2015 AFC Playoff Seeding Predictions

1. Indianapolis Colts (13-3): The Colts had one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the league, adding plenty of talented veterans such as receiver Andre Johnson, running back Frank Gore, safety Mike Adams, and outside linebacker Trent Cole. Meanwhile, Andrew Luck enters his fourth season, where over the past three years, his completion percentage, touchdown percentage, and passer rating have all increased. Next year, don't be surprised if Luck is able to snatch the Most Valuable Player Award away from Aaron Rodgers.

2. New England Patriots (12-4): While the New England Patriots are almost guaranteed to earn a spot in the playoffs next season, their exact seeding depends on how many games Tom Brady will be able to play in 2015 due to his suspension. The Patriots certainly lost plenty of talented players this past offseason--Darrelle Revis, Brandon Browner, Vince Wilfork, Shane Vereen--but if there is any coach in the league capable of creating a Championship caliber team with a reduced amount of talent, it is six time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick. Moreover, Tom Brady seems to play his best when the critics and doubters are at their absolute loudest.

3. Denver Broncos (11-5): After suffering a torn right quadriceps, posting a passer rating of 76.8 in the month of December, and having his team lose in their first playoff game, Peyton Manning appears to be nearing the end of his career (or so they say). The truth is, Manning likely has one or two more years left to compete for a Super Bowl, and taking into account Manning's age and the loss of Eric Decker and Julius Thomas the past two seasons, Denver will likely need to rely more on running back CJ Anderson. Anderson became the starter for the Broncos in the final few weeks, and in games where the he had twenty or more attempts, the Broncos went 4-0. A reduced workload for Manning may result in another division title for Manning and the Broncos, but the Chargers are certainly talented enough to regain control of the division.

4. Baltimore Ravens (10-6): The Ravens passing game took a pretty sizable hit this past offseason by losing receivers Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones. Thus, more pressure will be put on "Cool Joe" Flacco offensively, as well as running back Justin Forsett, one of last year's breakout stars. Meanwhile, Baltimore's defense ranked sixth last season in terms of points allowed, fourth in rushing yards allowed, but just 23rd in passing yards allowed. Hopefully, the signing of cornerback Kyle Arrington will be able to help Baltimore's pass defense.

5. San Diego Chargers (11-5): The San Diego Chargers easily have the talent necessary to dethrone the broncos from atop the AFC West. First, quarterback Phillip Rivers is entering the last year of his contract, and will be looking to produce the same numbers he had at the start of the 2014 season. Second, the additions of rookie running back Melvin Gordon through the draft and wide receiver Jacoby Jones through free agency will add versatility to this offense that was not present last season. Don't be surprised if the Chargers make a run at one of the higher seeds in the playoffs this postseason.

6. Buffalo Bills (10-6): The Buffalo Bills are most definitely going to be a hit or miss team in 2015 with new head coach Rex Ryan at the helm. This Bills team is a slightly better version of the New York Jets team that went 4-12 last season: solid running game, talented defensive line, but no quarterback. The Bills managed to acquire All-Pro caliber running back LeSean McCoy who can hopefully take some pressure off of quarterbacks Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel.

Teams On the Bubble
Cincinnati Bengals: Have made the playoffs for four straight seasons, but the organization's confidence in quarterback Andy Dalton is beginning to fade

New York Jets: A great defensive line become even better with rookie Leonard Williams and a new head coach. But one can not put too much confidence in Geno Smith

Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben is now one year older, and the rookies that Pittsburgh drafted are unlikely to improve a relatively weak secondary.

Season tickets are almost in the mail. Camp opens in 12 days!

— Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) July 20, 2015

Julian Edelman says Tom Brady 'ticked off' awaiting ruling. Tom Brady angry is not good for the NFL. pic.twitter.com/dHCduCKliQ

— Martin Brian Ansah (@DaAnsahonSports) July 21, 2015

Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints' rookies report to training camp Wednesday. Here we go...

