2010 NFL Predictions

2010 NFL Predictions

AFC East

New York Jets 10-6 : It would not surprise me if the Jets flopped and don't make the playoffs, but they have so much talent on defense, especially now that Revis is back, they have a chance to be one of the best of all-time. Hard Knocks worked for the Bengals last season, and Sexy Rexy will make sure the Jets play great defense and have a great run game. As long as Nacho Sanchize doesn't blow 6 or more games the Jets should win the East.

New England Patriots 9-7 : Tom Brady and the offense will be just fine even without Logan Mankins, but they might need to score 30 points a game because the defense might let up 25 or more every game. Other than Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, and Brandon Meriweather they don't have any proven players. I don't think the Pats will be able to overcome the defense and get into the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins 9-7 : I think the Dolphins have the pieces to contend, but I don't think Chad Henne is ready to lead a team into the playoffs yet. He has Brandon Marshall to throw to this season which will help in the future, but I think they are a year away from being a serious championship contender.

Buffalo Bills 4-12 : They don't have a franchise quarterback, they don't have a solid offensive line, they don't have a great defense. To make things worse their head coach, Chan Gailey, has a 18-14 career record when he had Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, and Michael Irvin on his team. The Bills could be looking at the first pick in April.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens 11-5 : The Ravens defense will always be solid as long as number 52 is playing linebacker. The offense now has plenty of talent to surround Joe Flacco. The additions of Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh to go along with Ray Rice will let the Ravens finally have an offense to match its defense, which will allow them to the North.

Pittsburgh Steelers 10-6 : The loss of Big Ben for the first 4 games will determine their season. If they can go 2-2, they could make a run at the Ravens, but starting with the Falcons, Titans, Bucs and Ravens, 1-3 seems very likely. The defense will need to stay healthy for the black and gold to have any shot at January football.

Cincinnati Bengals 8-8 : T.O. and Ochocinco would have been a great duo in 2005. Unfortunately its 2010 and Carson Palmer is not the elite QB everybody thinks he is. His QB rating was only 83.6 last year the lowest of his career when playing 16 games. The Bengals will go back to being the Bungals this year.

Cleveland Browns 3-13 : Jake Delhomme threw 18 interceptions in 11 games last season and he had some weapons to throw to in Carolina. Mohamed Massaquoi is no Steve Smith. Last year the defense ranked 28th and 29th against the rush and the pass. Its going to be a long winter in Cleveland.

AFC South

Indianapolis Colts 13-3 : The Colts seem to always win 12 or more games and I don't see any reason why they won't do the same thing again this year. Even in a strong AFC South the Colts will win the division once again.

Tennessee Titans 11-5* : They finished last season with an 8-2 record once Vince Young became the starter. His stats are never pretty but he wins. He also has the best running back in the league on his team. CJ2K says hes gonna run for 2500 yards this year. I wouldn't bet on that but I do think the Titans get into the playoffs.

Houston Texans 11-5* : This is the year the Texans finally take the next step and get into the playoffs. Matt Schaub threw for career highs in yards, 4770, and TD's, 29, it helps that Andre Johnson is his receiver. They also have a very talented defense with a bunch of first round picks.

Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9 : This could be the last chance for Jack De Rio and David Garrard to show they have what it takes to win. Their defense will determine their season however. Last year they ranked 27th against the pass, a troubling stat considering they play Peyton Manning and Matt Schaub four times.

AFC West

San Diego Chargers 9-7 : Even if Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeill sit out for the entire season, the Chargers are still more talented the rest of the West. Ryan Mathews gives them an explosive option at running back, something they have been missing for a few seasons.

Denver Broncos 7-9 : Play TEBOW. No Elvis Dumervil for the season doesn't help the defense which ranked 26th against the rush last year. I do think the Broncos will be competitive but they won't make the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs 6-10 : Can Charlie Weis turn Matt Cassel into Tom Brady? The Chiefs have given Weis weapons with Jamaal Charles, Thomas Jones, Chris Chambers and Dwayne Bowe. Their downfall will be the defense, which ranked 31st against the run last season. The addition of Eric Berry will help, just not right away.

