NFL season is here as well as my predictions for the upcoming NFL season. It looks like another exciting year in the NFL with so many dynamic and explosive players, leaders and coaches. Here are my predictions:
MVP: Aaron Rodgers- It is Rodgers time to prove he's a top quarterback in this league if he hasn't already. Forget about Brett Favre, this is Rodgers' town and he will once again have a fantastic season and lead the Packers to the NFC North crown.
Defensive player of the year: Darrelle Revis- He will have another great year after shutting down every big name receiver he faced last year. The numbers don't show it, but he's the most important player to the Jets and might be the best defensive player in the league. Good thing the Jets were able to sign him or they would be in big trouble.
Offensive rookie of the year: Ryan Matthews- LT who? The Chargers will not miss LaDanian Tomlinson and Matthews will only remind people of him in his glory days. Matthews is one of the most explosive players in the league and will get every chance to prove his worth. He will get as many touches as he can handle and expect a huge year, even with their best offensive lineman, Marcus McNeill, holding out.
Defensive rookie of the year: Ndamukong Suh- Suh might be the best at his position as a rookie, he's that good. Suh will make it hard for opponents to run on the Lions defense and will make the Lions a better team. He will be a force in this league for a very long time.
Coach of the year; Mike Singletary- Singletary has done a solid job of coaching this team for a few years and now has the personnel to lead this team to the playoffs for the first time since Jeff Garcia was the qb. His offensive line is much improved, Alex Smith took a step in the right direction last year and a full year of Michael Crabtree will only make this team stronger. The defense is already one of the best in the entire league and Singletary will have his players ready for battle for the playoffs.
Comeback player of the year: Wes Welker- When Welker went down last year with a torn ACL, people didn't think he would be ready for the start of the 2011 season. Guess who's back? Welker has made an incredible recovery and is starting week one for the Patriots. He is what makes the Patriots offense go and they would not nearly be the same team without him. Welker should have another Pro Bowl year if he stays healthy.
(w)=wildcard
NFC:
East:
1. Cowboys- This team only got better with the addition of rookie wide-receiver Dez Bryant and they still boast an elite defense. Tony Romo is an elite qb and this offense will explode again.
2. Giants (w)- The defense will be resurrected back from the dead after last year's debacle and the offense will only get better with a healthy Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw.
3. Eagles- The Kevin Kolb era has begun but unfortunately he will have some growing pains and the offense will have its ups and downs all season. The defense is still a strong point, but it won't be enough for the playoffs.
4. Redskins- They made a huge acquisition with Donovan McNabb, but it's the rest of the team that scares me. Their offensive line is shaky, their receivers and old running backs are shaky and the defense is shaky. This doesn't bode well for the new coach Mike Shanahan.
North:
1. Packers- This is the most explosive offense in the league with an improving defense. The loss of Al Harris might sting the secondary early on, but the rest of the defense is strong. This team shouldn't have any problems getting to the playoffs.
2. Vikings- The loss of Pro Bowl wide-receiver Sidney Rice will be the thing that dooms this offense. Brett Favre has no chemistry with any other receiver like he did with Rice and they have offensive line issues as well. The defense is solid, but a harder schedule along with the injuries will hurt their playoff chances.
3. Bears- This team might improve a bit, but with such a tough division and conference, they will lucky to be a .500 team. Their offensive line has issues and their defense has issues. That's not a good combination for the season.
4. Lions- They will be a much improved team this year, but it won't translate to a lot more wins. Their team is still so young that it will have more growing pains this year, but they are not pushovers anymore. Rookie Jahvid Best will have a big year as will Calvin "Megatron" Johnson.
South:
1. Saints- The Falcons will give them a run for their money for the division, but the Saints are took stacked not to reclaim the South division. The defense is still very strong and their offense hasn't changed at all.
2. Falcons (w)- Matt Ryan will prove last year was a fluke, because he wasn't healthy and the team wasn't healthy. This team will score points and the addition of Dunta Robinson will improve the defense dramatically. This is a team poised for the playoffs.
3. Panthers- The loss of star defensive end Julius Peppers will hurt the defense, but the offense should be fine with the return of Matt Moore leading the team. Moore was 4-1 last year after taking over for the awful Jake Delhomme. This team will be lucky to be a .500 team, but they won't go down without a fight.
4. Bucs-The Bucs are in rebuilding mode and they won't be much better this year. Josh Freeman has a bright future though and they won't be pushovers.
West:
1. 49ers- This defense might be elite and the offense is much improved. Alex Smith is more poised and with weapons like Vernon Davis and Michael Crabtree, he should be solid again. Frank Gore is an elite running back and their offensive line is much better. They could make some noise in the playoffs.
