2012 NFL Football Part 3: AFC

Editing note: Although this is being posted after the season has already started, it is still serving as team opinions from before season and has not been influenced by games already played.

If you missed Part 2.

AFC East

1. New England Patriots 13-3
2. Buffalo Bills 10-6

A lot of receivers may be lost on Revis Island, but the best defensive player in the league can't help this offense.

2012 Football Preview Part 2: NFC

I went through my playoff picks right here, so now here's what I think of the rest of the NFC teams.

NFC East

1. Philadelphia Eagles 11-5
2. Dallas Cowboys 11-5

3. New York Giants 9-7: So about those picks from last year...I was relatively spot on with most calls, but I picked the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants to come in fourth place in a competitive division. Yikes. I liked the moves they made to improve their team but thought that their rash of preseason injuries would take too big of a toll on them. Instead, no team took hold of the division, they snuck into the playoffs again, and caught fire with Eli Manning becoming the most clutch quarterback in the league. So why am I picking them to miss the playoffs this year? Well, they're shorthanded again, and I think their luck runs the other way this year.
   Super Bowl hero Mario Manningham left for San Francisco in free agency, and although I think Victor Cruz is a good receiver, I don't think he'll be nearly as good as last season. Much like with Manningham a couple of years ago, they got another steal in the second round with Rueben Randle. He'll have some growing pains trying to offset the loss of Manningham as a rookie, and Hakeem Nicks should return to his studly ways after some foot issues in training camp. Martellus Bennet was a nice replacement signing at tight end, but some shuffling along the offensive line could cause some blocking trouble for Manning and runningbacks Ahmad Bradshaw and David Wilson, their first round pick. Across from Justin Tuck at defensive end, Jason Pierre-Paul could make this defense a strong unit just by himself. He's that good, and he may have to be in order to make up for a banged up secondary if this team is going to defend its title.

JPP might have to put the world on his shoulders.

Summer's Over: It's Football Time!

After a two month hiatus, I'm back and ready for some football. My last post was before the NBA Draft, and my recap of that and the rest of basketball's offseason moves has been on hold during this busy summer. After working with the national champions of summer league baseball, the Santa Barbara Foresters, I went to Las Vegas for my 21st birthday and later to Reno for my dad's birthday with some time back home in between. We explored various sports books looking for the best football odds, and here's what I put my money on:

• -110 that the Colts will win OVER 5 games: $50 to win $45.45
• +105 that the Niners will win OVER 10 games: $50 to win $52.50
• +550 that the Niners will win the Super Bowl: $35 to win $192.50 
• +220 that the Niners will win @ Green Bay in Week 1: $15 to win $33

I feel very good about the value I got in these bets, with the latter two obviously being ambitious and less likely, but after seeing the odds at some other sports books, I know that I got good deals. If I am being honest with myself, I think that the real Super Bowl favorites, the Packers, will win it all, but where's the fun in that? That's what my season preview is for. (For the most part, I was spot on in my picks last year with one glaring omission, but we'll get to that later...)

Came close to betting this SB matchup, but is that my pick?

Part 1: The Big Picture

(Parts 2 and 3 will go team by team through the conferences)