September is here, and coming
with it is another season of NFL
football. Can the Colts do it again?
Can the Cardinals compete? Your
questions are answered here.
CONFERENCE BREAKDOWNS
AFC EAST
Projected finish
New England
New York
Buffalo
Miami
Team to beat: New England is everyone’s favorite
to be the AFC representative at this year’s Super
Bowl. Forget the recent losses on defense because
of injuries. If there is one thing the Patriots have
shown, it’s that they can persevere through tough
times. What might perhaps be the second best
offense in the AFC might help as well. Quarterback
Tom Brady and running back Laurence Maroney
are back, and they have some new help … Brady
has two new targets in Randy Moss and Donte’
Stallworth.
Players to watch: Randy Moss is ready to forget
about Oakland. In New England he’ll have a quarterback
who can get him the ball on a consistent
basis. With Stallworth on the other side of the
fi eld and with Maroney in the backfi eld, defenses
won’t be able to devote 100 percent attention to
the former fi rst-round pick. Miami picked up
Trent Green in the off-season to run the show,
but the offense will only go as far as the running
game. If Ronnie Brown steps up, Miami could
win nine games.
Fantasy tip: New York’s Chad Pennington isn’t
great for numbers, but watch out for the running
backs. Thomas Jones is solid, but if he gets hurt
it might be smart to pick up his backup, Leon
Washington. In Buffalo, Marshawn Lynch will
make Bills fans forget about Willis McGahee. His
numbers will make fantasy owners forget about
him, too.
AFC NORTH
Projected finish
Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
Baltimore
Cleveland
Team to beat: The AFC North might very well
be the toughest division in the NFL, which makes
it so diffi cult to rank the division. Baltimore has the
defense, Cincinnati has the offense, but Pittsburgh
has the best combination of both. Quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger is healthy again, and all the usual
suspects are back to help him put up points. On
defense, safety Troy Polamalu anchors one of the
most intimidating squads in the league.
Players to watch: With players like Roethlisberger,
Willie Parker, Chad Johnson and Carson
Palmer in the league, it’s easy to overlook players on
defensive-oriented teams. Willis McGahee will give
the Ravens a boost on offense. Jamal Lewis could
be a force in the Browns’ backfi eld as well.
Fantasy tip: The Browns don’t have a franchise
quarterback at the helm, but they do have a good
wide receiver. Braylon Edwards will get a lot of
looks from Charlie Frye, especially if the running
game is ineffective.
AFC SOUTH
Projected finish
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Houston
Team to beat: You already know about Indianapolis.
They will probably repeat as AFC South
champions and have a good chance to reach the
Super Bowl once again. Now that Jacksonville’s
quarterback issues are resolved, it could be a dark
horse to overthrow the Colts.
Players to watch: David Garrard has all the tools
to lead the Jaguars to new heights. The former East
Carolina standout is the reason Byron Leftwich was
released. In Houston, Matt Schaub gets a chance
to prove he is a legit NFL quarterback.
Fantasy tip: Until Schaub proves he can be
the man in Houston, stay away from him. Andre
Johnson is his top target, but he might struggle
along with his quarterback. Watch the running
back situation in Tennessee closely. LenDale
White and Chris Brown are most likely to come
out on top.
AFC WEST
Projected finish
San Diego
Denver
Kansas City
Oakland
Team to beat: San Diego has it all
– the quarterback, the running back and
the defense. Now all they need is a coach
that can get them deep in the playoffs. In
the regular season, though, the Chargers
don’t have a lot of competition in the
division.
Players to watch: LaDainian Tomlinson
and Philip Rivers make a killer
combination in San Diego. Jay Cutler
should have a breakout season now
that he has the reigns at quarterback in
Denver. Daunte Culpepper has a second
— errr… — third chance in Oakland.
Fantasy tip: Don’t laugh – pick up
Oakland’s Ronald Curry. The receiver
is not so much option two as he is 1A
with Jerry Porter. If Culpepper performs,
he could have a big year. If Tomlinson
gets injured in San Diego, take a look
at his backup, Michael “The Burner”
Turner.
NFC EAST
Projected finish
Dallas
Philadelphia
Washington
New York
Team to beat: Dallas returns the core
of last year’s playoff team that would
have gone deeper in the playoffs if not
for Tony Romo’s mistake.
Players to watch: Donovan McNabb is
healthy — we think. A healthy McNabb
leads to a very good Eagles team. In
Washington, Clinton Portis looks to
rebound from injury and bring the
Redskins’ dead offense back to life.
Fantasy tip: Eli Manning isn’t his
brother, so don’t expect the same kind
of numbers. Philadelphia running backs
generally produce better than their
receivers. Romo isn’t a bad option for a
second quarterback.
NFC NORTH
Projected finish
Chicago
Minnesota
Detroit
Green Bay
Team to beat: As long as Chicago’s
defense is good, the offense can be as
sporadi
c as it wants to be. Cedric Benson
needs to have a good year if the Bears
want to get back to the Super Bowl.
Players to watch: Rookie Adrian
Peterson isn’t starting in Minnesota,
but the former Oklahoma Sooner will
certainly see playing time. Roy Williams
is one of the best receivers in the game
and will only get better with Calvin
Johnson across the way.
Fantasy tip: What’s hot? Detroit-wide
receivers, that’s what. Williams will put
up big numbers, and Johnson isn’t a bad
late-round pick. Want to take a risk?
Green Bay rookie running back Brandon
Jackson might be hurt, but he looks to
have the starting position locked up.
NFC SOUTH
Projected finish
New Orleans
Carolina
Tampa Bay
Atlanta
Team to beat: Drew Brees and friends
are the early favorites to win the division.
Carolina and Tampa Bay don’t have the
offense to compete and Atlanta is just
hopeless.
Players to watch: Reggie Bush will try
to prove he is one of the most exciting
players in football this season. Carnell
“Cadillac” Williams needs to play well
for the Bucs to have any shot in the
division.
Fantasy tip: Stay away from the
Falcons’ passing game. Joey Harrington
isn’t good enough to carry the team and
his receivers will suffer. In Carolina, take
Steve Smith and ride him throughout
the season. If you have defensive players
in your league, there is always Julius Peppers.
NFC WEST
Projected finish
Seattle
St. Louis
Arizona
San Francisco
Team to beat: Arizona and San
Francisco fans swear up and down that
this is their year, but Seattle is the only
true contender in the division.
Players to watch: You already know
about Shaun Alexander, so he isn’t
surprising. While Frank Gore will carry
the load for the 49ers, look for the
combination of Alex Smith and Arnaz
Battle to be an interesting hookup.
Fantasy tip: Grab Arizona receivers.
Anquan Bolden and Larry Fitzgerald
will put up the type of numbers you
want on your team.
EDITOR’S SUPER BOWL PICK
The New England Patriots beat an
underdog New Orleans Saints 28-13.