2007-08 Season Preview

The NFL season kicks off in less than a week, and so it’s time for the annual season preview. To be honest, I had grander plans for this correspondence, but I really wasn’t satisfied with the quality of the piece. Maybe I’m burned out and couldn’t commit the time necessary to get my points across, or maybe I’m just tired of the constant Michael con-Vick-t coverage. Either way, the preview is a down and dirty look at the upcoming campaign, including division standings, conference champions, MVP, rookie and coach of the year, and of course, your Super Bowl XLII champions (and if you’re surprised that I’ve tabbed the Philadelphia Eagles to hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Arizona next February, well then you’re obviously new to this).

Without further ado, the 2007-08 Season Preview (* indicates playoff team).

American Football Conference

East
1. New England Patriots* – The Pats are loaded from top to bottom. Tom Brady’s got a cache of weapons, and Bill Belichick knows how to deploy them all. As long as Randy Moss isn’t divisive, New England will be hard to stop.
2. New York Jets – Thanks to a tougher schedule (and due credit to Eric Mangini’s rookie campaign), the Jets won’t sneak up on anyone this season.
3. Miami Dolphins – They’re adjusting to new coach and a new quarterback, but they return the same old defense. Maybe too old, but that’s to be determined.
4. Buffalo Bills – Marv Levy couldn’t keep any of their free agents, and subsequently the Bills have slipped. Personally, I think rookie RB Marshawn Lynch will flop.

North
1. Pittsburgh Steelers* – Under Omar Epps, the Steelers will be more balanced on offense, yet still menacing on defense. I think Pittsburgh is the team to beat in this division.
2. Baltimore Ravens* – The addition of RB Willis McGahee should be mutually beneficial. Baltimore’s defense led the league in turnover margin a year ago.
3. Cincinnati Bengals – Sadly, they still don’t have the defense to compliment their explosive offense. Ocho Cinco has promised to put on a show this year. I’ll be watching.
4. Cleveland Browns – The future is bright, but the present is cloudy. QB Brady Quinn should be starting by Week 4 (if not sooner).

South
1. Indianapolis Colts* – Yes, they lost a lot on defense, but they’re still the class of the division. Like Phil Mickelson after busting out and winning a major, Peyton Manning seems poised for multiple championships.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jags are a dangerous team, but not a deadly one. Seems like they should have done more by now, doesn’t it?
Note: Just as I was getting ready to publish, the news broke that the Jaguars would start David Garrard at QB and cut ties with Byron Leftwich. I don’t think that changes my order of finish in the division, but where Leftwich lands might. I better get this out before I have to re-write the whole thing.
3. Tennessee Titans – It’s a crying shame they didn’t do much to help Vince Young in the off-season. Looks like VY will have to carry them again.
4. Houston Texans – Houston is an offensive lineman or two away from climbing out of the cellar. So far, it looks like the Texans got the better of the Matt Schaub trade.

West
1. San Diego Chargers* – Widely regarded as the most talented on the field, the Chargers are breaking in a new coach and new coordinators. Will the new regime be able to do what the old one couldn’t? They’d better, or they won’t be able to justify canning 14-2 Marty Schottenheimer.
2. Denver Broncos* – A perennial playoff contender, the Broncos added RB Travis Henry, who is good when healthy, but that’s been the problem. Their defense is good enough to get them to the playoffs.
3. Kansas City Chiefs – Sorry, LJ, but history hasn’t been kind to 400+ carry running backs the year after. Plus, the Chiefs have unresolved issues at QB.
4. Oakland Raiders – Commitment to Rebuilding.

National Football Conference

East
1. Philadelphia Eagles* – QB Donovan McNabb is back, and with the emergence of RB Brian Westbrook as an every down back (told you), the offense is finally well-balanced. The defense should be better despite waiving vocal leader Jeremiah Trotter. The Birds still rule the roost in the NFC East.
2. New York Giants – It’s been an interesting off-season for the Giants. Tiki Barber retired, Mike Strahan may do the same, and Eli Manning hasn’t fulfilled his promise yet. Tom Coughlin looks like a lame duck.
3. Washington Redskins – They may finally have their QB in Jason Campbell, and they’re deep at running back with Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts. But their defense stinks, and even Tom Coughlin thinks Joe Gibbs is a lame duck.
4. Dallas Cowboys – They suck.

North
1. Chicago Bears* – If only their QB could hold on to the football.
2. Minnesota Vikings – The Vikes are my sleeper team, as first noted last December. They’re heaping a lot on QB Tavaris Jackson, who coach Brad Childress says reminds him of a young Donovan McNabb. That’s some high praise.
3. Detroit Lions – Lions QB Jon Kitna says they have the talent to win 10 games this season. I say, maybe they do, but no they won’t.
4. Green Bay Packers – Seriously, Brett. Feel free to ride off into that sunset any year now.

