As I promised here is the first in 8 installments of division previews. While there are still a couple months until training camps, most of the rosters are complete. There could be a few minor changes after some June 1st cuts. You could have a Ricky Williams style retirement on the eve of camp. Brett Favre could decide to un-retire. However, with what we have in place as of today here is what I see taking place in 2008.

Some people will say it is way to early to start making predictions. My response to that would be that it is always too early to make predictions. How many people are going to hop off the Patriots bandwagon if they go 0-4 in preseason, barring a Tom Brady season ending injury? How many people are going to jump on the Dolphins bandwagon if they go 4-0?

Unless there is a major injury it is fairly safe to say this is how I am going to feel about the divisions. If you think I am starting these too early leave a comment about what you think is going to change for your team between now and the start of the season that I am not taking into account.

In my first installment I am starting with the AFC East. Here are the links to the other divisions that have already been completed.

a) AFC East 

b) NFC East 

c) AFC South 

d) NFC South 

g) AFC West 

h) NFC West

The AFC East was by far the most lopsided division in 2007. The Patriots won the division by 9 games. While 16-0 helped create that lofty margin, the Bills didn’t do much to keep the division competitive going 7-9 in second place. The Jets and Dolphins finished 4-12 and 1-15 respectively.

Here is how I see the 2008 season playing out in the AFC East.

1) New England Patriots

07 Record: 16-0

Points Scored: 589 (1st)

Points Allowed: 274 (4th)

Playoff Result: Lost Super Bowl

2008 Strength of Schedule: 99-157 (.387) (32nd in NFL)

Strengths: When a team completes the first 16-0 season in NFL history, there isn’t going to be a lot of weaknesses to look at. Bill Belichick has done a great job keeping the Patriots the most dominant team in the NFL since 2001. The strength of the team is their offense and that offense broke NFL records that many thought were untouchable. Their 589 points scored in a single season demonstrates the ease with which this offense moved the ball. Patriots starts with Tom Brady and Randy Moss. Tom Brady completed a historic NFL season, in which he won his first MVP award. The future Hall of Famer passed for 4,806 yards, 50 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and had a QB rating of 117.2. The major benefactors of those big numbers were Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Moss had a record setting 23 touchdown receptions to go along with 98 catches and 1,493 yards. Wes Welker had 112 catches for 1175 yards and 8 touchdowns.

The Patriots also had a very good running game. While injuries prevented one back from accumulating all the numbers, the Patriots as a team ranked a respectable 13th in rushing yards. Laurence Maroney is their most promising runner and if he can stay healthy he should be able to eclipse 1,000 yards.

The Patriots didn’t punt the ball a lot and scoring touchdowns were so frequent that we didn’t get to see much in the way of their special teams. All in all their return units and kicking game was fairly strong and should continue to be that way in 2008.

Weaknesses: It’s hard to call a defense that ranked 4th in the NFL a weakness. The Patriots defense would be the strength of most teams. But considering how good the offense was in 2007; that is what the defense is for the Patriots. The Patriots D did a lot of good things in 2007. They were very good at pressuring the quarterback. The Patriots ranked 2nd in the NFL at sacking the quarterback. They also ranked 6th in passing yards allowed, which is amazing considering how far behind teams were the majority of the game. The Patriots were however very average at stopping the run. While they ranked tenth in yards allowed, they ranked 26th in yards per carry at 4.4.

The defensive line is still in great shape. Wilfork is a beast and still in his 20s. Seymour and Warren are excellent on the ends. They also have good depth behind them. The biggest challenge for the Patriots on defense is overcoming age issues in the linebacker core and replacing heavy losses in the secondary. All of their starting linebackers are 30 years old or older. Thomas is still an excellent player with a few prime years left. Seau is 39 years old and Bruschi will be 35 years old in a month. That was the big motivation for drafting Mayo with the 10th pick and Crable in the 3rd round. Both will need to contribute immediately.

