Vinsanity
Tennessee Titans

2006 Record: 8-8
Last Year Summary: In 2005, the Titans went 4-12 and were rewarded with the #3 overall pick in the ’06 NFL Draft. It was obvious that the Titans were going to select a QB and since the team had just hired former USC OC Norm Chow as their new offensive coordinator, everyone expected that QB to be Matt Leinart. The Titans selected Vince Young and if the ’07 season meant anything, it meant that Tennessee made the right choice. After the Titans started the year 0-3, head coach Jeff Fisher decided to make Young the starter. In his second NFL start, Young almost led the Titans to a huge upset over the Indianapolis Colts (but lost 13-14). After getting his feet wet, Young won eight of the next 11 games. During that span the Titans won at Philadelphia (31-13), pulled of an amazing comeback against the New York Giants (won 24-21, despite trailing 0-21 in the fourth quarter), beat Indy on a 60-yard field goal (20-17) and beat Jacksonville (24-17). After winning six straight, the Titans had a slim chance to make the playoffs in the final week of the season. They needed to beat New England and have three other teams lose. Two of the teams lost, but so did Tennessee 23-40. Vince Young had a great rookie season despite his ugly passing statistics. Young threw for 2,199 yards, completed only 51.5% of his passes and had a touchdown/interception ratio of 12/13. However, it seemed whenever the Titans had a third down, Young would scramble and get enough yardage for the first down. Young rushed for 552 yards on 83 carries (6.7 yards per carry) and scored on seven rushing touchdowns. Despite missing two games, RB Travis Henry rushed for 1,211 yards and had seven rushing touchdowns. LB Keith Bulluck led the defense with 144 total tackles. CB Pacman Jones had a good season and finished with four interceptions for 130 yards and a touchdown. Jones excelled on punt returns, where he returned three for touchdowns. Statistically, the Titans were much worse than their 8-8 record indicated. Overall, the offense ranked 27th in yards per game (300.6) and the defense was last in the NFL in yards allowed (369.7).
Additions: CB Nick Harper (Indianapolis), WR Eric Moulds (Houston), DB Kelly Herndon (Seattle), LB Ryan Fowler (Dallas), WR Justin Gage (Chicago), LB Gilbert Gardner (Indianapolis), QB Tim Rattay (Tampa Bay), DB Bryan Scott (New Orleans), OT Seth Wand (Houston) and DT Lauvale Sape (Buffalo).
Subtractions: RB Travis Henry (to DEN), WR Drew Bennett (to TEN), DT Robaire Smith (to CLE), LB Colby Brockwoldt (to SF), OG Zach Piller (to DET) and WR Bobby Wade (to MIN).
2007 Season Summary: Due to Vince Young’s emergence last year, coach Jeff Fisher has job security and the Titans will play on Monday Night Football twice in ’07. Young will get better in ’07, but will have to overcome the ‘Madden Jinx.’ Also, there is something called a ‘sophomore jinx.’ Young shouldn’t have either one, unless the ‘Madden Jinx’ takes affect, which usually comes in the form of an injury. The move in late July to sign WR Eric Moulds should help in Young’s development. WR David Givens played in only five games last year and is coming off a serious knee injury. The loss of Henry should hurt. Nonetheless, this young Titans team will be fun to watch. The big story this offseason is Pacman Jones. Jones’ suspension is made out to be a bigger deal than it really is, the signing of CB Nick Harper was key. Tough road games include Jacksonville (Sept. 9), New Orleans (Sept. 24), Denver (Nov. 19), Cincinnati (Nov. 25), Kansas City (Dec. 16) and Indianapolis (Dec. 30). Tough home games include Indianapolis (Sept. 24), Carolina (Nov. 4), Jacksonville (Nov. 11), San Diego (Dec. 9) and NY Jets (Dec. 23). The Titans have a tough schedule, the start will be brutal- at Jacksonville, vs. Indianapolis and at New Orleans.
Best Rookie: RB Chris Henry – I pick Henry on the belief that he will eventually get the majority of the carries. Chris Brown rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2004, but has had injury problems. I’m just not a believer in LenDale White. Henry is the strongest and the fastest back on the roster. Also it is fitting that he shares the last name of the Titans’ ’06 leading rusher. I like the first-round pick of DB Michael Griffin, but he will have to learn how to play cornerback after playing safety at Texas. Also, I really liked third-round pick WR Paul Williams while he was at Fresno State. He reminds me a lot of the Bengals’ Chad Johnson. However, Williams will need at least a year before he becomes a major threat.
Big Games of the Year: vs. Jacksonville (Sept. 9- 1:00pm- opening game), vs. Indianapolis (Sept. 16- 1:00pm), at New Orleans (Sept. 24- 8:30pm- Monday), at Denver (Nov. 19- 8:30pm- Monday) and at Indianapolis (Dec. 30 1:00pm- last game).
2007 Projected Record: 9-7
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Titans to win the AFC South are 12/1. Not that bad of a bet, the Colts are losing a bunch of talent this year. However, it is wrong to bet against the Colts. Tennessee is a very questionable team, statistically the team was terrible, but the team found ways to win games in 2006. The win total betting is set at 6 games. Even though the team is questionable, I would fire on the win-total bet. Tennessee should easily win six or more games. Currently, the Titans odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 70/1. The odds opened at 45/1. If you are a Titans’ fan it might be a good idea to a put a $100 down on your team to win the Super Bowl. For a price of a game ticket on eBay, a $100 bet could earn you enough money to get season tickets for the next six years.

