NFC East
I think the NFC East will be a closer division race than most people are giving credit. The most talented team in the division is the Philadelphia Eagles. I think the biggest challenger to their division throne this year will be the Dallas Cowboys. America's team has been able to fly under the radar this year thanks to the Eagle's big spending spree. The Eagles are the most talented team in the division, but that doesn't mean they don't have their flaws. They need help on the offensive line and strong play from their linebacking corp. The New York Giants should have some good wins and finish the year with a decent record, but I don't see them being challengers in the division this year. The Washington Redskins just seem to have too many holes on the team and not enough talent this year. In the end, I think the Eagles are too strong and will come away with the NFC East crown in 2011.
NFC North
In the NFC North, the Detroit Lions have vastly improved and when rookie defensive end Nick Fairley returns, the Lions will boast one of the scariest defensive lines in the NFL. If quarterback Matthew Stafford can stay healthy for the season, the Lions will make some noise in the division. That being said, I think the Lions are a year away from making the playoffs. It is unfortunate for the Lions that they happen to play in the same division as the defending Superbowl champions Green Bay Packers. The Packers will only look better this year because there is no way they can have the same amount of injuries as last year and they proved they could still win even with the injury bug. The Bears will always be in games thanks to the gunslinger quarterback Jay Cutler and their freelance offensive coordinator Mike Martz. But their offensive line was weak last year and I think that line has only got worse. Cutler may not make it through the entire season. At the end of the year, it will be the Packers making the most noise as they come out on top of the NFC North in 2011.
NFC South
The NFC South is an intriguing division. Last year, the Buccaneers won ten games yet they didn't make the playoffs. They are a young and coming team that will be competitive for years to come but unfortunately, the Bucs play in a very tough division right now. The Atlanta Falcons look like they can outscore anyone in the league. The Falcons have one of the calmest young quarterbacks in the league running this high powered offense. But the question is whether or not they will be able to stop the other team from scoring more points than them? Then there is the New Orleans Saints. The Saints restocked this year on defense, picking up two big defensive linemen in Aubrayo Franklin from the 49ers and Shaun Rogers from the Cleveland Browns. The Saints are always tough on offense as long a sharpshooter Drew Brees is running the show. Brees has the ability to make those around him look better. Then there is the lowly Carolina Panthers. The Panthers have number one pick Cam Newton running the show but his athletic ability can only get him so far in the NFL. Cam Newton and the Panthers just aren't as good as the other teams in this division. I think the Panthers are the only team in the NFC South that does not have a legitimate shot to win this division. So, when it comes down to it, I think this will be one of the best division races in football this year, with the Saints eventually being the winners of the NFC South.NFC West
It is a shame to see what has come of the NFC West. This division was infamous for sending a team to the playoffs last year with a losing record. It is a shame because I think three out of the four teams in the division have really good coaches but for some reason, the product out on the field is not all that great at times. I do not think we will see another division winner with a losing record ever again. Jim Harbaugh was a very good signing by the San Francisco 49ers and he will eventually have the 49ers going in the right direction, I am just not sure that this is the year they win the division. The defending NFC West champions Seattle Seahawks went from bad to worst since last season. Gone is longtime Seahawk quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and in is new starter Tavaris Jackson. Jackson is familiar with the offensive schemes thanks to his time together with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in Minnesota, but that may not be enough for this team. Seattle also has the worst coach in the division who sometimes looks to be over his head in the pro game. I think the Seattle Seahawks will be in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes this year. That leaves the Arizona Cardinals and the St. Louis Rams. The Cardinals went out and got that coveted quarterback that they have been missing since Kurt Warner retired. They will be competitive and their coach always has them playing hard but in the end, I think this division goes to the team with the strongest quarterback in the NFC West and that would be Sam Bradford of the Rams. Bradford is a star in this league and has the potential to be an elite quarterback. He looked good in his rookie year and will only get better with more experience. This year I expect him to lead the Rams to the NFC West Championship. AFC South
