NFC Preview & Predictions

NFC East:

(1) Dallas Cowboys: 10-6

• The Cowboys, off their first playoff win in a decade, will play with more confidence and it will show on the field. Dez Bryant will supplant Roy Williams as starter by week 8. Unfortunately for Cowboys fans, Romo is cut from the Brett Favre mold and will make a costly mistake in the playoffs preventing the Boys from reaching the Super Bowl in 2010.

(2) New York Giants: 8-8

• The Giants defense will be improved under new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, however the Giants will still be vulnerable up the middle without a solid middle linebacker. Look for the Giants to try to upgrade the MLB position next off-season. On the offensive side of the ball, the Giants will attempt to return to a smashmouth running attack with Ahmad Bradshaw leading the way.

(3) Philadelphia Eagles: 8-8

• Eagles fans will quickly learn that replacing a franchise quaterback like Donovan McNabb isn't so easy. Kolb will take some lumps in his first season as a starter and will improve over the course of the year but don't expect big things yet. LeSean McCoy will excel in Andy Reid's system as a receiver. The secondary will once again serve as the team weakness with no real big additions in the off-season.

(4) Washington Redskins: 7-9

• The Redskins had the best off-season of any NFC team. Not only did they hire future Hall of Famer, Mike Shanahan, to be head coach, but they also made one of the biggest off-season acquisitions by trading for aging star Donovan McNabb. Look for Mike Shanahan to center the offense around the running game mimicking his old Denver Broncos teams. I believe the Redskins are a team on the rise and if they can bring in a top notch WR in the off-season, they will be a team to reckoned with in 2011.

NFC WEST:

(1) San Fransisco 49ers: 9-7

• The 49ers will be the defacto best team in the NFC West due to poor competition within the division. The only other threat will be the declining Cardinals without Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner. Look for Frank Gore and Patrick Willis to carry the 49ers to their first divisional championship in quite some time.

(2) Arizona Cardinals: 7-9

• Cardinals fans will quickly realize Derek Anderson at quarterback is not the answer. In addition, the Cardinals lost too many quality players from last year's team: Anquan Boldin, Antrel Rolle, Karlos Dansby, & Bertrand Berry. Look for the Cardinals to go to a more of a run first offense with Beanie Wells taking the bulk of the carries. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, Beanie Wells and Tim Hightower are both limited in their carrying abilities.

(3) Seattle Seahawks: 6-10

• Look for another long year for the talent depleted Seahawks. At least they'll have more stability this season with a healthy Matt Hasselback. Justin Forsett and Leon Washington will not provide enough punch in the running game.

(4) St. Louis Rams: 5-11

• The good news for Rams fans? QB Sam Bradford won the QB competition in pre-season outright over A.J. Feely. The bad news for Rams fans? QB Sam Bradford will be the starting QB starting game 1. Very few quaterbacks play well in their rookie year in the NFL. The speed of the game is just at another level compared to the collegiate level.

NFC NORTH:

(1) Minnesota Vikings: 12-4

• Brett Favre returns for his second season to lead the very talented and potent offense. The Vikings are loaded with stars on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. The only obstacle between the Vikings and the Super Bowl? Favre's knack for making the big mistake in a big moment in the playoffs. In fact after last season's INT to seal the deal vs. the Saints, I have begun to call his big mistakes in key moments: "Pulling a Favre".

(2) Green Bay Packers: 11-5

• Aaron Rodgers reaches upper echelon NFL quarterback status by leading the lethal Packers aerial attack by spreading the ball around to a plethora of playmakers including Jennings, Driver, Finley, etc. The team will go as far as the Packers defense allows.

(3) Chicago Bears: 6-10

• Look for Head Coach Lovie Smith to be the 2nd coach fired after the season. The Bears just haven't surrounded QB Jay Cutler with enough talented WRs. Don't put all the blame on Cutlers' shoulders though, he will make the occasional dumb throw, but he has talent and would perform at a higher level if he had a top notch wide receiver

(4) Detroit Lions: 5-11

• Another team on the rise. The Lions are beginning to finally stockpile talent and will steadily improve throughout the season. Look for Jahvid Best to take over as the primary running back by year's end.

NFC SOUTH:

(1) New Orleans Saints: 12-4

• The only scenario the Saints will not win at least 10 games this season is if Drew Brees gets injured. Look for the Saints roll to a 7-2 record prior the bye week. The Saints will be a tough out for any team in the playoffs.

(2) Atlanta Falcons: 10-6

• The Falcons will return to the playoffs with the resurgence of a healthy Michael Turner. Unfortunately for Atlanta, they play in the same division as the Saints and will reach the playoffs as a Wildcard. The defense will have to improve for the Falcons to make a real run at the Super Bowl.

(3) Carolina Panthers: 8-8

• The Panthers will struggle with QB Matt Moore at the helm. Look for the Panthers to rely heavily on the two headed monster of D'Angelo Williams & Jonathan Stewart. The defense will hold up fairly well in the absence of departed star DE Julius Peppers.

