The time is finally here. It's the opening weekend of the 2009 NFL season. My first batch of power rankings were unveiled earlier this week and now come my picks for Week One.

And now without any further rambling on, here are my picks for Week One (aka The Most Anticipated Weekend EVER!).

Tennessee Titans @ Pittsburgh Steelers

No joke, I don't think there is a single football fan outside the Cleveland area that dislikes Pittsburgh more than me. So as you can tell, this football season has gotten off to a terrible start since I had to rank the Steelers number one in my power rankings and now I have to pick them in the opener. You might be thinking that I could very well just pick Tennessee, but the numbers are so in Pittsburgh's favor that even I can't pick against them.

Since 2004 the defending Super Bowl champs have opened the season on a Thursday night and since 2004 the defending champs have won every single time. That's a pretty a strong stat in favor of Pittsburgh. But I also found out recently via Adam Schefter's Twitter page that dating back to the 2003 season, Pittsburgh has won six straight openers. When you consider these two factors, there is no way I can pick Tennessee.

Miami Dolphins @ Atlanta Falcons

Conventional wisdom would state that if the Falcons succeeded with a rookie QB and now have added a Hall Of Fame TE, they should be better. Conventional wisdom also states that gimmick offenses usually don't succeed after all the NFL teams have had a full offseason to study and prepare for them.

This is why I'm picking Atlanta in this game. I don't think Miami will be nearly as effective as they were last year and I think Atlanta is going to be much better. I'm fairly certain about this one too. In fact, if it weren't for New England playing Buffalo or the Lions playing at all, I'd make this my weekly pick in my eliminator pool.

Denver Broncos @ Cincinnati Bengals

I don't have much faith in the Broncos this season. Hey, it's all great that they hired the former Patriots offensive coordinator and it's even better that he wears those sloppy gray hoodies just like Bill Bellicheck, but that doesn't mean he is as good of a coach. And it doesn't change the fact that Kyle Orton is the starting quarterback for Denver.

The Bengals aren't much better and in fact are considerably worse if Carson Palmer isn't completely healthy and ready to lead the team. This has the makings of one of those painful games that are extremely difficult to watch and conveniently the one my local CBS will air on Sunday. Great.

Minnesota Vikings @ Cleveland Browns

Here, I'll just get it out of the way to save FOX some time this weekend.

Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre. Favre.

There, I hope FOX isn't too upset that I stole their thunder. Despite having Captain Interception as their starting QB, the Vikings should win this game by at least 20 points. I mean, we're talking about the Browns here. I can only imagine that when the schedule came out fantasy owners of Adrian Peterson immediately circled it on their calendar while drooling uncontrollably. But hey, maybe this is the year that Brady Quinn finally resembles an NFL QB. You know, assuming Eric Mangini announces a starter by kickoff.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts

The Colts and Jaguars have historically played some pretty close games and this one shouldn't be any different. The Jaguars will be much improved over last season's debacle, but not enough to defeat Indianapolis on opening day. Unlike last year, Peyton Manning comes into this season 100% healthy and ready to perform on a high level. The only way I see Jacksonville winning this game is if they force a couple of early turnovers and MJD runs wild on the Colts defense. Neither of which are farfetched.

Detroit Lions @ New Orleans Saints

This game has the makings of one of those games that destroy about 838,847,939 different survivor/eliminator leagues if Detroit pulls off the win. Nobody is picking Detroit, right? I really don't care how much they have improved over last season. The only way I see Detroit winning this game is if Drew Brees misses his flight and watches the game from home. Or he blows out his ACL and MCL on the first drive and also destroys every single fantasy league on the planet. Essentially this game has catastrophic possibilities if the Lions win. When you look at it like that, even Lions fans should be rooting for the Saints this week.

Dallas Cowboys @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Cowboys should really have no problem with Tampa Bay. Byron Leftwich isn't a very good quarterback and he doesn't have the greatest team surrounding him. Combined with a rookie head coach, the Bucs are one of three teams to have already fired their offensive coordinator. I don't think any of those three teams will finish the season on a high note.

The Bucs defense has typically been good, but they now enter their first season in a long time without Monte Kiffin running the show. They have also changed up the roster quite a bit since relieving Jon Gruden of his coaching duties. Really, if Dallas loses this game it will signal some very bad things for the Cowboys.

Philadelphia Eagles @ Carolina Panthers

Much like Dallas but not quite to that extent, the Eagles should be able to take on Carolina. I have them ranked fairly high in my rankings but that is only until I see whether or not Jake Delhomme can come back after imploding in the playoffs last season. I mostly like Philadelphia because they were my early NFC pick for the Super Bowl and I can't see my Super Bowl pick losing to the Panthers on opening day.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens

Another popular eliminator pick, the Ravens should have zero issues disposing of the Chiefs on opening day. They are at home, they are clearly the better team, and the Chiefs are in the same boat as Tampa Bay since they have a new coach and have fired their offensive coordinator.

The Ravens passing game has looked very impressive so far in the preseason so there is a solid chance that the Ravens improve from last season. In 2008, Joe Flacco was told to manage the game and basically lean on his defense and running game for support. So far this year, it looks a lot like he will be asked to throw a bit more and put up a ton more points. I'm anxious to see if he can take the next step this season.

NY Jets @ Houston Texans

I really hope Andre Johnson lights it up this week and every week in the 2009 NFL season. Why? Because I have him in at least three different fantasy leagues this year. It's going to be tough against the Jets since their one strong point is defense, however they should still win the game with relative ease.

I haven't hated what I've seen from Mark Sanchez so far, but I think the Jets offense as a whole will take some time to come around and it won't happen right away. Then again, the Jets could be poised for the upset. If they put the ball in Leon Washington's hands enough times, you never know what can happen.