South
1. New Orleans Saints* – Like most, I was surprised by the Saints a year ago. Like many, I don’t think they were a flash in the pan. The Saints probably run the best offense in the NFL, and the rest of their division is down.
2. Carolina Panthers – The Panthers are easily the most enigmatic team in the NFL. They could be great, or they could tank. It will kind of depend on the play of QB Jake Del-overrated (or they guy who should be starting, David Carr).
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Is Jon Gruden on the hot seat in Tampa? If he is, I don’t know that a four-quarterback rotation is going to do anything to save him. Will the real Cadillac Williams please stand up?
4. Atlanta Falcons – They’ll be better off without a con-Vick-ted felon at quarterback. And they weren’t even that good last year.

West
1. St. Louis Rams* – In what may be the most balanced division in football, the Rams seemingly have it all on offense. And just enough on defense.
2. Seattle Seahawks* – This has been Seattle’s division to lose for the last three or four years. This year, I think they finally will.
3. San Francisco 49ers* – San Francisco is certainly on the way up – good young QB, stud RB, free agents galore on defense. But they’re about a year away from being a factor, especially in this division.
4. Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals are everyone’s darling, the majority expecting them to make the playoffs. While I think they’ll be better, I’m not sure they’ll be in the running for the ultimate home game.

AFC Championship: New England over Indianapolis – Like a year ago, the Patriots and Colts are probably the two best teams in the AFC. Unlike a year ago (but as they’ve done so often in the past), the Pats will advance.

NFC Championship: Philadelphia over New Orleans – Another playoff rematch from 2007 with a different result. McNabb said it was time for the Eagles to "seal the deal." Winning the NFC is a step towards that deal.

Super Bowl XLII: Philadelphia over New England – At the risk of going Chris Berman (whose career evidently jumped the shark about three years ago), New England and Philly meet for the championship. The Eagles will exact some overdue revenge for Super Bowl XXXIV, and the city will claim its first title since 1983. That is, unless the Fightin’ Phils sneak into the playoffs and shock the world. More on this in a minute…

NFL MVP: Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia – McNabb was on an MVP-pace before shredding his knee last season. As he goes, so go the Birds, and that is the textbook definition of an MVP.

Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick, New England – As mentioned before, holding this team of talented players together will be harder than it seems, especially when one of those players hasn’t gotten along with anyone, anywhere in his career.

Rookie of the Year: Adrian Peterson, Minnesota – This kid is the real deal. I thought he should have won the Heisman Trophy his freshman year at Oklahoma. Injuries pushed him out of the spotlight a little bit, but he’s probably the most NFL-ready back to enter the league in recent memory.

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Coming soon - "Ant’s Expert NFL Picks." The picks are basically the meat and potatoes of this site. This will be year six of this little experiment that proves I am as qualified as an "Expert" as any of the talking heads you see on TV, or any of the writers you read. My lifetime record currently stands at 814-465-1 (.636) straight up and 649-613-18 (.514) against the spread.

And, as always, we will follow two general principles when making the picks:

1. I will ALWAYS pick the Eagles to win and cover, regardless of opponent or location.
2. I will NEVER pick Dallas to win or cover, regardless of opponent or location.

All other games will be picked objectively, without the same gimmicks you get from other sites. For instance, I don’t pick an "Upset of the Week." As I’ve said before, I won’t be forced to pick an upset just to meet some criteria. By the same token, I won’t name a "Lock of the Week." I think all of my picks are locks. Otherwise, I wouldn’t pick them. The same general disclaimer still applies – the picks are for entertainment purposes only. If you choose to bet money, your car, your house, or your kid, I won’t be held responsible for your losses. I will, however, accept kickbacks if you prosper.

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A quick baseball take before I go. The Phillies have used 18 pitchers this year and have had 29 players at one point or another on the disabled list, yet after completing a four-game sweep of the Mets, they sit only two games out of the NL East lead. Centerfielder Aaron Rowand, a member of the world champion Chicago White Sox in 2005, was asked if he got the same kind of feeling from this club as he did in 2005. He said he did, and quite frankly I do, too. This team reminds me of the ’93 club that just refused to give up, on a game or a season, regardless of the situation. Manager Charlie Manuel, who has taken his fair share of criticism, deserves a lot of the credit for holding this team together, and they never stopped believing.

What an October it could be in Philadelphia.