It is that time again. The smell of fresh cut
grass fills the nose. The chill of an autumn night is on the horizon. Shoulder
pads and helmets cracking ring through the ears of fans all over the country.
Carrie Underwood and those gorgeous legs are going to excite us even more for
Sunday night. However, America’s Game is back on Thursdays and Mondays too.
Football season is here again.
Like millions of sports fans, I am primarily an
NFL guy. Football is king; everything else is in competition for a distant
second. That is why this is such an important and exciting time of the year. Life
finally returns to normalcy with the return of professional football. Well,
professional football and whatever the New York Jets are doing. The 2013
regular season kicks off Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl Champion
Baltimore Ravens take on the Denver Broncos in Denver. Meanwhile, the rest of
the league kicks off their 2012 this upcoming Sunday and Monday. After a
wonderful summer with a terrific baseball season, an exciting IndyCar Series
season, thrilling marquee UFC fights, and even NASCAR providing a few
attention-grabbing moments, it is nice to say that football season is finally
back.
As I have done since the beginning of The
Highlight Reel, it is time for my annual preview of the upcoming NFL season. In
the upcoming series of blogs, I am briefly going to preview all 32 teams for
the upcoming 2013 season. In addition, I will be making predictions that you
can take to the bank. Last year, I predicted Baltimore would make the Super
Bowl while correctly predicting seven of the 12 NFL playoff teams. Yeah, I
know, not that great. Still, it is fun to make predictions about the upcoming
NFL season and watch as the majority of them are destroyed by Week 5. This is
my preview of the 2013 NFL season – starting with the AFC.
NFL Team Previews - The AFC
AFC East
Buffalo Bills – Currently owning the longest
playoff drought in the league at 13 seasons, the Buffalo Bills will attempt to
right the ship under first-year coach Doug Marrone. Rookie EJ Manuel is the new
starting QB in Buffalo and leads a young offense full of explosive talent
including running back CJ Spiller and wide receiver Steve Johnson. Buffalo’s
defense is solid, fronted by linebacker Mario Williams. Buffalo will benefit
from a weakened AFC East but still do not look playoff-ready. 2013 is another
season of rebuilding for this once-proud franchise. (Estimated number of wins: 5-7)
Miami Dolphins – Second-year coach Joe Philbin
and quarterback Ryan Tannehill are hoping to improve upon their 7-9 rookie
campaigns in Miami. Miami improved their offensive by resigning wide receiver
Brian Hartline and added free agent receiver Mike Wallace out of Pittsburgh.
The Dolphins added tight end Dustin Keller from the Jets but lost him in the
preseason with an injury. The additional losses of Jake Long (to St. Louis),
Anthony Fasano (to Kansas City), and Reggie Bush (to Detroit) through free
agency could hurt the Dolphins in the end. However, this offense has explosive
potential with Hartline and Wallace catching for Tannehill. If the defense can
play as strong as it appears on paper, Miami could surprise many fans and not only
contend for a Wild Card berth but also a division title. (Estimated number of
wins: 7-9)
New England Patriots – The 2013 offseason for the New
England Patriots will be one Patriot fans cannot wait to forget. Wes Welker
left for Denver. Aaron Hernandez left for either life or death row in prison.
Rob Gronkowski is still shaking off the anesthesia from a summer of surgeries
on various injuries. In addition, bit players like Danny Woodhead, Patrick
Chung, and Brandon Lloyd are all gone. New England released the biggest
acquisition this offseason – Tim Tebow. Still, I think Tom Brady will be
excited to replace Welker with new wide receiver Danny Amendola from St. Louis.
