NFL Season is Here - Predictions

Well the NFL Hall of Fame Game was just played last night and officially begins the NFL Season.  Even though it is only preseason it was so good to see and it looks like Brees and the Saints are in mid season form already while Kolb and the Cardinals played as to be expected...bad!

So here are my preseason picks for the upcoming NFL 2012 Season.  Feel free to pick them apart....what do I know!

AFC
East
 +1. New England Patriots
 *2. New York Jets
  3. Buffalo Bills
  4. Miami Dolphins
Patriots have the ability to have best record in NFL (maybe 15-1)...Jets manage just enough to get in as a wildcard playoff team...Buffalo's luck from last year not going to be the same this year (Fitzpatrick?  Shave already!)..Dolphins improved with maybe 6 wins..

South
  +1. Houston Texans
   2. Indianapolis Colts
   3. Tennessee Titans
   4. Jacksonville Jaguars
This clearly has become the worst division in the NFL.  Texans certainly on top even if Schaub doesn't play the entire year...Luck and the Colts experience growing pains...Titans and Jags just don't have the QB to get them to more than 4-5 wins.

North
  +1. Baltimore Ravens
  *2. Pittsburgh Steelers
   3. Cincinnati Bengals
   4. Cleveland Browns
Again its the Ravens and Steelers division to lose.  I see Ravens edging out the Steelers by one game.  Cincinnati takes a step back this year with Malachi at QB...Cleveland still has a long way to go.

West
  +1. San Diego Chargers
    2. Denver Broncos
    3. Oakland Raiders
   4. Kansas City Chiefs
Rivers bounces back and get the Chargers the division title...the Manning project in Denver starts out slow, but comes on strong and finishes .500...Oakland toys with .500 but comes up short of the playoffs...KC continues to slide to the bottom...

NFC

East
  +1. Philadelphia Eagles
   2. New York Giants
   3. Dallas Cowboys
   4. Washington Redskins
This division could go to either the Eagles, Giants or the Cowboys.  Based on the schedule I see the Eagles edging out the G-men and the Cowpokes.  And the Giants and cowboys miss the playoffs altogether.  RGIII running for his life in Washington..

South
   +1 New Orleans Saints
   2. Atlanta Falcons
   3.Carolina Panthers
   4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Saints rally behind Drew Brees to win the division and make another run to the Super Bowl...Atlanta misses the playoffs behind head case Ryan...Cam Newton and the Panthers get to 9-7 but miss the playoffs..Bucs under new coach have trouble adjusting..

North
  +1. Detroit Lions
  *2. Green Bay Packers
  *3. Chicago Bears
   4. Minnesota Vikings
This could be the toughest division in the NFL this season with two of the top QBs in Stafford and Rogers plus Cutler gets Brandon Marshal back...If Stafford stays healthy their schedule could lead them to 13 wins...Packers and Bears with double digit wins on the season gets them into playoffs...Vikings can't continue to rely on Petterson every year.

West
  +1. San Francisco 49ers
    2. St. Louis Rams
    3. Arizona Cardinals
    4. Seattle Seahawks
49ers struggle this year but 9 wins will be enough to win this division as the Rams are probably a year a way or two...Bradford clearly the best QB in the division but will need a healthy team to compete.  7 wins likely for the Rams...Cards and Seahawks with no real QB prospects struggle all year and would be lucky to have 10 wins between the two of them.

NFC Wild Card
Green Bay at New Orleans - what a matchup and a rematch from earlier in the season...at home the Saints get the best of the Packers and advance on

Chicago at San Francisco - classic playoff battle at a sloppy SF field the Bears dominate a weak 49er team

AFC Wild Card
Pittsburgh at Houston - Pittsburgh defense smothers the Texans as Big Ben moves on to the Divisional Playoffs

New York Jets at San Diego - San Diego blasts the Jets and sends a Tebow lead team home for the playoffs

NFC Divisional Playoffs
New Orleans at Philadelphia - A tough fought game has Drew Brees leading the Saints on a final minute drive to edge the Eagles

Chicago at Detroit - A frenzy scene in Detroit at Ford Field has Culter baffled as Detroit rolls over the Bears and makes it to the NFC Championship

AFC Divisional Playoffs
Pittsburgh at New England - Tom Brady is too much for the Steelers as they make yet another trip to the AFC Championship

San Diego at Baltimore - Chargers upset a beat up Raven team that has started to show its age late in the season.

NFC Championship
New Orleans at Detroit - Ford field was rocking but Brees with two early TD drives takes the crowd out of it and leads the Saints back to the Super Bowl.

AFC Championship
San Diego at New England - Weather is a factor for the Chargers and the Patriots dispense the Chargers easily and return to the Super Bowl for the second year in a row

SUPER BOWL XLVII
New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots - For the first time in NFL history a team plays in the Super Bowl at their home stadium as the Saints take on the Patriots.  Patriots hungry to avenge their Super Bowl loss from last year come up short again as the Saints and Drew Brees playing in front of their home crowd beat Brady in a classic QB dual.