In the eyes of the NFL 2008 will be another year of record earnings, renewed interest in team rivalries, more teams competing to make the playoffs, and not another spygate  – they hope.

For fans, it’s about new hope. They wonder; did my team make enough hay in the offseason to go places this year?

For many, that answer could be "yes." For some — those who finished on the bottom of the league in 2007 — any improvement is a reason to watch.

With those things in mind, I took a look at the season for all NFL clubs and shared my predictions with tens of thousands of Chiefs fans in Warpaint Illustrated. Sure, they said, he’s a homer, he’s from New England, and he’s going to pick them.  Ah… don’t let the obvious cloud your judgment was my response.

Maybe they liked what they read because I was invited back to do a radio show with Warpaint’s publisher.  You can listen to the entire interview here: Warpaint, or listen to to pregame on 101 The FOX in Kansas City this morning.

AFC

West
Chargers:  Michael Turner’s departure will hurt, but they added talent in Antoine Cason and Jacob Hester.  Their defense remains one of the best with Shaun Philips, Shawne Merriman,  Igor Olshansky, Jamal Williams and Antonio Cromartie.

Broncos: Denver will improve due to the quality of their system if nothing else.  If health isn’t an issue, Jay Cutler should be able to lead the Broncos into another competitive season. Draft pick Peyton Hillis will do what’s needed to open holes for Denver’s runningbacks.

Chiefs:  Herm can get more out of his roster than Lane Kiffen can even with all the talent in Oakland.  KC’s Draft class will pay dividends down the road, but  getting them playing together in 2007 might be a bit of a challenge. Their Draft was impressive.  I’d be more impressed if they can turn that into a productive season.

Raiders: Darren McFadden was a nice pickup for the Raiders, but JaMarcus Russell makes me wonder if Oakland will every compete on a consistent basis.

North
Browns: Have you seen Cleveland’ offense?  Teams have to take Cleveland seriously, and I’m not sure they have the talent to shut down that offense.  Without a good secondary, it will be tough to contain Braylon Edwards , Kellen Winslow and the rest of that offense.  Cleveland is the darling pick of the AFC North It’s warranted.

Steelers: The Steelers would be the favorites if not for Cleveland’s amazing turnaround.  Pittsburgh returns top starters Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, and Aaron Smith.  LaMarr Woodley is becoming one of the best linebackers in the league.  Ben Roethlisberger still has enough weapons on offense to compete including Rashard Mendenhall.

Ravens:  Baltimore needs a quarterback and they’ll be ok.  Kyle Boller seems to have a chance to finally secure a long term job there.  That defense continues to be dominant.  It’s not about Ray Lewis anymore, the team has quietly built the defense into a major contender with Trevor Pryce, Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata.

Bengals: Carson Palmer will have a long season if the team can’t get the ground game going.  The Bengals have question marks everywhere. With Chad Johnson making  a spectacle of himself every week this team will have to fight to remain together despite Johnson’s antics.  Too bad, Palmer is one of the five best QBs in the league.

South
Colts: It’s All Peyton in Indy again.  Add in Joseph Addai, a healthy Dwight Freeney, Bob Sanders and this team is back on top.  Tony Ugoh is one of the best linemen in the league, and he’s getting better.

Jaguars: Jacksonville knocked off Pittsburgh last year in the playoffs, which was no fluke.  They have plenty of talent everywhere, but a long holdout by their Draft picks could disrupt any early momentum which they’ll need to have to get by Indy.  Maurice Jones-Drew gives the Jags offense a solid alternative to Fred Taylor.

Texans: Houston finished 8-8 last season and barely heard about how much improved they were.  Few people give them the credit they deserve in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. If it happened in New York, they’d be calling the coach Kubiak-genius.

Titans: Put Vince Young on your fantasy team, but don’t expect him to win games like he did at Texas.  Young hasn’t looked right as an NFL quarterback, and he’s still has a lot to learn.  Tennessee has a solid defense with Haynesworth anchoring a line that includes Kyle Vandebosch, but it’s not enough to overcome the offense’s issues.

East
Patriots: The class of the division. As long as Tom Brady is healthy, the team will win.  The defense has some work to do, but Jerod Mayo is looking good.

Bills: Even with Brett Favre, the Jets will not be able to overtake the Bills.  Buffalo has Trent Edwards under center for another season and he’s the real deal. Marshawn Lynch will power the Bills ground game, while the defense’s additions of Marcus Stroud and Leodis McKelvin will improve the entire unit.

Jets: Desperate times call for opening the wallet of Woody Johnson to buy every top free agent in sight.  If it worked for the Patriots why not the Jets?  Because it’s the Jets, that’s why.  Mangini may get more out of his roster this year, but not enough to content.

Dolphins: Even with Bill Parcells on board, the Fins have too far to climb. Ironically they have former Jets QB Chad Pennington to help them.

NFC

West
Seattle is poised to go back to the playoffs in style for Mike Holgren’s swan song season in the Northwest.  Matt Hasselbeck will lead the offense with Nate Burleson and Julius Jones, while Patrick Kerney returns to make the Seahawks defense dominant again.