New England’s running game has a lot of potential with Steven Ridley and newly
acquired LeGarrette Blount. I like the Patriots defense to improve upon last
season as experience will only help their young starters Chandler Jones and
Dont’a Hightower improve their game. I think New England will win the division
again. However, I do not see New England making a deep run in the postseason
this year. Tom Brady can only carry this team on his back so far. Too many
“ifs” on offense to believe this team will reach the Promised Land. (Estimated
number of wins: 9-11)
New York Jets – Jesus tap dancing Christ. This
team is the hottest of hot dumpster fires. I do not see how head coach Rex Ryan
survived the preseason with the way he mismanaged this team’s quarterback
situation. Rookie Geno Smith is now the starter, despite throwing three
interceptions and running out of the back of the end zone in his best outing in
the preseason because Ryan sent previous Jets’ starter Mark Sanchez out in that
same game, only to have Sanchez suffer a shoulder injury. They lost Darrelle
Revis to Tampa Bay and LaRon Landry to Indianapolis in moves that will hurt the
secondary while tight end Dustin Keller moved to Miami. As horrible as a 6-10
season memorable for a “butt fumble” and Tim Tebow riding the bench sounds, the
Jets will be lucky to have anything that wonderful in 2013. Rex Ryan will be
the first coach fired in 2013 and the Jets will be in the running for a top
draft pick in 2014. (Estimated number of wins: 2-4)
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens – No defending Super Bowl Champion
has lost more than five starters in an off-season. The 2013 Ravens are missing
eight of the starters from their championship team. The most noticeable absence
is of linebacker Ray Lewis, who retired after 17 seasons in the league. Ed Reed
is gone to Houston and Anquan Boldin is now in San Francisco. On the plus side,
Baltimore added linebacker Elvis Dumervil from Denver in a major free agency
coup and I love the signing of tight end Dallas Clark from Tampa Bay to replace
the injured Dennis Pitta. Joe Flacco signed a massive contract extension after
winning a Super Bowl ring and claiming the elite status he longed for. I also
like the addition of veteran wide receiver Brandon Stokley as another weapon
for Flacco on offense. Ray Rice will continue to be one of the league’s
premiere young running backs while Baltimore’s defense will not miss a step
despite the roster changes. I do not believe Baltimore can repeat as Super Bowl
Champions. However, I think they will be a part of the playoff picture deep
into the postseason, either as the AFC North Champions or as a Wild Card. (Estimated
number of wins: 9-11)
Cincinnati Bengals – If any team can shock the world
in 2013, I believe it will be the Cincinnati Bengals. Coming off two
consecutive postseason appearances, I think Cincinnati actually improved their
roster over the off-season with the addition of rookie running back Giovani
Bernard and linebacker James Harrison from the rival Steelers. In his third
season, Andy Dalton is quietly looking like the best QB to come out of the 2011
Draft (Suck it, Newton and Kaepernick). If they stay healthy, I think the
Cincinnati Bengals can challenge the Ravens for the division title. In any
situation, I believe Cincinnati will be in the postseason again. However,
unlike the previous two seasons, the Bengals are ready to make a run in 2013. (Estimated
number of wins: 9-11)
Cleveland Browns – New head coach Rob Chudzinski
inherits a 5-11 team with a 10-year postseason drought. I know I will sound
crazy for saying this but I do not think Cleveland will be as bad as normal.
