NFC PREVIEW
EAST
1. Philadelphia Eagles.
Offense: Quarterback Michael Vick will try to duplicate his impressive 2010 season, and with playmakers like WR DeSean Jackson and RB LeSean McCoy at his side, he may be poised for an even better year.
Defense: Additions Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha give Philly an incredible secondary which was weak last year. Now they need their linebacking core to step up and a lot of that falls on rookie Casey Matthews.
Player to watch: Brent Celek. A disappointing 2010 for Celek, but maybe all he needed was time to adjust to Vick vs. McNabb and could be poised for a productive 2011.
Prediction: 11-5
2. New York Giants.
Offense: Solid O-Line, the return of Domenik Hixon, and the emergence of Hakeem Nicks should make things easier for both Eli Manning and Ahmad Bradshaw.
Defense: Off the field issues may have made the headlines with Osi Umenyiora, but there is no doubt that he and Justin Tuck will get to opposing QBs during the season with ease. The question is, are they already behind the eight ball with the amount of injuries they’ve had in preseason.
Player to watch: Eli Manning. There’s always pressure to play in NY, but especially when you’re the QB. If his wideouts stay healthy, there are no excuses to not win their first playoff game since 18-1.
Prediction: 10-6
3. Dallas Cowboys
Offense: Tony Romo is back and ready to prove that he is an elite QB. I expect big things out of year two of the Dez Bryant project. Offensive line has two rookies in it, but the offense should be solid in Big D.
Defense: Oh boy, another Ryan in a big time football franchise. Pass rush should thrive with their new leader, as they already have the best sack man in the league in DeMarcus Ware.
Player to Watch: Dez Bryant. Has to redevelop his rapport with Romo in order to fit among elite WR’s.
Prediction: 8-8
4. Washington Redskins
Offense: The offense will be led by Rex Grossman (at least initially). Sexy Rexy will have Tim Hightower and Ryan Torain in the backfield and Santana Moss and Jabar Gaffney as his wideouts. (Sidenote, when did Washington become the place for former Broncos?)
Defense: The defense was ranked 31st last year, as should be no surprise to anyone who watched their Monday night game against the Eagles. That should most likely improve this year.
Player to Watch: Tim Hightower. Grossman has never been a QB to air it out 50 times a game, so that should mean plenty of carries for Hightower.
Prediction: 6-10
North
1. Green Bay Packers
Offense: This is the safe bet to pick them first even though they actually finished second in the division last year. Aaron Rodgers gets two new/old weapons back in Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley who were lost to injury last year. Perhaps the only weakness is the pass protection; Rodgers doesn’t need a whole lot of time, but their season could change dramatically if he were to obtain an injury.
Defense: Big men up front, led by B.J Raji, make the job of linebackers led by Clay Matthews and AJ Hawk easier, which in turn set up easier plays for the playmakers, Tramon Williams and Charles Woodson, to make.
Player to Watch: Jermichael Finley. Dude was a beast two seasons ago and should provide Rodgers with another weapon especially in the red zone.
Prediction: 12-4
2. Minnesota Vikings
Offense: Adrian Peterson is one of if not the best running backs in the league, and Donovan McNabb is itching to prove that he still has it. The problem is, he doesn’t, really.
Defense: The front seven is nasty, led by defensive tackle Kevin Williams and defensive end/weirdo Jared Allen. The secondary will need to play well too, because All Day doesn’t mean too much if they have to play catch-up every game.
Player to Watch: Donovan McNabb. It seems like every year, wherever he goes, there is pressure on him. This year is no exception, because the Vikings have players in skill positions that can do work in the playoffs, they just need #5 to take them there.
Prediction: 7-9
3. Detroit Lions
Offense: Matthew Stafford is everyone’s pick to have a breakout season. His job will be a little easier with Calvin Johnson to throw to, and Jahvid Best seems to be primed for breakout year too. They play in a division of good to great defenses however, so this firepower alone may not be enough.
Defense: How can you not like Ndamukong Suh? He, along with veterans Kyle Vanden Bosch and Stephen Tulloch should give them a solid front seven, even if their secondary has major holes.
Player to Watch: Matthew Stafford. If he can stay healthy, the Lions’ offense should be a force to be reckoned with, plus he doesn’t have to face the world champs until late November.
Prediction: 7-9
4. Chicago Bears
Offense: Giving credit where credit is due, Jay Cutler had a much better season last year than two years ago. However, while Roy Williams is a solid addition, I don’t have much faith in their o-line, thus resulting in Cutler getting sacked plenty of times and making poor decisions plenty of times as well.
Defense: This group has always been amazing when healthy, but the issue is they almost never are. Since they had a rare healthy year last year, I’m playing the odds and saying they don’t have the same luck this year. If they do though, watch out, Julius Peppers, Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher are still some of the best in the game.