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 21, 2015

OFFICIAL: #Broncos sign @DemaryiusT to 5-year deal: http://t.co/mh6PkvTVf1 pic.twitter.com/M5WsaZgRG8

— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) July 15, 2015

2015 AFC Playoff Predictions

1. New England Patriots (12-4): Now that the Patriots have added cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, New England's pass defense has quickly become one of the most intimidating in all of football. While Chandler Jones and the New England pass rush ranked 5th in sacks, they ranked 22nd overall according to Football Outsiders in pass pressure, which will need to improve in 2014. Quarterback Tom Brady suffered from a dip in productivity last season while adjusting to his new group of receivers, but with injury-prone tight end Rob Gronkowski ready for Week 1, and the recent addition of Brandon LaFell from Carolina, Tom Brady is bound to do much better in 2014 now that he has more experience with this young receiving corp.

2. Denver Broncos (13-3): On paper, the Denver Broncos are the best team in all of football, seeing how they have the best quarterback, a plethora of talented wide receivers, and many big names on defense. While they may have lost receiver Eric Decker and running back Knowshon Moreno during the offseason, the Broncos still have Demaryius Thomas, Juluis Thomas, and Wes Welker to help their star quarterback. Denver also signed Pro-Bowlers Demarcus Ware, TJ Ward, and Aqib Talib to improve an already above-average defense. Expect Denver to be the number one seed in the playoffs for the third straight season.

3. Indianapolis Colts (12-4): Quarterback Andrew Luck may not have thrown for more more touchdowns or passing yards compared to his rookie season, but he certainly became more efficient. Luck's interception total dropped in half from 18 to 9, directly leading to a 10 point increase in his passer rating. Historically speaking, a quarterback's third season is the breakout year, and with the recent addition of Hakeem Knicks, as well as the return of Reggie Wayne, Indy's receiving corp is sure to be strong in 2014.

4. Baltimore Ravens (11-5): The Ravens managed to miss the playoffs by one game after winning the Super Bowl in 2012. Things got even worse for running back Ray Rice this past offseason. While Rice suffered from a severe decrease in productivity last season compared to 2013, he was then caught physically abusing his girlfriend on camera, resulting in a two game suspension. Quarterback Joe Flacco threw for the most interceptions of his career, as well as throw the lowest passer rating since he joined the NFL; however, with with Denis Pitta returning from injury, and receiver Steve Smith joining this already talented receiving corp, Baltimore's passing game is sure to improve from last year.  

5. Cincinnati Bengals (9-7): Andy Dalton recently signed a 6-year extension with the Bengals, which means despite his lack of success in the postseason, the Bengals are willing to stick with Dalton into the future. Receiver A.J. Green may be the star of this offense, but running back Giovani Bernard emerged as a breakout star in 2013. With the return of tackle Geno Atkins on defense, as will as the addition of cornerback Darqueze Dennard via the draft, the Bengals are still talented enough to earn a spot in the playoffs, but a run to the Super Bowl is very unlikely.

6. New York Jets (9-7): The New York Jets making the playoffs is certainly a gutsy prediction, seeing how the Jets are 14-18 in the past two seasons. While we would like to see Michael Vick as the starter, Geno Smith still led this team to an 8-8 season last year, and he is bound to do even better alongside Chris Johnson and Eric Decker. The defense has plenty of young talent, particularly their defensive line nicknamed the "Sons of Anarchy." Sheldon Richardson managed to win Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2013, and the defense as a whole certainly has a shot at propelling this team into the postseason.

