AP Pro32 ballot from Judge

NEW YORK (AP) - Ballot and comments from AP Pro 32 panel voter Clark Judge of CBSSports.com:

CLARK JUDGE (CBSSports.com)

1. New York Giants - Last time I checked, they hadn't lost a game since Super Bowl.

2. Green Bay Packers - Learned hard way last year that defense still matters.

3. New England Patriots - Better, deeper than team that went to Super Bowl last year.

4. San Francisco 49ers - Defense returns intact; makes 49ers automatic Super Bowl contender.

5. Houston Texans - Will win division easily; healthy Matt Schaub makes Texans Super Bowl worthy.

6. Philadelphia Eagles - Eagles are loaded. Now the question: What happens if/when Michael Vick is hurt?

7. Chicago Bears - Bears are covered at positions that cost them playoff shot in 2011.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers - Much depends on Haley/Roethlisberger relationship, but history tells us when Steelers miss out on division title almost always bounce back.

9. Atlanta Falcons - Bountygate gives Falcons an opening. Now, can Matt Ryan win a playoff game?

10. Baltimore Ravens - Not sure why, but have a feeling Ravens might be sliding backward.

11. Denver Broncos - So Peyton Manning clears first hurdle. Now comes Pittsburgh in Game One. Uh-oh.

12. New Orleans Saints - Saints still have ton of talent, plus Drew Brees. No Sean Payton will keep them down.

13. Cincinnati Bengals - Look at Bengals' early schedule. I'd be shocked if they're not 5-1 after 6 weeks.

14. San Diego Chargers - Defense should improve, but Jared Gaither issues make me nervous about these guys.

15. Detroit Lions - William Ford's comments aside, think Lions are third-best team in NFC North.

16. Dallas Cowboys - Forget the Giants. It's time Dallas "beats somebody's else's (butt)," as Jerry Jones would put it.

17. Kansas City Chiefs - Chiefs trendy pick, but not sold on Romeo Crennel as coach ... yet.

18. Buffalo Bills - Bills made all right offseason moves, but still play second to Pats in division.

19. Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker plus revitalized Chris Johnson could make these guys dangerous.

20. Seattle Seahawks - I'm nervous about anyone who starts a 5-11 rookie at quarterback.

21. New York Jets - Forget Tebow-Sanchez, could be defense-offense war if Jets can't find end zone.

22. Carolina Panthers - Yeah, Cam Newton is sensational. But can he win? Guess we're about to find out.

23. Oakland Raiders - Raiders have right idea, but will take at least a year for these guys to break through.

24. Washington Redskins - Yes, 'Skins have RG3, but they also have fourth-best team in NFC East.

25. Arizona Cardinals - Everything just right, except for QB and OL ... which means everything is not OK.

26. Miami Dolphins - Not enough playmakers on offense plus rookie quarterback equals another long season.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I'll be honest: I don't know which Josh Freeman shows up.

28. St. Louis Rams - Jeff Fisher makes Rams better, but this is no overnight fix.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars - MJD holdout the first in series of headaches for team in search of an identity.

30. Indianapolis Colts - Colts will put points on board. Unfortunately, opponents may put up more.

31. Minnesota Vikings - I don't know how these guys survive in NFC North.

32. Cleveland Browns - Lots of changes coming here, but most are a year away. In the meantime ... ugh.

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