The 2012 NFL season kicked off on Wednesday night
with the Dallas Cowboys defeating the defending champions, the New York Giants,
24-17. This Sunday sees the rest of the league kick off and the AFC has its
fair share of teams aspiring to reach their goals and make their way to New
Orleans for Super Bowl XLVII. February 3rd is the date of the big game,
for now the road to get there is just starting and we will preview the 16 teams
from the American Football Conference whilst taking a look at their chances for
the 2012 season.
AFC East
The AFC East 4 teams have lots of thrills and
spills as there is usually a lot of pride on the line. Within it though there
is only usually one winner in recent years with the New England Patriots
winning the division 9 times out of the last 12 seasons. The Jets hope to play
well now that Tebowmania has arrived whilst the Bills and Dolphins have made
additions to the team as they hope to pull off a shock in the division.
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots were a completed pass away
from winning the Super Bowl this past February. Now Tom Brady and co dust
themselves down and get back to business as they look to go one step further
this year and win their 4th championship. The Patriots weakness last season was
on defense, they gave up lots of yardage and a weak secondary didn't help but Bill
Belichick is a defensive mastermind who will demand improvement. In the draft
he moved up to bring in two gifted rookies in defensive end Chandler Jones who
has raw ability and versatile Linebacker Dont'a Hightower. Improvement on
defense in the new 4-3 system could win the Pats the Super Bowl because on
offense they are one of if not the best team in the league, there's one man who
keeps the offense ticking and at that is future hall of fame Quarterback Tom
Brady. The 3 time Super Bowl champion loves to win and will settle for nothing
less, he personally is considered by some to be the best QB of all-time and one
more win in the big game could cement that claim. He's coming off one of his
best seasons as a pro, Brady threw for 5,235 yards with 39 touchdowns and just
12 interceptions in the 2011 regular. He now has a new receiving threat in
Brandon Lloyd who will offer him someone to throw to down deep, Josh McDaniels
has returned as the team's offense coordinator and was the man behind the
devastating offense of 2007 who went 16-0. Lloyd knows McDaniels from his time
in St. Louis so will fit in with the Patriots straight away but that is not
where the offensive weapons end as they have a two-headed monster at tight end
in Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The two are remarkable, with their
unique athleticism it gives the Patriots a distinct advantage down the middle
and does not only create matchup problems in the passing game for opposing
defense's but gives New England the personnel to run or pass and enable Brady to
do what he does best by conducting his hurry up offense. Gronk owns several of
Tight End records in the NFL which include records for most receiving
touchdowns with 17 as well as the most total touchdowns with 18 and the most
receiving yards with 1,327 all set in 2011. He also is the first tight end in
NFL history to lead the league in receiving touchdowns for an entire season.
Hernandez is just as deadly but is more versatile, the other option in the
offense for Brady is Wes Welker who is the most natural wide receiver of the
offensive tandem and has been a reliable option for the Patriots for years and
posted a career high 9 touchdown receptions last year. If everything goes to
the plan for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the rest of the Patriots franchise
then New England could well be making the trip to New Orleans for the 47th
edition of the Super Bowl and win the Lombardi trophy in Louisiana for a 3rd
time.
Prediction: 14-2, 1st in the AFC East.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills have spent a lot of money in free agency
as Buffalo aims to improve on its 4th place finish in the AFC East last season.
They started the 2011 season well and even claimed a win over the Patriots but
eventually slumped towards the end of the campaign, on offense Ryan Fitzpatrick
needs to take care of the ball better and they have running back Fred Jackson
back from injury. The main additions have been on defense though and with the
signing of Mario Williams a signal of intent has been shown by the coaching
staff and owners, Williams will bring a significant improvement to the D
especially as the Bills have also signed the likes of Kyle Williams, Marcell
Dareus and Mark Anderson who will bring a challenge to any opposing offense
with this explosive pass rush. The Bills will improve from last season but can
they put points on the board, depending on how well they can play through all
16 games will determine if they can reach the post-season.
