NFL Preview/ Week 1 Picks

It's amazing how things can change so much in 1 NFL offseason. Players in new uniforms, new coaches, coaches in  the hot seat, and everyone wondering who the new fantasy breakout star will be. Everyone has an opinion on how their team will do, but sometime perception is not reality. Some teams are really bad and some got even better than they were a year ago.WIth all that being said I will give you a quick break down of each team and predictions for the year as well as predictions of each weeks' games. Lets get started.

Let's start with teams that need to win now! These teams have talent and have good team put together, but haven't been able to win consistently. Now is the time for these teams to take that next step or it may be time to take a new direction. So Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, and Houston Texans, it's time to take that next step. Too good not to, but haven't done it yet. Now's the time to show what you're made of.

Next are teams that are in such dissaray that they don't know which way is up. These teams need HUGE shake ups and fast! These teams could very well be looking for new coaches by the end of the year. Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions

Best Division in the NFL? Many strong divisions, especially in the NFC. The strongest division to me is the NFC West, with the NFC North being a close second. In the west the 49ers and the Seahawks are getting all the run and rightfully so, but don't sleep on the Ram and the Cardinals. Both team have decent offenses and new coaches in place. The Rams have a great defensive line, and will put lots of pressure on teams. The team in the NFC West will not be push overs.

Fantasy Star: The big breakout fantasy star is Colin Kaepernick. He had a great season once he began starting for the San Francisco 49ers. I expect him to put up HUGE numbers in Fantasy Football this year.

NFL MVP: Peyton Manning of the Denver Broncos. Manning had a great year in his first year in Denver last year. With a year with these new receivers under his belt and the addition of Wes Welker in the slot, I expect HUGE numbers from Peyton Manning.

Division Prediction:
AFC East

1) New England Patriots: You can't bet against Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. They have a great offensive line, and a solid defense. The biggest question here is whether the new receiving corp will be able to replace Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez, and Rob Gronkowski

2) Miami Dolphins: Good line on both sides of the ball. I'm eager to see how much QB Ryan Tannehill  improves in his 2nd season. This team is definitely on the rise.

3) Buffalo Bills: Rookie QB EJ Manuel will be tested early. They have one of the best running back tandems in the NFL with Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller. Linebackers are with biggest weakness of this team. Receivers are not very good.

4) New York Jets: One of the worst teams in the NFL! Biggest question here is who's worse for the organization, Mark Sanchez or Rex Ryan.


AFC North

1) Baltimore Ravens: Reigning Super Bowl Champs have a lot of new faces. They'll miss Anquan Boldin, Ray Lewis and Ed Reed. They should be younger and faster but how much will the veteran leadership be missed? Still a very tough team.

2) Pittsburgh Steelers: Huge holes on the offensive and defensive lines. Running back is up for grabs. Solid in the back 7 defensively. Will they be able to keep Big Ben healthy?

3) Cinncinati Bengals: Could be a sleeper in the division IF a running game emerges. Andy Dalton is solid at QB. Defense is very very good.

4) Cleveland Browns: Made strides last year with Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden. Need receivers t step up and to develop a defensive identity,


AFC South

1) Houston Texans: Texans are one of the most complete teams in the NFL. They need to take it to the next step in the Playoffs. If they don't reach the AFC Championship Game the season is a bust.

2) Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck was great in his rookie year! Biggest questions are will they develop a running game, sound familiar?, and will the defense be able to stop teams when it matters most?

3) Tennessee Titans: How much will Jake Locker improve from last year, and will Running Back Chris Johnson ever return to the form he had when he rushed for 2000 yds a few years ago.

4) Jacksonville Jaguars: They have holes everywhere! Running Back Maurice Jones - Drew is the teams' best player by far and missed most of last season with injuries.

AFC West:

1) Denver Broncos: Peyton Manning and Co have everything they need to make a run at the Super Bowl in February.

2) Kansas City Chiefs: New Coach, New Starting QB, sub par receivers will make this offense tough to watch. Defense will keep them in games.

3) San Diego Chargers: Look for the Chargers to compete for a top pick in the Draft in April. Offense is decent at best but the line is horrible. Defense is not much better.

4) Oakland Raiders: Still looking for a starting QB, their best player, Darren McFadden, hasn't had a season without an injury since high school. Lots of holes, but they have the right people in place in the front office. I expect to see lots of positive changes coming the next few years for the Raiders.


NFC East:

1) Dallas Cowboys: If they give QB Tony Romo a little bit of time, he's a top 10 QB. However with a questionable line that's a big IF. Should be good enough to win the division.

2) New York Giants: Questions on both sides of the ball. Which Eli Manning will show up this year? Too talented to not make a playoff push, but can they get out of their own way?

3) Washington Redskins: What improvements will RG III make? Was RB Alfred Morris a one season wonder? Will someone on the receiving corp become the go to guy?

4) Philadelphia Eagles: New Coach, QB controversy, and a bad defense. It's going to be a tough year for the Eagles.


NFC North

1) Green Bay Packers: Still no clear Running Back to help the offense. Will the Defense force enough turnovers and be able to stop the run? These MUST happen if the Pack want another deep playoff run in January.

2) Minnesota Vikings: Adrain Petersen wants to go for 2500 yds rushing. If that becomes the focus, this team will self destruct. Addition of WR Greg Jennings will help QB Christian Ponder develop even further.

3) Chicago Bears: Have talent on both sides of the ball, but a sub par Offensive line and Secondary will make things difficult for the Bears late in games.

4) Detroit Lions: One of the best Offenses in the NFL. The defense is very soft once you get past Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairly up front.


NFC South

1) Atlanta Falcons: Solid offensively and defensively. Must make the big plays when it matters to avoid another playoff let down.

2) New Orleans Saints: With the return of Head Coach Sean Payton this offense will return to dominance. Will they be able to stop anyone is the big question.

3) Carolina Panthers: Offense will be fun to watch with QB Cam Newton getting better. Good Running Back tandem. Missing leadership on Defense to take the next step.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: QB Josh Freeman took a  big step back last year, defense is soft. Team need to find an identity to compete week in and week out.


NFC West

1) San Francisco 49ers: The evolution of QB Colin Kaepernick is the biggest question on whether the 49ers hold the Lombardi trophy in February.

2) Seattle Seahawks: Classic throwback team. They can run, pass, and punch you in the mouth on defense. If they stay disciplined they will contend deep in the NFC Playoffs.

3) St. Louis Rams: Better than people think. Tough defensive front. Need to find a replacement for RB Steven Jacksons' leadership.

4) Arizona Cardinals: WR Larry Fitzgerald is the best player on this offense. Another new QB will take control of the offense. Still no running game and a soft secondary will be the teams' achilles heel.


Top 5 Rankings:
1) San Francisco 49ers
2) Denver Broncos
3) Atlanta Falcons
4) Seattle Seahawks
5) Green Bay Packers


Bottom 5
32) New York Jets
31) Jacksonville Jaguars
30) Oakland Raiders
29) Philadelphia Eagles
28) Arizona Cardinals

Super Bowl Picks
San Francisco 49ers vs Houston Texans


Week 1 Picks
Baltimore over Denver
New England over Buffalo
Cincinnati over Chicago
Miami over Cleveland
New Orleans over Atlanta
Tampa Bay over NY Jets
Pittsburgh over Tennessee
Minnesota over Detroit
Indianapolis over Oakland
Seattle over Carolina
Kansas City over Jacksonville
St. Louis over Arizona
San Francisco over Green Bay
Dallas over NY Giants
Washington over Philadelphia
Houston over San Diego