AFC West/East

Greg and I have been previewing each NFL division leading up to the regular season. This week, it's been all about the AFC. We’ve covered the AFC South and North, so today we finish the AFC by covering the West and the East. We’ve been in agreement on many topics thus far, but will it continue?

AFC West

Division Winner: Denver Broncos (Both)

Division Cellar: Oakland Raiders (Both)

Other Playoff Teams: Kansas City Chiefs – Wildcard #2 (Greg), None (Andrew)

1. Denver Broncos

Greg - Their defense will take a step back this season for several reasons. First, Champ Bailey is injured. Second, Von Miller is out for the first six games. Third, the Broncos failed to re-sign Elvis Dumervil. However, the offense added Wes Welker, drafted Montee Ball, and has a healthier Peyton Manning. They should make good strides on that side of the ball, and will probably have a similar season to last year in that they may not have a great record the first half of the year (or even if they do they won't be playing great football), but when they get healthier towards the end of the regular season they should be playing very good football.

Andrew – Much of the summer, I thought this looked to be not just the division favorite, but the best team in the entire NFL. With Manning getting stronger physically, gaining better chemistry with his receivers, and by adding Wes Welker and Montee Ball, I think the offense could be scary good. The reason I’m backing off my “best in NFL” stance is because of the defense. They messed up the Dumervil deal, Von Miller got suspended for six games, and they are without Champ Bailey right now too. They will be just fine in the division however.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

Greg - This roster, as a whole, I think is as talented as any roster in the NFL. Andy Reid should make a huge difference as a coach and they have a legitimate NFL QB now in Alex Smith. If Jamaal Charles can stay healthy and they develop some other passing options outside of Dwayne Bowe, then this team will put up some points. The strength of this team will be its defense though.

Andrew – The potential is here for this to be the most improved team in the league. Andy Reid and Alex Smith are MASSIVE additions to this team. We know they already possess a good offensive line and running back (Jamaal Charles), so if they can get anything consistent from the receivers the offense will be solid. The youngish defense should also be decent. The question is, are the ready to win now or do they need another year? I think they will be in the mix for a wildcard spot, but I believe they fall short.

3. San Diego Chargers

Greg - Mike McCoy should help Philip Rivers throw fewer interceptions this year, but Rivers has slowly digressed over the last three seasons. His TD's have gone down, his INT's have gone up, and his yards per season and completion percentage have also all gone down. The defense should take a step forward, or at least not digress, but this team is just not all that talented anymore.

Andrew – The Chargers are a team in transition, but it’s also been a team devastated by injuries. If Philip Rivers can get back to his standard of play from years ago, AND the cast around him can stay healthy, I do think they are capable of winning a number of games. I also like some of the players they’ve added to their defense. The problem I see is that I doubt it can all come together perfectly this year, because they need to improve across the board.

4. Oakland Raiders

Greg – It feels like a stretch for me to give this team even three wins. I'm not sure where they come from, especially since I have San Diego finishing ahead of them in the standings. If Terrelle Pryor starts at QB, I can see them being somewhat competitive just because his athletic playmaking ability will help keep them in games. On the flip side he will make some mistakes that will cost them games as well this year. The only game I will watch this season that has Oakland involved in it will be week 1 when the Colts play the Raiders.

Andrew – This is a franchise that is neck and neck with Jacksonville as one of the worst in the league. They don’t have anything on offense, outside of Darren McFadden who will almost certainly get injured again at some point this year. And on defense, they are potentially just as bad. Watching them in preseason was just painful. Let’s all be on the lookout for a potential 0-16…

Preseason Division Awards (AFC West)

Offensive MVP: Peyton Manning (Both)

Defensive MVP: Eric Berry (Both)

Rookie of the Year: Nico Johnson (Greg), Montee Ball (Andrew)

Free Agent of the Year: Alex Smith (Greg), Wes Welker (Andrew)

AFC East

Division Winner: New England Patriots (Both)

Division Cellar: New York Jets (Both)

Other Playoff Teams: None (Both)

1. New England Patriots

Greg - The Patriots are almost the exact opposite of the Broncos. Their defense should be more stout, but their offense may be less prolific than in the past. Yes, they still have Tom Brady, but their offense should be even more heavily reliant on the run than last year. Look for Shane Vereen and Steven Ridley to have big seasons.

