Okay, so we missed a week of picks. Sometime things come up, like laziness and procrastination and delicious roast beef sandwiches!




On with the show!

BRONCOS @ TITANS- It seems like the Titans are only as good as Vince Young. Which is not super, really, since VY has not ever really been consistent. Not sure what to make of the Broncos, but I am almost never sold on them, so.....Titans 23-13

RAVENS @ STEELERS- The Ravens added Anquan Boldin and TJ Whosyourmamma, to bolster an offense to supplement an already stellar defense. The defense is still stellarish, but the "O" has not lived up to anything close to the hype and I can't say it will get any easier for them this week at the Ketchup Packet. This one will be defensive slugfest of the highest order. That's right, the HIGHEST order! Ravens 7-6

BENGALS @ BROWNS- I expected biggish things from the Bengals this season, and after week one that looked like lofty expectations. The Bengals rebounded by edging out the Ravens and then beating the Panthers. What's standing between them and 3-1? Seneca Wallace. Seneca Wallace? That's what the Browns came into this season with? Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace? Really? Probably safe to say the Dawg Pound was not banking on a playoff trip this year. Bengals 27-17

LIONS @ PACKERS- The Pack will be looking to rebound from the Monday night loss, and while the Lions are full of sass, I feel the Pack should be okay in week four. Packers 28-16

PANTHERS @ SAINTS- I'm pretty sure I am not the only one waiting for the Saints to just, as the kids say, "go off". Thus far the Saints first three games have been decided by a total, yes TOTAL, of 11 points. Of course part of having sucess in the NFL is winning close games, but still, it would be nice if the Saints would show a bit of dominance at some point. This could be the week! Saints 31-14

49ERS @ FALCONS- The Niners were one of the darlings in almost everyone's, preseason predictions, but thus far they have been, well, not good. Normally, I'd say not to panic, since they are in the NFC West, but the Seahawks are proving to be a bit of a fly in the ointment. That and the fact I picked the Dirty Birds to be playing in the final game of the year, spells trouble and, more than likely, 0-4 for the Niners. Falcons 28-13

SEAHAWKS @ RAMS- Both these squads raised eyebrows, or so I am told (I didn't actually see any eyebrows raise, it's more of an expression I guess) last week, with a couple of surprising wins. How sold am I on the 'Hawks? Not very. The Rams are up and coming and Slingin' Sammy Bradford is settling in nicely. Something tells me I should pick the 'Hawks, but I'm not gonna. Rams 23-17

JETS @ BILLS- The Hahvahd boy, Ryan Fitzpatrick can sling a pigskin wicked hahd! But unfortunately for him the Jets "D" is a smidge better than the Pats, so it could be a long afternoon in Orchard Park for the Billsies. Jets 24-9

COLTS @ JAGUARS- I can't really think of any logical reason the Colts would lose this game. Colts 31-14

TEXANS @ RAIDERS- I can't really think of any logical reason the Texans would lose this game. Texans 27-13

CARDINALS @ CHARGERS- The Chargers are off to their typical slow start, which makes it a perfect time for the Cards to pull off the upset. It is very possible to upset the Bolts (see Chiefs, Kansas City and Seahawks, Seattle) at this juncture. But, I would see the odds are better, that the Chargers will prevail. Chargers 27-20

REDSKINS @ EAGLES- McNabb Bowl I! D-Nabb's first game in Philly not wearing the green and white, should be worth watching. But if I know one thing, it's that Philadelphia fans are always willing to greet their former players with nothing but adoration, respect and kindness. I mean if there is a kinder and gentler fan base in sports than in Philly, I dare you to find it! Eagles 28-17

BEARS @ GIANTS- This is an intriguing matchup, for sure. I don't know what to make of either team. Are the Bears good? Are the Giants bad? I think the answer to both questions is, maybe. I've never thought much of Jay Cutler, but combine a Mike Martz offense with a bruising defense and all of sudden you've got a team that just might be darned good. Darned, I say! I'm still not sold on Jay-C, but with that defense, he doesn't need to be Joe Montana to keep Da Bears in games. On the other side, that supposed stud defense of the G-men has been torched for 67 points in the last two games. Doesn't look good for the Giants. Bears 31-21

PATRIOTS @ DOLPHINS- The Pats defense is not what it once was, to say the least, but can Chad Henne and comapany take advantage of said lamer defense? Well, Mark Sanchez did. Ryan Fitzpatrick did. So why not Chad Henne? Dolphins 24-23

Well there you have your week four picks! And now for your cheese.....

