Im a little bit behind myself, but Ill weigh in as well.
AFC North
1.Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4): One of the things people need to recognize about the Steelers schedule is that it's incredibly easy, downright wrong for a team that went to the Super Bowl last year. Roethlisberger will play the full season this year, Polamalu is healthy again, and this team is incredibly deep defensively, especially along the D-line and the the LB corps. The homer in me wants to go 13-3 with the Colts coming up in Game 3, but they'll lose one game this year as usual that they should win.
2.Baltimore Ravens (11-5): The window here is closing for the Ravens defense. The secondary here is a large concern, as they struggled mightily against the pass last year. The acquisition of Vante Leach is a huge get, as he will likely do similar things for Ray Rice that he did for Arian Foster last year. The Ravens cut Mason, Houshmanzadeh, McGahee, and Heap, but their replacements are better in Lee Evans, Torrey Smith, Ricky Williams, and Ed Dickson. They'll be a playoff team and Flacco will improve, but it remains to be seen if he can beat the Steelers with Ben at QB, which he's yet to do in 9 career starts. I think the matchups between the two teams will decide the division as usual.
Cleveland Browns (6-10): Their best offensive weapons are Colt McCoy and Peyton Hillis, both of whom have alot to prove this year. McCoy was easily rattled at times and only threw a TD in 5 of 8 starts, with with 4 games being a single TD apiece. Hillis needs to show he's not a one year star, and his numbers figure to come back to earth this year. The WR corps are thin at best, as they don't have a WR who could even start on most NFL teams. The defense should continue to improve, but they're still middle of the road, which won't be enough to sustain what figures to be an inept offense once again. They're improving, but they're not there yet.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-11): I like their WR's and TE in AJ Green, Jerome Simpson and Jermaine Gresham, but who will be throwing them the ball? Andy Dalton didn't thrill this preseason, and he's probably 2-3 years away from being a viable starter. They'll likely rely heavily on Cedric Benson, whose a solid workhorse, but not a breakaway type back. Their defense should struggle with the loss of Jonathan Joseph, and a lot of players who are former first round draft picks who have underachieved terribly. This is a bad team with terrible ownership.
AFC South
Indianapolis Colts (10-6): So many people believe the Colts are just going to fold without Manning for half the season at least, but they're not considering the other weapons on this team. They'll get Dallas Clark and Austin Collie back for full seasons, and Joseph Addai is healthy and should be motivated after getting a 3 year deal. If this team can hang at 4-4 for the first half, and get Peyton back, they'll go 6-2 in the second half and win a very bad division.
Houston Texabs(10-6): I think this will come down to the next to the last game of the season against Indy, which they'll lose. Arian Foster's hamstring should be a major concern, although there is depth behind him in Ward and Tate. Schaub is a QB on the rise, and has 3 WRS and Foster with over 50 catches last year. Andre Johnson played hurt all of last year, and still racked up big numbers, so he'll likely do more this year if healthy. This is a defense that were major choke artists last year, blowing 5 leads in the final 2 minutes of games last year. They're going to be playing an atypical 3-4 defense for the first time since Kubiak came to Houston, and I think they'll struggle initially. Still, this is an explosive offense, with a defense that won't be as bad as last year. They'll contend for the division crown in the worst AFC division.
Tennessee Titans (6-10): There are so many "What Ifs?" with this team. What if CJ isn't in his best shape following his lockout? There's no substitute for practicing and getting in sync with ones teammates. What if Matt Hasselback has nothing left? He showed glimpses of still being a solid NFL starter last year in Seattle, but he was wildly inconsistent. What if Kenny Britt self-implodes? This is a run-heavy offense, but Britt is an incredible talent. Britt's his own worst enemy, and avoiding suspension may not send a clear enough message that he needs to grow up. He's also a player who will piut up big numbers one week, then totally disapear the next. Jared Cook should help improve the passing game, but this is still a below-average passing team. The defense is equal when it comes to question marks. Stephen Tolluck and Michael Griffin are very talented, but also inconsistent players. They let their best defensive player in Jason Babin go, which can't bode well for this defense.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14): They're absolutely terrible. I still don't follow the logic of releasing your starting QB a week before the regular season starts, and Luke McCown, one of the worst QB's in the league, will be the starter. MJD lost his backup in Rashard Jennings, so Jones-Drew will likely see the ball a ton with little relief. Mike Thomas is their number one receiver and wouldn't start on most teams. The offense looks like it will be very bad, and the defense is just as pitiful. They could win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
AFC East
New England Patriots (12-4): Belicheck's refusal to settle on one RB will hurt them this year, as BJGE is the best they have to offer, and will likely only take half the snaps. Ochocinco is a nice get for NE, but will he start to phone it in when Brady spreads the ball around? Teams will adopt the Jets postseason strategy and cover the intermediate routes, and Brady and the Pats will have to adapt. Theyre more then capable of doing so. They're an average defense, and picking up Albert Haynesworth was a bd move. As much as Bellicheck is praised for his genuis, he makes some signings that perplex me. Haynesworth falls there. Still, this is the team to beat in the division.
