Broncos Defeat Steelers 34-17 in Preseason Game #3

Here are my quick hit notes on Denver's 34-17 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday Night at Invesco Field.....

1) Kyle Orton again led the Broncos offense on multiple scoring drives. He moved the Broncos 10 offensive points against the Steelers defense. Orton led two touchdown drives in the first preseason game at Cincy, two touchdown drives against Detroit, and 10 points against Pittsburgh. That is a pretty good preseason. Maybe Orton will really deliver this year in this offense.

2) Jabar Gaffney and Eddie Royal are our go to guys. These two receivers should have very good seasons. Look for Orton to go to Gaffney in the vertical passing game, and look for Eddie Royal to bounce back catching balls in the slot. Both have looked impressive in preseason.

3) The defense played much better in this game, and it is obvious that our secondary is our strength. Andre Goodman broke the game open with a 77 yard interception return for a touchdown late in the first half. Robert Ayers got a sack and was all over the field creating havoc.

4) Tim Tebow made his debut and threw his first NFL touchdown pass to Eric Decker. Tebow entered the game in the third quarter and was 5-10 for 72 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. He made some nice decisions and some nice throws, and he also made some bad decisions and poor throws. Troy Aikman made a good point when he said that it is time for everyone to leave his throwing motion alone and just let the kid play. I agree. Tebow's motion will be a work in progress but he gets the ball there. He is progressing like a typical rookie QB.

5) Brady Quinn did not play, and I don't know what that means for his roster spot. I still think he will be on the team, but he might get beat out by Tebow for the backup QB position. Quinn maybe relegated to emergency QB duties on gameday, while Tebow gets the backup role and can enter the game in special situations.

6) The Broncos stand at 1-2 and head to Minnesota this weekend to finish off the preseason. After the game, the Broncos will cut down and finalize their 53-man roster for the start of the 2010 season!

Denver Falls to Detroit in Preseason Game 2

The Broncos 25-20 loss at the hands of the Detroit Lions last night at Invesco Field continued to highlight some of the good things and bad things the Broncos have going on with their team this preseason. Issue #1: Kyle Orton has played very well. Orton just signed an extension through 2011, and it is obvious he gives the Broncos the best chance to win right now. Tim Tebow's time will come, but for now Tebow will probably play in certain packages, and Orton is the man. He has looked solid in preseason, and hopefully he will be steady enough to help us start fast again in September. Issue #2: The offensive line and running game looks really, really bad. I know the O-Line is young and without Ryan Clady, but it has not played well at all the first two preseason games, and I think that if Clady misses the first few regular season games, the Broncos offense will struggle. The run game has also been very weak, and hopefully with the returns of Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter, the running game will get going and become productive. Issue #3: Our defense looks shaky. The Lions moved the ball at will, and our run defense was gashed up by the Lions. Plus, Matt Stafford had all day to throw and Carson Palmer also had all day to throw in the first game. I am very concerned about the lack of pass rush and our ability to stop the run. The defense is making me very nervous, shades of 2007 and 2008 all over again.

Broncos Drop Preseason Opener

The Broncos lost their preseason opener at Cincy on Sunday Night by the final of 33-24. You really can't take much out of preseason games, but here are my quick thoughts about the game.

1) Kyle Orton and first team Denver offense looked really good. Anytime you get two touchdowns on three possessions with your first team offense, it is considered a good day for a preseason game. Orton throw two touchdowns, one to Eddie Royal and one to Brandon Lloyd, and he looked very smooth in the process.

2) Jabar Gaffney makes plays in this offense. He played really well and made some big plays in limited time. He could be a sleeper for fantasy purposes.

3) The first team defense didn't give up any points and played pretty well against the run. It was evident that the pass rush was lacking, but we have to see more reps out of the unit to really get a feel.

4) Champ Bailey looked like he was in midseason form. He absolutely played great and made some big plays while shutting down both Terrell Owens and Chad Johnson.

5) Darcel McBath continues to impress and seems to have a nose for the ball. He played well in the run game and was all over the field.

6) Finally, the tebut of Tim Tebow was a pretty good debut for a rookie QB. He made some really nice throws, including a beautiful pass that was dropped by Matt Willis down the sideline. He had some rough moments and took quite a shot on a blitz, but that is going to be expected for a rookie QB in a preseason game. He had some trouble finding where the blitzes were coming from, but his ability to throw on the run was impressive. He should continue to progress as the preseason continues, and I think the hype about his throwing motion is overrated because he gets the ball there and with some zip on it.