Washington Redskins @ NY Giants

The Giants and Redskins renew their rivalry on opening day and it should be a good matchup. I expect this game to be relatively close, but the Giants should win by at least 10 points in the end. Simply put: they are the better team. Jason Campbell will be pressured all day by the Giants defense and the Redskins defense won't do nearly enough to contain Eli and company. Despite now having any major receiving threats, I think the Giants offense will be fine.

San Francisco 49ers @ Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals start their NFC Title defense at home against division rival San Francisco. The Cardinals have all the makings of the Super Bowl loser who can't regain their swagger and struggle mightily during the following season. For the same reason listed above in the Houston/Jets matchup, I really hope Larry Fitzgerald tears it up this season. The Cardinals really should win this game, but I wouldn't be completely shocked if the Niners came out of Glendale with an early upset.

St Louis Rams @ Seattle Seahawks

Seattle begins this season against the one team that was more pathetic in the NFC West than them last season. With a new coaching staff in place in Seattle, they can officially begin to forget about the nightmare that was the 2008 season. The Rams are on the right path through rebuilding but this contest really shouldn't be close at all.

Chicago Bears @ Green Bay Packers

I must be the only person not on the Bears bandwagon. I realize that they now have a competent quarterback and could win the NFC, but that particular quarterback has yet to win anything in the NFL and now has Devin Hester as his number one receiver. It looks like Matt Forte and Greg Olsen are going to be some busy guys this year.

Meanwhile in Green Bay, it's been a year since Favre-gate and the Packers look like one of the better teams in the NFC. They are definitely my pick to win the NFC North and I would personally be shocked if they don't, despite the two new guys in Minnesota and Chicago.

Buffalo Bills @ New England Patriots

The Bills are screwed. I've spent several months since the schedule came out trying to talk myself into a Week One upset in Foxboro on National TV and after this preseason, there is no way I can do it. The Bills have looked dreadful so far in the exhibition season and I don't see any reason why they will be better. Instead of firing Dick Jauron and trying to correct the issues with the team, they signed Terrell Owens and expected that to solve their problems. Although, it did help ticket sales maintain their high level so I guess it was a "success" in terms of what the Bills are trying to accomplish.

Another reason New England will cruise to victory in Week One? The Patriots are 16-2 against the Bills since the 2000 season. This redefines the word "domination". Honestly as a Bills fan, I don't even get mad when the Patriots run the Bills over. It's just something I expect and I hope it happens as quickly and painless as possible. I'm thinking that these types of games should be referred to as "Prostate Exam" games from this point going forward. In fact, excuse me while I email that idea to Bill Simmons.

San Diego Chargers @ Oakland Raiders

The Raiders haven't defeated the Chargers since September 28, 2003.

That wasn't a joke. It's a fact. The Chargers were up 31-17 in that game before Rich Gannon hit Alvis Whitted for a 36 yard touchdown pass to make it 31-24. A few minutes later Charlie Garner scampered on a 24 yard touchdown run to send it to overtime before Sebastian Janikowski made a game winning 46 yard field goal. Players who starred in that game: Drew Brees, Jerry Rice, Tim Brown, Steve Christie, Rod Woodson, and Tyrone Wheatley.

There wasn't much to the above paragraph. I just wanted to point out the fact that Oakland hasn't defeated San Diego in a very long time and they won't be doing so this Monday night either.

Last Week:N/A

NFL Season: 0-0

Since D and S Sports debuted last January when the football season was winding down, I never got a chance to debut my NFL picks and NFL power rankings on the site. This year I worked on a new formula where my power rankings will be almost all computer calculated (I'm attempting to remove the bias from my rankings). As we've seen from the BCS, computer rankings always work out.

On a serious note, although most of the rankings will be done through a computer formula, I will still be adding my own little touch. If I know a team is better than their computer ranking says, I will no doubt make the necessary adjustment(s).

Before the NFL season starts this Thursday night in Pittsburgh, I thought it would be a good time to unveil my first batch of power rankings. Since no games have been played yet, there is no possible way for me to use my computer formula in finding out the rankings. Therefore I'm loosely basing these on last year's results, offseason activity, and my personal expectations for each team going into the 2009 NFL season.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers – It pains me to do this, but I have choice but to rank the Steelers at number one. They are the defending champs so they at least deserve to start the season in the top spot. The only real significant loss they suffered in the offseason was when slot receiver Nate Washington went down to Tennessee. In typical Steelers fashion, they have someone already waiting in the wings to take over for Washington. In this case its second year receiver Limas Sweed. Assuming he can actually catch the ball this time around, the Steelers really shouldn't miss a beat without Washington.

2. New England Patriots – The Patriots probably had the biggest upgrade this offseason when Tom Brady came back from injury. Even without Brady they somehow managed a solid 11-5 record with Matt Cassel running the show. Cassel headed off to Kansas City for a huge payday so it's now the Tom Brady show again in New England. Assuming he stays healthy and doesn't have any ill effects from his injury, there is no reason to think that New England won't return to dominance against this season. I'd say as a Buffalo fan I'm not looking forward to it, but it's about 100 times more embarrassing to lose to a Matt Cassel led team than getting blown out by Brady, Moss, and Welker. At least now there is that built in excuse.

3. Tennessee Titans – The Titans collapsed last year once the playoffs rolled around but I have a feeling they will be an even better team this season. Sure they lost Albert Haynesworth, but they were also able to use that money wisely and I'm sure the rotation they now have to replace Haynesworth will do a fine job. The Titans season could still come crashing down if Kerry Collins goes out for an extended period of time and Vince Young is forced to take over. As long as Collins is healthy, the Titans are in good shape. It's going to be a brawl atop of the AFC this season.

