Fearful Forecast 2007

Fearful Forecast 2007

NFC EAST

(2) Philadelphia - Did the impossible last season and won three straight division road games in December with a backup quarterback to take the East. With McNabb back healthy and Westbrook firmly entrenched, a defense in flux will have to come together if the Eagles are gonna be worldbeaters.

(5) Dallas - There are some lofty expectations for the Cowboys, which seems unfair when you consider how badly Romo was exposed at the end of last season. This may be all on his shoulders. If he's up to it (and if the secondary can cover anybody), this team could be dangerous. But God help him if he's not - or when T.O. turns on him.

Washington - Here's all you need to know about the Daniel Snyder Era: Even with Joe Gibbs, the Redskins have become completely irrelevant. They can run the ball with Portis and Betts, which will keep pressure off Campbell, but their lack of a pass rush leaves their defense suspect.

N.Y. Giants - If this team's veterans constantly sniping about Tom Coughlin weren't enough to get him fired, Eli's regression last season should have been. But what's been overlooked is 1) how bad the defense was, and 2) they didn't make any big offseason moves to improve their weaknesses. This could be a disaster.

NFC NORTH

(3) Chicago - The Bears won't sneak up on anybody, but in this sorry division, it won't matter. But they're going to need Rex to find something resembling consistency if they want to get back to the Super Bowl.

Green Bay - Is THIS Favre's last season? Who knows. The rest of the team's in transition with some young potential on offense, but an underrated defense should keep them in games.

Minnesota - At least Tarvaris Jackson has Taylor and Peterson to run the ball and lighten the load. But there's too little on offense to support a rock-solid defense.

Detroit - They should score points, but I'd feel better about this offense if Kitna wasn't running it. To expand on that, I'd feel better about this team if Matt Millen wasn't running it.

NFC SOUTH

(1) New Orleans - Amazing what a difference competence at coach and QB makes. The offense should be even more dynamic, but I still wonder if they've fixed their secondary problems, though getting McKenzie back should help.

Carolina - Delhomme fell off badly in a disappointing all-around season for the Panthers, but is David Carr really the answer if his struggles continue? This whole team seems primed for a bounce-back year.

Tampa Bay - Chris Simms gave his spleen for the cause and almost didn't make this year's squad. Jeff Garcia comes in to run the offense, but the Bucs have backslid since their Super Bowl win. Gruden's gotta be on notice, right?

Atlanta - Say what you want about Vick on the field, but the Falcons had a nasty habit of not winning without him. All Harrington's proven is that he's pretty bad. They'll also miss Kerney more than everyone thinks.

NFC WEST

(4) Seattle - The Seahawks and Eagles had sort of similar seasons except the 'Hawks got their quarterback back. I'm still not sure why they traded Jackson to a division rival, though.

(6) San Francisco - The improving 49ers are a trendy pick to do some things with improving Alex Smith and an overhauled defense, but I don't really like their non-Jackson WRs and the division is a lot more competitive.

St. Louis - The Rams keep adding parts to their offense and can still remain competitive, but I'm not sure if the defense is up to holding up its end.

Arizona - We'll continue our tradition of not letting them off the hook, because even with a star-laden offense, yet another new coach, and an evolving defense, they're still the Arizona Cardinals until they prove otherwise.

AFC EAST

(3) New England - The Pats blew up their entire receiving corps in search of playmakers, but is Randy Moss still an elite player? This corner says no, but it probably won't matter too much as long as Brady's throwing the passes.

N.Y. Jets - The Meadowlands' other tenants were kind of overlooked as a team that probably overachieved last year. In the NFC, they'd be contenders. But they're not in the NFC.

Buffalo - The light went on for Losman in the second half last season, and the Bills also beefed up their offensive line in free agency. If Lynch can replace McGahee, they'll... still be a step behind the 49ers, for comparison.

Miami - They're gonna try yet again with Cam Cameron and Trent Green, but a young and inconsistent offensive line will make things difficult. The defense is still good, but its key players - Taylor, Thomas, Holliday, Traylor - are getting old.

NFC SOUTH

(1) Indianapolis - They know they can do it, so that's not an issue anymore. They're not very deep, though, and losing any of their stars could lead to some serious problems, especially on defense.

Tennessee - Vince Young continued his game-breaking ways as an NFL rookie, but he's got no help on offense. The defense won't miss Pacman with Harper and Herndon coming aboard.

Jacksonville - The Leftwich era ended just like that. I've always been a Garrard fan, but for the Jaguars to seriously think about being contenders, this has to work.

Houston - Matt Schaub? Ahman Green? Really? At least the Texans are building a defense with a high ceiling.

NFC NORTH

(2) Baltimore - McNair really stabilized the quarterback position for the Ravens and saved Billick's job in the process. McGahee adds a(nother?) dimension to the offense, and the defense keeps coming up with players to replace its losses.

(5) Pittsburgh - Last year shouldn't have happened, starting with Ben's motorcycle accident and filtering on down to a highly disappointing season. This team is better than last season showed, and I like them to come back strong.

Cincinnati - There's nothing wrong with this offense. The defense... well, that's another matter. The Bengals have big holes on the other side, and this conference is too tough to win with a defense as bad as this one.

Cleveland - I don't like the fact that they threw in the towel on Frye after a season and a half, but it is what it is. Quinn will be the man by season's end, but this is another team that hasn't done a lot of things right the last few years.

AFC WEST

(4) San Diego - Replacing Marty with Norv, while it preserves continuity, could prove to be the Chargers' eventual undoing as far as winning a Super Bowl is concerned. Seriously, Norv's never run a team this good, and if he screws this up...

(6) Denver - I didn't like last year's midseason switch to Cutler, either, but again, it is what it is. They'll run the ball and play solid defense, but you also have to wonder about their psyche a little considering how last season ended and the offseason deaths of two teammates.

Kansas City - Johnson will have to continue to carry the Chiefs to whatever success they're gonna have, because the rest of this team? Not that great.

Oakland - Dear Lord. Their quarterbacks are a has-been, a never-was, and an MIA. Their offensive line is dismal. Their new coach got sick during training camp. Can things actually get worse?