CoachingSpecialteams

DefenseOffense

DC

ST

O

E A S T

2016 power rankings

Scale of one to five, with five being the best ranking:

2015 regular-season records

DC

ST

ODC

ST

ODC

ST

O

Doug Pederson

brings back Andy

Reid school of coaching

Capable of repeat-

ing here, but need

to be stingier

on defense

Best team in perhaps weakest division in the league

If Tony Romo

gets hurt again,

this is a last-place

team

Return of WR Jordy

Nelson could be

the differ-ence

maker in tight race

John Fox’s teams usually improve

in his second

coaching season

If Adrian Peterson

is a2,000-yard

runner again, the

Vikings squeeze past the

Pack

“Mega-tron’s”

departure a game changer

in the Motor City

NFL MVP Cam

Newton and Coach

of Year Ron

Rivera a great

combina-tion

Expecting improve-

ment from Bucs’

defense and from

QB Jameis Winston

The Falcons

final season in the

Georgia Dome

won’t be memorable

Drew Brees can lift

the Saints higher than talent level

warrants

Only team in the NFL capable of a 5

rating in the first three

catego-ries

Relocation to LA

should provide a boost, but the Rams

aren’t title contenders

Want to see Chip Kelly’s

true offense? Try the Oregon Ducks

QB Carson Palmer’s meltdown

in the NFC

champion-ship game

raises some

doubts

TOTAL (out of 20)

1212 12 11 14 1111 15 11 16 15 1013111114

CoachingSpecialteams

DefenseOffense

A M E R I C A N F O O T B A L L C O N F E R E N C E

2 0 1 6 N F L S E A S O N P R E V I E W

W E S TN O R T H S O U T H

E A S T W E S TN O R T H S O U T H

N A T I O N A L F O O T B A L L C O N F E R E N C E

Patriots12-4

Jets10-6

Dolphins6-10

Bills8-8

Steelers10-6

Ravens5-11

Bengals12-4

Browns3-13

Titans3-13

Colts8-8

Texans9-7

Jaguars5-11

Chargers4-12

Broncos12-4

Raiders7-9

Chiefs11-5

DC

ST

ODC

ST

O

TOTAL (out of 20)

14 12 1216 151517 10 12 11 1011 14 14 1015Season could

hinge on record during Tom

Brady’s four-game

suspension

If the running game comes

through, the Jets could be a wild-card team

The question

is will Ndamukong Suh show

up and earn his money

this season?

Injuries and

turmoil in the

preseason don’t bode

well for the

BuffaloBills

WR Antonio Brown is the best offensive

player in NFL, and the

defense is stronger

Bengals’ problem

isn‘t making playoffs,

it’s winning the post-season game

If, unlike last year,

the Ravens can stay healthy, they can contend

Hue Jackson is quality

coach, but Browns might have NFL’s worst roster

If they can stay healthy,

the Chiefs are a Super Bowl

contender

Too many defec-tions, retire-ments and

injuries to repeat

No playoffs since 2002,

Raiders could be ready to go back to post-season

Like the Browns,

the Chargers are good choice for last place

Houston won

division with

mediocre QBs; Brock

Osweiler should be improve-

ment

Like that Gus

Bradley has gotten

time to build

Jags, who must

produce now

Rebuilding season; at least Titans

have their franchise

QB in Marcus Mariota

Healthy Andrew

Luck helps, but there are just too many

questions here

Eagles7-9

Giants6-10

Cowboys4-12

Redskins9-7

Bears6-10

Packers10-6

Vikings11-5

Lions7-9

Panthers15-1

Falcons8-8

Buccaneers6-10

Saints7-9

Rams7-9

Cardinals13-3

49ers5-11

Seahawks10-6

Team rankings compiled by AP Football Writer Barry Wilner

AP Football Writer Dennis Waszak

Ed DeGasero/APSOURCE: National Football League

Adam Gase • 38Miami DolphinsFirst NFL head

coaching job

Hue Jackson • 50Cleveland Browns

8-8 (Raiders, 2011)

Ben McAdoo • 39New York Giants First NFL head

coaching job

Doug Pederson • 48Philadelphia Eagles

First NFL head coaching job

Dirk Koetter • 57Tampa Bay Buccaneers

First NFL head coaching job

Chip Kelly • 52San Francisco 49ers

(26-22, inc. 0-1 in playoffs, Eagles 2013-15)

Mike Mularkey • 54Tennessee Titans

18-39 (Bills, 2004-05; Jaguars, 2012; Titans, 2015)

The NFL’s youngest head coach saw his stock rise during the last few years as an assistant. His work with Peyton Manning and

the Broncos’ O the last few years opened some eyes. Bears’ offensive

coordinator last season. His ability to develop QB Ryan Tannehill will go a long way in determining his success in Miami.

