2006 NFL Preview, Part Two: AFC

Yeah, so it’s after the first game of the season.  It’s not like anyone’s reading this anyway.  I’m just doing this because I enjoy it.  So let’s have a look at the AFC picks real quick.
AFC

East
4. Patriots
Dolphins
Bills
Jets


North
3. Bengals
Steelers
Ravens
Browns


South
1. Colts
6. Jags
Texans
Titans


West
2. Broncos
5. Chargers
Chiefs
Raiders
(Numbers are playoff seedings)

Notes:
With Drew Brees, the Chargers win the AFC this year.  With Phillip Rivers, I don’t know.  

The Dolphins will get there, but they’re still a year away unless Culpepper plays like the guy we saw in ’04, and not the guy we saw last year.

That’s right.  The Steelers miss the playoffs, but not by much.  And before you laugh, think of it this way:  they almost missed the playoffs last year, and are they better this year without Bettis and Randle-El on offense?

The AFC West is still has three really good teams.  Unfortunately for the Chiefs, they can’t be in the East or South.  

Sorry, Myq.  It just doesn’t look good for the Jets.  The only thing that makes Buffalo better is Willis McGahee, who is going to be a monster.

I don’t know what the Jags need to put them over the top, but I don’t think it’s much.

So let’s have look at the AFC side of the playoffs (winners in bold):

Wild Card Games:
(5) Chargers at (4) Patriots
(6) Jags at (3) Bengals

Divisional Championships:
(4) Patriots at (1) Colts
(3) Bengals at (2) Broncos

Conference Championship:
(4) Patriots at (2) Broncos

Everyone’s picking the Colts for some reason, even though Peyton Manning has does his best impression of Chernobyl every January (he’s the Arizona Cardinals of quarterbacks right now—I won’t pick him until he proves he can get over the hump.  And it is Manning that’s losing for the Colts.  He looks awful in the clutch).  And should they play New England in the postseason, I don’t care where it is, they have no chance.  

I know Patriot fans would call for my head if any of them ever read the blog, but it doesn’t matter.  Tom Brady is going to carry the team, but he won’t be able to carry them through Mile High Stadium this year any more than he could last year.  Denver wins the AFC.

Super Bowl XLI in Miami:  Eagles 35, Broncos 10

All that having been said, let’s get to the picks for this week.  It’s late, so I’m doing it in a lazy format.

Wins: Steelers (I know they already played, but my opinion was formed before the game), Bucs, Panthers, Pats, Eagles, Browns, Seahawks, Jets, Bengals, Bears, Cowboys, Cardinals, Colts, Vikings, Chargers.

Everyone else loses, and a lot of the teams that lose this week will need to get used to it.  Not that the first three weeks mean anything, mind you.  They’re just bad teams.