Del Rio Needs Big Season To Stay
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

2006 Record: 8-8
Last Year Summary: In 2005, the Jaguars made the playoffs with an impressive record of 12-4. Two of those losses came to the AFC South rival Colts. After the second meeting between the two teams, the Colts’ record was a perfect 13-0. Entertaining the ’06 season, the Jaguars expectations were high. However, the team finished a disappointing 8-8. On some occasions, the Jaguars could beat anybody and on other dates they literally lost to the worst teams. Jacksonville beat playoff teams Dallas (24-17), New York Jets (41-0), Philadelphia (13-6), New York Giants (26-10) and Indianapolis (44-17). Then they somehow lost to Washington (30-36), Houston twice (7-27, 10-13) and Buffalo (24-27). Despite the inconsistency, the Jaguars found themselves in the playoff hunt late in the season. They improved to 8-5 after defeating the eventual Super Bowl champions, Colts, by a score of 44-17. Jacksonville needed only one more win in their last three games to clinch a playoff berth, but lost to Tennessee, New England and Kansas City in consecutive weeks. David Garrard and Bryon Leftwich shared the QB duties in ’06, neither one of them were very impressive. RB Fred Taylor had another solid year, rushing for 1,146 yards on 231 carries (5 yards per carry) and scoring five rushing touchdowns. Taylor also added 242 receiving yards on 23 catches and scored one receiving touchdown. The biggest bright spot had to be rookie RB Maurice Jones-Drew, who finished the year with 941 yards rushing on 166 carries (5.7 yards per carry) and scored 13 rushing touchdowns. Also, Jones-Drew caught 46 passes for 436 yards and had two receiving touchdowns. Not to mention, he returned 31 kickoffs for 860 yards (27.7 yards per return) and scored a touchdown. Cornerback Rashean Mathis had a pro-bowl season with eight interceptions for 146 yards and defended 21 passes. Overall, the defense was great again and was second in NFL for allowing the least amount of yards per game (283.6) and was fourth in allowing the least amount of points per game in the NFL (17.1 points). Statistically the offense was good as well, they were 10th in the NFL in yards per game (338.9), third in the NFL in rushing per game (158.8) and ninth in the NFL in scoring per game (23.2). It is safe to say that this team was a lot better than their 8-8 record indicated.
Additions: WR Dennis Northcutt (Cleveland), OT Tony Pashos (Baltimore), TE Jermaine Wiggins (Minnesota), S Sammy Knight (Kansas City) and S Kevin McCadam (Carolina).
Subtractions: TE Kyle Brady (to NE), S Deon Grant (to SEA), WR Cortez Hankton (to MIN), S Donovin Darius (to OAK), P Chris Hanson (to NO) and CB Ahmad Carroll.
2007 Season Summary: Prior to Jack Del Rio’s arrival in Jacksonville, the team was on a decline with Tom Coughlin. The three seasons prior to Del Rio, the Jaguars held a record of 17-31. In his first season, Jacksonville was 5-11. However, they went 9-7 in ’04 and then 12-4 in ’05. Del Rio raised the expectations too high and his team finished 8-8 last and is remarkably on the hot seat in ’07. Del Rio continues to change his coaching staff by adding Dirk Koetter (new offensive coordinator), Todd Monken (new wide receiver coach), Mike Shula (new quarterback coach) and Joe DeCamillis (new special teams coach). All the coaching changes don’t seem to be helping and only four remain from Del Rio’s original ’03 staff. This offseason, Leftwich was named the starter and the rumor was that Del Rio coveted Brady Quinn, but was overruled come draft day from above. Nonetheless, the Jaguars have a championship caliber defense. Also, they have a bunch of talent on offense. A great running game and some young talented, but underachieving wide receivers. I expect the Jaguars to be in the playoff picture, but the AFC South has dramatically improved since their 12-4 season in ’05. The Colts continue to dominate, the Titans now have Vince Young and the Texans continue to build through the draft. Tough road games include Denver (Sept. 23), Kansas City (Oct. 7), New Orleans (Nov. 4), Tennessee (Nov. 11), Indianapolis (Dec. 2) and Pittsburgh (Dec. 16). Tough home games include Tennessee (Sept. 9), Indianapolis (Oct. 22), San Diego (Nov. 18) and Carolina (Dec. 9).
Best Rookie: S Reggie Nelson – Currently, Nelson is listed behind Nick Sorensen at free safety. However, eventually and maybe as soon as the season opener against Kansas City, Nelson will be the starter. You can say what you want about Nelson, but one thing is for sure, he is a playmaker. I like some of the other picks like second-rounder LB Justin Durant of Hampton and fourth-rounder DE Brian Smith of Missouri. Both players should help the Jaguars in the future, Smith is recovering from a major injury, but will be a good pass-rushing end in the NFL. Durant is a very fast linebacker, who could use some time to develop.
Big Games of the Year: vs. Tennessee (Sept. 9- 1:00pm- opening game), at Kansas City (Oct. 7- 1:00pm), vs. Indianapolis (Oct. 22- 8:30pm- Monday) and at Indianapolis (Dec. 2- 1:00pm).
2007 Projected Record: 10-6
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Jags to win the AFC South are 7/2. Not that bad of a bet, the Colts are losing a bunch of talent this year. However, I still wouldn’t do it. The win total betting is set at 9 games. Currently, the Jaguars odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 25/1.

