NFC North
1. Minnesota Vikings
2. Green Bay Packers
3. Detroit Lions
4. Chicago Bears

NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
4. Atlanta Falcons

NFC East
1. New York Giants
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Washington Redskins*

NFC West – again, the worst division in football.
1. San Francisco 49ers
2. Arizona Cardinals
3. St. Louis Rams
4. Seattle Seahawks*

AFC North – actually this could be a 4-way tossup.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
2. Cincinnati Bengals
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Cleveland Browns

AFC South
1. Tennessee Titans
2. Indianapolis Colts
3. Houston Texans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC East – probably the 3rd worst division in football.
1. New York Jets
2. New England Patriots
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills*

AFC West – 2nd worst!
1. Denver Broncos
2. Oakland Raiders – dependent on them resigning QB Bruce Gradkowski
3. San Diego Chargers
4. Kansas City Chiefs*

*Asterisks mean that this team will undergo a “rebuilding year.”

2010 Breakout Team:  Cleveland Browns

Scary Defense. The Washington Redskins are setting themselves up for an even better defense, as they switch to the 3-4. The Redskins are, hopefully, signing older veterans to fill in holes and groom younger players while still being good. They signed NT Ma’ake Kemoeatu on Wednesday, and some are going as far as saying that he will be the anchor of their defense. He might be, if he can stay healthy. He spent last season on IR after an injury to his Achilles tendon.

Scary defense, scary man.

What makes things even scarier is that the two stars of last year’s Redskins defense, DT Albert Haynesworth and LB Brian Orakpo, will be right at home in the 3-4. Haynesworth has the speed (and definitely the power) to be an effective defensive end, while Orakpo could easily play either outside or inside linebacker.

Lions outlook: Good. As long as QB Matt Stafford stays healthy, they have a pretty good offense. Look for the Lions to go after offensive linemen in the draft… right after they draft DT Ndamukong Suh. Also, they signed DE Kyle Vanden Bosch.

But back to the offense, their only star up until last year was WR Calvin Johnson. That man can make plays happen to a point where he atones for mistakes by the quarterback. So defenses have learned to put Johnson in heavy coverage, because the other receivers weren’t good enough to make plays if they did catch the ball.  But now, the Lions have signed WR Nate Burleson. Although he hasn’t exactly lived up to his potential, he will likely find himself wide open when defensive backs swarm Johnson.

Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson

1. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) – I’ve finally warmed up to him, he’s the best QB prospect.
2. Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame) – His numbers weren’t overly great, but he had a weak offense at Notre Dame. He’ll do better with better receivers and a decent running back.
3. Colt McCoy (Texas)
4. Tim Tebow (Florida)
5. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)
6. Tony Pike (Cincinnati)
7. Tim Hiller (Western Michigan)
8. Sean Canfield (Oregon State) – Although I hate Oregon State, Canfield is a good QB.
9. Chris Todd (Auburn)
10. Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State)

June 8 – PIT@WAS 7:05
June 9 – PIT@WAS 7:05
June 10 – PIT@WAS 7:05
July 23/24/25 – SD@PIT 7:05/7:05/1:35
September 4 – WAS@PIT 7:05

• Again over the winter I suddenly listened to a lot of Genesis and The Smiths
• Worked a lot
• Quit
• Changed the Penguin Pride theme back
• Worked on the VPC site
• Got a concussion
• The end.

Let’s review: Starter Alex Smith is playing his best football since 2006 and is developing into an even better passer as his offensive situation stabilizes. Backup Shaun Hill has already shown that he can win games, leading San Francisco to a 3-0 start this year.

But what to do about the third quarterback, Nate Davis?

Nate Davis is a rookie, drafted in the 5th round of the 2009 draft out of Ball State. He’s very good, and adds some youth to the quarterback corps, but he’s not really what they need. The 49ers need a speedy QB on their roster. But Davis’ skills cannot and should not be overlooked, so keep him on the roster until Terrelle Pryor (Ohio State), Tyrod Tyler (Virginia Tech) or Skykar Jones (Wake Forest) come out and are drafted by SF. Then trade Davis for a future 5th or 6th round pick.