SETTLE DOWN!

Welcome to a new segment here at "Bitterness", that we'll simply call " Settle Down!" It'll be pretty much self-explanatory, but I'll explanate, er explain, it to you anyway. Ya see, every single day, the media, among others, crank up the Hype-a-Tron 5000 and hand us a ton of, what is, for the most part, unwarranted hyperbolic nonsense. And due to their hyperbolictivity, they need to be asked to settle down. Maybe it'll become clearer once we get started? Well, let's hope so. And away we go!

• To everyone touting the Bucs and Josh Freeman and their 2-0 start, settle down! Look, I like Josh Freeman, he seems like a nice enough fella, and the Bucs could surprise some people, but let's focus people! They beat the Browns and the Panthers, not exactly powerhouses. Now I will give you, they have already exceeded mine, and everyone else's, expectations, but let's just settle down, before we "buy in".
• For those who were quick to think Arian Foster was the next Barry Foster, settle down! Now, I now after AF's week two performance, a lot of people did in fact settle down, but they are still very high on him. Look, he could very well, dominate for years to come, but it weren't too long ago the Texans had another young RB taking charge, and how did that turn out, hmmm?
• If you're sold on Mark Sanchez as turning "it" all around, settle down! It was one game, and I know everyone still overrates the Pats, but the New England secondary is a siv. So, it's tough to say whether Sanchez is ready to step up or the Pats secondary is just that pathetic, but why don't we just settle down and wait and see.
• For those that are stunned by Brett Favre's shaky start, settle down! I'm not saying whether or not the Vikes will turn things around, but it was only a matter of time before things caught up with the aged gunslinger. Is it just me, or does Bret Favre lead the league in wincing?
• Anyone thinking the Browns are underachieving, settle down! I know they finished last season strong, but how many times have we seen that scenario before? You know, a bad team finishing a season strong, because they're playing with reckless abandon and, well, quite frankly over their heads, going into the next season with some sort of hype following right along beside them. So, anyone who thought the Brownies were ready to be contenders, needs to settle down!

Well, that concludes the first edition of "Settle Down!" Look for us, and possibly Brownie (pictured above) to tell even more people to settle down, next week!

WEEK TWO: BENCH ROMO

CHIEVES @ BROWNS- Here's a game that could really go either way. The Chieves upset the Bolts on Monday night, and the Browns lost to the Buccaneers, the team I picked to be in the running for the worst record this season. Now, let it be said that I am not sold on KC, but I am sold on the awfulicity of Jake Delhomme. That young KC defense showed some things on MNF, or so I am told (it finished a bit past my bedtime) and they could cause some problems for Jakey D. Chieves 16-13

BILLS @ PACKERS- Well, the Bills could have lost by more in week one I suppose, but that may be more telling of the Dolphins mediocrity, than the Bills goodness. No one is giving the Bills a chance and Lambeau, and with good reason. Packers 28-10

RAVENS @ BENGALS- Based on week one performances this should be a no-brainer, right? Probably, but since when have I done things by the book? The Jets didn't try and work that battered Ravens secondary, but the Bengals could, what with that high-priced receiving corps. But seriously, everything points to a Ravens win. Bengals 21-17

STEELERS @ TITANS- Sure the Steel crew surprised me by beating the Falcons to start the season, but I expect big things from the Titans this year. Should be a tight one, but I think VY and the Titans can pull it out. Titans 24-14

EAGLES @ LIONS- What can I say, Lions fans? You got jobbed. But look at it this way, it's not like the Lions were playoff bound anyway. So, it's only gonna help your drafting position, right? Silver lining, Detroit. Silver lining. Gotta say, I don't feel like the Lions will jump into the win column this week, either. Eagles 27-17

