FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowl titles in franchise history and they have a legitimate chance at getting back to big game in 2017. One of the league’s most skilled offenses will welcome back the return of yet another weapon in Martavis Bryant, who rejoins a veteran core of players whose talent and versatility are a challenge for even the NFL’s top defenses.... 

The Miami Dolphins surprised a lot of people last season, winning ten games and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2008. This year, however, with the health of quarterback Ryan Tannehill now in question and one of the tougher schedules in the NFL, things could be a whole lot harder for the Dolphins. Until it’s known for sure just how much time Tannehill will miss after suffering a knee injury in training camp on Thursday, it’s unclear whether 7.5 wins are achievable for the Dolphins this year.... 

Despite making the playoffs last season, the Miami Dolphins find themselves behind 10 other teams in terms of betting odds to win the AFC. The next-closest longshot in terms of teams that made the postseason last year are the Houston Texans at 12-1. Yes, Miami overachieved by going 10-6 despite having a negative point differential, but head coach Adam Gase is seen as a guru for a reason. This offense should be better in its second year under Gase.... 

The Kansas City Chiefs must be feeling a little bit like Rodney Dangerfield. Since Andy Reid became the coach, the Chiefs have won at least 11 games in three of his four seasons. The Chiefs won the division with a 12-4 record last season, but are considered only the second-favorite to win the AFC West this season. Despite bringing essentially everyone back from last season except Dontari Poe and Jamaal Charles, you can still get this team at +200.... 

The Houston Texans have been remarkably consistent under Bill O’Brien, winning nine games in each of his three seasons on the job. So it isn’t surprising that their win total for 2017 came in where it did. And like previous seasons, the Texans are again embroiled in a quarterback situation. Eight different players have started a game over the past three seasons and Houston is banking on first round pick Deshaun Watson to be the guy at some point this year. He is the key to the Texans surpassing the 9 win plateau.... 

It was a season the Oakland Raiders waited 14 years for, but it ended with a big “what if.” With their collection of young talent and the emergence of Derek Carr, Oakland was predicted to finally put together a winning season and get to the playoffs last season. Check and check. They exceeded expectations and won 12 games, but lost Carr late in the year. They tiptoed into and out of the playoffs leaving many wondering what might have been. Maybe we’ll get a chance to see what happens in 2017.... 

The New England Patriots have been the class of the AFC East for years and years. They've won the division title eight years in a row and have ultimately finished first 14 times in Tom Brady's 16 career seasons. Is there really any reason to believe this season will be any different, even with Brady coming up to the final years of his Hall of Fame career?... 

It's hard to say much bad about the Pittsburgh Steelers. They've been the model franchise in the NFL for the past half century, and they should continue their winning ways in 2017. That said, they're facing one of the highest regular season win totals in the NFL at 10.5, and they've got their work cut out for them to beat this number even though they're favored to do so.... 

Like it’s been for the last decade and a half, the New England Patriots are expected to be the best team in the NFL. It’s hard to go against a team that’s reached double figures in victories 15 times in the last 16 seasons and has played in seven Super Bowls while winning five of them. And with their offseason acquisitions, the Patriots might be better than last season’s Super Bowl winning club, which is a scary thought for other teams.... 

The Houston Texans have won the AFC South in successive years, but they know they really need to make some huge strides on offense in order to become a legitimate threat to win the Super Bowl. Houston is a part of the toughest division in the NFL to try to handicap, but we don't see a reason why this team shouldn't be considered the best in this division to kick off 2017.... 

Finding a No. 2 banana in the AFC is incredibly tough. It's clear that the New England Patriots are the top team in the conference. That said, the Oakland Raiders appear to be the great unknown right now. They've a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr and a team that is budding for sure. But can Oakland really take enough steps to challenge the best team in the AFC?... 

The cream of the crop in the AFC North over the last 15 seasons has been the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh has won seven division titles during that span and can credit its consistency for much of its success. The Steelers have proven veterans at most positions and a coach entering his 11^th year in Mike Tomlin. They are the overwhelming favorites to win the AFC North after winning the division by three games last season.... 

Texans coach Bill O’Brien has been clear that he won’t have a two-quarterback system when the regular season starts. What’s more unclear is just which player will be under center. Houston made the playoffs a season ago but still got rid of Brock Osweiler because he was so ineffective.... 

