Let Pylons Be Pylons

With the first official football game behind us, we discuss the impact that replacement referees could have along with which games may be worth watching this preseason due to the number of off season story-lines.

We wrap up the off season by hitting on some of the actual news items that have been hitting the airwaves in training camps and try to determine which stories are news and which are hype. We also take a look at the Hall of Fame Game, kicking off actual NFL football (or something that resembles it). What is it’s purpose? Is it needed? It seems like a very cool idea to play a game at the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but is it fair to ask two teams to play yet another preseason game?

We conclude our Divisional countdown with the tough NFC East. This division provided the Super Bowl champion last year and it looks like improvements across the board will make whoever takes the crown a tough out in the playoffs.

The NFC North is ready to rumble. With three strong playoff contenders in the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Detroit Lions, we take a look to see if any of them have the makings of a Super Bowl contender.

It's gonna be a throw-down in the AFC North. For years this division has produced multiple playoff contenders and some of the most hotly contested division titles in recent memory. Who has the edge this year as all four teams made significant changes and improvements in the off season?

Are the Panthers defense and Cam Newton ready to make that next step? Will the Saints off-the-field distractions be too much to overcome? Did the Falcons do enough in the off season to help protect Matt Ryan? Did the Buccaneers overhaul make them a dangerous team? We hit all of these questions and more, this week.

We leave the AFC for the first time to cover a division that, just a few years ago, was at the bottom of the NFL. That isn't the case anymore. With team improvements to the players on the field and the re-tooling of some front offices, this division is setting itself up to be a power in the NFC for some time.

Our divisional breakdown finds us in the AFC East, discussing whether this will be another easy division title for the New England Patriots, or if there is another team that can rise up and challenge the team that has largely dominated the division for the past decade.

We continue our divisional breakdown by moving to the AFC West. For the past few years this division has been the bottom-feeder of the AFC, but recent improvements have increased their stock as a playoff generator.

We take the next eight weeks to break down each division in the NFL. Going from weakest to strongest, in our opinions, we kick it off with the AFC South. Will Houston run away with the division again this year, or did the Colts, Titans, and Jaguars do enough to keep pace?