BEARS @ COWBOYS- Bears did put up some big offensive numbers in the opener, but how does a Mike Martz offense not score from the goal line, given four tries? I am not high on Jay-Cut as you may well know. I wasn't going anywhere with that, just wanted to reiterate, is all. Cowboys should, SHOULD, look better this week, but who knows? Cowboys 35-27

BUCCANEERS @ PANTHERS- I'm thinking DeAngelo Williams and "The Daily Show" will be looking to run amok (that's right, amok!) after being outright stymied by the G-Men last week! Plus the Bucs are not good. They got lucky against the Brownies. Now, it is possible the Bucs could be dancing with lady luck in week two as well, but I don't think so. Panthers 27-13

CARDINALS @ FALCONS- Neither squad was overly impressive in week one. I mean the Cards drew the Rams, and let's be honest, even with a promising young QB, it takes a high level of suckitude to lose to the Rammers. Now, I picked the Falcons to be the NFC Champs, which seems like a dumbish pick, sure, but I stand by it. Unless they start 0-2! Really, if they can't beat Derek Anderson (Max Hall, anyone?) than I am really gonna have to rethink some things. Falcons 38-21

DOLPHINS @ VIKINGS- Hey, here's a game I could not care less about. Is age finally, really, catching up with the Gunslinger? He did not look like he was having fun or about to lead the league in smiles, in New Orleans last Thursday. Both teams, are a bit overrated, but me thinks the Vikings are just flat out better. If the Dolphins hold Adrian Petersen to 14 all-purpose yards, then I may drink that dolphin-safe tuna juice. But not yet! Vikings 27-19

RAMS @ RAIDERS- The Los Angeles Bowl? Nothing like a battle between the last two franchises to play in La-la-land. Add in the fact, that both squads have been putrid for several years. Here's a weird thing to think about, though- These teams have been to a combined 3 Super Bowls in the last 11 years! Yes in the last eleven years the Rams have been to as many Super Bowls as the Steelers and the Colts! Both teams have been to more than the Cowboys or the Chargers or the Packers! Anyway, for some reason the Raiders annointed Jason Campbell their savior, and people thought they were some sort of playoff contender? I didn't buy it, and I looked spot on, with that not buying of it, in week one. But, are they bad enough to lose to the Rams? Maybe. I think the Rams will shoot themselves in the foot, though. Raiders 17-14

SEAHAWKS @ BRONCOS- Anyone who said they saw Seattle's week one lambasting of the Niners, and cannot back it up, is probably lying. Unless their name rhymes with "sweet barrel". This is another game I don't want to watch, primarily because I just don't care. Broncos 21-20

TEXANS @ REDSKINS- The Texans took a big step towards convincing me they are contenders with that win over the Colts, but it's a long season, and Arian Foster, prob-a-bly won't rush for two hundred yards every week, but he may be good. Skins are not as good as the Colts. Texans 28-17

JAGUARS @ CHARGERS- I was so close to picking the Chieves in week one, but thought, despite their penchant for starting slow, the Chargers would handle them. WRONG! I look for a big day from MJD and a Jags upset! Jaguars 21-20

PATRIOTS @ JETS- Patriots probably aren't quite as good as they looked last week, while the Jets may not be quite as bad as they looked last week. In what'll arguably be the most talked about game of week two (yes, more hyped than Chieves-Browns!) it should be a slugfest. All signs point to a Pats win, so the they'll probably lose, but I'm sticking to my gut! Patriots 21-17

GIANTS @ COLTS- Ah, Manning Bowl II. If the Giants can run the ball like the Texans and control the clock, they could very will pick up a "W" here. Here's the thing though, Peyton Manning just does not start 0-2. Last time he did that? His rookie year. Of course that is a relative stat. They may not have good competition in the first two weeks in any of those seasons, right? I suppose I could look it up, but I won't. Colts 27-23

