2010 NFL Preview

The 2010 NFL season is upon us, and there are a ton of subplots to catch our interest.. Favre is back in Minnesota, McNabb (along with Shannahan and Haynesworth) in Washington, the Saints defending their championship, Tebow in Denver.. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.  Let's get the predictions out of the way, and then I'll talk a little about each team..

NFC North                                                                              

1. Green Bay Packers                                                             
2. Minnesota Vikings                                                                 
3. Detroit Lions
4. Chicago Bears

NFC East

1. New York Giants
2. Dallas Cowboys
3. Washington Redskins
4. Philadelphia Eagles

NFC South

1. New Orleans Saints
2. Atlanta Falcons
3. Carolina Panthers
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFC West

1. Seattle Seahawks
2. San Francisco 49ers
3. Arizona Cardinals
4. St. Louis Rams

AFC North

1. Baltimore Ravens
2. Cincinatti Bengals
3. Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Cleveland Browns

AFC East

1. New England Patriots
2. New York Jets
3. Miami Dolphins
4. Buffalo Bills

AFC South

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Houston Texans
3. Tennessee Titans
4. Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC West

1. Denver Broncos
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Kansas City Chiefs
4. Oakland Raiders

Wildcard teams - Vikings, Cowboys (NFC)  Jets, Texans (AFC)

Super Bowl - Packers vs Colts (Packers win)


God, I hate predicting the Packers to win anything.. Anywayssss, I'll talk about the teams from worst to first!  Ready?

32. Buffalo Bills

The Bills are just not good.. There's no other way to put it.  Crappy QB's, bad offensive line, no receivers.. Even if the defense is half-way decent, there's no way this team is anything other than last place.  Maybe if Spiller gives them something at RB they'll at least have potential for the future!

31. Tampa Bay Bucs

No game-breakers on offense whatsoever, and an in-experienced head coach and QB.. This team has 2-14 written all over them.

30. Jacksonville Jags

Garrard doesn't have any experienced options at receiver, and he's not all that good at hitting his targets even if he did.  The entire offense hinges on Maurice Jones-Drew, and he can't be expected to run for 100 yards and a couple scores every game.  They're lucky if they get more than 4 wins..

29. St. Louis Rams

They were the worst team in the NFL a season ago, and they haven't really improved anywhere except at QB.  Top pick Sam Bradford will suffer thru the usual growing pains of a 1st NFL season, but he should give them much more than what they got from the QB position last year!  Stephen Jackson is a Pro Bowl-caliber back when healthy, so expect the Rams to overcome their lack of receivers (can you name a single receiver they have?) to win at least a couple more games than they managed last season.

28. Cleveland Browns

What's the answer for a team with years of QB issues?  Washed up former Panthers QB Jake Delhomme, of course!  Yes, the same Jake Delhomme that tossed only 8 TD's and 18 picks last year and, at 35, doesn't look like he has anything left in the tank.  What in the hell is the Browns front office thinking?  I mean, come on.. They have potential at running back and offensive line, but they aren't strong enough anywhere else to get out of last place.

27. Oakland Raiders

They're the Raiders, and Al Davis is still alive (probably).  Do I need to say anything else?

26. Carolina Panthers

Matt Moore doesn't have the experience to lead this team back to the playoffs, even with their strong RB tandem of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams.

25. Arizona Cardinals

The Leinart/Derek Anderson combo at QB isn't going to work (Leinart is being shopped as I write this, and Anderson doesn't have starting QB talent), and the loss of Anquan Boldin will hurt more than they realize.  Larry Fitzgerald can expect to see double and triple teams without the threat of Boldin out there, and Beanie Wells won't find as many open running lanes without Kurt Warner and the formerly feared passing game.

24. San Francisco 49ers

Alex Smith is in a make-or-break season; he's had more than enough time to prove himself to be a competent NFL starter and hasn't performed at a level consistent with his top draft pick status.  If he can be even a middle-of-the-pack kind of starter, the Niners could win 8 or 9 games.. If he isn't (as I suspect he won't be), then they'll be lucky to get to 6 wins (great defense or not).

23. Chicago Bears

Jay Cutler is an INT-machine, and Mike Martz's complicated offensive schemes won't do anything to change that.  Sure, maybe he was unlucky with the picks last year and might throw a few less, but Cutler always manages to make the wrong decisions under pressure.  With their aging defense and another no-show performance from Matt Forte, the Bears could easily slide to last place in the talented NFC North.