First Pick of the Year

New Orleans Saints vs. Pittsburgh Steelers in the Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio on the NFL NETWORK- 8:00 p.m.

Some handicappers would recommend that you don’t bet on the preseason, while others will tell that it is a great way to make money. The latter is based on the idea that certain teams play to win while others don’t care. While that is true, you must be careful that handicappers aren’t just trying to get you to bet. It isn’t like they tell you that the preseason is the time to bet and to take the rest of the season off.

Personally, I would find it hard to bet on the preseason. It would be like betting on the Pro Bowl or another meaning-less sporting event. However, there are numbers out there, determining which numbers reflect what will happen and what won’t happen is the tricky part.

Since it is the first preseason game of the year and some of you might have that football itch, I will try to break down this Sunday’s (August 5th) Hall of Fame game.

But before I do, I want to warn all of you that once you bet on the game that you will want to watch the whole thing. That might sound easy now, but come halftime you are going to want to change the channel. Also, the game is on the NFL Network. If you don’t have the NFL Network, you might end spending more money on a bar tab than you would make in winnings. That is if you pick the right team.

And the right team is the Pittsburgh Steelers to cover what is now a 2.5-point spread against the New Orleans Saints.

Here are the key factors:

First, the Hall of Fame just so happens to be featuring an exhibit on the Steelers 75th year anniversary. The exhibit runs through August 31st and with the proximity of Pittsburgh to Canton, Ohio compared to the trip from New Orleans to Canton- you would to expect a large Steeler following to attend the game.

Second, is that head coach Sean Payton didn’t seem too concerned about winning in the preseason last year. In ‘06, the Saints looked awful and finished 1-3 in the preseason. Then they turned it on during the regular season, going 10-6 and making it to the NFC Championship. The Steelers’ Mike Tomlin should have his team excited and he will want to win in his debut as head coach. Sources say that Tomlin has been pushing his team very hard in training camp practices. Also, the Steelers were the first team to open for training camp.

Third, after Drew Brees was injured in the Pro Bowl you have to imagine that Payton won’t want his franchise QB in the game for that long if at all. After Brees, the Saints feature Jamie Martin, Jason Fife and Tyler Palko. Martin has only eight regular-season starts in his 13-year career, while Fife is more known for appearing in the movie Addams Family Values than being an NFL QB (His role was Camper #1). Keep an eye on Palko, who has NFL abilities, but is a rookie and shouldn’t play well with the talent that will be on field late in the game. However, he could get some garbage points, but a 2.5-point spread is hard to get ruined by garbage points. The second-string QB is the most important player in the preseason and the Steelers have Charlie Batch. Followed by Brian St. Pierre and Bryan Randall. St. Pierre has only one pass attempt in the regular season during his four seasons in the NFL. That isn’t impressive, but he has more preseason experience than Fife or Palko. I think the Steelers have a clear-cut advantage at the QB position.

If you like the Saints:

The only thing that hurts the Steelers chances of covering the 2.5-point spread is the injuries. Linebackers James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons are both expected to miss the game as is starting running back Willie Parker. Parker has a sore left knee but it’s not believed to be serious. With Parker out, Najeh Davenport will likely get the start at tailback.

THE PICK: STEELERS -2.5: 75% SURE On picks I will give a sure-percentage 50% is a coin flip, in this case 75% is a solid bet)

