2009 NFL season predictions (continued)

Now that I have covered the AFC, its time for me to unveil my thoughts on the NFC.

NFC East
New York Giants 13-3
Philadelphia Eagles 12-4
Dallas Cowboys 9-7
Washington Redskins 6-10

The Giants are just a force to be reckoned with. I admire what Tom Coughlin does and how he handles this team. Rather than trying to befriend his players (Cough, Wade Philips) Coughlin takes a hard stance and demands both respect and perfection, and it works. Eli Manning will have to live up to his ridiculous new contract, however it will be more difficult without Plaxico Burres to throw to. Kevin Boss is becoming a viable recieving threat at the tight end position, and the O-line is perhaps the best unit in the league. Brandon Jacobs is a punishing runner and a defense led by Osi Umenyiora and Antonio Pierce will once again be dominant. The Giants will come out on top of this dog fight for division champs.

Philadelphia is a popular choice among many to contend for a superbowl title. Besides the controversial signing of QB Michael Vick, the Eagles added even more offensive toys for Donovan McNabb to play with. Drafting wide reciever Jeremy Maclin at 19th overall was an absolute steal, and drafting LeSean McCoy from Pittsburgh was also another great pick. Desean Jackson had a very succesful rookie debut during the 2008 campaign, and will contribute to what could be the fastest offense in the NFL. Replacing defensive mastermind Jim Johnson is an impossible task, however the Eagles will be ok. Johnson was one of the most respected coaches in the NFL by not only his peers, but his players as well. He will be missed greatly, but Philly has a reputation for playing stellar defense, and will do so once again this season.

Finishing third in the NFC East is the Dallas Cowboys. QB Tony Romo is a very solid starter, however I do not believe he has the leadership skills necessary to join the ranks of Manning and Brady when discussing top quarterbacks in the league. Although he was criticized for dropping passes, the loss of Terrell Owens to Buffalo will hurt. Jerry Jones tried to make the team "Romo-friendly" as he tried to build the team around Tony. Head Coach Wade Philips is also another name on the coaching hot seat this year. It has been over a decade since Dallas has won a playoff game, and I don't think this years Cowboys will break that streak. Demarcus Ware is perhaps the best pass rusher in the NFL and was a big reason Dallas led the NFL in sacks last season. Despite that, the defense does not impress me as a whole. The Cowboys have a ton of talent, but I don't see them putting it all together behind Wade Philips.

The signing of Albert Haynseworth was perhaps the biggest move during the entire off-season. It vastly improves a defensive unit that was shaky and now forces opposing coaches to game plan around Haynseworth. Besides that, there isn't much worth talking about on the Redskins. Owner Dan Snyder is a perfect example of the fact that money can't buy you a superbowl ring. After being unable to trade for Jay Cutler in the off-season, Jason Campbell will return as starting QB. Campbell is a very incosistent starting quarterback and is not someone who can win 10+ games for you. Clinton Portis is one of the most talented running backs in the NFL and always puts up good numbers. Besides Portis on offense, there isn't much of anything that will catch your eye. The Redskins look destined for a long year.

NFC North
Green Bay Packers 10-6
Minnesota Vikings 10-6
Chicago Bears 7-9
Detroit Lions 2-14

Aaron Rodgers has become one of the premier passers in the NFL, and has a great wide reciever tandem in Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. Jennings may be one of the most underrated players in the NFL, but trust me, he is a beast. Ryan Grant should rebound from a disappointing 2008 season where he only had four touchdowns. Bringing in Dom Capers to coach up the defense is a very wise move. Aaron Kampman, Nick Barnett, AJ Hawk and Charles Woodson are the leaders of the defense and gives Capers a lot of talent to work with. I believe the Packers will rebound from being 6-10 in 2008 and will win the division.

