NFL 2012 Over/Under

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KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Coach: Romeo Crennel
There are reasons to believe this can be a bounce-back season for the Chiefs. For starters, theyre healthy again. After losing QB Matt Cassel, S Eric Berry and RB Jamaal Charles to injuries last season, the Chiefs couldnt keep up in the AFC West. But all three are back, and Crennels defense will be solid as long as it shakes off some rust from the preseason.

Over/Under wins: 9

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OAKLAND RAIDERS
Coach: Dennis Allen
Its an odd feeling going into the season without Al Davis, the longtime maverick owner who passed away last October. But the Raiders hope to carry on Davis legacy and build from last years 8-8 record, 6-0 in the division. The Raiders became the first team since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to go unbeaten in the division and not make the playoffs. More consistency on offense is needed this season, and QB Carson Palmer, who joined the team last season after refusing to play for the Bengals, should be more comfortable. RB Darren McFadden is one of the games best, but injuries forced him to miss nine games last season.

Over/Under wins: 8

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DENVER BRONCOS
Coach: John Fox
The Broncos rode Tebow Time to the playoffs last season, and even knocked off the Steelers at home in the wild-card round. But after getting walloped by the Patriots, Broncos football czar John Elway was more convinced than ever of a need to change quarterbacks. Enter Peyton Manning. The big question is whether Manning, who missed last season because of continued neck problems, can hold up over the entire season.

Over/Under wins: 10

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SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Coach: Norv Turner
More than a few eyebrows were raised when general manager A.J. Smith decided to stay with Turner as his coach during the offseason. But after another underachieving year in which the Chargers failed to make the playoffs, Turner gets one last shot. QB Philip Rivers needs a bounce-back year after throwing a career-high 20 INTs. He doesnt have WR Vincent Jackson, who signed a free-agent deal with the Buccaneers, and RB Ryan Mathews is already battling an injury. The Chargers defense was an issue last season (23.6 ppg) and the team did little to address its needs.

Over/Under wins: 9

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Coach: Chuck Pagano
It was a tumultuous and emotional offseason for the Colts, who said goodbye to Peyton Manning and several other veterans. Enter QB Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick from Stanford who has shown remarkable poise in the preseason. He has a veteran presence in WR Reggie Wayne to count on, although questions along the O-line could limit their effectiveness. The defense still has pass rushers Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis, but they will be in a new 3-4 alignment.

Over/Under wins: 5

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TENNESSEE TITANS
Coach: Mike Munchak
Its QB Jake Lockers team now. Which means there could be some bumps along the way because of his inexperience. Locker can always hand off to RB Chris Johnson, who says hes aiming for a 2,000-yard season after a disappointing 2011 season. LB Colin McCarthy leads a defense that will be challenged to make up for the free-agent loss of Cortland Finnegan. Former first-round DE Kamerion Wimbley will try and improve a pass rush ranked 31st last season.

Over/Under wins: 8

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JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
Coach: Mike Mularkey
Maurice Jones-Drews holdout was the big story line of training camp. He ended his holdout on Sunday, but Rashad Jennings figures to be the Week 1 starter after a solid preseason. Second-year QB Blaine Gabbert, who struggled last season, seemed to show improvement in camp. Having first-round pick Justin Blackmon at WR should help. The Jags defense is solid, although there are no real playmakers.

Over/Under wins: 6

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HOUSTON TEXANS
Coach: Gary Kubiak
The Texans finally broke through and made the playoffs last year for the first time in franchise history, beating the Bengals in the wild-card round before losing at Baltimore. It was quite a run, considering QBs Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart were hurt late in the season, leaving rookie T.J. Yates running the offense. Schaub is recovered from a foot injury. Arian Foster might be the best RB in the league. Can WR Andre Johnson stay healthy? The defense lost DeMeco Ryans to the Eagles, but Brian Cushing is back, and so is Wade Phillips, whose defense showed dramatic improvement last season.

Over/Under wins: 10

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CLEVELAND BROWNS
Coach: Pat Shurmur
The Browns ended the brief Colt McCoy era by bringing in Oklahoma State QB Brandon Weeden in the first round. There is a lack of talent at WR, but perhaps No. 3 overall pick RB Trent Richardson can channel his inner Jim Brown and transform the Browns moribund offense into a respectable unit.