4. Indianapolis Colts – If I were betting on who would win the AFC South this season, it would literally come down to a coin flip. I like Peyton Manning and the entire Indianapolis offense, but I think the smash mouth style of the Titans would win out. I'm fairly certain that they will split their season series with each home team grabbing the win. Actually, I'd bet that Tennessee will definitely win their home game and the game in Indy could be a toss up. It's not like Lucas Oil Stadium is really a huge home field advantage for the Colts. I also don't know what to make of the Colts after they inexplicitly lost at San Diego in the Wild Card round last January. For now I'll leave them at four but I'm not exactly positive on that.

5. Philadelphia Eagles – Just so we're on record with this, even before the Michael Vick signing, the Eagles were my pick to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl this season. If anything, the Vick signing might have actually hurt their chances. Sure he might be an added weapon on the field, but it's also an added headache and circus that the Eagles didn't absolutely need. If they can weather the storm and continue to improve, then I'll feel confident in my pick. They upgraded their offensive line, backup running back position, wide receiver position, and this is all on top of a team that was minutes away from advancing to the Super Bowl last season.

6. New York Giants – The Giants were definitely affected by the actions of Plaxico Burress last season. Now that he is officially gone (and headed to prison), the Giants have had a full offseason to work on replacing Burress. The Giants wisely locked up Eli Manning with a huge contract extension and will continue to build around him and their bruising running game. As of right now I have the Eagles finishing better than them in the division but there is a very good chance it comes down to a late Week 14 matchup between the two rivals.

7. San Diego Chargers – The Chargers weren't exactly deserving of the playoffs last season when they finished with an 8-8 record and qualified for the postseason above an 11-5 New England team. Unfortunately, sometimes that happens in sports when there is an overly weak division. The Chargers at least showed they belonged once the playoffs started by defeating the Colts at home before losing to Pittsburgh in the second round. Without Shawne Merriman and an ailing LaDanian Tomlinson, the Chargers were forced to air it out last season which resulted in Phillip River's best season as a passer. This year both players are back, 100% healthy, and ready to prove themselves again without breakout seasons. That is, assuming Merriman doesn't land a suspension for his latest incident. If the Chargers don't win the West this year, everyone involved should be fired.

8. New Orleans Saints – The Saints are another team that I expect big things out of this year. Drew Brees is one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now and when a team has that, you can never fully count them out. Pierre Thomas emerged as a legit running back last season and he should provide a nice one-two punch with Reggie Bush. Gregg Williams takes over the defense in New Orleans and while he will forever be etched in my head as one of the worst head coaches I've ever seen, I will admit that the man knows his defense and should have the New Orleans squad dramatically improved this season.

9. Arizona Cardinals – Let's be honest. If Arizona wasn't in the NFC West, they probably wouldn't have even made the playoffs last season. I give them all the credit in the world for what they accomplished once the playoffs started, but I can't get over that simple fact which is why they are starting the season ranked ninth. They will most likely win their division again, but I don't think they are better than the teams listed above. If my highly scientific computer formula states otherwise once the season starts, so be it. One thing that is for sure in Arizona, Larry Fitzgerald is definitely the best receiver in the game right now.

10. Baltimore Ravens – The Ravens shocked the NFL world last season when they went all the way to the AFC Championship game with rookie quarterback Joe Flacco leading the way. They had an extremely tough defense and a solid running game to back him up, but he still got the job done in many difficult situations. The Ravens are looking to build on last season and take control of the AFC Central, although that means they would have to defeat the Steelers at least once, something they couldn't do in three tries last season. The Ravens lost their defensive coordinator Rex Ryan to the NY Jets but the overall philosophy should stay the same and I don't expect a dramatic drop-off. Plus it's hard to count the Ravens out when they have the best running back in the league on their roster. What? He isn't even starting anymore? Wow, I never would've saw that coming.

11. Atlanta Falcons – Much like the Ravens last season, the Falcons made a huge turnaround and qualified for the playoffs with their own rookie quarterback, Matt Ryan. The Falcons fell short in the wild card round but that shouldn't take away from what Ryan and rookie Head Coach Mike Smith accomplished. When both came to Atlanta a little over a year ago, the Falcons were a complete mess as an organization. They were reeling from the Michael Vick saga and the fact that Bobby Petrino couldn't even last one full season before completely quitting on the team. Ryan returns this year with Michael Turner leading the way at running back and the addition of future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. The pieces are in place for the Falcons to build on last season and advance much further, it will just be a matter of whether or not Ryan can continue to grow as a successful NFL quarterback.

12. Green Bay Packers – I have a good feeling about Green Bay this season. I really liked how Aaron Rodgers played last season and I would guess he is only going to be better this season. The defense is switching to a 3-4 scheme so much of their success this season will hinge on whether or not they can adapt. Dom Capers is a good defensive coach however and I have confidence that he'll get the job done. If anything, I'm rooting for Green Bay just to take down Minnesota. I'm also hoping there are a ton of Favre jersey fires and batteries thrown his way when the Vikings visit Green Bay. Favre going to Minnesota was the biggest stab in the back towards the Packers and their fans. If they aren't outraged by this, I'd check to see if they still have a pulse.

13. Miami Dolphins – I have the Dolphins pretty low for a defending division champion for one simple reason: I don't like them. Oh I'm kidding of course Dolphins fans…but seriously…I'm not. Chad Pennington is still the QB and last time I checked, he still has a noodle arm. The Wildcat will no longer catch people by surprise and Ted Ginn Jr is still the number one receiver. But not all is terrible with Miami. Bill Parcells is still running the show and Tony Sparano appears to be a real deal coach. I have no doubt that I'll be bumping Miami up these rankings fairly fast, I just figured I'd get my cheap shots in now before the season starts.

