NFL Preview: Division-by-division

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3.  Tennessee Titans 8-8: The Haynesworth loss hurts. Big-time. The Titans will no longer be able to dominate teams in the running game, and Kerry Collins will be forced to win games. The defense is still good, but won't be great. This reminds me of the Jaguars last year, where the loss of Marcus Stroud did severe damage to the defense. 

3.  Jacksonville Jaguars 8-8: They made some improvements at wide receiver, tackle, and on the defensive line. However, they play in a tough division. But the Jaguars are a sleeper and have some talent at key positions. Look for Maurice Jones-Drew to have a monster year. But, David Garrard does not have the consistency to lead this team to the playoffs.

AFC West

1.  San Diego Chargers 12-4: This has been a talented team for a while, and this year it should come together. The secondary has underachieved, but the talent is there.  Shawne Merriman is back, and despite a tough schedule (NFC East, AFC North), there are 12 wins on the table. The Chargers will put some points on the board and put some quarterbacks on their backs.

2.  Kansas City Chiefs 7-9: After a good draft, expect KC to improve. But that defense and the offensive line are still questionable. Matt Cassel will help, but this is not a playoff team.

3.  Oakland Raiders 6-10: They will sweep the Denver Broncos. Though the pick has been questioned, Darrius Heyward-Bey will at least stretch the field for JaMarcus Russell, allowing Darren McFadden and the backs some breathing room. However, the defensive line was not improved, and the run defense will be poor. 

4.  Denver Broncos 3-13: I hope the owner is kicking himself right now. Josh McDaniels has no idea what he's doing, and for him the Broncos fired a two-time Super Bowl winning coach, a Pro Bowl quarterback with a cannon arm, and angered their top receiver. There is some talent, but the offense has regressed and the defense is still poor (Brian Dawkins is not the same player he once was). This is a playoff team that has been run off the tracks by poor personnel management. Too bad for Brandon Marshall.  Too bad for Eddie Royal. Too bad for Knowshon Moreno. Too bad for Brian Dawkins, who probably thought he would have a shot at the Super Bowl before this mess happened.

NFC East

1.  Philadelphia Eagles 12-4: This team should win the Super Bowl. Jeremy Maclin has the size, speed, and athleticism to be a No. 1 receiver, DeSean Jackson could be the next Steve Smith. Combine that with a Pro Bowl-laden offensive line, the best quarterback in the division, a healthy Brian Westbrook spelled by LeSean McCoy, a Pro Bowl fullback, and improvement at tight end; there are no holes in this offense. On defense, free safety is a question mark, but only in the sense that we don't know who will start there. Between Quintin Demps, Rashad Baker, Sean Jones, and Quintin Mikell, the competition should give way to two quality starters. Asante Samuel is the best cornerback whose name I can pronounce in the NFL, Sheldon Brown, Joselio Hanson, and Ellis Hobbs represent great depth, and Stewart Bradley is ready to be the next Brian Urlacher. Provided they stay healthy, you can write this down: The Eagles are THE team to beat in the NFC. 

2.  New York Giants 10-6: That front seven is scary, and the secondary has improved.  However, there are still issues offensively. The top-tier teams will beat the Giants by loading the box, and forcing Eli Manning to beat them on third down. The Giants' receivers are young, but none of them demand double teams. The Giants will be able to dominate teams into submission by controlling the ball, but against a team like the Eagles, this advantage will be neutralized. 

3.  Dallas Cowboys 9-7: The early part of the schedule certainly bodes well.  They'll get off to a good start, but the back end is brutal and I could see them losing five in a row to end the season. The talent is there, but that secondary is in shambles.  Aside from the aging Terrence Newman, there is no proven commodity. Tony Romo

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