22. Kansas City Chiefs

With talented RB Jamaal Charles and Matt Cassel in his second year with the Chiefs coaching staff, KC is set for a surprising season.. If everything breaks right with their shaky defense, they could manage seven or more victories in the weak AFC West.

21. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins have talent on offense and defense, but QB Chad Henne might not be ready to lead a playoff run in his second season as the starter.  With the loaded Pats and Jets in their division, it looks like the Fins have 3rd place in their future..

20. Tennessee Titans

They have arguably the best player in the game in Chris Johnson, and Vince Young has the ability to make plays with his arm and legs from the QB position.  Is it enough in a division with Peyton Manning and the ever-improving Texans?  Probably not.

19. Seattle Seahawks

Pete Carroll brings in a winning attitude from his years at USC, and this isn't much of a change for him (considering the players in the NFL get paid about as much as his players on the Trojans probably did).. Can he win in the NFL, tho?  He didn't prove much in his last NFL job with the Pats.. But he's running a team in the weakest division in the NFL, so it won't take much for the Seahawks to make a playoff appearance in his first year at the helm.. Assuming Hasselbeck stays healthy!!

18. Detroit Lions

It's EXTREMELY hard for me to resist the urge to rank them higher.. As a lifelong Lions fan, they seem to have more potential than any other year that I've followed them!  Stafford is coming into his own as an NFL starter, they have one of the top wideouts in the league (Calvin Johnson), they have an electrifying rookie RB in Jahvid Best.. Even the defense has markedly improved, with the exception of the cornerbacks.. I want to say they'll win 9 or 10 games, but 7 or 8 is probably a little more realistic in the tough NFC North.

17. Philadelphia Eagles

They're in the toughest division in football (possibly in all of sports), and they're without longtime starting QB Donovan McNabb (who they traded to one of their divisional rivals, the Redskins!).. Kevin Kolb hasn't proven himself as an NFL starter yet, and I'm betting they'll miss McNabb's experience in certain key moments.  As good and consistent as the Eagles have been over the years, they don't seem like a good playoff bet this season.

16. San Diego Chargers

They're reign atop the AFC West seems like it's coming to an end, especially without hold-out WR Vincent Jackson to catch Phillip Rivers deep passes.. They have an untested (although promising) rookie starting at RB and replacing a San Diego legend in LaDainian Tomlinson, and Norv Turner has proven that he's a great offensive coordinator.. But not a great coach.  If there was ever a time for a Chargers drop-off, this is it!

15. Cincinnati Bengals

Carson Palmer is getting a lot of credit as a top QB, but I haven't seen him put up top-QB numbers in years!  Just because he has an aging T.O. and the ever-flamboyant OchoCinco, there is no reason to think he'll have a pro-bowl caliber season.  Personally, I think he's washed up.  If the Bengals challenge for a playoff spot, it'll have a lot more to do with Cedric Benson and the defense than Carson Palmer and the WR's.

14. Denver Broncos

Tebow-mania is sweeping the NFL!  His jersey is already the top selling jersey in the ENTIRE league, and he has yet to take a regular season snap!  Still, Kyle Orton is the clear-cut starter in Denver (as over-looked as he may be by the rest of the NFL).  With a rash of injuries and the loss of pro-bowl wideout Brandon Marshall, a run to the playoffs might seem far-fetched for this Broncos team.  But with a weakened division and another strong season from Orton, I believe they can topple the Bolts and take 1st in the AFC West!

13. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan took a step back in his second NFL season, as did the entire Atlanta Falcons team.. But with a few less injuries and a strong performance from their defense, the Falcons should be right on the cusp of a playoff berth in the NFC.  WR Roddy White is poised for a break-out season..

12. Pittsburgh Steelers

Without Big Ben for at least four weeks, the Steelers have their work cut out for them early in the season.. Still, they should expect to be contending by the end of the season as long as Troy Polamalu and the defense have a strong year.  The loss of Santonio Holmes might hurt more than they realize, tho..

11. Washington Redskins

Mike Shannahan and Donovan McNabb should make a huge difference on a Redskins team that stumbled to a 4th place finish in the NFC East last season.. Their veteran leadership, along with a strong performance from Albert pay-me-my-money-and then-I'll-see-you-in-week-1 Haynesworth and the defense, should lead to at least 9 wins even in a tough division.

