FanNation

Personally, I think it's too early to make official NFL picks. However, you piqued my interest enough to make some general predicitions on the upcoming season.

AFC East: Bill Belichick and the Patriots are only going to be angrier and more obsessive about trying to find any advantage they can find over an opponent. Plus, as long as Tom Brady is standing up right, they will be the favorites in this division. The Dolphins can go nowhere but up, while the Jets' busy offseason does little help in the win column. The Bills' recent distractions may have been unexpected, but if Marshawn Lynch's season goes sans suspensions, the team will finally get past that 7-9 glass ceiling.

AFC North: I think the Cleveland Browns played a little over their heads last season and Pittsburgh was a bit overrated, but they're still the two best teams in the division. Pittsburgh edges out Cleveland again for the division, as the Browns' defense does them in as does a slight drop in production from Derek Anderson.

AFC South: I can envision Houston being the trendy dark horse choice of prognasticators. While they will continue to improve, they are still a year away and honestly, I am not 100 percent sold on Matt Schaub being the franchise quarterback of this team. Indianapolis, when considered the heavy, heavy favorite to win it all in 2005-06, they had a bad loss at home to Pittsburgh ... then when their defense was basically a sieve, they suddenly became a defensive juggernaut and won a Super Bowl. Then, with the Patriots having a historic season and the Colts looking like the only ones who could compete with them, we never get a chance to see if they could have been the ones to take them down, losing a home playoff game to San Diego. Let's say history repeats itself and the Colts come back with a vengeance and roll through the regular season. As for the Jaguars, they get in as another double-digit victory wildcard and fall short of the Super Bowl.

AFC West: Kansas City and Oakland are rebuilding and Denver is not nearly talented enough to beat San Diego for the division. The Chargers might still be the "third team" in the list of elite franchises of the AFC, but they are not afraid to go on the road to face Indy or N.E., whether it be in a dome or -12 degrees.

Wildcards: I think we are in agreement on this one. Jacksonville gets in again and the Monday Night game in Orchard Park could go a long way in deciding that second wildcard, with the Bills finally getting back to the playoffs.

NFC East: I admit I have a bias towards this foursome, but pound-for-pound it's still the best division in football and at the very least, is far and away the best in a weak NFC. Both wildcards have come out of the NFC East in each of the last two seasons and that keeps on going this year and also, for the second year in a row, no team in the NFC East will finish with a losing record. Dallas wins the division again and the Giants take a slight step back. Washington and Philadelphia will finish around 8-8 and 9-7.

NFC North: This might be the toughest division to call, but I liked what I saw out of the Vikings late in the year and they will squeak by at 9-7, as the Packers, who will not be a disaster with Aaron Rodgers, fall back.

NFC South: The Bucs have had a one good year, one bad year string going and they will continue that this season, as the Saints will come back strong. Carolina is a complete enigma with the uncertainty of Jake Delhomme and Atlanta is rebuilding.

NFC West: The improving teams will not be improved enough to beat out Seattle just yet.

Wildcards: The teams in the NFC East will beat up on each other, but if someone can manage a sweep, they will be in good shape. The Giants get back in the playoffs to try and defend their crown and this time, Philadelphia squeaks by Washington for the second wildcard.