AFC
AFC East


Bill Polian: New England Patriots
Brandon Lloyd will make an elite passing attack even more deadly. A manageable schedule makes them the easy favorites in the East. Only injuries could make this pick miss.


Herm Edwards: Patriots
The Bills are improved from last season, but the Patriots are the class of this division. With an upgraded defense and a high-powered offense, they should take the AFC East again.


Mel Kiper: Patriots
The Patriots were a team that aggressively targeted weaknesses in the draft, particularly the pass rush. The offense can be as good as ever.

AFC North


Polian: Baltimore Ravens
A rough schedule won't leave a lot of margin for error, but I see the Ravens snagging the crown ahead of the Bengals. Joe Flacco will make a name for himself this season, and they won't miss Terrell Suggs nearly as much as you would think.



Edwards: Cincinnati Bengals
The Ravens have age issues and the injury to Suggs. Pittsburgh has to adjust to a new offensive coordinator and a defense that is a bit long in the tooth. Cincinnati is an up-and-coming team. If the Bengals can win divisional games against Pittsburgh and Baltimore -- and I think they can -- they'll win the division.


Kiper: Ravens
I'm tempted to take the Bengals, but if Flacco progresses, the offense can be very good. The secondary could make this a tough team to come back on.

AFC South


Polian: Houston Texans
A healthy Matt Schaub could be a big difference in the postseason. The Texans should easily claim the South crown as the Jags, Titans and Colts rebuild.


Edwards: Texans
Houston is clearly the best team in this division. As long as Schaub and Andre Johnson stay healthy, it'll take the South going away.


Kiper: Texans
I wouldn't be surprised to see Tennessee, and even Indy, make some noise, but Houston is by far the most complete team in the division.

AFC West


Polian: Denver Broncos
Maybe this is a sentimental pick, but if the Broncos can survive a tough early schedule, including the Steelers, Falcons, Texans, Pats, Chargers and Saints in their first seven games, Peyton Manning will have them thriving late in the season.


Edwards: Kansas City Chiefs
Denver might have Manning, but the Chiefs have the best defense in this division. The way they can run the ball will be the difference.


Kiper: Broncos
San Diego should be better, but people need to remember what a healthy Manning has meant for more than a decade -- almost an assured double-digit win total.

Wild Card 1


Polian: San Diego Chargers
If the Chargers defense can take a step forward and keep the pressure on the opposing quarterback, Philip Rivers and a dynamic offense will be enough to carry the team to a wild-card berth.


Edwards: Broncos
This team made the playoffs with Tim Tebow at the helm last season. Manning is a vast improvement at the game's most important position.


Kiper: Buffalo Bills
I picked them as the most improved team. If Ryan Fitzpatrick is healthy, they can score. If the D-line is healthy, opposing quarterbacks will have problems.

Wild Card 2


Polian: Bengals
In a tough division, I like Cincy to emerge. Andy Dalton and A.J. Green will combine to form one of the league's better passing tandems.


Edwards: Ravens
The Ravens still have a great defense, and the offense should be much more explosive this season. Flacco is ready to carry a team.


Kiper: Pittsburgh Steelers
I'm split between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, but even as the team goes with some new blood on defense, Dick LeBeau will make it work. And the passing game can be very good.

NFC
NFC East


Polian: Philadelphia Eagles
Philly surged late in the season as the newly acquired pieces started to fit together. With DeMeco Ryans in the middle linebacker role at the center of the Eagles Wide-9 scheme and a full preseason to jell, the Eagles can live up to their potential this season. Michael Vick, as always, will be the question mark.


Edwards: Eagles
Philadelphia was 5-1 in the division last season. Vick needs to stay healthy, but this defense will be improved. The players should play with a ton of emotion for Andy Reid this season.


Kiper: New York Giants
I know they are supposed to regress this season, but this wasn't a great team in the regular season in 2011. Even a slight improvement wins the division.

NFC North


Polian: Green Bay Packers
Green Bay spent its entire draft addressing the defense and added some significant help to Clay Matthews & Co. I don't foresee any falloff in offensive performance, and I don't foresee anyone challenging the Pack for the North title.