After three sometimes-tumultuous seasons

with the Eagles, Kelly takes over a 49ers team

that went from Super Bowl contender three years ago to a 5-11

mark and uncertainty in 2015. Trying to turn

quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s career around will be near

the top of Kelly’s list.

Has previous college head coaching

experience, having led Boise State (1998-2000) and Arizona

State (2001-06), but his work as an

offensive coordinator with Jacksonville,

Atlanta and Tampa Bay over the last 10 years

made him a prime NFL candidate.

The long-time NFL assistant spent last six seasons with Bengals, including last two as offensive coordinator.

Has been well-respected for years in

league circles, and now is tasked with

trying to turn around a franchise that hasn't reached the playoffs

since the 2002 season.

Steps into the job held the last 12 seasons

by Tom Coughlin, who led the franchise to

two Super Bowl titles. Under McAdoo’s tutelage as the

Giants’ offensive coordinator the past two seasons, Eli Manning threw for 65 TDs, the

most in any two-season stretch of his career.

Once the backup to Brett Favre in Green Bay. Chiefs’ offensive

coordinator under Andy Reid the last three

seasons. His work with QBs such as Michael Vick, Nick Foles and Alex Smith had him

highly regarded. He’ll get to develop QB

Carson Wentz, the No. 2 overall pick in April.

Titans removed interim tag from his name this

offseason after he replaced fired Ken Whisenhunt last

November. Titans went 2-7 with Mularkey. Has an exciting young QB in Marcus Mariota, but will be charged with trying to turn around a franchise

that has had one winning season since last reaching

the playoffs in 2008.

A look at the new head coaches – and some old coaches in new places – in the NFL this season:New men in charge

DEFENSE

OFFENSE 2015 LEAGUE LEADERS

PanthersCardinals

Patriots

SaintsCardinalsSteelers

BillsPanthers

Seahawks

CardinalsSaints

Steelers

SeahawksBengals

Chiefs

BroncosPatriots

Steelers

PanthersCardinals

Jets/Steelers

BroncosSeahawks

Texans

31.230.629.1

310.6288.5287.7

152.0142.6138.2

408.3403.8395.4

17.317.417.9

52.049.048.0

393330

283.1291.8310.2

TOTAL DEFENSE (Yards)TURNOVERSPOINTS ALLOWED SACKS

SCORING PASSING RUSHING(Points) (Yards) (Yards) TOTAL OFFENSE (Yards)

Some games worth tuning in to before Thanksgiving without reservation:

Marquee matchups

Seahawks at Rams

Falcons at Saints

Patriots at Browns

Raiders at Jaguars

Cardinals at Panthers

Steelers at Ravens

Week 2 • Sun., Sept. 18Pro football returns to Los Angeles, first regular-season game there in

22 years.

Week 3 • Mon., Sept. 26A decade ago, these teams met in a emotion-packed first game at the

Superdome since Hurricane Katrina.

Week 5 • Sun., Oct. 9Pity the Browns: Tom Brady returns from four-game suspension for this.

Week 7 • Sun., Oct. 23Two teams expected to rise in

standings in 2016. Will they still be relevant here?

Week 8 • Sun., Oct. 30Cardinals return to scene of NFC

title debacle.

Week 9 • Sun., Nov. 6Resumption of the nastiest

rivalry in the league.

Blue and gold come home after 22 years ...

(Average per game) (Regular season)

Going ‘Hollywood’

(Age, team and record)

Texans at Raiders

Week 11 • Mon., Nov. 21“Bienvenidos a Mexico,” NFL heads South of the Border again.

Panthers at Broncos

Week 1 • Thurs., Sept. 8Rematch of 2016 Super Bowl,

minus Peyton Manning.

Illustration by Peter Hamlin

Los Angeles’ 22-year span without an NFL team is coming to an end this season as the Rams return to the city after playing in St. Louis since 1995.Until their new estimated $2.6 billion stadium complex is finished in 2019 – at the site of the old Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood, about 10 miles from downtown L.A. – the Rams will play their home games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

But this is the NFL and it’s not all just West Coast dreamin’. Tom Brady is suspended for the first four games of the season, which could open things up for the other teams in the AFC East to make a move on the division. The league also loses a number of stars this season, most noteworthy, Peyton Manning.

A rule change for the season could make things interesting on kickoffs. A touchback will now bring the ball out to the 25-yard line instead of the 20, giving teams an extra 5 yards to work with. The rule was designed to limit the number of returns and injuries, and could make teams ask their kicker to pooch kicks higher and shorter to prevent touchbacks.