2014 NFL Divisional Round Predictions

Saints @ Seahawks: The last time Seattle played New Orleans, the Seahawks absolutely demolished Drew Brees and the Saints, beating the Saints by a score of 34-7. In that game, Russell Wilson passed for 310 yards, 3 touchdowns, and a passer rating above 135, while Brees passed for 147 yards and a score, both being his lowest totals of the season. The Saints are now trying to plan accordingly for the deafening noise within CenturyLink Field, where the Seahawks have lost only one game at home since December of 2011. Even worse for New Orleans, Brees and the Saints have a history of playing poorly on the road. Not only will the Saints' offense try to beat Seattle's 12 man, but Seattle's stingy defense as well. The Seahawks defensive unit led the league in total defense, passing yards allowed, rushing touchdowns allowed per game, and interceptions. Bottom line: the Saints are in trouble. We predict the Seahawks to roll past new Orleans into the NFC Championship Game.
Seahawks over Saints 30-13

Colts @ Patriots: The Indianapolis Colts were down 28 points to the Kansas City Chiefs in last week's playoff matchup, but thanks to an excellent comeback led by Andrew Luck, as well as a resilient defense, the Colts were able to come from behind and win the game. Last Sunday's win marked Andrew Luck's first career playoff win, and even though he threw 3 interceptions that created the deficit, Luck's five total touchdowns, as well as 443 passing yards, allowed the Colts to advance to the Divisional Round. Now, Indianapolis will travel to Foxboro in order to play Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Ever since the Colts lost Reggie Wayne, Luck's number one target in 2013 has clearly been T.Y. Hilton, who will likely be limited by New England's star cornerback Aqib Talib in Sunday's game. This means Luck will have to rely on his other wide receivers if the Colts wish to win through the air. Even worse for Indy, there is a 100% chance of rain in Foxboro on Sunday, meaning passing the ball will become more difficult. The rainstorm favors New England, whose running back trio of Steven Ridley, Shane Vereen, and LeGarrette Blount have all rushed for more than 100 yards in a single game this season. Lastly, Tom Brady's playoff experience makes New England the favorite to win this game.
Patriots over Colts 23-17

49ers @ Panthers: Colin Kaepernick walked into frozen Lambeau last weekend as the favorite and were able to beat the Packers, even though the temperature reached below zero with the wind. Now, the 49ers are favored to beat the Panthers, just the third time since 1990 that a home playoff team was the underdog in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Everyone expected Cam newton to have a great year statistically, but the main reason why Carolina has been so successful is their punishing defense. Luke Kuechly, a second year linebacker out of Boston College, totaled 156 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 2 sacks in 2013. After winning Defensive Rookie of the Year last season, Kuechly is one of the favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year this season, which would mark the second time a defensive player won Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in their first two seasons (only other player was Lawrence Taylor, who won Rookie of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season). The Panthers defense as a whole ranked second in the league in both total defense and run defense, where the 49ers were not too far behind in either category. The two defenses in Sunday's matchup will both play very well, but in the end, we predict San Francisco to win this thanks to their playoff experience.
49ers over Panthers 27-20

Chargers @ Broncos: The San Diego Chargers pulled off the upset over the Cincinnati Bengals last weekend, even though Cincinnati was undefeated at home entering the Wild Card Round. Phillip Rivers has a history of choking in the playoffs, and even though his statistic were not incredible against the Bengas, his numbers are bound to increase now that he is going up against a weaker Broncos' defense. Denver lost star outside linebacker Von miller for the rest of the season due to a torn ACL, but this team is 7-0 in games where Miller is not int the starting lineup. Quarterback Peyton Manning finished 2013 with 5,477 passing yards, 55 touchdowns, and a passer rating of 115.1. Because of the first round bye, Wes Welker has had time to recover from his concussion, and he is listed as probable for Sunday's game. Welker, Thomas, and Decker create the best wide receiving corp in the NFL, which is why we predict Denver to beat the Chargers and move on to play Brady and the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Broncos over Chargers 27-23

