2011 Team Previews

The New York Giants were 9-4 at one stage last year and, with a convincing lead in their week 15 matchup against the Eagles, seemed poised to claim another NFC East crown. Then came the comeback. After that heart breaking loss to their rivals, Philadelphia, the Giants couldn’t match the high powered Packers’ offense going down in a blowout and seeing their playoff hopes in tatters.

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Still hope remains for the blue side of New York especially considering their offensive skill players and defensive line. They boast one of the best front fours in the business and that’s even after losing starting defensive tackle Barry Cofield.

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They’re loud. They’re brash. They’re also extremely talented.
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Why they’re the New York Jets of course.
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After an eventful offseason, the Jets find themselves in a position remarkably similar to the one they were in this time last year. A deep roster with some pretty big question marks. Last year they threatened to drop some answers on us, and at times even delivered. But overall, they lacked the consistency needed to make the most of the NFL’s most talented roster.
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The Patriots finished the regular season by winning eight straight games by an average of more than three touchdowns. Even more impressive, that stretch included games against a number of playoff teams including both Superbowl contestants. Unfortunately, the win streak ended in their first playoff game against the Jets, extending a different streak New Englanders may have thought impossible in the Brady/Belichick era…a playoff losing streak.

So, despite a 14-2 record, things are changing in New England. The Patriots were poised to strike after a shortened offseason and–after some key additions–look to have completely changed their defensive philosophy. Notably, the addition of Albert Haynesworth could bring the Patriots defense to a level unseen since the years where Superbowl parades were as regular for New England fans as a trip to Dunkin Donuts.

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Losing away to Seattle in the playoffs can’t have sat well with head coach Sean Payton.
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From the start, New Orleans should have been at home after winning the division; losing to Arizona and Cleveland (at home) should not have happened. However, those two embarrassing losses wouldn’t have mattered as much if they had managed to put away a team with four less wins than them in the playoffs. As we all know, the Seahawks’ edge rushers targeted the Saints’ weak tackles and made Drew Brees very uncomfortable in the pocket,while on the other side of the ball, the New Orleans’ defensive shortcomings were exposed for all to see.
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What can we expect from the Super Bowl XLIV champs this year?
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It was a bit of a surprise last year to see Miami stay below .500 for a second consecutive year. They seemed like they were on an upswing after acquiring Brandon Marshall from Denver and the expectations were that Chad Henne would have taken that next step forward. The defense was a bright spot as expected, but a defense can only hold for so long with little help from the other side, especially in the AFC East.
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The additions of rookie Mike Pouncey and Marc Colombo on the offensive line are steps in the right direction if they want their running game to be restored. The Patriots and Jets will continue to be the class of the division, so its safe to say an uphill battle is in full effect.

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It’s surprising how much can change in just one season. It was great play by Brett Favre that pushed the Vikings from a good team to a great one, an interception by him that prevented them from making the Super Bowl, and then his decline that brought Minnesota to the bottom of the division last year.
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Now Favre is retired again and the Vikings have moved on without him. They lost a few big-names in free agency and expectations are low as most of the talk in the division is about the two teams who did advance to the postseason in 2010 and the up-and-coming Detroit Lions. However, Minnesota retained a core group of talented players that they will build around.
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Something no one would have predicted happened to the Jaguars last season; going in to their week 15 matchup against the Colts, the Jags were in possession of a better record than the AFC South’s perennial power. It didn’t last long. After being beat by the Colts in week 15, Jacksonville lost their next two games and ended up missing the playoffs for their third straight season.
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Up from the mat after last year’s disappointing end, they face as competitive a division as ever. The fact it’s so competitive isn’t all bad news for the Jags, however, for one thing it means the Colts might not run away with it as they so often have.
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There was a lot more talk about Kansas City last year than most people anticipated. In a division that had been dominated by the Chargers, the Chiefs managed to push past them and win the AFC West for the first time since 2003.
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Now people are wondering if they can do it again.
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Kansas City had an early exit in the playoffs thanks to Baltimore, and, other then bringing three of those Ravens aboard (Le’Ron McClain, Jared Gaither and Kelly Gregg), they’ve been relatively quiet this offseason. Chiefs fans are hoping not just for another playoff appearance, but for a deeper run, while Raiders and Chargers fans are ready for this season to be their turn. Here are some reasons why either side could get their wish.
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Since their inaugural season in 2002 opened with a win, there haven’t been too many hopeful moments for the only NFL franchise that hasn’t made it to the playoffs. The start of last season saw them as many people’s favorite “surprise” playoff team, but by midseason those hopes were dashed by a defense with bigger holes than the Titanic.
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After a defensive focused offseason – hiring a new coordinator, two key free agent acquisitions, and spending their first five draft picks on defensive players – consider Houston’s hopes renewed. Could this finally be the year the Texans play more than golf during the NFL postseason?
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Around this time last year, I wrote about the good qualities and the bad qualities of the Indianapolis Colts.  Almost a year later, I find myself resisting the urge to copy and paste my previous article, as the Colts find themselves in a remarkably similar situation as they did last season; they have a bunch of outstanding players on the field, and not much else.
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In the past, those star players have been enough to guide Indianapolis atop the AFC South, but with the division as tough as it’s ever been, the Colts’ lack of depth may finally catch-up to them.
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