2010 NFL Picks

Sure, it's cutting it to the last minute, but when has that not been my style? Anyway, tomorrow night, the 2010 NFL season gets underway, and it's about time. The New Orleans Saints, your defending Super Bowl champions (dammit, it hurts typing that) will be facing off against the Minnesota Favres...I mean Vikings. Where the season goes from there is anyone's guess, but it's going to be a fun one.

Plus, we might have to enjoy it for a while, if this lockout happens before next season. I don't know about you, but I'm not looking forward to having replacement players or anything like that. I want to watch the NFL for what it should be, not what a bunch of rich players and richer owners think it should be. That's another topic for another day, though. For now, I'm going to give you my 2010 NFL playoff predictions. Everyone else already has, so why shouldn't I jump in on the fun?

NFC
1. Green Bay Packers
I jumped on the Green Bay bandwagon a little early, as I had them as the number one seed in the NFC last year. Had Brett Favre not come back and played spoiler, it could have happened, though. This year, it looks like plenty of other people have joined me on the wagon, and there's good reason why. The Packers are a damn good team. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, Ryan Grant is outstanding at running back, they have a pair of 1,000 receivers coming back again and the defense is just as good as last year. As long as that offensive line can keep Rodgers from getting hurt, the Packers are going to be good.

2. New Orleans Saints
You can't bet against these guys, not after they're pretty much bringing back the same team that they had last year. Drew Brees is still going to put up huge numbers, and as long as that defense can hold their own, they're going to be just fine. There is some concern about the way that the Saints closed out the season last year, but at the same time, did you see how they played in the playoffs? They retired Kurt Warner, came damn close to retiring Brett Favre and finished Peyton Manning's dream for a second Super Bowl title. I can't find a better stretch of quarterbacks that any team has beaten on their way to a Super Bowl. That takes a lot from a defense and an offense. They'll fight off the Super Bowl hangover.

3. Dallas Cowboys
Dammit, this one hurts to post. I hate the Cowboys, but they're the best team in the NFC East. There are some questions at the offensive line, so Tony Romo might have to do a little bit of running, but he's got another target out there in Dez Bryant. Plus, Anthony Spencer, the man who the Cowboys took in Philadelphia's spot the year the Eagles took Kevin Kolb, is poised for a breakout season. When you pair him up with DeMarcus Ware, that's a scary looking pass rush. Dallas is hosting the Super Bowl this season, and they have a chance to be the first home team to ever play in the big game.

4. San Francisco 49ers
Because someone has to win this division. Arizona thinks they can win with Derek Anderson, Seattle is old as hell, and the Rams have won six games in the last three seasons. Plus, I like Mike Singletary. The man is scary looking, and I was calling for him to become a head coach years before he actually did. This year will be his full coming out party. It's taken a while, but the 49ers are headed back to the dance.

5. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons made franchise history last season when they finished above .500 in back to back seasons for the first time in team history. They managed that despite injuries to Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. This year, both of them are healthy, and they added Sean Weatherspoon and Dunta Robinson to the defensive side of the ball. As long as the offense can stay healthy, this team is going to go places this year. They might be a season or two away from really making an impact, but they're going to take a step in the right direction this season.

6. Minnesota Vikings
Do the Vikings have enough on offense, even with Sidney Rice missing half the season and Percy Harvin having migraine issues again? I think that they do. I mean, they made it to the 2008 playoffs with Adrian Peterson as the entire offense, and Brett Favre can still make some plays. He's not going to be as good as last year, not with Rice missing at least eight games, but he'll do enough. The defense is getting older, so this might be the last chance with this current team, but if any quarterback can get it done, it's Brett Favre. Now, if only he'd stay retired after this season.

Teams that just missed:
New York Giants: Some people have the Giants in the playoffs, but I don't see it. Not this year, anyway. There's just something missing from them that's going to hold them back. I don't know if it's the offensive line or what, but they don't have that feel. Maybe halfway through the season they will, but not now.

Philadelphia Eagles: I don't want to write this, but I have to. Is this a decent team? Yes. Can they make the playoffs if everything goes the way they need it to? Yes. Will they make the playoffs? Nope. Not when I haven't seen anything really out of Kevin Kolb or the entire first team offense during the preseason. They'll get better as the season goes on, but right now, they don't have enough.

NFC Playoff Results:

Wild Card Weekend:
Dallas over Minnesota-The Vikings had enough trouble trying to keep Brett Favre away from the New Orleans pass rush in the NFC Championship last year, and with another season to get ready, the Cowboys are going to get their revenge after the playoff loss last season. Maybe this is the end for Favre.