2014 NFL Wild Card Predictions

Chiefs @ Colts: After beating the Buffalo Bills in a Week 9 matchup, the Kansas City Chiefs were 9-0 going into their Week 10 bye; however, since Week 10, the Chiefs are 2-5, putting them at 11-5 on the year. One of those losses came against the Indianapolis Colts, where Andrew Luck and the Colts marched into Kansas City and won by a score of 23-7. In the last six games, Justin Houston, outside linebacker for Kansas City (seen on the right), has been watching from the sidelines, but in the 11 games that he played, he recorded 11.0 sacks with a forced fumble. Houston is expected to return in Saturday's game against Indy, along with outside linebacker Tamba Hali, who sat out last Sunday's game as well. The Colts' offensive line is ranked 6th in the league this season, so Kansas City's defense needs all the help it can get. Offensively, both teams have their key weapons that will need to play well in order for them to advance into the next round of the playoffs. Running back Jamaal Charles of Kansas City acquired 1,287 rushing yards with 19 total touchdowns this year, and the Colts have struggled at times when defending the run. Despite their inconsistency, Andrew Luck and the Colts are my pick to win on Saturday.
Colts over Chiefs 17-13

Saints @ Eagles: When playing at home, the New Orleans Saints as a team can be compared to Superman: indestructible, intimidating, and capable of disrupting any type of opposition. But just like Superman, the Saints have their kryptonite: road games. New Orleans has yet to lose a home game in 2013, which means all 5 of their losses this season came on the road. Saturday's game will be played in Philadelphia, and following a snow storm projected to hit Pennsylvania by Friday, the conditions will be very poor come Saturday. Poor conditions will mean it will be difficult to throw the ball, which clearly gives Philadelphia the advantage seeing that their running back, LeSean McCoy, is superior to any running back on the Saints roster. McCoy won the rushing title in 2013, as he rushed for 1,607 yards on 314 carries. With the temperature close to freezing on Saturday, Chip Kelly will likely avoid throwing the ball and give McCoy at least 25 carries against the Saints. In the event that both teams will be passing the ball a lot, Philly will still be able to keep up with the Saints' high-flying passing attack. In games where Foles had 15 attempts or more, the Eagles are 9-2, and seeing that Foles has a 119.2 passer rating, New Orleans' defense will have their hands full throughout the game.
Eagles over Saints 20-14

Chargers @ Bengals: The San Diego Chargers were able to make the playoffs following an overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, even though the NFL released a statement saying there should have been a penalty against the Chargers during Kansas City's potentially game winning field goal that they missed. Had there been a penalty on the play, Ryan Succop of the Chiefs would have likely made the easier kick, causing the Chargers to miss the playoffs all together; however, this did not happen, and Chargers will go up against the heavily favored Bengals on the road. Cincinnati is undefeated at home this season, where their offense averages 37.3 points per game, and their defense allows just 16.8 per game. San Diego quarterback Philip Rivers has improved in every major statistical category compared to his 2012 numbers, as he has thrown for 4,478 yards and 32 touchdowns for a passer rating of 105.5 in 2013. Even Ryan Matthews improved in 2013, where he was finally able to play in all 16 games for the first time in his 4 year career. The Chargers were 4-4 on the road this season, and quarterback Philip Rivers is 3-4 in the postseason. We predict the Bengals to win this one with ease.
Bengals over Chargers 27-10

49ers @ Packers: Sunday afternoon's game between the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers will be the best game that the Wild Card Round has to offer. The Green Bay Packers will look for revenge following San Francisco's dominant win over the Pack in in last year's playoffs. Last week, Aaron Rodgers returned to the starting lineup for the first time since November 4th, as he led Green Bay past Chicago in order to earn the fourth seed in the playoffs. Both teams are coming off of emotional victories, and this upcoming game will be a testament of their resilience following their emotionally draining victories in Week 17. The San Francisco 49ers are on a six game winning streak, where three of those wins came on the road. In the past three games, Colin Kaepernick has thrown five touchdown passes with no interceptions and an average of 236 passing yards per game. On the other hand, running back Frank Gore is coming off of his worst game of the season, where on thirteen carries he rushed for 14 yards with no touchdowns against the Cardinals. The Niners have relied heavily on their running game, and even though Gore was limited in the final game of the season, he can not be averaging 1.08 yards per carry in the playoffs. The last time these two teams played, the 49ers beat Green Bay in Week 1. We believe the same thing will happen this Sunday
49ers over Packers 30-23 (OT)

