NFL Preview: Clear as Mud

Less than week until the 2010 NFL season kicks off with the NFC Championship Game rematch between the Saints and the Vikings, and I must say, I am salivating with anticipation. So I guess it’s about time to attempt to play the seer again and prognosticate what will happen over next five months.

I blew up the crystal ball last year and had once-ina lifetime success with my NFC predictions, nailing all four division winners, both wild card teams and the order of finish of 14 of the 16 teams. Needless to say, I’ll probably miss everything this year. And admittedly, looking at the upcoming year, I have no confidence in what might happen. It looks as clear as mud. But I have to try.

Without further ado, here’s a quick look at my order of finish for each division. I’ll go more in-depth on the Vikings next week and make my playoff, Super Bowl and major award picks next week.

NFC North: 1. Minnesota 10-6; 2. Green Bay 10-6; 3. Detroit Lions 6-10; 4. Chicago Bears 6-10.

The Packers will be nipping at the Vikings’ heels all season, and may well lead the race out of the gates and much of the season, but the Vikings will capture another division title by virtue of having a better division record. Notice I don’t think the Vikings will sweep the Packers again, but that’s for next week. The Lions will be far more competitive on both sides of the ball and could even challenge the .500 mark just two seasons removed from their winless campaign. The Bears are a disaster waiting to happen with the combustible Jay Cutler-Mike Martz marriage and a nonexistent offensive line.

NFC East: 1. Philadelphia Eagles 10-6; 2. Dallas Cowboys 10-6; 3. Washington Redskins 9-7; 4. N.Y. Giants 7-9.

I wrestled over this division and the AFC South the most. It’s really hard to predict how Donovan McNabb’s intradivision move will affect the balance of power, but I do like Philly’s defensive improvement and offensive weapons and think Kevin Kolb will fill in more than adequately at QB to enable the Eagles to nip the Cowboys. Dallas wants to be the first team to host a Super Bowl, but the offensive line is still in shambles. The Redskins will be tough on defense, with or without Albert Haynesworth, and better offensively with McNabb and will challenge for the playoffs. The Giants are aging but still dangerous.

NFC South: 1. Atlanta Falcons 10-6; 2. New Orleans Saints 10-6; 3. Carolina Panthers 7-9; 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-11.

If you’re sensing a theme here, it’s because there is one. Uncertainty. Six 10-6 teams in the NFC? It’s just that no one really stands out to me as a dominant squad, not even the defending champion Saints, who’ll suffer a certain Super Bowl hangover in New Orleans, not surprisingly. Their defense certainly will not be as opportunistic as last year and will miss injured Darren Sharper and that will cost them a division title to Matt Ryan and the Falcons. The Panthers are replacing nearly half their starters including their quarterback. The Bucs will be rebuilding for a couple more years but keep an eye on youngsters Josh Freeman and Mike Williams.

NFC West: 1. San Francisco 49ers 9-7; 2. Seattle Seahawks 8-8; 3. Arizona Cardinals 8-8; 4. St. Louis Rams 4-12.

Once again, the West divisions are the worst in football, and that means a more deserving team will lose out on the playoffs to the standout linebacker Patrick Willis and the San Francisco 49ers. Alex Smith has enough weapons at his disposal to edge out Seattle, who will be resurgent under Pete Carroll, and Arizona, who will be lost without Kurt Warner. I feel for Larry Fitzgerald. Sam Bradford looks like the real deal, but the Rams to moribund for him to pull them out of the doldrums just yet.

AFC North: 1. Baltimore Ravens 11-5; 2. Cincinnati Bengals 9-7; 3. Pittsburgh Steelers 9-7; 4. Cleveland Browns 3-13.

The Ravens have the defense as usual and an offense that will be tough to stop with a far better receiving corps and deep running game. The Bengals are now Dallas North or Oakland East, but still a solid team with a lot of offensive weapons and a solid defense that should usurp the drama of T.O., Ochocinco, Cedric and Pacman. The Steelers have their share of issues with the Big Ben suspensions, but should be in the thick of things. The Browns are still the Browns and once again will be a doormat.

AFC East: 1. New England Patriots 11-5; 2. Miami Dolphins 9-7; 3. N.Y. Jets 8-8; 4. Buffalo Bills 2-14.

Let me preface this prediction by saying I love Randy Moss and hate Rex Ryan. Still, I believe the Patriots will be stellar on offense behind Tom Brady and better than adequate on defense. For all the hype the Jets have gotten and all the yap coming from Ryan, nothing would thrill me more than to see them fall flat, and especially if they don’t get Darrelle Revis signed and even if they do, they are over-hyped after slipping in the backdoor of the playoffs last year. The Dolphins, on the other hand, are blue collar and added Brandon Marshall, who though a diva, has caught 100 balls three straight years. The Bills will be the worst team in the league with the most exciting rookie, C.J. Spiller.

AFC South: 1. Tennessee Titans 10-6; 2. Houston Texans 9-7; 3. Indianapolis Colts 9-7; 4. Jacksonville Jaguars 7-9.

One of these years, the Colts will falter, and if I keep predicting it, I just might be right in the next decade. The Titans have Chris Johnson, an improving Vince Young, and that just might be enough to do it. Houston is once again is on the cusp behind Andre Johnson, but will miss Brian Cushing for the first four weeks. Jacksonville is capable of pulling off an upset or two to put themselves in the playoff picture as well.

AFC West: 1. San Diego Chargers 9-7; 2. Denver Broncos 8-8; 3. Oakland Raiders 6-10; 4. Kansas City Chiefs 6-10.

The Chargers have problems with holdouts, suspensions and a kicker who melts down in the clutch, but they’re still more talented than the rest of this week, but improving division. The Broncos drafted Tim Tebow, maybe the best player in college football history, and coach Josh McDaniels will be hard-pressed to resist the urge to play him immediately if mediocre Kyle Orton struggles. Can’t wait to watch Minnesota’s own Eric Decker in Denver though. The Raiders will be far better without Jamarcus Russell, but still has work to do, and the Chiefs added Thomas Jones and some other weapons and could surprise some people.

Looking back over these picks, I now realize the tough part is to pick two wild card teams from three 10-6 teams in the NFC and two from amongst four 9-7 teams in the AFC. But I have a week to do that. And not Who Dat? That would be the Vikings coming for revenge next Thursday in the Superdome.

Until next time…

Brian Miller is a longtime local sports writer and the co-founder of iSportsNorth. He currently resides in Eveleth and can be reached at miller24bri@gmail.com.