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AFC EAST

Buffalo Bills

2014 Record: 9-7

Key Player: LeSean McCoy will need to reach some lofty heights to get this team the points they need. Tyrod Taylor will be starting QB. That defence, though. It’s something else.

What to Watch For: Rex Ryan likes feet and he likes coaching football. You can always expect all sorts of fun with him behind a microphone post-game and you can probably expect a pretty competitive team here too. If they had a franchise QB to boot then we’d be talking playoff run. As it is, they’re at least in the hunt.

Key Question: It’s been 15 years since they last made the playoffs, how about now?

2015 Prediction: 8-8

Miami Dolphins

2014 Record: 8-8

Key Player: No secret that this team needs one more step forward from Ryan Tannehill to finally be the team they hope to be. So far so good in the development of Tanny but it’s this last step from solid starter to genuine game-winner that tends to trip most people up.

What to Watch For: A team preparing for a return to the playoffs. The offence is short on weapons but Jordan Cameron offers plenty after joining from Cleveland, while a defensive line featuring Ndamukong Suh and Cameron Wake is Exorcist-level scary.

Key Question: Are they good enough to topple New England or are they playing for a wildcard spot?

2015 Prediction: 10-6

New England Patriots

2014 Record: 12-4 (Super Bowl Champions)

Key Player: Obviously Tom Brady is the main man, but 2015 Brady will need Gronk more than Gronk needs 2015 Brady. Rob Gronkowski it is.

What to Watch For: The Patriots are on a revenge mission and they’re ready to scorch some NFL earth after Deflate-Bollocks-Gate. Normally teams can be understood if they step back slightly after a championship season, the Patriots arguably have more to play for now than they did 12 months ago.

Key Question: How many previously unheard-of battlers will Belichick and company turn into dominating superstars this year? There’s usually at least two.

2015 Prediction: 11-5

New York Jets

2014 Record: 4-12

Key Player: Forget the stink at QB, that secondary looks mighty pretty with Antonio Cromartie and, especially, Darrelle Revis. Yup, the prodigal son has returned with a Super Bowl ring. Try and forget that it came with the Patriots…

What to Watch For: Oh don’t worry. Just leave the telly on for 10 mins and they’ll find something to capture the attention. There aren’t many sports teams as allergic to flying under the radar as the Jets. We’re talking about the team that made the Butt Fumble. The team who’s current starting quarterback got his jaw broken by a teammate.

Key Question: Will it still be Geno’s job when he gets back from injury?

2015 Prediction: 4-12

 

AFC NORTH

Baltimore Ravens

2014 Record: 10-6 (Lost in Divisional Playoffs)

Key Player: Love a bit of Terrell Suggs. Flying the flag for the new Balty defence.

What to Watch For: They play hard, they play tough, they have plenty of quality on both sides of the ball and Joe Flacco likes to air out a long pass every couple of possessions. The Ravens might even be an outside championship contender if they can find a couple sleeper contributors from their offensive position players.

Key Question: The usual one… Is Joe Flacco elite? (It’s pretty much a punchline by now)

2015 Prediction: 11-5

Cincinnati Bengals

2014 Record: 10-5-1 (Lost in Wild Card Playoffs)

Key Player: It’s Andy Dalton, sadly. We’ll have to see how that one pans out.

What to Watch For: The very definition of a team that does just enough and no more, their QB is the personification of all that. 40 wins, 23 losses and a tie in Dalton’s time as Bengals starter… and 0-4 in the playoffs. They’re actually a really slick, well-balanced team. Perhaps a little too balanced.

Key Question: Same as every year, how about a playoff win this time?

2015 Prediction: 8-8

Cleveland Browns

2014 Record: 7-9

Key Player: Argh, jeez. Brian Hoyer’s gone, Jordan Cameron’s gone, Josh Gordon’s suspended… Dwayne Bowe, maybe?

What to Watch For: Religious confirmation. If you’re having doubts, just watch a Cleveland sports game and know that God Hates Cleveland. Which in turn confirms the existence of such a deity as no city could be so accursed by mere coincidence. I mean, Josh McCown is their starting quarterback and it’s not even an accident. And Terrelle Pryor is on the squad as a wide receiver.

Key Question: Where’s Johnny?

2015 Prediction: 6-10

Pittsburgh Steelers

2014 Record: 11-5 (Lost in Wild Card Playoffs)

Key Player: Ben Roethlisberger, no doubt. 32 TDs & 9 INTs, 4952 yards at 67.1% last season. And it feels like he might even be able to top that.

What to Watch For: A seriously great offence. Big Ben in MVP form tossing passes to Antonio Brown with Le’Veon Bell running it out of the backfield (after his suspension is dutifully served). A few injuries to their line might halt them slightly but nothing’s gonna stop them. Well, maybe their defence…

Key Question: Yeah, there could be struggles without the ball. But will their offensive supremacy be capable of overcoming the holes on defence each week?