1. Jimmy Clausen (Notre Dame)
2. Jake Locker (Washington)
3. Colt McCoy (Texas)
4. Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)
5. Tim Tebow (Florida)
6. Tony Pike (Cincinnati)
7. Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan)
8. Tim Hiller (Western Michigan)
9. Chris Todd (Auburn)
10. Jarret Brown (West Virginia)
11. Sean Canfield (Oregon State)
12. Bill Stull (Pittsburgh)
13. Rusty Smith (Florida Atlantic)
14. Max Hall (BYU)
15. Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State)
16. Tyler Sheehan (Bowling Green)

NFC North
Minnesota Vikings 15-1
Green Bay Packers 10-6 Div: 3-3 Conf: 8-4 NP: 81
Chicago Bears 7-9
Detroit Lions 2-14

NFC South
New Orleans Saints 16-0
Atlanta Falcons 7-9
Carolina Panthers 5-11
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-14

NFC East
Dallas Cowboys 12-4
Philadelphia Eagles 10-6 Div: 3-3 Conf: 8-4 NP: 65
New York Giants 9-7
Washington Redskins 3-13

NFC West
San Francisco 49ers 9-7 Div: 6-0
Arizona Cardinals 9-7 Div: 4-2
Seattle Seahawks 5-11
St. Louis Rams 1-15

AFC North
Cincinnati Bengals 12-4
Pittsburgh Steelers 11-5
Baltimore Ravens 8-8
Cleveland Browns 2-14

AFC South
Indianapolis Colts 16-0
Tennessee Titans 9-7
Houston Texans 8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars 6-10 *Will lose their last 5!

AFC East
New England Patriots 11-5
Miami Dolphins 8-8 Div: 3-3
New York Jets 8-8 Div: 2-4
Buffalo Bills 5-11

AFC West
Denver Broncos 10-6 Div: 5-1 Conf: 8-4
San Diego Chargers 10-6 Div: 5-1 Conf: 7-5
Oakland Raiders 5-11
Kansas City Chiefs 4-12

NFC Playoffs
1. New Orleans Saints 16-0
2. Minnesota Vikings 15-1
3. Dallas Cowboys 12-4
4. San Francisco 49ers 9-7
5. Green Bay Packers 10-6
6. Philadelphia Eagles 10-6

AFC Playoffs
1. Indianapolis Colts 16-0
2. Cincinnati Bengals 12-4
3. New England Patriots 11-5
4. Denver Broncos 10-6
5. Pittsburgh Steelers 11-5
6. San Diego Chargers 10-6

NFC Wild Card
Green Bay Packers (10-7) < San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
Philadelphia Eagles (10-7) < Dallas Cowboys (13-4)

AFC Wild Card
Pittsburgh Steelers (12-5) > Denver Broncos (10-7)
San Diego Chargers (10-7) < New England Patriots (12-5)

NFC Divisional Round
San Francisco 49ers (10-8) < Minnesota Vikings (16-1)
Dallas Cowboys (12-5) < New Orleans Saints (17-0)

AFC Divisional Round
Pittsburgh Steelers (13-5) > Cincinnati Bengals (12-5)
New England Patriots (12-6) < Indianapolis Colts (17-0)

NFC Championship
Minnesota Vikings (17-1) > New Orleans Saints (17-1)

AFC Championship
Pittsburgh Steelers (14-5) > Indianapolis Colts (17-1)

Super Bowl XLIV
Minnesota Vikings (18-1) > Pittsburgh Steelers (14-6)

Let’s assume Brett Favre decides to retire (for real this time). There are a few other roster fiddlings that need to occur. Trade DB Benny Sapp and WR Jaymar Johnson, cut SS Eric Frampton and P Chris Kluwe, and elevate TE Garrett Mills to the active roster. Then the draft comes, and the awesome starts.

ROUND 1: Tim Tebow, QB (Florida)

Some people say that Tim Tebow isn’t a first rounder. Well the Vikings have either the 31st or 32nd pick in the first round, so it’s practically a second round pick anyway. And we certainly want a quarterback… particularly a fast one. You see, we’re making a dual QB formation with Tarvaris Jackson and Tim Tebow in the backfield with Adrian Peterson. It doesn’t matter who receives the snap, they may lateral it to another back, or pass it downfield. This is going to give NFL defenses nightmares for years to come.

ROUND 2: Myron Lewis, CB (Vanderbilt)

After releasing Benny Sapp and with the inevitable retirement of Antoine Winfield looming in the near future, Minnesota needs a new star CB. Myron Lewis is just the fellow. He’s probably the best coverage corner in the draft. This season with Vanderbilt, he has 3 forced fumbles and 10 interceptions.

ROUND 3: John Jerry, LG (Ole Miss)

The Vikings only keep one guard on the roster for each side (left & right), and Anthony Herrera (6′2″, 315) is getting older and more expensive. Let’s draft John Jerry so that when Herrera’s current contract expires after the 2011 season, we will have a perfectly groomed and bigger (6′5″, 350) guard to replace him. Who knows, maybe Jerry will take Herrera’s starting job sooner, then we can trade him and get a draft pick.