Tom Brady-Peyton Manning Debate

As Tom Brady and the New England Patriots prepare to play Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a Week 12 matchup, it is inevitable that people start to argue over who the better quarterback is: Tom Brady or Peyton Manning? There is no denying that these two quarterbacks are first-ballot Hall of Famers, and one could argue that they are in top 3 greatest quarterbacks of all time, alongside 49ers legend Joe Montana. But since Peyton Manning and Tom Brady entered the league at around the same time, people have been asking themselves, who is the better quarterback? With very different backgrounds, the two quarterbacks are relatively similar on the field, as they are both able to entirely take control of their offense. In this post, we will analyze the two quarterbacks, and offer our opinion by the end of the post, all in anticipation of Sunday night's game between the Denver Broncos and the New England Patriots.

Tom Brady: Unlike Peyton Manning, Tom Brady was not drafted 1st overall in the draft; instead, Brady was selected 199th overall by the New England Patriots. In his second season with the Patriots, Tom Brady replaced an injured drew Bledsoe, and as we all know, he went on to win three Super Bowl within his first four years as a starter. Yet within that timespan, Brady's regular season statistics were not mind-boggling. Brady's passer rating averaged 87.7 per season within his first four years as a starter, as well as an average of 3,479 yards and 24 passing touchdowns per season. It is important to keep in mind Troy Brown and David Givens, where neither wide receiver ever eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards or over 6 receiving touchdowns within a single season. However, a solid running game and a dominant defense helped out Tom Brady in winning three Super Bowls with the Pats. Overtime, Tom Brady's regular season statistics improved, but everything changed when the New England Patriots traded for a 30-year old All-Pro wide receiver by the name of Randy Moss. Before traveling to New England, Randy Moss showed steady signs of decline, as he finished the 2006 season with 553 yards and 3 touchdowns. In 2007, Brady and the Patriots culminated an NFL Record 589 points on offense, where Tom Brady set the record for passing touchdowns with 50. despite their incredible season, Brady fell one game short of the perfect season after losing to the Giants in the Super Bowl. From that point onwards, Tom Brady culminated very impressive statistics, but a fourth Super Bowl eluded him, even after yet another trip to the Super Bowl in 2012. This year, Brady's receiving corp is clearly lacking talent after losing both Wes Welker and tight end Aaron Hernandez. The most used argument is that Tom Brady has two more Super Bowls than Manning, but there is also the fact that Brady's receiving corp is not nearly as talented as Manning's throughout both of their careers.

Including playoffs, Tom Brady is 9-4 in his career vs Peyton Manning.
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 21, 2013

Peyton Manning: This year, Peyton Manning has a legitimate shot at breaking Tom Brady's single season touchdown record, which currently stands at 50. Since acquiring Wes Welker from New England, Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense is on track to clobber all kinds of offensive records, even though Peyton Manning has had two surgeries on his neck and is on the wrong side of 35. Despite all of this, Peyton Manning is currently leading the league in passing yards per game (357.2), passing touchdowns (34), and passer rating with a minimum of 200 attempts (118.3). Manning has a reputation of dominating the regular season, where his career statistics in the regular season are far superior to Brady's. As we enter the postseason, Manning's statistics see a decrease in productivity. Manning is 9-11 in the postseason, with a whopping eight one-and-done postseason trips. Manning and the Broncos have a legitimate chance at winning Manning his second Super Bowl, which would add a whole other dimension to this argument. A large portion of Peyton Manning's success can be credited to his highly talented receiving corp over the course of his career. In Indianapolis, Manning was able to throw the ball to the likes of Marvin Harrison, a future Hall of Famer, Reggie Wayne, another future Hall of Famer, and tight end Dallas Clark. This season in Denver, Manning's receiving corp consists of Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, Eric Decker, and running back Knowshon Moreno. Another augment against Peyton Manning is that he played inside a dome for the majority of his career, an environment that clearly favors the passing game; meanwhile, Brady has played in the hostile environment of New England, susceptible to any type of weather that comes his way. Outdoors, especially in very cold weather, we see Peyton Manning's numbers dip pretty significantly. To his credit, Manning has been able to rotate through several coaches throughout his career, but has still been able to produce great numbers.