Brandon Weedon will benefit from new offensive coordinator Norv Turner while
Trent Richardson is looking to improve on a solid rookie campaign. The loss of
Josh Cribbs to free agency will hurt Cleveland’s special teams and receiving
corps. However, Greg Little and Josh Morgan (when he returns from suspension)
will pick up the slack of a missing Cribbs. Cleveland is not going to be a
playoff team in 2013. However, late in the season, I think they will be a
spoiler ruining many other teams’ dreams. (Estimated number of wins: 4-6)
Pittsburgh Steelers – This season will be the worst
season for the Pittsburgh Steelers in a long time because of one reason: age.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are just old. Ben Roethlisberger is still one of the
league’s elite quarterbacks. However, he lost his explosive young wide receiver
Mike Wallace to Miami. Jericho Cotchery, Emmanuel Sanders, and Plaxico Burress
will all have to pick up the slack in Wallace’s absence. Rookie Le’Veon Bell
will be a great addition to the backfield that has struggled to find stability
since the retirement of Jerome Bettis in 2006. Pittsburgh lost inspirational leader
James Harrison to Cincinnati but appear to have safety Troy Polamalu starting
the season healthy for the first time in years. I think Pittsburgh is taking
the beauty of veteran leadership and going too far with it. They are just
painfully old to me. As a painfully old team, the Steelers will disappoint a
lot in 2013. I think the Steelers will more likely finish as the worst team in
the AFC North than as division champion. (Estimated number of wins: 5-7)
AFC South
Houston Texans – The Houston Texans have one of
the best teams in football… on paper. The Texans defense is second to none with
JJ Watt appearing to be a modern day Reggie White, Brian Cushing developing
into one of the premiere linebackers in the game, and the addition of Ed Reed
adding some veteran leadership to a young secondary. On offense, quarterback
Matt Schaub still has one of the premiere wide receivers in the game in Andre
Johnson and an outstanding tight end in Owen Daniels at his disposal. Running
back Arian Foster should be outstanding if he stays healthy. Health is key for
Houston. If they stay healthy, the Houston Texans will be a Super Bowl threat
this season. If the injury bug bites them, Houston could lose the division and
possibly even find themselves out of the Wild Card hunt. I believe in the
positive regarding the Texans. 2013 will be a huge success for Houston. (Estimated
number of wins: 10-12)
Indianapolis Colts – I misjudged Indianapolis
completely in 2012. I thought Indianapolis would struggle with a first-year
coach and rookie quarterback. Despite missing head coach Chuck Pagano for most
of the season due to his cancer diagnosis, the Colts thrived with QB Andrew
Luck. The Colts lost DE Dwight Freeney to San Diego but added LaRon Landry to
their secondary while adding wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey from Oakland and
running back Ahmad Bradshaw from the Giants to the offense. I believe the
veteran wisdom of new backup QB Matt Hasselbeck will only help Luck prevent a
sophomore slump from occurring. I do question whether Coach Pagano is a good
fit or not as he actually only went 2-3 in the games he coached last season;
Bruce Arians – now in Arizona – coached the Colts into the postseason. I think
Indianapolis will take a step backwards in 2013, but only a small step. They
will still contend for a postseason berth. (Estimated number of wins: 7-9)
Jacksonville Jaguars – New head coach Gus Bradley
inherits a Jaguars team coming off a 2-14 season. Blaine Gabbert returns as
starting quarterback while many in the media continue to whisper “Tim Tebow” as
the potential savior for the Jaguars. At least he would put butts in the seats
at EverBank Field. Running back Maurice Jones-Drew remains the lone bright spot
for the Jaguars’ offense and will remain their biggest threat. Jacksonville’s stud
second-year wide receiver Justin Blackmon is starting 2013 with a suspension as
character issues are rearing their ugly head. Regardless of what Jacksonville
does, I do not think the Jaguars have a chance of doing anything more than
playing for the first pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. (Estimated number of wins:
3-5)
Tennessee Titans – In his third season, Jake Locker
may be in for more of a battle than just against opposing defenses in the AFC.
The addition of Ryan Fitzpatrick from Buffalo should add a little fire to
Locker’s seat as starter for a Titans team who should perform better than last
season’s 6-10 record. I like the addition of Shonn Greene from the Jets to the backfield,
as he should take some of the pressure of Chris Johnson. Tennessee has a solid
crop of receivers including Kenny Britt and Nate Washington so there is no
justifiable reason for the Titans to struggle this season offensively. The
defense is young but solid. I believe Tennessee should improve greatly from
last season’s mistakes and contend for a Wild Card spot in the AFC. (Estimated
number of wins: 7-9)
AFC West
Denver Broncos – The second year of the Peyton
Manning Era in Denver sees the Broncos coming off a 13-3 record and playoff
loss to eventual Super Bowl Champion Baltimore. The Broncos added wide receiver
Wes Welker from New England to electrify an already outstand receiving corps
including Eric Decker and Demaryius Thomas. The release of Willis McGahee will
lead to more carries for running backs Knowshon Moreno and rookie Montee Ball.