Andrew – The Patriots have owned this division for the last decade, and I expect this year to be even less competitive than in the past. There is no chance that they don’t win the league, unless Tom Brady gets injured again. Their offense will be strong once more, particularly in the running game behind Steven Ridley and Shane Vereen. And the defense will no longer be one that’s gets dominated. In fact, I think they defense may end up being just as good or better than Tom Brady’s offense. Of course, one does have to worry about Brady’s lack of established and healthy weapons for once…

2. Miami Dolphins

Greg - The Dolphins have gotten much better, but their offensive line and RB positions are still a little lacking. This will cause the team to narrowly miss the playoffs. Side note: I am a big fan of Miami's subtle “uni” change. It looks classy.

Andrew – I think Miami is headed in the right direction, but aren’t quite there yet. Tannehill got some playmakers in the offseason, headlined by Mike Wallace. If the chemistry can be established, there could be fireworks. I think the defense will be a touch better also, and I’m curious to see if their first round pick, Dion Jordan, can make any sort of significant impact this year.

3. Buffalo Bills

Greg - E.J. Manuel should have a good year. The guy is solid, and won't make any spectacular plays this year, but neither will he make any plays that will cost the Bills any games. C.J. Spiller's health could determine whether this team is truly mediocre, or threatens to make the playoffs.

Andrew – The Bills were pretty disappointing last season in my opinion. They had spent so much money into trying to make the team, defense in particular, better heading into last year, and it simply didn’t work at all. They were atrocious on defense, and the offense wasn’t much better outside of CJ Spiller. They added some pieces to the offense (rookies EJ Manuel and Robert Woods in particular), but can the defense improve? And who the heck will start at QB throughout the season?

4. New York Jets

Greg – The Jets are the only thing keeping the Raiders from being the worst team in the league this year. This team is completely dysfunctional from top to bottom, and new GM John Idzik has not done anything thus far to change that. He still has an overpaid, immature veteran QB who cannot keep himself from turning the ball over. He also just drafted an overpaid, immature rookie QB who really has no idea what he is doing, and is surrounded by a talentless blob of large human beings led by a coach who does his best work when he's got good veteran leaders. They will be the laughingstock of the league this season.

Andrew – If there was a team that went from “heroes to zeroes” quickly, the Jets are it. I hated how Rex Ryan managed the team last year… AKA not giving Tebow a shot over sucky Sanchez… and to make it worse he’ll likely end up starting Sanchez again this year (even with a shoulder injury). IT’S TIME TO MOVE ON! The defense isn’t nearly as good as a few years ago either, but I think the rebuild is underway and I thought they added some good players to it in the draft. But no matter how you slice it, they simply don’t have that much talent currently on the team, and will struggle in 2013.

Preseason Division Awards (AFC East)

Offensive MVP: Tom Brady (Both)

Defensive MVP: Jerod Mayo (Both)

Rookie of the Year: Dion Jordan (Greg), Kenbrell Thompkins (Andrew)

Free Agent of the Year: Dannell Ellerbe (Greg), Mike Wallace (Andrew)

By: The Sports Guys

College Football Saturday 1

College Football Picks

College Football season starts tonight! There are a couple of storylines that are not related to Johnny Manziel, ones that we actually might be able to enjoy following this season jump out at me.

First of all, can Alabama 3-peat as national champions? It would be an incredible accomplishment if they did, and I think there is a good chance that they can. After all, they were #1 in our rankings a few weeks back. What's interesting about this is that even if they do win the national championship, when A.J. McCarron goes to the NFL (after winning 3 straight national championships as a non-option QB), he probably will not be picked in the first three rounds, which just baffles me. 