(4) Tampa Bay Bucaneers: 4-12

• Expect another long year for Bucs fans as they have yet to surround young QB Josh Freeman with any playmakers. The good news? The Bucs will have a top 3 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

NFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

(6) Atlanta Falcons @ (3) Dallas Cowboys

(5) Green Bay Packers @ (4) San Fransisco 49ers

Divisional Round:

(5) Green Bay Packers @ (1) New Orleans Saints

(3) Dallas Cowboys @ (2) Minnesota Vikings

Conference Championship:

(5) Green Bay Packers @ (2) Minnesota Vikings

NFC CHAMPIONS: GREEN BAY PACKERS

NFC AWARDS:

• NFC MVP - Aaron Rodgers
• NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year - Sam Bradford
• NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year - Rolando McClain
• NFC Coach of the Year - Mike Singletary

The Bottom Line:

• The Green Bay Packers will have an extremely difficult road to Super Bowl XLV entering the playoffs as a Wildcard. However, the Packers have the luck of playing the 49ers in the Wildcard round. Following, they will have to play at their best to knock off the Saints and Vikings on the road. I think the Packers defense will carry them to a victory over the defending super bowl champs and Brett will "pull a Favre" in the NFC Championship game. As long as Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant stay healthy, the Packers stand a good shot at knocking any team off. The Green Bay Packers will meet the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLV.

Super Bowl Preview to follow.

AFC Preview/Predictions - Ravens to the SB?

AFC EAST:

(1) New York Jets: 10-6

• The Jets will be an improved team with a more seasoned Mark Sanchez in year 2. The return of Revis along with the addition of Kyle Wilson keeps the Jets defense well stocked.

(2) Miami Dolphins: 9-7

• The dolphins will be improved with the progression of Chad Henne & the addition of Brandon Marshall. Still count on the fins to be a run heavy team.

(3) New England Patriots: 9-7

• A difficult schedule combined with a depleted defense will hinder a playoff appearance for the Pats. The Pats will be a stronger team in the 2nd half of the season as Welker fully returns from injury and the defense develops more cohesion.

(4) Buffalo Bills: 6-10

• The Bills will actually play better than their 6-10 record will indicate. Trent Edwards will be improved, however he still lacks a true #1 wide receiver.

AFC WEST:

(1) San Diego Chargers: 11-5

• The Chargers open up with an extremely friendly schedule: @KC, vs. Jags, @Seattle, vs. Cards, @Oakland, @Rams. I expect the Chargers to open up 6-0. Look for rookie RB Ryan Matthews to make himself a household name, especially with fantasy football owners this fall.

(2) Oakland Raiders: 7-9

• The Raiders made one of the biggest off-season acquisitions by acquiring QB Jason Campbell from the Redskins. This move will pay off dividends immediately on the field however they will pay for their poor drafting the past decade. Look for WR Louis Murphy out of Florida to outplay former 1st round pick Darius Heyward-Bey.

(3) Denver Broncos: 7-9

• The Broncos offense should be improved this season with the progression of the injury prone Knowshon Moreno and possible emergence of Eddie Royal in the slot. However, the Broncos D will have an extremely difficult time stopping the run and pass without the injured Elvis Dumervil.

(4) Kansas City Chiefs: 6-10

• Last season, the Chiefs were one of the youngest teams in the league. Even though the record won't indicate it, the Chiefs should be an improved team with the addition of workhorse Thomas Jones.

AFC North:

(1) Baltimore Ravens: 11-5

• Sometimes, the rich just get richer. The Ravens traded for star WR Anquan Boldin in the off-season and added WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh for $800k. Housh is so talented that even with miserable QB play for the Seattle last year, he still managed to have 79 catches for 911 yards.

(2) Cincinnati Bengals: 9-7

• Carson Palmer and moreover, the Cincinnati Bengals, will benefit from the addition of T.O. However, the bengals face an extremely challenging schedule with very few gimmes

(3) Pittsburgh Steelers: 7-9

• Coach Mike Tomlin will have his work cut out for him especially early in the season playing without QB Ben Roethlisberger.

(4) Cleveland Browns: 4-12

• Lameduck coach, Eric Mangini, will lead the hapless Browns to another dismal record. GM Holmgren will fire Mangini perhaps even before the off-season and may try lure offensive guru, Jon Gruden away from ESPN.

AFC SOUTH:

(1) Indianapolis Colts: 11-5

• Peyton Manning will continue to torment opposing teams defenses. Reggie Wayne will take another step back, but Pierre Garcon will continue to progress under the tutelage of Manning and Wayne. Anthony Gonzalez will finally blossom in the slot. Donald Brown will begin to take a portion of the carries away from Joseph Addai.

(2) Houston Texans: 9-7

• The prolific Texans offense will finally enable Gary Kubiak's team to a record above .500. Matt Schaub will continue to blossom into an upper echelon quaterback. Arian Foster will prove to the workhorse back with Slaton serving as a the 3rd down back. The defense, albeit improved, will prove to be the downfall for the Texans.

(3) Tennessee Titans: 8-8

• Chris Johnson will help keep the Titans in most games but Vince Young will make too many big mistakes for the Titans to take the next step into the playoffs. Albert Haynesworth will be traded to the Titans at some point in the season.