2. Cardinals- Derek Anderson is taking over the quarterback position and that might not be a bad thing with weapons like Larry Fitzgerald, Steve Breaston and Early Doucet. The running game is much better with Tim Hightower and Beanie Wells. The defense takes a hit with the losses of Karlos Dansby and Antrel Rolle.
3. Seahawks- This team is also in rebuilding mode with Pete Carroll taking over as coach. It will struggle to score and the defense isn't ready to stop elite offenses. Not much hope this season. This might be Matt Hasselbeck's last year as a starting quarterback.
4. Rams- Sam Bradford looked good in preseason, but let's see what he does in the regular season. Their defense might be a bit better but won't be enough to stop good teams. Their offense is centered around star running back Steven Jackson, but they have a thin receiving core and not a great offensive line.
AFC:
East:
1. Jets- They have the best defense in the league and they might have the best running game in the league with Shonn Greene and LaDanian Tomlinson. They also added Santonio Holmes to their already solid receiving core. There is so much pressure on this team and on head coach Rex Ryan so we will see if they live up to the hype.
2. Patriots (w)- Having a healthy Wes Welker is key for Tom Brady and the Pats. Their defense is very thin and hasn't improved from last year's mediocre squad. If their offense is still explosive they should be a playoff team.
3. Dolphins- The addition of Brandon Marshall will be nice, but it's up to Chad Henne to make this offense more balanced. He should have a much better year with Marshall and the running game is still solid with a healthy Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams. The defense is also strong.
4. Bills- They are a candidate to have the number one overall draft pick next year so that doesn't bode well for them. Trent Edwards is one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league, with a brutal offensive line, thin receiving core and unproven running backs. Rookie C.J. Spiller looks like the real deal, but he will have a tough time on such a bad team. The defense is solid, but they don't have a prayer.
North:
1. Ravens- Their already loaded offense just got better with the addition of T.J. Houshmandazeh. Joe Flacco looks like he's headed for a career year and Ray Rice is the next big thing at running back. Their defense is banged up, but they should be healthy by the end of the year. They look like a Super Bowl contender.
2. Bengals- They have a real solid defense and the offense is better with the addition of Terrell Owens. They will have a tough time making the playoffs though with so many contenders in the AFC.
3. Steelers- Dennis Dixon starts the year as the starter with Rothlisberger out the first four games. They will have a tough time winning this year in such a loaded AFC conference. The defense is still a strength, but they must get back to running the ball with Rashad Mendenhall and balance it out.
4. Browns- They are still a bad team with not much room for improvement. Jake Delhomme will give the offense a lift, but they will be lucky to win three or four games this year.
South:
1. Colts- They are loaded on offense and the defense is mediocre. Peyton Manning is still an elite quarterback and with so many weapons like Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon and Joseph Addai, they will make the playoffs again and are Super Bowl contenders.
2. Texans (w)- Arian Foster is the latest running back to try and take over for the Texans. He has the talent to do it after gaining 257 rushing yards in six games last year. The offense is so explosive and the defense looks improved despite the loss of Dunta Robinson.
3. Titans- The tandem of Chris Johnson and Vince Young went 8-2 last year and they look like contenders this year. Guys like Kenny Britt and Nate Washington will have to step up to avoid teams putting eight guys in the box against Johnson. The defense looks solid so expect them to be in every game.
4. Jaguars- David Garrard and a thin receiving core won't be enough to contend despite having Maurice-Jones Drew at running back. They don't have a good enough defense to contend this year.
West:
1. Chargers- Despite the holdouts of McNeill and Vincent Jackson, they still have enough playmakers on offense and defense to win the division. Ryan Matthews will make people forget about LT. Malcolm Floyd will have a break-out year and Phillip Rivers will have another big year.
2. Chiefs- They will be one of the most improved teams this year. Matt Casssel will have a betetr year and Dwayne Bowe will have a comeback year. The defense has issues, but they will score enough points to contend.
3. Raiders- They will have a better year with Jason Campbell leading the way. The defense looks better and Zach Miller is one of the best tight-ends in the league.
4. Broncos- Kyle Orton is a decent quarterback, but he doesn't have enough weapons to live without Marshall. The defense got worse with the loss of Pro-Bowl linebacker Elvis Dumervil. Not looking good for the Broncos.
Playoffs:
AFC:
1st round byes: Colts, Ravens
wildcard: Jets over Chargers
Texans over Patriots
Divisional: Colts over Texans
Ravens over Jets
Championship: Ravens over Colts
NFC:
1st round byes: Saints, Packers
wildcard: Cowboys over Falcons
Giants over 49ers
Divisional: Saints over Giants
Packers over Cowboys
Championship: Packers over Saints
Super Bowl: Packers over Ravens
Super Bowl MVP: Aaron Rodgers
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