some deficiencies in the secondary.

Wait a minute. Am I really talking myself into the Jaguars being a decent football team? Do I think that this team might actually push the eight-win mark and surprise us? It can’t be. I have to stop talking about this.

Tennessee Titans: Matt Hasselbeck is not the starter this year and it’s time for a change in Tennessee. Jake Locker was the eight overall pick in the 2011 draft and he’ll get his first NFL start in Week One of this season. The defense will need to improve in Jerry Gray’s second season as defensive coordinator. The consensus around the game seems to be that they’ll open it up a lot this year and institute new blitz packages and increase their sack total from last year.

The big question mark, though, is obviously running back Chris Johnson. You all remember his 2,000 yard season in 2010 and his holdout and ensuing awful season of 2011. Most people, including myself, think that Johnson will end up somewhere in the middle of those two totals in 2012. The other thing that should help his total? Locker can run.

To wrap up the South, we have to talk about what I didn’t want to talk about. The Jacksonville Jaguars. Every season, the NFL holds a surprise for us. Two years ago it was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last year it was the San Francisco 49ers. The Jaguars have some problem, but who doesn’t? If they make a run at a wild card, don’t say I didn’t tell you so. Winner: Houston Texans.

AFC North: The guard might be passing in the AFC North. The Cincinnati Bengals are young and exciting with a lot of good things happening. The Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers are getting older. The Cleveland Browns have made a lot of improvements and are going to start getting better. This might be the hardest division to predict. I’m gonna try anyway.

Baltimore Ravens: The thought around the league is that Joe Flacco is primed for a breakout year. I was surprised to see that he’s been such a model of consistency in his first four years in the league. Take a look at these numbers:

Flacco will be 27 years old this season, and he’ll be entering his “prime” age for that breakout season. If it doesn’t happen in 2012, I’m not sure he’s ever going to be better than what you see there.

A few things that concern me about the Ravens…First, Ray Rice is their only real offensive weapon. I know that some would argue for Torrey Smith, but he hasn’t done enough yet to show me that he can carry any sort of load. He’s a deep threat, but I don’t think that will be enough for Joe and Company. This division is a tight as they come, but like I’ve already mentioned, the Ravens are getting old. Most importantly, Ed Reed and Ray Lewis are 33 and 37 respectively. Terrell Suggs will be watching this season from home. I expect the defense to take a step back, and I don’t expect the offense to be stellar. Good, yes. Stellar, no.

Oh, and one more thing before we move on…The offensive line is old!

Cincinnati Bengals: From what I’m reading, the Bengals are a lock to finish third in this division behind Pittsburgh and Baltimore. I don’t see it. You might already know that, though.

Players, especially quarterbacks, usually make leaps in their second season in the league. For a team led by second-year men A.J. Green and Andy Dalton, that bodes well. They upgraded the running back spot with the law firm, BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Jermaine Gresham is a good tight end with the talent to move himself into the class right below Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

You can’t forget about Cincinnati’s defense, either. This team finished seventh overall on defense last season and they should be better this season. They also get the advantage of playing a pretty terrible Cleveland team twice this season. Don’t be surprised if this team wins the AFC North this year.

Cleveland Browns: The Browns will, almost certainly, finish in last place next season. I won’t dispute that because there isn’t much to argue. If I tried to find something I liked about these guys, it would be Trent Richardson, but I’m not convinced that he’s going to be great. He’s never played a game in the NFL and he already has two knee surgeries under his belt.

As we all know, quarterback is the most important position on the field. Well, Cleveland is starting 28-year old rookie Brandon Weeden at quarterback. Do I even need to talk about this? Okay…I will. Just for a minute, though. Weeden played well last year for Oklahoma State, but I don’t think he’s better than Colt McCoy. I’ll stick to my guns until Weeden shows me something else.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers finished last season with the top-ranked defense and they should be even better this year. They only had 35 sacks (tied 17^th) and 15 takeaways (last). A few other places that the Steelers are looking to improve are the offensive line and running back. The Steelers say they want to run the ball more this season, and I believe them. I’m just not sure who’s going to run it. Do you like Isaac Redman or Rashard Mendenhall? Me either.

While I like their defense and hate their running backs, I’m in love with this teams passing attack. Mike Wallace and Antonio Brown make up one of the best one-two combinations in the league. Wallace has great down-the-field speed and Brown understands his routes and field positioning better than most.

Oh. One more thing about the Steelers O-line: I’m sure that everyone remembers the hobbled Big Ben limping into the playoffs last year. He’s been sacked 168 times since 2008 – by far the most in the NFL – and he needs to stay upright this season if the Steelers want to win the division. Which, by the way, they will. Winner: Pittsburgh Steelers.

AFC East – The AFC East might house the best team in football this year – the New England Patriots. It might also be home to another playoff team – the Buffalo Bills. It is almost certainly home to the worst team in the NFL – the Miami Dolphins. And, it might be home to one of the other five-worst teams – the New York football Jets.

Buffalo Bills: There’s a team every year that has high expectations going in to the season – then they flop. The Bills fit that bill this year, but I don’t think they’ll be flopping. The addition of Mario Williams makes this defense a contender to finish in the top-five league-wide.

There are two question marks that could keep the Bills out of the playoffs. They’re both on the offensive side of the ball. The less important of the two, if there is such a thing, is the running back situation. Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller aren’t exactly a common pair. Spiller was drafted out of college to be the main man in Buffalo. Jackson was not. Now, Jackson is the main man and Spiller isn’t. Chan Gailey needs to find a way to make these guys compliment each other so he can get the most out of his offense. The second problem is finding a clear-cut number two receiver. Steve Johnson is consistent, but there’s at least four guys who are contending for the second spot. Without consistent production from that spot, defenses can key in on Jackson, Jackson, and Spiller.

Miami Dolphins: The Miami Dolphins might be the worst team in the National Football League. My feelings about Matt Moore are well documented and I think he should be starting for the Dolphins in Week One. Ryan Tannehill is (supposed to be) the quarterback of the future, but I don’t see it. In addition to him being surrounded by almost no talent (I said almost – Reggie Bush), there is almost no defense.

I don’t really know what else to say about this team. They’re bad. Their defense is bad. Their offense might be worse. Sorry Dolphins fans.

New England Patriots: The Patriots were missing one piece last year that would have set them apart offensively in the AFC – a deep threat. The addition of Brandon Lloyd gives them that deep threat. Wes Welker, Lloyd, Gronkowski, and Hernandez should cover up the lack of a dominant running game. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom Brady threw for 5,500 yards this year. He’s that good and it’s that much of a passing league.

The biggest question mark last year was obviously the Patriots defense. They allowed a lot of passing yards. You can blame that on the fact that they were almost always playing with the lead, which made teams pass against them. That accounts for some of it, but so do the injuries sustained in the secondary. They’re healthier in the secondary and they should be much better on defense.

New York Jets: Mark Sanchez has consistently improved while the weapons around him have gotten consistently worse. This season, I don’t think he’s going to be so lucky. The talent in New York is so minimal, that Tim Tebow might be the most physically talented person on the field. Too bad he’s the backup quarterback and shouldn’t see the field much. I’ve never seen the wildcat work, and I don’t think that it will work this time.

Who does Sanchez throw to if Santonio Holmes is covered? Who runs the ball? Shonne Green? Who’s going to stop defenses from slaughtering Sanchez? That offensive line is terrible. No only do I think the Jets are going to be bad, but I think they might be in the bottom five of the NFL.

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