Prediction: 9-7, 2nd in the AFC East.
New York Jets
The New York Jets have had a circus of an
off-season even by their standards after acquiring Quarterback Tim Tebow
despite signing last season's starter Mark Sanchez to a multi-million pound
contract. Tebowmania has taken over New York and many believe it is only a
matter of time before he is taking all the snaps for Gang Green. For now though
Rex Ryan will employ the wildcat offense for the Jets which will work well for
Tebow as he loves to run with the ball and will throw it when he has to. The
thing is despite having two QB's who have the potential to succeed in the NFL
the Jets lack any other explosive weapons at the other offensive positions so
even if Rex Ryan is able to rebuild his defense into an effective unit it's
doubtful that they will make the playoffs no matter who the Quarterback is for
this team. If this happens and the Jets don't improve then Rex Ryan could be on
his way out of New York during or by the end of this season.
Prediction: 7-9, 3rd in the AFC East.
The Miami Dolphins are in another rebuilding
process and have hired a new Head Coach in former Green Bay Packers offensive
coordinator Joe Philbin. Philbin was very successful at the OC position in
Green Bay so he will bring something new to the Dolphins franchise but he will
have to bide his time with rookie Quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Like the New York
Jets and the Buffalo Bills, Miami's offense is in a rebuilding process and
although all their Quarterback situations are different each lacks any depth or
major skill at the receiving position making it a close encounter for 2nd place
between the 3 in this division. Sadly for the Dolphins their defense isn't good
enough to keep them in games all the time like that of their two rivals so they
will struggle against most oppositions, for now Tannehill and co will have to
settle for a long season full of growing pains for the rookie QB but a good
season for him personally will prove that he is this franchises Quarterback
going forward.
Prediction: 4-12, 4th in the AFC East
AFC North
The AFC North had its fair share of excitement last year as the Baltimore Ravens knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers to win the division for the first like in 5 years. The Bengals will look to continue on from last season’s successes whilst the Browns are most likely to be the division’s whipping boys.
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a well organised football
team, they have a good Head Coach in Jim Harbaugh and his team was a missed
field goal away from potentially reaching last season’s Super Bowl. Sadly for
the Ravens and Jim it wasn't meant to be just like it wasn't meant to be for
his brother’s 49ers team. Despite the heartache of missing out on the big game
this Ravens side has a chance at going a step further this season as they have
a great defense and the offense is slowly improving each year as Quarterback
Joe Flacco gets better. Flacco has had his critics especially early in his
career but the 5th year QB is starting to win people over especially after some
big performances last season including the AFC Title game. This year will see
the Ravens offense employ a no huddle offense at times and this should give
Flacco the ability to show off his attributes and improve on past seasons or at
least remain as consistent as he has been in the last 4 years, he became just
the 4th Quarterback in to take his team to the playoffs 4 times in his first 4
seasons in the league and is the first ever to win a game in each. The offense
also has the explosive Ray Rice at running back who like Flacco is reaching new
heights in his career as last season saw Rice rank as Baltimore's second
all-time rusher with 4377 yards and 959 attempts with Rice also ranking third
all-time for touchdowns with 24. While the offense is improving as mentioned
before the Ravens defense is great despite losing the influential Terrell Suggs
but despite being in the league for 17 years they have the heart and soul of
the team still creating havoc in the league in the form of Linebacker Ray
Lewis. With Suggs out Lewis may be asked to do even more but he rises to the
challenge and with a different off-season training regime which has seen him
look sharper than ever he will still be terrorising Quarterbacks in 2012.
So the Ravens have a lot of positives going for them heading in to the new
season as they look to beat their division rivals for the AFC North crown and
give it another go in the playoffs.
Prediction: 11-5, 1st in the AFC North.
