Before I begin, I just want to re-assure all the readers that last week’s NFC standings have not changed.
Even with the recent player moves in the NFL, my divisional champions and wildcard teams have not changed in the NFC — at least not yet.
So let’s look at the AFC, usually regarded as the hardest conference of the two, for 2011.
Let’s begin with the AFC East. This division might have seen more big name moves, between all four teams, than any other division in the entire NFL.
What does that amount to? Maybe a more entertaining division for one, but it certainly won’t make any difference in the standings. The Buffalo Bills will come in last place, most likely with a below .500 record.
And the Miami Dolphins will still come in third place, regardless of the move for Reggie Bush — which is another big topic I don’t have time to talk about now.
So that leaves the New England Patriots and the New York Jets to fight for the divisional title. Both teams have gone out and made some big moves this offseason. The Jets picked up To Heap and Plaxico Burress while the Patriots went out and got Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco.
So will the Jets, coming off a postseason where they beat the title favorite Patriots in New England, beat out those same Patriots this year to win the division? No.
While the Jets are a very good team that has made some good moves this offseason, I don’t believe that they will be able to beat out the Patriots in the division. I do have the Jets getting a wildcard berth.
In the end, the Patriots will prove to be too powerful to not win the division.
Next up is the AFC South. Pretty simple here, only two teams that have the chance to make it to the playoffs. That would be the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans.
Every year I want to say that the Texans are going to be able to win that division. I want to say that the Colts are just too old to keep up with the Texans. But I just can’t do that. Until now.
I have a very good feeling that the Texans will be able to win that division from the Colts. I believe that their offense will be able to keep up with — and possibly be even better than — the Indianapolis offense.
Plus, it would be nice to see some new teams in the AFC playoffs.
And what is even worse for the Colts, is I don’t have them even getting a wildcard bid. It will be strange to watch the playoffs without Peyton Manning, but I am excited about it.
And the bottom end of this division I see the Tennessee Titans coming in third and the Jacksonville Jaguars finishing last.
Moving on to the AFC North. This is yet another division with two playoff quality teams. I think it’s pretty obvious that the Cleveland Browns and the Cincinnati Bengals won’t be winning this division.
I see the Bengals coming in last place with the Browns finishing third with a couple quality wins in their back pocket.
So that leaves us with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens, possibly the biggest rivalry in all of football. It’s not that these two teams have had a brutal rivalry over the last 60 plus years, but that in recent memory, this might be the most physical and hated rivalry in all of football.
When it comes down to it, I see the Pittsburgh Steelers finishing out the division in second place and snagging a wildcard spot into the playoffs, putting the Baltimore Ravens in the driver seat in that division.
The reason is that the Steelers always seem to have a not-so-stellar season after their Super Bowls. And they really haven’t gone out and made any big changes, no key free agent signings, just re-signing their current players. The Ravens will beat them out this year.
On to the last division, the AFC West. This might be the most fun division in all of football.
But when it comes to the end, the only team making it out of this division will be the San Diego Chargers. This team is far too talented, assuming the Chargers will be healthy this year, for any team to edge them out in the race.
I think the Kansas City Chiefs will come in second, followed by the Oakland Raiders in third and the Denver Broncos in fourth.
These standings are not my official ones as I will make my official predictions before the season starts.
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to trollason@yahoo.com.
