rrf

besides the steelers, who will be awesome as usual to no surprise, what team is your surprise team?

the chargers could dominate... tomlinson is a beast, and brees will really come into his own with the addition of david boston... they did lose seau, but they still have a solid team.
also, i think the seahawks could do some damage.... their O could be very explosive, and despite all the naysayers, i like hasselbeck.

and anyone who says the bengals will be automatically denounced, lol...

BadForm

I would say Carolina. Their defense should be very good and their offense will improve, but it is hard to see them making the playoffs because of the division.

MikeyChalupa

I'll go with Carolina too. The Redskins are really going to regreat the loss of Stephen Davis. Peppers anchors a scary D. If their QB can turn in a solid year then that is going to be a tough division, along with the AFC East. Tennessee has a really hard non-division schedule this year, that might be the way Carolina gets in the playoffs. Because Tampa won't. They'll make it interesting though.

-Mikey

wwcd101

Wild Ass Guess. Chiefs and Lions.

Thought is that it is all about coaching. Vermeil is in year 3, historically a great year for him. Mariucci actually has a brain. Detroit has to be better.

Oh, and forget the Steelers. Go Browns!

Thanks for listening.

spectre

Couldn't agree more. Vermeil still has some weakness at on D, but the Chiefs look better already. And the Lions lacked a head coach. Mariucci won't take them to the playoffs this year, but they may be a threat for the NFC North within 2-3 under his direction.

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HeAtHeN

SEAHAWKS I really believe that this is our season.

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RoadRage

AFC East: Way too close to call. Last season the worse team (Buffalo) was 8-8 while the division winner (NYJets) was 9-7 and tied with Miami and NewEngland. Despite the off-season shufflings, there's no reason to expect one of the teams to jump ahead of the other three.

AFC North: A weakened Pittsburgh team faces three up-and-coming challengers. Cincinnati finishes with single-digit losses for the first time since 1997, and Pittsburgh watches the playoffs from home. Browns if they can keep QBs healthy and quell any potential controversies, Ravens if the Browns falter.

AFC South: Everyone is saying Titans or Colts, but keep an eye out on Jacksonville. Brunell has something to prove before he turns the reins over to Leftwich. Injuries and the Expansion Draft put a severe hurt on the Jaguars last year. McNair is said to be in the best health he's had in years, but Eddie George is getting a little long in tooth. Colts win the division.

AFC West: Is this the year Oakland realizes its too old? We thought that two years ago, and they limped into the playoffs with a three-game losing streak, then lost to Baltimore in Oakland. We thought that last year, but they made it to the Super Bowl. Age gets to them this year, and they miss the playoffs. Chiefs needed a defense last year, and they started to show some life in that department toward the end of the season. Chargers are in prime condition with a 4th-year star RB (Tomlinson) and a 3rd-year QB (Brees); now if their defense can find a new leader, they'll be almost unstoppable. Broncos, well, rebuilding but Portis keeps them alive until the end. Chargers win, Chiefs make it as a wild-card

NFC East: Forget Dallas, they'll be lucky to get 3 wins. Forget Washington, last year's 7-9 was a lucky fluke. Philadelphia wins, and Shockey comes down with hoof-in-mouth disease.

NFC North: Favre is getting old, and reality sets in this season. The Bears look more like they did two years ago (13-3) than last year (4-12) because they aren't playing 16 road games; Soldier Field makes them feel at home. Minnesota put together a 3-game winning streak to end last season, including knocking out playoff-contenders New Orleans and Miami; the question is if Tice can keep Culpepper and Moss on the same page. Detroit is revamped and looks to be the spoiler instead of the contender, otherwise this division is too close to call.

NFC South: Can New Orleans keep from slumping at the end? If so, they could take the division, especially when you consider that they swept Tampa Bay 2 last year. Vick put the Falcons in the running for the division title. Tampa Bay hasn't lost anyone significant from last year, they're in it too. Carolina is better, but still begging to be moved to the NFC East. Both NFC wild-cards come from the NFC South.

NFC West: Arizona still sucks. The Rams are in disarray. The 49ers and Seahawks are the contenders, but neither is a truly dominating team. Can Garcia last the season? Can Hasselback truly lead a team?

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gov135

The Ravens. As much as it pains a Browns fan to admit.

The D is even better this year, with great defensive draft picks and other guys (like the underrated Ed Reed) entering into their second seasons.

I figure the offense needs 17 a game, and they'll win ten easy.

crewsor

The Ravens are definately looking good. But as long as they stomp the steelers I'll be happy.

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Shpoop

awesome team? easy question: THE DOLPHINS!

surprise team eh? I wanna say the bengals, they are bound to get a break soon

The_Dude

i dont think we should count dallas out as the sleeper.

bill parcells is in the drivers seat and he has a good defense to work with. i think this "homo" might turn dallas football around.

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djtestudo

Thanks for giving me a good laugh

Anyways, I do believe the Ravens will suprise people. Redman is an underrated QB who has the heart of Trent Dilfer. Plus, our defense now has FOUR potential Pro-Bowl linebackers, plus two more at CB and at safety. Our D-line is looking ok, too (see Adalious Thomas running down Michael Vick on that now-infamous play).

And I didn't even mention a full-strength Jamal Lewis and a much-improved recieving corps.

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jumpingbeans

Browns....

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fearofmear

The Panthers won't surprise anyone . They are in the toughest NFC division. I'd say the Saints will surprise some in that they won't have a late season swoon. The will get a wildcard for sure.

Blu2e354

As i chicago bear fan I think stewart will stink But I think the saints and ravens will suprise. The saints beat the bucs twice last year they have the offense to outscore you and the defense will be much improved the seem to always get a good pass rush but their corners are weak. Ravens are rock solid on d and their offense is improved with a year of experience.

present_future

I think the bengals will surprise everyone by being even worse than last season.

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lions20

I like the Lions so obviously I will mention them.

The other team to watch out for is the Ravens. If they develop a good QB they can be dangerous. I think there D will be just as good as the Bucs.

lions20

I forgot about them I think they will definitely surprise some people.

guthmund

I think in the case of Dallas it's going to go one extreme or the other.

They're either going to be so scared of Parcells that they become a dominating force in the league, or so afraid to fart in front of "the homo" they mess up everything.

I've watched a couple of their pre-season stuff and they look pretty good.....of course, it's pre-season....

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Midlandmadman

I think Cincinatti will do alot better then last year...... and Detroit.

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MikeyChalupa

So after a preseason blowout, Cowboys fans are hooting about how their team is turning around. If Dallas puts up a 52 point game during the regular season, I will post a picture of myself wearing a Cowboys jersey and a Red Sox cap, holding a sign that say "Yankees Suck."

-Mikey

goof7ball

You're all forgetting about Denver. I've always thought Plummer was a good quarterback on a bad team, and now we'll get to see.

Being a huge 49er fan, though, I have to tell you all that they are going to win the SuperBowl, (and if that fails, then I would be really, really happy if they just beat the Rams twice).

lions20

Watch out for the Pats, they could be dangerous.