NFL - Look Ahead to 2012

It happened again. There were 6 teams that made the playoffs this year that did not last year. This is the 16th season in a row in which there were at least 5 new teams in the playoffs. That trend says that you can expect the same in 2012. The NFL landscape changes every season. Here is a look ahead at who the best and most improved teams could be in each division in 2012.

AFC East

Best: New England. Is there any question here? The Patriots made it to another Super Bowl in 2011, despite not having the best talent. Tom Brady was magnificent throughout the regular season, and Bill Belechick still knows which buttons to push. New England has 4 draft picks in Rounds 1 and 2 of the NFL Draft which means they should be able to stockpile more talent.

Most Improved: Miami. The Dolphins were a much better team in the 2nd half of the 2011 season. Miami began the year 0-7 before finishing 6-10. Their management team has made no secret about the fact that they want to upgrade at QB and won't be afraid to spend money. There have been whispers about Peyton Manning or Matt Flynn bringing their talents to South Beach. If they do land one of these men, look for it to make an immediate impact.

AFC North

Best: Baltimore. This is always a tough one call because Baltimore and Pittsburgh are so evenly matched. Well last year I said that I would go with Pittsburgh until Baltimore could prove that they could beat the Steelers. The Ravens beat them twice this year and advanced further in the playoffs. Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are getting older but I think they have one more solid year ahead of them. And Terrell Suggs won Defensive Player of the Year, not Lewis or Reed.

Most Improved: Cleveland. There is really no choice here but the Browns. The only way Baltimore could improve is by going to the Super Bowl, Pittsburgh would have to win 12+ games, and Cincinnati would have to win a playoff game. I don't think any of that will happen. The Browns took a step back this year, so the only way to go is up. They have some solid pieces to build around on defense, but their offense was putrid. They draft 4th overall and should be able to get a playmaker such as Robert Griffin III, Justin Blackmon, or Trent Richardson.

AFC South

Best: Houston. The Texans finally got over the hump this season. They were 7-3 before Matt Schaub got hurt. Even without Schaub, Houston won the AFC South and won a playoff game for the 1st time in franchise history. They had a slew of injuries on top of Schaub's. Schaub, Mario Williams, and Andre Johnson should all be healthy next season. The Texans are solid on both sides of the ball and could be a heavy contender to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl next season.

Most Improved: Indianapolis. The Colts lost Peyton Manning for the year and were abysmal because of it. It looks like Peyton's days in Indy are numbered. All signs point towards Andrew Luck being the Colts selection with the 1st pick of the NFL Draft. Indianapolis still has some talent on their squad. Don't expect Luck to bring it out in them like Manning did for so many years. But there is enough in the cupboard for Indianapolis to move from 2-14 to 6-10 next season.

AFC West

Best: San Diego. Once again, there is no doubt that the Chargers have the most talented roster in the AFC West. Their season actually started out bright this year, but they had mid-season swoon in which they lost 6 straight games and ultimately cost them the AFC West. They decided to retain Norv Turner, which means he will get another crack at getting Phillip Rivers and the rest of this squad over the hump. If San Diego doesn't reach the playoffs again next year, it will be a disgrace.

Most Improved: Kansas City. The Chiefs were derailed by injuries from the very beginning of the season. Their All-Pro RB Jamaal Charles was lost for the year in Week 1. Matt Cassel was lost for the year about midway through the season. They could never generate any momentum. New coach, Romeo Crennel got the team playing well after he took over for the fired Todd Haley. Crennel lead Kansas City to a 2-1 record that included handing Green Bay their only loss. Rejuvenated by Crennel and their health, the Chiefs should be much better in 2012.

NFC East

Best: NY Giants. Though I'm not completely sold that the Eagles can't overtake this division in 2012, I have to go with the defending Super Bowl champs. The Giants exceeded all expectations this year, and Eli Manning had the best season of his career. They were outstanding from Christmas on, as they won their 2nd Super Bowl in 5 years. Last time they defended a title, they finished the year 12-4 but were bounced early in the playoffs. They know how difficult it is to repeat as it hasn't been done since 1998. They have the talent coming back to defend the NFC East title at the very least.

Most Improved: Philadelphia. This is a no-brainer. The Eagles have so much talent on their team that they should be ashamed of their 8-8 record in 2011. Philly came into the season dubbed as "The Dream Team" and never lived up to expectations. They never came close to contending at that level. They were 4-8 at one point before winning their last 4 games of the year to finish at .500. The Eagles have a ton of talent on their squad. In each of the last 4 seasons there has been a team in the Super Bowl that didn't qualify for the playoffs the previous season. The Eagles could help that trend continue.

NFC North

Best: Green Bay. It looked like the Packers were on their way to repeating as Super Bowl champs for much of the year. They were steamrolling the competition on their way to a 15-1 record. Aaron Rodgers had one of the best seasons a QB has ever had and won the NFL MVP. The defense let them down quite a bit this year, but Clay Matthews, BJ Raji, and Charles Woodson will all be returning to turn that around. Green Bay ran into a buzzsaw in the Giants in the postseason which derailed their dreams of repeating. They should be right back in the hunt in 2012.

Most Improved: Chicago. The Bears were playing very good football until they lost Jay Cutler to a season ending injury in Week 11. At the time of his injury, Chicago was 7-3 and looked like they were definitely headed towards the playoffs. Cutler was playing some of the best football of his career. If he can pick up where he left off the Bears will be on the right track. Lovie Smith's squad is no stranger to winning. The Bears will be back in the mix next season.

NFC South

Best: New Orleans. The Saints were as explosive as ever this year. Drew Brees set an NFL record for passing yards, breaking Dan Marino's 27-year old record with 5,476. If not for Aaron Rodgers' incredible year, Brees certainly would have won MVP. New Orleans won their final 8 games of the regular season in route to a 13-3 record. They were clicking on all cylinders and appeared to be a Super Bowl favorite, but lost in the final seconds in San Francisco during the Divisional round. They should be in contention for another possible Super Bowl run.

Most Improved: Carolina. Cam Newton surpassed all expectations this year. Despite, being taken with 1st overall pick of the NFL Draft the majority of analysts were skeptical on how his skills would translate to the NFL. All he did was pass for over 4,000 yards, run for 15 TDs, and make the Pro Bowl. By doing all this, the Panthers increased their win total by 4 from 2010. Steve Smith's career was rejuvenated as he reverted back to his All Pro days. If the defense continues to improve and the Panthers can get more consistency from the RB tandem of DeAngelo Williams and Johnathan Stewart, they will continue to be on the rise in 2012.

NFC West

Best: San Francisco. The 49ers came out of nowhere this year to become one of the best teams in the NFL. Nobody saw this coming. Jim Harbaugh came to the Bay Area and lead a renaissance of 49er football. Alex Smith played mistake free ball, and Frank Gore and a bruising defense lead the way to a 13-win season. This team lost in the NFC Championship in heartbreaking fashion. Poor Kyle Williams fumbled twice on punt returns, paving the way for the Giants to win the Super Bowl. Harbaugh will have his team as hungry as ever heading into next season.

Most Improved: Arizona. The Cardinals continued to improve every week throughout the 2011 season. They began the year 1-6 and finished 8-8. It will be interesting to see what happens at the QB position. the Cards spent a lot of money on Kevin Kolb last offseason. Kolb struggled with injuries through most of the season and never lived up to the hype. Now there are whispers that Arizona could pursue Peyton Manning. If Manning came to the desert and was able to stay healthy, the Cardinals would immediately become a contender. There are a lot of ifs though. A couple things are certain. Larry Fitzgerald is a bona find star, and Beanie Wells is a star in the making.