AFC
New England
Odds: 10-1
Strength: High powered passing game with top level receivers
Weakness: No running game of consistency or impact
Question: Can they protect Tom Brady enough to throw in 2 feet of snow and 30mph winds in Boston in January?
Most Important Player: Brady; can he get over the 6-year hangover from their last SuperBowl win?
New York Jets
Odds: 20-1
Strength: Confidence in a relentless defense (as long as Revis re-signs)
Weakness: 2nd year QB who threw over 20 INTs last year
Question: Finding a way to turn their arrogance into confidence and win games. What will happen if they start 2-3 or 1-4?
Most Important Player: Nick Mangold; just singed a massive contract to anchor a transitional offensive line that led them to the AFC Championship game.
Cincinnati Bengals
Odds: 30-1
Strength: Young, physical defense that loves attacking the ball.
Weakness: Swirls of controversy and ego. Long arrest record on this team
Question: There is only 1 football. Will there be enough of it to get everyone the touches they need?
Most Important Player: Carson Palmer; since his leg injury in 2006, he has not be the QB he was supposed to be.
Baltimore Ravens
Odds: 15-1
Strength: A balanced offense that got stronger in the offseason
Weakness: Their porous secondary lives and dies by the health of Ed Reed
Question: Will Ray Rice be able to have another 400 touches this year and remain healthy?
Most Important Player: Reed; the defense is in big trouble if he cannot makes plays at 100% all season long
Pittsburgh Steelers
Odds: 10-1
Strength: A healthy Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith along with the return of Bryant McFadden brings the defense back to elite status
Weakness: No Ben Roethlisberger for the beginning of the season and a terrible offensive line
Question: Will the Roethlisberger situation hang a black cloud of distraction over the entire team and season?
Most Important Player: Polamalu; like Reed for the Ravens, he is the life blood of that defense
Indianapolis Colts
Odds: 6-1
Strength: Best QB perhaps in the history of the NFL
Weakness: Worst run game in the NFL
Question: When will Bob Sanders get hurt this year? (O/U is October 1)
Most Important Player: Peyton Manning; the team cannot win without him. It is as simple as that
Tennessee Titans
Odds: 30-1
Strength: Most electric running back in football
Weakness: Try to name 1 person on their defense. Go ahead... I'll wait.
Question: Can they find someone other than Chris Johnson to score points for them?
Most Important Player: Vince Young; everyone says he is a winner, but he is yet to win a single playoff game. Remember when he went AWOL and wanted to kill himself?
San Diego Chargers
Odds: 7-1
Strength: Phillip Rivers throws the best deep ball in the league, and has people that can go get it
Weakness: Norv Turner. Period.
Question: Can this team get it together and actually win some playoff games?
Most Important Player: Rivers; He has to step up like he did in January 2008.
NFC
Dallas Cowboys
Odds: 12-1
Strength: Great balance between offense and defense
Weakness: Aging offensive line needs to keep Tony Romo off his back.
Question: How long until the "Wade Phillips is on the hot seat" rumors start? Week 2?
Most Important Player: Demarcus Ware; needs to be able to pressure the QB without the blitz to help out the secondary
Philadelphia Eagles
Odds: 12-1
Strength: Lots of weapons on both sides of the ball
Weakness: Andy Reid is horrible at clock management, and gets "oh so close" every year.
Question: How short of a leash is Kevin Kolb on, before Philly fans start to boo him?
Most Important Player: Jeremy Maclin; DeSean Jackson will be double covered all year. Maclin will need to step up and make big plays when it matters
New York Giants
Odds: 30-1
Strength: Defensive line. Healthy again, they can cause nightmares for QBs (just ask Tom Brady)
Weakness: Offensive line. It was their best asset when the won the SuperBowl 3 years ago, now it is a liability.
Question: Will they be able to get Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw running again?
Most Important Player: Eli Manning; most predictions are they will not be running well, and will throw even more than last year
Green Bay Packers
Odds: 12-1
Strength: Best young QB in the NFL to go with plenty of people to throw to.
Weakness: Their OL was destroyed by Minnesota last year. They need to keep Aaron Rodgers upright and throwing.
Question: Can the defense force turnovers like they did last year when they lead the NFL?
Most Important Player: Rodgers; they will need him to continue to develop and come up big late in games if they want to win it all
Minnesota Vikings
Odds: 12-1
Strength: Best every down back in the NFL
Weakness: Old QB and several injuries at WR
Question: Will Brett Favre actually throw his arm out of the socket this year?
Most Important Player: Adrian Peterson; people say he has the strongest handshake ever, but he needs to protect the football.
New Orleans Saints
Odds: 10-1
Strength: Have an offensive that is more creative than any other in the NFL, and can score from anywhere on the field
Weakness: Inconsistency in the offensive and defensive backfield
Question: They have ALWAYS played as the underdog. Now they have a target on their chest. Can the live up to the challenge?
Most Important Player: Drew Brees; Saints fans are hoping that despite 10 years of evidence, the "Madden Curse" is a hoax.
Atlanta Falcons:
Odds: 30-1
Strength: Great young offense with a lot of weapons
Weakness: A defense that had lots of trouble stopping people last year
Question: Can Michael Turner stay healthy and carry the load for the entire season?
Most Important Player: Matt Ryan; Can he shave off the stubble from last season and take his team back to the playoffs.
Arizona Cardinals
Odds: 30-1
Strength: Great receivers???
Weakness: Unproven QB. Lost defensive stars. Lack of serious running game.
Question: If Matt Leinart cannot get it together this year, is all lost for him?
Most Important Player: Leniart; he needs to regain his form of 2004-05, when he completely took over college football.
So what does this leave us with? 4 of the 5 teams with the best odds are from the AFC. We have 8 teams from each conference.
The Chargers, Colts and Saints are probably bad bets for it, based on odds and history. Dallas is too high of odds at 12-1. All of the teams at 30-1, except the Giants, seem like a waste of money. I am surprised that the Jets are only 20-1, and Baltimore is only 15-1, with all of the hype that those teams are getting. At this point, I am saying the Packers, at 12-1, are the best bet. Honestly I think they will be the ones to win it all anyways, even without the odds.
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