Oakland Raiders 6-10 : Jason Campbell is a better option than JaMarcus Russell, but does he really have better options at receiver and a better o-line than he did in Washington? I don't think so and he never lived up to expectations in DC. The defense has plenty of talent in Richard Seymour, Big John Henderson, Rolando McClain, Kamerion Wimbley and Nnamdi Asomugha. Unfortunately Tom Cable may be the worst coach in the league, so the Silver and Black won't make the playoffs this year.

NFC East

Philadelphia Eagles 9-7 : The Eagles wouldn't have traded Donovan McNabb within the division if they didn't know something. I think they know Kevin Kolb is the quarterback of the future. It won't be to hard to succeed since he is surrounded by DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Brent Celek, and Jeremy Maclin. The addition of rookie Brandon Graham will only strengthen the defense which ranked 3rd in sacks last year. The Eagles will take back the division crown with a new quarterback this year.

Dallas Cowboys 8-8 : Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode are the only proven starters on the offensive line. This isn't good for Tony Romo and the offense. The Cowboys schedule is not easy, games at the Texans, Vikings, Packers, Colts and home games against the Titans and Saints are 6 very tough games and that doesn't even include 6 division games. It seems when the Cowboys are expected to have a big year they always choke.

New York Giants 8-8 : The health of the Giants offensive and defensive lines are going to be the key to their season. If injuries strike on defense, Big Blue will be forced to rely on a mediocre linebackers and cornerbacks. Similar to the Cowboys they play a very tough schedule and will need to win some big games to get into the playoffs.

Washington Redskins 6-10 : Donovan McNabb is already hurt and he has only played a full 16 games one time since 2004. Hes now on a team with less weapons then the Eagles. Defensively, with or without Albert Haynesworth, they have talent and will keep the skins in games, but they won't be in the playoff hunt.

NFC North

Green Bay Packers 12-4 : Their defense ranked 1st against the pass and 5th against the rush. Offensively they have Aaron Rodgers who hasn't even come close to reaching his potential after throwing for 30 TD's last year. The Packers may be the best team in the league. They will run away with the division and get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Minnesota Vikings 9-7 : No Sidney Rice for half the season, Percy Harvin with migraines, and Brett Favre on a bad ankle before the season even starts. Those injuries could hurt the offense. Luckily they still have Adrian Peterson and a good defense, which will keep them in the playoff hunt. However the major issue is the Mullet-less Jared Allen, it will be tough for him and the Vikings to overcome that.

Chicago Bears 6-10 : By adding Julius Peppers the Bears hope to improve their defense that ranked 23rd against the run and 13th against the pass. But the Bears will need Jay Cutler to limit his turnovers, 26 interceptions last season, and get Matt Forte to produce like he did in his rookie year to improve the Bears rushing attack which ranked 29th last year.

Detroit Lions 4-12 : The Lions are headed in the right direction. They surrounded Matt Stafford with talent like Calvin Johnson, Nate Burleson, Brandon Pettigrew, and rookie Jahvid Best. On defense they added Kyle Vanden Bosch and rookie stud Ndamukong Suh. They will double their win total for the past two seasons, with 4.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons 11-5 : This is the year Matt Ryan becomes an elite quarterback. He has plenty of weapons on offense including Roddy "I'm not" White, Tony Gonzalez, and a healthy Michael Turner, who missed 5 games last year. On defense they signed Dunta Robinson to go along with one of the best linebackers people haven't heard of, Curtis Lofton. The Falcons not only will win the division, but have the potential to make a run deep into the playoffs.

New Orleans Saints 10-6* : Drew Brees won't get hit by the Madden Curse, so the Saints offense will be as good as they were last year but their defense may not be as good, especially without Darren Sharper for at least 6 weeks. Also, every team wants to take their best shot at the defending champs. The Saints will get back into the playoffs but as a wild card team.

