Off the Wall NFL Predictions for the 2010 Season

OK. They may not all be off the wall, but they are a bit out there. It didn't really take me long to come up with this list or the reasons behind them.

I may lose a few friends and I may gain a few with these.

1. The New York Jets will not make the playoffs.
Gutsy, I know, but I'm not alone on this one. Skip Bayless of First Take on ESPN doesn't have the J-E-T-S making the postseason bonanza either. I've heard too much yap out of the Jets ever since the end of their season last January. And how does Antonio Cromartie say the Jets are the "Miami Heat of the NFL"? Wait. They are. All the names and no hardware.

And where do people get this team is so talented? On defense, sure. I completely agree there. The offense is not loaded. You lost your top rusher from last season (Thomas Jones). You lost a Pro-Bowl guard (Alan Faneca) and you're better? Must be that Santonio Holmes deal. And look on the other side. It's Braylon Edwards. Holmes will miss the first four games and Edwards hasn't seen a pass he can't drop. The receiving corps, including the tight end, is serviceable at best. Half the teams in the NFL are better at receiver and end than the Jets.

Then it must be getting LT. Please. LT hasn't done much over the last two seasons. Don't tell me the Jets talented because they're simply aren't. They're just a bunch of hot air.

2. The Steelers will go 4-0 in Ben Roethlisberger's absence.
I truly thought Dennis Dixon was a far better option than Byron Leftwich. Dixon proved that last season when he led the Steelers into Baltimore and almost pulled off a win. That was all I needed to see from Dixon. I bet that's all the Ravens wanted to see from him, too.

I think the Steelers will struggle once Big Ben returns because of all the changes that will need to happen.

3. The Cincinnati Bengals will once again go undefeated in the AFC North.
People are chattering about all the weapons the Bengals have on offense, but they are selling the defense short. Way short. They were a top-5 unit in the NFL last year. But how can the guys in stripes go undefeated in the division again. I know I picked the Ravens to win the division. The Bengals have a tougher non-divisional schedule. But Cincy knows they can beat them all again. Confidence.

And that offense isn't too shabby either.

4. Jay Cutler will make the Pro Bowl...legitimately.I know the Bears have no legit #1 receiver. I know Greg Olsen hasn't exactly shown the promise that made him a first round pick. I know Matt Forte, a decent receiving back, fell off last season. Cutler gets there because of Mike Martz. Martz is an offensive genius. Ask him and that's what he'll tell you. I know the Bears offense struggled in the preseason, but that was preseason and having an opener against the Detroit Lions can build confidence. There's that word again.

Cutler has the arm but he's lacked the knowledge. Martz will provide that for Cutler and the Bears QB will have his best season thus far.

5. Anquan Boldin will have a better season than Larry Fitzgerald.
I don't think this limb is too long. Boldin has the up and coming Joe Flacco while Fitz has Derek Anderson. Who would you rather have at QB? Look at the supporting cast for each, too.

Boldin: T.J. Houshmanzadeh, Ray Rice, Derrick Mason, Todd Heap
Fitz: Steve Breaston, Early Doucet, Beanie Wells

See what I mean?

6. Carson Palmer will have a better season than Tony Romo.
People look at the Cowboys and, like the Jets, talk about all the talent. Palmer has the deepest, most talented skill position players since he's been a Bengal. Chad Ochocinco, T.O., Jordan Shipley, Jermaine Greshem, Cedric Benson.

It's as good as what Dallas has. Maybe just a tad better.

7. Reggie Bush will lead the NFL in all-purpose yards.
This whole Heisman thing will spark Bush to have his best season as a pro. Some still label the former Trojan as a bust, but they will eat their words this season...if I'm right, that is.

And I'm going to be right. Starting tonight, Bush will actually make his "arrival" as a top-notch NFL player.

8. Statistical leaders for the 2010 season.

• Rushing Yards: Frank Gore, SF
• Passing Yards: Palmer, CIN
• Receiving Yards: Andre Johnson, HOU
• Sacks: DeMarcus Ware, DAL
• INT: Jonathan Joseph, CIN
• TDs: Gore, SF

Gore plays in a division that has awful defenses (St. Louis, Seattle, Arizona) and he gets six games against those teams. That should translate to almost 900 yards and 10 TD in those games alone.

Johnson is purely the best receiver in the NFL.

Ware is a freak of nature.

Joseph is underrated and should have made the Pro-Bowl last season. Motivation.

And finally...

9. Brett Favre's consecutive game streak will end and NOT because of it being the end of the season.

Favre will miss games (Yes, I said games, plural) due to a concussion and not his ankle. This will end his run...and his season.

There you have it. My bold predictions for the upcoming NFL season.

Agree or not or do you have one. As always, the comments are on and feel free to rant.

Cowboys End Saints Perfection

Last night, the Dallas Cowboys looked like a potential serious playoff contender. The New Orleans Saints lost their bid at a perfect regular season. And the NFC playoff picture was brought more into focus with Dallas pulling off a stunning 24-17 win in the Superdome agains the Saints.

The Cowboys outgained New Orleans 439-336, stifled the NFL's #5 rushing attack, held about a 13 minute advantage in time of possesson, and sacked Drew Brees four times. Yet, the Saints still had a chance to tie the game in the closing minute.

Four things to take away from this one.

First, Tony Romo (right) had another good game. He had more passing yards than Brees (312 to 298), a higher QB rating (104.0 to 81.5), and no INT. In Romo's last three games, he has 6 TD and 0 INT. Last night was his lowest QB rating in those three games. December has actually been good to Romo.

Second, Dallas stayed with the running game and that was a major reason the Cowboys were able to take such a decided edge in time of possession. Marion Barber produced two rushing TDs for his first since week 8. That's a sign all Cowboys fans should love seeing.