Cardinals: The sexy pick is Matt Leinart for quarterback, but Kurt Warner remains to provide veteran leadership if needed. Dominique Rogers-Cromartie isn’t the same as his cousin Antonio, but will help improve Arizona’s defense.

Rams: I don’t understand why many previews have the Rams returning to compete.  I don’t see it.  Too many key losses, a coach who may not have what it takes to adjust on the fly if injuries resurface like last year. But they do have Stephen Jackson.  Not good enough.

49ers: A train wreck waiting to happen, or the return of a once mighty franchise?  Here’s betting it’s the former with Alex Smith leading the charge, though JT O’Sullivan may be able to change that outcome.

North
Vikings: A lot of people aren’t sold on Tavaris Jackson.  The defense, however, is something to behold.  That will make the team competitive. Without Favre in Green Bay, the Vikings are the favorites to win the division.  Plus Adrian Peterson is fun to watch.

Packers: Ditto on the defense. They’ll keep the Packers in the game.  Aaron Rogers just has to find his playmakers on offense and Green Bay has a chance.  It will be close, but I give the edge to Minnesota with Peterson and that defense. Is this the end of Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson?  Probably not.

Bears: Kyle Orton is better than Rex Grossman, but will Chicago figure that out in time to settle on a better quarterback to lead the team.  The defense has aged, but continues to be impressive at times.  Brian Urlacher, Tommy Harris and Lance Briggs make for a solid core.

Lions: Jon Kitna or not, the Lions have plenty of issues.  They have worlds of talent with Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams and Mike Furrey, but it looks like it’s going to be another long season for the Ford family and their fans.

South
Buccaneers: Tampa Bay has the defense, but it’s their offense that needs to turn it on.  Here’s betting Jeff Garcia can lead the team back to the playoffs.

Saints: Reggie Bush will give the Saints enough to compete.  You can never count out Drew Brees, but adding Randall Gay on defense wasn’t enough to fix the problem.  New Orleans will falter if injuries slow Bush, but Marques Colston will continue to impress.

Panthers: Unsettled is the word here.  They can be good, but that depends.  Will Delhomme return to form, or will it be another quest for a backup QB. Steve Smith’s fight in camp didn’t help.  Good team, but not good enough.

Falcons: I don’t even want to dignify picking Matt Ryan as the team’s saving grace. They’re going to be bad, just take my word for it.

East
Cowboys: Romo and T.O. again.  A solid defense that added Zach Thomas?  Ok, maybe that wasn’t such a good move, but this team has few holes and that will become evident as winter approaches.

Giants: No they’re not one-hit wonders, but they’re not going to have the same luck in 2008 they did in 2007.  It will cost them down the road without Michael Strahan.  Second to the Cowboys is where they’re at the start, and where they’ll end up in December.

Redskins: Sean Taylor mojo is gone, and so is the Redskins best chance to win the division.  Clinton Portis and Chris Samuels are the bright spots,  the rest of the team will disappoint.

Eagles: So they have three corners, but they still have Donovan McNabb.  Not fair you say, I agree, but they still have him, and they end up on the bottom in a tough division.

Playoffs

AFC Contenders:  Chargers, Browns, Colts, Patriots Wildcard: Bills, Steelers
AFC Champion: Patriots

I see the same lineup from years past showing up in the playoffs with a bit of new blood.  I think the Bills have what it takes to make the cut, while the Browns find a way to get past their rivals in the AFC North. 

Unfortunately for the Chargers and Colts, they cancel each other out, while the Pats get the Bills or Steelers. As I wrote in another column, I just don’t see the Patriots getting beat.  They find ways to win that are sometimes based on luck, but mostly because of the little things every player on the team contributes.  The Colts have the weapons, but someone is going to give them a hard time, and it’s either the Steelers or the Chargers.  When the dust settles, I think the AFCC is back to Patriots over Chargers.
 

NFC Contenders: Seahawks, Vikings, Buccaneers, Cowboys Wildcard:  Packers, Saints
NFC Champion: Cowboys

Minnesota has a lot of momentum on defense.  I can see them easily handing offenses in their division, even in their conference.  What I don’t see is how the keep up in a shootout.  The Buccaneers also have a tough defense, with a scrappy quarterback.  Garcia will find ways to win games on improvisation, but it will all come crashing down around him in the postseason. Saints and Packers get into the playoffs, but take an early exit.

How can you go against Mike Holmgren in his final season as head coach at Seattle?  I didn’t early on, but I just don’t see how they can get past the Cowboys.  Cowboys over the Seahawks in the championship game.

Super Bowl: Cowboys over Patriots.

Did I say Cowboys over Patriots?  I meant the other way around.  If the Cowboys make it to the final game, I think they have what it takes to win.  I’m not crowning the Boys now, and I’m not even sure they’ll make it to the Super Bowl, but I just can’t find enough good reasons why they won’t get there. Much like the Patriots.  For me its about what teams can stop them more than what teams they have to beat.

I hope I’m wrong, and I’m sure I will be in many ways, but for the record, those were my predictions last month… and I’m forced to stick with them.