The Defending Champs
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

2006 Record: 12-4
Last Year Summary: In 2006, the Colts looked unstoppable. They started off the year with nine straight wins and had everyone talking about the ’72 Miami Dolphins. The Dallas Cowboys ended the Colts’ win streak with a 21-14 victory in what happened to be QB Tony Romo’s debut at Texas Stadium. After going 9-0, the Colts stumbled into the playoffs with a 3-4 record, which included a loss to the lowly Houston Texans (Ron Dayne had the game of his NFL life- 153 rushing yards and two TDs). Many thought the Colts were cursed- Tony Dungy was entering his ninth straight season as a head coach in the playoffs without a Super Bowl trip, while Peyton Manning’s playoff record of 3-6 never allowed the Colts to make the Super Bowl. Also, the Manning curse theory had a lot to do his career at Tennessee. He stayed for his senior season at UT for a national title run. If he had left he would’ve easily been the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft. His ’97 team fell just short, while QB Tee Martin led UT to a National Championship the following year. So, the thought was that Dungy and Manning would come up short again in ’06. In their first postseason game, the Colts beat up on Kansas City, by a score of 23-8. Then Adam Vinatieri won a field goal (went 5-for-5) battle against Baltimore in a boring 15-6 win. In the AFC Championship the Colts looked as if they were going to blow it again. The Patriots took a 21-3 lead, after Asante Samuel intercepted a Manning pass and took it 39 yards for a touchdown. The Colts surprised the country and came back to win 38-34 in one of the greatest playoff games in recent memory. After a slow start, the Colts found themselves down 14-6 after the first quarter of the Super Bowl against the Bears. Indianapolis woke up and beat Chicago up worse the 29-17 final score would indicate.
Additions: QB John Navarre (Arizona), G Rick DeMulling (New Orleans) and TE Mike Seidman.
Subtractions: OT Tarik Glenn (retired), RB Dominic Rhodes (to OAK), WR Brandon Stokley (to DEN), DT Monte Reagor (PHI), LB Cato June (to TB), CB Nick Harper (to TEN), S Mike Doss (to MIN), CB Jason David (to NO), LB Gilbert Gardner, LB Mike Labinjo and WR/KR Terrence Wilkens.
2007 Season Summary: After Tony Dungy took over the Colts in ’02, he has posted a 60-20 regular season record. Last year, they won their first nine games and in ’05 the Colts won their first 13. The ’07 version loses a lot of talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball, so I don’t expect Indy to make a run at the ’72 Dolphins. However, there is no reason to believe that this team cannot compete for another Super Bowl. The loss of LB Cato June has to hurt the worse, also the secondary is depleted after losing S Mike Doss and starting CBs Nick Harper and Jason David. Don’t forget that S Bob Sanders, who is biggest playmaker in secondary, played in only four games last year. Also, the Colts feature a great pass-rushing duo at DE in Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, which makes a secondary appear better than what they really are. The loss of OT Tarik Glenn is huge. Tough road games include Tennessee (Sept. 16), Jacksonville (Oct. 22), Carolina (Oct. 28), San Diego (Nov. 11) and Baltimore (Dec. 9). Tough home games include New Orleans (Sept. 6), Denver (Sept. 30), New England (Nov. 4), Kansas City (Nov. 18), Jacksonville (Dec. 2) and Tennessee (Dec. 30).
Best Rookie: WR Anthony Gonzalez – Currently the Colts have one of the best duos in the NFL with WRs Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne. But when you have Manning as your QB there are many opportunities to make plays. Manning has thrown for 37,586 yards in his nine years in the NFL (that’s over 4,176 yards per season). Indy cleared way for Gonzalez by releasing WR Brandon Stokley, who had 68 catches for 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns in ’04. Gonzalez is a hard worker and should be a solid receiver from day one. I like third-round pick CB Daymeion Hughes, who is thought by some to be a first-round talent. Also, second-round pick OL Tony Ugoh might get some time in at tackle or guard this season since the team will be without OT Tarik Glenn.
Big Games of the Year: vs. New Orleans (Sept. 6- 8:30pm- Thursday- NFL Opener), vs. New England (Nov. 4- 4:15pm), at San Diego (Nov. 11- 8:15pm), at Atlanta (Nov. 22- 8:15pm- Thanksgiving) and vs. Tennessee (Dec. 30- 1pm- Last week of the season).
2007 Projected Record: 12-4
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Colts to win the AFC South are 2/11. That bet is worthless. The win total betting is set at 11.5 games. Currently, the Colts odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 11/2. For you non-math majors, a $1,000 bet for the Colts to win the Super Bowl would pay $5,500. Not a bad bet.

By Adam Kiefaber

2006 Standings
BALTIMORE RAVENS: 13-3 (won division title)
CINCINNATI BENGALS: 8-8
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 8-8
CLEVELAND BROWNS: 4-12

2007 prediction NFLonlinewagering.com

CINCINNATI BENGALS: 11-5 (will make playoffs)
- QB Carson Palmer is completely healthy this season and has plenty of weapons on offense. They lost a lot on defense, however the defense got younger and faster. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks will have to step up and become a playmaker. Any thing less than a playoff run will be a disappointment for this talented team.

BALTIMORE RAVENS: 11-5 (will make playoffs)
- The Ravens are aging, but they still have a few years left in that dominating defense. If defense truly wins championships the Ravens would be playing in the Super Bowl this season. You have to be well-balanced, Steve McNair isn’t the same player, but the Ravens upgraded their backfield with the addition of Willis McGahee. McNair loves to toss the screen and dump passes and McGahee’s game fits that perfectly. A lot better than it fitted Jamal Lewis’ game. Like Cincinnati, this team could contend for a Super Bowl.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 8-8
- The Steelers will have a new head coach in Mike Tomlin after Bill Cowher retired after the ’06 season. You can’t look past this team; they have most of their Super Bowl team intact. They obviously can be better than 8-8, however their coaching staff could clash. Tomlin wants to run, the new OC wants to pass. Tomlin is an expert in zone coverage, DC Dick Lebeau favors the zone blitz. This is a really tough division and Pittsburgh will be in battle with Baltimore and Cincinnati.

