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
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