Atlanta over San Francisco-Matt Ryan has playoff experience, Alex Smith does not. Even with a game being played in San Francisco in January that means something for the first time in almost a decade, the Falcons are too good to get knocked out in the first round this time. Atlanta moves on to the second round for the first time since a guy named Mike Vick was their quarterback.

Divisional Playoffs:
Green Bay over Atlanta-Last year, the Packers made an incredible comeback against the Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs, only to fall short thanks to their offensive line and a whole lot of turnovers. This year, Aaron Rodgers is going to be able to stay on his feet, and the Packers will take care of their business at least in their first playoff game. Like I said, Atlanta might be a year or two away.

Dallas over New Orleans-Upset right here. The Saints didn't play well against the Cowboys last season, and had they had to play the Cowboys again in the playoffs, the result may have been the same. Dallas has a good defense, and an offense that is going to gel as the season goes along. Could they actually play in their home stadium for the Super Bowl?

NFC Championship:
Green Bay over Dallas-So close, but so far for the Cowboys. When you line these two teams up, they're pretty much equal, but the Green Bay defense was better in 2009, and Aaron Rodgers looks more and more like one of the top 5 quarterbacks in the NFL today. The last time you could say that about Tony Romo was two or three years ago, and he never lived up to the hype, even with Terrell Owens and Roy Williams as his wideouts. Now, with Miles Austin and Dez Bryant, he has new, younger targets, but the Packers have too much on defense. Dallas comes up just short in their bid to play at home for the Super Bowl.

AFC
1. Baltimore Ravens
Yep, I'm jumping on this bandwagon, too. Look at it this way: Joe Flacco passed for over 3,600 yards and 21 touchdowns last year with Derrick Mason and Ray Rice as his primary targets. Mason and Rice are still there, but the Ravens also added Anquan Boldin and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who just never fit in with the Seahawks. When you put all of that together, that's a damn fine offense right there. Plus, Baltimore still has a great defense, even without Ed Reed for the first six weeks of the season. Ray Lewis is getting close to the end of his career, and you can bet that he wants one more trip to the Super Bowl.

2. Indianapolis Colts
When would you bet against Peyton Manning? Seriously, the man has guided the Colts to eight straight double digit win seasons, and has only missed out on the playoffs twice in his career. Austin Collie and Pierre Garcon will only get better this season, and Manning still has Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne as his favorite targets. Oh, let's not forget about Anthony Gonzalez, too. This is a team that's loaded on offense, and if the defense can hold their own, they'll be right back where they were last season.

3. New England Patriots
The band is back together for one last run. This current version of the Patriots is getting quite long in the tooth, and with Wes Welker coming back from injury, Randy Moss thinking his time in New England is already over and Tom Brady not having his contract extension done yet, things don't look good for the Patriots after this season. For this year, at least, they should be able to put one more run together. I'm not going to put anything past this team, as they proved during the last decade that they can win at almost any time. Age is starting to be a factor, and Junior Seau can only be brought back so many times, but I have a feeling that they'll get one last chance at another ring.

4. San Diego Chargers
Just like the NFC West, someone has to win the AFC West as well. Last season, this division title was like the fruitcake you get at Christmas. You knew someone was going to end up with it, but you weren't sure you wanted it to be you. the Denver Broncos started out 6-0 and were the talk of the NFL. They finished the year 8-8. This year, anything could happen. The Chargers are missing Vincent Jackson and have questions on defense, so there is a chance that they might not win this division. Then, who will? The Chiefs are still a bit away, the Broncos took a step back this offseason by getting rid of Brandon Marshall, and that leaves the Raiders. Could Oakland actually do something right this year? They might, but I don't think they will. Al Davis is too crazy to actually have things work out for him. Chargers win by default.

5. New York Jets
I'm not on the Rex Ryan bandwagon. Not yet, anyway. Yes, the Jets have one of the best defenses in the NFL, and Darrelle Revis might be the best cornerback in the NFL, but when you have to worry about a single cornerback coming into camp, then there are still questions about this team. The biggest issues are on offense, where Mark Sanchez, despite having accomplished more in his first season than former USC quarterbacks John David Booty, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer ever have combined in the NFL, still hasn't shown me enough. He still looks like a questionable quarterback at the moment, and the way he plays is going to get him hurt again, even with Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes at wideout. Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson make a good running back tandem, but I'm not sold, not yet anyway. The defense is going to get them into the playoffs, but all this "Hard Knocks" stuff might come back to bite them in the ass.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Surprise, surprise! Yes, Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for the first four weeks of the season, and the team traded Santonio Holmes to the Jets, but Dennis Dixon is not a bad quarterback. Remember, he was in the running for the Heisman trophy a few years back before he got hurt, and he looked better at Oregon than Joey Harrington did, though apparently, that wouldn't take much. Either way, they have a tough start to the season, with games against Atlanta, and Baltimore in the schedule that Ben will miss, but they also play Tampa Bay and Tennessee. At worst, the Steelers should come out of that with a 2-2 record, and then they face off against the Browns and Dolphins in Ben's first two games back. Miami is going to be tough, but if things go their way, Pittsburgh is looking at a 4-2 start. That should be enough to push them through the rest of the season towards another trip to the playoffs.