Edwards: Packers
This is Green Bay's division to lose. It has too much offense, and the defense can't be as bad this season.


Kiper: Packers
They still have flaws and were far too reliant on the turnover last season, but the Packers have such a margin for error because of Aaron Rodgers.

NFC South


Polian: Atlanta Falcons
This season will be Matt Ryan's coming out party. New coordinators could bring growing pains early, but they'll unseat the Saints as division champs before the season's through.


Edwards: Falcons
Mike Nolan will get enough pressure on quarterbacks to disrupt the great passers in this division. Ryan is a great quarterback, and this offense will be more explosive this season.


Kiper: Falcons
Ryan was really good last season, but he was overlooked because of all the huge quarterback totals everywhere. The passing game should get better. Julio Jones is ready to dominate.

NFC West


Polian: San Francisco 49ers
I don't buy into the notion that the Niners were a product of luck in 2011. They were the product of a stout defense and a steady run game that controlled the clock. Alex Smith may not be an elite quarterback, but he has the makeup to be a winner. Jim Harbaugh believes in him, and the 49ers will outduel the Seahawks for the West crown.


Edwards: 49ers
The 49ers have a Super Bowl-caliber defense. They will control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. Smith has more help on the outside (Mario Manningham, Randy Moss, A.J. Jenkins) this season. If he can take care of the ball, the 49ers should win this division.


Kiper: Seattle Seahawks
Here's your surprise pick. The 49ers are very good, but should regress a little bit -- turnover margin isn't reliable year to year last season -- and the Seattle defense can be really good if it can find a consistent pass rush. Russell Wilson has a chance to be really good because of his maturity -- he could be this year's Andy Dalton.

Wild Card 1


Polian: New Orleans Saints
The offseason turmoil could be enough to cost them the division, but I don't see the Saints -- which thrive when the chips are down -- losing out on the postseason. Drew Brees might be able to reach the playoffs through sheer will, but with this high-powered offense, that won't be necessary.


Edwards: Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler and Brandon Marshall are a formidable duo. And now the Bears have depth at quarterback and running back. They do need Brian Urlacher to stay healthy, though.


Kiper: Bears
They are old on defense and the O-line has to get better, fast, but the Bears were a lock for the playoffs before Cutler got hurt last season. Consider this a bet on his health.

Wild Card 2


Polian: Giants
Championship hangover be darned, one of the NFL's top pass rushes and improved health in the secondary could make Big Blue even more formidable on defense. Eli Manning ought to continue his rise to elite status with a great stable of wide receiver talent.


Edwards: Dallas Cowboys
This defense is vastly improved with Morris Claiborne and Brandon Carr on the outside. If Tony Romo and the rest of the offensive cast can stay healthy (and out of trouble), watch out.


Kiper: Eagles
They may have had the best draft, and the defense could be a lot better both in terms of personnel and organization. A dangerous team if it all comes together.

Dark Horses

Polian: Seahawks
Yes, they have a rookie quarterback in Wilson, but they also have a defense capable of keeping the score close and a rushing attack that will keep the chains moving forward. While I think Wilson will be capable of great things down the line, any playmaking Seattle gets out of him this season will be a bonus. His biggest contribution will be keeping the ball safe from the defense. To that end, I see Wilson as a smart player and a sound decision-maker. A 33:4 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his final season in Madison bears this out. But that's not the NFL, which is why I can only go as far as naming Seattle a sleeper.


Edwards: Seahawks and Chargers
Don't discount the Seahawks just because Wilson is starting. He has shown his tools in the preseason. This defense is great, and it's tough to win in Seattle. As for the Chargers, if Ryan Mathews can stay healthy, San Diego has a shot. Rivers should have a better season, but San Diego needs to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks.


Kiper: Bengals and Cowboys
It wouldn't surprise me at all if the Bengals won 11 games. I could also see them winning five. They're the team I can't peg either way, which has been their history. The Cowboys aren't much of a dark horse in that it wouldn't be a surprise to see them in the playoffs, but Dallas is an 11-win team if it can stay healthy in key spots.

Appreciate it CnB