10. Houston Texans

Every year, the Texans are a sleeper playoff pick.. And every year they don't make it.  That still hasn't dissuaded me from picking them to go this year!  Matt Schaub is a fantasy stud, and he has arguably the best wideout in football (Andre Johnson) to throw to.. Not to mention that RB Arian Foster is a beast and seems like a lock to be a 1000-yard rusher.  Add in Steve Slaton as a shifty, change of pace back and a decent defense, and the Texans have all the makings of a 10-win team!

09. Dallas Cowboys

Tony Romo will throw for a ton of yards and TD's, Miles Austin and the receivers should all play well, and even Felix Jones and Marion Barber are pretty dependable at RB.. The defense is strong on the line and in the secondary.. So why don't I feel comfortable in them being good?  I don't know why, but I just don't think they'll be as good as many observers expect.

08. New York Jets

The Jets have a loaded defense; one that could potentially be the best in the NFL.  If their offense was explosive enough to be top-10 in the league, they'd be odds-on Super Bowl favorites!  But the fact is, the offense simply isn't that good.  A good offense is only as good as their QB, and second year quarterback Mark Sanchez isn't very good at all.  In fact, I think he's one of the worst starting QB's in the NFL and won't be a starter at this time next year!  He's just expected to be a 'game-manager' in New York, similar to Trent Dilfer when the Ravens won the Super Bowl.. I just don't think he's going to be good enough to lead the Jets to a championship.

07. Minnesota Vikings

Brett Favre.  Brett Favre.  Brett Favre.  BRETT #%$-ing FAVRE!!!!!!  What else needs to be said??  Well, a couple things.. Favre can't reasonably expect to have a season statistically like the one he enjoyed last year.. He's a year older and playing on a balky ankle, and he's without his top WR (Sidney Rice) for at least the first half of the season.  If Adrian Peterson can't put some velcro on his butterfingers and the defense isn't strong against the pass, the Vikings can't expect a return to the NFC title game.

06. New York Giants

Eli Manning might be the OTHER Manning, but he has lead the Giants to a championship and has proven that he has the leadership ability to succeed in the NFL.. Assuming that the defense is strong (as it customarily is), the Giants have the firepower on offense to win the NFC East.  The offensive line is key; former pro-bowler Shawn Andrews (also a former Eagle) is looking to regain his form and help lead the Giants back into the postseason.

05. New England Patriots

Tom Brady and his new Justin Bieber haircut are ready to take the AFC by storm this season.. This will be his second year back since his knee surgery, and typically a player won't regain their form until the second season after such a serious knee surgery and recovery.  A complete lack of a running game and a questionable defense aren't enough to concern Pats fans; Brady alone is worth 7 or 8 wins.  All they need to do is have the defense steal a few games and they're 11-5!

04. Baltimore Ravens

QB Joe Flacco is on the spot this season; he has an extremely talented running game to work with, headlined by Ray Rice and Willis McGahee.. He has WR Anquan Boldin as a shiny new target to throw to.. And he has that patented Ravens D behind him to bring the toughness and force turnovers.  Sure, the secondary is questionable, but anything less than 12 wins would be a letdown for this talented Baltimore squad.

03. New Orleans Saints

Drew Brees took away Peyton Manning's title as the best QB in football when he beat him in the Super Bowl this past February.. Many would argue (as would I) that Manning is still the superior QB, but Brees has talent all around him on offense and one of the best offensive minds in the game in Sean Payton as the head coach.  As long as the defense can be solid and keep the score manageable, Brees can keep the Saints in any game.  Most teams have a let-down after winning a championship, but the Saints have too much talent to fall out of the playoff picture.

02. Indianapolis Colts

These guys are absolute robots; you can just pencil them in right now for 13 wins and the AFC title game.. Why not?  Peyton Manning is the best of the best, and he has weapons offensively (Pierre Garcon, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Anthony Gonzalez, Joseph Addai, etc.).. Even with a mediocre defensive season, Manning can just plain outscore teams.  This Colts team will always be near the top of the NFL as long as Peyton is playing! 

01. Green Bay Packers

As a Lions fan, I HATE to put the Packers in this top spot.  Hate it.  Vehemently.  But it can't be helped.. Aaron Rodgers had a breakout year last season, and put everyone on notice that he is one of the best in the NFL.  Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and Jermichael Finley are reliable targets for him to throw to.. And although they've suffered some injuries in the secondary, the defense is one of the best in the NFL.  The Pack are stacked from top to bottom, and I think this is the year Rodgers leads them to their first post-Favre championship.