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have gone through many ups and downs in
the franchise's history but after reaching the playoffs last year this young
team has post-season experience under its belt and now has the tools to reach
the post-season again. Former starting QB Carlson Palmer was traded to the
Raiders but by doing so a young star emerged in the form of Andy Dalton, the
young Quarterback was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft and was
impressive in his first season in the league. He teamed up with wide receiver
and fellow rookie from the 2011 draft A.J. Green very well as Green himself
finished the season with 7 receiving touchdowns for over 1000 yards making
himself Dalton's first choice receiving option. Dalton racked up 20 touchdown
passes for only 13 interceptions and with the 20 TDs became only the 5th
Quarterback to do so joining the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton along with
Peyton Manning, Dan Marino and Charlie Conerly. The difference between the five
was that Dalton became the only rookie to win at least 8 years in his rookie season.
So with a lethal partnership among the offense as well as having a new reliable
running back in BenJarvus Green-Ellis the Bengals look good for 2012, the
defense should produce lots of sacks and turnovers as this Bengals team has a
lot of athletes who can cause most offenses trouble especially as Cincinnati
has a great secondary that includes six former first round picks as corner with
the best of the bunch being Leon Hall who is vital to this defense following
his return from injury. Whatever happens to the Bengals they won't take a major
step back but if they achieve what they want they will reach the playoffs and
will hope to go further than last year.
Prediction: 9-7, 2nd in the AFC North.
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the most successful
franchise in the NFL, the boys in black and yellow have won 6 Super Bowls since
the merger and are tied for the most Super Bowl appearances on 8 with the
Dallas Cowboys. A team like usually knows how to get the job done and has had
its moments where it has been done despite doubt among experts or just
outsiders in general. Since 2001 the Steelers have made the playoffs 8 times
out of 11 but with a depleted O-line and no franchise running back its down to
2 time Super Bowl winning Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to carry the load on
offense again for this team. Roethlisberger himself has had his critics in his
time as a professional but this won't phase him as the QB plays through
criticism as well as various injuries from his unique style of play at the
position. While his stats may not as eye-catching in comparison to other
Quarterbacks Big Ben is usually consistent and that suits the Steelers but as
mentioned previously, with no outstanding running back could the faults of
Roethlisberger catch him and this team out. Rashad Mendenhall will give it a go
running the ball, despite his injury concerns, in this new offensive playbook
and if the Steelers can keep wide receiver Mike Wallace happy then
Roethlisberger has someone dangerous to throw the football too. The make or
break for this Pittsburgh team will be on defense as they will have to keep
their side in games to give Big Ben a chance to get the job done. Another man
intending to help Roethlisberger get the job done is Centre Maurkice Pouncey as
he is at the heart of the O-line and is this team's best lineman. If this team
can stay healthy and construct their plan then Mike Tomlin's men have a chance,
the Head Coach will be crucial to this team's success but there is only so much
he can do as injuries have already taken their toll on the Steelers in
preparation for the new season. It would be no surprise if Pittsburgh managed
to reach the playoffs but in football cracks are usually exposed and there is
only a certain amount of time you can rely on luck.
Prediction: 8-8, 3rd in the AFC North.
Cleveland Browns
The Browns were the AFC North's whipping boys last
season and not much looks set to change in 2012. The team would like to improve
on its 4-12 record from last year but it doesn't look likely as they line up in
a tough division with not the easiest of schedules. The saving grace for this
Cleveland team is that they don't usually lose football games by a lot of
points, sometimes they beat themselves and with a team that gives it their best
all you need is a few additions to have a shot of getting going something
going. These additions were acquired in the draft and although this season will
probably not be fun for them the likes of QB Brandon Weeden and running back
Trent Richardson are both part of the future of this football team. Richardson
is only 21 and has been rated the best running back prospect since Adrian
Peterson meaning that already a lot of expectation has been placed on this
young man’s shoulders. Richardson was taken at number 4 in the draft making him
the highest selected running back since Reggie Bush, again placing pressure on
him, but if he can get fit before week 1 following his surgery then he can at
least give this Browns team something to look forward. As well as that his
presence will help Brandon Weeden, the QB is 7 years older than his rookie
team-mate and is the oldest player to be drafted in the first round ever. The
former baseball player has had his injury problems but is coming off a good
season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys after he lead them to a win in the
Fiesta Bowl. Overall for Cleveland they'll have to accept that they won't do
anything this year and probably won't move up in the win column either but good
performances by the new guys will give them hope leading in to the future.
