Bengals +7.5 @ Colts: I love Indy with this pick. I know the Bengals battled back against the Steelers and made it close, but I’m not buying it two weeks in a row. Cincinnati isn’t a good team this year and I don’t see them going into Indianapolis and matching Peyton TD for TD. I think the Colts win easily by double digits 31-20.

Vikings -1 @ Bears: Chicago is at home, and the Vikings still are a splintered team but I’ll take Minnesota in this game with a pretty high confidence. The Bears simply can’t protect Jay Cutler, and the Vikings still get after the quarterback with the best of them. On offense Favre is coming off his best game, and he has been known to carry teams on his back in the past. I look for it to be close but Minnesota to win and cover 21-17.

Lions -1 @ Bills: A lot of people seem to be pegging this as Buffalo’s first win, and I get the argument. The Bills are at home, have shown improvement and Lions quarterback Matt Stafford is out. Now if Drew Stanton was playing I’d say they have a case, but I believe Shaun Hill will lead the Lions to their 3rd win. That Buffalo offensive line is one of the worst in the league and we all saw what the Lions did to the Washington Redskins unit. I think the Lions will slow down Fitzpatrick and force a couple of costly turnovers. The Lions win this 27-24.

Jets-3 @ Browns: Boy this is a tough one, on paper it shouldn’t be a contest and the Jets should win by 13 not 3, but they have been struggling recently. And while the Jets have been struggling the Browns led by rookie quarterback Colt McCoy are looking good. Back-to-back wins against the Saints and New England, have people beginning to take notice of the Browns. Normally I’d say this is where Cleveland’s glass slipper falls off, but I’m not ready to count them out just yet. Jets win but don’t cover as they squeak out a 24-23 victory.

Titans +1 @ Dolphins: It’s unclear if or how much Vince Young will play so I understand why the Dolphins are favored at home, but remember they too are going with a different guy behind center. Chad Pennington is replacing ineffective starter Chad Henne, so it will be interesting to see how Chad Part II does. Even if Young doesn’t play I like Tennessee in this game, they have been struggling of late, but they have a top notch defense, Chris Johnson and oh yeah just acquired Randy Moss. He might not have a huge impact, but i’d expect Moss to open up some things for CJ. Titans win 28-20.

Panthers +7 @ Buccaneers: Although I still think Tampa is a bit overrated I don’t think they will have much trouble in today’s game. Carolina isn’t a good team to begin with, and injuries are really beginning to take their toll. I really think Tampa runs away with this game early and I see a 31-13 final.

Texans +1 @ Jaguars: I understand the Jags are at home and have been playing better football, but I just don’t see it. The Texans have struggled some, and their defense can’t really stop anyone, but Schaub/ Foster/Johnson are nearly unstoppable. I think the Texans secondary will keep Jacksonville in it but I see a pretty high scoring game, 35-27 in favor of the Texans.

Jets Hold off Favre and the Vikings: The Jets are continuing to show themselves as one of the best teams in the NFL as they knocked off the reinforced Vikings last night 29-20. In many ways it was a classic Jets defensive struggle in the pouring rain as their offense scored just one touchdown. The Jets forced 3 turnovers, including a pick six at the end of the game to seal the victory. The Jets relied on the leg of Nick Folk, who was perfect in the inclement weather conditions, going 5 for 5. It was another big win for New York as they are now 4-1, and look to be in control of that division. The Vikings fall to 1-3, and have to begin questioning what is wrong in Minnesota. Yes it was the Jets defense, and yes Randy Moss isn’t fully worked into the lineup, but they still need to find a way to win. On the positive side they did play a much better 2nd half than their first half. It will be a long week in Minnesota as they desperately need to find a way to be consistent and play a full 4 quarters of football.