Over/Under wins: 5

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CINCINNATI BENGALS
Coach: Marvin Lewis
Rookie QB Andy Dalton led the Bengals to the playoffs as a rookie, throwing 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions and showing remarkable poise. The Bengals let RB Cedric Benson walk as a free agent and brought in former Patriot BenJarvus Green-Ellis to go with FB Brian Leonard. Second-year WR A.J. Green looks ready for a monster year. The defense is stout and aggressively gets after the passer (45 sacks last season). The last time Cincy had back-to-back playoff seasons was 30 years ago.

Over/Under wins: 8

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BALTIMORE RAVENS
Coach: John Harbaugh
The Ravens came within a dropped pass of beating the Patriots in last years AFC Championship Game, so theres a sense of hunger and optimism heading into the season. QB Joe Flacco seems poised for a breakout year after helping the Ravens to the playoffs four straight years, and RB Ray Rice is coming off a career-high 1,364-yard, 12-touchdown season. The defense wont have All-Pro LB Terrell Suggs for several weeks, LB Ray Lewis is back and looking as strong as ever. Veteran S Ed Reed is also looking very sharp.

Over/Under wins: 11

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PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Coach: Mike Tomlin
The Steelers have some question marks. RB Rashard Mendenhall is still coming back from a knee injury, the O-line has issues, and the defense is showing its age. LB James Harrison needs to get back to his All-Pro form and S Troy Polamalu doesnt have the same kind of speed. It remains to be seen if WR Mike Wallaces contract holdout has any lingering effects, and the transition to Todd Haley as offensive coordinator will be an adjustment for Roethlisberger, who did not want to see Bruce Arians let go.

Over/Under wins: 10

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NEW YORK JETS
Coach: Rex Ryan
The Jets are set to unveil the Wildcat offense led by Tim Tebow, but it will take a lot more than that to get this team back to the playoffs after last year's 8-8 season. QB Mark Sanchez will undoubtedly need to elevate his play, and RB Shonn Greene needs to show he can be a workhorse. Aside from Santonio Holmes, it's a relatively untested group of receivers, and the Jets will be adjusting to new right tackle Austin Howard after Wayne Hunter flopped. The defense should be improved with the addition of Quinton Coples and the maturation of Mo Wilkerson. And, of course, there's always CB Darrelle Revis to provide lockdown coverage.

Over/Under wins: 8

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MIAMI DOLPHINS
Coach: Joe Philbin
The Dolphins provided plenty of entertainment on Hard Knocks, but it will be a seasons worth of hard knocks in Year 1 under Philbin. The talent level is simply not there, especially at WR. Their top threat early in camp was Chad Johnson, but a domestic violence incident led to his release. Rookie Ryan Tannehill gets the nod at quarterback, but it figures to be a season of ups and down mostly downs for the No. 8 overall pick. Reggie Bush is a threat at running back, but teams figure to load up against him knowing that there is no real receiving threat. The defense is decent, but will have trouble keeping the Dolphins competitive.

Over/Under wins: 4

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BUFFALO BILLS
Coach: Chan Gailey
The Bills broke with tradition and opened up the vault for prized free-agent defensive end Mario Williams. Buffalo usually takes a more conservative approach to free agency, but GM Buddy Nix is all-in for this season. The offense is the real issue for Buffalo, specifically quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. He got off to a terrific start last season and earned a contract extension by late October. But his play tailed off dramatically the rest of the way.

Over/Under wins: 7

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NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Coach: Bill Belichick
The Patriots come off yet another Super Bowl run their fifth since the 2001 season but they lost for the second straight time to the Giants. They come back with largely the same cast of key players, including QB Tom Brady, WR Wes Welker and TEs Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. Brady also has a deep-threat WR with the addition of Brandon Lloyd. A defense that was suspect at times last season adds first-round draft picks Chandler Jones and Donta Hightower. The Pats will use more four-man fronts after loading up along the D-line, a change from Belichicks use of the 3-4 alignment.