Ever since Peyton Manning has joined the Indianapolis Colts, the team has dominated the division. Every year, a team must go through the Colts to win the division title. I think this is a year in which one of the other teams goes through the Colts and win the division. The Colts could still be a great team, but that depends on the status of Peyton Manning this year. With Manning, the Colts are a good team, without him, they are barely mediocre. The Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars seem to be buying time for their rookie quarterbacks. The Titans are in a rebuilding year but this time it is without long time coach Jeff Fisher. It will take some time for the new coaches to implement their system and players. The Jaguars made a surprise move by cutting their starting quarterback five days before the season starts. Maybe if Coach Jack Del Rio's seat starts getting hot this year, he can plead the insanity case. Therefore, I believe the new AFC South champions will be the Houston Texans. Coach Gary Kubiak's seat is already hot and I think one way he can save his job is by taking this team to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The Texans made a good hire by picking up Wade Phillips as their defensive coordinator. He will turn around this porous defensive in due time. I expect there to be some struggles at the beginning of the season, but there is too much talent on the defensive side of the ball to be that bad and there has never been anything wrong with their offense. By the end of the season, I think we will see something we have never seen before, the Houston Texans as AFC South champions and in the playoffs.AFC North
One of the hardest hitting rivalries comes from the AFC North, the hard hitting Pittsburgh Steelers against the tenacious Baltimore Ravens. Both teams are well coached teams. The Ravens got some help with an already good running game with the signing of Vonte Leach. Leach is one of the best fullbacks in the game and should only help Ray Rice have a stellar season. I would look for Rice to get a lot more touches this year since he doesn't have to share time with Willis McGahee. Rice should be one of the best running backs in the NFL this year. The only thing that might be able to stop him this year is that reliable Steelers defense. But in order for the Steelers to win the division this year they will need an MVP type season from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. The Cleveland Browns look to be a team going in the right direction and could have a star in the making with quarterback Colt McCoy. While the Cincinnati Bengals look to be a team heading in the wrong direction. The Owner doesn’t want to let the players run the team but in standing pat, Mike Brown has become an owner of a team that looks lost and confused. As of right now, the Bengals are still years away from being a competitor for the division. The Browns are getting better but aren’t quite there yet either. When all is said and done, the AFC North will come down to two teams, the Steelers and the Ravens. I think Roethlisberger will have an MVP type season and lead the Steelers to the top of the division once again. AFC West
The AFC West had a surprise division winner last year when the Kansas City Chiefs came out victorious. The cream of the crop in this division the past few years has been the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers were statistically the number one team on both offense and defense. They hurt themselves with bad special teams play. The Oakland Raiders were the only team to ever go undefeated in their own division and not make the playoffs. Then there is the upside down Denver Broncos. The Broncos have pushed back years of development thanks to decisions made by former coach Josh McDaniels. But sometimes the best trades made are the one that aren't made at all. The Broncos have a chance to be somewhat competitive thanks to a trade that didn't go through with the Miami Dolphins leaving the Broncos with starting quarterback Kyle Orton. Orton gives the Broncos the best chance to win but I am afraid he will not be enough for this struggling team this year. The Raiders still have Al Davis running the show. One thing with Davis is the Raiders will be a fast team, but that doesn't always translate to wins. The division race will come down to the Chiefs and the Chargers once again. I think this division will be determined by two factors. The non-division schedule and the quarterback play. The Chiefs have a first place schedule this year which means a tougher schedule than last year. I do not think the Chiefs will do as well do to their tough schedule. As far as quarterback play, the Chargers have the toughest and most talented quarterback in the division in Phillip Rivers. So for the AFC West, I can't see the Chargers special teams play being as bad as they were last season and I think River's will to win will push the Chargers across the line to the AFC West division championship.AFC East
The AFC East will be a top heavy division this year. The Buffalo Bills will be a team that is fun to watch this year. I think they will put a lot of points on the board but it won't lead to many victories for the Bills. The Miami Dolphins seem to be just treading water. They don't have the quarterback of the future on this team that can lead the way. This division will come down to the New York Jets and the New England Patriots. These two teams couldn't be more different. The Jets are a loud team that likes to talk and be heard while the Patriots go about doing their business and couldn't care less who was talking about them. The Last couple of years, it has been the Patriots winning in the regular season while the Jets have advanced in the playoffs. The Patriots have the golden boy playing quarterback while the Jets have a weak link playing quarterback for them. These two teams are polar opposites but at the end of the day, I think the Patriot way wins out again with the New England Patriots AFC East champions. 
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