Patriots Trade a 4th round pick for Deion Branch: Somehow Randy Moss is only worth a 3rd round pick (with the Patriots giving up an additional 7th in 2012) to Deion Branch being worth a 4th round pick? Branch at one time might have been a top notch receiver who helped the Patriots win Super Bowls, but he has resembled anything close to that of late. He lacks the speed and quickness he used to have, and while he can still help some he isn’t worth the nearly $6 million he will be due to make next year (or the $3 million plus he will make the rest of this year). Yes the Patriots had an extra 4th rounder from the Broncos in the Laurence Maroney trade (they gave up their 6th rounder as well) and multiple additional picks from other trades. But I think New England overpaid here (by a lot). Given how much money he was owed I’m surprised the Patriots had to give up more than a 6th or 7th rounder. While he has some experience with Brady, it has been 4 and a half years since they’ve been together. I think Brady and New England overvalued that history. There were easily other cheaper, younger receivers available for less of a draft pick compensation price. There is way too much of a drop off in value from Moss to Branch for these deals to be motivated by football decisions. New England got their hand caught in the cookie jar by not having enough quality receivers and Tom Brady basically lobbying for Branch.

Giants Knock off Atlanta, Bring an End to Cox’s career: Bobby Cox is one of the all-time great managers in baseball, as he has led Atlanta to multiple playoff appearances and has kept them a contender for the last two decades. Now though his career ends on a bittersweet note at home, as his Braves fall to the Giants 3-2. The Braves played well in the series, but in the end the Giants pitching was just too much for them. San Francisco in an amazing show of sportsmanship, stopped their celebration to honor Bobby Cox last night. While it wasn’t the final tribute Cox or the Braves were hoping for, it was nice that his final game was at home and the Giants showed him the respect he deserved.

A Guest Blog By Fanspeak Contributing Writer John Manuel:

Now that the majority of NFL teams have played a quarter of the season we can start to get a grasp on which teams are contenders and which are pretenders. I wanted to throw out a few thoughts on what I have seen and what I feel may be coming up down the road. As with every season, it hasn’t been boring. Great games and compelling storylines have already taken place in the first month.

Let me first start with the team which comes into week five possibly playing the best. The New York Jets. Three weeks ago they looked like a fiasco, all the talk was about Rex Ryan’s mouth, Mark Sanchezs’ Trent Edwards style checkdowns and the lingering effects of doing Hard Knocks. Three straight wins have changed that. LT is playing like five years ago, Darelle Revis, Santonio Holmes, and Calvin Pace are due back this week and Sanchez hasn’t turned the ball over. Side note, my friends and I get a good laugh anytime Holmes is referred to SanAntonio Holmes. It happened this week by Dan Fouts again. I am far from sold on the Jets mainly because what I saw week one versus the Ravens. When it comes playoff time the Jets will be seeing tough defenses like the Ravens again or the Steelers or the Bills…just joking Bills fans. I have a feeling we could be seeing a lot more stagnant Jets offense like week one. Can the defense and the running game carry them like last playoffs, maybe?

If were talking checkdown quarterbacks, Kevin Kolb was the king of week 4. Take some chances bro. Its tough to discuss the Eagles without being biased, being a Redskins fan. Sometimes I worry that quarterbacks can change with one game. I think that this could be the case with Kolb. Bad memories of being chased down by Clay Matthews week one could have changed his whole demeanor in the pocket. As a Skins fan, I feel I have seen this twice. Patrick Ramsey had a promising start with Steve Spurrier and then one Sunday night he got destroyed in Miami. His night finished after being bulldogged Barry Windham style to the ground by Jason Taylor. He was never the same in the pocket after that. I also think Jason Campbell got weak in the pocket after showing lots of poise early on.  His offensive line destroyed his head. The NFC East is anyone’s division. Each week a new team steps up and another looks done. I wouldn’t count any team out.

Is there anyone feeling more miserable than Larry Fitzgerald in the NFL? Well, maybe Nate Clements. Fitzgerald is in an awful situation on a team that is actually 2-2. Fitzgerald has been a class act which makes it difficult to watch his frustration at the Cardinals QB situation. “The Situation” would call Derek Anderson a Grenade for the way he played before being benched last week in San Diego. For Fitz’s sake maybe Max Hall brings some life to the Cardinals passing game but then again he is being flanked by no names currently so coverage can key on him all game.

On a side note, I see that another Real World/ Road Rules challenge starts this week on MTV and of course it looks more dangerous than ever . They always try to infer that someone may die in one of the challenges. My guess is that a newcomer gets a concussion. Speaking of concussions, thanks Jay Cutler. Negative five points for my fantasy team this week. While I am at it…Shout outs to Mike Martz and the Chicago Bears o-line as well. Did they get an official sack total for the Giants? 10, 14, 19? Jay Cutler is going to look like Ricky Hatton after the Pacman fight by week seven. And if you were wondering I do have Big Ben on my fantasy team to cover, but I doubt you care. I scored 43 points this week, I don’t even care anymore.

