Labor Day has come and gone. Summer is literally over and the young minds are back in the classroom, which means fall is upon us and another football season is about to begin.
Are you excited? Ready to cheer on your favorite team? Have your war paint or favorite jersey in front of you?
Well, enough with the questions, it is officially time for Noontime Sports to serve up our divisional winners and Super Bowl predictions.
In this particular blog post, we have provided our AFC breakdown and playoff predictions.
Follow the link to see our NFC playoff predictions and division breakdown.
AFC East
1.) New York Jets
Sexy Rexy is back, (Rex Ryan), along with a team that is not afraid to express some swagger too. Look for the green and white to cause some trouble toward opposing offenses. The defense should be improved, but this season rests on the shoulders of second year quarterback Mark Sanchez.
2.) New England Patriots
Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Logan Mankins have been the center of attention due to contract issues. Behind these all-stars are a group of young players that will need another year or two to grow into valuable veterans. Also, can their defense rise to the occasion or will the offense have to score all the points?
3.) Miami Dolphins
Why is everyone so high on quarterback Chad Henne? Will Brandon Marshall help this offense and can Ronnie Brown remain healthy all season? Also, Jeff Ireland wants to use Bill Parcells as more of a consultant? Trouble is brewing in South Beach.
4.) Buffalo Bills
Chan Gailey inherits a terrible team that will most likely win two or three games this season, but how much longer can the Buffalo faithful take another rebuilding year?
AFC North
1.) Baltimore Ravens
With the additions of Anquan Boldin and TJ Houshmandzadeh, along with a great defense, are the birds Super Bowl bound?
2.) Cincinnati Bengals
Quarterback Carson Palmer is due to have a great season. Their defense is Dallas Cowboys 2.0 from 2008, (Tank Johnson and Adam “Pacman” Jones), and also, let’s not forget that Terrell Owens will be a great target or decoy for Chad Ochocinco. Their defense is aggressive and the Bengals are certainly a lock to win the wildcard, but injuries could derail the ’09 AFC North champs.
3.) Pittsburgh Steelers
Without “Big” Ben Roethlisberger for the first few weeks, how well will this team be? Their offense will not be as explosive, but this weekend, it is all on the shoulders of Dennis Dixon, who has some big shoes to fill.
4.) Cleveland Browns
Quarterback issues are a major theme with this squad, but overall, their young talent should start to slowly emerge as the season progresses. Also, lets welcome Mike Holmgren to Cleveland and see if he can turn this team upside down. Besides, now that LeBron James has left, the city needs one team to be proud about.
AFC South
1.) Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning and the rest of the ’09 AFC Champions will be hungry again to return to the Super Bowl this season and look for an improved running performance by Donald Brown.
2.) Houston Texans
Andre Johnson is the best wide out in the game. Mario Williams has become a feared defensive end, but the main question for the Texans is can they beat the Colts twice this season, as well as compete against the rest of the AFC?
3.) Tennessee Titans
Vince Young had a sensational second half last season, but possibly the main reason they turned their winless start around was due to head coach Jeff Fisher wearing a Peyton Manning jersey. Don’t expect a great season from running back Chris Johnson, but overall, the Titans will fight, fight and fight some more for a wild card spot.
4.) Jacksonville Jaguars
This team is awful, but as long as no blackouts occur in Jacksonville, then maybe we could consider it a successful season.
AFC West
1.) San Diego Chargers
This team is by far the best in a lousy division, although, how well will Ryan Matthews do in place of LaDanian Tomlinson and will Vincent Jackson actually play this season too?
2.) Oakland Raiders
Change is coming for the silver and black, but unfortunately, they should not be a playoff team. The addition of quarterback Jason Campbell and a much stronger Darren McFadden, the offense may cause nightmares to opposing defenses.
3.) Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots 2.0 will be fun to watch. Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel are back on the same sideline together, which will help improve this somewhat decent squad to a good one. Also, look for a good season from quarterback Matt Cassel.
4.) Denver Broncos
Elvis Dumervil has officially left the building for the season, along with their season. Their main receiver is Jabar Gaffney, but he is more of a second and third string guy. Look for a rough season in Colorado.
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AFC Playoff Prediction
1.) Baltimore Ravens
2.) Indianapolis Colts
3.) San Diego Chargers
4.) New York Jets
5.) New England Patriots
6.) Cincinnati Bengals
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Wild Card Round Results
New England (5) beats New York Jets (4)
Cincinnati (6) beats San Diego Chargers (3)
Divisional Round Results
Baltimore (1) beats Cincinnati (6)
Indianapolis (2) beats New England (5)
AFC Championshp Results
Baltimore (1) beats Indianapolis (2)
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2010 AFC Champions
Baltimore Ravens
Follow the link to see our NFC playoff predictions and division breakdown.