Samuel was a huge free agent loss in the secondary. They also lost #### and Wilson. Harrison returns, but is 36 years old and was susceptible to the pass last season. The Patriots signed CBs Fernando Bryant and Lewis Sanders to go along with S Tank Williams. While those should be good players, it is hard to believe they will be better than what the Patriots lost. They also drafted Wheatley in the 2nd round to provide depth.

Prediction: It will be interesting to see if the rest of the NFL has caught up to the Patriots in 2008. The Patriots were light years ahead of the rest of the league during the first 10 games of the season. As the season progressed, teams started to close the gap. Still the Patriots went 18-0, before losing by a field goal in the Super Bowl. Losing by a field goal isn’t exactly being figured out.

The schedule doesn’t look very challenging. The Patriots have the easiest schedule in terms of last year’s winning percentage with a .387 winning percentage. They only play 4 playoff teams from 2007. That is the minimum for a first place team. That doesn’t necessarily mean it will pan out as the easiest schedule, but based on last season it doesn’t look very challenging.

I think the Patriots will still have one of the top 5 scoring offenses in the NFL. I think they will still have a respectable defense, but one that either barely makes the top 10 or is on the cusp. Even though as a whole they won’t be as good as 2007, they should still have more than enough weapons to run away with the division and earn a first round bye in the playoffs.

New England Patriot's Record: 13-3 – AFC East Divisional Champion; AFC #2 Seed

2) New York Jets

07 Record: 4-12

Points Scored: 268 (25th)

Points Allowed: 355 (19th)

Playoff Result: N/A

2008 Strength of Schedule: 117-139 (.457) (25th in NFL)

Strengths: Eric Mangini had a hard fall from grace in 2007. After being considered one of the hottest coaching prospects entering 2007, it is back to the drawing board in 2008. It is hard to look back to 2007, because the NY Jets have been so active in free agency. The NY Jets were not awful on defense, especially when it comes to stopping the pass. The Jets ranked 9th in pass yards allowed and 6th in pass touchdowns allowed. Keep in mind that part of that was due to the bad job they did stopping the run.

On offense, Thomas Jones did have the 1,000 yard season the Jets hoped he would have. The bad news was that he did it on 3.6 yards per carry and had only one rushing touchdown the whole season. Cotchery had 82 receptions for 1,130 yards and 2 touchdowns. Coles had 55 catches for 646 yards and 6 touchdowns while being limited by injuries for a good part of the season. Both were impressive given their starting quarterback situation.

The Jets have some issues going in at quarterback this season. Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens will be the main signal callers for the Jets in 2008. When Pennington is healthy he can be one of the better quarterbacks in the league. He is extremely accurate and makes good decisions. Injuries have robbed him of a lot of games. Clemens is the probable starter heading into camp, but by no means did he do so well in 2008 that the Jets wouldn’t contemplate going back to Pennington should Clemens prove ineffective.

The kicking game looks to be in good shape. Nugent and Graham both had solid seasons. Neither is a major concern heading into this season.

Weaknesses: The NY Jets had weaknesses all over the board. They only won 4 games, and 2 of those were against the 1-15 Dolphins. They were run over by opposing running backs the whole season, giving up the 29th most rushing yards in the NFL. They struggled to control the line of scrimmage on either side of the ball. They finished 19th in rushing yards gained and 30th in rushing touchdowns scored. It was a year to forget for a team coming off a wildcard birth and 10 wins in 2006.

The Jets decided to fix this mess by hitting free agency as if there was no tomorrow. They signed Alan Faneca and Damien Woody to upgrade the offensive line. They signed TE Bubba Franks and FB Tony Richardson to improve their blocking at those positions. When those guys can stay healthy they are very effective in that regard. They also drafted Dustin Keller to give them a receiving threat at tight end. Finally, the Jets guaranteed the final $11 million of Cole’s contract to keep him happy.

On defense they traded a third and fifth round pick for DT Kris Jenkins and signed OLB Kelvin Pace away from the Arizona Cardinals. They drafted Vernon Gholston with the 6th pick. He was one of the premier pass rushers in the entire draft. They also drafted Dwight Lowery to add depth in the secondary. Finally, they signed S Kerry Rhodes to five year, $33.5 million extension ($20 million guaranteed) extension to keep him in the secondary.

