2009 NFL Preview: AFC

AFC East

The AFC East ended up being one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL last season. A lot of that can be attributed to the Week 1 injury of Tom Brady. Well Tom Brady is back now and so are the Patriots. They finished 11-5 without Tom Brady and will improve on that mark in 2009.

This division got a lot more interesting now that Terrell Owens is member of the Bills. Unfortunately for the Bills, Owens isn't nearly enough to make this team better than 8-8. The Dolphins are the only team that will give the Patriots a challenge for the division, and they'll keep it close early on. In the end, the Patriots are just too stacked on both sides of the ball and they'll take the division crown.

AFC North

The AFC North is a lot more up for grabs than many other division in the NFL. Of course the Steelers and the Ravens will be the two primary teams that will compete for the division. However, don't sleep on the Bengals. If Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocinco can get back to the way they use to play then this team could be a spoiler down the stretch.

It's going to be a close division race, but I like the Ravens to sneak by at 12-4 over the Steelers. Joe Flacco proved last season that he's a rising star in this league. And we all know how good that defense is.

AFC South

Over the past few seasons the AFC South has been one of the better divisions from top to bottom. Expect it to be even more balanced this season. The Titans and the Colts will be in the mix as usual, but the Texans are a great wild card pick out of this division. The offense will be among the best in the NFL.

What may stand in the Titans way is their quarterback controversy. Both quarterbacks have their own issues at times and it will be interesting to see which one ends up having to lead this team. As of right now it's Kerry Collins. The Colts lost Marvin Harrison but still have a great offense and the Jaguars will once again be the weakest team in a tough division. The Titans end up taking this division with the Texans and Colts very close behind.

AFC West

We go from the toughest division to one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. The Chargers won't be even in the top five among AFC teams this season, but they'll still win their division in pretty convincing fashion. The only team I see even making this close is the Chiefs. The Broncos are a complete mess right now and the Raiders have an offense that's equivilent to a Division II football team.

AFC division winners: Patriots, Ravens, Titans, and Chargers
AFC wild card teams: Texans and Steelers