The Broncos’ defense will start the season missing stud linebacker Von Miller
due to suspension and Elvis Dumervil to free agency. However, the addition of linebacker
Shaun Phillips, and cornerbacks Quintin Jammer and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to
the defense will only make Denver stronger in the end. I believe Denver will be
a Super Bowl contender in 2013. After playing so strong last season only to
come up short, the Broncos know anything short of a Super Bowl appearance this
season will be a major disappointment. (Estimated number of wins: 11-13)
Kansas City Chiefs – The Kansas City Chiefs are a
completely new team from the squad of last season. New coach Andy Reid helms a
team led on offense by new quarterback Alex Smith, fresh off his dismissal from
the San Francisco 49ers. Jamaal Charles, one of the best running backs in the
league, returns with a new offensive line blocking for him including #1 overall
draft pick Eric Fisher. New tight end Anthony Fasano and wide receiver AJ
Jenkins should provide weapons that will free up wide receiver Dwayne Bowe.
Kansas City’s young defense can only improve after last year’s dismal campaign.
I think Kansas City actually should surprise many fans and contend for a Wild
Card berth. Head Coach Andy Reid and quarterback Alex Smith both have a lot to
prove in their new setting and I think they could do well. (Estimated number of
wins: 6-8)
Oakland Raiders – After years of firing coaches
who got them to 8-8 records, Dennis Allen remains head coach for a second
season despite going 4-12 in 2012. Matt Flynn, who went to Seattle only to lose
his job in the preseason in 2012, signed with Oakland in the offseason… only to
lose his job in the preseason to Terrelle Pryor. The Raiders look like one of
the biggest disasters of the 2013 season. Running back Darren McFadden appears
to be the only real threatening offensive weapon for the Raiders, although
Jacoby Ford could breakout as a star wide receiver if the quarterback situation
settles down. Oakland added veteran safety Charles Woodson from Green Bay in a
move that should add a little veteran experience and leadership to a defense in
desperate need of both. I think Oakland is going to struggle greatly in 2013.
Perhaps they will pull off a few victories over unsuspecting opponents taking
them lightly. However, the postseason is not even a consideration for this
year’s Raiders. (Estimated number of wins: 3-5)
San Diego Chargers – Finally, the San Diego Chargers
did a move I have requested for almost five years as they fired head coach Norv
Turner. New head coach Mike McCoy does have one major problem with his team
though: age. Tight end Antonio Gates is entering his tenth season in the league
while quarterback Phillip Rivers is entering his ninth season under center for
the Chargers. Unless Mike McCoy brings in a breath of fresh air to the team’s
mentality, defenses across the league know what to expect from both of San
Diego’s top offensive stars. Add to this the regression in skills from Rivers,
who has turned into a turnover machine in the last two seasons, and you have a
Chargers team destined for disappointment in 2013. I do love the running backs
in San Diego as, if used properly, the Chargers could be effective on the
ground with Ryan Mathews and Ronnie Brown carrying the ball and newly acquired
Danny Woodhead from New England catching the ball. The Chargers added
linebacker Dwight Freeney from Indianapolis through free agency and linebacker
Manti Te’o through the NFL Draft. Both should help improve a mediocre defense.
I think San Diego could flirt with a .500 record and possibly even flirt with a
Wild Card berth in an improvement over last season’s 7-9 record. (Estimated
number of wins: 7-9)
Division Predictions (w/ Division Winners and Wild Card
Teams in Bold)
AFC East – New England Patriots,
Miami Dolphins, Buffalo
Bills, New York Jets
AFC North – Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh
Steelers, Cleveland Browns
AFC South - Houston Texans,
Tennessee Titans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars
AFC West - Denver Broncos,
San Diego Chargers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders
AFC Championship Game Prediction
Denver Broncos 34 – Houston Texans
28
Super Bowl XLVII Prediction
For my Super Bowl XLVII prediction,
read the second part of my NFL Preview after I break down the NFC.
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