Dumervil Likely Done for the Season

The one thing that any fan looks for in the recap of training camp practices is the injury news. No one wants to hear anything about a player going down. So far this training camp hasn't been too kind to the Broncos. On the first day of camp, both RBs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter went down with injuries. Luckily, Denver dodged a bullet because both should be back in a few weeks. On Thursday, the Broncos received the worst kind of news that comes out of training camp: Elvis Dumervil tore his pectoral muscle and would be out at least 4 months. It looks like Denver will probably have to put him on Injured Reserve at some point, and his 2010 season would be done before it even really started. This news comes on the heals of Dumervil signing an extension with the Broncos right before training camp started. This is such a devastating blow to Denver. Dumervil is the Broncos best defensive player, and a true pass rush star. He led the league in 2009 with 17 sacks, and he is one of the cornerstones of this franchise. You need a pass rush in today's NFL, and without Dumervil I don't know where the Broncos are going to get that consistent pass rush. It is going to be impossible to replace his contributions, and it looks like Denver is going to try to replace him with 2007 1st round pick, Jarvis Moss, and 2009 1st round pick Robert Ayers. Also, the Broncos are going to have to get even more creative on 3rd down and passing situations. They are going to have to bring more safeties and corners if they are going to generate any type of pressure on the QB. Another option is to move ILB Mario Haggan back to the OLB spot he played in 2009. Perhaps someone can step up and take his spot at ILB to allow this to happen. Also, there is the possibility that another veteran LB (Inside or Outside) might become available when training camp concludes and roster cuts are made. I'm not ready to pour the dirt on the Broncos chances in 2010, but this move will certainly affect team, and it is obviously not the way you want to head into the upcoming campaign.

2010 NFC PREDICTIONS REVISED!!!!!!!!

So as the writer of this blog I am allowed to make my own rules. Therefore, I slept on it and I decided to revise my NFC Predictions. There were a few reasons why. First, the Brett Favre situation continues to cause problems in predicting. Second, I wanted to add switch the Giants out of the playoffs and add Minnesota because I still think Favre is playing. Third, I wanted to stick to the 6 out of 12 return to the playoffs rule, so I had to include either Minnesota (With Favre) or New Orleans (In case Favre does retire). Here is how the NFC playoffs and records will look if Favre returns to Minnesota:

NFC EAST

1) Dallas (11-5)

2) Washington (10-6)

3) New York Giants (8-8)

4) Philadelphia (7-9)

NFC NORTH

1) Green Bay (11-5)

2)Minnesota (10-6)

3) Chicago (9-7)

4) Detroit (6-10)

NFC SOUTH

1)Atlanta (11-5)

2) New Orleans (9-7)

3) Carolina (8-8)

4) Tampa Bay (3-13)

NFC WEST

1) San Francisco (9-7)

2) Seattle (8-8)

3) Arizona (6-10)

4) St. Louis (3-13)

Playoff Predictions

1) Green Bay

2) Atlanta

3) Dallas

4) San Francisco

5) Minnesota

6) Washington

Wild Card Weekend

5-Minnesota over 4-San Francisco (Vikings get to Divisional Round for 2nd straight year)

3-Dallas over 6- Washington (Romo outduels McNabb again in playoffs)

Divisional Round

1- Green Bay over 5-Minnesota (Packers possibly end Favre's career)

2-Atlanta over 3-Dallas (Matt Ryan gets first playoff win)

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

2-Atlanta over 1- Green Bay (Falcons stun Packers in Lambeau to head to 2nd Super Bowl in franchise history)

2010 AFC Predictions!!!

Let's continue with my 2010 NFL Predictions and this time it is the AFC preview...........

AFC EAST

1) Miami Dolphins (11-5): The Dolphins are one of the most well coached teams in all of the NFL. I love how Tony Sparano coaches this team every week, and they added a big time player in WR Brandon Marshall. The Dolphins are ready to take the big leap in the AFC. Although I'm not totally sold on Chad Henne, this team is for real and will win the AFC East this upcoming season.

2) New England Patriots (11-5): The Pats don't win the East, but they will make the playoffs as a wild card. Everyone has forgotten about the Patriots this year. Think about it: Everyone loves the Jets in the East, the Pats can play the underdog role, they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, they rebuilt their defense, Wes Welker is getting better in record time, and they are going to use the playoff loss to Baltimore as a motivating factor for this season. The Pats are going to be good, and everyone is writing them off. You can't fool me. The Pats will be a Super Bowl contender in 2010.