Its way to early to tell but I like the Ravens alot as this season goes on. I live in Baltimore so I hear alot about them. I have a feeling the offense is going to only get better and that Ed Reed will bring his big play ability to an already good defense. They have depth at almost all positions and the biggest worry, the defensive backs have been good. Lardarius Webb being back from the ACL is a big factor. I am interested to see where Ray Lewis ends up on the NFL films top 100 players of all time list. If you haven’t watch, its very good and worth it. Although its at the same time as “The Office.” Just DVR it or watch one of the 50 times its replayed. As for the NFC, the top teams look to be Green Bay, Atlanta and New Orleans but all squeaked by with home wins this past week against struggling teams. The NFC is up for grabs with many teams who can make a run.

We have only seen four weeks so a lot can happen over the next thirteen. The returns of Big Ben, Brian Cushing (if he hasn’t over-worked out again), Sidney Rice and Kurt Warner (my bad Cards fans) will make their teams stronger. The NFL is tough to predict this early like last year when the Colts and Saints were undefeated at this point. OK, bad example. Undefeated to the Super Bowl? Congrats Kansas City, its a short flight to Dallas in February.

Denver +6.5 @ Tennessee: I like the Titans to win this game and cover the spread. Denver has a decent passing attack, but little in the way of a ground game. I look for the Titans to get up early and run wild with Chris Johnson. 27-13

Baltimore +2.5 @ Pittsburgh: No matter who is behind center or where this game is at, this rivalry is always a battle. Despite still being with out Roethlisberger the Steelers are the favorite in this game. I think they keep the momentum going and knock off the Ravens while covering the spread. 20-13

Cincinnati -3 @ Cleveland: The Browns looked better last week against the Ravens and displayed a solid offense. Their defense still is a work in progress, and should be their downfall in this game. I think the Bengals will have no trouble covering this spread. 21-10.

Detroit +14 @ Green Bay: This is a tough game to pick, despite having almost 100% certainty that the Packers come away with this week with another ‘W’. Green Bay played sloppy last week, and doesn’t look like a team that can beat anyone by two touchdowns. By the same token they have a great passing attack and a relentless defense, which combined could make this a blowout. Green Bay wins easy but doesn’t cover. 31-21

Carolina +13.5 @ New Orleans: The Saints should have no trouble redeeming their heartbreaking overtime loss last week, with a big game against the Panthers. Carolina looks lost right now and has a rookie QB starting. The Saints on the other hand have been pretty much as good as they were last year. While their running game is still struggling, they could rebound this week against Carolina. I think the Saints win and cover easily 34-14.

San Francisco +7 @ Atlanta: The 49ers might have a new offensive coordinator, but thus far they are the biggest disappointment in the NFL. While they remain a dangerous team, I think it will be another week before they see their first win. I like the Falcons in this game and think the have a good chance of covering 28-20.

Seattle -1.5 @ St. Louis: Both teams are coming off big wins last week, but Seattle is the far superior team. The Rams are at home so they could be a bit dangerous, but the status of their star running back Stephen Jackson is in question. No way they win two weeks in a row without Jackson in the backfield. Seattle wins and covers 21-17.

New York Jets -6 @ Buffalo: The Bills are coming off a big game against New England where they had the Patriots on the ropes, while the Jets still remain without their top corner back Darrelle Revis. The Jets still are too good for this to be much of a problem for them, as their passing attack is the best it has been since Favre was healthy two years ago. I think the Jets cover easily for a 24-9 victory.

Indianapolis -7.5 @ Jacksonville: Things have gone from bad to worse in Jacksonville and a game against Peyton and the Colts isn’t really the remedy. Indianapolis has torched every opposing defense this year. And while their own defense has some holes, the Jags aren’t exactly the offense to exploit those weaknesses. I think the Colts win and cover easily 35-7.