What all this means is that the Jets were one of the busiest players in free agency and the first round of the draft. They could have as many as 7 new starters or one third of the starting positions. That means that you really can’t look at last year’s results as many key contributors on this team are players that were not on the Jet’s roster in 2007.

Prediction: It’s hard for me to believe that the Jets aren’t going to improve on their record from 2007 given their strength of schedule and all the free agents they signed and high draft picks they made. The question is whether that is going to be enough for them to get into the playoffs.

Playing the Dolphins and Bills twice can always help. They get the NFC West and AFC West meaning San Fran, St Louis, Oakland, and Kansas City. They will win more than 4 games in 2008. That said, I still am not in love with adding a bunch of high priced veteran free agents and throwing it together and hoping for greatness the following season. History is full of teams that crashed and burned using that approach.

I think it is going to take this team some time to gel. I also am not in love with their quarterback situation. Pennington’s best days are behind him and Clemens didn’t show me anything to get very excited about. Given their schedule and improvement in talent, I am looking for them to get to 7-9 or possibly 8-8 this season. Anything more than 8 wins would be a major surprise to me.

NY Jet's Record: 7-9 – AFC East 2nd place; No Playoffs

3) Buffalo Bills

07 Record: 7-9

Points Scored: 252 (30th)

Points Allowed: 354 (18th)

Playoff Result: N/A

2008 Strength of Schedule: 115-141 (.449) (27th in NFL)

Strengths: #### Jauron has done a very good job with this squad since being hired by the Buffalo Bills. The Buffalo Bills were your classic effort team in 2008. Despite ranking 30th in yards gained and 31st in yards allowed they were able to make enough plays to win games. Critics will point to their 7-9 record as being the result of 4 wins over the Dolphins and Jets. Still, other than the Patriots games, Jaguars, and Steelers the Bills played most of their schedule fairly competitively. They were beaten by the Dallas Cowboys in the games closing seconds. They beat a playoff team in Washington. This is a team that was able to give teams fits with their hustle and effort.

The Bills have some quality pieces as well. Lee Evans could be a great receiver if he could get the right quarterback situation. #### had a very good rookie campaign and is expected to do big things in Year 2. Fred Jackson was a quality back up. Edwards played some good minutes and will be competing with Losman for the starting job. Edwards should be the favorite to earn the starting nod. On defense Aaron Schobel is always considered one of the leagues better defensive ends.

The kicking game is pretty solid. Rian Lindell was 24 for 27 in 2007. Brian Moorman had grossed as high as 45.7 in 2005 was down to 40.8 in 2007. Roscoe Parish is a promising return man.

Weaknesses: While the Bills had a nice season, they need to get more good players if they want to take the next jump. They were anemic on offense and the defense was not good enough to carry the team. The Bills did a nice job of upgrading their defense. Marcus Stroud is a nice addition to the defensive line. They also added Spencer Johnson to sure up the DT position. The Bills drafted DE Chris Ellis to improve the defensive line. They signed Kawika Mitchell away from the World Champion NY Giants. He should help the linebacker spot. Finally, the Bills singed William James and drafted Leodis McKelvin and Reggie Corner to improve the secondary. If these moves pan out, the Bills defense will be a much better unit in 2008.

The Bills didn’t completely ignore the offense. They drafted James Hardy out of Indiana in the second round. He should make a nice compliment to established starter Lee Evans. The Bills are gambling that their young offensive starters will continue to progress and will be aided by a much stronger defense that will keep them in most games.

Prediction: The Bills did make several additions that should improve this team. However, I do not believe they have caught up to the Patriots yet and the NY Jets were as active as any team in the league in free agency. The Dolphins have also been busy. I don’t expect the Bills to go 4-2 in their division in 2008.