3) New York Jets (9-7): We do you begin with the Jets? First, let's look at their offseason moves: They replace Lito Sheppard with Antonio Cromartie (He hasn't played well since 2007), they cut Alan Faneca and replace him with 2nd Round pick Vladimir Ducasse (Who the hell knows how Ducasse is going to turn out), they didn't resign Thomas Jones and sign LaDanian Tomlinson instead (Their biggest mistake of the offseason), and they trade Leon Washington and draft Joe McKnight as his replacement (McKnight was a disappointment at USC and can't even pass his conditioning test) and they hope that rookie CB Kyle Wilson will adequately help in their return game with Washington gone. The Jets also signed Jason Taylor for pass rushing situations and traded for Santonio Holmes (He has to sit out the first four games due to suspension). So you are telling me that the Jets added personalities like Tomlinson, Taylor, Cromartie, and Holmes to a locker room that already consisted of Bart Scott, Kris Jenkins, Calvin Pace, and Braylon Edwards?!?! This is supposed to be a good thing? Throw in the non-stop talk by Rex Ryan, and the fact that the Jets are featured on HBO's Hard Knocks, the Revis holdout, the uncertainty of how well Mark Sanchez will develop, the age of some members of their O-Line and the endless amount of Super Bowl hype for a team that was 9-7 and only made the playoffs because the Colts laid down in Week 16. The Jets are setting themselves up for a fall and it is going to be a tough one for Jet fans to deal with. Rational Jet fans know this is coming, and even if they go 9-7, they will miss the playoffs and it will be a disaster for this organization. God, I can't wait to see how this plays out.

4) Buffalo Bills (3-13): The Bills were done for 2010 when they didn't draft Jimmy Clausen in the 2nd round and instead they drafted DL Terrell Troupe. The Bills are in trouble because they simply have no QB. It doesn't matter if Trent Edwards or Brian Brohm is starting, the Bills are in deep trouble this year.

AFC NORTH

1) Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6): I love the Steelers this year. Mike Tomlin is a great coach, and he spent all offseason getting rid of the malingers on this roster and replenishing it with quality guys. Everyone is counting the Steelers out this year because of the suspension of Ben Roethlisberger, but I think they will be okay. Big Ben is supposed to be out for the first six games, but as long as the Steelers are 3-3 (They can beat TB, Cleveland, and maybe Baltimore or Atlanta) at that point, I see them getting hot at the right time (3 home games in December) and winning the division.

2) Baltimore Ravens (8-8): Every season there is one team that looks too good to be true on paper, but fails to live up to expectations. There is really no reason to see it coming, but it happens to at least one team with Super Bowl aspirations every year. Last year, it was the Giants. This year it is going to be the Ravens. This is my hunch pick this year, and I think the Ravens miss the playoffs. Their defense is getting older, and this is the year their defense really lets them down.

3) Cincinnati Bengals (6-10): The fact that the Bengals added Terrell Owens this year shows exactly how inept this franchise is? Instead of drafting a WR to develop alongside Chad Johnson (I refuse to call him Ochocinco), they get Antonio Bryant (Bad Character Guy) and add T.O. This is a team that already has Tank Johnson, Cedric Benson, and signed Pacman Jones and Matt Jones in the offseason. The Bengals are lost and this team will be a disappointment all year long. This was too easy to pick, and it was easy to see that the Bengals will miss the playoffs and have a down year.

4) Cleveland Browns (3-13): Don't be fooled by their four game winning streak to end 2009. Eric Mangini is dead man walking, and the fact that they are trying to sell Jake Delhomme to their fanbase is just sad. They don't have enough talent to compete, especially in AFC North. Look for Mike Holmgren to completely blow this thing up for 2011.

AFC SOUTH

1) Indianapolis Colts (12-4): I don't know if the Colts will use the Super Bowl loss as extra motivation or will it have a real negative effect on this team in 2010? That is the only real question mark for the Colts this year. They still have Peyton Manning and the that is all you need. Look for the Colts to win their 12 games and get ready for a Super Bowl run.

2) Tennessee Titans (10-6): The Titans get back into the playoffs in 2010 as a wild card. They have a great coach in Jeff Fisher, an improved Vince Young (Handled great by Offensive Coordinator Mike Heimerdinger), a defense that has something to prove, and the most explosive player in the NFL in Chris Johnson. The Titans are for real and their schedule (AFC WEST) should be manageable enough for them to get 10 wins.

