Division Breakdown: AFC North

Baltimore Ravens

The ascending Ravens offense has finally addressed its Achilles' heel, the receiving department, but the improvements could be for naught as their vaunted defense ages.  Ray Rice is a superstar that can carry an offense while Joe Flacco is steady and improving with a great downfield arm.  Anquan Boldin gives them a legitimate go-to receiver and Dennis Pitta will make a receiving impact as a rookie.  The offensive line is talented and huge.  The defense should again be very good with Haloti Ngata, one of the best defensive linemen in football.  Terrell Suggs and Sergio Kindle should form a great pass rushing duo, and Ray Lewis is still a nightmare when he gets his hands on you.  Ed Reed considered retiring due to injuries this offseason, but he is back and is still a top-5 safety in this league.  Cornerback is a concern.  This team is hugely talented and needs to stay healthy to threaten for a Super Bowl bid.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals have transformed their offense by finally adding some receiving weapons.  The standout is draftee and super athlete Jermaine Gresham at tight end.  He opens the middle of the field and creates opportunities for new addition Antonio Bryant as well, who, when healthy, can be a Pro Bowl-level player.  They also add Jordan Shipley who can thrive out of the slot immediately.  With that array of weapons and second-year tackle Andre Smith improving, Carson Palmer should have his best season in years, not to mention the emergence of Cedric Benson as a bell cow back.  The defense should continue ascending.   Talented but mercurial Carlos Dunlap joins a talented and young linebacking corps with Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers.  Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall may be the best corner tandem in the league.  If their rookie class can contribute immediately, this team can win the division.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh is going to be in disarray this season after Ben Roethlisberger's antics and subsquent four- to six-game suspension, trading away their best receiver Santonio Holmes, and the season-ending injury to tackle Willie Colon.  The defense should still be tough with Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, James Farrior, and Casey Hampton forming an impressive core.  Rashard Mendenhall looks like a breakout candidate, and Maurkice Pouncey will help on the offensive line.  Still, there are not enough playmakers on this team and the locker room could be toxic.

Cleveland Browns

You just might mistake them for Swiss cheese; the Browns have as many holes as any team in football.  Jake Delhomme is completely done and yet will be the starting quarterback for this team.  They have almost no playmaking ability on offense, although Joe Thomas, Eric Steinbach, and Alex Mack make up a nice group along the offensive line.  Joe Haden will be a very good corner in time but the rest of the defense is suspect, and you never know what Shaun Rogers will bring.  This team could be the worst in football.  Colt McCoy may start eventually but will not be ready this year.

Final Standings

Baltimore Ravens 12-4

Cincinnati Bengals 9-7

Pittsburgh Steelers 7-9

Cleveland Browns 4-12

Division Breakdown: AFC South

Indianapolis Colts

I see no reason why the Colts should not be back in the Super Bowl again this year.  The offense is much the same with Peyton Manning as the ring leader and Joseph Addai, Donald Brown, Dallas Clark, Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie as acts in the offense's circus.  The offensive line is sturdy but aging.  First round pick Jerry Hughes ramps up an already frenetic pass rush and second round pick Pat Angerer bolsters their linebacking corps.  If Bob Sanders can somehow stay healthy, he forms the league's best safety duo with Antoine Bethea, and makes the Colts the league favorite.

Houston Texans

The Texans have been dealing with the pressure of being everyone's breakout team for years.  Perhaps they have grown into the role however and are ready to make the franchise's first playoff appearance.  Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are one of the very best quarterback-wide receiver connections in all of football.  The offensive line still has questions.  Rookie Ben Tate should nicely complement Steve Slaton.  The defensive front seven is extremely talented with Mario Williams, Amobi Okoye, Brian Cushing, and DeMeco Ryans.  Kareem Jackson helps replace Dunta Robinson and should be solid even as a rookie corner.  I think ultimately the offensive line and defensive secondary will keep this team from challenging the Colts.

Tennessee Titans

Handicapping the Titans is a difficult enterprise because of the two halves of their 2009 season.  Which team will they be this year?  Chris Johnson is as dominant an offensive player as there is in the league.  The offensive line is solid up front, but I wonder if Vince Young can keep defenses honest throwing the ball.  Kenny Britt is going to be a very good receiver.  The defense is mostly solid and added rookie Derrick Morgan who can play the run and rush the passer.  The secondary had three Pro Bowlers two years ago in Cortland Finnegan, Michael Griffin, and Chris Hope.  They should again be very good.  Ultimately, this team does not throw the ball well enough to make a playoff push.

Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville's draft strategy leaves something to be desired.  The Jaguars notoriously reached for Tyson Aluala with their first pick, and nabbed another defensive tackle, D'Anthony Smith, with their next selection.  Defensive tackles usually take a while to adjust to the pro game, and this team has holes everywhere else.  David Garrard is so-so at quarterback and really has nobody to throw to except super back Maurice Jones-Drew.  If he can come back from an ACL injury sustained last November, Aaron Kampman greatly benefits this defense.  He will move back to a 4-3 end where he can be dominant after struggling through the Packers' attempt to change him into a 3-4 outside linebacker.  Other than him this defense has a ton of holes and should be about as effective as the offense, which is to say not very.

