Best Quarterback: Tom Brady: Is this even a question? Who else am I going to pick, Mark Sanchez, EJ Manuel, Ryan Tannelhill? Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in history. He has dominated this division for a decade, and has shown no signs of slowing down. Brady is a great quarterback and is going to have another great year.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Danny Amendola: Amendola may have never played a snap in the regular season with the Patriots, but he will be crucial to the team's success. Amendola is replacing Wes Welker as Brady's go to wide receiver. Amendola can become a player just as good as Welker, the key is going to be to keep healthy.
Breakout Star: Stevan Ridley: Ridley had a little bit of a breakout season last year, having the most rushing yards by a Patriot since Corey Dillon in 2004. Now, I believe he will be a top five rusher in the league. Since the Patriots have a core of young and inexperienced wide receivers, they will be relying heavily on run. Especially in the first few games and definitely throughout the year. Ridley proved he can be a very good back in the league. Now, he has the potential to be one of the best in the biz.
Most Important Defensive Player: Cameron Wake: I love Wake. He is one of the most underrated players in the game. He is a sack master and a perennial All-Pro. It would not surprise me if he is in the top three in the league in sacks. He had an excellent year last year, recording eighteen sacks, and will have to live up to that for the Dolphins to be good.
Division Winner: New England Patriots: This may be the easiest division in football. The Jets and Bills will be bad this year. The Dolphins may be decent, but not good enough to overtake New England. For the eleventh time in thirteen years, the Patriots will win the division. And they will win it by at least four games.
AFC North
Best Quarterback: Joe Flacco: After winning the Super Bowl and receiving a very big pay check, Flacco is as high as a quarterback could be. I rate him as just a better quarterback then Ben Roethlisberger because Flacco is a better quarterback. I feel Roethlisberger can be overrated due to his two Super Bowls. Flacco is a very good passer and knows how to win games. He may not be an elite quarterback or worth his paycheck, but he is the Best QB in the AFC North.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): AJ Green: Who knows how successful Andy Dalton and the Bengals would be without AJ Green? Green is one of the best deep threats in the game, second only to Calvin Johnson. He will catch about 100 balls and have 1450 receiving yards. He is destined to be an All-Pro wide out this year.
Breakout Star: Jordan Cameron: Cameron is in a very good situation in Cleveland. His quarterback, Brandon Weeden, is young and inexperienced. Young and inexperienced quarterbacks usually rely on their tight ends. Not only does Cameron have that going for him, the Browns new offensive coordinator Norv Turner uses tight ends a lot in his offense. I also think Cameron is a good TE. With all these factors working for him, he will have a great year.
Most Important Defensive Player: Geno Atkins: Atkins is underrated. He is not doubt one of the best interior defense players in the game. After recording 12.5 sacks and four forced fumbles last year, he is on pace to have an even better year. Without Atkins, the Bengals defense would be substantially worse. Atkins improves them like no other player in the league. He will be a top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Division Winner: Cincinnati Bengals: This is the year the Bengals win the division. After two years of making the playoffs as a wild card team, Cincinnati is going to win the AFC North title. They have a good offense and defense. The defending Super Bowl champs, the Ravens, don't look like they will be as good as they were last year, while the Steelers are not a great team. This is the Bengals' year.
AFC South
Best Quarterback: Andrew Luck: Luck may only be in his sophomore season, but he is the best quarterback in the AFC South. He has the potential to be one day end up in the Hall of Fame. I love his game. He has a good arm and is mobile when he needs to. He does have some issues he needs to work out. Luck needs to complete more passes and throw less picks. If he does that, he will be very successful.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Arian Foster: Foster has changed the Houston Texans. He sets up their offense. Even since he rushed for 1616 yards, Houston has made the playoffs. That is because the opposing defense became focused on stopping Foster, which opened up the passing game. Matt Schaub is a decent quarterback, and is much better when the defense focuses on the rushing game, which leaves holes in the secondary. Foster not only is a top three running back, he helps the passing game.
Breakout Star: Vick Ballard: Ballard had a very good second half last year. This year I expect him to make a big jump. I expect the Colts to run the ball more then they did last year and this means more attempts and more yards for Ballard. Ballard could be a very good running back and this year we will see him take a big step. He will be one of the top 15 running backs in the league this year.