In Denver, the race for the starting job is between two young quarterbacks hungry for a chance to prove they have what it takes to succeed in the NFL. So far, though, neither really has shown it, and that will be the key to the Broncos’ season.... 

The New York Jets are in rebuild mode, so anyone taking them to win the Super Bowl will be parting with that money. However, there are still several interesting ways to wager on New York. There are the traditional spreads for each game, but there is also a look at the quarterback situation.... 

The Houston Texans have a dominant defense, and thus, are one of the teams in the mix as a legitimate contender to the New England Patriots’ throne in the AFC. However, for the Texans to actually win the conference and advance to the Super Bowl, the offense has to improve. Houston made the postseason last year but didn’t waste any time in jettisoning Brock Osweiler out of town, and now the team’s quarterbacks will be in the spotlight. There is a lot to like about this Houston club, but without a good signal-caller the ceiling on the potential won’t be too high. The Texans addressed the weakness in the draft with Deshaun Watson. Can he be this year’s Dak Prescott? It’s a tall order because the learning curve for a a rookie in the NFL is steep.... 

You probably don't even remember that the Miami Dolphins made the playoffs last season. They took some big strides forward in Adam Gase's first season in South Beach, but there was still plenty to work on. The Fins are facing long odds to win the Super Bowl this year, but if they can work out just a couple of their glaring problems from last season, they might be able to take another serious step to potentially contend.... 

Andy Reid has always had a stigma about him that he can keep his teams competitive but can't ultimately get the squad over the top. That's the case with the Kansas City Chiefs as well. KC had about as good of a season as it could have had last year, going 12-4 and winning the AFC West. As the No. 2 seed in the AFC, the Chiefs were bounced in their first playoff game by the Steelers. The oddsmakers aren't feeling nearly as good about them this year as they were last season, tipping them to win just nine games.... 

There are multiple teams jockeying for position as the second fiddle in the AFC. The cream of the crop? That hasn’t changed. The New England Patriots will enter the 2017 season as the favorites to defend their Super Bowl title. There are some interesting foes they must get past in the conference, but make no mistake, New England is the heavy favorite to do so. The Patriots have been the top franchise in the NFL for years and it has no plans of slowing down any time soon.... 

The AFC West is set to be one of the most competitive divisions in the NFL in 2017. Two teams made the playoffs a season ago while all four teams have their eyes set on the postseason this year. The Kansas City Chiefs are the defending AFC West champions but the Oakland Raiders are the favorites to win it this season. The Denver Broncos still have a dominant defense while the Los Angeles Chargers are hoping to avoid more bad injury luck and remain in contention. It should be a knock-down, drag-out fight throughout the season to see which team comes out on top. The Raiders hope to be that team and have a good chance.... 

It’s time for the Houston Texans to live up to the hype. Houston went for broke last season, signing Brock Osweiler to a big contract with an eye at a potential Super Bowl title. It was a risky move that didn’t pan out, but to their credit the Texans took a chance that many teams wouldn’t have in order to win a title. Houston cut ties with Osweiler this offseason and are now rolling the dice again, this time on rookie DeShaun Watson.... 

It’s impossible to say that there should be another team favored ahead of the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. One of the greatest dynasties of all-time continues to show no signs of slowing down and are looking to win three titles in four years for the second time during their run. As long as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are together, it’s hard to bet against the Patriots.... 

The Kansas City Chiefs put an eye toward the future when they traded up in the draft to select Patrick Mahomes in the first round. However, they still have big plans for the present. The Chiefs went 12-4 last season and made it to the playoffs for the third time in four seasons. However, their season ended in the AFC Divisional Round and they haven’t made it to the AFC Championship game in that span. Kansas City has one of the better teams in football, but it’s hard to see it as one of the Super Bowl favorites as presently constructed.... 

Football will officially return on Thursday. The Hall of Fame kicks off the NFL preseason slate, as the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys will face off in Canton, Ohio. Each team has a Hall of Fame inductee -- quarterback Kurt Warner for Arizona and owner Jerry Jones for Dallas -- which is why they were invited to face off.... 

The Pittsburgh Steelers got a crack at winning the AFC last season, only to fall to New England in the conference championship game. That result has the Steelers second to the Pats in the list of favorites entering 2017. The Steelers have a strong cast and are deserving of their favorite status, but there’s always that Patriots mystique that hangs over teams in the AFC and getting over that isn’t easy....