Second, I want to see if anyone can unseat Jadaveon Clowney as the Heisman favorite anytime this season. Everyone is so hyped about Clowney, as if he just came on this past season. A lot of the conversation I hear is about "how will he do when he's double teamed" or "how will he handle being game planned against this year".  If any coach playing against South Carolina since Clowney arrived there has not both double teamed and game planned against him, they should be fired, immediately. His star status might be new, but his ability is not. He has been this good since he got to South Carolina.

Third, will anyone outside the SEC win a national championship? No team that doesn't hail from the SEC can legitimately say they have a chance to win the national championship this season in Greg’s opinion (and yes, that obviously includes Oregon). Andrew thinks other teams have a shot, particularly Ohio State simply due to a decently easy road to get to the championship (compared to SEC schools at least), and a solid QB/coach combo.

Picks Standings

Greg:               0 – 0

Andrew:         0 – 0

As usual, we will keep track of our predictions and keep an updated tally going. Last year, Greg and I battled all year but Greg held on throughout the bowl season and won. It should be another battle in 2013. Here are the week 1 predictions:

5 Georgia at 8 Clemson

Andrew: Clemson - Obviously, this is all about the quarterbacks. Aaron Murray returned to Georgia for what should be a great year, and Tajh Boyd will once again lead the Clemson attack. If it comes down to the defenses, Georgia is better by a mile, but I think Boyd will deliver something special. I’m taking Clemson to knock off a mighty SEC team.

Greg: Georgia - Aaron Murray simply cannot start his senior season with a loss on the road. I love Travis Gurley as well and think Georgia will be an improved team from last year's runner-up SEC finish. I’m picking the Bulldogs.

Andrew:         Clemson 35, Georgia 31

Greg:               Georgia 31, Clemson 28

12 LSU at 20 TCU

Andrew: LSU – TCU isn’t near as good as they were a few years ago when they were crashing the BCS party as an outsider. I think LSU enters the season with something to prove and will take advantage of a young QB in the first game of the year.

Greg: TCU - I'm going to start the debate early. Les Miles is and has always been overrated. I like the Horned Frogs in this game, even though they may be starting a true freshman at QB.

Andrew:         LSU 24, TCU 17

Greg:               TCU 20, LSU 14

Mississippi State at 13 Oklahoma State

Andrew: OSU – Oklahoma State is better coached, has better players, and is playing at home. I’m picking against the SEC for the second time in three games here.

Greg: OSU - I have been a Mike Gundy fan since he became the coach at OK State, and I think the team he has this year has a chance to be one of the best he's coached. I also like the direction that Mississippi State is heading, but the Cowboys win this one at home.

Andrew:         Oklahoma State 42, Mississippi State 24

Greg:               Oklahoma State 40, Mississippi State 31

19 Boise State at Washington

Andrew: Boise St. - Washington was pretty solid last year, quietly upsetting two Top 25 teams. Can they start the season with a bang beating another at home? I think not. Boise State almost always plays great football to begin the year and they will be focused and ready to roll.

Greg: Boise St. - Chris Peterson is also one of my favorite coaches and Boise is one of my favorite programs. I will always remember watching the orange bown in which they defeated Oklahoma and Adrian Peterson. They beat the Huskies on the road in the opener.

Andrew:         Boise State 27, Washington 21

Greg:               Boise State 30, Washington 17

Upset Alert

Andrew: California over Northwestern – The Wildcats enter the year ranked… that’s just weird isn’t it? And they begin by traveling across the country to take on a Pac-12 foe. California isn’t a great team by any standard, but I think they take advantage of a Northwestern team that will struggle all year to live up to their ranking. California 28, Northwestern 27

Greg: North Carolina over South Carolina – Tonight, we may see a shocker. It will probably be one of the better games of the weekend (since some teams enjoy incredibly soft first games). I think the Tar Heels get the better of the Gamecocks… Although I also am picking this because there are very few upset options this week, and I feel this is the most likely. UNC 20, South Carolina 17.