Prediction: 3-13, 4th in the AFC North.
AFC South
The Texans won this division last year after
wrestling dominance away from the Colts who had won it 7 out of the past 10
years. The Titans thought they could make the most of Peyton Manning's absence
from the Colts team, who now have the 2012 drafts number 1 overall pick as
their QB, but it is Houston who are the new force down South while the Jags
hope to make the most of whatever chances they get.
Houston Texans
The Texans joined the NFL as an expansion team in
2002 following its previous franchises relocation to Tennessee who are now the
Texans AFC South rivals, the Tennessee Titans. The Houston Texans won the AFC
South division title last year and it was a historic achievement for the team
as it was their first title for the franchise. It was only the teams second
ever winning season in the 11 its now played and they have a solid roster to
thank for a successful season but sadly for Houston an injury to influential
Quarterback Matt Schaub in week 10 against Tampa Bay ended his season
prematurely. Despite the loss of their franchise QB and injures to other stars
such as wide receiver Andre Johnson and linebacker Mario Williams, now of the
Bills, Houston reached the playoffs and managed to beat the Bengals in the
wildcard game with TJ Yates as the Quarterback. The positives from 2011 give
this team high hopes for 2012 as many are predicted a potential Super Bowl
appearance for them come February, an encounter with the Patriots seems to be
the most likely match up for the AFC Championship but maybe such a big jump in
so little time is too much for Houston especially now as the team has to play
with the weight of expectation. Matt Schaub, Arian Foster and Andre Johnson
lead an explosive offense while the defense could be argued as the best in the
AFC along with the running game. For the defensive claims to be true someone
like Brooks Read needs to step up now that Mario Williams has departed, Read
recorded 6 sacks following Williams' injury last season. Texans fans and the
franchise have high hopes, deep down the players probably do too but is the
Super Bowl a step too far? Especially in a conference with the likes of the
Patriots and the Ravens who both have their eye on the top prize... We'll find
out over the course of the season.
Prediction: 9-7, tied for 1st in the AFC
South.
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags joined the NFL as an expansion team in
1995 and the football team is the only side amongst the "big 4"
sports in America to reside in Jacksonville. They have had 6 playoff
appearances but are still a long way away from a Super Bowl but now they turn
to the future in hope of some success. Justin Blackmon was their first round
draft pick of 2012 coming in at number 5 and he will need to become a
spectacular playmaker in order to stamp his authority on the league's defense's
and assure he is the Jags number 1 receiver. His skill set will offer
Jacksonville's Quarterback Blaine Gabbert something different and something
promising as he personally looks to improve on a tough rookie 2011 season in
which he was sacked 40 times. Gabbert needs running back Maurice Jones-Drew to
be at his best in order to offer the offense something different and cause
problems for opposing defenses to open up the passing game. The Jags D will
keep them in games and if Gabbert can take care of the ball on offense whilst
improving his accuracy they could win games but this team is still developing
and 2012 will just be a learning curve for this young Jacksonville team.
Prediction: 5-11, 3rd in AFC South.
