NFC East 2010 Predictions

New York Giants: Predicted Finish: 10-6



Dallas Cowboys: Predicted Finish: 10-6



Philadelphia Eagles: Predicted Finish: 8-8



Washington Redskins: Predicted Finish: 5-11

AFC North 2010 Predictions

Cincinnati Bengals: Predicted Finish: 11-5



Pittsburgh Steelers: Predicted Finish: 10-6



Baltimore Ravens: Predicted Finish: 8-8



Cleveland Browns: Predicted Finish: 4-12

NFC North 2010 Predictions

Minnesota Vikings: Predicted Finish: 13-3



Green Bay Packers: Predicted Finish: 12-4



Chicago Bears: Predicted Finish: 7-9



Detroit Lions: Predicted Finish: 5-11

AFC South 2010 Predictions

Indianapolis Colts: Predicted Finish: 14-2



Tennessee Titans: Predicted Finish: 10-6



Houston Texans: Predicted Finish: 8-8



Jacksonville Jaguars: Predicted Finish: 5-11

NFC South 2010 Predictions

New Orleans Saints: Predicted Finish: 12-4



Atlanta Falcons: Predicted Finish: 8-8



Carolina Panthers: Predicted Finish: 7-9



Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Predicted Finish: 4-12

AFC West 2010 Predictions

San Diego Chargers: Predicted Finish: 13-3



Kansas City Chiefs: Predicted Finish: 8-8


Oakland Raiders: Predicted Finish: 7-9



Denver Broncos: Predicted Finish: 5-11

NFC West 2010 Predictions

San Francisco 49ers: 10-6



Arizona Cardinals: 6-10



Seattle Seahawks: 5-11



St. Louis Rams: 2-14

Dez Bryant will NOT be Hazed

The Dallas Cowboys are some people’s favorite to win the Super Bowl this year. If they make it to the Super Bowl the Cowboys will be the first team to play in the Super Bowl in their own stadium. But there already may be some internal animosity brewing that could become a sore that keeps the Cowboys from reaching their full potential.

Dez Bryant the first round Wide Receiver from Oklahoma St. is already stirring up some trouble at Cowboy’s training camp by refusing to carry the pads of fellow WR veteran Roy Williams. In the odd world of the NFL where the players wish to be treated like men, some of them still hold onto hazing rituals of rookies as if they were pledging a fraternity. I never joined a fraternity because I think they are the most absurd groups on earth. I’ll be damned if someone is going to force me to carry out ridiculous acts of subordination for the sake of being accepted, so I fully appreciate where Dez Bryant is coming from on this topic.

Bryant was picked by the Dallas Cowboys to join their team in order to help them win football games. He was not picked to carry the pads of a teammate. Some may say that being hazed is part of belonging to a team, I say it is not. Forget the fact that Roy Williams has underperformed his entire career and hasn’t earned the right to tell anyone what to do. Even if that was Jerry Rice trying to get a rookie to carry his pads, it is flat out a stupid and immature ritual.

Williams now says that he will take this to Step 2, alluding to some of the things that he and possibly some other veterans may do to the rookie Bryant. He mentioned stealing his credit cards as one of the possible actions involved in Step 2. Williams said that he had to endure some rookie hazing and so Bryant too must do the same. It seems to me that Williams should be more worried about his own steps if he wants to remain a starter.

While most rookies may go along with these types of ridiculous stunts Bryant is not one of them. If Williams continues to push the hazing envelope with Bryant it will be interesting to see the affect it has on the Cowboys this year. Remember, in the NFL there is a very line between winning and losing and it is these types of locker room disturbances that cane have a lasting affect.

New Orleans Saints (+5, +165) vs Indianapolis Colts (-5, -200)

Growing up, if you had told me that in back-to-back Super Bowls, the Cardinals and the Saints would be playing I would have never believed you. I understand that over time any team can rise up and have their moment, but the Saints having their moment seemed more impossible than most any other team. Yet, here they are. They are here with all their history, both of their football team and of their city; both glorious and tragic. Glorious you ask? Yes, the city of New Orleans is a glorious place. With that said, I should preface my prediction with “I am rooting for the Saints today.” I have struggled all this week with separating who I want to win from who I think will win.

That being said, there is good debate and many good points to be made for both teams. I don’t wish to spend much time on the obvious, or the oft repeated. So let me get them out of the way. Both offenses are good. Both defenses have question marks. The Colts have experience, the Saints have none. Peyton Manning is probably the best ever QB, but at the very least he is one of the greatest. Dwight Freeney is going to try and play, but may not be that effective. Ok, I think that covers it.

Now on to some of the finer points that may be considered over analysis, but that’s half the fun. Both Jim Caldwell, Colts head coach, and Sean Payton, Saints head coach, are first time head coaches in the Super Bowl. However, both have experience as assistants and also a pipeline of other coaches to tap into. Here is an advantage for the Saints, their head coach can tap into coaches like Bill Parcells, and Caldwell is able to tap into Tony Dungy. Caldwell knows Dungy’s experience, and Dungy himself gets a lot of credit for being a great person and a great leader of men, but a great coach he is not. Not when compared to the coaches that Sean Payton has at his disposal.

The Saints cause turnovers. That is how they beat the Vikings, which actually leads some people to make the claim that the Colts will not turn the ball over 5 times and therefore the Saints won’t have that benefit and will end up losing. The Saints are the second best in the NFL this year at takeaways. With that stat in mind, the Vikings turning the ball over 5 times is not a fluke, its what the Saints do. They also score points on special teams and with their defense.

The Colts have faced two offenses in the post-season that spent more time making sure their QBs didn’t make mistakes than they did attacking the Colts. When the Jets attacked the Colts in the first half of their game, they grabbed an 11 point lead. The Jets didn’t keep the pressure on, the Saints will.

There is obviously a great case to be made for the Colts to win this game. I believe in the Saints more. Maybe its because I am influenced by my love of New Orleans, or the struggles of the city, or even the fleur de lys on their super cool helmets. Like I said, I am rooting for the Saints, but I also believe they will win and that is why I will take the Saints moneyline at +165. Go Saints!