CLEVELAND: 3-13
- Poor Brownies, this team might have improved more than any team in the NFL. Granted they couldn’t get much worse, but the record in ’07 isn’t going to show their improvement. Head coach Romeo Crennel has built a solid foundation and could be on the hot seat. It would be a shame if Crennel is fired at the end of year, the AFC North is too competitive for the Browns to have a chance.

2007 predictions Sporting News

CINCINNATI BENGALS: 10-6 (publication has team winning the division)
BALTIMORE RAVENS: 9-7 (publication has team making the playoffs)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 7-9
CLEVELAND BROWNS: 3-13

Athlon Sports

1- BALTIMORE RAVENS: (publication has team winning the division)
2- CINCINNATI BENGALS: (publication has team just missing the playoffs)
3- PITTSBURGH STEELERS:
4- CLEVELAND BROWNS:

AFC NORTH PREVIEW

Coach on the Hot Seat
CLEVELAND BROWNS

2006 Record: 4-12
Last Year Summary: In 2006, the Browns were terrible and opponents outscored them 356 to 238. The Browns ranked 31st in total offense (averaged only 264.6 yards a game), 30th in points scored (14.9 per game) and 31st in rushing yards (only 83.4 per game). Cleveland’s offense wasn’t much better ranking 27th in total defense (allowing 344.7 yards per game) and 29th in stopping the run (allowing 142.1 yards per game). Basically teams could run all day on the Browns and they couldn’t run it back at them. Last year, RB Reuben Droughns rushed for only 758 yards on 220 carries (3.4 yards per carry) and scored four touchdowns. In his defense, the Browns were normally behind in games and therefore had to give up on the run. In Cleveland’s four wins, Droughns totaled 428 yards and in the team’s 12 defeats he totaled only 499 yards. Akron-star QB Charlie Frye struggled throwing 17 interceptions to his only 10 touchdowns, while leading his team to a 4-9 record in his starts. QB Derek Anderson started three games and didn’t fare any better, however those games he went up against three great defenses in Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Tampa Bay. One of the positives was the emergence of safety Sean Jones, who finished the year with 111 total tackles and five interceptions. In the ‘06 NFL Draft the Brownies took Florida State’s LB Kamerion Wimbley and Maryland’s LB D’Qwell Jackson in the first two rounds. Both were impressive as rookies, Wimbley played as an OLB and recorded 11 sacks and 62 total tackles. Jackson played inside and recorded 93 total tackles despite missing the last three games.
Additions: OL Eric Steinbach (Cincinnati), RB Jamal Lewis (Baltimore), LB Antwan Peek (Houston), WR Tim Carter (Chicago), CB Mike Adams (San Francisco), OL Seth McKinney (Miami), FB Alan Ricard, DT Robaire Smith (Tennessee), Shaun Smith (Cincinnati) and CB Kenny Wright (Washington).
Subtractions: WR Dennis Northcutt (to JAC), RB Reuben Droughns (to NYG), S Brian Russell (Seattle), OG Joe Andruzzi, DL Nick Eason (to PIT), DT Alvin McKinley (to DEN) and FB Terrelle Smith (to ARI).
2007 Season Summary: Coach Romeo Crennel enters his third season at the helm of the Browns with a 10-22 record. Cleveland has been terrible ever since getting their team back in ’99 (team moved to Baltimore after the ’95 season). Since ’99 the team has complied a record of 40 wins and 88 losses in the regular season. The team had a wining record once in ’02. In ’99 the team appointed Chris Palmer head coach and he was fired after the ’00 season (his record was 5-27). Then Butch Davis turned around a 3-13 ’00 team to a 7-9 ’01 team. Then a 9-7 playoff team in ’02, but expectations increased and Davis couldn’t improve the club. In ’03, Cleveland went 5-11 and after going 3-8 in ‘04, Davis was fired. If the Browns don’t show improvement in ’07, Crennel could be the next coach to exit Cleveland. However, the next coach would benefit with the good young nucleus that Crennel has built. In the ’07 NFL Draft the team drafted three possible starters, they also have a great linebacking unit and signed a great offensive lineman in Eric Steinbach. Signing RB Jamal Lewis and LB Antwan Peek were great moves. Every game is a tough game for the Browns.
Best Rookie: QB Brady Quinn – I’m not completely sold that Quinn will be a great pro, but all he has to do is beat out QBs Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson. Quinn might not be the starter at the beginning of the season, but I would be surprised if he isn’t by halfway through the season. You know fans will be cheering for him to come in starting this preseason. OT and #3 overall pick Joe Thomas out of Wisconsin will be a great player for a long time. Also, second-round pick CB Eric Wright from UNLV could start right away. The Browns obviously had a great draft.
Big Games of the Year: vs. Pittsburgh (Sept. 9- 1:00pm- Opening weekend), vs. Cincinnati (Sept. 16- 1:00pm), vs. Baltimore (Sept.30- 1:00pm), at Pittsburgh (Nov. 11- 1:00pm), at Baltimore (Nov. 18- 1:00pm), at Cincinnati (Dec. 23- 1:00pm
2007 Projected Record: 3-13
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Browns to win the AFC North are 25/1. The win total betting is set at 6 games. Currently, the Browns odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 100/1.