That said, the Bills do have some winnable out of division games if the Raiders, Chiefs, 49ers, and Rams. I expect the Bills to be right around 7-9 or 8-8 in 2008. If the Bills finished slightly ahead of the NY Jets that would not surprise me. If the Bills ended up tied or slightly behind the Jets, that too would not surprise me. The bottom line is that I think both the Bills and the Jets are both teams hovering around .500 and both have a ways to go before entering the playoff discussion in the very deep and talented AFC.

Buffalo Bill's Record: 7-9 – AFC 3rd Place; No Playoffs

4) Miami Dolphins

07 Record: 1-15

Points Scored: 267 (26th)

Points Allowed: 437 (30th)

Playoff Result: N/A

2008 Strength of Schedule: 119-137 (.465) (22nd in NFL)

Strengths: The Dolphins had been flirting with contention in 2005 and were a trendy playoff pick in 2006. They finished that season 6-10 and by 2007 the bottom fell out and they went 1-15, with their sole win coming over the 5-11 Baltimore Ravens in OT.

The Dolphins basically played 2 seasons in 2007. In their first 8 games they put up points with Ronnie Brown and Chris Chambers, but their defense was no where to be found. The Patriots, Cowboys, Browns, and other high powered offenses torched them on a week to week basis. They gave up 244 points in their first 8 games, but scored a respectable 166 points.

The defense made good strides in the second half. They gave up only 193 points in the second half. By that time Ronnie Brown was gone for the year, Trent Green was on IR, and Chambers was in San Diego. The offense only scored 101 points in their last 8 games and the Dolphins were officially in disaster. They lost their first 13 games, before beating the Ravens in their 14th game. It would be their only victory of the season.

There are no easy answers in Miami. First year Head Coach Tony Sparano is inheriting one gigantic mess. They have a blossoming star running back coming back from knee surgery. They do not have a quality starting quarterback in place. They are young and unproven at wide receiver. The offensive line is a mess. On defense, they are an older team. Joey Porter and Jason Taylor are proven commodities in the league, but nearing the end of their great careers. Zack Thomas is no longer with the team. They need to start rebuilding the defensive line and secondary. The special teams could use improvement in all areas.

That is why the Dolphins hired The Tuna. Bill Parcells has been entrusted with the difficult task of putting the Dolphins back together again. He is starting at the bottom and working his way up.

Weaknesses: Here is what the Dolphins did this offseason to start improving the team. Parcells started getting rid of older players and non productive players and made wholesale changes to the roster. He brought in Josh McCown and drafted Chad Henne to go along with Beck to give them a better QB situation. He decided instead of drafting McFadden to keep Brown and improve the offensive line. The Dolphins singed Justin Smiley to a nice contract and drafted Jake Long with the first pick to play tackle. He is already signed. They also drafted Shawn Murphy to play guard. They then acquired tight end Anthony Fasano in a trade from the Cowboys and signed Earnest Wilford and Tab Perry to improve the receiving core. There are going to be a lot of knew faces for the Dolphins on offense.

The same is going to be true on defense. The Dolphins may not win a lot of gamed, but they aren’t going to lose with the same cast of characters. They signed safeties Chris Crocker and Keith Davis. They aren’t big names, but should improve that position. They added Akin Ayodele and Reggie Torbor to the linebacker core. They traded for Jason Ferguson and signed Randy Starks to improve the defensive tackle spot. They also drafted Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford to add to the defensive end position. Those new faces should go well with Jason Taylor and Joey Porter.

The Dolphins are in the midst of a full rebuilding effort. There will be many new and unfamiliar faces in the lineup in 2008 as the Dolphins try to put the embarrassment of a 1-15 campaign behind them.

Prediction: The Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots were not built in a day. It took years of good drafts, solid free agency, and developing young players to turn those franchises into the powerhouses they are today. The Dolphins aren’t going to fix this problem overnight. Bill Parcells is well aware of that. He did an excellent job of bringing in players and trying to change the culture of this team. It will be interesting to see if the riff between Jason Taylor and he is reparable once this team gets to playing football. Evidently, Bill Parcells is not a fan of Dancing with the Stars.