New York Jets (11-5): A close second to the Pats once again. How Plax fits in and Sanchez' continued development will be the keys to this team's success, along with continuing to have the NFL's best secondary. They're a playoff team for sure.
Miami Dolphins (7-9): They were supposed to bring in "competition" for Chad Henne, and the best they could do was Matt Moore? This is a team that should consider signing Garrard, as Brandon Marshall could likely have another 100 catch, 10 TD season with him. Bush isn't an every down back or even a starter in this league, and I expect Daniel Graham to overtake him by midseason, whether it be due to injury or Bush flopping. The defense could break top ten numbers with Vontae Davis becoming a true shutdown corner, and Dansby and Wake being one of the better LB duos in the league. Their offense simply won't produce enough for them to get to .500.
Buffalo Bills (4-12): They gave up dependable WR Lee Evans for nothing, which will allow teams to blanket Stevie Johnson and dare Buffalo's other WR's to beat them. The offensive line is possibly the worst in the leaague, rendering what should be a good running game with Jackson and Spiller less valuable. The defense showed spots of improvement last year, but still easily the worst in their division. They'll be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes as well.
AFC West
San Diego Chargers (13-3): The top defense in the league paired with the best defense in the league, statistically, and they still don't make the playoffs? I expect they'll rectify their ST worries and will again be at the top of the league in defense and offense. Philip Rivers is the AFC's Aaron Rodgers in terms of the accuracy and ability to make the impossible throws, and he'll have his best WR for the full season this year in Vincent Jackson. Gates should be as good as ever, and Matthews and Tolbert are an excellent 1-2 punch at RB. The defense will be just as good as last year's, and this team should be a SB contender.
Kansas City Chiefs (11-5): Jamaal Charles may be the best running back in the league by years end, and Thomas Jones is a nice compliment. Matt Cassel's health is a concern, but he found a stud WR last year in Dwayne Bowe. Tamba Hali, Tyson Jackson, and Glenn Dorsey among others combine to make this one of the league's best defense. They likely won't make the playoffs, because they won't be able to overcome the Chargers.
Oakland Raiders (6-10): Another team that made some puzzling decisions in the offseason, letting Nmandi Asomagua leave in free agency. Jason Campbell isn't going to make an impact at QB, and Zach Miller also left. They do have a monstrous 1-2 running back combo with DMC and Michael Bush, but they dont have the downfield targets to open the passing game up and make room for the running game. The defense will struggle mightily this year, as the run defense hasn't improved from last year, and they lost their best pass defender. There are some bright spots on the team, but the defense and below-average passing game will keep them below .500.
Denver Broncos (4-12): The hell happened to this team? Brandon Lloyd was actually one of the best receivers in the league last year, and he'll still be very good. Eddie Royal, Jabar Gaffney, and Knowshon Moreno all need to live up to their talent, and Kyle Orton needs to duplicate last year's season to have a prayer. The defense is very bad, although John Fox will rectify that eventually. They're just a few years away because the defense is that bad.
AFC Playoffs:
(2. New England = bye)
3. Pittsburgh>
6. Baltimore
The Steelers have the Ravens number and until the prove otherwise, this game goes to the Steelers. Too many playmakers on both sides of the ball for Baltimore to compete with.
4. Indianapolis
5. NY Jets >
The Colts will be able to make it through the regular system, but the Jets have the defense to shut them down, and the running game to punish a weak Colts run defense.
(1. San Diego= bye)
1.San Diego >
5. NY Jets
Two of the better defenses in the league meet up here, but the difference will be Philip Rivers. He's a franchise QB, which Mark Sanchez isn't, and possibly never will be. Rex Ryan will likely devise a scheme to attempt to stop them like they did NE last year, but SD's balanced running game and passing game will be too much, even for the mighty Jets D.
2. New England >
3. Pittsburgh
I'd love to be a homer here, but the Patriots have had the Steelers number in the same way the Steelers do Baltimore's. New England will spread out a thin Pittsburgh secondary and Brady will pick them apart, much like Aaron Rodgers did in the Super Bowl last year. The Steelers will keep it close, but Brady and co. will win this by a TD.
1. San Diego >
2. New England
Philip Rivers makes his first appearance in the Super Bowl as the Chargers rip the Patriots. SD does have the defense to stay with NE, and the offensive balance to score just enough points to get past the Patriots to the Super Bowl.
Ill get to the NFC later.