Most Important Defensive Player: JJ Watt: I like many players on the Texans defense, especially Brian Cushing and Jonathan Joseph. I think both are excellent players, but they are better because of Watt. Watt, the 2012 Defensive Player of the Year, was outstanding. He had 20.5 sacks and 16 deflected passes. He wreaks havoc on offenses. There is not one player who improves their defense like Watt.
Division Winner: Houston Texans: The Texans are a very good team. They have no glaring weaknesses. On offense, they have Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Johnson. On defense, they have JJ Watt, Brian Cushing, and Jonathan Joseph. I have been a fan of the Texans for a long time and they look like they are bound for another playoff season.
AFC West
Best Quarterback: Peyton Manning: Manning came back from four neck surgeries last year and still was one of the best quarterback in the game. He can call and run a game like no one else. And now, with a great wide receiver core, he is destined to have a great season. Even at 37, he looks like he can still be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Jamaal Charles: Charles is an excellent running back. He can easily rush for two hundred yards. Charles is electrifying and a spark plug. The Chiefs success will be based upon how well Charles does. The better he is, the more success Kansas City will have.
Breakout Star: Wesley Woodyard: With Elvis Dumerville in Baltimore and Von Miller suspended for the first six games of the year, someone on Denver's front seven is going to have to step up. Wesley Woodyard is going to be that guy. Last year, he was the team's leading tackler with 114 tackles. I think he will need to keep up those numbers and put some pressure on the quarterback for Denver's D to be successful.
Most Important Defensive Player: Von Miller: Even though he is suspended for the first six games of the season, Miller is still an elite player. He improves the Broncos defense drastically. When he gets pressure on the quarterback, he either gets the sacks or forces a bad play. When he returns to the Broncos, you will see an immediate improvement on defense.
Division Winner: Denver Broncos: This is not a very strong division. The Raiders are awful and the Chargers are not a very good team. I do like the Chiefs this year. They had a very good team last year, but because they did not have a quarterback, they stunk. While I will need to see Alex Smith perform like he did in 2011, he will lead the Chiefs to a .500 record.
NFC East
Best Quarterback: Eli Manning: This was a tough decision to make, but Manning edges RGIII due to senoirty and he is not coming off an injury. Manning has won two Super Bowl titles and two Super Bowl MVPs. But, he still needs to improve. He had his worst competition percentage in five years. The most important stat involving Eli Manning is his playoff record in years that he did not win the Super Bowl. It is 0-3. Manning is very hit or miss, and it would not surprise me if RGIII overtakes him as the division's top signal caller by the end of the year.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Alfred Morris: Morris had an outstanding rookie season last year. This year I expect him to be even better. With RGIII coming off a torn ACL, they will want to ease him back into the game and have him run less. And by doing that by handing the ball off to Morris a lot. That means a lot of carries and a lot of yards.
Breakout Star Morris Claiborne: I think the Cowboys' starting cornerbacks, Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne, are one of the best pairing the NFL. Both are good corners and Claiborne has the potential to be one of the better corners in the league. I think that he is going to have a great sophomore season and show his great playmaking skills.
Most Important Defensive Player: Jason Pierre-Paul: Pierre-Paul is a difference maker on defense and for the Giants. He had 16.5 sacks and 93 total tackles during the 2011 season and the Giants not only made the playoffs, they won. Last year he had 6.5 sacks and 66 total tackles and New York missed the playoffs. When Pierre-Paul is successful getting to the quarterback and stopping the run, the Giants can be unstoppable. When he is not, their defense suffers and they lose games.
Division Winner: Washington Redskins: The Redskins are bound for their first back-to-back division titles since the 1982-83 season. I am a huge fan of the offense and I feel their defense is underrated. Their linebacker core featuring London Fletcher, Ryan Kerrigan, and Brian Orakpo is top notch. The Giants are too inconsistent to win the division, while the Cowboys are even more inconsistent. The Eagles are one or two years away from seriously contending. This is the Redskins year.
NFC North
Best Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers: Rodgers is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He has a great arm and an excellent knowledge of the game. My favorite part of his game is his mobility. He is not going to be the guy who runs for one hundred yards a game. Rodgers can easily get out of the pocket and make the throw on the run. I am excited to see how he performs this year.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Adrian Peterson: This is a very easy question. Peterson is the best running back in the game and is the main reason Minnesota made the playoffs last year. He is going to have another excellent year this year.