(4) Jacksonville Jaguars: 6-10

• Jones-Drew will help carry the Jaguars but unfortunately they still lack any other offensive punch and will have major difficulty moving the ball on most teams.

AFC PLAYOFFS:

Wildcard Round:

(6) Houston Texans @ (3) San Diego Chargers

(5) Dolphins @ (4) New York Jets

Divisional Round:

(6) Houston Texans @ (1) Baltimore Ravens

(4) New York Jets @ (2) Indianapolis Colts

AFC Championship:

(2) Indianapolis Colts @ (1) Baltimore Ravens

AFC Champion: Baltimore Ravens

AFC AWARDS

• AFC MVP - Peyton Manning
• AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year - Ryan Matthews
• AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year - Eric Berry
• AFC Coach of the Year - John Harbaugh

The Bottom Line:

• The Ravens will be the AFC representative in the Super Bowl for the first time since their last championship in 2000. The Ravens have some injuries on defense but their new and improved passing offense will complement budding superstar Ray Rice enabling them to reach the big game. Joe Flacco will have a 2:1 QB to INT ratio and safety Ed Reed will return to pre-injury form by the latter half of the season.

Rutgers vs. Norfolk State Preview

Norfolk State University

70th season

2009: 7-4, 3rd place in MEAC

· Key Notes:

o Seven starters are back from a defensive unit which ranked second in the MEAC and sixth in the nation last year in yardage allowed (265.6).

o Norfolk State boasted one of the more productive offenses in the MEAC last season, ranking third in the conference in both scoring (26.6 ppg) and total offense (348.4 ypg)

· 2008 Statistics

o NSU 26.6 ppg

o Opp- 19.8 ppg

· Last 3 Games:

o Norfolk 28 – Winston Salem State 21

o Norfolk 21 – Delaware St. 16

o Norfolk 31 – Morgan St. 23

· Key Players:

o Offense - RB DeAngelo Branch. Branch is a two-time All-MEAC second-team pick. Now a senior, Branche is already fourth in school history in rushing yardage, and has recorded 1,977 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground in his two seasons as a starter

o Defense - NT Josh Turner. Turner is back after earning first-team All-MEAC honors. Turned amassed 46 tackles, eight for loss.

· Summer Camp Impressions:

o The defense dominated the intrasquad summer scrimmages; Branch did not play in the last scrimmage and the offense was limited to 1 TD by reserve RB Takeem Hedgeman. Overall, it seems the senior-laden defense along with Branch will be relied upon heavily for the 2010 season.

Rutgers University

141st season

2009: 9-4 (3-4), 4th place in Big East

· Key Notes

o The Scarlet Knights return 6 starters on offense and 6 starters on defense.

o RU returns promising sophomore signal caller Tom Savage, WR Mohammed Sanu, and leading rusher Joe Martinek.

· 2009 Statistics

o RU – 28.8 ppg

o Opponents – 17.9 ppg

· Last 3 Games

o RU 45 – UCF 24 - St. Petersburg Bowl

o WVU 24 – RU 21

o RU 34 – Louisville 14

· Key Players:

o Offense – WR/QB Mohammed Sanu. As a true freshman in 2009, Sanu, a jack of all trades, caught 51 passes for 639 yards & 3 TDs. In addition, Sanu rushed for 342 yards & 5 TDs. Sanu has the rare ability to take over a game from the WR or QB position.

o Defense – MLB Steve Beauharnais. As a true freshman in 2009, Beauharnais had 36 tackes & 1 forced fumble as a reserve. Beauharnais will be counted on heavily by the Knights defense taking over the “QB” of the defense role.

· Team Strength:

o Defensive Line: The Knights will be able to rotate 7 Big East caliber players. The Knights defensive line will be lead by anchor DT Scott Vallone and sack specialist DE Jonathan Freeny.

· Team Weakness:

o Offensive Line: The Knights are returning only 2 offensive lineman from an underachieving line in 2009. The returning starters include Art Forst who has moved over to right tackle from guard and Howard Barbieri at center. Desmond Stapleton, Caleb Ruch, and Desmon Wynn will fill out the rest of the offensive line. Look for early season difficulty.

· Summer Camp Impressions:

o The injury bug hit the Scarlet Knights WRs throughout training camp. The Knights lost three WRs including Quron Pratt, Tim Wright, and J.T. Tartacoff. In addition the Knights will be without RB Casey Turner.

o The Knights defense dominated the first scrimmage, however the offense had improved results in the second scrimmage. Freshman RB Jordan Thomas and freshman WR Jeremey Deering had impressive showings elevating them to the 2 deep.

The Bottom Line:

· I expect the Rutgers defense to run blitz until Norfolk proves they can throw for a first down. On the other side of the ball, I don't believe NSU has the level of playmakers that Rutgers has in its arsenal. Even though RU's makeshift offensive line scares me, I don't think they'll truly be tested until week 2 versus Florida International.

Prediction: Rutgers 34 - NSU 13