SAINTS @ NINERS- There is really no good reason to pick the Niners in this one. But something in my gut sees an upset, gosh darnit! Pardon my French. Some weird stuff will happen in the Bay Area on Monday night! Niners 14-10

WEEK ONE: TO KITNA, WITH LOVE

PANTHERS @ GIANTS- This year's G-men "D" is supposed to be legit, and the Panthers have an inexperienced QB in Matty Tyler Moore. Normally that could spell disaster, BUT the G-Men are a bit banged up in the middle of the line and the Panthers have some darned good runners in "The Daily Show" Johnathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. So while DeAngelo and "The Daily Show" could both possibly hit the century mark on the ground, it'll be the Giants who will grind out the win, in what I expect to be the quickest game of the week. Giants 20-10

DOLPHINS @ BILLS- It makes me sad that the NFL no longer makes the 'Phins travel up into the northeast during the winter months. But, that aside, I think the 'Phins are highly overrated. On the other hands they may have enough to get by the Bills. Despite a big day from C.J. Spiller, the Phins will prevail. Dolphins 21-17

FALCONS @ STEELERS- Matty Ice is ready to take control and dominate! At least I think so. The Falcons are my NFC favorite, so of course I think they can handle the Ben-less Steelers. Falcons 23-17

LIONS @ BEARS- I really don't know what to make of the Bears, to be quite honest. They could hang with the Pack and the Vikes all year or be a complete nonentity, I dunno? But, while the Lions are gonna take a big step forward this year, I think they won't quite be ready to upset Da Bears in the opener. Bears 31-20

BENGALS @ PATRIOTS- This seems to have become the trendy week one upset pick. I thought I was original thinking the Bengals, what with T.O and Ochocinco and all, would eat up the very "green" Pats secondary, but it appears everyone else is sniffin' that as well. So much so, that it makes me almost wanna go against my original pick! Nah. Bengals 31-27

BROWNS @ BUCCANEERS- The Bucs are the only team that will be blacked out in their area. Hard to imagine why? That was sarcasm folks. Why would anyone want to pay big bucks to watch this Tampa Bay squad? Unless they're wearing those delicious creamsicle unis, than they really aren't worth watching. Browns 24-10

BRONCOS @ JAGUARS- The Jaguars sold out! Yep, that's news! They didn't sign anyone making them a contender or anything, they just draw the Broncos and Florida star Tim Tebow in week one. Broncos rode last year's fast start to all sorts of, what amounted to unnwaranted, praise and hype. The overhypedness of Josh McD's squad has led many to believe this will be a cake walk for them in the opener. Well it won't be easy-peasy, but the Broncos will prevail. Broncos 24-21

COLTS @ TEXANS- Is it just me or does it seem like the Texans have been a trendy playoff pick for like the last decade? Well many think this is the year. Me? I'll believe it when I see it. Beating Indy in week one, could go along way towards convincing me. But that's another, "believe it when I see it" scenario. Colts 31-24

RAIDERS @ TITANS- The Raiders get Jason Campbell and all of the sudden, they're a playoff contender? What? Let's not get too carried away here folks. Sure, pretty much anything resembling competency at quarterback is an upgrade over JaMarcus Russell, but they are still the Raiders and no one on that Oakland squad has proven jack squat! Look for Chris Johnson to run wild and hold of the silver and black attack! Titans 24-16

PACKERS @ EAGLES- I love me some Packers and Aaron Rodgers, but I was high on them (them, glue fumes, whichever) at the beginning of last year too, and they would go on to disappoint me. Supposedly they've learned from last year and they are darned good on both side of the ball. Dom Capers should throw everything, including the kitchen sink, at Kevin Kolb. Packers 27-17

49ERS @ SEAHAWKS- Saying the Niners will win the NFC West is really not saying much. Winning the NFC West will be like being the skinniest kid at fat camp. That being said, Mike Singletary is tough and so are the Niners. The Seahawks? Not so much. No one is expecting much from the Seahawks which is the perfect way for a team to go into a season. They play bad? It's expected. Nothing to lose, right? But, on a serious note, Seahawks fans, Pete Carroll is not a good NFL coach. Niners 17-0