Houston -3 @ Oakland: Both teams had tough losses last week, but that is where the similarities end. Houston is one of the better teams in this league, while the Raiders are still trying to find themselves. I think the Texans offense puts up big numbers against the Raiders defense, while the pass rush neutralizes Oakland’s offense. I think the Texans win and cover 31-10.

Arizona -9 @ San Diego: The Cardinals are coming off a nice win against the Raiders, but still aren’t a top contender. They lack an efficient passing attack and will need to rely on the ground game to open up things down the field. The Chargers are a weaker team this year, but I wouldn’t count them out just yet. I think San Diego wins but fails to cover 31-24.

Washington -5.5 @ Philadelphia: They return of McNabb to Philly has been well hyped, but I don’t know if Donovan’s sense of revenge can make a difference in this game. Philly is running on all cylinders with Vick at the helm. While their defense has been up and down, they are better then a Redskins defense that gave up 30 points to the Rams. I think Philly covers 28-17.

Chicago + 3.5 @ New York Giants: The Bears are coming off with a big win over the Packers so their is the chance for a let down, but right now this is one of the better teams in the league and I’m shocked they aren’t the favorite. The Giants have their backs against the wall, but have honestly looked awful this year. Even their win against Carolina in week 1, was pretty ugly, and that was the high point of their season. New York has a shot but I think the Bears win this game and go to 4-0, 24-13.

Revis Island Will Be Uninhabited On Sunday: The Jets won a crucial divisional matchup last week against the Patriots, but lost All-Pro corner Darrelle Revis to a hamstring injury. While the injury isn’t likely a long term problem, it will keep Revis out of action this week against the Miami Dolphins and star receiver Brandon Marshall. New York is smart for not playing Revis this week, even if it does potentially hurt their chances of winning another tough divisional game. If Revis plays he has a big chance of doing further damage to the injury, keeping him out for much longer than one game. The Jets defense can survive without Revis for one game (even against Marshall) but I don’t think they could last a month or more.

Steelers Go With Batch Sunday Against Buccaneers: Boy Leftwich must still be pretty injured if they are going with Charlie Batch to start this week. While technically he was just ‘resigned’ this week, he was only not a Steeler for about 30 Hrs. I’m guessing he didn’t forget the playbook in that time period. Not only is Leftwich the more talented quarterback with better physical tools and starting experience, but up until three and a half weeks ago, when he got injured, he was getting all the starters work in practice. Batch barely played this preseason or got many reps in practice until Leftwich went down. And it is not as though Batch set the world a blaze with his performance last Sunday against the Titans. In addition to all of that Leftwich was traded by the Buccaneers this offseason to the Steelers, so I’m sure he would have loved a little payback and the chance to show them they were wrong to give up on him. Since Batch will be the man under center for the Steelers this Sunday, I’d expect a healthy dose of Rashard Mendenhall and the rest of the ground attack. Also, I’d expect a lot of short passes as the Steelers attempt to grind out their third win of the season.

Raiders Had Campbell On A Short Leash, Go With Gradkowski: It is a bit surprising the Raiders didn’t give Jason Campbell more time to figure it out, or at least one more chance to redeem himself, but it is hard to argue with Gradkowski’s numbers and result. Gradkowski came in for Campbell in relief on Sunday and led the Raiders to victory over the Rams. Now he is tabbed as the starting quarterback. While Campbell’s numbers were less than impressive, much of that comes from his week 1 beating against the Tennessee Titans. A defense that sacked him four times, and constantly had him under pressure. The move is surprising, not because the Raiders gave up alot for Campbell, but that Campbell had been building on a pretty solid career up until this season. Now the Raiders have a new man under center and Campbell is left on the bench. My guess is it won’t be a short stay on the bench for Campbell though. While there is always a chance that Gradkowski is ineffective or injured, I’m thinking a trade could be on the way. Looking around the league, there are a number of weak quarterback situations that Campbell could step in as a starter right away. In addition there are a few other situations where he would be either a solid back up or a stop gap situation while a young QB develops. The Seahawks, Bills, Browns and Cardinals could all use an immediate upgrade at quarterback, while the Chiefs, 49ers, Jaguars, Panthers and Vikings could all use a little insurance. Remember Campbell is signed for just $3.14 million this season (with the Raiders obviously already paying some of that) and just $4.5 million next year. That is pretty affordable (though on the pricier side) for a backup on a team with an established quarterback. And is a great price if he actually starts on these teams. Campbell is a very good buy low option, and shouldn’t cost more than the 4th round pick in 2012 that the Raiders gave up (though honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if Oakland could do better).