Bottom Line: Like it says in the tweet above, Tom Brady is 9-4 in his career against Peyton Manning, but on Sunday Night, Manning and the Broncos are the clear favorites. As for the debate over the two quarterbacks, Tom Brady's three Super Bowls and 16-0 season in 2007 proves that he is a complete winning machine, and even though Manning has the better statistics, his environment was more suitable to the passing game. I take Brady over Manning in this one, but another Super Bowl for Manning and I would have to reconsider.

NFL Power Rankings Week 10

1. Kansas City Chiefs: The Kansas City Chiefs are the only perfect team remaining this season, and even though their Week 10 Bye gives them time to prepare for Denver in Week 11, it is unlikely that they can beat the Broncos. We expect there to be a new team at number one in the power rankings in two weeks time.

2. Denver Broncos: In my mind, the Denver Broncos are by far the best team in the National Football League, but there is some unwritten rule where the undefeated team must be number one in power rankings; otherwise, I would have Denver at number one in a heartbeat. So far, quarterback Peyton Manning is the clear favorite to win Most Valuable Player.

3. Indianapolis Colts: Thanks to a field goal shank in overtime by Houston's kicker, the Indianapolis Colt's narrowly squeaked by the Houston Texans. Nevertheless, Andrew Luck led the tenth game-winning drive of his career, proving that the Colts are extremely dangerous in close match ups.

4. San Francisco 49ers: This week's game against the Carolina Panthers is a dangerous game for the San Francisco 49ers, where the Panthers have maintained a 5-3 record entering Week 10. Ever since scoring a combined 10 points in Weeks 2 and 3, San Francisco's offense is averaging 34.8 points per game. The 49ers offense, particularly the running game, looks very dangerous, and I can see them at number one in the power rankings by the end of the regular season.

5. Seattle Seahawks: Similarly to Indianapolis, the Seattle Seahawks almost lost in Week 9, the only difference being the Seattle Seahawks were playing at home. Everyone knows the Seahawks at home is just like Popeye on spinach; once they have their secret weapon, good luck beating them. Yet the Seahawks were playing Tampa Bay, who have yet to win so far in 2013. This narrow victory definitely hurts their stock in the power rankings.

6. New England Patriots: FINALLY. Quarterback Tom Brady seems to have found his groove, especially with a healthy Gronk and Amendola in the starting lineup. If Brady is able to continue with this incredible hot streak, then the New England Patriots will shoot up the power rankings faster than a healthy CJ Spiller.

exposay.com

7. New Orleans Saints: Who would have thought that the New York Jets would take control of their game against the New Orleans Saints. Coach Rex Ryan remains undefeated in games against brother Rob, the Saints' defensive coordinator. Looking forward, the Saints have several big games, and there is little doubt in my mind that the Saints will lose at least three more games before the end of the season.

8. Cincinnati Bengals: After upsetting teams such as San Francisco and New England, the Cincinnati Bengals lost to the Miami Dolphins in one of the ugliest games of the season last Thursday. Now that Cincinnati has that terrible performance out of their system, we expect nothing but the best from the Bengals.

9. Detroit Lions: Coming off of a Bye in Week 9, the Detroit Lions must play Chicago on the road. This game has the potential to be a blowout for the Lions offense, especially if Jay Cutler is not playing on Sunday. Calvin Johnson is healthy once again, causing defensive coordinators to panic in preparation for this offensive weapon.

