Top 5
1. Indianapolis - I don't see any drop off from last year
2. Baltimore - Great defense, average offense led by a good vet QB
3. New England - The team is on the decline, but they still are one of the best
4. Dallas - The Cowboys will benefit from a very weak NFC.
5. Jacksonville - Great defense. Leftwich will not be consistant enough to get them over the top
Bottom 5
1. Oakland - I think Al Davis is suffering from senility. Why hire an assistant coach from the college ranks to be your new HC?
2. Cleveland - I'm not sold on their defense or Frye. The team also plays in a brutal division.
3. Detroit - Mat Millen just doesn't seem to know what he is doing.
4. Miami - Bad decision after bad decision will doom one of the top franchises for at least a few years.
5. Green Bay - The Packers have a decent defense. They'll need it with all of the interceptions Brett Favre will be throwing this year.
Surprise teams
1. Tennessee - Vince Young surprised me last year. If he can continue to improve his game, the Titans could make things interesting in the AFC South.
2. Buffalo - This team has enough talent to compete for the division in a weak AFC East.
3. Cincinatti - The Bengals have a lot to overcome with all of the off-season problems. The team has the talent to compete, but they have been too inconsistant on defense.
Predicted division rankings
1. AFC Central - Baltimore, Cincinatti, and Pittsburgh are all very good teams. The Browns will get clobbered.
2. AFC South - Only Houston is bad. Indy and Jacksonville should be very good. Tennessee should at least be decent.
3. NFC East - Dallas and Philly should make this division the toughest in the East. The Giants will probably be decent. The Commanders are probably in for a long season.
4. AFC East - New England is one of the better teams in the league. The age of the team is a concern. Key injuries could doom them in 2007. The Jets are decent and mad the playoffs last year. The Bills could make some noise. The Dolphins are just horrible.
5. NFC South - New Orleans is very good. Carolina and Atlanta should be decent, and Tampa should be better than last year.
6. AFC West - San Diego downgraded their coaching staff and it will show in the W-L column. Denver appears improved and will compete with SD for the division. Kansas City and Oakland will not be much of a factor in 2007.
7. NFC West - This division is full of average to below average teams. It should be a very entertaining division race with the winner making a quick exit from the playoffs.
8. NFC Central - Other than Chicago, this division is absolutely pathetic. Minnesota has an underwhelming QB who most fans can't name; Green Bay has the 100 year old Brett Favre who refuses to realize that the Packers have no shot at winning a superbowl anytime soon; and Detroit has a decent offense with a bunch of failed first round receivers to go along with a really bad defense.