4. Cleveland Browns: The Browns have moved on once again at the quarterback position with Jake Delhomme. The Browns gave Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson a chance over the last two years and neither one of them made it back to the team this season. Quinn was traded to the Broncos for fullback Peyton Hillis and a sixth round draft pick, and Anderson was released and picked up by the Cardinals. The Browns are hoping to get things right for once with Delhomme leading the way. Delhomme, the long time Panthers quarterback, hit rock bottom last season. After having a miserable start to the 2009 season, Delhomme went on the injured reserved list with a broken finger for the rest of the season. While he was out backup Matt Moore showed that he was cut out to start for the Panthers going 4-1 in his starts beating the Giants, Vikings, and Saints.
Other than adding Delhomme, the Browns didn’t really do much else in improving their team. Their wide receivers aren’t that good with the youngster Mohamed Massaquoi leading the bunch and behind him Josh Cribbs, who is more known for his record breaking kick returns.
The Browns are also lacking in talent on defense, with only a few bright spots in their cornerbacks Sheldon Brown and Eric Wright. On the defensive line the only guy that is reliable is the veteran Shaun Rogers and at the middle linebacker position D’Qwell Jackson. Other than that the Browns look like they will be a last place team once again. I’m starting to think that it was a mistake letting them come back into the league. I predict that they will only have four wins this season finishing at 4-12.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers cleaned house last season, proving to the league that they won’t stand up for misconduct off the field, no matter how good the player is. Santonio Holmes was the Steelers up and coming wide receiver until he ran into trouble with the law last season that prompted the Steelers to trade him to the Jets. Ben Rothlisberger was also involved in suspicion to sexual assault during the off-season. Rothlisberger had trouble in the past being suspected of sexual assault in 2009 also. The Steelers had enough, rumors were flying around that the Steelers were trying to trade Rothlisberger, but it never happened. Rothlisberger will be suspended for up to six games starting this season, which will greatly hurt the Steelers chances at making it to the playoffs. Byron Leftwich was picked up by the Steelers to fill in for Rothlisberger while he’s suspended.
I expect the Steelers to run the ball a lot with Rashard Mendenhall starting for the first time this year. Mendenhall will help the Steelers compete in the first half of the season, but the Steelers also have to pass the ball and the only weapon they are left with is the aging Hines Ward. Second year starter Mike Wallace might break out with his speed and prove to be an up and coming big name receiver. Then there is tight end Heath Miller, Miller is one of the best tight ends in the league, but since Holmes left the team Miller may not be as open as he as in the past.
The Steelers strong point has always been their defense and the same remains true this season. Led by strong safety, Troy Polamalu, James Farrior at middle line backer, Lamarr Woodley and James Harrison on the outside, and Ike Taylor leading the cornerbacks. The Steelers will again have one of the best defenses in the league, probably second behind the Jets. Their defense may help the Steelers make their games close while Rothlisberger is out. I think the Steelers will finish their season at 8-8.

2. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals bounced back last season and made it to the wild card round of the playoffs only to lose to the Jets. The Bengals added Terrell Owens to their roster this season to help them improve and go further into the playoffs. Carson Palmer has a great arm and he will be able to show it off this season with two receivers that can certainly stretch the field. Chad Ochocinco and Owens may be the best one-two punch at the wide receiver position this season. This is the Bengals year to make a run for the Super Bowl. The reason, Ochocinco and Owens aren’t getting any younger. As the years go by these guys are going to start to decline. Owens is 36-years-old, but he has the body of a 30-year-old, but who knows how long his legs will last? Ochocinco is 32 and should have his speed for the next two years at least. Cedric Benson will give the receiving corp. a break. Benson had a breakout season last year, rushing for over 1,200 yards and averaging 4.1 yards per carry. If Benson has the same sort of year as last season the Bengals offense will be scary.
The Bengals offense will have to be scary good because their defense is just middle of the line. The two biggest standouts on the defense is cornerbacks Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall. Hall and Joseph each had six interceptions last season. Other than the corners, the rest of the defense is just so-so. Saying all of this, I think the Bengals are more talented than last season, but I think they will be one game worse because of their tough schedule. The Bengals should finish at 9-7.

