Although the Steelers have one of the hardest schedules this season, as good of a team that they are, their talented personnel should be able to overcome the perils that it presents.
While the Steelers aren’t excited about the teams on their schedule, their opponents will not be excited to face them either. The Cleveland Browns should challenge them again for the title, but the Steelers’ experience and depth warrants them to stay competitive in the AFC until the end.
8. Vikings
Copying a page off the Jets’ book, the Vikings took a free-agents-happy approach in trying to reload the team, landing the best DE in the game, Jared Allen from the Chiefs. Adding WR Bernard Berrian from Chicago should help Tarvaris Jackson and Sydney Rice’s development.
This team will benefit from Brett Favre's move to Broadway and should be the favorite in the NFC North if Jackson can stay healthy and play effective.
9. Seahawks
Given their dominance in this division over the last four years, they have to start the season in the top 10. The acquisition of Julius Jones from the Cowboys brings a little relief in the hope of rejuvenating a running game that went awry in 2007.
Matt Hasselbeck enjoyed a great statistical season last year but is losing many of his reliable targets to injury. Their tough defense may still be enough to lead them to yet another division title, but Arizona looks to be a capable obstacle.
10. Saints
What happens when you add a Jeremy Shockey (who will stretch defenses even further) to an already potent offense that features studs like Drew Brees, Marques Colston, Reggie Bush, David Patten, and capable backups like Deverey Henderson, Robert Meachem, Aaron Stecker, Deuce McAllister, and Pierre Thomas?
They become an even more poisonous and fatal team in a weak division that the NFC South represents. They improved their Achilles’ heel, defense, with notable acquisitions in the offseason. This team should be more consistent in 2008.
11. Packers
While losing Brett Favre seems devastating to everyone except for the Packers’ management, the team’s defensive corps remains untouched. Their offensive line stayed unaltered, and so did the receiving and running departments.
They will need all those units to step up for Green Bay to contend for the division while bringing Aaron Rodgers along the NFL learning curve.
12. Eagles
L.J. Smith and Donovan McNabb look healthy, but the team’s offense received a blow by the injury to their main receiver, Kevin Curtis, who will miss the first four weeks of the season at best. Brian Westbrook is going to have to have another big year, and the defense will have to continue to carry this team to tough victories.
13. Titans
The Titans keep drafting running backs with their high draft picks and refuse to hand Vince Young any feasible targets. They elected to let the few WRs available in free agency slip to other teams.
While it is widely known that defense and a solid running game wins championships, Tennessee doesn’t stand a fair chance against offensive powerhouses like Indianapolis, Dallas, and Patriots among others.
They start this high in my rankings because of their tremendous defense, which is the reason they made the playoffs last year when few people gave them a chance.
14. Browns
Cleveland will wrestle Pittsburgh for supremacy in the North, but early injuries (although not too serious) to Edwards, Anderson, and Winslow give the team an untimely disadvantage out the gate. This team has looked awful in preseason and has a tough start to the schedule. They cannot afford to get out of the gate that slow.
15. Buccaneers
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