AFC NORTH PREVIEW

XL Super Bowl Champs
PITTSBURGH STEELERS

2006 Record: 8-8
Last Year Summary: In 2006, the Steelers won their opener and QB Charlie Batch’s only start against Miami (28-17) while QB Ben Roethlisberger sat out. After the win on opening day, the Steelers went 1-6 to start the season, including a 0-9 loss to Jacksonville. Roethlisberger had a serious motorcycle accident in the preseason and it looked as if he would recover in time to start the season. However, then he underwent an appendectomy. Roethlisberger wasn’t the same QB in ’06 as he was in ’04 and ’05. In ’06, he threw a league-high 23 interceptions and was sacked 46 times leading Pittsburgh to a 7-8 record in his starts. In comparison, his record as a starter his first two seasons was 27-4. Pittsburgh finished the year strong going 6-2, which included a 23-17 win in OT over Cincinnati that ended their rivals’ playoff hopes. Steeler fans were worried that RB Willie Parker wouldn’t be able to handle the load himself, but he rushed for 1,494 (third most in club history) on 337 carries and had an impressive 13 touchdowns. LB James Farrior led the defense in tackles with 128.
Additions: RB Kevin Barlow (NYJ), OL Sean Mahan (Tampa Bay)
Subtractions: LB Joey Porter (to MIA), C Jeff Hartings (retired), RB Verron Haynes, WR Sean Morey (to ARI), DE Rodney Bailey (to ARI) and OT Ulish Booker.
2007 Season Summary: Coach Bill Cowher quits after 15 seasons. The Steelers will break in their third head coach since 1969. New coach Mike Tomlin has a solid nucleus in his first stint as an NFL head coach. Tomlin has been coaching the Tampa Bay secondary since 2001 and was tutored by Tony Dungy in the cover 2 defense. Tomlin kept most of the coaching staff together except he lost offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who left to be the head coach of Arizona. Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau is back and will be in charge of the 3-4 zone blitz. If Pittsburgh is to be successful Tomlin will have to stand clear of LeBeau’s defense. Tomlin says he wants to run the ball, but new OC Bruce Arians wants to use the four-WR set more often. It sounds like the coaching staff might clash and will need some time to find a happy medium. If they don’t find it in the preseason, this team could struggle. The only big loss on the roster is LB Joey Porter. Tough road games include Denver (Oct. 21), Cincinnati (Oct. 28), New England (Dec. 9) and Baltimore (Dec. 30). Tough home games include Seattle (Oct. 7), Baltimore (Nov. 5), Cincinnati (Dec. 2) and Jacksonville (Dec. 16).
Best Rookie: P Daniel Sepulveda- I know it’s hard to believe that the Steelers had a good draft class when I name the punter as the best rookie. However, I believe the Steelers had a great draft despite their average grades given by the media. OLBs Lawrence Timmons and LaMarr Woodley will play right away. Timmons can play inside and outside while Woodley can play outside and as a pass-rushing DE. Sepulveda, a fourth-round pick, was the only punter ever to win the Ray Guy Award twice. In the last three seasons for Baylor, Sepulveda has averaged over 46 yards per punt. He might be the best punter since Ray Guy himself. Also, third-round pick TE Matt Spaeth is a good receiving target, but has to backup Heath Miller.
Big Games of the Year: at Cincinnati (Oct. 28- 1:00pm), vs. Baltimore (Nov.5- 8:30pm- Monday), vs. Cincinnati (Dec.2- 8:15pm), at New England (Dec. 9- 1:00), at Baltimore (Dec. 30- 1:00pm- Last game of the year)
2007 Projected Record: 8-8
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Steelers to win the AFC North is 12/5. The win total betting is set at 9 games. Currently, the Steelers odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 25/1.

