The Way Too Early 2009 Season Predictions

The 2008 season is almost over.  We have one of the most surprising Super Bowl teams of all time (Arizona) to compete for the title against a Super Bowl stalwart (Pittsburgh).

With the Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, free agency and draft coming up, is it way too early to predict the 2009 NFL season?

Of course it is, but that isn't going to stop me. 

AFC North

1. Steelers—The Steelers are going to be good for a long time.  Big Ben is a great quarterback for this team and coach Mike Tomlin is an excellent leader. They will probably be coming off of a Super Bowl victory as well, so expectations will be high.

2. Ravens—The Ravens will be a competitive team, but they are going to lose some players to free agency. The growth of Joe Flacco will be the key to the Ravens' success. 

3. Browns—The Browns have weapons galore. Brady Quinn has the potential to be pretty good and he has a solid WR and TE to throw to. They need a young running back to complement (or replace) the aging Jamal Lewis, though. It will be interesting to see how Eric Mangini handles this team. 

4. Bengals—I appreciate the fact that they have not fired Marvin Lewis yet. He has the right approach to the game. If he could just get a defense, and stop losing players to injury, the Bengals could be competitive. Oh, and they need to keep at least one of their two stud receivers. 

AFC South

1. Colts—This team will always be competitive with Peyton Manning handling the quarterback position. By the end of his career he will be considered one of the all-time greats. The rest of the team needs to stay healthy, but there's no reason they won't be in the thick of the playoff hunt yet again, even with a new coach.

2. Texans—This is my sleeper pick for the AFC playoffs. I believe that this is the year the Texans put it all together. Their young defense is nasty and the offense has playmakers. They have put together some great drafts lately, and if that trend continues they will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

3. Titans—This is my pick for Most Likely to Slide. This team will not be as good next year. Kerry Collins had a career year and I do not expect that to happen again, while the loss of defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz to Detroit may cause trouble.

4. Jaguars—This franchise could be in for a pretty bad streak. They have underachieving players and do not seem to be in position to make any Earth-shattering moves. Another disappointing season awaits.

AFC West

1. Chargers—The AFC West is going to be pretty bad next year, I think. The Chargers will once again be the cream of the crop. Ditching LT would be a HUGE mistake, though.

2. Broncos—The Broncos will be competitive in their division, but the reality is that the division will not be very good. I do not buy the idea of a 32-year-old head coach, either.

3. Chiefs—This team could be substantially better than last year. I think firing Herm Edwards is a bad move, but Pioli's entrance is a good one.

4. Raiders—As long as Al Davis is around, this team will continue to be one of the worst in the NFL. Sorry, Raider fans, but it's true. Too many upgrades are needed for this team to even be close to competitive.

AFC East

1. Patriots—As much as I hate to say it, the Patriots will be back to their rightful spot as AFC East champions. This team is too good with Brady back, and Belichick is truly a genius. New England is deep and they draft well.  As long as Belichick runs the show, this should be their spot.

2. Dolphins—This team made huge strides this season and I believe they will continue to do so next year. They are being built in the right way, thanks to should-have-been-Coach of the Year Tony Sparano. On a related note, I believe Tim Tebow plays here in 2010.

3. Bills—The Bills started quickly this season but faded late. The potential is there, but can they last an entire season? We will see, but it's doubtful they can compete with the Patriots or Dolphins.

4. Jets—Sorry, Jets fans, but next season will be pretty bad. Rex Ryan is a good hire, but it will not come together next season. The need for a quarterback is glaring.    

AFC PLAYOFF SEEDS:

1. Patriots

2. Steelers

3. Colts

4. Chargers

5. Dolphins

6. Texans

AFC Championship Game- Patriots vs. Steelers

Super Bowl Representative- Patriots

NFC North

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