2010 AFC Division by Division Preview And Predictions

There are no shortage of stories coming into the 2010 NFL season. The AFC has it's fair share of headlines entering the year. Can the Steelers survive Ben's suspension? Can anyone in the AFC South or AFC West end the Colts and Chargers respective strangleholds on their divisions? Can the Jets backup the hype? Will the Raiders be playoff contenders now with improved QB play? With that, here are AFC division by division previews along with record predictions.

AFC West

1. San Diego Chargers: 9-7. Despite the absence of LT Marcus McNeil and WR Vincent Jackson due to contract holdouts, San Diego still has the best player in the division in Philip Rivers. San Diego's elite offense and culture of winning will stave off the upstart but flawed division opponents. The Chargers have won the AFC West 5 of the last 6 years, look for that impressive streak to grow.

2. Kansas City Chiefs: 7-9. Kansas City's level of talent has grown tremendously the past few seasons. They have a game changing tailback in Jamaal Charles, two playmakers in the secondary in rookie Eric Berry and CB Brandon Flowers, and two brilliant coordinators in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel. Questions at QB and the progress of defensive linemen Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey will ultimately hold the young Chiefs back.

3. Oakland Raiders: 6-10. Swapping JaMarcus Russell for Jason Campbell will undoubtedly garner improvement. Oakland has elite speed up and down their roster, the defensive line and linebackers are sound, and the secondary remains one of the best from a coverage standpoint in the league. The safeties are unproven, there is a lack of experience and ability at the skill positions, and offensive line concerns will prevent Oakland from more victories in 2010.

4. Denver Broncos: 5-11. Losing pass rusher extraordinaire Elvis Dumervil for the year was a devastating blow to an already depleted roster. The Broncos are the AFC version of the Seattle Seahawks, decent players at most positions but few standouts, particularly with the loss of Dumervil. The Broncos are a well coached, organized club but on most Sundays they simply will not have the talent to compete week to week. Knowshown Moreno will have to improve on a paltry 3.8 yards per carry during his rookie season.

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens: 12-4. In the two years Joe Flacco and John Harbaugh have been together in Baltimore, they've enjoyed three road playoff wins and a 20-12 combined record. The acquisitions of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh create a virtual Pro Bowl team on offense. The Ravens will have the best run defense in the league, but will their pass defense be the worst?

2. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-7. Much like the AFC East, where everyone is talking about the Jets and nobody talks about the Pats, it's a similar situation with the Ravens and Steelers. Ben Roethlisberger's four game suspension obviously hurts, but with a healthy Troy Polamalu roaming the secondary, this defense is as talented as it was during it's Super Bowl season two years ago.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: 9-7. This division is going to be a dog fight. The Bengals have the best cornerback duo in the NFL, have one of the best minds in football directing their defense in Mike Zimmer, and of course an embarrassment of riches at the offensive skill positions. Whether Carson Palmer can return to his elite status of 2005 and 2006 will determine Cincinnati's fate.

4. Cleveland Browns: 4-12. The Browns will be hard pressed to match last season's win total of five and still could be an improved football team. The secondary is the best Cleveland has had since their return to the NFL in 1999. They believe they have found a franchise RB in Jerome Harrison, who pieced together a dominant end to his 2009 season. Unfortunately the Browns have one of the worst group of wide receivers in the NFL, and one of the worst starting quarterbacks as well.

AFC East

1. New York Jets: 11-5. As far as offseason's go, no franchise enjoyed a better one than the Jets. The acquisitions of LaDainian Tomlinson, Santonio Holmes, Jason Taylor and Antonio Cromartie along with the addition of CB Kyle Wilson in the Draft bolstered a team that was one win away from the Super Bowl. Will the loss of Alan Faneca affect the running game? Can Mark Sanchez limit his mistakes?

2. New England Patriots: 9-7. As tempting as it is to fawn all over the Patriots, their defensive liabilities are just too much of a red flag. New England's offense remains one of the most intimidating units in the league, as Tom Brady is another year removed from that devastating knee injury. But Wes Welker's health and a lack of a pass rush and experience in the secondary will hold back the Pats.

3. Miami Dolphins: 7-9. The Dolphins have a lot of things going for them. They're one of the most well coached teams, they added Pro Bowl WR Brandon Marshall, and they still feature a terrific two headed running attack in Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. But Chad Henne has just 13 starts to his credit, the defense lost their premiere pass rushers in Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. And it doesn't help they have to face the Jets and the Pats two times a piece.

4. Buffalo Bills: 4-12. The Bills desperately needed a left tackle and a quarterback, but opted to select C.J. Spiller. Soon the NFL as a whole will find out why. Spiller is a game changing talent. If he played behind a line like the Jets or the Titans, he would run for 1,500 yards this season. Buffalo's defense has talent at all three levels, their special teams is always outstanding. But the Bills' QB situation will hold this team back.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts: 10-6. As long as Peyton Manning dons the #18 for Indianapolis, book the Colts for a division title and a subsequent playoff berth. The Colts get back Bob Sanders and Anthony Gonzalez from injury, the majority of their starters return from their AFC Champion roster last season, and of course their NFL record 4-time league MVP is still under center. Can this team stay healthy? Can Charlie Johnson protect Peyton's blindside effectively? 

2. Tennessee Titans: 9-7. If there's a recipe to beat the Colts, it's run the ball, win time of possession and keep Peyton off the field. The Titans are built precisely for that. Chris Johnson ran for 2,006 yards and added another 503 receiving yards in 2009, and will post another impressive year in 2010. Vince Young has shown growth at the QB position, the Titans defensive line has incredible depth and 3 of the 4 members of the starting secondary are Pro Bowl caliber. Concerns are at the WR position, and if Vince can continue to mature.

3. Houston Texans: 8-8. Texans fans aren't going to like to see another 8-8, but that's the reality of the situation. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson form one of the best duos in the game, but the Texans will be held back by their atrocious secondary. They lost CB Dunta Robinson to Atlanta, and LB Brian Cushing will miss the first four games to his suspension. Mario Williams is one of the defensive ends, but it won't matter much if their corners can't run with anybody.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 5-11. Maurice Jones-Drew is one of the five or six best players in the NFL, but the rest of the roster lacks too much. Unproven receivers and tight ends, arguably one of the worst pass rushes, and a very young defense as a whole will prevent Jacksonville from competing for the division crown. Additionally, the Jaguars have one of the worst home field advantages in the NFL.

PLAYOFF TEAMS:

San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts

WILD CARD TEAMS:

Pittsburgh Steelers, Tennessee Titans

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP:

Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts

BEST OFFENSIVE AFC PLAYER:

Chris Johnson, RB Texans. Johnson won't duplicate 2,000 yards, but I do see a very successful season with approximately 1,700 yards rushing, 400 yards receiving and 12 touchdowns. I envision Jeff Fisher using option formations with Vince Young and Chris Johnson to keep defenses guessing as well.

BEST DEFENSIVE AFC PLAYER:

Troy Polamalu, SS Steelers. No player means as much to his team as Troy means to the Steelers. He's the eighth man in the box to stop the run, he's the glue that holds the secondary together, he enables so much of what Hall of Fame defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is able to do.

AFC COACH OF THE YEAR:

Jeff Fisher, Titans. Fisher always gets the absolute best effort out of his players, and this year will be no different. It'd be very impressive if he can get this young Tennessee team to the playoffs in 2010.

NFC Previews and Predictions to come soon!