ROUND 4: Kellen Heard, DT (Texas A&M)

One of the best features of Minnesota’s defense is our front seven. The Vikings run a 4-3 defense, so the role of defensive tackles are key. However, Pat Williams (6′3″, 317) has been in the league for 13 seasons already and his career is drawing to a close. This is the time to draft a similar-sized (6′6″, 345) tackle like Kellen Heard to begin the grooming process, during which time he can learn from Pat and bulk up.

ROUND 5: Carlos Singleton, WR (Memphis)

Minnesota’s receivers are very very very very good. But this year we traded Jaymar Johnson to the Baltimore Ravens for a 4th and a 7th round draft pick in 2011. As a result, we need a fourth receiver whose name (and image) will strike fear into the hearts of cornerbacks around the league just as much Sidney Rice, Bernard Berrian, and Percy Harvin. How about a receiver who is 6′8″ tall? Carlos Singleton will be a great target for quarterbacks Jackson and Tebow.

ROUND 6: A. J. Edds, OLB (Iowa)

I simply HAD to draft somebody off this awesome Iowa Hawkeyes team. Although Edds may not be their best linebacker, he’s still quite good, and will likely fall to the 6th or 7th round. After the 2010 season, the Vikings will lose OLB Ben Leber (his contract will expire). Whether this means elevating a current backup to the starting position (thereby making Edds the backup) or giving Edds the starting job outright, another young linebacker is needed to fill this gap. The defense must not falter and everything must transition smoothly.

ROUND 7: Tyler Sheehan (Bowling Green)

Hey Aaron, didn’t you just draft a QB in the first round? I sure did, but remember how we’re technically starting BOTH Jackson AND Tebow? Basically we have the two of them starting, and Sage Rosenfels backing them both up. Who then, is the “third”/”emergency” quarterback? Well here he is: Tyler Sheehan. Of course, it’s ridiculous to have four QB’s on your active roster when you only have 53 precious roster spots, so Sheehan can go on the practice squad. Maybe when Rosenfels retires he can be elevated, or if Sheehan sucks (which we will be able to find out with him on the practice squad) we can always draft a new rookie QB when that time comes.

Finally, a couple more things. The weakest part of the Vikings team is the punter. So I’ve decided (being Vikings owner and GM in my fantasy-dreamworld) to hire a special punters coach: Sean Landeta. I’m sure he’d love to come and serve as a sort of personal trainer to my “8th round draft pick,” which is basically me signing the sure-to-be-undrafted Towson punter Bill Shears (pictured below) after the draft.

With Landeta I figure Shears can increase his punting range to 70+ yards, and become one of the greatest directional punters the league has ever seen (something he is already good at as a Towson Tiger).

However, the Steelers are missing three very important players: SS Troy Polamalu, LG Chris Kemoeatu, and QB Ben Roethlisberger. But this could play right at the Ravens’ weakness.

Chris Kemoeatu is our best run blocker. But Baltimore’s great against the run, so running backs Rashard Mendenhall, Mewelde Moore, and Willie Parker will likely have to get elusive around the whole defensive line anyway.

Troy Polamalu is the fourth dimension of Pittsburgh’s pass defense. Without him, it’s up to cornerback Ike Taylor and the two safeties: Ryan Clark and Tyrone Carter. But with Flacco playing badly lately, there’s a good chance he’ll miss his receivers anyway.

Ben Roethlisberger is the Steelers’ champion quarterback. He is always in the top 5 best QB’s in the league. His specialties include manipulating the defense with pump fakes and using his size and strength to get out of sure sacks. However, he suffered a concussion in overtime last week, and won’t play today.

…but this is where Pittsburgh’s secret weapon comes in.

Dennis Dixon is the Steelers’ third-string quarterback. This will be his second year in the league, and his first-ever NFL start. He is a different quarterback than Big Ben. He is not as big, but he is much faster. He’s more like a Vince Young.

There is no way the Ravens will be ready for something they’ve never seen before. But Dixon’s lack of experience may prove to weaken the Steelers offense to the point of inefficacy. If that happens, this is a game where the Ravens crush the Steelers.

If not, however, Dixon will confuse the hell out of the Ravens and surprise everyone in his first pro start.

FUN FACT: Roethlisberger played his first-ever pro game in Baltimore, after Tommy Maddox was injured.