10. Chicago Bears: Yes, the Chicago Bears beat the Packers on Monday Night while Green Bay was missing Aaron Rodgers, but Chicago was also missing their starting quarterback due to injury. Does this mean Chicago would still have won if both quarterbacks were healthy? That is unclear. What we do know is that Matt Forte is a complete stud, quite possibly the best running back of the 2013 season. 

2012 NFL Predictions (AFC South)

1. Houston Texans (11-5): Even though the Texans lost linebacker Mario Williams to free agency, they proved in 2011 that they can succeed without their pro-bowl defender. Brian Cushing and JJ Watts are the two stars up front, where as corner back Jonathon Joseph will shut down any team's number one wide receiver. Matt Schaub will return to this offense, restoring his great chemistry with wide receiver Andre Johnson. Once again, Houston will dominate the AFC South.

Brian Cushing (Doug Benc/Getty Images)

Week 1: Dolphins @ Texans W
Week 2: Texans @ Jaguars W
Week 3: Texans @ Broncos L
Week 4: Titans @ Texans W
Week 5: Texans @ Jets W
Week 6: Packers @ Texans L
Week 7: Ravens @ Texans L
Week 8: BYE
Week 9: Bills @ Texans W
Week 10: Texans @ Bears L
Week 11: Jaguars @ Texans W
Week 12: Texans @ Lions L
Week 13: Texans @ Titans W
Week 14: Texans @ Patriots W
Week 15: Colts @ Texans W
Week 16: Vikings @ Texans W
Week 17: Texans @ Colts W




2. Indianapolis Colts (6-10): The new face of Indianapolis has high expectations when entering the 2012 season. Andrew Luck was selected first overall by a team who lost their star quarterback in Peyton Manning. In order to make Luck feel slightly more comfortable, Indianapolis drafted Coby Fleener, a tight end who also attended Stanford. Veteran Reggie Wayne could still be lethal, and will be the number one deep threat for this rookie quarterback. The main problem is defense for Indianapolis, something the Colts struggled to put together in 2011. the organization did not do much to fix their struggling defense, so the offense will be expected to pick up the slack.

Andrew Luck (Michael Conroy/AP)

Week 1: Colts @ Bears L
Week 2: Vikings @ Colts W
Week 3: Jaguars @ Colts W
Week 4: BYE
Week 5: Packers @ Colts L
Week 6: Colts @ Jets L
Week 7: Browns @ Colts W
Week 8: Colts @ Titans L
Week 9: Dolphins @ Colts W
Week 10: Colts @ Jaguars W
Week 11: Colts @ Patriots L
Week 12: Bills @ Colts W
Week 13: Colts @ Lions L
Week 14: Titans @ Colts L
Week 15: Colts @ Texans L
Week 16: Colts @ Chiefs L
Week 17: Texans @ Colts L




3. Tennessee Titans (5-11): Jake Locker has been named starter of the Tennessee Titans over Matt Hasselbeck, a decision I don't necessarily agree with. The season starts off with four extremely difficult games, where a veteran quarterback needs to step in and lead his team to victory. By the time the dust settles in Tennessee, the Titans will find themselves in a hole, and unable to find their way out. Chis Johnson says he gained 10 pounds over the off season, and I believe he has another chance at 2,000 rushing yards. Otherwise, the Titans are out of luck, and will struggle to keep their heads above water.

Kendall Wright

Week 1: Patriots @ Titans L
Week 2: Titans @ Chargers L
Week 3: Lions @ Titans L
Week 4: Titans @ Texans L
Week 5: Titans @ Vikings W
Week 6: Steelers @ Titans L
Week 7: Titans @ Bills L
Week 8: Colts @ Titans W
Week 9: Bears @ Titans L
Week 10: Titans @ Dolphins L
Week 11: BYE
Week 12: Titans @ Jaguars W
Week 13: Texans @ Titans L
Week 14: Titans @ Colts W
Week 15: Jets @ Titans L
Week 16: Titans @ Packers L
Week 17: Jaguars @ Titans W




4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-15): The Blaine Gabbert experiment in Jacksonville is not likely to succeed, even with targets such as Marcedes Lewis and rookie Justin Blackmon. The worst news of all is Maurice Jones-Drew's holdout, which is currently unfolding. In fact, MJD has made it clear to the media that he is looking for trade options. If Jacksonville were to lose their one and only star of the team, the Jaguars would be many years away from earning a spot in the playoffs.