14. Dallas Cowboys – There isn't much I like about Dallas this season. Fourteen is fairly low for them so we'll see whether or not my criticism is justified early on. Two early home games against the Giants and Panthers should help settle that debate. If they lose both and start out 3-2 before the bye, they will most likely be right where I have them pegged. If they win one or both of those games and hit the bye at 4-1 or 5-0, I'll be moving them much higher in between bites of crow. If they are worse than 3-2, which means they have lost to Tampa Bay, Denver, or Kansas City…well…bad times will be had by all Cowboys fans.

15. Carolina Panthers – I have the Panthers right around the middle of the pack despite being a much better team. The defense is tough, running game borders on great, and they have enough veterans to help lead the team. The one thing that scares the living crap out of me when it comes to the Panthers is Jake Delhomme. When you think of the playoffs last year and Delhomme's performance, two words come to mind: epic meltdown. Don't remember? Let me refresh your memory. After finishing the regular season 12-4 and hosting Arizona at home for the playoffs (keep in mind that Arizona hadn't won on the East Coast for the entire season), Delhomme proceeded to go 17 for 34, 1 touchdown, and 5 interceptions in a 33-13 loss. I just wonder how he'll mentally bounce back from such a horrible performance in a big game.

16. Minnesota Vikings – There are only two ways that I enjoy the Minnesota Vikings season in 2009. 1) They go 0-16. 2) Brett Favre misses a significant amount of time during the season and the Vikings are stuck with Sage Rosenfels or Tarvaris Jackson. You know, the QB's that completely got shafted by the Vikings during their pursuit of Favre. Yeah, those guy. I'd love to see their season hinge upon someone who was dumped for Favre before he could even play a meaningful minute this season. Once Dick Jauron gets fired, I'd say Brad Childress will definitely hold the title as the worst active coach in the league.

17. Houston Texans – Houston is an intriguing team. Matt Schaub can be a very good QB when he isn't constantly hurt. I have a crush on Steve Slaton and targeted him in every single fantasy draft I did and yet I managed to not get him in every single league. Andre Johnson is probably the second best receiver in the game right now (behind Fitzgerald) but some people still don't realize it because he plays in Houston. Mario Williams continues to get better on defense and make the Texans look smart for passing on Reggie Bush. I'd actually say they are poised to make the playoffs if it wasn't for the fact that they are in the AFC South. Unless they manage some huge upsets over Tennessee and Indianapolis, I see them falling short of the playoffs once again. Sorry Houston.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars – The Jags had a truly miserable season last year. You can tell a lot about a season when a team's best wide receiver has done a line of coke for every reception. But seriously, the Jags should be much improved this season. Of course, they have to stay healthy to do so. Like in the case of Seattle last season, I don't think they will be nearly as banged up this season and should be much improved. I think Jack Del Rio's a very good coach and is the right man for the job. I just wish most of Jacksonville knew about this, then again, that would require the fans to actually attend the games.

19. Chicago Bears – I know I run the risk of taking quite a bit of heat on this, but I really don't think the acquisition of Jay Cutler is going to automatically make Chicago a playoff team. If they had Jay Cutler during the season they went to the Super Bowl, there is a fairly good chance they would've defeated Indianapolis and been the champs. It's a well known fact that Rex Grossman single handedly held that team back during the course of that season. However, this isn't the same Bears team. Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Tommie Harris are all a little bit older. While that may not seem like a big deal, it really is in football. Not to mention that the Bears offense isn't all that great. Cutler's two best targets are his running back and tight end, both of which are very good I might add, but that leaves almost nobody at wide receiver. Their number one receiver is Devin Hester, who wasn't even a receiver coming out of college. Trust me, I know Hester is a great athlete and a legit threat, but it wouldn't fill me with confidence if he were the number one receiver on my team. I won't even bring up the fact that besides some great fantasy stats, Cutler hasn't done a whole lot of winning during his NFL career so far.

20. Washington Redskins – I don't see the Redskins going anywhere this season. Albert Haynesworth is a huge upgrade for the defensive line, but they were far more than one player away last season. I'd probably have them as a divison favorite if they were in the NFC West, but they aren't, so I don't. Instead they have six games against the Cowboys, Giants, and Eagles. That automatically puts them in a hole before they've even taken a snap this season. The success of the Redskins will depend highly on Jason Campbell. If he can perform well, continue to grow within the system, and shake off the fact that his employer openly lobbied for multiple other QB's to take his place, the Redskins might have some success this season after all.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Tampa Bay finally fired Coach Jon Gruden after last season's disappointing finish. Also gone is starting QB Jeff Garcia. The Bucs drafted Josh Freeman in the first round but so far it's going to be the Byron Leftwich show in Tampa Bay. I don't know if I always agree with playing the rookie QB right away, but I don't see what it would hurt in this case. Leftwich failed in Jacksonville and Atlanta before getting his Super Bowl ring with Pittsburgh, but he didn't really do a whole lot to earn it. I'm fairly certain he is only holding the spot for this season until Freeman officially takes over, so why delay the inevitable?

22. Denver Broncos – In my AFC West preview, I predicted that Denver would finish the season 6-10. That was before I say Kyle Orton's debut against San Francisco. Uhhhh…what? Three interceptions in four series? That is quite the batting average you got there Kyle. I've said it a million times before, but Chris Simms should get a shot at the starting job. He has to be better than Orton…right? RIGHT?!?

23. Seattle Seahawks – Seattle should be a much better team than they were last year for the simple fact that they were ravaged with more injuries than any NFL team ever. Ok, I made that stat up, but I have a feeling it was pretty close. The new coaching staff should be more centered on the run which could mean good things for Julius Jones and Edgerrin James' Corpse. It should also take the pressure off Matt Hasselbeck and hopefully keep him off his back the majority of the time. But when he does drop back, he'll have one of the better receivers running routes for him now in T.J. Houshmanzadeh.