CARDINALS @ RAMS- Cardinals are ushering in the Derek Anderson era? While we all await the emergence of Max Hall, D-Andy is the man in 'Zona. Luckily he draws the lowly Rams in week one. On the other side though, Sam Bradford hasn't looked terrible. "Greatest Show on Turf", they ain't, but the Rammers could maybe do some things here and there. A definite upset possibility, but I'm sticking with the Cards. Cardinals 37-31

COWBOYS @ REDSKINS- Donovan McNabb's last two games were against the Cowboys. Both losses. I'll have to check the stats, but if he loses Sunday he may become the first QB in NFL (no AFL, CFL or USFL stats, please folks)history to lose three consecutive games, all to the same team? The Skins are much improved, but I still feel the Cowboys are the beasts of the NFC East. Cowboys 27-21

RAVENS @ JETS- Is there anyone outside of the Jetsdom, that likes Rex Ryan? Be honest. The Jets have a good defense, but are they a Super Bowl caliber team? I submit that they are not. The Ravens on the other hand? Absotively! Derrick Mason, Anquan Boldin and now T.J. Houshmanzadeh. Well, Darelle Revis is good, but I'm pretty sure he can only cover one of those guys at a time. Ravens 24-16

CHARGERS @ CHIEFS- The Chargers have become known for their slow starts, but ya gotta think they can handle "Sand" Cassel and the Chieves to start the season, right? I was very briefly tempted to pick the upset here, but common sense, as it rarely does for me, prevailed. Chargers 27-13


And of course, here is your cheese:

GAME ONE: KITNA-LESS

Alright, so as my 5th grade basketball camp coach said, "Procrastination is the chief thief of time." Yeah, kind of waited til the last minute with the old week one picks, so I'm gonna give you the pick for tonight's game and you can can look for the rest of the week's picks early tomorrow, to help get you through your Friday at work!

VIKINGS @ SAINTS: This may be the toughest call of week one, for me anyway. A rematch of last year's NFC Championship game, could very well be a preview of this year's championship game? On the one hand the Vikings turned the ball over five times in their postseason meeting last year, but the Saints still needed overtime to beat them. On the other hand Bret Favre is old and Drew Brees is well, not so much. Gregg Williams should keep Favre on the move and on the turf throughout the night, but will that be enough? They battered Favre around in that NFC title game last year and still almost came up empty. I think the Saints are the better team and will have the home crowd to help them, but the adrenaline and expectations may get the best of them in the opener, that's why I'm making my first bold, and possibly stupid, upset (although 5.5 point underdogs, not a super upset special) pick of the season! Vikings 27-23

ARE YOU PREPARED FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!

Yeah, the legal department informs me that we can't use, "Are you ready for some football?!" without express written consent of MNF. Apparently our implied oral consent will not hold up in a court of law? Not even a kangaroo court! Anyway, I'm sure my five loyal readers are wondering where their "Bitterness" has been over the past few months. Well, we were contemplating retiring from blogging. Hanging up the old laptop to spend more time with my family. But, after much consternation, hemming and hawing, I've decided I've still got some good blog posts left in me, by gum! Okay, now that, that's taken care of, onto the NFL preview!

I am gonna level with you all, I have not kept up much with what's been happening in the NFL off-season, so take these predictions, which are normally spot on, with a grains of salt. In fact, why don't you put those grains around the rim of a glass, pour a margarita in there, and celebrate the waning of summertime! Huzzah!

NFC EAST
The NFC East looks like it will once again be an angry cockfight! It seems the 'Skins have made some big upgrades, mostly in the coaching department, but they are after all, the Redskins, so unlike the esteemed Mr. Ross Tucker, I just can't pick them to win the division. Don't get me wrong, Donovan McNabb is still pretty good, but even if- and it is a sizable "IF"- he does stay healthy, I just don't see him leading this team to the promised land, and sorry 'Skins fans, but Gus Frerotte is not walking through that door! Well, actually, I wouldn't rule that out. Anyway, I still think this is the Cowboy's division to win. Yeah, I said it! What?! I'm never confident in the Iggles, and they are even more of a question mark this year with Kevin "Corn on the" Kolb at the helm of the offense. Meanwhile, the Giants should hang with the 'Boys until the bitter end, or week 15, whichever comes first.