Final Standings

Indianapolis Colts 13-3

Houston Texans 10-6

Tennessee Titans 8-8

Jacksonville Jaguars 4-12

Division Breakdown: AFC West

San Diego Chargers

San Diego once again will be much more talented than any other team in their division, and if Ryan Mathews proves worthy of his first-round selection, the Chargers are a Super Bowl threat.  Marcus McNeil and Vincent Jackson are threatening to hold out, but once the pigskin starts flying I assume they will be back in the fold.  The defense is a concern, but in this division, their explosive offense should be enough.

Denver Broncos

The Broncos puzzled many by selecting Tim Tebow and Demaryius Thomas when they could have nabbed Jimmy Clausen and Dez Bryant at both spots.  I did not like their choices, but if they are confident in their guys, then they made the right picks.  Their offensive line is one of the best in football and can help steady a team that is rocky at many other positions.  Kyle Orton should be the starter and is solid but nothing more.  Brandon Marshall will be sorely missed and the Broncos defense overachieved last year to the tune of just an 8-8 record.  Josh McDaniels has work to do.

Oakland Raiders

The Raiders will actually resemble a football team this year with Jason Campbell representing a huge upgrade over JaMarcus Russell.  Darren McFadden and Michael Bush is a running back tandem with potential, but thus far has lacked in production.  Rolando McClain will be able to start and make an impact immediately at linebacker.  They have a promising front seven with Richard Seymour still playing at a high level, the addition of pass rusher Kamerion Wimbley, and of course McClain.  Nnamdi Asomugha is still a top-3 corner in football.  This team has holes on the offensive line and will struggle to score points.

Kansas City Chiefs

Although the Chiefs will be looking up at the rest of their division this season, they put together an excellent draft, taking players that can contribute instantly to a team in dire need of reinforcements.  Matt Cassel has to play better than he did last year.  He should have some help with draftees Dexter McCluster and Javier Arenas providing serious juice in the return game and McCluster adding explosion as a slot receiver as well.  Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey need to live up to expectations.  If they can, this defense could really have something with the addition of Eric Berry.  The offensive line is a concern and Dwayne Bowe needs help making plays.


Final Standings

San Diego Chargers 11-5
Denver Broncos 7-9
Oakland Raiders 7-9
Kansas City Chiefs 5-11

Adam's 2010 NFL Predictions

AFC East	AFC North	AFC South	AFC West
Patriots 11-5	Ravens 12-4	Colts 13-3	Chargers 11-5
Jets 10-6	Bengals 9-7	Texans 10-6	Broncos 7-9
Dolphins 8-8	Steelers 7-9	Titans 8-8	Raiders 7-9
Bills 5-11	Browns 4-12	Jaguars 4-12	Chiefs 5-11
NFC East	NFC North	NFC South	NFC West
Cowboys 11-5	Packers 11-5	Falcons 11-5	49ers 9-7
Eagles 9-7	Vikings 11-5	Saints 10-6	Seahawks 6-10
Giants 9-7	Bears 7-9	Panthers 6-10	Cardinals 6-10
Redskins 7-9	Lions 6-10	Buccaneers 4-12	Rams 3-13

AFC Wild Card Games: Jets@Chargers - Jets 24-20; Texans@Patriots - Patriots 21-14

NFC Wild Card Games: Vikings@49ers - Vikings 20-16; Saints@Falcons - Falcons 34-31

AFC Divisional Round: Patriots@Ravens - Ravens 24-16; Jets@Colts - Colts 27-17

NFC Divisional Round: Falcons@Cowboys - Cowboys 27-20; Vikings@Packers - Packers 20-17

AFC Championship: Ravens@Colts - Colts win 27-20

NFC Championship: Packers@Cowboys - Cowboys win 31-28

Super Bowl: Cowboys over Colts 28-27


MVP - Aaron Rodgers (Packers)
Offensive Player of the Year - Ray Rice (Ravens)
Defensive Player of the Year - Patrick Willis (49ers)
Offensive Rookie of the Year - Ryan Mathews (Chargers)
Defensive Rookie of the Year - Eric Berry (Chiefs)

Rodgers is the only quarterback to ever throw for 4,000 yards in his first two seasons as a starter.  He has a huge arm, great intelligence, and is one of the most mobile signal callers in today's game.  Jermichael Finley is an emerging star at tight end, the combination of Greg Jennings and Donald Driver is a top-5 receiving tandem, and Ryan Grant is a lock for 1,000 yards on the ground.  Additionally, the maligned offensive line should be much improved with the addition of first round pick Brian Bulaga.  Patrick Willis is the best linebacker in football with unmatched range, athleticism, and strength.  He has led the league in tackles two of his first three years and should only be improving heading into his fourth year.  He is excellent in coverage as well.  Ray Rice should have even more room to operate with the addition of Anquan Boldin and rookie tight end Dennis Pitta.  He is an excellent receiver out of the backfield and has not accumulated a ton of career carries so he should not be worn down.  Ryan Mathews will get the bulk of the carries in a potent Charger offense.  Running back is usually the easiest position for a rookie to contribute in right away.  Eric Berry is viewed as the surest prospect in the draft and should start from day one in Kansas City.

2010 NFL Season Preview

To coincide with the beginning of NFL Training Camps, we here at Hill 364 will embark on previewing the upcoming season.  Our first post will be a series of predictions from Adam on how the season will unfold.  This will be followed by Adam's division-by-division breakdown of the entire NFL, first taking aim at the AFC and then moving on to the NFC.  Now, because I don't want to miss out on all the fun, I will offer up my own predictions for the season.  Then to finish up our official Preview, Adam will present his list of the top players at each position in the NFL.  Happy Football everybody!

--from Eric