The 2010 NFL season is set to get underway on Thursday night as the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints get set to begin their title defense against Brett Farve, Adrian Peterson, and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings. As we get set for another season of football, it’s time to take a look around the league and evaluate how your favorite team will fare in 2010:
Dallas Cowboys
The Good: The Cowboys look to defend their 2009 NFC East championship with a very strong team top to bottom. The offense returns most of it’s starters from last season and added 1st round WR Dez Bryant to the mix. The combination of Miles Austin, Dez Bryant, Roy Williams, and Jason Witten in the passing game gives QB Tony Romo a ton of options. Felix Jones, Marion Barber, and Tashard Choice form a strong trio of running backs. Defensively, the Cowboys have a very strong defense highlighted by DeMarcus Ware, Jay Ratliff, Anthony Spencer, and Keith Brooking up front, as well as Mike Jenkins and Terrence Newman in the seconday. Dallas also has a very strong special teams unit including new kicker David Buehler.
The Bad: The offensive line has several question marks as Doug Free moves to LT and Marc Colombo, Alex Barron, and Kyle Kosier are all questionable with various injuries. If the offensive line can’t hold up, it doesn’t matter how much talent Dallas has at their skill positions. Head coach Wade Phillips saved his job by winning the division last year but it’s still questionable whether he and Tony Romo can make a deep playoff run together.
Bold Prediction: Miles Austin does not have nearly as strong a season as he did in 2009 but Felix Jones has a breakout year as the Cowboys primary running back.
The Verdict: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hopes his team becomes the first squad in NFL history to host a Super Bowl game. While the Cowboys are my pick to win their second straight NFC East crown, they will ultimately come up short of making it to the big game.
New York Giants
The Good: Eli Manning is coming off of his best statistical season as a pro in which he posted career highs in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdowns. The Giants also have a solid set of receivers with Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, and Mario Manningham. Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs will split the running duties and if they stay healthy provide New York with a solid duo. Justin Tuck is healthy again and the front four for the Giants on defense is very strong. Antrel Rolle and Deon Grant should provide a significant upgrade at safety.
The Bad: The offensive line is aging and has suffered injuries over the past year. C Shaun O’Hara has battled with an ankle injury and had to be shut down for the final two weeks of the preseason. LG Rich Seubert and RT Kareem McKenzie both went down with injuries at the end of last season. The offensive line could be a solid unit for New York but there are significant question marks. The linebacking corps was awful in 2009 but aging MLB Keith Bulluck could provide a spark.
Bold Prediction: 2nd year WR Hakeem Nicks will have a breakout season and make his first pro bowl appearance.
The Verdict: The Giants will improve upon their 8-8 record from 2009. The Cowboys are still the class of the NFC East but New York will be in the playoff hunt until the final weeks of the season.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Good: The Eagles have by far their best group of skilled position players in the Andy Reid era. 2009 breakout star Desean Jackson is joined on offense by Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek, and Jason Avant. Philadelphia’s running attack should be improved with Lesean McCoy entering his second season alongside FB Leonard Weaver and the newly acquired Mike Bell. The Eagles made major news in the offseason when they traded QB Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins and began the Kevin Kolb era in Philly. While McNabb should be greatly respected and is currently the best quarterback in Eagles history, it was simply time for a change. Kolb’s ascension into the starting lineup has provided a spark for the young players on this team. His accuracy and quick decision making should work well in the West Coast offense. The additions of a healthy Stewart Bradley, Ernie Sims, and 1st round pick DE Brandon Graham will be a significant upgrade to the defensive front seven.
The Bad: The Eagles are the youngest team in football with the average age of their players 25.8 years old. Only K David Akers, P Sav Rocca, and DE Juqua Parker are over 30. While their youth gives them a tremendous amount of potential, it also leaves them susceptible to mistakes due to inexperience. Kolb has the tools to be a strong starting QB in the NFL but there will be growing pains. The offensive line is a major question mark coming into the season with C Jamaal Jackson coming off of a torn ACL and LG Todd Herremans battling a foot injury. Inconsistent play by LT Jason Peters and RG Nick Cole is also cause for concern. Defensively, the Eagles have some issues in the secondary with Ellis Hobbs starting alongside pro bowl CB Asante Samuel.
Bold Prediction: WR Jeremy Maclin will have a breakout season and lead the Eagles in receptions. The combination of DE Trent Cole and Brandon Graham will wreak havoc on opposing QBs.
The Verdict: The Eagles will be a competitive team in 2010 but will ultimately miss out on a playoff spot. There will be weeks in which the young players on the roster look outstanding and others in which they greatly struggle. The defense will be better than most people expect and the offense should be explosive. Kevin Kolb will have a very respectable first year at quarterback but ultimately the team will hover between 7 and 9 wins. While the Eagles may miss out on the playoffs, they will be a much better team towards the end of the season as they get set to make a run in 2011 and beyond.
Washington Redskins
The Good: Head coach Mike Shanahan is a significant upgrade and newly acquired QB Donovan McNabb will be incredibly motivated to stick it to his old team in a contract year. Some of McNabb’s best performances over the years have been when he was challenged and his former team certainly challenged him by willingly trading him to a division rival. The defense has several skilled young players including LB Brian Orakpo and SS Laron Landry.
The Bad: The Redskins have an awful offensive line. The key will be rookie LT Trent Williams but the rest of the line has many issues. Albert Haynesworth has been an absolute disaster in Washington. The $100 million man is not even in the lineup for the Redskins and has been a major headache for the organization. The Redskins also have a black hole at free safety.
Bold Prediction: McNabb will come out to start the season on fire but will not play a full 16 game season.
The Verdict: The Redskins will be a better team than the 4-12 version that took the field in 2009. However there is simply not enough talent in place to contend for a playoff spot. Washington will hover between 6 and 8 wins this season and will have to make a very tough decision on whether to give the 34 year old McNabb a contract extension.
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