Predicted standings:
Cowboys 11-5
Giants 10-6
Redskins 8-8
Eagles 8-8

NFC NORTH
I'm gonna go out on a limb and say the NFC Norris division will come down to the Packers and the Vikings. Sure, the Bears will somehow be in the mix throughout, but let's face it, Jay Cutler is, well, Jay Cutler. Not to knock Jay Cutler or anything. Okay, I guess I am absolutely knocking Jay Cutler. It's not that Jay-C isn't a good QB, he's just not great. I just don't feel he can keep his head on a swivel, when it counts, that's all! Part of it, is the media made him out to be more than what he was, when he signed with Da Bears last year, and that irks me! Wow, wasn't planning on such a big Jay Cutler tangent there. Moving on! A lot of people are high on the Pack this year, and with good reason, sure. But it seems that the Packers underachieve way to often for my liking. Sure I still think they'll edge out the aging gunslinger and the Vikes for the division crown, but not sure if they're ready to move into the echelon of the elite just yet. And of course, the Lions still have reservations at the hot new restaurant, The NFC North Basement, but could be the feistiest they've been in, well, a long time.

Predicted Standings
Packers 10-6
Vikings 9-7
Bears 7-9
Lions 5-11

NFC SOUTH
Well, if you are any sort of fan of the NFL, you probably already know, no team has ever won back-to-back NFC South titles. And you probably already know that for the past seven years, the team finishing last in the NFC South the previous year, has made the playoffs. Well, that all ends this year! Boom! I know, does not sound like a very bold prediction, but the Falcons are pretty good and Matty Ice has another year of experience under his belt, so the Dirty Birds could overtake the Saints. They won't, but they could. As for the Bucs making the playoffs? HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, that is rich! Now stranger things have happened, but this one is out there, for sure! HAHAHAHAHA! Bucs making the playoffs! I've got a better chance of signing on as their 3rd string QB, than they have of making the playoffs! BUCS IN THE PLAYOFFS?! AHAHAHHAHAHA! Oh, okay, sorry, gotta bit carried away there. So yeah, Saints will fend off the Falcons and capture another NFC South title.

Predicted Standings:
Saints 12-4
Falcons 11-5
Panthers 5-11
Buccaneers 2-14

NFC WEST
Alex Smith, Sam Bradford, Derek Anderson, Matt Hasselback. These are your NFC West quarterbacks. The NFC West has got to be the worst division in football. That being sad, it has been worse, but not by much. To me, this is the Niners division to take. Each of the four teams in the division have major question marks, though. Is Alex Smith actually ready to be consistent and lead? Will Matt Hasselback stay healthy? Can Pete Carrol actually have success in the NFL? Derek Anderson? Really? And well the Rams are just a big question mark in general right now.

Predicted Standings:
49ers 9-7
Cardinals 7-9
Seahawks 4-12
Rams 3-13

AFC EAST
The Jets have the Hardknocks curse looming large, the Patriots have a lack of pass rush and a young secondary, the Dolphins have a somewhat inexperienced QB, and the Bills, well, it's gonna be a long season for the Bills. The Jets also have to be wondering what they'll get from Mark Sanchez in his second season. Will teams respect his arm enough to not gang up on the run? I'm not convinced they will, but they should still have a heck of a good defense. Then, there's the Patriots. Every year it seems, they are on the way out, but could this be the year, where they drop another peg and Belichik gets a piece of humble pie? Well, they were terrible in the third, and supposedly most important, preseason game against the Rams. THE RAMS! Now it was JUST a preseason game, but the way Belichik reacted you'd think they just lost a playoff game or something. But who knows, maybe that was just a Belichik ploy?