Enjoy week 1!

By: The Sports Guys

AFC North Preview

Over the next couple weeks, Greg and I will preview each division leading up to the regular season. This week, it's all about the AFC. Yesterday, we covered the AFC South. Today, we head north.

AFC North

Division Winner: Cincinnati Bengals (Both)

Division Cellar: Cleveland Browns (Both)

Other Playoff Teams: None (Greg), Baltimore Ravens - Wildcard #2 (Andrew)

1. Cincinnati Bengals

Greg - Cincinnati will be much improved this year. Andy Dalton is in his third season, they drafted Tyler Eifert to be an option at tight end, and their defense will be solid as well. This isn't necessarily a case of Cincinnati getting all that much better as much as the rest of the division, with the exception of Cleveland, getting worse.

Andrew – Of the three contenders, the Bengals are the only team that got better from last year. On offense, they added weapons in rookies Tyler Eifert and Giovani Bernard. And on defense, they took James Harrison from a divisional team in Pittsburgh. I think they could end up having the division’s best defense and offense this year, which is incredible given the history of the other teams.

2. Baltimore Ravens

Greg - Keeping Joe Flacco was something that I suppose they had to do, the defense won't be much worse, but losing Anquan Boldin was a big blow for them. Torrey Smith is not a #1 receiver, and Jacoby Jones is not a #2 receiver. They will need help there. Also, Ray Rice has been remarkably healthy over his career so far, and that will probably change this season. They should be mostly competitive this year, but won't have what it takes to win any more than nine games.

Andrew – The Ravens may have had the worst offseason of any team in the NFL. First, they gave Flacco way too much money which killed their chances to spend money elsewhere. They lost Boldin to the 49ers on offense, and tight end Pitta is out for the year. On defense, Lewis retired and Reed is on the Texans. The only positive came late in the offseason when they added Elvis Dumervil after the Broncos messed up in trying to re-sign him. But will he be enough? They aren’t a playoff team on paper, so why did I say they would grab the final playoff spot? Because the AFC is weak this year, and I think they hold off all the other sucky teams and squeak in on experience and coaching.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Greg - Roethlisberger being fully healthy and having a fully healthy offensive line will help the Steelers this year. However, they are still starting a couple of offensive tackles that are not stalwarts. The line will struggle to protect, and the defense hasn't even looked that great in pre-season. This could be Mike Tomlin's last season in Pittsburgh.

Andrew – They weren’t a playoff team last year, and I don’t think they did anything to improve upon that. Le’Veon Bell made me excited, but now he’s injured, so the offense is now worse based on Mike Wallace leaving. Big Ben has struggled over the last couple seasons also.  The defense is still anchored by Troy “Big Hair” but I think losing James Harrison was significant. If they finish .500 I think they should be thrilled.

4. Cleveland Browns

Greg – Cleveland will be very competitive this year. They beat Cincinnati last year and were close in many division games. Brandon Weeden looks to be much improved and Trent Richardson is simply a massive human being. If their defense plays above expectations they can do better than this rank implies, but I don't know if they have what they need to overtake the other teams in the division quite yet.

Andrew – I actually view Cleveland as a team on the rise in the AFC, but they still don’t have enough to get out of the division cellar. I love Trent Richardson, so they better lean on him a lot. I also love some of the young defensive pieces. But the other teams still have better and more experienced players, particularly at quarterback. They still need a bit more to climb out of this annual spot in these division rankings.

Preseason Division Awards

Offensive MVP: AJ Green (Both)

Defensive MVP: Vontaze Burfict (Greg), Elvis Dumervil (Andrew)

Rookie of the Year: Giovani Bernard (Both)

Free Agent of the Year: Matt Elam (Greg), James Harrison (Andrew)

By: The Sports Guys