In 2008, the up and coming Arizona Cardinals will finally get over the hump and make the playoffs.  With that will also come a power transfer from the Seattle Seahawks to the Cardinals in the division for years to come.  

Note:  Teams listed in predicted order of finish

Arizona Cardinals

After finally finishing at .500 for the first time since 1998, there is finally hope in the desert.  Coach Ken Wisenhunt has the Cardinals playing with confidence and swagger.  

Perhaps the biggest move for the Cardinals this season came when Kurt Warner was named the starting QB.  Warner unlike backup Matt Leinart gives the team toughness and experience.  Yes, Warner is older and prone to fumbling, but he gives the team the intangibles that it lacks with Leinart at the helm.  

Having weapons like WR’s Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald along with RB Edgerrin James, this Cardinal offense is capable of putting up 20 to 30 points every week.  

And with a swarming defense that is very underrated, the Cardinals will surely surprise some teams in 2008. …

Since the NFC South was first put together five years ago, there has never been one team repeat in back to back years as divisional champ.  

And in 2008, it is just as wide open.  

Note:  Teams listed in predicted order of finish

New Orleans Saints

Having acquired and drafted LB Jonathan Vilma, DT Sedrick Ellis, and TE Jeremy Shockey, the Saints have clearly put themselves as the front runners in the NFC South.  

And barring injuries to any of their play makers like QB Drew Brees, RB Reggie Bush, and WR Marques Colston, the Saints should find themselves back in the playoffs in 2008.   

While all this offense will enable them to beat anyone on any given day, the health and effectiveness of RB Deuce McAllister will determine just how far they can go in the playoffs. 

Predicted Record:  11-5

Playoffs:  Yes

Carolina Panthers

With QB Jake Delhomme healthy again and the additions of WR’s D.J. Hackett and Muhsin Muhammad along with rookie draft pick Jonathan Stewart, the Panthers have …

With the departure of Brett Favre to the Jets, the NFC North is as wide open as it has been in years. Any team outside of the Lions has a chance to win the division in what should be a wild 2008 season.
Note: Teams listed in predicted order of finish
Minnesota Vikings
Now with the trade acquisition of DE Jared Allen, the Vikings feature the best defensive line in football. Allen along with DT’s Pat Williams and Kevin Williams will give the Vikings an outstanding blend of both the ability to put pressure on the QB and to stop the run.
The only question will be can the Vikings score? With no real true threat at WR and the inexperienced Tarvaris Jackson at QB, the Vikings will suffer many frustrating possessions this year.
The good news is they have a man child in the backfield in Adrian Peterson who has the ability to carry an offense and win games by himself. While this scenario seems all …

San Diego Chargers
Having finished one step away from the Superbowl a year ago despite several key players being hurt, anything less than a trip to the Superbowl will be considered a disappointment.
Yes, both the Patriots and Colts stand in their way. But the Chargers have already proven that they can beat the Colts on the road and should have beaten the Patriots as well.
This year, the Chargers have the opportunity to gain an advantage over both the Patriots and Chargers as they play both at home. This should enable the Chargers to gain any tie breakers and consequently earn the #1 seed throughout the playoffs.
The Chargers only main area of concern this year is the health of all pro LB Shawne Merriman. Merriman who is vowed to play and put off surgery is really rolling the dice on his career and possibly the Chargers season.
Predicted Record: 13-3
Playoffs: Yes

Denver Broncos
If you cannot …

In today’s sports world which includes salary caps and free agency, it is rare to see a team especially in the NFL, dominate like the Colts have.  Having win totals of 12, 12, 14, 12 and 13 which includes a Super Bowl title in the past five years is as good and consistent as it gets.  And in 2008, you should not expect anything less.

Note:  Teams listed in predicted order of finish

Indianapolis Colts

The only concerns that the Colts have entering the 2008 season are the health of two future Hall Of Famers in QB Peyton Manning and WR Marvin Harrison.  With Manning having played 10 years already and have started every game of his career, I am not as worried as the media is making Manning’s knee injury. Manning will be just fine and might take some time to get his rythm, but I would not be worried at all.  Harrison on the other hand, I do believe is a concern.  While Harrison has not showed any signs of any problems in the pre-season, …

With Pittsburgh most likely being the sexy pick for the majority of NFL expects, expect the AFC North to be one of the most open divisions in 2008.

Note:  Teams are listed in predicted order of finish

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals are a team who when you expect them to be good (2007), they are not and when you expect them to bad (2008), they could prove you wrong.

I am going to take the latter, as the Bengals simply have too much offensive firepower with QB Carson Palmer and WR’s Chad Johnson and T.J.  Houshmandzadeh.  The recent roster cut of RB Rudi Johnson who has been one of the most consistent RB’s in the NFL in recent years will surely hurt the running game.  However, something tells me that the combination of RB Chris Perry, Kenny Watson and DeDe Dorsey will be more than feasible.  Additionally, the offense will also receive a boost from free agent signing of TE Ben Utecht who will help to open up the middle of the field for Palmer.

