NFL Predictions 2010

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys I really hate to admit it, but the Cowboys are stacked deep and wide. And tall. Only Wade Phillips can screw this team up.
2. NY Giants The Giants weren't a bad team last year, they just mysteriously quit trying. With the Eagles rebuilding and the Redskins down, the Giants have the talent to take second in the beast.
3. Washington Racists  Donnie Mac is going to lead this team from atrocity to mediocrity.
4. Philadelphia Eagles The Birds have some nice offensive toys, but they let a lot of talent go in the offseason and could have a dreadful defense. QB Kevin Kolb hasn't looked particularly sharp in the preseason. I just don't know if the young players on this team can grind out a winning season this year.

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers More talent than Dallas, I think, and so much more wholesome.
2. Minnesota Vikings (wild card) I love Brett Favre, but if the O-Line protects him like they did in that playoff loss to New Orleans, he's going to be ground into dust by the end of the season. The Vikes also are in trouble at the wide receiver position, where Sidney Rice will miss at least half the season, and Percy Harvin' status will be in doubt on a weekly basis.
3. Chicago Bears Da Bears made some bold moves this offseason, and they'd have a healthy shot at the playoffs if they didn't have such a tough schedule.
4. Detroit Lions I'm actually going to look forward to watching the Lions play this year. They are two years of development away from being Super Bowl contenders.

NFC South

1. Atlanta Falcons  Matt Ryan is ripe on the vine, as is the rest of the Falcon's core. The Falcons are a well-balanced team ready to overtake the villainous Saints
2. New Orleans Saints (wild card) The Saints played dirty in the NFC Championship vs. the Vikings, and karma + the Madden Curse will keep them out of the playoffs this year if there is any decency in the world.
3. Carolina Panthers The Panthers have two brittle, all-world running backs, a one-armed Steve Smith, and little else. Better luck next year.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Young and frisky, the Bucs are going to be a lot better than last year. But they need to grow a few more inches before they can get on the big boy rides. Also, Aqib Talib needs to stop punching cabbies.

NFC West

1. San Francisco 49ers  This tepid division will make the Niners look unstoppable. They have a strong defense and some quality pieces on O. Alex Smith is not one of them.
2. Arizona Cardinals  The Cardinals lost a whole lotta talent this offseason and didn't pick any up. They need to coax Kurt Warner out of retirement.
3. St. Louis Rams  The Rams are making a huge mistake starting Sam Bradford right out of the gate. This team is going to blow chunks with or without him, and he's likely to develop bad habits while running for his life behind a shaky offensive line. It'll be a shame to see him flame out.
4. Seattle Seahawks  Worst team in the conference this season. Pete Carroll wrote a book detailing his misguided ideas about how keeping athletes (and worker bees) looking over their shoulders is the way to bring out the best in them. The fact is, Pete doesn't know how to bring out the best in anybody- he just knows how to best utilize boosters to bribe the best talent into signing with what becomes the best college team. That formula won't work in Seattle.

AFC East

1. NY Jets  If this team stays hungry and the Sanchise blooms, they are a top Super Bowl contender. I love the offseason moves.
2. Miami Dolphins (Wild Card)  The Dolphins are a sturdy team. They ought to be sponsored by Carhartt.
3. New England Patriots  Resentment and discontent abound. Randy Moss feels disrespected by ownership. Pro Bowl Left Guard Logan Mankins feels so disrespected by ownership that he's holding out. Tom Brady (and his hair, see picture) should feel disrespected by ownership because they haven't made any progress on his contract. The Mass Pike is littered with the corpses of players disrespected by ownership. On the field, meanwhile, the Pats have no running game, a declining defense, and an admittedly "not one-hundred percent" Wes Welker. New England is going to be ghoulish by Halloween.
4. Buffalo Bills  Speaking of ghoulish, your 2010 Buffalo Bills.

AFC North

1. Cincinnati Bengals  A solid team all around. Like the brick house built by the third little pig. Stout and mean defensively, above average and well-rounded offensively.
2. Baltimore Ravens (Wild Card) The Ravens have a phenomenal offense. The best four-man receiving corps in the league, an emerging superstar in Ray Rice, the best O-line in the league, a hard-nosed quarterback ready to break out, an underrated, dependable (when he's on the field) tight end, a bruising, old-school fullback, and a fine complimentary back in Willis McGahee. I don't know how any defense can game plan against the Ravens, especially if Donte Stallworth steps up as a deep threat.   The defense, on the other hand, is not what it once was. If that secondary is as leaky as it looks, I see a lot of shootouts in the Raven's future.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers  Big Ben is out for four games, Santonio Holmes is gone, and while the Head and Shoulders pitchman is back, the defense doesn't look like an Iron Curtain anymore. Rashard Mendenhall, the team's only decent running back, has fumbling problems. The Steelers have a lot of talent, but do they have enough to recover from an 0-4 start to the season?
4. Cleveland Browns  The good news is that Shaun Rogers won't be suspended for bringing a loaded gun to an airport. The bad news is that this team stinks.

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts  Peyton Manning is incredible, and this might be the best wide receiver rotation that he's ever had at his disposal. Young running back Donald Brown might be poised for a bustout. Yes sir, the Colts are going to be resting their starters again for the last two weeks of the season.
2. Houston Texans  With their depth of talent, there is every reason to think the Texans will make the playoffs this year. Except that they never make the playoffs.
3. Tennessee Titans  This is a really good team. Chris Johnson was unbelievable last season, and Vince Young went from suicide watch to pro bowl watch. They play the Roethlisberger-less Steelers in week 1 and the Colts B Squad in week 17. The Titans could easily swap places with the Texans and nab a wild card spot, but I think they are a lesser team.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars  MJD has a mysterious, undocumented knee ailment. Without him, this team falls flat.

AFC West

1. San Diego Chargers The Bolts hold on to win this division only because it's putrid. They have a rookie at running back, a linebacker who lost his star power when he stopped taking steroids, and an elite wide receiver who is going to miss at least the first 6 weeks of the season.
2. Kansas City Chiefs  The Chiefs are coached up and have some bright spots on the roster. With a hearty running game and Matt Cassel's potential as a starting quarterback, they will be mildly better than last year.
3. Oakland Raiders  The Raiders were ready to grab 2nd place in this division before injuries hit in training camp. Jason Campbell has an iffy wrist, their best running back has an injury which prevents him from holding on to the ball, and their sleeper wide receiver is about to be sleeping on a surgeon's table.
4. Denver Broncos  I hate that B-Dawk is on this crappy team.

AFC Championship: Jets over Colts
NFC Championship: Packers over Cowboys
Super Bowl: Packers over Jets