Carolina Panthers 9-7* : The Panthers finished the '09 season winning 4 out of 5 once Matt Moore became the starter. They drafted Jimmy Clausen to be the quarterback of the future but Matt Moore might not give up the job so easily. He has two great running backs, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, and an All-Pro receiver, Steve Smith. The big question is whether the Panthers defense can find a replacement for Julius Peppers. I think they will and will sneak into the playoffs as the last wild card team.

Tampa Bay Bucs 4-12 : After a 3-13 season, the Bucs need to rebuild the defense that lead them to a Super Bowl victory just eight years ago. By drafting Gerald McCoy, they hope to have found their new Warren Sapp, to help improve their run defense which ranked 32nd last season.

NFC West

San Francisco 49ers 10-6 : If the Niners had chosen Aaron Rodgers over Alex Smith in the 2005 Draft, they could be contending for a Super Bowl this year. They have a solid running game with Frank Gore, talented receivers like Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis along with a talented offensive line. Their defense lead by Patrick Willis ranked 6th against the run last year. Their only question is Alex Smith. He will be good enough to lead the Niners back to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, but they won't be a serious threat to hoist the Lombardi this year.

Arizona Cardinals 7-9 : One rule I would follow, If a quarterback isn't good enough to start for the Cleveland Browns, you probably shouldn't make him your starter. Apparently Kenny Whisenhunt doesn't agree because Derek Anderson, and his 42.1 QB rating, has been given the starting job. The Cardinals will need to rely on Beanie Wells and a defense that lost Karlos Dansby and Antrell Rolle.

Seattle Seahawks 6-10 : Matt Hasselbeck may be in his last year as the starter in Seattle. After two straight losing seasons, with a third one on the way, Pete Carroll will need to find a franchise quarterback soon. If their defense can stay healthy they may avoid 10 losses because they have young talent in Aaron Curry and Earl Thomas.

St. Louis Rams 3-13 : Even if Sam Bradford is the franchise quarterback, the Rams are still a long way away from contending. Other than Steven Jackson, they don't have a lot of talent on offense and defensively they have many holes. They will improve from their 1-15 record last year but not by much.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Ryan Mathews, RB, San Diego Chargers- With no Vincent Jackson for Phillip Rivers to throw to the Chargers will have to become a more run-oriented team, which means a lot of carries for the NCAA rushing leader last season.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Brandon Graham, LB, Philadelphia Eagles- He is a beast. Very similar to LaMarr Woodley. He will get over 10 sacks in his rookie year.

NFL MVP: Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers- 5000 passing yards this year is not out of the question. He has become a top 5 quarterback in the league and he will lead the Packers to the best record in the NFC.

Defensive Player of the Year: Patrick Willis, LB, San Francisco 49ers- In 6 of the 8 wins last year the 49ers let up less than 10 points. Willis is the reason for that, he is the Mike Singletary of the Niners defense.

Coach of the Year: Mike Singletary, San Francisco 49ers- "Can not play with 'em. Can not win with 'em. Can not coach with 'em. Can't do it. I WANT WINNERS. I want people that want to win." Hes got winners this year.

Worst Team in NFL: Cleveland Browns, Its going to be a long fall and winter in Cleveland. The Browns don't have the talent to contend in a strong AFC North. To make things worse in Cleveland they don't even have the Cavs season to look forward to and the Indians aren't gonna make them happier in the spring of 2011.

First Coach to be Fired: Eric Mangini, Cleveland Browns- They better get a win in week one or two because 13 of their next 14 games look like L's. Mangini barely held onto his job during the off-season. A 1-11 start won't look to good.

Another Coach on the Hot Seat: Wade Phillips, Dallas Cowboys- Every year the question always comes up will Wade get fired? If the Cowboys start slow or finish badly I don't see Jerry bringing Wade back.

AFC Team most likely to surprise us: Tennessee Titans. Last season they finished the year 8-2 after an 0-6 start. Just two years ago they went 13-3 and were the number one seed in the AFC. Vince Young finally seems comfortable as the starter and how hard is it to hand the ball off to Chris Johnson 25 times a game?

