-The defense struggled against the run and the pass last year, and as a result, they traded their best defensive playing for an inconsistent defensive tackle from Detroit whose never played nose tackle before.
-If C.C. Sabathia is any indication, Cleveland is on a losing streak.
Most Passing Yards: Derek Anderson (25-1)
Baltimore 6 W, O (-120) U (even) Proj. 7-9
If Flacco (or later Smith, after he gets benched) can come in and manage the game, and McGahee and Rice can run effectively, the defense will bounce back after a disappointing season and they will take the division.
(Flacco and Smith won’t be able to do that.)
Cincinnati 7 W, O (-145) U (+115) Proj. 5-11
Quick, pile on the under!
AFC SOUTH
Tennessee 8 W, O (+110) U (-140) Proj. 8-8
A couple of years ago, I was watching the Rose Bowl, and this quarterback with the worst throwing motion I ever saw marched down the field to topple USC, and I remember thinking to myself, "How’d he make it that far without knowing how to throw?"
Sometimes I wonder what happened to that guy.
(An unrelated aside: Does anyone else think Dave Navarro is looking like Michael Jackson? Watching the Gong Show while I’m finishing this up...never seen it before...where’s the remote?)
Indianapolis 11 W, O (-105) U (-125) Proj. 9-7
This is the first season in years where Indy’s no longer a lock for the playoffs. They come into the season with a lot of unanswered questions:
-Is Manning 100%?
-Do they have the depth to replace Jeff Saturday?
-Where are Freeney and Harrison, are they still effective?
-Can Bob Sanders stay healthy?
The loss of Saturday is bigger than anyone seems to realize. Offensive line is crucial to the success of the offense, and the center is the leader of the line.
Peyton has the same problem with his knee that Harrison had last year...the early word was that he recovered from the same injury in college and recovered to play in a bowl game a month later. Now he’s 32. There’s a big difference between the recovery time of a guy in his early 30s, and a guy in his early 20s.
Jacksonville 10 W, O (-110) U (even) Proj. 9-7
Jacksonville has spent the last two seasons as an elite team. They come into the season as a popular Super Bowl pick, but they worry me. Their defense fell off a bit last year, and we won’t know if their defense is back until the season starts.
The offense succeeded last year because they ran the ball well, and Garrard played out of his mind. Expect them to keep running well, but it’s not realistic to expect him to throw six TDs for every interception this year.
He’s coming back to earth. He’s still going to be a good QB, I still see them making the playoffs, but I just won’t be making any reservations come February.
Houston 7.5 W, O (-145) U (+115) Proj. 11-5
The Colts don’t appear healthy and can’t seem to stay that way. Jacksonville will turn the ball over this season, and they both have brutal schedules. Houston has a tough schedule as well, but it’s a little softer.
Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson lit the world on fire before they went down with their respective injuries. Mario Williams looks like he might be the best defensive end in football, and he’s surrounded by a young, talented defense that looks ready to take the next step forward.
Why not?
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