Back in March, I divided the baseball preview into six parts, one for each division. Football season begins on Thursday, so I obviously don't have the time to do eight separate installments prior to then. And frankly, what would I say about teams like the Bengals and Panthers anyway? So, I've decided that the best way to handle the football preview after the lockout and that crazy offseason crammed into three weeks is to break it down into two parts: AFC and NFC. Today, we start things off with the AFC.
East
I'm not exactly sure how the two best teams in the conference (if not all of football) ended up in the same division, but that's once again the case with the Patriots and Jets. Both teams got better during the offseason. It'll be interesting to see how Chad Johnson fits into the New England offense (was I the only one hoping they gave him any number other than 85 just to mess with him?), and I'm not sure Albert Haynesworth is good for anything other than taking up space in the middle of the defensive line, but the Patriots' needs were very minimal. And Bradicheck continue to annoyingly know exactly what they're doing. However, I think the Jets might actually be the better team. They've been to the last two AFC Championship Games, but lost both and Rex Ryan would love to actually win it this time. The Jets jumped on basically any good free agent they could, and Plaxico Burress definitely represents an upgrade over Braylon Edwards. They've proven that they don't need to win the division to win the playoffs, but it would still probably be nice to topple New England and actually get to play a home playoff game.
The Bills and Dolphins are also in this division. The Bills changed their uniforms in the offseason, going from red helmets to white. But, sadly, they're not going to be good until they figure out that they need an actual NFL quarterback instead of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Other things are needed, but that would be a start. Miami's just as much of a mess. They'll have the added headache of needing to appoint a chaperone when Reggie Bush goes out in South Beach.
North
Like the East, the AFC North is a division that features two really good teams and two really bad teams. The good teams, of course, start with the defending AFC champion Steelers. Pittsburgh didn't really make that much noise in the offseason (the biggest Steelers news I can think of is Ben Roethlisberger's wedding), but, this just in, they didn't need to. This is one of the most stable franchises in the NFL for a reason. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The offense led by Roethlisberger and Rashad Mendenhall doesn't need to do a lot. They just need to make sure they don't screw things up for Troy Polamalu, James Harrison and Co. The difference between the AFC East and the AFC North is that while the Jets probably don't really care if they win the division, the Ravens need to finish ahead of the Steelers. Baltimore's good everywhere, but they're a much better team at home. Even still, the Ravens' offense is underrated and the defense, which has always been the team's trademark and generates all the headlines, is still a rock. I'd be very surprised if Pittsburgh and Baltimore aren't both in the playoffs again.
Football in the State of Ohio, however, isn't so good. It's not that the Browns have gotten any worse. They just weren't that good in the first place and did nothing to get any better. And after a few years of resembling a professional franchise, the Cincinnati Bengals have returned to their more familiar role as league punchline. Their best player, Carson Palmer, would rather retire than play for them, which says all you need to know about the Bengals. Palmer doesn't fit in with the Bengals anymore anyway. He doesn't have a police record. I will guarantee that the Bengals finish with more arrests than wins this season.
South
This just in, Peyton Manning is going to start the Colts' opener in Houston on Sunday. You're an idiot if you thought somebody else was ever going to start that game. His health is the only thing that makes this division somewhat questionable. If Peyton is Peyton (as I expect him to be), the AFC South remains the exculsive domain of the Indianapolis Colts. Otherwise, things could open up a little bit. Indy would still be the best team in the division, but they'd be brought a lot closer to the field. However, don't bet against the Colts. Remember last December? With the Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Field this season, the Colts have only one goal in mind. And if they can avoid their trademark early playoff loss, they could very well become the first team to play in a Super Bowl it's hosting.
If the Colts slip up at all, I think the Titans are the best of the remaining three. They finally got rid of Vince Young and replaced him with Matt Hasselbeck, who wore out his welcome in Seattle, but is still a quality NFL starter. If Chris Johnson decides he actually wants to play and Hasselbeck can establish the passing game as an actual weapon, the Titans' offense will be much improved. Tennessee's more complete than Houston or Jacksonville. But I don't think the Texans are a complete lost cause. They've got Arian Foster and Matt Schaub on offense and a solid if unspectacular defense. Houston's eventually going to break through for the first playoff appearance in franchise history. It probably won't be this year, but 9-7 is possible. I don't know what's going on in Jacksonville. Other than Maurice Jones-Drew (who I think is overrated) and David Garrard, I can't name a single player on the Jaguars' roster. They're still looking good as the team that moves to LA.
West
Kansas City came out of nowhere to win the AFC West last season. That probably won't happen again. Even without Darren Sproles, the Chargers are the class of a weak division. They're not as good as they've been in the past, but they still have Phillip Rivers, which gives San Diego the edge. Keep in mind, the Chargers will be the sixth best of the six playoff teams, but they'll get a home game, which can be a difference-maker. I don't think Kansas City is suddenly going to go back to a 5-11 team, I just don't see 10-6 happening again. The Chiefs are definitely good, but I think they come back to earth this season. But Dwayne Bowe is capable of changing a game all on his own, and the AFC West is one of the most unpredictable divisions out there, so, is a return to the playoffs possible for Kansas City? Of course.
The Raiders (still) have all kinds of problems, not the least of which is Al Davis. This is a team that's needed a quarterback ever since Rich Gannon retired. They had a chance to draft Matt Leinart (who I'm still convinced can be a good NFL quarterback), didn't take it, were worse the next year and took JaMarcus Russell with the No. 1 overall pick. In case they didn't learn enough from three years of having to pay Russell, they don't have a third-round pick in next year's draft because they decided to waste it on Terrelle Pryor in the "supplemental" draft. Granted, Jason Campbell is their starter, but why does Al Davis love big, moblie quarterbacks who aren't really that good so much? But with all that being said, the Raiders went 6-0 in the division last season, so if they can actually beat a team from a division other than the AFC West, they might actually somehow be a playoff team. The Broncos' problems center around the fact that their fans (and all Florida fans) think Tim Tebow is the Second Coming. He's not. There's two ways of looking at the Tebow situation. One is, "The Broncos aren't very good, so why not give him a chance?" The other is, "Why not play the quarterback who gives the team the best chance to win?" New coach John Fox (who took the Panthers to the Super Bowl in 2003) is from that second school of thought. However, Kyle Orton still isn't John Elway.
I think the six best teams in the AFC are pretty clear, which is why they're my six playoff teams. The division winners will be the Jets, Steelers, Colts and Chargers, with the Patriots and Ravens as the wild cards. And in the AFC Championship Game, the Jets winning the division will end up making a huge difference. They'll play the Patriots at MetLife Stadium and this time come out on top, beating New England for the second time this season (they'll split in the regular season) to advance to the Super Bowl.
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