The 2010 NFL season is finally in the spotlight. A new season brings new beginnings for some players and teams and documented tipsters weigh in on their division predictions for 2010.
NFC East
The new look of the Philadelphia Eagles relies on young talent to get them through the season. You can bet they will experience some growing pains. Trading Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins is sure to help Washington climb out of the NFC East basement. The Cowboys will return to a team that many thought would go to the Super Bowl last season. Could they represent the NFC in the Super Bowl on their home turf in Dallas? We’ll have to wait to see how the season plays out, but look to Dallas to repeat as NFC East champions and look to Washington to take the wild card spot.
NFC North
Spare us the Favre drama. We’re tired of the headlines from the last five years about whether or not he’s coming back. Now that we know for a fact that Brett Favre will be a Viking, we like his chances of repeating as division champions. Aaron Rodgers continues to grow as a quarterback and had an outstanding season in 2009, but his team isn’t at the Vikings’ level. The Packers will compete and it will all depend on Favre’s health. The Bears have made improvements this offseason, but they just aren’t at the level needed to win the division. Jay Cutler still has a lot of growing up to do, and while they’ll put up a fair fight, they’re just not ready. The Lions? Well, we see that they are heading in the right direction, but they still have a long uphill battle to eliminate years of bad gameplay.
NFC South
The Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints return with a good chunk of their team from last season, so it should be a no-brainer to lock them in as South division champions, right? Not so fast! This isn’t basketball and we know how hard it is to put together back-to-back winning seasons. The Falcons led by third-year starter Matt Ryan and undersized Michael Turner will provide a big challenge in the South. Tampa Bay and Carolina are looking to rebuild, so don’t look for a big year from either team. We like New Orleans to repeat as division champions, but not as Super Bowl champions. Look for Atlanta to really shine this season and get the second wild card.
NFC West
The NFC West will probably be the worst division in the NFC. Kurt Warner is no longer leading the Cardinals as Matt Leinhart finally got his chance under center. Arizona lost Karlos Dansby, Antrel Rolle and Anquan Boldin, making it a tough year for the Cardinals. The San Francisco 49ers will return to the top of the division led by Mike Singletary and Alex Smith. The 49ers defense has improved, as only one would expect by looking at their coach. The Seahawks led by first-year coach Pete Caroll will certainly provide a tough challenge. New energy and enthusiasm will help Matt Hasselback with the offense. Look out for rookie catcher Golden Tate to catch anything that comes his way. In the end, they just don’t have enough weapons to get the job done this season. The rams? As the Sam Bradford era begins, the Rams still have a LOT of rebuilding to do. Look for the Rams to be the doormat in the NFC West this season.
There you have it 2010 NFC predictions. Next up will be the mighty AFC.