The Dolphins are still looking at being the 4th best team in this division. They may be able to steal a game or two against either the Jets or Bills. The Chiefs, Raiders, 49ers, and Rams offer chances for victory. They play the Ravens and Texans, which will also give them a chance to compete. It isn’t going to be the frustration of 2007, but it isn’t going to be very pretty either. I look for the Dolphins to win 4 more games, but still sure up the bottom of the AFC East.

Miami Dolphin's Record: 5-11 – AFC 4th Place; No Playoffs

That is how I see the NFC West playing out in 2008.  I am taking my summer vacation around July 4th and will resume releasing articles sometime in the middle of July.  I plan on releasing my playoff predictions and Super Bowl winner on Wednesday, July 23, 2008.  Thank you to everyone that has followed these previews.  You have made writing these a lot of fun.

As always these articles and many not released on my blog are available at www.fantasyfootballmaniaxs.com. I look forward to reading your comments about what you expect from your favorite team.

Seeing every team has played either 7 or 8 games, I compiled my first power rankings of the season.  While some people like to release power rankings from week 1 to week 17; I have a little different philosophy on that.  I am not a big fan of power rankings after the first week, because it is going to mostly be based on last season.  Some teams start 2-0 because of the schedule, while some teams start out 0-2 because of the schedule. 

However, after 7 or 8 games, you are what your record says you are.  I think we have seen enough games that we can start making judgments about these teams.  However, I am not someone that likes to rank teams week in and week out.  For instance, why would I drop the loser of the Patriots or Colts game a couple spots because they lost that game?  Why would I raise the Jets 5 spots if they happen to win this week?

I usually view the season as I do games.  4 quarters.  I will probably rank the teams again with 4 games left and then again at the end of the season.   I hereby present the midseason Power Rankings:

1. New England Patriots (8-0) – Have outscored the opposition 331-127, or by 204 points this season.  The only teams that have scored 204 points this season are the Colts and Cowboys.  One of the most dominating starts to a season in NFL history.   

2. Indianapolis Colts (7-0) – Who would have thought the Colts could have improved their defense, won their first 7 games of the season, and still not be number 1.  Next week will answer a lot of questions about who the dominant team in the AFC is this season.     

3. Dallas Cowboys (6-1) – Only blemish is a 48-27 wipeout by the New England Patriots.  Have two divisional games the next 2 weeks against the Eagles and Giants.  2-0 would give them a season sweep of the Giants and could seal the divison.  Their secondary needs to improve if they are going to succeed in the playoffs. 

4. Green Bay Packers (6-1) – So much for the Packers not having a deep ball in the offense.  While the Packers did run the ball better on Monday Night, the fact of the matter is that with the game on the line Brett Favre had to throw to move the changes with a lead against the worst run defense in the league.  Nice start to the season, going 3-0 against the NFC East (minus Dallas), which is arguably the most competitive division in the NFC.  Need to find consistency in the running game to contend in the playoffs in cold weather. 

5. NY Giants (6-2) – After giving up 80 points in the first 2 weeks, have given up 79 combined points in their 6 game winning streak.  The only thing keeping them from position number three is their two losses were to the Cowboys and Packers.  Streak came at the expense of bottom feeders in the AFC East and some weak NFC teams.  We get to find out where this team is at in 2 weeks, when they face the Cowboys at home. 

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) – The Steelers are 4-0 when Big Ben has fewer than 30 pass attempts.  They are 1-2 when he has over 30 pass attempts.  Sunday was an imperative bounce back win.  Had the Steelers lost, the Browns, Ravens, and Steelers would all be tied, with the Bengals one game back.  The Steelers did what playoff teams do, bury teams in must win situations.  They must do the same against the Ravens on Monday Night.

7. San Diego Chargers (4-3) – Have recovered nicely from a 1-3 start to win 3 in a row.  Have won their last 3 games by a score of 104-27.  The key has been getting back to what makes this team successful, LT & Gates.  The defense actually stopping people helps too.