Predicted standings:
Jets 10-6
Patriots 10-6
Dolphins 9-7
Bills 3-12

AFC NORTH
The North seems like it's Baltimore's to lose. However their defense is not quite as potent as it once was. Don't get me wrong, it's still a darn good defense, just not as good as everyone seems to think. But they should be able to pull out a division title, and a good playoff run. The Bengals are leading the league in players who have had their own VH-1 reality show. Can the big personalities of T.O. and Ochocinco coexist in perfect harmony? If they can do that and Carson Palmer can return close to form, the Bengals should have a pretty darned decent chance at keeping pace with the Ravens. The Steelers are the wild card in all this. It'll all depend on what they can accomplish in the four weeks without Big Ben. The Browns could prove feisty as well, as they did finish last season on a high note. But they're still not quite "there" yet, I think.

Predicted standings
Ravens 12-4
Bengals 10-6
Steelers 8-8
Browns 6-10

AFC SOUTH
Seemed like last year a lot of people thought the Colts would be on some sort of downswing. All they did, was start 14-0 and head to another Super Bowl. Some downswing. While they have some O-line questions, the AFC South is still their's to lose. The Titans should be tough, but it'll all really depend on what VY does, if they want to actually compete for the AFC South crown. A lot of people are high on the Texans, but I think a lot of those people may just be high. The Texans have been a trendy pick for what seems like the last decade, so forgive me if I'm not entirely sold on the Kubiak Kids. And the Jaguars are just a mess. MJD is money in the bank, but they have more question marks than the Riddler, littering the rest of their roster.

Predicted standings:
Colts 13-3
Titans 10-6
Texans 9-7
Jaguars 4-12

AFC WEST
The Chargers are still the class of the west, but supposedly the rest of the division is on the rise. But the Chargers should not worry too much about that as all the team's are still a ways off. For some reason the Raiders are suddenly the trendy pick? I personally don't get it and will believe it when I see it. It is really a big testament to how putrid JaMarcus Russel was at QB, that Jason Campbell makes their offense 20 times better. I mean, it is only Jason Campbell folks, let's simmer down a bit. The Chieves brought in Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel (sound familiar), but I wouldn't expect the Chieves to be the Pats circa 2001, just yet. Not until Matt Cassel can really show something anyway. The Broncos played over their heads last year, but could pull off a few upsets here and there. Me thinks Josh McD's suad peaked with last year's fast start, but they have Tim Tebow, which should be interesting, at least?

Predicted Standings
Chargers 12-4
Broncos 8-8
Raiders 7-9
Chieves 6-10

Alright, so there are your predicted division standings, here are your Wild Card teams: Bengals, Patriots, Falcons, Giants

AFC Champion- Ravens. I did not want to pick them, but figure it'll either be them or Indy, and I just don't see Indy returning, not sure why? I also considered the Bengals, but they need to win a playoff game under Marvin Lewis, before I can really believe in them.

NFC Champion- Falcons. I am just really high on the Falcons. A lot of people are saying the Packers, which is primarily why I did not pick them. That and the fact they still need to prove themselves a bit more to me. I think the NFC playoffs could be wide open. Heck, I wouldn't even be completely stunned to see the Niners in Dallas! Sorry for ruining your season by picking you Falcons, but that's how the cookie crumbles?

Super Bowl Champions- Ravens

MVP- Was gonna go with the boring choice and flip a coin between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, but what the heck fun is that? So, I'm going with (drum roll please)......Ray Rice. Not a complete dark horse, but I wouldn't see him as a favorite, maybe?

AFC Offensive Player of the Year- Peyton Manning, IND
NFC Offensive Player of the Year- Eli Manning, NYG. JUST KIDDING! HAHA! Aaron Rodgers, GB

AFC Defensive Player of the Year- Darelle Revis, NYJ
NFC Defensive Player of the Year- Marcus Spears, DAL

AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year- CJ Spiller, BUF
NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year- Mike Williams, TB (Orange represent?)

AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year- I really have no clue.
NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year- That Suh fella?

Well that conclude the "Bitterness" NFL preview. Enjoy the season! Huzzah!