1. Baltimore Ravens: After going 9-7 last season and making it to the divisional round of the playoffs, the Ravens should improve this season and win their division. The biggest reason why the Ravens will win the division this season is because of one man and his name is Anquan Boldin. The Ravens finally have a big name wide receiver, which they have been lacking for the last few seasons. Joe Flacco is now in his third year in the NFL, after improving last season over his rookie season, Flacco now has the weapons to be a premier quarterback in the NFL. Along with Boldin is the never aging Derek Mason, after almost retiring last season, mason is sticking around again sensing that this year the Ravens have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl. At the running back position is Ray Rice who proved last season that he is not a force to be reckoned with. Rice rushed for 1,339 yards and averaged 5.2 yard per carry last season while sharing the carries with Willis McGahee. This season Rice should get the ball more often to make things harder on opponents. If opponents guess wrong on a play and go to a pass coverage instead of going after Rice, he will burn them and vice-versa. For once the Ravens have a volatile offense to go along with their volatile defense.
When you think of the Ravens the first name that comes to mind is Ray Lewis. Lewis is now 35-years-old, but he’s showing no signs of slowing down. Lewis is still one of the most feared players in the league. The other mainstay on the Ravens defense is free safety Ed Reed, who is still the best at his position in the league. Then there is outside linebacker Terell Suggs who has also been on the Ravens his whole career. These three players are the face of the franchise’s defense. Other than the core three on defense, the rest of them look a little shaky. This may be the first season since the Ravens have been in Baltimore that their offense may be better than their defense and because of that I think the Ravens will flourish finishing 11-5 atop their division this season. (nfl.com)

By Eric Heyer of Sports Fan Blog Network

“He has a commitment to being what we desire for him to be and what his team needs him to be and that’s my focus,” Tomlin said. “I’ve seen Ben quite a bit and communicated with him quite a bit throughout all of this.”

Roethlisberger was suspended after a 20-year-old Georgia college student accused him of sexual assault in March. No charges were filed.

Roethlisberger is also being sued by a woman who claims he sexually assaulted her at a Lake Tahoe hotel in 2008 but faces no charges.

Click here to read the full article – By of ESPN.com

While Ben Roethlisberger may be a free man, it seems that he has alot of work to do to repair his image and win back the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many seem to be done with the off field issues that have plauged Roethlisberger, and some believe that the Steelers should trade or release the quaterback who has led the team to two Super Bowl wins. While it is expected that the Steelers keep Roethlisberger, they did trade troubled wide reciever and former Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes, dumping Roethlisberger would not be a complete shock.

by Josh Weiner at the Sports Fan Blog Network

AFC
Jets @ Chargers 1/17 4:40pm
Ravens @ Colts 1/16 8:15pm

NFC
Cowboys @ Vikings 1/17 1pm
Cardinals @ Saints 1/16 4:30pm

My Predictions:
AFC
Jets 21 Chargers 17
Colts 28 Ravens 20

NFC
Cowboys 28 Vikings 17
Saints 27 Cardinals 10

Jeff Reed’s 38-yard field goal put Pittsburgh ahead with 5:25 remaining and the Steelers finally preserved a fourth-quarter lead, beating rival Baltimore 23-20 on Sunday to further jumble the complicated AFC postseason race.

The Steelers (8-7), their season seemingly ended by a late-season five-game losing streak, followed their last-second 37-36 victory over Green Bay with another tight victory helped by Reed’s three field goals and Rashard Mendenhall’s touchdown run. Now, their final regular season game at Miami will have some meaning, although the Steelers could win and still be eliminated.

According to the NFL, the Ravens (8-7) will clinch an AFC wild-card playoff spot if they win Sunday at Oakland. The Steelers must win and hope for some losses as the Jets, Ravens, Broncos, Texans and Pittsburgh all go into the final weekend with the same record.

“It’s been do or die for us for a while, fighting to the last minute. We’re like the cardiac kids,” said Ben Roethlisberger, who threw a touchdown pass while becoming the first Steelers quarterback to pass for 4,000 yards in a season.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com