Manning Bowl Ended Up Being a Blowout: There is little doubt the Manning Boys are two of the best quarterbacks in the league, but in yesterday’s matchup that was only evident on one side. To no one’s real surprise, older brother Peyton ended up the victor, but what was shocking was how bad the Giants looked as a team. The Colts jumped out to a 24-0 halftime lead, and never let up as they cruised to their 38-14 victory. They had major success running the football as well, which isn’t always their strong suite. And of course Peyton was dominate in his own right. The Giants on the other hand had success running, but when you are down by 24 points it is almost counter-productive. And while overall Eli had a solid game, he had a pretty bad first half which led to his team’s demise.

Steelers Stop Chris Johnson and the Titans: The Steelers were outgained 238-127, didn’t score a single offensive touchdown, lost their starting quarterback, and managed just 21 passing yards, yet they left Tennessee with the win. The Steelers defense took both of the Titans two main weapons out of the game (literally in the case of Vince Young). Chris Johnson managed just 34 yards on 13 carries, and another 19 on 5 receptions. Johnson had a streak of 12 100 yard games going entering yesterday, but the Steelers found a way to contain him. Without Johnson, or Young who was benched because of ineffectiveness the Titans were without their two playmakers. While Kerry Collins led a bit of a comeback it was too little too late, as the defense held. While starting out 2-0 is great for the Steelers they did lose Dixon to a knee injury, and they will need to figure out what to do for the next 2 weeks. The passing attack was nonexistent after Dixon left, as was the loss of the scrambling threat. While the loss of Dixon was tough, it was a big win for the Steelers against a 2nd straight playoff contending team. And just how good is that Steelers defense? Last week the Titans rolled for 38 points against the Raiders, this week they had 11. And the Steelers in week 1 held the Falcons to just 9 points, and yesterday they put up 41 against the Cardinals.

Sanchez Comes Through For The J-E-T-S, JETS, JETS, JETS: One week after looking completely lost Mark Sanchez, had the game of his career (I’m still not drinking the “Franchise” Kool-Aid, but impressive game nonetheless). What was most impressive for me was the fact that he remained cool under pressure and led a comeback. Also, while the Patriots defense might not be as good as the Ravens it is pretty good in its own right, and he had no problem navigating them. The Patriots meanwhile, couldn’t stop Sanchez or the Jets running game, and they could’t do anything offensively in the 2nd half. While the Jets defense didn’t get the sacks, they harassed Brady all day and forced two interceptions. If Sanchez is on the Jets can go far with that defense, that has now held two of the best offenses in the AFC to a combined 23 points.

Bears Go to 2-0 By Upsetting the Cowboys Who Fall to 0-2: Dallas was supposed to come out with a vengeance yesterday and redeem their opening game loss in a big way over the Bears. I guess no one told Chicago that, because they were by far the best team on the football field yesterday. The Bears attacked Tony Romo early and jumped out to an early lead which forced Dallas to abandon the run. While Romo rebounded, and ended up with good number it was too little too late as the Cowboys lost their home opener 27-20. The Cowboys defense had no answer for Jay Cutler and was picked apart, by Chicago’s spread offense. The Bears now might need to be taken seriously in the NFC (especially since Minnesota is 0-2), and the Cowboys really need to take a look at themselves. Because after two games this team doesn’t look like the Super Bowl contender they were billed to be.

Kansas City (+3.0) @ Cleveland: The Chiefs and Browns are both pretty weak overall teams, but I really liked what I saw with Kansas City last week. Adding Dexter McCluster gave them a major special teams weapon, one that should start to see a bigger role on offense. While I’m no Matt Cassel fan, K.C. has solid receivers and a great one-two running back combo. Cleveland is an improved team, but they still have a ways to go. Their quarterback situation is completely unsettled and until that is figured out, their offense can’t get going. I like the Chiefs here to win a close one 20-17.