The first thing you think of when you think of the Minnesota Vikings is Brett Favre. Wait, what?!? The ever so indecisive Favre stole all off-season headlines when he decided to sign with the Vikings in August. Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels now battle for the back-up position behind Favre, who some think may still have something left in the tank. Even though Favre is not the player he once was, its ok. The Vikings are not known for having a pass heavy offense because they have the best running back in professional football, Adrian Peterson. Besides Favre and Peterson on offense, the Vikings have one of the top defenses in the NFL and shut down the run extremely well. If Favre can simply manage the game rather than forcing throws and being the gunslinger he once was, the Vikings have a lot of potential.

Chicago won the Jay Cutler sweepstakes in the off-season, and acquired a a pro-bowl type quarterback. Only problem is, Cutler has no one to throw to. Devin Hester is a tremendous punt/kick returner, but as a reciever he is decent at best. Cutlers only offensive passing weapon may be Greg Olsen. The former Hurricane has established himself as one of the top five recieving tight ends in all of football. Matt Forte will also look to build on the success he had during his rookie season last year. Forte is a running back who can also catch passes out of the backfield as well. The defense has a reputation for being dominant in recent years, however they are not the same defense they once were. But hey, any defense led by Brian Urlacher can't be in too bad of shape.

The only good thing about going 0-16 is that, well, it can't get any worse. The Lions hired Titans defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz and drafted former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford first overall. With Schwartz announcing Stafford as the starter, we're about to see what this kid is all about sooner rather thaan later. Calvin Johnson will be a nice big target for Stafford to throw to, that is if he gets any time behind an awful offensive line. The running game is nearly non-existent for the Lions, (Detroit fans are keeping their fingers crossed for a Barry Sanders comeback) and that is not exactly a good thing when you have a rookie quarterback. The defense gave up an average up 32.3 PPG last season, and I wouldn't expect a dramatic change. I can hear Roger Goodell now..(And with the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft, the Detroit Lions select...)

NFC South
Atlanta Falcons 11-5
Carolina Panthers 11-5
New Orleans Saints 9-7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-13

The Falcons are absolutely stacked on the offensive side of the football. The addittion of Tony Gonzalez in the off-season was huge. Add him with Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, and Roddy White, and you will have no problem scoring points. Head coach Mike Smith guided the Falcons to a very impressive 2008 season, and was named 2008 NFL Coach of the year. Smith, Ryan and the rest of the Falcons should be one of the top dogs in the NFC this year, even with a defense that may not exactly be stellar. Expectations are high for this 2009 Atlanta Falcons team.

The Panthers won the division in 2008 and should be in contention again, but will fall just short. Quarterback Jake Delhomme hopefully can rebound from one of the worst postseason performances by a QB in NFL history that left the Panthers with a bad taste in their mouth following last season. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart together in the backfield form a two headed beast that is a nightmare for opposing defensive coordinators. Steve Smith is still one of the quickest receivers in the NFL and is a threat to break free for a score whenever he touches the ball. Jon Beason is an animal at the linebacker position for Carolina. Julius Peppers is still a threat to rush the passer on every down. Very talented players on both sides of the ball should lead to a successful season.

The Saints are one of the most exciting teams to watch play. Drew Brees leads an offensive powerhouse that is stacked with weapons such as Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas, Marques Colston, Lance Moore, and Jeremy Shockey. Brees is an established pocket passer who can pick apart defenses with his arm. Bush is a threat not only when lined up in the backfield, but also when lined up as a slot reciever. Pierre Thomas can catch passes out of the backfield and should have a breakout year this year and really make a name for himself. While the offense is perhaps the best in the NFL, the Saints defense is a different story. A defense that is regularly known for having trouble stopping opponents, they made some adjustments in the off-season by hiring defensive guru Greg Williams. New Orleans also drafted CB Malcolm Jenkins from Ohio State in the first round, and he should help shore up the secondary as well. Jonathan Vilma is also a talented linebacker who can make plays for the Saints on defense. Head coach Sean Payton had tremendous success his rookie season by leading the Saints to the NFC championship game, but since then has not been as lucky. The Saints are a dangerous team for anyone to play.