24. Buffalo Bills – Buffalo had about the worst preseason I could imagine. They had an extra game, five total, and still didn't manage one touchdown from the starting offense. I realize that Terrell Owens missed all but one game, but still, that is pathetic. The Bills must have agreed since they canned offensive coordinator Turk Schonert last week after the final game, but that doesn't mean things will be alright in Buffalo. They have a tough schedule and word on the street is that Ralph Wilson will be looking to fire Dick Jauron if the Bills get off to another bad start.

25. San Francisco 49ers – If it wasn't for the QB position, I'd easily have the Niners challenging for the NFC West crown. I really like the coaching style of Mike Singletary and I was really impressed with their style of play after he took over last season. Unfortunately, to win in the NFL you need a semi-decent QB and I think the Niners are severely lacking in that department. I mean no disrespect towards Shaun Hill or Alex Smith…wait a second, yes I do…wait…where was I? Ugh…nevermind.

26. Cincinnati Bengals – I have no idea what to make of the Bengals. If Carson Palmer stays healthy, they are one of those sneaky teams that will steal some wins when it counts. I don't see them getting anywhere close to the playoffs though. For one, their division is way too tough with the Ravens and Steelers battling for first place. And two, they still have a lot of holes on that roster. Maybe Cedric Benson continues his turnaround and does well this season. Maybe Chad Ochocinco actually performs as well as he thinks he can. Maybe Marvin Lewis doesn't run the team into the ground. There are a lot of maybes surrounding the 2009 Bengals.

27. NY Jets – The Jets are ridiculous. They take a chance on bringing Brett Favre in last season and then act shocked when their season goes down in flames as he is blindly chucking up interceptions that literally destroy their season. We're talking about a QB that including last year, has thrown for 88 touchdowns and 84 interceptions in the past four seasons. Out of the top 13 QB's in touchdowns thrown in the last four seasons, Favre has 19 more interceptions than the second most. Meanwhile, he has thrown for only two more touchdowns than Carson Palmer, who has played in 15 less games during that time span. Terrible…just terrible. The Jets got everything they had coming to them.

28. Kansas City Chiefs – As stated in my AFC West preview, I really don't think the Chiefs were as bad as their record indicated last season. I also think they will begin improving with Scott Pioli now working in the front office. However, I completely disagree with their huge contract extension for Matt Cassel. It wasn't a terrible trade, but he really should've had to earn it a little more. There has been talk during the preseason that Cassel might not even start for KC, yet he has that huge deal now. That could really come back to haunt them if he doesn't perform well in the coming years.

29. St Louis Rams – The Rams are currently enduring a slow rebuilding process, however I feel that they are on the right track. Things went south for St Louis the past few seasons and it was going to take a dramatic change to turn things around. That is where Steve Spagnulo comes into the picture. He has quickly changed the culture around Rams camp and things are looking up. It's not going to happen overnight, but at least they are pointed in the right direction.

30. Oakland Raiders – When the highlight of the preseason for your team is the head coach punching out one of his assistants, you know you're talking about Oakland. If anything, they are no doubt a source of quality entertainment and a team that always makes me look at the bright side as the Bills start going down in flames around November. The Raiders might actually improve this season but that depends on how well JaMarcus Russell plays at QB. Free agent acquisition Jeff Garcia was a surprise cut at the end of the preseason so now Russell has nobody challenging him for the job. We'll see how wise that decision turns out to be.

31. Cleveland Browns – The Browns are terrible. Hey, let's fire one failed assistant of Bill Belichick and bring in another failed assistant. Oh, and that situation you have at QB? Let's have them battle it out in the preseason, that will work out well. What exactly was the point of trading up into the first round to get Brady Quinn if they were going to consistently have him battle with one hit wonder Derek Anderson? Is Quinn really that bad? Is that why all those other teams passed on him in the draft? Well…yes. I guess that is solved now.

32. Detroit Lions – I'd argue that the Lions are actually better than the Browns right now, but since they haven't played any meaningful games yet, I can't fully justify that statement. We'll have to wait until after Week One to figure that out. What? They play New Orleans in Week One? Crap.

Buffalo Bills

Key Additions: Drayton Florence (CB), Terrell Owens (WR), Seth McKinney (G), Dominic Rhodes (RB), Ryan Fitzpatrick (QB), Geoff Hangartner (C), Pat Thomas (LB)

Key Losses: Jabari Greer (CB), Robert Royal (TE), Derrick Dockery (G), Angelo Crowell (LB), Duke Preston (G), Jason Peters (T), John DiGiorgio (LB), Melvin Fowler (C), J.P. Losman (QB)

Draft Picks: Aaron Maybin (DE-Penn State), Eric Wood (C-Louisville), Jairus Byrd (CB-Oregon), Andy Levitre (G-Oregon State), Shawn Nelson (TE-Southern Miss), Nic Harris (LB-Oklahoma), Cary Harris (CB-USC), Ellis Lankter (CB-West Virginia)

The Bills started off last season with a solid 5-1 record before completely falling apart and finishing the season 7-9. Many people point to the injuries the Bills suffered as a reason for their demise. While it's true that Trent Edwards went down again with an injury and J.P. Losman filled in so well that he literally ran himself out of the league, I think there was another factor in the freefall. For me, I point to the fact that in those first five wins the Bills beat teams with a combined record of 24-56 while their one loss was to the eventual NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals. Good start or easy schedule? I say easy schedule.