AFC NORTH PREVIEW

Palmer and the Johnsons
CINCINNATI BENGALS

2006 Record: 8-8
Last Year Summary: In 2006, the Bengals won the first three games, which included two road wins at Kansas City and at Pittsburgh. Then New England came into Cincy and rookie Laurence Maroney had his best performance of the season. Maroney rushed for 125 yards on only 15 carries and scored two touchdowns in route to a 38-13 win over the Bengals. That began a horrid streak where the Bengals would lose five of their next six games. However, each loss could have easily been a win – Cincinnati got a terrible roughing-the-passer call on a Justin Smith sack in a 14-13 loss at Tampa Bay. Then Michael Vick had his best game of the season in a 29-27 loss to Atlanta. Then the Bengals lost on the road 26-20 to Baltimore when T.J. Houshmandzadeh didn’t get a pass-interference call late in the game. The most heart-breaking game was the home contest against San Diego. The Bengals led 28-7 at halftime only to lose 49-41. With a record of 4-5, Cincinnati turned it around with four straight wins that included wins on the road against New Orleans (31-16) and at home against Baltimore (13-7). Just as it was looking that the Bengals would return to the playoffs, they lost the last three games of season at Indianapolis (16-34), at Denver (23-24) and at home against Pittsburgh (17-23 in OT). Cincinnati lost the Denver game on a poor snap by Brad St. Louis, which would have tied the game after a 90-yard touchdown drive. Then with eight seconds left in the Pittsburgh game, Shayne Graham missed a 39-yard field goal that would have won the game. If the Bengals had won any three of those games they would have made the playoffs
Additions: LB Ed Hartwell (Atlanta), DT Michael Myers (Denver), C Alex Stepanovich (Arizona) and DT Kenderick Allen (Green Bay).
Subtractions: DT Sam Adams (to DEN), CB Troy James (to NE), S Kevin Kaesviharn (to NO), LB Brain Simmons (to NO), DT Shaun Smith (to CLE), OG Eric Steinbach (to CLE), TE Tony Stewart (to OAK), WR Kelley Washington (to NE), LB Marcus Wilkins (to ATL) and QB Anthony Wright (to NYG).
2007 Season Summary: QB Carson Palmer is completely healthy this season and has plenty of weapons on offense. The defense should be better off this season with new upgrades in the secondary and to the linebacking core. The schedule seems to be easier in ’07 than it was last year. Instead of playing the NFC South and AFC West, Cincinnati plays the NFC West and AFC East. You can make the argument, but I believe both divisions are easier this time around. Also, last year Cincy played New England and Indianapolis as the two games added because of their ’05 record and this year they play Kansas City and Tennessee. Right now, the Bengals look to have four primetime games, which includes the home opener against Baltimore (Monday 7pm on ESPN), home against New England (Monday 8:30pm on ESPN), at Pittsburgh (Sunday 8:15pm on NBC) and at San Francisco (8:15pm on NFL Network). I tried to be objective in my prediction of the Bengals ’07 season and it is extremely early to pick games, but there is no reason to believe that Cincinnati shouldn’t make the playoffs in ’07.
Best Rookie: CB Leon Hall- No one can quite argue the Bengals decision to draft Hall when he fell to them in the middle of the first round. Around draft time, scouts used phrases such as ‘hard worker’, ‘team leader’, and ‘explosive hitter’ to describe him. Due to the injury to CB Johnathan Joseph this spring and to the absence of Deltha O’Neal, Hall has been getting most of the snaps on the #1 defense. I expect Hall to begin the season as the #3 cornerback, but could be starting by midseason. Second-round pick RB Kenny Irons should provide a nice change of pace, but veteran Kenny Watson will be Rudi Johnson’s backup to start the year. Fourth-round pick S Marvin White will be counted on early and often.
Big Games of the Year: vs. Baltimore (Sept. 7- 7:00pm- Opening Monday), vs. New England (Oct. 1- 8:30- Monday), vs. Pittsburgh (Oct. 28- 1:00pm), at Baltimore (Nov. 11- 4:05pm), at Pittsburgh (Dec. 2- 8:15pm) , at Miami (Dec. 30- 1:00pm- Last game of the year)
2007 Projected Record: 11-5
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Bengals to win the AFC North is 3/2. The win total betting is set at 9.5 games. Currently, the Bengals odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 15/1.

