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1

Pittsburgh Steelers

12-4

The Steelers won it all last year, and didn’t really lose anyone major enough to think they don’t have a good chance of repeating. Now, that’s not to say it isn’t extremely difficult to repeat, but until we have reason to knock them off the perch, they stay at the top. 

If Rashard Mendenhall can become a feature back, the offense will become even harder to stop, but Willie Parker isn’t done just yet. 

Will the transition from Hines Ward to Santonio Holmes as the No. 1 receiver continue? Holmes picked last year's Super Bowl as the right game for a potential breakout performance. 

No real worries on the defensive side of the ball, unless injuries pop up.

Key player for 2009:  Willie Parker

2

New England Patriots

11-5

The return of Tom Brady to the fold can easily make the Patriots the number one team on many people’s boards.  In my case, I’m going to make the Patriots earn the No. 1 spot. 

That being said, this team still looks extremely talented.  Similar to past years, they have added to their talent pool by bringing in vets like Joey Galloway, Fred Taylor and Shawn Springs, amongst others.  

Let’s also not overlook the Belichick coaching factor. He should have this team in top form, and perhaps even motivate Randy Moss for a big season to celebrate Brady’s return. 

Key Player for 2009:  Tom Brady

3

New York Giants

12-4

Yes, I know the obvious question that jumps out is the number one wide receiver position. However, I think the Giants are extremely deep and talented in the trenches on both sides of the ball. Their defensive line rotation is second to none at this point, and with stars Tuck and Umenyoria leading the way, opposing quarterbacks will have their hands full. 

The offense should produce enough to overcome any thoughts to missing Plaxico Burress, and I expect a big season from Kenny Phillips at the safety position. 

On offense, I think Steve Smith will be a big help to Eli Manning this season. 

Key Player:  Steve Smith (or whatever receiver might step up to replace Burress)

4

Atlanta Falcons

11-5

Expecting the Falcons to continue their sudden rise is asking a lot.  Especially if you believe in sophomore slumps. If Matt Ryan falters, the Falcons could potentially crumble. 

Adding TE Tony Gonzalez to the mix only gives the Dirty Birds another offensive weapon, and there already is a lot of talent in place with Michael Turner, Roddy White and Jerious Norwood. 

Will the defense miss the departure of Keith Brooking? Probably not as much as people would’ve thought a year ago, especially with the arrival of Mike Peterson. 

The secondary here could also potentially be an issue they will have to deal with. 

Key Player:  Matt Ryan

5

Philadelphia Eagles

9-6-1

The three biggest question marks for the Eagles this year are the health of Brian Westbrook, how will the team overcome the tragic death of defensive coordinator Jim Johnson, and will the arrival of Michael Vick create a distraction in the locker room? 

I’m not certain that any of these three will become a real problem at all, although in my opinion, the loss of Johnson will be the hardest to overcome. 

Look for LeSean McCoy to help carry the load at running back, and give the Eagles hopefully another option besides Brian Westbrook to run the ball.  That is, if you don’t want to include the potential Michael Vick factor in the Wildcat formation. 

The development of players like WR Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson will also be a key, as QB Donovan McNabb needs to develop a reliable No. 1 target. 

Key player:  Jason Peters

6

Indianapolis Colts

12-4

Yes, they’ve lost some of their brain trust and Marvin Harrison, both key factors to their string of success. However, Peyton Manning still remains in place, and Donald Brown could add a nice jolt to the running game when paired with Joseph Addai. 

This is a team that has to show the ability to stay healthy on the defensive side of the ball. If so, they will surely be a team to be reckoned with. 

Playmakers like Bob Sanders, Robert Mathis, and Dwight Freeney must not only stay healthy, but produce on the defensive side if this team is going to put together a long playoff run. 

Thus far, Sanders is out for the early part of the schedule, and Mathis and Antoine Bethea are banged up. Not a good start for the defense, but there certainly is time to recover. 

Key Player:  Dwight Freeney

7

San Diego Chargers

8-8

Will head coach Norv Turner finally put it all together and have a team live up to its expectations?  Up until now, Turner has struggled in the spotlight, specifically in the postseason. 

Has LaDanian Tomlinson finally fallen? Darren Sproles should help overcome any potential drop-off from LT. 

The Bolts also welcome back the injured Shawne Merriman to the fold, and his playmaking abilities could drive quarterbacks crazy, assuming he can remain off the police blotter. 

Merriman’s return could make the Chargers defense that much better, but even without Merriman, there are still enough playmakers in place for them to stop their opponents regularly. 

Key player:  Antonio Gates

8

Tennessee Titans

13-3

Will the Titans be able to replace the $100 million man?  There are candidates available to share the load to replace Albert Haynesworth.  Overall though, a lot of things went right for this team last year, on their way to a 13-3 season, and will they be able to repeat that same success? 

Will Kerry Collins be able to repeat his great performance from last year?  Will the RB tandem of Chris Johnson and LenDale White be able to run all over defenses? 

These are some of the fair questions to bring up, and I think the defense will at least take enough of a hit by the loss of Haynesworth to come up short in trying to repeat last year’s record, but should still garner a playoff invitation. 

Key player:  Kyle Vanden Bosch

9

Carolina Panthers

12-4

The Carolina Panthers feature some superstar players like DeAngelo Williams, Steve Smith, and Julius Peppers.  They also have a sly coach in John Fox. 

Is there enough depth to support their superstars, and does quarterback Jake Delhomme have enough left in the tank after injuries to lead the offense to produce? 

In my opinion, this is a tough team to get a read on, as I can easily see them being either 11-5 or 5-11.  Utilizing secondary passing targets beyond Smith will certainly be imperative.  

Key player:  Jake Delhomme

10

Baltimore Ravens

11-5

The Ravens seem to be in a very similar situation to the Falcons, as their second year quarterback will definitely have a huge impact on their prospects for 2009. 

However, where the situation differs greatly from the Falcons, are they have a defense led by Ray Lewis and Ed Reed.  Those two sure-fire Hall of Famers lead what is perennially one of the toughest, if not THE toughest defense to play against. 

As long as Flacco can help lead the offense to put points on the board on a somewhat consistent basis, the Ravens should be in the mix. 

Key player:  Terrell Suggs