Bellwether's 2008 NFL Preview

NFC West

Champions: Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals seem to be everyone’s breakout darling every single year, this year, I think they actually will. 10 wins will definitely take this division, and I think 9 will do it too. In my opinion, the Seahawks have run out of gas, Maurice Morris is their starting RB, backed up by Julius Jones and TJ Duckett. Hasselbeck is a year older, and their best WR is Nate Burleson. I think their defense is still strong, but I don’t see them finishing any better than 8-8. San Francisco and St. Louis are going to be two of the worst teams in football.

NFC East

Champions: Philadelphia Eagles
Wild Card: Dallas Cowboys
Maybe Wild Card: New York Giants

Call me crazy, but I really believe the Eagles are the best team in the AFC, for once, they’re reasonably healthy, Brian Westbrook might be the second most productive player in football behind LdT. Their defense is one of the most well coached in the NFL, and even though you’re probably not familiar with any of their names outside of Cole and Dawkins, they’re a rock solid core. This combined with Dallas’s current cast of characters which is just begging to implode gives the Eagles an edge in my book. I think Dallas is a good team and I’m sure they make the playoffs, I just think the Eagles are better. The Giants are a very good team as well, but I think they’re yet another step below the Cowboys. They’ll fight with the Bucs for the last playoff spot in the NFC. The Redskins will be lucky to win six games.

NFC North

Champions: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota has the best defense in the division, the best player (who happens to also be the best running back,) the best offensive line and a much improved receiver corps. Unfortunately they also have the worst quarterback (yes, even worse than Kyle Orton.) The Vikings could win 11 or 12 games if they stay healthy, if they don’t, they might only win 7 or 8. I think 9 or 10 will be enough to win the division. Green Bay is the second best team in the division, but their quarterbacks will decide their fate. If Aaron Rogers is the goods, they’ll push the Vikings. If not, they’re probably a 7 win team. The Lions are better than the Bears, but not by much. Expect both Chicago and Detroit to finish in the 5-7 win range.

NFC South

Champions: New Orleans Saints
Maybe Wild Card: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I’ve been telling friends that the Bucs are the class of the south for several weeks now, but I’ve had a change of heart over the past few days. Tampa’s got a revolving door at QB, The combined age of their starting WRs is 68, their starting running back is Ernest Graham, and their defense is banged up. The Saints added Jeremy Shocky and Jonathan Vilma. The former gives Drew Brees yet another weapon, and the latter should give the Saints defense the anchor it’s been missing since…. Sam Mills. Carolina could end up in the mix, or they could end up 4-12, and the Falcons are on the clock for the 2009 draft.

AFC West

Champions: San Diego Chargers

I think the Broncos are better, and I think they’ll push the chargers the first half of the year, but in the end, there’s not enough talent on either side of the line of scrimmage for me to take Denver seriously. The Chargers are far and away the best team in the division and still one of the best teams in football. I think both the Chiefs and Raiders are better teams this year, but both of them still draft in the top 10 next year.

AFC East

Champions: New England Patriots
Maybe Wild Card: New York Jets

Watch the Pats go 19-0. They almost did it last year, and you know they still want to. That’d be 37-1 over two seasons, and while I think 13-3 and a Super Bowl appearance is far more likely than another undefeated run, don’t be shocked if they pull off perfection this year. Actually, be shocked, cause it’s still amazing and highly improbable, but probably less so for them than for any other team. As far as the Jets, I’ll admit, I’m buying into the Brett Favre hype. He looked the part in the pre season, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned throughout the years, it’s to never bet against the storybook ending when it comes to #4. Logic doesn’t seem to apply to him. Bills better than the Dolphins, Dolphins still really bad.

AFC North:

Champions: Pittsburgh Steelers
Wild Card: Cleveland Browns

The AFC North and AFC South are the two toughest divisions to pick in all of football, and on balance, they may be the two best. I think the Steelers and Browns have about an equal shot at the division title, and I think both end up going to the playoffs, but history tells me not to bet against the Steelers, who I consider second only to the Boston Red Sox as the best run organization in professional sports. The Steelers never seem to want for talent, they’re constantly reloading and they added two future stars in the draft in Sweed and Mendenhall. Losing Faneca is going to hurt, but when it comes to the Steelers and offensive linemen… the dude abides. It doesn’t really seem to matter what happens to the Steelers, they win 10 or 11 games a year, and that’ll happen again this season. As for the Browns, I don’t think they were a fluke. Derick Anderson probably isn’t as good as his numbers from last year would indicate, but between Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow Jr, Jamal Lewis, and that offensive line anchored by Thomas and Steinbach, he doesn’t have to be great on his own, because those guys will do their part to make him look really good. If he falters, the Browns have Brady Quinn waiting in the wings, which might not be the correct answer, but it gives them a nice option. Cincinnati’s probably no worse than a 7 win team, and the Ravens defense is still a force to be reckoned with, despite the fact that their offense is in as bad a shape as ever. A lot of their problems go away if Joe Flacco is good.

AFC South

Champions: Indianapolis Colts
Wild Card Maybe: Jacksonville Jaguars
Wild Card Maybe: Tennessee Titans
Wild Card Maybe: Houston Texans

Yep, I could honestly see any of these teams making the playoffs, but until proven otherwise, nothing will make me bet against the Colts. As long as Peyton is healthy, the Colts have nothing to worry about, and they’ll still find a way to win 12 games. The Jags are the second best team in the division, and they might have the best defense of the four. Questions on offense will continue to dog them, especially when it comes to catching the football, but they’ve made the playoffs with sub par receivers before, there’s no reason they can’t do it again. I still don’t think the Titans are all that good at football, but somehow they continue to surprise me year after year and play much better than everyone’s expectations. I’d like nothing better than to write them off, but their coach is the longest tenured in the NFL for a reason, and that alone prevents me from doing so. I really don’t think the Texans have enough weapons to compete with the other three yet, but strange things happen in the NFL, and the Texans are just one of those teams that kinda sticks out as a possible “team out of nowhere” (despite the fact that they went 8-8 last year, which is hardly nowhere.)

NFC Playoffs
Saints over Giants
Cowboys over Cardinals
Eagles over Cowboys
Saints over Vikings
Eagles over Saints

AFC Playoffs
Steelers over Jaguars
Colts over Jets
Pats over Steelers
Colts over Chargers
Pats over Colts

Super Bowl XXXIX rematch:
Pats over Eagles

Offensive ROY: Jonathan Stewart
Defensive ROY: Jerod Mayo

Offensive Player of the Year/NFL MVP: LaDainian Tomlinson
Defensive player of the Year: Patrick Willis


Most

Pass Yards: Brady
Pass TDs: Romo
Rush Yards: Tomlinson
Rush TDs: Tomlinson
Receiving Yards: Moss
Receiving TDs: Owens

Tackles: Willis
Sacks: Peppers