Player to Watch: Jay Cutler. He broke up with that hot famous chick from the Hills (I think), so … maybe that’s… the spark he needs?
Prediction: 5-11
South
1. New Orleans Saints
Offense: Drew Brees had his career high in interceptions last year, and when good players come off of a year that they do that they usually have a chip on their shoulder…. Or send underwhelming picture messages of their male parts. Either way, expect an exciting season for the Saints!
Defense: Led by Will Smith and Jonathan Vilma, the front seven is solid as usual, and a veteran secondary should prevent more points than the offense produces. They just have to… um… tackle.
Player to Watch: Drew Brees. Itching to prove last year was a down year, look for him to have a year more like ’08 or ’09.
Prediction: 12-4
2. Atlanta Falcons
Offense: The NFC South never has the same division winner twice, but Atlanta has the talent to repeat as division champs, especially adding rookie Julio Jones alongside other playmaker Roddy White for targets for QB Matt Ryan.
Defense: Ray Edwards (from the Vikings) and John Abraham combined for 21 sacks last year. While the secondary and linebackers may have some questions, the guys up front should make their job easier by forcing opposing QBs to make poor decisions.
Player to Watch: Julio Jones. Atlanta made a gamble in going after the WR out of Alabama, but he is a playmaker and he may just be worth giving up the later picks.
Prediction: 10-6
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Offense: Believe the Josh Freeman hype! Also, LaGarrette Blount should get a bulk of the carries, Mike Williams leads an otherwise no-name group of wideouts and they have a tackle whose last name is Trueblood. The Tampa Bay Bucs!
Defense: What a solid young line, led by Gerald McCoy. If DaQuan Bowers’ injury turns out to not be an issue, what a steal. And one of the best unknown corners in the league is Aqib Talib, who also rounds out what has to be the team with some of the best names in football. So there’s that.
Player to Watch: Josh Freeman. Simply put the guy makes plays. And it’s not like he’s throwing the ball to Harrison and Wayne, he has Mike Williams, Kellen Winslow, and that’s basically it. Their starting other wideout is either Sammie Stroughter or Arrelious Benn.
Prediction: 7-9
4. Carolina Panthers
Offense: Cam Newton won the Heismann and now gets the honor of leading the Panthers’ offense. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart are still somehow both on the team, so there’s a little weight off Cam’s back.
Defense: The defense was actually a respectable 18th last year, despite Jon Beason being the only player I’ve heard of. I guess I should watch the Panthers play more. Or not.
Player to Watch: Cam Newton. Simply because, everyone wants to see how #1 picks perform with the big boys.
Prediction: 5-11
West
1. St. Louis Rams
Offense: There’s no question that Sam Bradford is going to be a star in this league, the question is whether he will be THIS year. While he probably won’t be yet, he should continue to develop and take his team to the postseason this year in a weak division.
Defense: I like their veteran additions in Justin Bannan and Ben Leber, but can the secondary rise to the occasion?
Player to Watch: Steven Jackson. The workhorse back still seems to find a way to put up big-time numbers, but will this be the year that he finally shows signs of fatigue?
Prediction: 9-7
2. Arizona Cardinals
Offense: Kevin Kolb has the daunting task now of “throwing the ball in the general vicinity of Larry Fitzgerald”. What’s funny is that Matt Leinart somehow made that look hard.
Defense: They have big names, but finished 29th last year, and will be looking to improve on that. Rookie Patrick Peterson is eager to prove that he is the next great shutdown corner in the game.
Player to Watch: Kevin Kolb. Take the helm, Kolb. You are now the quarterback of a professional football team. And no, you don’t need to look over your shoulder because there is no Andy Reid to play with your head and bench you.
Prediction: 8-8
3. Seattle Seahawks
Offense: Marshawn Lynch has to prove the playoff game against the Saints wasn’t a fluke, and Tavaris Jackson, well, has to prove that he isn’t just a punchline.
Defense: I look at this defense and think, okay, I guess it isn’t that bad, but then I remember that they have to hold teams to less than what a team led by Tavaris Jackson scores.
Player to Watch: Sidney Rice. Okay, seriously, what does this guy have to do to escape Tavaris Jackson? (See what I did…three segments, three Tavaris Jackson jokes. #hiremesportspickle)
Prediction: 6-10
4. San Francsico 49ers
Offense: Jim Harbaugh could indeed turn this team around, but he needs more than one year if he is going to do it with Alex Smith. The Inconvenient Truth is as solid as RB’s come and I am interested to see how Michael Crabtree and Braylon Edwards work as a team of wideouts.
Defense: The best in the division, although that doesn’t a. say much or b. mean much. Patrick Willis is a beast.
Player to Watch: Vernon Davis. Once written as a bust, this guy has proven to be anything but. Was the team’s leading receiver last year, and figures to be a good candidate this year too.
Prediction: 5-11
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