Tennessee Titans
The Titans were expected to take over the reins in
the AFC South following the Colts' troublesome 2011 season. Instead they
endured some problems of their own as the team posted a regular season record
of 9-7 meaning they finished 2nd in the division and missed out on the
playoffs. Tennessee could contest for the post-season this year but it comes
down to two things, can Jake Locker prove himself in his first season as a
starting Quarterback in the NFL and can running back Chris Johnson return to
his superstar status by tearing up defenses from the backfield. Locker was
named the starter for the regular season early on in pre-season and will
obviously go through some growing pains with no other coming harder than Bill
Belichick's Patriots defense this Sunday. If Locker has a explosive Chris
Johnson doing what he does best then he can manage games better and produce
plays so that this team can get wins but will inconsistency haunt the Titans
come the end of the season.
Prediction: 7-9, 2nd in AFC South.
Indianapolis Colts
There's a new man in town and his name is Andrew
Luck, drafted out of Stanford as the number 1 overall pick of this year’s NFL
draft Luck comes in to Indianapolis giving a city renewed hope following the
release of its greatest ever player in Peyton Manning. Luck has a lot to live
up to and will want to quickly avoid any comparisons with number 18 but luckily
for him he has all the skills required to become an elite NFL Quarterback. The
comparisons will probably never end especially when Luck starts to achieve
success in the NFL, Luck holds various Stanford records and has been described
as the best QB prospect since Manning in 1998. When Manning was drafted 14
years ago Colts owner Jim shaped a franchise and his long term vision proved
successful as Peyton established himself as one of the greatest Quarterbacks
ever with the high point in Indianapolis being the Super Bowl triumph in 2006.
Luck will make an immediate impact and the Colts' aim will be for their new
franchise QB to one day lead them to another Lombardi trophy, they will be
competitive this season but as we know it’s a tough challenge for a rookie QB
to make the playoffs in his first season. The Andrew Luck era has seen this
Colts roster be dramatically changed as other long serving players such as
Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai and Gary Brackett were also released from the team.
Luck still has long time wide receiver Reggie Wayne to throw to and his
team-mate was drafted with him to the Colts which will bring some familiarity,
Tight End Coby Fleener. On defense Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are still
there to generate the pass rush but only time will tell on how ready this team
is for 2012, whatever happens though Luck is a natural born athlete and will
prove to be a huge success for the Colts but with it being his rookie season
and everyone looking to stamp their authority on Indies new poster boy just how
much luck will he and his team get this season.
Prediction: 9-7, tied for 1st in the AFC South.
AFC West
The AFC West was stunned when Peyton Manning joined
the Broncos as the teams new QB. They now hope to win the division again by
improving on their 8-8 record last year. The Raiders, Chargers and Chiefs will
all have hopes of reaching the post-season too as they have built teams who can
compete in the league and in an open division there is everything to play for
between the four.
Oakland Raiders
A new era of excellence is the slogan the Raiders
are going with now that the managerial changes have been rung in Oakland.
Former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has been hired as the
teams new Head Coach and he now has the challenge of attempting to revive a
franchise that has underachieved for many years. They finished with an 8-8
record last year and just missed out on the playoffs via a tiebreaker but with
a solid D which includes productive defensive tackle Tommy Kelly they should be
able to help the Raiders compete in 2012. With that being said it is on offense
where this teams hopes are effectively sealed as they look for further
production from their experienced Quarterback, Carson Palmer, who has a point
to prove and now that he has had a full off-season to get to know the offense
he will hope to improve on his topsy-turvy 2011. The main weapon for the
Raiders is running back Darren McFadden who despite possessing bundles of
talent has had durability problems in his time as a pro, if McFadden can stay
healthy and play through the whole regular season it will definitely give
Oakland a shot at the post-season as when fit he is a guy who can put up big
numbers as the Raiders will hope he can produce 1200 plus yards on the ground
to give this team the spark it needs.
Prediction: 7-9, 3rd in the AFC West.