Breakout Star: Randall Cobb: Cobb had a very good season last year as he became a regular in the wide receiver core. Now, with Greg Jennings in Minnesota, he looks like he could become Aaron Rodgers new favorite target. He will gain a lot of yards from the slot, in the return game, and possibly in the running game. Last year's leader in all-purpose yards is destined to aciculate even more as Aaron Rodgers go-to-guy.
Most Important Defensive Player: Lance Briggs: This is going to be a big year for Briggs and the Bears defense. Their leader for the last thirteen seasons, Brain Urlacher, has retired. That means the spot as the Bears' leader in the locker room and on defense is up for grabs. Briggs is the man who is going to fill the role. He is vocal enough to be the man and is also an All-Pro. If Briggs can fill the leadership role (which I am positive he will), the Bears should be in a playoff race.
Division Winner: Green Bay Packers: The Packers are the best team in the division. The Bears, Lions, and Vikings are good teams, but they are not on the level that Packers are on. As long as the Packers have Aaron Rodgers as the quarterback and their defense can be alright, they will be a very good team.
NFC South
Best Quarterback: Drew Brees: Brees has been excellent the last few seasons. He has had back-to-back seasons of 5000 passing yards and 43+ touchdowns. He does need to cut down on his interceptions, but when you have as many pass attempts as him, it is understandable. Brees is bound for another excellent season.
Most Important Offensive Player: Tony Gonzalez: The Falcons have three top flight weapons for Matt Ryan. They are wide receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White and tight end Gonzalez. Gonzalez is more important then the wide outs because he is consistent and is a leader. White has been inconsistent and Jones can be shut down, while Gonzalez is pretty much unstoppable. He also opens the field when the linebackers and safteys have to focus on him. That leaves gaps open for White and Jones.
Breakout Star: Cameron Jordan: Jordan has steadily improved over the last two seasons. This year, I feel he is primed for a breakout year. The Saints defense was ranked last in yards and second-to-last in points the league in 2012. This year, they will be improved due to the return of head coach Sean Peyton and the hiring of new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan. They are going to need someone to step up big. That man will be Cameron.
Most Important Defensive Player: Darrelle Revis: Tampa Bay's defense was awful last year. They were ranked 29th in yards and 23rd in points. So, during the off-season they picked up the best cornerback and arguably the best defensive player of the game, Darrelle Revis. Revis is now going to be the new leader on the new look defense. With Revis, their defense is much improved and will soon put them in contention for a playoff spot.
Division Winner: Atlanta Falcons: I think this division is one of the hardest in the NFL. All four teams are good team and all have weaknesses. The Falcons are an excellent regular season team. Ever since they drafted Matt Ryan, they have always finished above .500, missed the playoffs only once, and has won 13 games twice. They are always successful in the regular season and this year plans to be no different.
NFC West
Best Quarterback: Colin Kaepernick: Kaepernick just edges out Russell Wilson as the division's top quarterback. Kaepernick has all the skills to be the best quarterback in the league. He has a cannon for an arm and can make any throw. He also can out run the defense when he needs to. In two or three years, it would not surprise me if Kaepernick is a top three quarterback.
Most Important Offensive Player (Non-QB): Marshawn Lynch: The Seahwaks have made the playoffs two of the last three seasons. The mainstay on the offense during these years is Lynch. He has gone from second-string in Buffalo to one of the hardest and toughest runners in the league. When he picks up yards after yards, it forces the defense to anticipate the run. Then, Russell Wilson and the passing game work much more efficiently.
Breakout Star: Stedman Bailey: The Rams drafted Tavon Austin eighth overall to give Sam Bradford a dynamic receiver in the slot. But, I loved their second third round pick, Stedman Bailey. Bailey has excellent hands. He rarely drops a ball. I think he is going to be Bradford's big play threat on deep balls. If the ball goes near him, he will to catch it.
Most Important Defensive Player: Navarro Bowman: There are so many players you can pick for this spot, including Richard Sherman, Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith, Patrick Peterson, James Laurinatis, among others. I pick Bowman because he is the back-bone of the 49ers defense. He is a tackle machine and many time goes unnoticed due to the fame of Willis. He is a great player.
Division Winner: San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers and the Seahawks are both one of the best teams in the league. This will be one of the best divisional races in a long time. I think San Fran will edge Seattle in the divisional race because I like their team just a little bit better. Even though Seattle won't win the division, no doubt they will make the playoffs.