AFC NORTH PREVIEW

The Defense
BALTIMORE RAVENS

2006 Record: 13-3 (lost in AFC Divisonal Playoff)
Last Year Summary: After going 6-10 in ’05, they signed QB Steve McNair and finished the ’06 season with the club’s best regular season record in their 11-year history as the Baltimore Ravens. McNair didn’t have the greatest season, but he threw for the most yards (3,050) in Ravens’ history since Vinny Testaverde in ’96. Running back Jamal Lewis played well rushing for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. However, Lewis didn’t blow anyone away like he did in ’03 when he rushed for 2,066 yards and 14 touchdowns. For Baltimore to be successful, the offense only has to average. The defense led the NFL in allowing the least amount of yards and points (264.1 yards and 12.6 points per game). LB Ray Lewis missed two games, but still led the defense with 103 total tackles. Lewis added five sacks, eight passes defended and two interceptions. LB Adalius Thomas had 83 total tackles and 11 sacks. DE Trevor Pryce added 13 sacks while LB Bart Scott and DE Terrell Suggs each had 9.5 sacks. The secondary helped out, safeties Dawan Landry and Ed Reed combined for 10 interceptions, two touchdowns and 20 passes defended. CB Chris McAlister added six interceptions. Baltimore had a challenging schedule and lost to only three teams: Denver (13-to-3) and Cincinnati (13-to-7) on the road; and Carolina at home (23-to-21).
Additions: RB Willis McGahee (Buffalo).
Subtractions: LB Adalius Thomas (to NE), RB Jamal Lewis (to CLE), DT Aubrayo Franklin (to SF), FB Ovie Mughelli (to ATL), OG Edwin Mulitalo (to DET) and OT Tony Pashos (to JAC).
2007 Season Prediction: The big knock on Baltimore is their age. Of their 22 starters this year nine are 30 or older, which include star players LB Ray Lewis (32), QB Steve McNair (34), WR Derrick Mason (33), CB Samari Rolle (30), CB Chris McAlister (30) and DE Trevor Pyrce (31). The Ravens upgraded their running back position when the team traded their third-round and seventh-round picks in the ’07 NFL Draft (and a third-round choice in the ’08 NFL Draft) for RB Willis McGahee. RB Jamal Lewis left to play in the team’s original home- Cleveland. Lewis looked as if he lost a step ever since he was indicted on federal drug conspiracy charges in ‘03. McGahee is all the team added this offseason and the only big loss was LB Adalius Thomas. The Ravens will still be the team to beat in the AFC North, but Cincinnati and Pittsburgh won’t be too far behind. Tough road games include Cincinnati (Sept. 10), San Francisco (Oct. 7), Pittsburgh (Nov. 5), San Diego (Nov. 25) and Seattle (Dec. 23). Tough home games include Cincinnati (Nov. 11), New England (Dec. 3), Indianapolis (Dec. 9) and Pittsburgh (Dec. 30). The toughest stretch is easy to see: The Ravens play the Chargers, Patriots and Colts in three consecutive weeks in late November into early December.
Best Rookie: WR/KR Yamon Figurs- Figurs moved up draft broads when he ran a 4.3 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. Currently, he has to be in KR/PR plans, but the Ravens already have B.J. Sams. Also, Figurs will be the team’s fourth wide receiver behind Derrick Mason, Mark Clayton and Demetrius Williams. First-round pick OG Ben Grubbs could eventually start this season, but isn’t ready now. Sixth-round pick QB Troy Smith might turn out to be the best deal in the long run if he gets a chance to start after McNair is out of the picture. Figurs was one of the team’s third-round selections at 74th overall.
Big Games of the Year: at Cincinnati (Sept. 7- 7:00pm- Opening Monday), at San Diego (Nov. 25- 4:15pm), vs. New England (Dec. 3- 8:30pm- Monday), vs. Indianapolis (Dec. 9- 8:15pm) and vs. Pittsburgh (Dec. 30- 1:00pm- Last game of the year).
Projected Record: 11-5
Futures (Bets): The current odds for the Ravens to win the AFC North is 5/4. The win total betting is set at 10 games. Currently, the Ravens odds to win the Super Bowl are set at 10/1.

2006 Standings
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 12-4 (won division title)
NEW YORK JETS: 10-6 (made playoffs)
BUFFALO BILLS: 7-9
MIAMI: 6-10

2007 prediction: NFLonlinewagering.com

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 12-4 (will win division)
- QB Tom Brady finally has some wide receivers, the team signed Randy Moss, Donte Stallworth, Kelley Washington and Wes Walker in the offseason. Also, the team got the best linebacker on the market in Adalius Thomas. Currently, New England is odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl at 5/1.

MIAMI DOLPHINS: 7-9
- Miami continues to try to find the next Dan Marino. Dante Culpepper out, Trent Green in. I think that the Dolphins are one of the few times in the AFC that is hard to predict. They have an easier schedule than everyone in their division and have the best defense. The team added LB Joey Porter to go along with stars LB Zach Thomas and DE Jason Taylor.

NEW YORK JETS: 7-9
- The Jets had a very easy schedule in ’06 and made the playoffs with a 10-6 record. Other previews have the Jets improving, but I just don’t see it. The team added RB Thomas Jones, which is a huge upgrade and they didn’t lose that much talent in the offseason. The schedule will challenge the Jets and we shall see how good this team really is.

BUFFALO BILLS: 5-11
-Poor Buffalo, I believe that this team is getting better, but it will have a worst record this season. They lost a bunch of talent this offseason in CB Nate Clements, LB London Fletcher, RB Willis McGahee and LB Takeo Spikes. However, the Bills upgraded their offensive line and that should improve the good young core this team already has.

2007 predictions: Sporting News

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: 14-2 (publication has team winning the Super Bowl)
NEW YORK JETS: 9-7 (publication has team just missing the playoffs)
BUFFALO BILLS: 5-11
MIAMI DOLPHINS: 5-11

Athlon Sports

1- NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (publication has team winning the Super BowL)
2- NEW YORK JETS (publication has team making the playoffs)
3- MIAMI DOLPHINS
4- BUFFALO BILLS

(Click on AFC EAST or Team’s City under Categories on right side of screen to see team-by-team breakdowns from nflonlinewagering.com)