From James Alder,
Your Guide to Football.
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Sep 4 2003

The NFL season kicks off Thursday evening with what promises to be a very interesting matchup. The Washington Redskins upgraded their roster with an off-season raid of the New York Jets, and now the boys from Gotham have a chance to dish out a little revenge as the face each other in the nation‘s capital.

Before the game, the NFL will present “NFL Kickoff Live 2003”, a music festival planned for the National Mall in Washington D.C.. The program, designed to honor members of America’s armed forces, will be performed in front of more than over 25,000 troops, and will include performances by Britney Spears, Aerosmith, Mary J. Blige and other music superstars. Special guest Aretha Franklin will sing the national anthem to conclude the concert and officially open the new NFL season. ABC will televise the event live at 8 p.m. ET and will be followed by the Redskins-Jets game.

So with the 2003 NFL season on the verge of commencing, it’s time to do a little preview and make a couple predictions. Check out each division preview, including a forecast of the final standings in each. Below the division previews, you will find my predictions for the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl.

NFC East
The Philadelphia Eagles have owned the NFC East recently, but the Giants might have something to say about that this year. They are a fiery, hungry team that is looking for a run deep into the playoffs, and they have the talent to do it. But don’t think the Eagles aren’t a motivated bunch, also, after losing in the NFC Championship game last season.

AFC East
The Miami Dolphins appeared to be on their way to the playoffs last season before yet another late-season collapse that allowed the New York Jets to sneak by them on a tiebreaker. It was an exciting finish, but I don't expect the same this year. I may be in the minority, but I foresee this division being controlled by one team from beginning to end.

NFC North
The NFC North is one of the weaker divisions in the league, and it looks like the Packers have to be the favorite going into the season, although each team in the division has serious questions to answer. Watch for the Vikings to give Green Bay a run for their money this year.

AFC North
One thing teams in the AFC North, and previously in the AFC Central, could always count on was the bungling ways of the Cincinnati Bengals. But the times are changing, and while the AFC North could very well be the worst division in the NFL in 2003, for the most part, all teams appear to be heading in the right direction.

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