So the baseball season is almost over, and it looks as if it’s possible that my playoff teams were 75% right, so to further boost my ego, here are my NFL predictions. Let’s hope I know as much about football as I do baseball.

AFC
East

1. New England Patriots
Although they lost both their offensive and defensive coordinators, the Patriots are still the team to beat in the NFL. They still have Bill Belichik, Tom Brady, Corey Dillon and Richard Seymour. They didn’t lose anyone big besides Ty Law, who was injured all of last season anyway. I see no reason why the Patriots can’t be just as good as they were last season.

2. Buffalo Bills
Sure, they have a young, inexperienced quarterback, but their passing game wasn’t what made the Bills so tough at the end of last season. Willis McGahee is back and seems to be at full health, which bodes very well for the Bills. Their defense is still one of the best in the league, too. Look for the Bills to be a threat down the stretch.

3. Miami Dolphins
Yeah, they only won two games last year, but who cares? The Dolphins have a new head coach, a defense that wasn’t bad at all last year, and an offense that will be able to score enough points to collect some wins. There was no reason for the Dolphins to be as bad as they were last year, and they definitely won’t be that bad this year.

4. New York Jets
The Jets seem to be one of the “experts’” favorites, but I really do not see this team going very far. Their defense is okay but their offense is full of question marks. They lost their best WR in Santana Moss, Chad Pennington is coming off a shoulder injury and fumbled an astonishing six times in week one and Curtis Martin is getting old. The Jets won’t be in the picture come playoff time.

South

1. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are still an offensive juggernaut. They still have one of the scariest trios in football in Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Edgerin James. Their defense is still a question mark but that hasn’t stopped them from being a playoff team the past two years, and shouldn’t stop them this year.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars weren’t bad at all last year, and they were a threat to make the playoffs right up to the last week of the season. Byron Leftwich is a year older and a year wiser. They sustained no major losses in the off-season, so I see no reason why they won’t be better than they were last year.

3. Houston Texans
Although the Texans didn’t have a stellar record last year, they were a tough team to beat, losing a lot of close games. They are incredibly young, and like the Jaguars have no reason to be anything but better than they were last year.

4. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee was an old team last year and they lost their best wide receiver in Derrick Mason. It’s been a while since the Titans were a legitimate playoff threat and it will be a while until they are again. Don’t look for anything big out of the Titans this year.

North

1. Pittsburgh Steelers
They finished last season with the best record in the NFL at 15-1. Their biggest loss in the off-season was WR Plaxico Burress. Although their top two running backs, Jerome Bettis and Duce Staley, are both injured, Willie Parker stepped up week one and had a great game. They still have Roethlisberger, who is young and improving. Don’t look for them to go 15-1 again, but they will be very good.

2. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens are just like they have been every other year. They have no passing game, but a great running game and a stellar defense. As has been shown year in and year out, a running game and a good D is what wins games in the NFL, and the Ravens will win their share of games this season.

3. Cincinnati Bengals
Carson Palmer looked impressive in week one. They still have Chad Johnson and Rudi Johnson at WR and RB respectively, and their defense is solid. Look for this team to be near .500 this season.

4. Cleveland Browns
I am sorry to say it, but Romeo Crennel will not have a big impact on the Browns this season. They lost their best young player, Kellen Winslow Jr., to a motorcycle accident, and they are starting a somewhat unproven running back in Reuben Droughns. It’s going to be a long year for the Browns.

West

1. Kansas City Chiefs
Priest Holmes is healthy, Larry Johnson is running all over the place, Trent Green can still throw the ball well. The Chiefs have taken over what the Rams used to be, a complete offensive force with a defense that can sometimes back it and sometimes can’t. If their defense is truly as good as they looked in week one, they could be a Super Bowl threat.

2. San Diego Chargers
In my opinion the only reason the Chargers didn’t win week one is because they had suspended TE Antonio Gates. At the end of their week one game, the lightning bolts had four shots at the end zone and couldn’t convert. The red zone is usually where Gates shines. They still have the best back in football in L.T. Look for this team to win a lot of close games this season.

3. Oakland Raiders
With the addition of WR Randy Moss, the Raiders will be better than they were last season. With the addition of WR Randy Moss the Raiders will also lack team chemistry, which is essential to be a truly good team in the NFL. Look for them to hover around .500.