The Bills won't have that benefit this year as they face the AFC South and NFC South teams this year. Oh yeah, Tom Brady is back to face them twice, including the opening game in Foxboro on Monday Night football. However, this won't be the same Bills team either. After his third consecutive 7-9 season, the Bills finally fired Dick Jauron and hired a real coach. The Bills finally put themselves on the map by signing star wide receiver Terrell Owens and gave Trent Edwards a legitimate weapon opposite Lee Evans. On paper, this tandem could destroy defenses and light up scoreboards. Games aren't played on paper though so we'll have to wait and see if it works out. If anything, T.O. might finally be the person to light a fire in Buffalo, because lately it seems like everyone in and around the organization is way too complacent with mediocrity. So far in the preseason without Owens, things aren't looking good for the Bills offense.

The Bills also finally realized that they had a ton of dead weight on the roster and cut the main culprits; Derrick Dockery, Melvin Fowler, and Robert Royal. Also gone from the roster is former left tackle Jason Peters. Facing another possible long holdout, the Bills decided to cut their losses with Peters and deal him to Philadelphia where he promptly got the money he thinks he deserves. Frankly after last season, I was all for trading Peters. I wasn't a fan of his ridiculously long holdout and I wasn't a fan of him coming back completely out of shape and nearly getting Edwards and Losman killed on a weekly basis. If he is now willing to play up to his capabilities in Philly with his new contract, more power to him, but I'm glad he isn't in Buffalo anymore.

Marshawn Lynch will miss the first three games for Buffalo after another offseason of trouble, but like anybody who watched the Bills play last season will tell you, having Fred Jackson in the game won't be a huge drop-off. The Bills also signed Dominic Rhodes during the offseason so that combination should have zero issues covering for Lynch while he is gone. Also consider the fact that Lynch has yet to finish a full 16 game schedule in his two year career and this really shouldn't affect the Bills too much.

The Bills have an extremely difficult schedule this year and that will be their biggest obstacle as they look to make the playoffs for the first time in a decade. If they can get off to a strong start, maybe even shock the Patriots on opening day, who knows what will happen. I'm not going to lie, that is my most optimistic side talking. But with no meaningful games being played yet, I refuse to be overly negative and let that ruin my season before it starts. (Although that is very difficult)

Last Season: 7-9

2009 Prediction: 5-11

Miami Dolphins

Key Additions: Jake Grove (C), Jason Taylor (DE), Gibril Wilson (S), Joe Berger (G)

Key Losses: Vonnie Holliday (DE), Samson Satele (C), John Beck (QB), Andre Goodman (CB), Renaldo Hill (S), Derek Smith (LB)

Draft Picks: Vontae Davis (CB-Illinois), Pat White (QB-West Virginia), Sean Smith (CB-Utah), Patrick Turner (WR-USC), Brian Hartline (WR-OSU), John Nalbone (TE-Monmouth), Chris Clemons (S-Clemson), Andrew Gardner (T-Georgia Tech), J.D. Folsom (LB-Weber State)

The Dolphins shocked the football world last season when they went from 1-15 to 11-5 and won the AFC East. Last season did nothing but help cement the legacy of Bill Parcells even more. Cam Cameron was done after his one miserable season and Parcells brought in his guy, Tony Sparano. Without a set number one QB in the preseason, the Dolphins benefited from the Jets ridiculous move to bring in Brett Favre by signing Chad Pennington once he was released by New York. Pennington rewarded the Dolphins with his second career Comeback Player of the Year award and a playoff berth down in Miami.

It was a combination of Pennington's solid play, the Wildcat offense, Joey Porter's reemergence, and Tom Brady's injury that helped lead Miami back to the top of the division. With teams having a full off-season to prepare for the Wildcat, it might be a little bit harder for the Dolphins to pull off that stunt this season. Then again, they did draft Pat White from West Virginia so now they have a legit QB with a cannon of an arm to help run it. So far in the preseason it doesn't look that will be a real possibility for Miami.

After one failed season in Washington, Jason Taylor is back in the fold which just goes to prove that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. If he can stay healthy and play up to form, the Dolphins got a great deal by signing him after his release in Washington.

This appears to be a definite make or break season for wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. as he heads into his third full season in the NFL. After being drafted far too high by Cam Cameron, Ginn came on last season and proved he could also be an effective receiver. Now that he is the clear cut number one receiver Miami he will have to perform like it.

The Dolphins are going to have a tough time repeating this season. Like I said above, teams have had a full off-season to study their game and prepare for it. Last season I could argue that they took teams by surprise with the Wildcat and the fact that Pennington was signed by Miami after training camp had started. Don't get me wrong, the Dolphins won't be pushovers like they were two seasons ago, but they aren't winning the division again.

Last Season: 11-5

2009 Prediction: 9-7

New England Patriots

Key Additions: Shawn Springs (CB), Greg Lewis (WR), Leigh Bodden (CB), Joey Galloway (WR), Alex Smith (TE), Andrew Walter (QB), Fred Taylor (RB), Tully Banta-Cain (LB), Chris Baker (TE), Derrick Burgess (DE)

Key Losses: LaMont Jordan (RB), Heath Evans (RB), Larry Izzo (LB), Ellis Hobbs (CB), Kelley Washington (WR), Rodney Harrison (S), Junior Seau (LB), Jabar Gaffney (WR), Deltha O'Neal (CB), Roosevelt Colvin (LB), Tedi Bruschi (LB)

Draft Picks: Patrick Chung (S-Oregon), Ron Brace (DT-Boston College), Darius Butler (CB-UConn), Sebastian Vollmer (T-Houston), Brandon Tate (WR-UNC), Tyrone McKenzie (LB-South Florida), Rich Ohrnberger (G-Penn State), George Bussey (G-Louisville), Jake Ingram (LS-Hawaii), Myron Pryor (DT-Kentucky), Julian Edelman (RB-Kent State), Darryl Richard (DT-Georgia Tech)

Coming off their 18-1 season and looking to return to the Super Bowl yet again, the Patriots season took a turn for the worse when Tom Brady went down in Week One with a season ending injury. Despite most people claiming that if Brady went down the Patriots were finished, lifelong backup Matt Cassel was able to take over and lead New England to an 11-5 record, although they ultimately missed out on the postseason.