Teams that just missed:
Houston Texans-That's right, the Houston Texans. Last year, they had their first winning season, and things should continue that way this year. They even had a chance to make the playoffs, but couldn't get past the Colts, dropping two close games to Peyton Manning and Indianapolis. This year, the first game of the season is against the Colts, so the Texans have their pressure game right away. Matt Schaub is the real deal, and Arian Foster looks like a good running back. When you throw them in with Andre Johnson and a defense that keeps getting better, it's a good mix. I just don't think they can get past the Colts yet, and that's what is going to keep them out of the playoffs once again.

Tennessee Titans-Vince Young thinks Vince Young is going to get the Titans to the playoffs. The only problem is that, other than Chris Johnson, Vince Young doesn't have many weapons on offense. Kenny Britt hasn't looked good at all during the preseason, and the defense struggled last year without Albert Hanyesworth. Apparently, they might be trying to get him back, but they still don't have everything in place. You can't ever bet against Vince Young, considering what he managed to do last season (and who thought he would be the most successful quarterback drafted in 2006? Seriously, it's Young, Jay Cutler or Bruce Gradkowski...that's it.). The team is solid, but there's just not enough there this year.

Miami Dolphins-A lot of people have the Dolphins as a sleeper team this year, and I don't blame them. After all, even with the toughest schedule in the NFL in 2009, the Dolphins went 7-9, and they weren't even that bad. The defense improved, and the offense added Brandon Marshall to a passing game that needed a number one wide receiver. As long as the defense can improve, the Dolphins will have a shot at the playoffs, but I don't think they get there.

AFC Playoff Results:

Wild Card Weekend:
New England over Pittsburgh-The run for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers ends early. The Patriots just have too much, even at their age, for the Steelers to combat. New England knows that this is their last chance at a fourth ring with this group of players, and they come out looking more like the 2007 team than the 2009 one. The showing is good enough for one last game with the Colts.

New York over San Diego-Does this seem familiar? The Chargers end up facing the one team that they didn't want to go against in the playoffs. With memories of last year's loss going through their heads, the Chargers end up dropping another early playoff game, leaving Philip Rivers without that ring that Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger have. On the plus side, we don't have to see the LaDanian Tomlinson face for at least another week.

Divisional Playoffs:
Baltimore over New York-This is a defensive struggle the entire game. Rex Ryan learned how to coach in Baltimore, and now the Ravens have a chance to turn the tables. With both teams boasting good defenses, the game could go either way, but I'd rather have Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and that group of wideouts than Mark Sanchez, Shonn Greene and what the Jets have out there. If this comes to pass, expect a close game, but a New York loss. It seems like what the Jets have in mind over the next few years.

Indianapolis over New England-One last time, for old times sake. This current version of the Patriots doesn't have much time left before they have to start rebuilding, while the Colts already seem to be doing just that around Peyton Manning. The Colts are a younger, better team that reached the Super Bowl last season. The Patriots are older, and while age can be a good thing at times, in the playoffs, it can come back to get you. The Peyton Manning/Tom Brady saga has one final chapter, and while Brady is more than likely going to end up with more rings than Manning, this round goes to Peyton.

AFC Championship:
Baltimore over Indianapolis-When it comes to winning a championship, most of the time, it boils down to defense over offense. With the Baltimore Ravens, the defense was already in place, but the offense needed some work. Now, the offense is ready, but the defense is starting to age. Ray Lewis is nearing the end of his career, and Ed Reed is going to miss the first six weeks of the season with an injury, but the Ravens should still be considered one of the top teams in football. Even against the Colts, Baltimore has an advantage with their defense, and can answer the Colts shot for shot on offense with the weapons that they have now. Indianapolis may have the experience, but the Ravens look a lot like the Saints from last year, and we all know how well that team did.

Super Bowl XLV:
Baltimore over Green Bay-I know I've got at least one person out there rooting for the Packers, but it's just not meant to be this year. Sure, this is the most common matchup for the Super Bowl, but it's for a reason. The Ravens are looking like the best team in football again, and this time, they have an offense that can match their defense. Meanwhile, the Packers had the top rated defense in the NFL last season, and their offense is only going to get better. This wasn't an easy pick, not by any stretch, but I just think that the Ravens are the more complete team this time out. If the Packers play well enough, they can win the Super Bowl, but I'm giving it to the Ravens.

T. J. Houshmandzadeh....championship!!