Pittsburgh (+5.0) @ Tennessee: Pittsburgh on the road in Tennessee is a tough match up, especially without their top quarterback. The deciding factor in the game though will be how the Steelers control Chris Johnson. Johnson has run all over ever defense that has opposed him in the last year, but if any defense can stop him it’s Pittsburgh’s. If the Steelers stop Johnson and force the Titans to throw the ball they should win, but If Johnson gets a 100 yards, you have got to like Tennessee in this one. I think Pittsburgh keeps it close, but Johnson and Tennessee breakout at the end, 23-17 Tennessee.

New England (-3.0) @ New York (Jets): Normally with the best defense and being at home the Jets should be the favorite, but their woeful offensive performance last week has them at 3.0 underdogs against their division foe. While the Patriots have a high powered offense they can’t hope to score much against the Jets top defense, but luckily their solid defense should be more than enough to hinder the Jets offense led by Mark Sanchez. Sanchez needs to come through in the clutch today if the Jets are to be taken as serious contenders, but I don’t see it happening. New England wins a low scoring affair 17-10 to take a two game lead in the division.

New York (Giants) (+5.0) @ Indianapolis: The Colts got upset last week and their soft underbelly was exposed when the Texans ran all over them for the win. Peyton Manning still threw for over 400 yards and 3 TD’s so the offense isn’t really a concern. The Colts do still need to add balance to their rushing attack, but as long as Peyton is at the helm I like the Colts in the Manning Bowl. The Giants could keep it close, but I can’t see Indianapolis losing at home to go to 0-2. While New York has a good overall defense their pass defense is a bit porous, which doesn’t bode well against Older Brother. Colts win 31-21 to even themselves up this season.

There has been a lot of talk last year and this year that praised the Jets for trading up to draft Mark Sanchez. And all you heard about is that the Jets now had their “Franchise” Quarterback and that was why they were so successful last season. Well I think a lot of people didn’t actually watch the games last season, because what I saw was a quarterback with a lot of potential, but who was WAAAY in over his head. Unfortunately my assessment didn’t change after Monday night’s game.

Sanchez doesn’t look like a quarterback who can lead the Jets anywhere. The team won last season in spite of him, and will continue to be a contender based on their defense and ground game. This year I feel like the excuses have run dry for Sanchez and the Jets. Now Sanchez has had a full offseason to work with all the receivers, but in particular Braylon Edwards, as well as the extra time to dissect defenses and work on his deficiencies. Now he is still without Santonio Holmes for another 3 weeks, but still the excuses have to stop. Sanchez has plenty of weapons, when you include his tight ends and backs. And while the loss of Faneca hurt, that offensive line is still one of the best in the league (just ask Matt Stafford what its like to be behind a worse one).

Now I know defenders of Sanchez will say that the Ravens defense was one of the best in the league…but so is the Jets (its actually even better) and Flacco still put up okay numbers and he isn’t exactly a grizzled veteran. Flacco was also on the road, in a pretty hostile environment (opening up a new stadium), with new receivers and less ground support. And to top it all off, while the Ravens defense as a whole is good, their corners are pretty weak, and they are without their ballhawk FS Ed Reed.

Look it is just one game, but Sanchez had pretty much every advantage you could ask for. And the way I look at it is, that it is not ‘just one game’ as Sanchez has really yet to show me that he is a Franchise quarterback in any game. Things don’t get any easier for Sanchez this week as division foe New England comes to town, and if he doesn’t figure things out fast the Jets will be out of it before midseason.

For Jets’ fans sake I hope Sanchez figures it all out and isn’t a bust like so many highly drafted quarterbacks before him, but pardon me if I want a little evidence of success before I start praising Sanchez and the Jets.

Rays Take 1st Place In Spectacular Fashion: Reid Brignac hit a walk off home run in the 11th inning last night as the Rays beat the Yankees 1-0. With the win the Rays not only took the game from the Yankees but the wrestled away first place as well. While this division will likely go down to the wire, the Rays continue to show that they can play with anyone. Tampa won’t go down without a fight and I actually really like the Rays chances going forward. While they didn’t make any major moves this year, they have been able to bring up some young talent from their farm system to supplement their already young team. They might not be as recognizable and might not have the experience, but no one can argue that the Rays don’t have the talent.