Third, just when you think you have the Saints, they battle back. Dallas led 24-3 going into the 4th quarter. A couple of Saints scores made it 24-17 with 8:06 remaining. New Orleans got the ball back with 2:16 left and started a drive to a tie which was thwarted by a sack of Brees and a fumble recovered by Dallas' Jay Ratliff.

Maybe the most important thing going forward was this. Dallas took the kickoff after New Orleans made it 24-17 and drove all the way to the Saints 6. With 2:19 left, Cowboys kicker Nick Folk did his best Shaun Suisham impression and knocked his filed goal attempt off the right post. That miss was the sixth straight game Folk has missed a FG attempt. That missed permitted the Saints a last gasp. That's something the Cowboys will no longer be able to afford as the Redskins and Eagles await.

Dallas did solidify its playoff position and holds their fate in their own hands...win out and they're in the postseason.

That just might get Wade Phillips (left) another season or two.

But with Jerry Jones calling the signals, I stress the word "might".

sports

Saints Seek 14th Win v. Cowboys

Here's a look at tomorrow night's Cowboys/Saints game. Indianapolis managed a 35-31 victory last night. Can New Orleans match the Colts 14-0 record?

Dallas Cowboys (8-5) @ New Orleans Saints (13-0)

Dallas: No questions the Cowboys need this win a lot more than the Saints. A lot of people already have this as a win for New Orleans. It's in the Superdome, the loudest home stadium in the NFL. The Saints offense seems to run to perfection. The more I think about it, the more sense Dallas WR Roy Williams made by channeling his inner Dennis Green.

But what must Dallas do to get that win? Run the ball on offense. Chew up the clock. I might be crazy, but with the exception of the goal line stand last week, Dallas seems to want to abandon the run way too early. That train of thought will not work against the Saints. The more your offense is on the field, the less Drew Brees and the Saints offense is on it.

It's hard to fathom, but Marion Barber (right) has managed only 4 rushing TD this season and he hasn't had one since week 8 against the Seattle Seahawks. In fact, Barber has only one 100+ yards game to date and that was the second game of the season. Sure, Dallas is giving more carries to Felix Jones and  few to Tashard Choice, but Barber is the Cowboys main threat at running back.

Come to think of it, the Cowboys aren't exactly a shabby offense (3rd overall) and despite losing the last two games, QB Tony Romo has performed well. And WR Miles Austin has evolved into a star right before our eyes. The only thing lacking is getting the ball in the endzone. At this point, we've seen that relying on K Nick Folk for three isn't a safe option.

But it's Dallas' defense that worries me. Last week against the Chargers, Dallas had virtually no pass rush and the secondary had trouble containing the Chargers big receivers. It's a similar situation this week against the Saints.

Having LB Demarcus Ware available will aid that defense greatly. Ware suffered a sprained neck last week, but he's trying to get in a position to play against the Saints. But for the Dallas defense, it's pretty easy to see. No Ware, no pass rush. No pass rush, no help for the secondary. We all know what happens after that.

Saints: Can the express known as the Saints offense be stopped? I don't think it can, but you can slow it down. Well, you better hope you can.

Dallas, we have a problem

I don't get it. It was just one loss. Fans will deal with wins and losses of their favorite NFL team every week. Some fans express their displeasure in a variety ways. Some will boo. Some will post on message boards calling out a player and/or coach. Some just let it roll and look to next week's game.

Sometimes, fans react in a way that make you scratch your head. Look at the situation currently unfolding in Dallas. There are two players that are under fire following the Cowboys loss to division rival New York Giants last Sunday night: tackle Flozell Adams and quarterback Tony Romo. The message boards are very active!

Adams has already been fined twice by the league this season. He was fined $5,000 for an unnecessary roughness penalty against Tampa Bay after the Cowboys week 1 win. His wallet lost more dough as he was nicked for another $12,500 following his trip of Giants Justin Tuck. The Cowboys "faithful" is calling him out. It seems that some want Adams out. Here's just a bit of proof from a blog post authored by Todd Archer for dallasnews.com. It's not what Archer writes, but it's the reaction to what he writes that grabbed my attention.

Before Cowboys fans want to pass judgement on Adams, think about this. He's is a five time Pro-Bowler ('03, '04, '06, '07, '08) and was voted All-Pro in '07. With the exception of four games in his rookie season, every game he's suited up for, he's started. That's not a coincidence. It's a pattern, and there's a reason for that pattern. He reliable and dependable. Just food for thought.

And what about all the people calling for Romo's head? In week one, Romo threw for a career high 353 yards and the 'Boys won convincingly. But now after a three pick week against the hated Giants, you want him gone, too? Dallas had the lead late in the game and lost on a last second field goal. Were Romo and Adams on the field when that happened? They were on the sideline.

Now, Hall of Famer and former Cowboy great Tony Dorsett has also taken to the task of calling out Romo. David Moore reacts to Dorsett's diss of Romo on dallasnews.com. I know Romo hasn't won a playoff game and can barely win a December game, but to want him out is a bit harsh and unjustified. He's good, but he's not Aikman. He's good, but he's not Staubach. He's Romo and he can't be Staubach or Aikman.

I'm not piling on Cowboys fans, but one loss doesn't spell doom for your season. You do play in the NFL's toughest division and divisional games may seem to be more at a premium. But don't point your finger at just one or two players. It is a team game. One player doesn't win a game on his own and one player doesn't lose a game on his own. Sure, you'll hear a player say he lost a game due to his lack of execution or poor performance. His teammates should pick him up in that situation and they usually do.

I believe it was Bill Parcells that once said, "Coaches coach and players play". And there's that issue: coaching. Don't even get the Cowboys fans started on that issue.