Over/Under wins: 12

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ARIZONA CARDINALS
Coach: Ken Whisenhunt
Now you know why the Cardinals went after Peyton Manning so hard during the offseason. Whisenhunt knew he had QB issues with John Skelton and Kevin Kolb, and their poor performance in the preseason only underscored the problem. Skelton, the Fordham alum, will start the season, and on the bright side, he does have a star target in WR Larry Fitzgerald (1,411 yards, 8 TDs last season). Arizona has a very promising defense, with Darnell Dockett and Calais Campbell anchoring the line and Patrick Peterson ready to emerge as a shutdown CB.

Over/Under wins: 8

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ST. LOUIS RAMS
Coach: Jeff Fisher
Fisher takes over for Steve Spagnuolo, who couldnt turn things around despite the presence of franchise QB Sam Bradford. Now its up to Fisher and Brian Schottenheimer, the former Jets play-caller. Theres still little talent at WR, although the team is hoping that second-round pick Brian Quick can become Bradfords go-to guy. Steven Jackson is back, but with all the running he has done the last several years, it remains to be seen if he can continue as a workhorse runner.

Over/Under wins: 5

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SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
Coach: Jim Harbaugh
The 49ers exceeded expectations in a huge way last year, getting all the way to the NFC Championship Game behind a rookie head coach and embattled veteran QB Alex Smith, who had his finest season. Smith remains the starter and he has most of his supporting cast back, along with newly acquired WR Randy Moss. The big receiving threat, though, remains TE Vernon Davis, who has a combined 26 touchdowns over the last three seasons. The defense remains strong, with LBs Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman stopping the run, and Aldon Smith and Justin Smith anchoring the pass rush.

Over/Under wins: 10

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Coach: Pete Carroll
The Seahawks signed Packers backup Matt Flynn to a three-year, $19.5 million contract in the offseason, but it was unheralded third-round rookie Russell Wilson who won the QB job. At 5-11, he was considered by many scouts to be too short to succeed in the NFL. The Seahawks do have a competent RB in Marshawn Lynch and added free-agent WR Braylon Edwards to go along with Sidney Rice and Golden Tate. The defense is so-so, and needs to beef up the pass rush after producing just 33 sacks last season.

Over/Under wins: 8

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ATLANTA FALCONS
Coach: Mike Smith
The next step for Smith and the Falcons is advancing in the playoffs. They were stymied again last season, losing in the wild-card round to the Giants. WR Julio Jones appears ready to be considered among the leagues elite WRs. The Falcons added Asante Samuel to the mix at CB. John Abraham remains a solid pass rush threat, and RB Michael Turner still has something left. QB Matt Ryans game has been consistently good since entering the league, but hell need to step up to get Atlanta closer to championship caliber.

Over/Under wins: 10

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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
Coach: Joe Vitt (interim)
After a tumultuous offseason that saw head coach Sean Payton and LB Jonathan Vilma suspended for the year as a result of the leagues investigation into the Saints alleged bounty program from 2009-11, the team gets back to the business of football. QB Drew Brees knows hes in for a challenge. Making matters even more complicated is that Vitt will serve a six-game suspension, leaving O-line coach Aaron Kromer to replace him. Brees will have the offense flying high, even without Payton, and the defense under new coordinator Spagnuolo should be solid.

Over/Under wins: 10

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TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Coach: Greg Schiano
Greg Schiano goes from Rutgers to the NFL and faces a huge task in turning around the Bucs fortunes. Schiano has brought a more disciplined style to a team that finished last season with 10 straight losses after a 4-2 start. QB Josh Freeman had a poor year with 16 TDs and 22 INTs, and the defense gave up a league-high 494 points. The Bucs hope that rookie first-round RB Doug Martin and free agent WR Vincent Jackson can help revive the offense. On defense, the Bucs brought in CB Eric Wright and drafted S Mark Barron. Rookie LB Lavonte David is also a key addition.

Over/Under wins: 6

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CAROLINA PANTHERS
Coach: Ron Rivera
QB Cam Newton threw for 4,051 yards and 21 TDs, and ran for 706 yards and 14 TDs last season, and figures to be much more comfortable this season. He has WR Steve Smith back, and Greg Olsen at TE. The O-line is solid. Defense is the big question mark. Carolina gave up a whopping 429 points and was outscored 143-83 in the fourth quarter. First-round rookie LB Luke Kuechley is a major addition, and the Panthers are hoping to manufacture a better pass rush after getting only 31 sacks last season.