San Diego Chargers
San Diego finished 8-8 last season and like their
divisional rivals the Raiders missed out on the playoffs via a tiebreaker to
the Denver Broncos. Now Norv Turner's team look to reach the post-season which
is possible for the Head Coach to achieve but it will be tough as for the first
time in a very long time the Chargers are underdogs. The Bolts use to dominate
this division when they had the likes of LT in the backfield but now all their
best playmakers seem to be injury prone causing questions for this team. The
likes of Vincent Brown and Ryan Matthews are injured but Phillip Rivers will
still produce at QB for the Chargers, he has lost his main receiver in Vincent
Jackson to the Bucs but the likes of Malcom Floyd and Eddie Royal should give
Rivers some targets. His main go to guy though is Tight End Antonio Gates who
despite going through two seasons of injuries has shown he could be back to his
dynamic best in pre-season, if Gates is fit then there is hardly anyone who can
cover him and it will give Rivers a reliable weapon. If the Chargers take care
of the ball on offense and their young defensive players emerge then San
Diego's hopes of competing in the AFC West will be possible.
Prediction: 6-10, 4th in the AFC West.
Denver Broncos
General Manager John Elway knows the importance of
having an elite Quarterback in your team, after all he was one for the Denver
Broncos in a glittering career which saw him appear in 5 Super Bowls winning 3.
Since Elway's retirement in 1999 the Broncos have only won the AFC West twice
including last year when Tebowmania took over in Denver as Tebow lead them to
the divisional round after a breathtaking win against the Steelers but once
future hall of fame Quarterback Peyton Manning became a free agent Tebow was
traded to the Jets. A new era has begun with the winner of Super Bowl 41 at the
helm and although there are questions about his throwing arm following his
injury Manning is healthy again and will be a valued asset for the Broncos. The
5 year deal signed by Manning shows he and the franchise have faith in his
ability to bounce back from what could have potentially been a career ending
injury. Peyton possess the skill to turn Eric Decker or Demaryius Thomas in to
potential pro bowl players but he will need the protection in order to pass the
football and Offensive Tackle Ryan Clady is the man who will provide it on
Manning's blindside. A good offensive game plan will also open up the run game
for the likes of Willis McGahee and the defense has come under some scrutiny as
its been claimed they overachieved last season but it has the ability to keep
Denver in games and contribute to any future success of this football team. If
everything goes to plan the Broncos could well make the playoffs despite some
tough regular season games.
Prediction: 9-7, 1st in the AFC West.
Kansas City Chiefs
Like the Houston Texans this Kansas City Chiefs
team is being predicted by some for a possible run to the Super Bowl. The
Chiefs are stacked on both sides of the ball so they should make the
post-season despite lining up in a competitive division. With the Patriots and
the Ravens being most people's choice to be representing the AFC in the Super
Bowl the Chiefs are already up against it but Head Coach Romeo Crennel knows
that he is doing and will do well during his first season in charge of the
team. Matt Cassel is the Chiefs franchise Quarterback and after returning from
a season ending hand injury has a point to prove as he looks to return to the
form he showed as a Patriot for one year and for the Chiefs in 2010. Cassel and
the Chiefs offense will deliver as they also have the likes of Dwayne Bowe at
receiver and Jamaal Charles at running back. Those two are great at their
respective positions and now that they are healthy along with Cassel the Chiefs
head in to 2012 with high hopes. Defensive back Eric Berry is the star on D and
could be a difference maker while a supporting cast among the roster help deals
with the long and gruelling schedule of an NFL campaign. Tony Moeaki and Peyton
Hillis are two players who can also help this team get over the line. While the
Chiefs will be reasonable confident of a trip to the playoffs and reclaiming
the AFC West title can it be done now that they have expectation on their shoulders
can they get it done.
Prediction: 9-7, 2nd in the AFC West.
Overall on paper the AFC only have a few standout candidates to reach the Super Bowl on February 3rd, while the NFC may have a lot more competition in terms of who can make the big game the AFC is just as competitive and will be just as exciting with some of the league's best teams and players on show. Who will make it to New Orleans in 2013, the battles commence from Sunday... Let the best team win.
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