2015 Prediction: 11-5

 

AFC SOUTH

Houston Texans

2014 Record: 9-7

Key Player: Well… that J.J. Watt lad looks to go alright. Could be big things in his future.

What to Watch For: All those guys you grew to know and love on Hard Knocks this season. Except for the ones that got cut, you can forget about them. And not Arian Foster for a while either, he’s injured. Jadaveon Clowney on the other side from J.J. Watt, though… that’s frightening.

Key Question: Will they ever find a quarterback in Houston? Brian Hoyer’s got the job for now, he’ll do okay at least.

2015 Prediction: 7-9

Indianapolis Colts

2014 Record: 11-5 (Lost in Conference Final)

Key Player: The obvious answer is Lucky, but T.Y. Hilton needs to have another massive campaign. This will be the first year since 2000 that Reggie Wayne hasn’t been there at wide-out. #1 receiver, that’s Hilton’s job now. Of course, Andre Johnson will be a big help to that cause.

What to Watch For: They were already one of the most dangerous offences in the league, and that was with Trent Richardson as running back (read: nobody). With Frank Gore eating up yardage, things done changed. For the better.

Key Question: Andrew Luck has gone one better every playoffs so far in his career. Lost in WC in 2013, lost in Divs 2014 and lost in Confs at the start of this year. Is anything short of a Super Bowl appearance gonna be a disappointment this season?

2015 Prediction: 11-5

Jacksonville Jaguars

2014 Record: 3-13

Key Player: Julius Thomas has dropped in from Denver, he knows a thing or two about winning football games. Good for him, he’ll need to impart a fair bit of that knowledge to his impressionable teammates.

What to Watch For: Because only the hippest of the hip will bother watching a team that’s won just 14 games in the last 4 years combined. So fold up those trouser legs, run a comb through that moustache and sit yourself down on your vegan-upholstered couch with a glass of craft beer, coz Blake Bortles has got the ball in his hands.

Key Question: No expectations here, but any chance of spotting that light at the end of the tunnel sometime in the next few months?

2015 Prediction: 5-11

Tennessee Titans

2014 Record: 2-14

Key Player: Marcus Mariota could become The Dude for this team. Or he could be Jake Locker II (who was solid when fit, but recently retired at 27).

What to Watch For: Like, you probably shouldn’t watch them at all. If you must, though, then definitely keep a close watch on Mariota. Also, Dick LeBeau is their defensive coordinator now, an all-time coaching legend still looking for new challenges at 77 years old. He’ll make a difference.

Key Question: Where are all the playmakers?

2015 Prediction: 3-13

 

AFC WEST

Denver Broncos

2014 Record: 12-4 (Lost in Divisional Playoffs)

Key Player: Probably gonna be Peyton Manning again, let’s be honest.

What to Watch For: A smorgasbord of exciting players, many with a point to prove. Any roster that has Peyton Manning, DeMarcus Ware, Demaryius Thomas, Von Miller and Aqib Talib is worth at least some of your time. The Broncos may not be quite as all-conquering as in previous (regular season) years but they’ve still got title potential all the same.

Key Question: Does Peyton have another run of 16 games plus playoffs left in him?

2015 Prediction: 13-3

Kansas City Chiefs

2014 Record: 9-7

Key Player: Wonderful to see Eric Berry back in action

What to Watch For: The addition of Jeremy Maclin makes their offence tick a little more than before, this is a team that didn’t throw a single TD to a wide receiver last season. If they can spread the field that little bit more then suddenly Jamaal Charles has his MVP candidacy back.

Key Question: Are the Chiefs an under-performing good team or an over-performing bad one?

2015 Prediction: 9-7

Oakland Raiders

2014 Record: 3-13

Key Player: Derek Carr’s supposed to be the QB of the next decade for this team but if he’s ever gonna make it from potential to realised talent then rookie WR Amari Cooper will have a lot to do with it. Lock him in for Rookie of the Year candidacy already.

What to Watch For: Apart from Cooper and a couple nice defensive options, not much else. This is a team that’s gonna struggle to beat any of their division rivals and they certainly won’t be threatening the post-season.

Key Question: Would they rather be up at the prouder-looking 6 or 7 wins or playing for the top pick with 2 or 3?

2015 Prediction: 2-14

San Diego Chargers

2014 Record: 9-7

Key Player: Here’s an odd one… King Dunlap. The left tackle is generally the best blocker on a team because he covers the QB’s blindside. Dunlap’s the steady man in a rebuilt offensive line, he’s the one they can trust.

What to Watch For: With that reshuffled O-Line and with Antonio Gates suspended for the first four games., that could mean an early hill to climb. But once they get into the swing of things, Philip Rivers is always good for some entertaining play, generally much more of the sublime than the awful these days. Rookie Melvin Gordon ought to get plenty of work at running back too, they need a run game pretty desperately.

Key Question: Another 9 win season, or…?

2015 Prediction: 9-7 (Sorry)