Over/Under wins: 9

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MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Coach: Leslie Frazier
Last year was a time of transition for the Vikings, who went from Donovan McNabb to rookie QB Christian Ponder. Ponder showed some promise, but also showed why rookie QBs often struggle. He had 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Six of those TDs went to WR Percy Harvin (87 catches, 967 yards). Workhorse RB Adrian Peterson is coming off a torn ACL.

Over/Under wins: 5

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GREEN BAY PACKERS
Coach: Mike McCarthy
QB Aaron Rodgers comes off an MVP season, but he didnt get a second Super Bowl title. The Packers had the NFCs No. 1 seed, but lost at home to the Giants in the divisional round. That still doesnt sit well with Rodgers. No reason he shouldnt lead the Packers to another NFC North title, although it remains to be seen whether the Packers are Super Bowl-ready once more. Its the defense that will be the big question mark.

Over/Under wins: 12

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DETROIT LIONS
Coach: Jim Schwartz
QB Matthew Stafford stayed healthy all season and had a breakout year (5,038 passing yards, 41 TDs). Two areas of concern are the running game and the defense. No back gained 400 yards last season. Kevin Smith returns as starter, but talented Jahvid Best is having concussion issues. The defense was unreliable in spots, giving up 387 points.

Over/Under wins: 10

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CHICAGO BEARS
Coach: Lovie Smith
Aside from the Peyton Manning injury, there might have been no bigger loss to a team last season than when QB Jay Cutler fractured a thumb in Week 11. The Bears went 1-5 without him to finish 8-8 and miss the playoffs. He has a new receiving threat, former Broncos teammate Brandon Marshall. He also has a new offensive coordinator in Mike Tice. The defense looks solid, with one notable exception: LB Brian Urlacher is dealing with a left knee injury that could affect his availability early in the season.

Over/Under wins: 10
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NEW YORK GIANTS
Coach: Tom Coughlin
There hasn't been a repeat Super Bowl winner since the 2003-04 Patriots, but the Giants are thinking big this season. And why not? Despite having the most difficult schedule of any team - opponents' .547 winning percentage last season - the Giants come back with almost all the key performers from last year. That starts with QB Eli Manning and also features WRs Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz, as well as the best pass rushing defensive line in the game, led by Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck.

Over/Under wins: 10

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WASHINGTON REDSKINS
Coach: Mike Shanahan
The story line, really, is Robert Griffin III. The Redskins gave up a kings ransom in a trade with the Rams to get the Heisman Trophy winner, and this season is all about how he develops. He is a dynamic QB with a terrific arm and plenty of elusiveness. The Redskins do have a quality defense that was dominant at times last season they beat the Giants twice. But the O-line is a big question mark. Griffin has decent weapons in WRs Santana Moss and Pierre Garcon, and TE Fred Davis.

Over/Under wins: 7

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DALLAS COWBOYS
Coach: Jason Garrett
Dallas comes off a near-miss, with two losses to the Giants the difference between winning the NFC East and missing the playoffs altogether. Theres a legitimate sense of optimism, especially with RB DeMarco Murray coming back from a broken ankle and the signing of free-agent CB Brandon Carr and the drafting of first-round CB Morris Claiborne. Tony Romo (31 TDs, 10 INTs in 2011) has a talented group of skill position players especially if Dez Bryant matures both on and off the field. DeMarcus Ware remains the leagues best pure pass rusher.

Over/Under wins: 9

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PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Coach: Andy Reid
After a 4-8 start and essentially dropping out of the playoff race last year, a four-game winning streak to end the season was their only solace. Reid thinks there will be a carry-over from that surge; hed better hope so. The Eagles cant afford another sluggish start. With a terrific group of pass rushers featuring Trent Cole and Jason Babin, and newly acquired DeMeco Ryans finally solidifying the middle linebacker spot, the defense should be better. But the biggest key is QB Michael Vick. He needs to stay healthy for this team to get anywhere.

Over/Under wins: 10

Photo Credit: AP

NFL 2012 Over/Under

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