Now that the NFC Preview is up we move on to the AFC. It's been the Patriots' world of late and everyone else was just living in it. Will this be the year things change for good?
AFC East - The Patriots appeared poised to take a step back overall but there is no reason to believe they won't still dominate their division. There is really no one else in the East that has the weapons to challenge them. Favre to the Jets will obviously make for some great T.V. but New York simply doesn't have the talent to go toe to toe with New England no matter how well Favre plays. Buffalo should be improved with stability at the QB position under Trent Edwards but they still don't look like a playoff team. Miami is still a mess. Look for the Pats to take a small step backwards. Their LB core in particular is extremely thin and aging rapidly. And you know every Defensive coordinator in the league had nightmares all off-season of Randy Moss and Wes Welker running wild in their secondary and will devote extra time to finding a way to slow them down.
AFC North - Definitely the most intriguing division in the AFC with all 4 teams having a shot to make some noise. Pittsburgh remains the favorites led by their stellar defense and improved running game, bolstered by the addition of Illinois product, Rashard Mendenhall. He should provide a nice 1-2 punch with Willie Parker that will make Pittsburgh's running game one of the best in the league. The Bengals remain a force offensively but have many questions including the health of Chad Johnson and the ability of Chris Henry to be a key part of the team after his ongoing saga of off field problems. The strongest threat to the Steelers appears to be the much improved Cleveland Browns. Led by breakout QB Derek Anderson the Browns surprised everyone last year by posting a 10-6 record, tied for best in the division. Unfortunately for them they lost tiebreakers to both the Steelers and the Titans and spent the playoffs at home. Perhaps their biggest question is the durability and effectiveness of Jamal Lewis. He was outstanding in his debut season in Cleveland but the depth chart gets thin in a hurry if he goes down.
AFC South - Arguably the most talented division in football, the AFC South division should go down to the wire. The Colts and Jags should be among the top 3 teams in the AFC this year and in any other division the Titans and even Texans would be contenders. This should however be the year the Jags finally get over the hump. Powered by the best backfield combo in the league of Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor, Jacksonville can take over games with their running game. Their big physical line opens huge holes that Taylor and Jones-Drew are more than capable of shooting through to wreak havoc on opposing defenses. David Garrard showed he was more than capable of leading an offense who's only question might be who is going to catch the ball. Look for a breakout year from second year player John Broussard on one side of the field but to have sustained success the Jags need production from longtime Raider, Jerry Porter and former Viking Troy Williamson who were acquired to stretch the field to open up the running game and take advantage of Garrard's big arm. The Colts won't go down without a fight and should still be a playoff team but after missing the entire off-season and seeing Marvin Harrison continue to get older, Peyton Manning figures to have his work cut out for him. Don't overlook Tennessee, they were a playoff team last year and with electric Vince Young at the helm are always a risk to breakout. If anything AFC South teams may suffer from having to play each other twice.
AFC West - San Diego remains the team to beat out west regardless of Shawne Merriman's status. The All-Pro linebacker is at risk of missing the season due to his ongoing knee problems. For the time being he intends to play but I can't imagine he'll be anywhere close to his normally explosive self if he does take the field. You can't help but wonder what role steroids played in his on-going injury situation after he was suspended for 4 games during the 2006 season for apparent steroid use. San Diego still figures to have plenty of weapons to subdue the rest of the pretenders out west. As long as Ladainian Tomlinson can stay healthy they figure to be players in the race for the AFC crown. Denver remains an enigma with potential to contend for a playoff spot but far more questions than answers. If there is a team out west that might surprise it could be the Raiders. Led by breakout candidate Jamarcus Russell at QB and what should be an effective rushing game with Justin Fargas and 1st round pick Darren McFadden, the Raiders could breakout in a fairly weak division. The Chiefs are happy to have a healthy Larry Johnson back in the fold but have too many other questions to get excited about.
Picks to break outJay Cutler QB, Broncos. His weight loss and lack of zip on his passes last year was solved by his diabetes diagnosis and now with proper treatment of his disease is back up to his former playing weight and throwing the ball all over the field with authority in workouts.
Troy Williamson and John Broussard WR's, Jacksonvlle Jaguars. Broussard is a 2nd year player who showed flashes of talent last year but struggled to keep up as a rookie. That should change now with a year under his belt and increased familiarity with the system. Williamson is of course a former first round pick from Minnesota who never seemed to fit into the Vikings offense. Both should get plenty of chances as teams stuff the box to stop the vaunted Jags rushing attack leaving plenty of one on one coverage for the WR.
Picks to break down.Ladainian Tomlinson RB, Chargers. Entering his 8th season as the starter, Tomlinson has been a workhorse his entire career with well over 300 carries in every season of his career. With Michael Turner now in Atlanta and a lack of quality depth behind him Tomlinson will be asked to do even more this year. Can he hold up?
Marvin Harrison WR, Colts. People have been predicting his demise for going on 5 years now but at 36 one has to wonder how much he has left in the tank.
AFC's Best OffenseIt's still New England until someone else proves otherwise. Their defense may be aging but Brady's bunch should still wreak havoc on the offensive side of the field. Even with a season's worth of film to review, teams will still struggle to slow Moss, Welker and Mauroney on a regular basis. It also helps that they get to play 6 games against their lowly division rivals in the AFC East.
AFC's Best DefensePittsburgh Steelers. They led the league in total defense last year and there is no reason to think that will change this year as standout safety Troy Polamalu will continue to lead this stellar unit that boasts talent and depth at almost every position.
Bold predictionYour AFC Superbowl team will be the Jacksonville Jaguars. They will out duel the Colts in the regular season and then wear down an aging Pats defense in the AFC Championship Game with their stellar rushing attack. They have been on the cusp for a few years now but stand poised to take the next step. This should be the year that things fall into place.