Cassel has moved on to Kansas City now that Brady is back and apparently 100% healthy. Most people still have concerns about whether or not he will return to form, but as evidenced by the trade of Cassel, the Patriots don't share those concerns. Randy Moss and Wes Welker are joined by veteran Joey Galloway which should only make their receiving corps that much more dangerous. Brady has been airing it out in the preseason so I don't expect much drop off when the regular season kicks off.

New England also added veteran back Fred Taylor to the mix as he will most likely share carries with Sammy Morris and Lawrence Maroney. The Patriots tend to use the running back by committee approach which makes the addition of Taylor that much more dangerous. Taylor's biggest concern during his career has been his durability. With him splitting time with multiple other running backs, he should be plenty healthy once the playoffs roll around.

Make no mistake about it, the Patriots are back. It says a lot about an organization that an 11-5 season is a down year, but that is just what last year was. As long as Tom Brady stays healthy, the Patriots will return to dominance and are currently my pick to win the AFC crown.

Last Season: 11-5

2009 Prediction: 13-3

New York Jets

Key Additions: Jim Leonhard (S), Larry Izzo (LB), Bart Scott (LB), Lito Sheppard (CB)

Key Losses: Laveranues Coles (WR), Mike Nugent (K), Hank Poteat (S), Abram Elam (S), David Bowens (LB), Eric Barton (LB), Kenyon Coleman (DE), Brett Ratliff (QB), Brett Favre (QB), Chris Baker (TE), Bubba Franks (TE), Ty Law (CB)

Draft Picks: Mark Sanchez (QB-USC), Shonn Greene (RB-Iowa), Matt Slauson (G-Nebraska)

So where do I start with the Jets? Well, they thought they were Super Bowl contenders and swung a trade to acquire Brett Favre last August. In doing so, they released their longtime QB Chad Pennington who subsequently led the Dolphins to the playoffs while Favre single handedly destroyed the Jets season down the stretch. As if that wasn't bad enough, it was fairly obvious from the start that Favre didn't even want to play in New York, yet the Jets didn't take that hint and flushed their season down the drain anyways. Good move.

Since that move failed, the Jets decided to start over this season and it started with the head coach. Gone is the "Mangenius" Eric Mangini and in is first time Head Coach Rex Ryan, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Ryan wasted no time making headlines in New York by proclaiming how the Jets will have more attitude and how he didn't come to New York to kiss Bill Belicheck's rings. While I somewhat like his style, I also think it probably wasn't the best course of action. I mean, he basically just pissed Bill Belicheck off and last time I checked, that usually never ends well for the other team.

The Jets traded up in the draft to take USC QB Mark Sanchez in the first round. Sanchez's former coach Pete Carroll argued that Sanchez should've probably stayed in school for another season but Sanchez still chose to take his game to the NFL. All eyes will be on Sanchez to see if he can handle the game, handle the New Jersey crowd, and handle the media storm that will ensue. He has shown some good things so far in the preseason but that is hardly enough to judge him on.

The Jets defense will be much more improved since that was Ryan's specialty in Baltimore. He brought over his old LB Bart Scott and S Jim Leonhard to help anchor the new look Jets defense and the team acquired CB Lito Sheppard from Philadelphia. Considering the fact that the offense will most likely struggle in at least the early parts of the season games will lean heavily on the Jets defense to hold them in contests.

The Jets will have a very solid running game to back them up however. Thomas Jones returns to New Jersey along with Leon Washington and new draft pick Shonn Greene. All three of these backs are capable of carrying the load, so if they run a committee approach it can easily wear down opposing defenses.

With the departure of Laveranues Coles at receiver, the Jets now have a glaring need at that position. Jerricho Cotchery returns as the number one receiver but he will most likely see ton more double coverage with Coles gone. His surrounding cast includes Chansi Stuckey, David Clowney, and Brad Smith. Uh…right. Good luck with that.

Even with an improved defense, I think that all of the questions on offense will lead to a season of rebuilding and frustration for the Jets. Very few rookie QB's come right into the league and find success and even fewer find that success with a bunch of number three and four receivers starting the game. Add to that the fact that TE Chris Baker is gone and Dustin Keller hasn't fully shown he can be the complete blocking TE; things could get messy for the Jets offense.

Last Season: 9-7

2009 Prediction: 6-10

Dallas Cowboys

Key Additions: Jon Kitna (QB), Keith Brooking (LB), Matt Stewart (LB), Igor Olshansky (DE), Gerald Sensabaugh (S)

Key Losses: Terrell Owens (WR), Greg Ellis (LB), Roy Williams (S), Tank Johnson (DT), Zach Thomas (LB), Keith Davis (LB), Adam Jones (CB), Brad Johnson (QB), Anthony Henry (CB), Chris Canty (CB)

Draft Picks: Jason Williams (LB-Western Ill), Robert Brewster (T-Ball St), Stephen McGee (QB-Texas A&M), Victor Butler (DE-Oregon St), Brandon Williams (DL-Texas Tech), DeAngelo Smith (DB-Cincinnati), Michael Hamlin (S-Clemson), David Buehler (K-USC), Stephen Hodge (S-TCU), John Phillips (TE-Virginia), Mike Mickens (DB-Cincinnati), Manuel Johnson (WR-Oklahoma)

Last season gave us all the privilege of seeing yet another Cowboys season that finished well below their amazingly high expectations. The Cowboys came into the 2008 season expected to compete for a trip to the Super Bowl but Dallas couldn't even muster a playoff berth at the end.

