AFC East Predictions: Buffalo, Miami, New England, and New York

The AFC East is going to be a great division to watch this year.  The New York Jets have gone out and put everything into this season.  With the additions added to the Jets, they will be an exciting team to watch.  New England will be vying for the top spot once again, led by Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Bill Belicheck.  The Miami Dolphins went out and added Brandon Marshall to give them that ouside threat and make their division odds even higher.  The Buffalo Bills went and drafted C.J. Spiller, but seem to lack the aresenal to compete in this very strong division.

Buffalo Bills - The Buffalo Bills will have an uphill battle this season.  The three teams they compete against are beginning to put themselves in a class of their own, while the Bills are beginning their rebuilding process.  They picked up C.J. Spiller in the draft would should strengthing their offense, but not enough.  The defense is in the process of switching to the 3-4.  With them going through rebuilding and their conference being superior, the Buffalo Bills will finish 4-12.

Miami Dolphins - The Miami Dolphins have attempted to compete up with the rest of their division rivals by adding Brandon Marshall to the offense.  Chad Henne will be leading the way, and Ronnie Brown will be back in the mix.  Where does this leave the Dolphins?  This puts them in good position to push for the playoffs after they took a year off last season.  They have a mediocre schedule, with their toughest games being in the division.  With the additions to the Dolphins, they are able to squeeze out a few more wins than last year.  The Miami Dolphins finish 9-7.

New England Patriots - Each and every year it seems the Patriots are involved in the race for the AFC East, and that does not appear to change this year.  The Patriots will have a healthy Wes Welker back, Tom Brady under the center, and Randy Moss going deep, this will pose a problem for every team they play.  The Patriots have seen the teams in their division inch closer to the talent that the Patriots have.  The Patriots have a mediocre schedule in which they should perform well.  The Patriots finish 11-5.

New York Jets - The New York Jets have really made a splash this offseason.  If they wanted a player, they found a way to get them.  They aquired Santonio Holmes, Ladainian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor, and Antonio Cromartie.  These additions to an already talented team could put them over the top in the AFC East.  This talent and personalities will be great to watch each Sunday, no matter if they win or lose.  The Jets have closed the gap on not only the AFC East, but the whole conference as a whole.  This season the Jets finish 12-4.

AFC East Standings 2010

New York - 12-4
New England - 11-5
Miami - 9-7
Buffalo - 4-12

NFC West Predictions Next

AFC North Predictions
AFC South Predictions
AFC West Predictions

AFC North Preview and Predictions: Baltimore, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Pittsburgh

The AFC North is going to come down to a few happenings in the NFL.  Ben Roethlisberger will be missing the first 4 games of the season.  Will the Ravens use Ray Rice more than last year?  Who are the real Bengals?  Can the Browns compete in this hard knocks, defensive mindset division?

Baltimore Ravens - Will the Ravens use Ray Rice more than last year.  If they do, then they will be very successful.  He can run, he can catch, and he can gain tons of yards after first contact.  If they use him to his strengths, then he will help Joe Flacco and the passing attack.  I think Baltimore is a strong team, with a strong defense, and a better offense than last year, if used correctly.  The Ravens play in a strong division, but with the Steelers missing Big Ben, it will be to their advantage.  The Ravens finish 11-5

Cincinnati Bengals - Last year the Bengals started out strong and slumped near the end of the season.  The question is, "who are the real Bengals?".  I think the Bengals we saw near the end of the 2009 season is the Bengals we will see in 2010.  They play a real tough schedule, against some teams who have bettered themselves.  In order to make the playoffs this seasons, then they will need to pull of some upsets.  The Bengals finish 6-10.

Cleveland Browns - Cleveland has put a rest to the controversy at quaterback, that they have had for years.  With the addition of Jake Delhomme, they have bettered their chances within the division.  I still do not think it is enough.  They have made progress, but they will need to make a few more moves after the 2010 season to be able to compete.  Cleveland has a tough schedule within the division and a few games outside the division.  They will compete more than last year, but not by much.  The Browns finish 6-10.

Pittsburgh Steelers - Alright Steelers fans, I know you will burn me for writing this, but you are already in a hole.  With Ben Roethlisber missing the first 4 games of the season, the Steelers will have to claw their way up the standings.  The first 4 games are crucial and I feel the Steelers will be facing opponents that will benefit from the absence of Big Ben.  In my opinion, I feel the Steelers lose all 4 games to open the season, but at best I say they could go 1-3.  With Ben's return, the Steelers will need to pull of a 9-3 record at the least to overcome the bad start, and I do not see that happening.  The Steelers are a good team, but the suspension of Roethlisberger will be proving tragic.  The Steelers finish 7-9.

AFC North Standings 2010

Baltimore - 11-5
Pittsburgh - 7-9
Cincinnati - 6-10
Cleveland - 6-10

AFC East Next

AFC South Predictions
AFC West Predictions

Why The Giants Will Win The NFC East?

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It all but seems forgotten that the New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots in the 2007 Super Bowl.