8. Tennessee Titans (5-2) – How does a team that has their QB pass 14 times for 42 yards still win the football game?  Playing the Raiders helps, but this team is one of the most confusing teams in the league.  They aren’t a sexy stats team, but they have it where it counts, and that’s the win column. 

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-2) – It is amazing that a team can be 5-2, yet be third in their own division.  That was a big win by a team playing without their starting QB, against a Tampa Bay team that is fading as of late. 

10. Detroit Lions (5-2) –The Lions are halfway to Kitna’s prediction of 10 wins.  That was a big win in Chicago.  While it wasn’t pretty, it gave them a season sweep and 3.5 game lead on the defending NFC Champs.  That is what a playoff team does.  Their second half schedule is pretty tough.  They must beat the Broncos and Cardinals the next 2 weeks before the fun begins:  Green Bay twice, NY Giants, Dallas, and San Diego. 

11. Seattle Seahawks (4-3) – Seattle has gone from a veteran team to an old team since last season.  Alexander has to get it going in the second half of the season.  A bad division and a good head coach is saving their season.  If they were in the AFC South, they would be in last place. 

12. Cleveland Browns (4-3) – The Browns are in 2nd place in the NFC North???  That was a big win, because it gave the Browns their first road win of the season.  While it was against the Rams, you have to crawl before you can walk.  The Browns deserve a lot of credit, seeing they looked to be sending the first pick in the draft to Dallas after that opener against Pittsburgh. 

13. Baltimore Ravens (4-3) – Same old story.  A great defense combined with a below average offense.  The Ravens have really put themselves in a bind.  They play at the Steelers, Browns, Bengals, at Chargers, Patriots, and Colts.  They will probably need to go 4-2 to have any hopes of making the playoffs.  The problem is they will only be favored in one of those six contests.   This is probably the team with a winning record that has the best chance to fall in the 2nd half of the season. 

14. Kansas City Chiefs (4-3) – They don’t win pretty, but somehow they are in first place in their division.  How they respond to 2 home games against the Packers and Broncos and a road game against the Colts will go a long way to determining if they stay in the race as the Chargers are heating up. 

15.  Washington Redskins (4-3) – That was probably as embarrassing of an effort as you will ever see.  The Redskins have proven that they can beat the Cardinals, Eagles, and Dolphins, but have lost to 3 of the 4 good teams on their schedule (Giants, Packers, and Patriots), with their only good win being against the (5-2) Lions.  While they will compete for the #6 seed, this team hasn’t made the jump to the upper echelon of the NFC. 

16. Carolina Panthers (4-3) – While Vinny is a feel good story, the fact of the matter is that the Panthers will not be able to stay in the playoff picture with him at the helm.  For all the problems the Saints had in the first 4 games of the season, they are only one game behind the Panthers in the division. 

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) – Another team that has faded, losing 3 of their last 4 games.  The good news is they actually have a lot of winnable games on the schedule, with their toughest games being at home.  That said, you have to beat the Jags at home with Gray at QB.  Garcia was looking like the old Detroit QB, not the one that came from Philly.

18.  Denver Broncos (3-4) – The Broncos biggest problem is that they can’t stop the run to save their life.  The Packers had a 100-yard rusher against them.  Grant was a waiver wire pick up at the beginning of the season.  While they are mathematically alive in the division, how is a team that can’t stop the run going to survive in a division with LT & LJ?  

19. Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) – They somehow keep hanging around, but clearly are not the same team they were a few years ago.  They beat Minnesota 23-16 with Bollinger and Holcomb leading the Vikings.  Three years ago, they destroy that team by 30+ points.  Other than the Lions game, this team hasn’t showed they can put up points on a consistent basis.

20. New Orleans Saints (3-4)  – Have won 3 straight after starting (0-4).  They have the Jaguars, Rams, and Texans in the next 3 weeks.  If they can be (5-5) after that stretch, they get 3 straight divisional games that will make or break their season. 