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Sooo, that's my thoughts on the upcoming NFL season!  I can't wait to see how everything pans out by the end of the year.. In closing, GO LIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I hope that you prove me wrong and sneak into the playoffs!!!!!!!!!  No, I don't think it's asking too much that a team that's lost 37 of 40 will be in the playoffs!  So THERE! 

Hard-Luck Tigers

In my last blog-post, I made the point that if teams were smart, they'd start walking Miguel Cabrera in almost every meaningful at-bat.. I kinda regret it now, on the off-chance someone read it and told this to the Rays front office.  Why?  Because of course, the Rays employed this strategy on several occasions during their 4-game series with the Tigers.  Cabrera was put on base intentionally in 3 consecutive games and struggling Brennan Boesch (why he hasn't been sent to the minors for a couple weeks to try and regain his confidence I'll never know) was dared to do something about it; he didn't come thru in ANY of those situations.  The Tigers were swept in that series and lost 2 of 3 to the Red Sox (the last two with heartbreaking walk-off hits), dropping them wayyyyy behind the division-leading White Sox and 2nd place Twins.

After splitting a day-night doubleheader with the White Sox on Tuesday, the Tigers have fallen to 53-53, 7 back of the White Sox and Twins.  I'm beginning to think that the Tigers were cursed during the All-Star break or something!  Look at the facts.. Starters Brandon Inge, Magglio Ordonez, and Carlos Guillen along with reliever Joel Zumaya have all missed extended time with injury (Inge and Guillen are due back soon, while Ordonez and Zumaya are likely gone for the season).. The Tigers have been in a 5-15 skid, while their division rival White Sox and Twins have been winning (they're 11-8 and 13-6 respectively since the break).. If the Tigers can't break out of this funk SOON, their postseason chances will disappear completely. 

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News and Notes

* Trade-deadline acquisition Jhonny Peralta smashed a home run in his first at-bat as a Tiger in a win over the Red Sox on Friday; he followed that up with a homer in his second AB, making him the first player in Tigers history to hit a home run in each of his first two AB's with the team.

* Terrell Owens officially signed with the Bengals, giving them a second Vh1 reality star.  I wouldn't be surprised if they brought in Flavor Flav to play safety, Hulk Hogan to play fullback, and Dr. Drew as the new punter..

* DT Ndamukong Suh finally agreed to a contract with the Detroit Lions; it's a five-year deal with $40 million in guaranteed money (not as ridiculous as the $50 million guaranteed to Sam Bradford, but still pretty ludicrous for an unproven player).. Maybe his presence on the defensive line will guarantee them 4 wins instead of 2!

*  Shaq is supposedly close to an agreement to sign with the Boston Celtics.. After the addition of a washed-up Jermaine O'Neal, this will officially make them the all-dead-body all-stars!  This is how they plan on keeping up with the Heat, Magic and Bulls?  I don't understand the logic here.. Their starters average age is already the oldest in the NBA, so add a couple of washed-up big-men to man the middle?  I see the Celts finishing no higher than 4th in the East next season.

*  A-Roid still is looking for his 600th career homer!  Seems like we've been waiting a loooong time for it.. Did he miss a shipment of the juice?  The Yanks clubhouse attendant had better get on that..

*  Brett Favre reportedly notified the Vikings on Tuesday that he's planning to retire.. I would have mentioned this at the beginning of the blog, if I actually believed it for even A SINGLE SECOND.  But of course, we all know about Favre's tendency to waffle back and forth before deciding to come back.. You know he just doesn't want to go thru the rigors of training camp.  When the Vikings open the regular season, I have no doubt that he'll be under center.

*  Albert Haynesworth is not worth his MASSIVE contract.. He's failed a relatively simple fitness test for almost a week straight now, and I watched a 47-year-old Mike Golic pass the same test yesterday on ESPN.  What excuse is there for Haynesworth?  Ohhh, his poor widdle knee hurts?  Get over it, big man!  You're getting paid a bajillion freaking dollars and you've tried to hold-out for a trade cuz you don't like their new system!!  Kudos to Mike Shannahan for taking a stand on Haynesworth; I can guarantee it's gaining him a lot of respect from his players.