The only question …

Last season, the NFC was without question the most competitive top to bottom in all of football.  Every team in the division finished at an astonishing .500 or better with three of the four teams making the playoffs.  

While these will be rare feats to duplicate, you can still expect the NFC East to once again be the best division in the NFL.  

Note:  Teams listed in predicted order of finish

Dallas Cowboys

In my eyes, the Cowboys are the team to beat in the NFC and are the most complete team in the NFL.  The question continues to remain though even with all this talent, can the Cowboys put it all together?

From last year, the Cowboys have clearly become better with the draft additions of RB Felix Jones and CB Mike Jenkins and the acquisition of Adam “Pacman” Jones.  Drafting Jones who is a great combination of speed and size, allows the Cowboys to make Marion Barber the #1 back.  This duo offers a tremendous combination …

AFC East Preview

What used to be the New England Patriots and the rest of the pack has quickly become a quietly competitive division.

Note: Teams listed in predicted order of finish

New England Patriots

The Patriots suffered some key losses in the off-season in CB Asante Samuel and WR Donte Stallworth that will hurt their great depth.  However, the Patriots will continue to find ways to win.

And with the help of a weak schedule where the Patriots play the AFc and NFC West teams, the Patriots could possibly go undefeated again in the regular season.

In the end though, expect the Patriots to clinch the #1 seed in the AFC forcing everyone once again to go through Foxboro if they expect to reach the Superbowl.

Predicted Record: 13-3

Playoffs: Yes

New York Jets

No team had a better off-season than the Jets where they traded and or signed a group of impact players.

Highlighting that group of players is QB Brett Favre who fills the Jets …

With the 2008 redeem team recently recapturing the gold in Beijing, many have begun to wonder who would win if the two stoic teams met. 
To me the answer is simple, the 1992 team would win.  Not only would they win, but they would win  possibly by double digits.  The 1992 team is probably 8 to 12 points better than the 2008 team for a variety of reasons.  First, the 1992 team was bigger on the front line with Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, David Robinson and Patrick Ewing.  The 2008 team features a great deal of athleticism and versatility on the perimeter, but outside of Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh, the 1992 team would simply dominate down low.  Secondly, the 1992 team was a little more experienced in age (29 to 26) and NBA experience (8 to 6).   Lastly, the 1992 team was …

With the college football season on the horizon and less than one week away, many teams have realistic dreams of reaching the national title or a BCS game in 2009. However, after examining a variety of aspects like returning players, certain opponents that teams should beat and also strength of schedule, I was able to come up with the 10 teams who should be in the BCS picture come January.
Note: These matchups take into consideration the automatic berths for reach conference, the BCS standings, and the BCS rules:
BCS National Championship – Oklahoma vs. USC
Preview: Two storied programs will meet with both teams being undefeated coming into the game. Due to more big game experience and more play makers on both sides of the ball, I give the edge to USC to once again be crowned national champions.
Prediction: USC
Rose Bowl – Ohio State vs. Georgia
Preview: With Florida winning the SEC, how can the Rose Bowl selection committee not …

In what appears to have been a quiet story but definitely an interesting one, Andy Pettitte has asked that Jose Molina become his personal catcher.

According to the New York Journal News, Pettitte asked to no longer throw to catcher Ivan Rodriquez after his miserable outing on July 31st against the Anaheim Angels.

On that night, Pettitte just never looked comfortable in going 5 1/3 innings, giving up 11 hits, and 9 earned runs.  Furthermore, Pettitte threw an uncharacteristic 48 balls and only 62 strikes in his 110 pitch outing.

This is not to take anything away from what might be the best team in baseball in the Angels, but chemistry can not be discounted in baseball.  If a pitcher does not feel comfortable throwing to a particular catcher, has to continuously shake him off, this will result in no confidence with disaster on the horizon.

Pettitte, is a pitcher who is always focused and locked in on the mound but frequently fell behind Angel batters on that …

In order to win the Heisman just like the MVP in other major sports, there has to be a combination of intangibles which need to occur. The athlete must put up great statistics, be on a good team, play on a team with good media exposure, and most importantly in my eyes be the biggest difference maker out of all the candidates. The Heisman committee must take into consideration all of these intangibles mentioned but most importantly be able to envision the candidate’s team without them.

So without further adu, here is my list of Heisman candidates for 2008, my predicted winner top three, and a list of other candidates who will likely receive some consideration.

Tim Tebow - Tebow totally altered the way many college coaches are beginning to recruit for now on with his ability to beat you with both his legs and arm. Tebow threw for nearly 3,300 yards and ran for nearly 900 more in 2007 while totaling an eye popping 55 touchdowns overall. …