21. Arizona Cardinals (3-4) – The Cards are who we thought they were.  The Cardinals are headed in the right direction, but appear to be where the 49ers were last season.  They will give some teams fit, hang around in a weak division, and challenge for .500.  That will be a successful season in the Desert, considering that last season they were coming off a coaching change and the 5th pick in the draft. 

22. Buffalo Bills (3-4) – If the Bills hadn’t gift-wrapped the Cowboys game, they would be 4-3 right now.  They have a nice young team.  With the Dolphins and Jets a combined (1-15), they are the only team mathematically in the division race.  Probably can get close to .500, with two games against the Dolphins.  Will probably still lose their division by 7-8 games. 

23. Chicago Bears (3-5) – Probably the most disappointing team in the NFL this season.  What was a trendy NFC Super Bowl pick along with the Cowboys and Saints to start the season is (1-3) in what was suppose to be a terrible division.  Their once mighty defense has failed them this season. 

24. Minnesota Vikings (2-5) -  The Vikings have to have 2 priorities in the offseason.  Find a new Head Coach and find a QB.  If they can fix that, Adrian Peterson is a player you can build around in a division where the Bears window appears to be closing and the Packers are nearing the end of the Favre era. 

25. Houston Texans (3-4) – Had a nice 2-0 start, but were not able to hang in a tough division and without their best offensive weapon, Andre Johnson.  The rest of the division is a combined (17-4).  This team is slowly moving in the right direction and with another good draft and offseason, they may be able to compete for a wildcard.  They just don’t have the talent to hang in this division. 

26. Cincinnati Bengals (2-5) – Another underachiever.  The Bengals are going to have a lot of decisions to make.  Do you keep Marvin Lewis?  Do you keep Chad Johnson?  The Bengals are wasting some valuable years of Carson Palmer’s career.  They need to get not only fix the defense, but they need to fix the attitude on this team.  There probably is not a weaker team mentally in the NFL.   

27. Oakland Raiders (2-5) – They were a nice story at 2-2 and in first place.  Three losses later and they are back at the bottom.  The Russell era will probably begin in the near future.  This team is still probably a few years away from competing. 

28. San Fran 49ers (2-5) – The problem isn’t Nolan.  This team can flat out not score.  They need to get some new receivers and a new QB.  The defense has shown signs at times, but isn’t good enough to play without an offense.  Bill Walsh in the prime of his coaching career couldn’t score with these guys. 

29. Atlanta Falcons (1-6) – The Falcons are a mess right now, which is expected, seeing the offseason this team had.  The Falcons need to find a QB as the two they have are clearly not the answer.  The defense has shown some promise and if they can get the offense repaired, they should be able to compete in a few years.  The team needs a new corner as well.  Hall needs to go back to his younger days.  Sometimes it is best to be seen and not heard, especially when your family is 1-6. 

30. NY Jets (1-7) – BENCH CHAD PENNINGTON!!! The Man Genius finally heard the call and will start Clemens this week.  The Man Genius should have made that move after the Baltimore game.  Don’t waste a wasted season by not at least finding out if Clemens can lead this team in the future.  Now if they could just bench the entire defense and offensive line, they might actually be able to win a few games. 

31. St. Louis Rams (0-8) – While the defense is the main problem on this team, the rash of injuries on offense has ruined what could have been a promising season.  The offensive effort improved with Jackson and Bulger back, but the defense is still very average.  Cleveland had yet to win on the road this season.  That was a winnable game that Rams did not capitalize on.  The Rams have a bye, followed by winnable games against the 49ers, Falcons, and Bengals on the horizon.  If they can get healthy over the bye, and start playing well on offense, this team could get 3-4 wins in the second half of the season.  There are some nice pieces there.  A return to health and high draft picks could help this team fix this mess rather quickly.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-8) – I know the weather had a lot to do with that game.  But if the 10 points scored in that game is a sign of things to come, the Dolphins are a lock to go (0-16).  That defense is awful, and they weren’t winning when the offense was playing well.  This franchise is probably in the biggest mess of any in the NFL.  An aging defense, a star running back with a knee injury, uncertainty at QB, and a first year head coach.   It is a dark time of the Dolphins.