Jerry Jones decided to keep head coach Wade Phillips for another season. I have to assume this is only so he can fully prove himself as a failure of a head coach and vacate the spot next offseason for former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan. With Phillips staying and the Cowboys needing a scapegoat, they decided to release wide receiver Terrell Owens at the start of free agency. That move seems to have worked out well for all of those involved.

Without Owens in the fold, the only time the Cowboys have been in the news has been when Tony Romo announced his breakup with super ditz Jessica Simpson and when the Cowboys practice tent collapsed nearly killing the players and coaches that were inside practicing at the time. Oh and I almost forgot, they spent over one billion dollars on a new stadium where a major design flaw was exposed during the first preseason game. Hey, good thing they have less distractions now.

The Cowboys didn't make a ton of offseason moves besides the release of Owens. They traded with the Lions to pick up quarterback Jon Kitna, which is technically an upgrade at the position. Last year their entire season went down the tubes right around the time Tony Romo went out with an injury and the combination of Brad Johnson and Brooks Bollinger did their best to make sure they never got an NFL job again. So while Kitna isn't exactly "great", he is probably a better option at backup in the event that Romo goes down again. Honestly, that isn't saying a whole lot.

But while we're on the topic of Jon Kitna, I feel inclined to share one of my favorite quotes from Bill Simmons on the topic. "Could we have a team of behavioral scientists start examining the bizarre phenomenon when Jon Kitna suddenly and inexplicably gets into a passing groove? Does anyone else get totally flustered by this? It's like watching somebody climb out of a wheelchair and walk around the room for an hour."

The Cowboys also released the highly overrated safety Roy Williams. The only thing I wondered when I saw that news is what the hell took them so long. Also no longer making it rain in Dallas is cornerback Adam "Pac Man" Jones. I can't totally rip Dallas for that move. It was a low risk move to bring him in, it didn't work, and the Cowboys are moving on after one season. I'll give props to Dallas for cutting their losses with him after one season instead of hanging on and trying to make it work.

I don't see Dallas improving much from last season. They will surely be better if Romo stays healthy, but he lost a big receiving target and we're still not sure if Roy E. Williams is going to be a suitable replacement, especially because he defined the word "suck" last year after his trade to Dallas. If they were in the NFC West I'd have them pegged as a division winner, but not in the East. I see a third place finish for them this year.

Last Season: 9-7

2009 Prediction: 9-7

New York Giants

Key Additions: Rocky Bernard (DT), Tutan Reyes (G), Chris Canty (CB), George Wrighster(TE)

Key Losses: Derrick Ward (RB), Plaxico Burress (WR), Renaldo Wynn (DE), Reuben Droughns (RB), Sam Madison (CB), Sammy Knight (S), John Carney (K), Amani Toomer (WR), R.W. McQuarters (CB)

Draft Picks: Hakeem Nicks (WR-UNC), Clint Sintim (LB-Virginia), Will Beatty (T-UConn), Ramses Barden (WR-Cal Poly), Travis Beckum (TE-Wisconsin), Andre Brown (RB-NC State), Rhett Bomar (QB-Sam Houston St), DeAndre Wright (CB-New Mexico), Stoney Woodson (CB-South Carolina)

The Giants didn't necessarily finish with a successful season in 2008; however I guess that is how you define "successful". They overcame the dreaded Super Bowl hangover and won their division again, but lost in the divisional round of the playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants were cruising through the regular season up until the point when the news on Plaxico Burress broke and the offense never appeared to be the same.

The Giants had a relatively quiet offseason up until the time that they signed QB Eli Manning to be the highest paid player in the league. Honestly, I have no problem with the signing. The Giants recognized that they have a franchise QB on their hands, not to mention one with a Super Bowl ring, and they decided to lock him up. Should he be making more than Big Ben or Tom Brady? Probably not. But that is up to the Steelers and Patriots to work out, it isn't the Eli's fault.

They also officially cut ties with receiver Plaxico Burress, which was the best thing they could do considering he is headed for prison for almost two years. New York attempted to replace Burress in the first round of the draft when they selected Hakeem Nicks from UNC. It's highly doubtful that Nicks will step right in and make an impact so Manning is going to need some help elsewhere. It's no secret that the Giants offense dropped off dramatically once Burress was suspended for the remainder of last season.

The Giants still have a bruising running game, despite losing Derrick Ward, as Brandon Jacobs returns and Ahmad Bradshaw looks to take over. Both guys have more than enough speed and Jacobs has plenty of power to just completely run defenders over. Who knows how long his body will last running with that style but nobody is complaining just yet.

The Giants also return with a stacked defense. They were already good and now Osi Umenyora is returning from injury. Much like Shawne Merriman coming back in San Diego, this is almost like a free agent signing in itself assuming the player comes back healthy. The Giants also acquired Rocky Bernard to help clog up the middle of an already stout defensive line.

Last Season: 12-4

2009 Prediction: 10-6

Philadelphia Eagles

Key Additions: Jason Peters (T), Stacy Andrews (T/G), Sean Jones (S), Leonard Weaver (FB), Rashad Baker (S), Ellis Hobbs (CB), Michael Vick (QB)

Key Losses: Correll Buckhalter (RB), Jon Runyan (T), Tra Thomas (T), L.J. Smith (TE), Sean Considine (S)

Draft Picks: Jeremy Maclin (WR-Missouri), LeSean McCoy (RB-Pittsburgh), Cornelius Ingram (TE-Florida), Victor Harris (CB-Virginia Tech), Fenuki Tupou (T-Oregon), Brandon Gibson (WR-Washington St), Paul Fanaika (G-Arizona St), Moise Fokou (LB-Maryland)

The Eagles are probably the most improved team in the NFC East. They signed QB Donovan