Garza holds Tigers Hitless

Rays pitcher Matt Garza baffled the short-handed Detroit Tigers in a 5-0 Tampa victory on Monday night, holding them to only one walk and facing the minimum 27 batters in a masterful performance.  The no-hitter was the first in Rays history; they've only been around since 1998, but still a pretty impressive feat.  Only the Mets (around since 1962) and the Padres (since 1969) are without no-hitters in their franchise histories. 

To me, it doesn't come as a surprise that the Tigers were held hitless by Garza.  Without half of the teams starters and with FIVE rookies in the lineup, I'd be amazed if the Tigers can do anything offensively for the next few weeks (unless they deal for some offense).  Considering the struggles rookie Brennan Boesch has gone through recently, there is really no one in the offense that scares anyone other than Miguel Cabrera.  If I were an opposing coach, I'd intentionally walk Cabrera every single at-bat and dare the other guys to beat me; the fact that other teams aren't doing this so far is very surprising to me.

Looking at the standings, the Tigers fell another game back of the Twins (who demolished the Royals 19-1 Monday night) and the White Sox (6-1 winners over the Mariners).. Without a big deadline deal or some bigger contributions from certain players such as Ryan Raburn and Johnny Damon, the Tigers are going to be on the outside looking in when the postseason rolls around.

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In other news..

* Detroit pitcher Max Scherzer was tremendous in holding the Rays hitless until the 6th inning Monday night and striking out 8 batters.. He's emerged as a solid number 2 starter behind Justin Verlander.

* Dan Haren lost his first start as an Angel, and had to leave the game with a forearm injury; apparently it's nothing serious, but he might miss his next start as a precaution.

* A-Roid is still in search of his 600th career homer after going homerless in Monday night's 3-2 Yankees win over the Indians.  (no, that wasn't a typo.  lol)

* The Rams apparently have pulled out of the T.O. sweepstakes, leaving the Bengals and... The Bengals in competition for his services.  Ochocinco and Carson Palmer are lobbying for his services, so they might bring him in and get something from the mercurial wideout if the price is right.  And of course, things would be a lot easier on Vh1 if both Ochocinco and T.O. were on the same team!  Imagine the marketing opportunities! 

* Is there a more hated man in Tennessee than Lane Kiffin right now?  First he ditches the Vols for USC, and then he steals away one of the Titans coaches to be his offensive coordinator (a move that led to The Titans filing a lawsuit against him).  Apparently he's trying to compete with LeBron for "most hated man by a single fanbase"..

* The Cavs dealt Delonte West to the Timberwolves on Monday.. If they had made that move a few weeks ago, we probably would have seen a different outcome to "The Decision"!!  I mean, we all know LeBron left cuz Delonte boinked his mom, right?  lmao

Injuries Silencing the Tigers Roar

Watching the Tigers since the beginning of the 2010 season, one would be a little frustrated with the inconsistent starting pitching performances and the bats that too-often go silent in big moments. Of course, talented teams often find a way to win and avoid long losing skids; the Tigers have proved resilient enough to hang in the AL Central race all year thus far. First baseman Miguel Cabrera has been incredible since opening day; clearly the alcohol problem that led to GM Dave Dombrowski picking him up from jail during last season's final weekend is a thing of the past. Cabrera's numbers have been MVP-caliber, and rookie Brennan Boesch is a clear favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year.

Still, injuries to key players in the past week have proven to be devastating. Starting third baseman Brandon Inge is out for at least the next month with a broken hand, and on Saturday both Magglio Ordonez (broken ankle) and Carlos Guillen (strained hamstring) suffered injuries that led to both players being placed on the DL. Thankfully for the Tigers, Guillen's injury doesn't seem serious and he should be back in a couple weeks. Ordonez's injury, on the other hand, is a huge blow to a team that has struggled since the all-star break. He is expected to be out for 6-8 weeks, and it's possible he's played his final game in a Tigers uniform. Considering that Ordonez has been performing way beyond expectations and hitting in the 3-hole protecting Miguel Cabrera, this injury has the potential to derail the Tigers' postseason aspirations altogether.

ESPN.com has reported that the Tigers have an interest in Red Sox 3B Mike Lowell, and a deal to add him to the fold might replace some of the missing offense; but for a Detroit team that has mostly avoided the injury bug up until the past week, things are looking bleaker by the day as the White Sox and Twins keep up their winning ways.