[GTripp0012]

If Pennington starts the whole season, the Jets get a lot better: 8-9 wins. They should be improved defensively, and the Passing game always is above average with Chad in there.

The Browns are a 5-6 win team. Their offensive backfield play may not have been a complete mirage -- but that schedule is difficult on them, and their offensive talent at Quarterback and Runningback is clearly inferior to both Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Don't forget that they were the 30th ranked D last year and are counting on two veteran D Linemen to switch schemes and fill holes in the same offseason. Oh yeah, their top TWO corners last year -- one was traded to Detroit and one just got a season ending knee injury.

The Bengals are a 9-10 win team with that offense, but with the toughness of that division's schedule, that could take the AFC North, assuming they don't get swept by Pittsburgh. Their defense is likely to rebound from horrible to merely bad, and could improve past that depending on how the young corners develop.

Not sure if it's a surprise, but the Texans should be good for 9-10 wins.

The Cardinals figure to be a 10-11 win team. Leinart should stay healthy this year, and even if he doesn't, Kurt Warner can still handle his spot. That defense projects to be top notch, behind super safety Adrian Wilson (who missed most of last year's 8-8 effort) and franchise player Karlos Dansby. They've also done a great job building the defensive line there, which is both strong and deep.

The Rams should rebound nicely to 7-8 wins, and if Marc Bulger stays healthy, he should be pro bowl bound again.

I think the Bears will win 11 games and take the NFC North. There's no reason to think the defense can't be every bit as good as it was in 05-and-06, and they replaced two giant gaping holes on their offensive line, which should give the whole offense a fighting chance. It should be their best offense of the decade--which really isn't saying that much.