3) Houston Texans (8-8): What did Gary Kubiak do to deserve his contract extension? You can expect more of the same from the Texans. They should have made the playoffs in 2009, but they just missed out, but this year a lot of experts have them in. I don't because I don't believe in Kubiak, Matt Schaub, or their defense. Expect a lot of close games and close losses for the Texans once again.

4) Jacksonville Jaguars (5-11): Jacksonville is another team that blew it when they didn't draft Tim Tebow. This is a dead franchise and Jack Del Rio is on the hot seat. There is no juice for this team, and the only thing they have going for them is Maurice Jones Drew. The Jags disappoint again in a tough division, and Del Rio is looking for work in 2011.

AFC WEST

1) San Diego Chargers (10-6): The Chargers win the division because it is so weak and they have Philip Rivers, but the Chargers are shaky contender. The holdouts of Marcus McNeil, Vincent Jackson, and Shawne Merriman really could affect this team. They still have Philip Rivers and that is what matters. Rivers will put them over the top, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Chargers took a step back this year.

2) Kansas City Chiefs (8-8): I thought the Chiefs would be good last year, and they finished 4-12. I'm not ready to put the Chiefs in the playoffs this year, but I think they get back to respectability. Matt Cassel should be better with Charlie Weis as his OC, and the Chiefs added two huge gamebreakers in the draft: FS Eric Berry and RB Dexter McCluster. Look for the Chiefs to be in the wild card late in the year, but they will just miss out of the playoffs.

3) Oakland Raiders (7-9): The Raiders got rid of JaMarcus Russell and that was the best offseason move they made in years. Jason Campbell is just an average NFL QB, but anyone is an upgrade over Russell. The Raiders will also get back to respectability, and they will be a really tough team all year. Look for the Raiders to miss the playoffs, but play in some meaningful games late in the year.

4) Denver Broncos (7-9): (I WILL BE GIVING A MORE IN DEPTH PREVIEW OF MY BELOVED BRONCOS ONCE WE GET CLOSER TO THE START OF THE REGULAR SEASON....HERE IS MY CLIFF NOTES VERSION)

There are too many questions on the offensive side of the ball for me to pick the Broncos to make the playoffs. A lot of the predictions for Denver this year fall between 5-11 and 8-8. I tend to think that Denver will be around 7-8 wins this year. I think the offense does have many questions, and the defense still doesn't have a stout big time front seven player besides Elvis Dumervil. This team reminds me of the 2006 Titans. Everyone wanted to see Vince Young play, and the Titans started off 0-5 and 2-7, and then they put Vince Young in and they finished 8-8 and there was hope for the future. I see the same type of situation happening in Denver this year. Everyone wants to see Tim Tebow play, and I see Denver sitting at like 3-6 after nine games. The Broncos insert Tebow, he plays well, it energizes the team and the fanbase, and the team finishes 7-9 or 8-8 and everyone is excited for the future with Tebow going forward. I was tempted to pick Denver as a sleeper at 10-6, but I don't want to jinx them. The future is bright in Denver, but it will be five years and no playoffs in the Mile High city.

AFC PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

1) Indy (12-4)

2) Miami (11-5)

3) San Diego (10-6)

4) Pittsburgh (10-6)

5)New England (11-5)

6) Tennessee (10-6)

Wild Card Weekend

6-Tennessee over 3-SD (Chris Johnson runs wild in upset win over Chargers)

5-NE over 4-Pittsburgh (1st playoff victory for Pats since 2007 AFC Title Game)

Divisional Weekend

1-Indy over 6-Tennessee (Colts get back to AFC Title Game for 2nd straight year)

5-New England over 2-Miami (Pats upset Dolphins to setup showdown with the Colts)

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP

5-New England over 1-Indy (Pats get revenge on Colts for 2006 AFC Championship and head to 5th Super Bowl since 2001 season)

SUPER BOWL 45

New England over Atlanta (Brady and Belichick get 4th ring in improbable fashion)