Jenkins Hurt and Jets Lose A Tough One: Kris Jenkins went down with an knee injury in last night’s game and the prognosis doesn’t look good. Jenkins had ACL surgery last year and missed the final two-thirds the season, and that is the same knee that was injured last night. While the team will know if he will need surgery again today, it is a huge blow to the Jets defense. Jenkins is one of the best 3-4 nose tackles in the game, and while the Jets have a good backup in Sione Pouha, he is no Kris Jenkins. Hopefully for Jenkins and the Jets sake he is only out a couple weeks, otherwise the Jets will lose one of their key defensive players. The Jets will still have a top notch defense without Jenkins, but as last night’s game showed their defense will need to be perfect for them to win this season.

AFC:

AFC EAST:

1. New York Jets

2. New England Patriots

3. Miami Dolphins

4. Buffalo Bills

The Jets are the team to beat in the AFC East and their chances got progressively better with the return of Darrelle Revis from his holdout. Once again the Jets will have a championship caliber defense that can beat any team in the NFL. The real question mark is the development of Mark Sanchez. While a lot of hype surrounds him, he hasn’t really shown himself to be a capable starter, much less a “Franchise Quarterback”. It could have just been rookie jitters but those excuses won’t fly this year, with an improved offense and a whole offseason of working with two top flight wide receivers, (Edwards and Holmes). The Patriots offense could be championship caliber, but I think this could be a let down season in New England. Their passing attack is superb, but their running game seems to get weaker each season. The holdout of Logan Mankins weakens that offensive line and really hurts their depth. While the Pats offense is high powered their defense has been slacking off in recent years. The Dolphins could be an up-and-coming team, but really are a stretch as a contender. This is a big year for Chad Henne, but I am not sure if he is the right answer. The Bills unfortunately aren’t going to be much of a threat in the East as their quarterback and offensive line play leave a lot to be desired.

AFC NORTH:

1. Baltimore Ravens

2. Pittsburgh Steelers

3. Cincinnati Bengals

4. Cleveland Browns

The North will be a battle to the end, but I think the Ravens will come out on top. With Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and Derrick Mason already in place the Ravens went out and added a pair of rookie tight ends and a pair of veteran receivers. Combined with a quality offensive line (albeit one who is dealing with injuries), the Ravens now might have the best all-around offense in the AFC. The Ravens defense is still one of the best in the league and is good enough to carry this team far into the postseason. The Steelers are a bit of a surprise pick here considering they will be without their quarterback for the first 4 games, but they have the talent to go far this season. Even after trading Holmes, they have one of the better offensive units. The Steelers defense still has the makings of a great unit and I’d expect a big rebound year for them. The Bengals are a quality team and will in the playoff hunt all year. But I’m not sure if Palmer is as good as everyone believes. That defense has some game though and should keep them in the race until the end. The Browns should be improved some and could have the pieces for a nice future, but it will be another year or so before they are competitive.

AFC SOUTH:

1. Indianapolis Colts

2. Houston Texans

3. Tennesse Titans

4. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Colts should be the best team in the AFC this season. As long as they have Peyton Manning they are a Super Bowl contender. Their defense and O-line need some work, but Manning is too good to ignore. The Texans could make a serious run this season and I’d expect them to make their first postseason. The Titans are an intriguing team with Vince Young and Chris Johnson on offense, but they lack the receivers to be a serious offensive force. The Jags are a team that I think could be a huge disappointment this season and think they could end up with a top 5 pick in next April’s draft.

AFC WEST:

1. San Diego Chargers

2. Oakland Raiders

3. Denver Broncos

4. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers should be the only playoff team out of the West this year, and that is despite not having Vincent Jackson. They still have a top offensive unit and an impressive defense. They are far superior to any other West team, and should runaway with this division. The Raiders I think will be a very improved team this year and could even end up with a .500 record. Their offensive line will hold them back, but the Raiders could be returning as a relevant team in the West. The Broncos have some talent, but injuries have already depleted this team and could haunt them this entire season. I really see the Chiefs as another disappointing team as I’m not a big believer in Matt Cassel.

Playoffs:

1. Colts

2. Jets

3. Ravens

4. Chargers

5. Steelers

6. Texans

Colts over the Steelers in the AFC Championship game.