Maurice Jones Drew (Getty Images)

Week 1: Jaguars @ Vikings W
Week 2: Texans @ Jaguars L
Week 3: Jaguars @ Colts L
Week 4: Bengals @ Jaguars L
Week 5: Bears @ Jaguars L
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Jaguars @ Raiders L
Week 8: Jaguars @ Packers L
Week 9: Lions @ Jaguars L
Week 10: Colts @ Jaguars L
Week 11: Jaguars @ Texans L
Week 12: Titans @ Jaguars L
Week 13: Jaguars @ Bills L
Week 14: Jets @ Jaguars L
Week 15: Jaguars @ Dolphins L
Week 16: Patriots @ Jaguars L
Week 17: Jaguars @ Titans L

Preseason: Players to Watch (AFC South)

Houston Texans: QB Matt Schaub: For the first time since November of 2011, Matt Schaub will put on a helmet in tonight's game against the Carolina Panthers. Schaub suffered an injury to his right foot in a Week 10 game, and missed the remainder of the season. He was on track to throw for 3,966 yards with 24 touchdowns. Sadly, the Texans starting quarterback has two sides when it comes to his play quality. For example, in 2009, Schaub led the league in passing yards with 4,770, but, like I said before, did not have the start he would have liked in 2011. Worst of all, Schaub has difficulty staying healthy for all 16 games, with just two complete seasons under his belt. Hopefully, this upcoming preseason game will give us an idea on what type of Matt Schaub will show up to play in 2012.

Jake Locker (Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Indianapolis Colts: QB Andrew Luck: Who else would occupy this slot? Andrew Luck most likely will have the highest expectations of any rookie since Peyton Manning, and rightfully so. The Colts struggled enormously last season, and drafted the best prospect in the nation. Now, we will see if the first overall pick can live up to the hype, and lead the Colts back to the Super Bowl within his 10-15 year career. His first game Sunday night will be in front of a jam-packed stadium, which is strange considering it is a Colts-Rams game. Alongside fellow rookie Coby Fleener (a tight end out of Stanford), Luck will take the stage in an attempt to "woo" the audience.

Tennessee Titans: QB Jake Locker: It appears that at the moment, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck has the lead over youngster Jake Locker due to an increased number of snaps. Jake Locker will have to prove he is worthy of the starting job within the next four preseason games. A passer rating of 99.4% last season in only five games gives him the opportunity to win the starting job. What he needs is to amaze his coaches and managers, whereas veteran Matt Hasselbeck will have to play some of the worst football of his career.

Jacksonville Jaguars: CB Rashean Mathis: Similar to Leon Hall, Rashean Mathis is an ex-Pro Bowler who had recently suffered an injury (torn ACL). Mathis will be 32 by the time opening kickoff takes place on September 9th, old for any player in the National Football League. Jacksonville's most valuable corner back in franchise history was recently signed to a one year, $5 million contract, for he owns four of the organization's defensive records. All may change, however, now that he has suffered an injury, and the preseason shall do a good job of showing his condition. 

Top 10 NFL Logos: Indianapolis Colts

10. It may be an extremely simple design, but the horseshoe seen on Indianapolis' helmet is a perfect symbol of the Colts franchise. The blue-and-white combination looks great on the uniforms, and the logo is not too overwhelming. Apart from a slight tweaking to the logo in 2002, the Indianapolis Colts have left the horseshoe virtually untouched since 1984. The simplicity and history associated with Indianapolis' logo makes it well deserving of the tenth spot on our countdown.