2010 NFC PREDICTIONS!!!!!

Every summer I always spend my days on the deck, on a lounge chair or on the beach getting ready mentally for the upcoming NFL season. I buy as many NFL preview magazines as I can find, and I plow through them to prepare myself for the season. One of my guilty pleasures is to try and predict the standings for the upcoming NFL season. I have been doing this summer tradition since I was in 9th grade in 1994. It is one of my favorite little hobbies for the summer. I have been blogging my predictions the past two seasons, and I always start this column off with the formula to accurately predict the standings for the NFL season. Usually, 6 out of 12 playoff teams from the year before won't return to the playoffs the following season. Also, usually only 4 out of 8 division winners will repeat. Using that formula, I have come up with my NFL Predictions for the 2010 season. I am doing this a little early this year because my son is having surgery on Thursday, and then I start football practice of my own on August 16th. As of this writing, Brett Favre will not return to Minnesota, but we all know that will probably change before Week 1. Also, I can go back and change any predictions based on any significant injuries that occur in the preseason. Cue the NFL Films music, get Jon Facenda's voice in the background and here we go with the 2010 NFL Predictions......

NFC EAST

1) Dallas (11-5): The Cowboys are going to really explosive on offense this year. Adding Dez Bryant to Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Marion Barber, Felix Jones and Tony Romo makes this Cowboys team look like a team that could be an offensive juggernaut. I know there are question marks on their O-Line, but I think their offensive production should still be really high. The Cowboys don't have as much pressure as they have in the past because they finally won a playoff game since 1996. Dallas' schedule is pretty tough because it include the NFC North, AFC South, and of course their own NFC East bloodbath. The Cowboys should prevail in this division, and be a real Super Bowl contender.

2) New York Giants (10-6): The G-Men bounce back after a disastrous finish to their 2009 season. Tom Coughlin is a good coach, and the Giants made the necessary changes on defense to get that side of the ball back on track. What I like about the Giants is that they haven't said too much during the offseason. They quietly added depth to their D-Line in the draft, added Antrel Rolle to help their secondary, and kept their offense intact with Eli Manning at the controls. The Giants have a nice receiving core and still have a good 1-2 punch at RB with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs. The Giants get their defense turned around and get back into the playoffs as a wild card.

3) Washington Redskins (10-6): Mike Shanahan will be revitalized as a head coach in the NFL, and he will do a great job in DC. The Skins thoroughly improved their team simply by adding Shanahan and Donovan McNabb. I figured those two are worth about eight wins right there, so I'm sure the Skins could find a way to get two more. Their defense will be solid with or without Albert Haynesworth, and they have some nice playmakers on offense (Chris Cooley, Devin Thomas, Santana Moss) to go with their RB trio of Clinton Portis, Willie Parker and Larry Johnson. The Skins will look like a completely different team and organization and they could get off to a good start (Home vs. Dallas, Home vs. Houston, at St.Louis) and that should propel them into a wild card spot.

4) Philadelphia Eagles (7-9): It is a transition year for the Eagles. No matter what you think of Donovan McNabb, it will be hard to replace his win total and it will be hard to get out of his shadow the first year. The Eagles will be in a lot of games, and at midseason they will probably be in the middle of the wild card hunt, but putting everything on Kevin Kolb's shoulders will be a little too much for them. This season is about Kolb and no one else. He is replacing an All-Pro QB, and I think the Eagles will lose a lot of close games due to Kolb's inexperience. Philly may be better in the long run, but this year they take a step back.

NFC NORTH

1) Green Bay Packers (11-5): The Packers win the NFC North in 2010 because of their offensive firepower. Aaron Rodgers is one of the league's best QBs, and he has a terrific group of receivers: Donald Driver, James Jones, Jermichael Finley, and Greg Jennings all compliment each other, and the Packers' style of play is portable. That means that they can throw the ball, and you need to be able to throw the ball on the road. The Pack can do that, and that is what makes them a dangerous team. The Packers' defense is a little suspect, but all they have to do is force field goals instead of touchdowns and create turnovers. Their offense will take care of the rest.

2) Chicago Bears (9-7): I was tempted to pick the Bears as a wild card, but I really just can't root for Jay Cutler. I think the Bears will be a surprise team and end up with a winning record, but they will fall just short of the playoffs. It will be a good 9-7 season, and it will be enough to save Lovie Smith's job. The Mike Martz-Jay Cutler marriage will be a good one, and I expect Cutler to play really well this year. The addition of Julius Peppers will help their defense, and their defense will be better than last year, but the Bears just fall short of a playoff spot.