First off, Tampa Bay is a mess. Ok, now that that is off my chest, let me begin. Byron Leftwich left his backup QB role in Pittsburgh to start for Tampa Bay. While Leftwich is strong armed and tough, he lacks accuracy on his throws and tends to make some bad decisions. Tampa Bay did add running back Derrick Ward and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. during the off-season in an attempt to revamp the offense. They took a step backwards though when they fired offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski, which may be a sign of panic in the Bucs front office. The defense added linebacker Angelo Crowell, but that won't make up for the losses of linebackers Cato June and Derrick Brooks, along with cornerback Philip Buchanon. Rookie head coach Raheem Morris has his hands full and should start focusing on the draft board in April.

NFC West
Arizona Cardinals 10-6
San Francisco 49ers 6-10
Seattle Seahawks 6-10
St. Louis Rams 3-13

The Cardinals have history against them, as seven of the last eight superbowl losers have failed to make the playoffs the following season. They also have the history of the madden curse working against Larry Fitzgerald (Troy Polamalu was already affected by the curse!) Besides both of those stats, I am expecting the Cardinals to win the division as the other three teams are sub par and this is perhaps the least competitive division in the NFL besides the AFC West. Fitzgerald, Boldin and Breaston should all once again have stellar years, as each reciever had over 1,000 yards recieving last season. The run game should get a boost from Ohio State rookie running back Beanie Wells. The defense out did themselves during the postseason last year, and will probably return to their normal mediocre play, which isn't too much of a problem when your offense puts up 25-30 PPG. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt should lead this team to the playoffs again.

The 49ers are unfortunately still the only team who have yet to sign their first round draft pick, Michael Crabtree. Crabtree has said he is willing to sit out the entire 2009-10 season and re-enter the draft again next April. Who knows when that contract situation will play itself out. As for the rest of the team, Frank Gore leads a solid running attack. As the only real offensive weapon, he will be depended upon heavily if the 49ers are going to have any shot this year at winning games. Tight end Vernon Davis has not translated his production from college to the NFL, even with all of the physical tools he posesses. Starting quarterback Shaun Hills most reliable target outside of the aging Isaac Bruce is Josh Morgan. Morgan enters his second season in the NFL, and could become a fantasy sleeper this year. On the defensive side of the ball, the one player that comes to mind is linebacker Patrick Willis. Willis is quickly becoming one of the best linebackers in all of football. Outside of Willis though, there may be no help. Head coach Mike Singletary has been criticized for the way he treats his players, but if he can win games this year, the doubters will be silenced. I don't expect the 49ers to have much success though, sorry Mike Singletary.

The Seattle Seahawks struggled last season, as starting QB Matt Hasselbeck was injured for most of the year and Jim Mora was on his first year on the job. The acquisition of wide reciever T.J. Houshmanzadeh will help the passing game, along with the solid production from tight end John Carlson. The running game was weak last season, and Julius Jones is an average back who will share carries with an aging Edgerrin James. Defensively, you would expect the Seahawks to be solid due to Jim Moras defensive experience. Seattle led the NFC last season with 20 interceptions and only allowed 15 passing touchdowns. If the defense can continue to improve, they should keep Seattle within reach of most games.

Finishing last in the NFC West will once again be the St. Louis Rams. Drafting offensive tackle Jason Smith from Baylor should help some, but the Rams are still in the re-building stage. St. Louis lost Torry Holt to the Jaguars, and QB Marc Bulger isn't getting any younger. Donnie Avery will step up in the passing game and Steven Jackson will bounce back from a rough 2008 campaign. Defensively, the Rams should show signs of life as rookie head coach Steve Spagnuolo was formerly the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants, including the year they stunned the world by beating the pats in Superbowl XLII. This year won't be the year, but I believe Spagnuolo is a bright guy and will ultimately have success as a head coach.