4. Denver Broncos
The Broncos looked awful week one, and although they seem to make the playoffs every year, I just don’t see them being a real threat this year. Jake Plummer is mediocre at best, and their strategy of just throwing whoever they can in at RB is going to come back to get them. Their O-line is getting old.

AFC Playoffs

Bye-Week: Patriots, Colts
Wild Card Round: Steelers over Chargers, Bills over Chiefs
Divisional Round: Patriots over Bills, Colts over Steelers
Championship Round: Patriots over Colts

NFC
East

1. Philadelphia Eagles
Yeah, T.O. and Donovan McNabb aren’t talking, but who cares; they showed Monday that they can still play well together. The Eagles have been the best team in the NFC for the past four seasons and there’s no reason why they cannot be good again this season.

2. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are a young team that finally got some veteran leadership in the addition of QB Drew Bledsoe. The Cowboys might be the surprise team of the year. I see this team winning ten, maybe 11 games this season. Look for them to give the Eagles a run for the division.

3. New York Giants
Eli Manning should be much better than he was last year, and they still have RB Tiki Barber and TE Jeremy Shockey. The Giants will be a solid team this year, but probably not playoff-caliber.

4. Washington Redskins
The Skins seem to be a disappointment every year, and this year will be no different. Sure, they have a good defense, and RB Clinton Portis worked hard to get bigger in the off-season, but this team just lacks what it takes to win games. They don’t put up enough points, and Head Coach Joe Gibbs is already switching up who their starting QB is after week one.

South

1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have one of the best defenses in the NFC; they have two very good running backs in Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett and...oh yeah, the most exciting player in the NFL ,Michael Vick. The Falcons will improve on what was a very successful year last year.

2. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers just barely missed the playoffs last year; though they lost week one this year, look for them to get better as the season progresses. The Panthers seem to be a popular pick for the Super Bowl, but I just don’t see it. Sure, they might be a playoff team, but the NFC is weak.

3. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are the feel-good team of the season. They will be playing half of their home games in San Antonio and the other half in Baton Rouge. I would love to see the Saints have a winning season, but I don’t think it’s actually going to happen.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs were pretty bad last year, and they will probably be even worse this year. For them to be any good, rookie RB Cadillac Williams will have to carry the team on his back, which I don’t think he is ready to do quite yet.

North

1. Green Bay Packers
Let me start by saying that this is by far the worst division in the NFL. I don’t know if any of the teams in it will be over .500. The Packers have to be my pick. though considering they still have Brett Favre and Ahman Green. In any other division in the NFL I would probably pick them at 3rd or 4th, but here the Packers squeeze into a playoff spot.

2. Detroit Lions
I can’t remember the last time the Lions made the playoffs. They have been an up-and-coming team for the past three or four seasons, and this season, I believe they will show that they are indeed improving. Although I doubt they will make the playoffs, it will be an overall positive season for the people of Detroit.

3. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings lost superstar WR Randy Moss, but still have a good QB in Daunte Culpepper. Look for the Vikings to still be a solid offensive team, but not win many games because their defense is severely lacking. Culpepper had a terrible week one, but he should be able to get his act together.

4. Chicago Bears
The Bears are one of those teams that are just plain forgettable. They have no big name players, besides overrated LB Brian Urlacher, and I don’t believe any of their players will make a name for themselves this year.

West

1. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are another team that will benefit from being in an incredibly weak division. When you look at this division it seems that Seattle is just the best out of a pack of mediocre teams.

2. St. Louis Rams
The Rams aren’t the greatest show on turf anymore, but they still have a very solid offense and a decent defense. Look for RB Stephen Jackson to have a breakout year. Mark Bulger is a good quarterback who has a lot of legitimate players to throw the ball to. The Rams will be a threat to win this division this year.

3. San Francisco 49ers
The Niners are another team that is incredibly young and just learning how to play in the NFL as a team. They had a nice win week one, but don’t look for their winning ways to continue. They do, however have two games with each of the three mediocre to bad teams in their division, so they will win a few.

4. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals haven’t made the playoffs since about 1800, and they won’t this year, either. This team just doesn’t seem to get any better. They also have ugly uniforms.

NFC Playoffs

Bye-Week: Falcons, Eagles
Wild Card Round: Cowboys over Seahawks, Panthers over Packers
Divisional Round: Falcons over Packers, Cowboys over Eagles
Championship Round: Falcons over Cowboys

Super Bowl
Patriots 30, Falcons 24