3) Minnesota Vikings (8-8): As of August 3rd, Brett Favre is leaning towards not coming back to Minnesota. If he doesn't return, then there is no way the Vikings are making the playoffs with Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels. The bottom line is that the Vikings should have and could have won the Super Bowl last year. At the end of the playoffs, it was obvious that the Vikings had the best team in the league. If Favre doesn't throw that pick against New Orleans in the NFC Title Game, then I think the Vikes beat the Colts in the Super Bowl. There is so much pressure on Minnesota this year, and I think it will make them play tight every week. Plus, how could you rely on Brad Childress as your head coach? The Vikes take a step back this year, and with no Favre, they don't make the playoffs.

4) Detroit Lions (6-10): The Lions are going in the right direction with Jim Schwartz. They will surprise some people, and don't be surprised if they shock Chicago in Soldier Field in Week 1. They've got some building blocks (Matt Stafford, Ndamukong Suh, and Calvin Johnson) for their franchise, and it will take them a year or two to get their talent level back. This is a team on the rise, and they will definitely spoil someone's season down the stretch.

NFC SOUTH

1) Atlanta Falcons (11-5): The Falcons return to the playoffs in 2010 and win the South. I love the Falcons this season with Matt Ryan in his 3rd year at the helm. Offensively, the Falcons have big time players at all levels: Michael Turner (hopefully healthy at RB), Roddy White at WR, and Tony Gonzalez at TE. The defense is young but improving and they have a premier pass rusher in John Abraham. Throw in the fact that they play the AFC North and NFC West, and the Falcons will be a legit Super Bowl contender.

2) New Orleans Saints (9-7): The Saints will suffer from the Super Bowl Hangover in 2010. All the parties, all the book tours and all the banquets will take a toll on the Saints. I know that they said it won't effect them, but I am pretty sure that it will. The Saints will not make the playoffs in 2010.

3) Carolina Panthers (8-8): I also wanted to pick the Panthers as my NFC sleeper, but I just couldn't do it with Matt Moore at QB and no pass rush on defense. I like the Panthers, but with the lame duck status of John Fox that affected my decision as well. This will be a typical Panthers team: Play hard, run the ball, and play solid defense. They won't make the playoffs, but they will be a tough team to play every week, and they will spoil someone's season.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13): The Raheem Morris Era might be short lived and very infamous when it is all said and done. I don't like Morris, and I am not sold on Josh Freeman at all. This team is young from the front office all the way down to the roster. These Bucs remind of the Bucs teams from the 80s, and that is not a good thing. Another long season in Tampa Bay, and I think Raheem Morris is looking for a job in 2011.

NFC WEST

1) San Francisco 49ers (9-7): The NFL needs the Niners to be good again. With Kurt Warner retiring, it opens the door for the 49ers to win the division and make the playoffs for the first time since 2002. You have to like Frank Gore, Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree on offense. Basically, Alex Smith just has to manage the game and he will. Patrick Willis leads the defense, and the 49ers win the West.

2) Seattle Seahawks (8-8): Pete Carroll should be better in the NFL this time around, and I really was tempted to pick the Seahawks as my sleeper. Maybe in 2011, but the Seahawks just fall short this year. With a healthy Matt Hasselbeck, I think Seattle will surprise some teams this year and really set themselves up for the future. This is a good and positive 8-8 season.

3) Arizona Cardinals (5-11): I think Matt Leinart will play well this year, but he still isn't Kurt Warner. You can replace Kurt Warner for this franchise, and the Cardinals take step back because of his retirement. Forget about losing Anquan Boldin, Karlos Dansby, and Antrel Rolle, the key was losing Warner. The Cards take a major step back this year.

4) St. Louis Rams (3-13): At least the Rams did the right thing and drafted Sam Bradford. They still have many holes to fill, but at least there is hope that Bradford can become a star. It will be interesting to see how much they can improve over the course of the year. They are still at least two years away.

PLAYOFF PREDICTIONS

1) Green Bay(11-5)

2)Atlanta(11-5)

3)Dallas(11-5)

4)San Francisco(9-7)

5)NY Giants(10-6)

6) Washington (10-6)

Wild Card Weekend:

5-Giants over 4-San Francisco (G-Men get first playoff win since Super Bowl 42)

3-Dallas over 6-Washington (Tony Romo outduels Donovan McNabb again in 1st Round)

Divisional Round

2-Atlanta over 3-Dallas (Matt Ryan gets first playoff win)

1-Green Bay over 5-Giants (Packers get revenge for 2007 NFC Championship loss)

NFC Championship

2-Atlanta over 1- Green Bay (Falcons stun Packers in Lambeau to advance to 2nd Super Bowl appearance in franchise history)

Coming Tomorrow.....AFC Predictions for 2010