NFC Team most likely to surprise us: Philadelphia Eagles. Many people think they will take a step back after trading Donovan McNabb. But Kevin Kolb is ready to be the starter and he has weapons around him that will allow the Eagles to win the NFC East.

AFC team most likely to flop: New York Jets. The expectations are extremely high for the Jets. The problem is Mark Sanchez. He had a strong finish to his rookie year but he did throw 20 interceptions last year. As long as the Jets play like they did last year, with great defense and a great run game, they should be fine. But if they rely on Sanchez they could be asking for trouble.

AFC flop honorable mention: San Diego Chargers. They could be without Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson all year. That's not going to help the offense. They are lucky they play in a weak AFC West, so they should be able to win the division even without two of their best players but if they get off to a slow start like they normally do, it could be tough to make a late playoff run.

NFC team most likely to flop (Other than the Cowboys): Minnesota Vikings. They have some serious injury problems before the season has even started. Brett Favre will have to play the entire season on a bad ankle and he won't have his number one receiver until halfway through the year. If Brett gets hurt or becomes a gunslinger again, the Vikes could miss out on the playoffs.

NFC flop honorable mention: New Orleans Saints. No team has repeated as champs since the Patriots in 2004. Since then the defending champs have missed the playoffs three times and none of them have even repeated as conference champs. The Saints are winners for the first time, how will they handle being the best?

Bold Prediction #1: The Broncos will start the season 0-5. Then Tim Tebow will be named the new starter over Brady Quinn and Tebow will lead the Broncos to a 7-4 finish.

Bold Prediction #2: Week 5 on Monday Night Football, Brett Favre will have his ankle injured by Bart Scott and his consecutive start streak will be broken in week 6. He won't be out for the entire year but his ankle will linger all year long and cost the Vikings a playoff spot.

Bold Prediction #3: The Detroit Lions will win 8 games. Their biggest win will be on Turkey Day, when they will upset the Patriots and win their first Thanksgiving Classic since 2003.

Bold Prediction #4: The Steelers will go 4-0 without Big Ben. Dennis Dixon will keep the starting job and lead the Steelers to their 7th Championship.

AFC Playoffs---Last Team Out: Pittsburgh Steelers, Unfortunately I don't think the Steelers will be able to overcome the first four games of the year without Big Ben. Once he returns the schedule doesn't get much easier as they face the Dolphins, Saints, Patriots, Jets and Ravens.

NFC Playoffs---Last Team Out: Dallas Cowboys, The issues on their offensive line and the tough schedule will lead to a disappointing season for the Cowboys.

AFC Wild Card Round:
New York Jets over Houston Texans
Tennessee Titans over San Diego Chargers

NFC Wild Card Round:
San Francisco 49ers over Carolina Panthers
New Orleans Saints over Philadelphia Eagles

AFC Divisional Playoffs:
Indianapolis Colts over Tennessee Titans
Baltimore Ravens over New York Jets

NFC Divisional Playoffs:
Green Bay Packers over New Orleans Saints
Atlanta Falcons over San Francisco 49ers

AFC Championship:
Baltimore Ravens over Indianapolis Colts
Baltimore will finally get revenge on the Colts. The defense will be able to put pressure on Peyton Manning and advance to Dallas.

NFC Championship:
Atlanta Falcons over Green Bay Packers
It may be ice cold at Lambeau Field in late January but Matty Ice and the Falcons will shock the Packers and get to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history.

SUPER BOWL XLV: BALTIMORE RAVENS over Atlanta Falcons
It hurts me to say a division rival to the Steelers is going to win the Super Bowl, but the Ravens have surrounded Joe Flacco with two very good receivers and one of the best running backs in the league. They will be able to win with offense for the first time in Ray Lewis' career. But Ray and Ed Reed will do most of the work on Super Sunday beating the Falcons 24-7.