It is now 2010 and the NFC has seen some shuffling around. Donovan McNabb will now be wearing the Redskins burgundy and gold, along with both Mike and Kevin Shanahan. While Kevin Kolb will be leading the Phildelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys are thinking about changing their green pants to silver pants (HDTV reasons). The New York Giants have a new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and they will be returning to the field healthy.



The Giants finished 4-2 against their NFC East opponents. The losses came at the hands of the Donovan McNabb led Eagles, where 40 and 45 points were dropped on Bill Sheridan's Giants defense. In 2010, Sheridan does not lead the Giants defense and they will not need to worry about the McNabb/Jackson connection any longer.



Two teams in the NFC East have improved, while one has declined, and another has remained the same.



The Redskins now have the Shanahans and have bettered themselves by trading for Donovan McNabb, but who will he throw to? is the Redskins offensive line better than the Eagles? With Shanahan at the helm, expect the Redskins to try to get the ball deep and often. The Redskins receivers are short and McNabb will need time to get the ball down field, that may be a problem, giving the Redskins gave up 46 sacks last year. The Redskins also ranked 16th passing and 27th rushing, this does not bode well for McNabb having time to pass.



The Eagles on the other hand ranked 22nd in the run and 10th in passing. They now have a young receiving core, with an untested quarterback. Most times when we see this happen it takes at least a year to come together. The rushing was not strong last year, and not enough changes have been made with the Eagles to change that ranking. Kolb is not as mobile as McNabb and McNabb's craftiness on his feet was a Giant killer. Kolb will need time to settle into his new role and this change that will cost the Eagles this year.



The Cowboys are the same. They have not made many changes that will effect how they look. The Cowboys will be the strongest contender in the East and will be most experts preseason picks to win the division. They have strong receivers, a good quarterback, and a quick, strong defense. The main threat to the Cowboy season is Jerry Jones and Wade Philips. With the 2010 season's Super Bowl being held in the new Cowboy Stadium, Jones will have extremely high expectations for Philips and the rest of the Cowboy squad.



The Dallas Cowboys WILL make the playoffs, but they will have to settle for the wild-card.



That brings us to the New York Giants.



2007 was mentioned and was mentioned for a reason. The Giants have not changed much since that time. They are the team with the credentials and experience, specifically on the offensive side of the ball. Eli Manning has become a better quarterback each year since 2007. A lot has been put on his plate and he has excepted the challenge. They still have Brandon Jacobs running the ball, who will once again be healthy and a threat. Jacobs is offset by Ahmad Bradshaw, who last year played with a fractured ankle. Bradshaw's speed will be a large part of the Giants success on offense this season. The Giants offensive line is still made up of veterans who led them on their Super Bowl run. Lastly, the Giants receivers now have experience and this will be a breakout year for them and Eli.



The Giants defense may have weakened in the middle, but they strengthened last years weak spot, the secondary. The Giants have Deon Grant, Antrel Rolle, and future star Kenny Phillips. This secondary will not be last years. It is an improvement and it is exactly what the rest of the Giant defense needed. Fewell will be able to let his defensive line go after the quarterback and the coverage will help them reach him. The defensive line is still strong and the added padding in the secondary will help them become even more threatening.



The 2007 Giants were good, in 2008 they were better, but the 2010 Giants are quietly complete.



With all of the changes that occurred in the NFC East, the Giants have great match-ups with the division. McNabb is a Giant killer more with his feet than his arm. When it seemed like the defense had McNabb, he was able to get away, outside the pocket. He will not have that kind of time this season with the Redskins. The coverage will be tighter down the field and the Giants line will be quicker through a weak Redskins offensive line. The Redskins are a better team, but the Giants are still able to take both games from them. 2 wins for the Giants.



The Eagles have taken a step backwards this season. Kevin Kolb will be going through the learning process. It does not matter how long he watched McNabb play, it will still take time. He is not as quick as McNabb and will not be able to escape long for his receivers to break free. The Eagles are not a threat on the ground, especially now that defenses will see Kevin Kolb behind center and not Donovan McNabb. With the McNabb trade and the Giants strengthening the secondary, the Giants win both from the Philadelphia Eagles. 2 win for the Giants.



The Cowboys and Giants matched up very nicely against each other last year. They played great games that could have gone either way, but you always have the Giants vs. Tony Romo factor. It always comes down to "Can Romo beat the Giants?" If we go by last year, then the answer is no. The Giants were able to take 2 games from the Cowboys last year, and the Giants are better this year. The Cowboys receivers are the only threat to the Giants secondary in the division. I think the Cowboys will be able to expose them and Eli Manning will have to play catch up at some point. Both defenses are strong, both passing games are a threat, but the Cowboys are better in that area. The Giants will have to run the ball and control the tempo of the game. They will be able to do this in the New Meadowlands in November, but I cannot say the same for the Monday night game at Cowboy Stadium. Giants and Cowboys split. 1 win and 1 loss.



The Giants match-up well against all teams in their division and that division record will be the deciding factor. The Giants will go 5-1 against their own. Which will leave 10 game remaining. They beat the Panthers, Titans, Bears, Texans, Lions, Seahawks, and Jaguars. The lose to the Colts, Cowboys, Vikings (w/Favre), and Packers. The Giants finish the season 12-4 and clinch the NFC East.