NFL Preview: AFC South

AFC South:

The AFC South has one of the two teams who experts feel can represent the conference in

Super Bowl 50. The Indianapolis Colts loaded up during the off-season with veterans who are hungry for a Super Bowl ring; receiver Andre Johnson came over from division foe Houston Texans as well as running back Frank Gore jumping ship in San Francisco. The defensive line also got some help with Trent Cole coming over from Philadelphia. Quarterback Andrew Luck is entering the last year of his rookie contract but that’s the least of his worries, the twenty-five year-old Luck looks to continue the Hall of Fame-like start to his career by adding a Lumbardi Trophy at the end of the season, and maybe a couple million dollars before then.

The Houston Texans have arguably the best player in the NFL, offense or defense, in JJ Watt. They also have last year’s first round pick in Jadeveon Clowney who is coming off micro-fracture surgery. If Clowney can get back to the type of player he was while at South Carolina the Texans will have one hell of a 1-2 punch on the defensive line. The team does have question marks on offense however, like who is going to be quarterback for coach Bill O’Brien in his second season? Who is the go-to target going to be now that Andre Johnson is in Indianapolis? With training camp starting this week those questions will hopefully be answered for a team who looks to derail the Colts’ plans of headlining a Super Bowl.

 

In Jacksonville, the Jaguars drafted someone who thought they could anchor the defensive line for years to come, Dante Fowler was chosen with the third overall pick. Unfortunately for the Jags and their fans however, Fowler tore his ACL during the first day of mini camp in May. With the addition of tight end Julius Thomas along with young and talented receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, quarterback Blake Bortles should have a couple go-to targets that will help the Jags get back to .500. Hopefully.

With the second pick the in 2015 NFL Draft the Tennessee Titans selected Oregon quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. There were questions surrounding Mariota coming out of college due to the system he ran and if he could adjust to a pro system. The Titans gave him a little bit of help by also drafting troubled wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham from Oklahoma (formally Missouri), Green-Beckham has the size and ability to be a top target, but the off the filed intangibles are what the team has to make sure don’t happen. The Titans also boasted their defense by adding Pro Bowl outside linebacker Brian Orakpo. The AFC South could be interesting in the first half of the season, but don’t count on it being a four team race.

Predictions: The Colts have too much fire power and a quarterback who knows how to use it.

NFL Preview: AFC North

AFC North:

The AFC East usually consists of three teams, the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The Cleveland Browns are the punch line of the division year in and year out and with question marks surrounding the team again this year, specifically if quarterback Johnny Manziel will be the quarterback the Browns thought he’d be, the team will more than likely be at the bottom of the division in 2015. The Browns lost wide receiver Josh Gordon after he got suspended for a third failed drug test. The team picked up receiver Dwayne Bowe from the Kansas City Chiefs so that might give them a go-to target but other than that they don’t have much to go-to. They drafted center Cameron Irving from Florida State to add some much needed help to their offensive line but we shouldn’t expect much from the Browns this year as it could be another 4 or 5 win season.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are your reigning champs coming off an 11-5 season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for nearly 5,000 yards and had 32 touchdowns last season including back-to-back six touchdown games. The Pittsburgh offense has a duo of Pro Bowl players in receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell along with Roethlisberger. The team drafted some defensive help in outside linebacker Bud Dupree from Kentucky. They also have to fill a hole left by the retirement of future Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu. The Steelers might be the favorites in the AFC North this year and could be one of the teams that could knock off other favorites the New England Patriots or Indianapolis Colts.

In Baltimore, the Ravens lost a lot multiple important pieces including All Pro defensive tackle Haloti Ngata having gone to Detroit but replaced them with guys who can come in and make an immediate impact. The departure of tight end Owen Daniels led to the drafting of Maxx Williams from Minnesota with their first round pick. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for almost 4,000 yards but will have to find another top target now that Torrey Smith is gone. The Ravens will again be in the mix for the division title and could very well top the Steelers for the crown.

The Cincinnati Bengals again made the playoffs, but again they failed to a win a game. Quarterback Andy Dalton had a mediocre season having thrown for 3,300 yards and 19 touchdowns. Receiver AJ Green also had a subpar season, the Pro Bowl talent had just over a 1,000 yards along with just 6 touchdowns. Defensive end Michael Johnson returns and if the defense can match the offense the Bengals are a serious threat to make the playoffs. Let’s just hope they can actually win a post-season game.  

Prediction: The Steelers and Ravens battle it out for the title with the black and yellow coming out on top for the second straight year. 

NFL Preview: AFC East

AFC East:

You can say what you want about the AFC East and the moves some teams might make, but the New England Patriots have had their way with the division over the last 15 seasons. This year they could have some actual competition and could finally be dethroned (not likely though). The defending Super Bowl champs lost a vast amount of talent however; Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork, Brandon Browner, Shane Vereen, and Steven Ridley all moved on to other teams. They do still have Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, and Bill Belichick roaming the sidelines. 

The Buffalo Bills did a few things in the off-season to help their cause by trading for All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy from the Philadelphia Eagles. They also added Percy Harvin, who should help whoever is taking snaps for new head coach Rex Ryan (Kyle Orton, Matt Cassell, or EJ Manuel). With one of the top defenses returning and a new spark in the organization, the Bills look to capitalize on that new found spark and get back to the glory days.

 

 Down in Miami the Dolphins also look to close the gap on the Patriots as they brought in free agent megastar Ndamukong Suh as well as drafting more downfield help in wide receiver DeVante Parker from Louisville. Quarterback Ryan Tannehill received a new deal and the arrow for the Dolphins could finally be pointing up. Head coach Joe Philbin’s coaching seat is pretty hot in South Beach and if he doesn’t cool it down by making the playoffs, he could be on his way out.

Then there are the New York Jets; who knows what kind of season they will have. Could this finally be the year Geno Smith leads the team to the playoffs? Probably not. He’s got a lot of help around him on both sides of the ball however so there will be even fewer excuses. Brandon Marshall comes over from Chicago along Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie. The two corners were acquired during the off-season to help the cause on the defensive side of the ball.

The AFC East might not be the best division out there but it should be an interesting and entertaining year to say the least. It always is. 

Prediction: The Patriots reign supreme yet again grabbing their 13^th division title since 2001.