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:
Chicago Bears
The Good: A healthy defense includes LB Brian Urlacher and newly acquired DE Julius Peppers. New offensive coordinator Mike Martz should help bolster the Bears offensive attack. RB Chester Taylor will provide a good change of pace back to Matt Forte. Strong special teams play highlighted by the versatile Devin Hester.
The Bad: Jay Cutler. Cutler had an absolutely abysmal 2009 season in which he threw 26 interceptions. Martz’s offensive system is highly complex and several reports have said that Cutler is struggling to make the transition. The quarterback Chicago fans hoped would be their savior last season could the player that ultimately holds them back. Maybe Cutler should spend less time hanging out with former stars of “The Hills” and more time buried in the playbook as he looks to bounce back from last year.
Bold Prediction: WR Johnny Knox will have a breakout season and become very well known throughout the fantasy world.
The Verdict: Cutler will not have a bounce back year and head coach Lovie Smith will be the scapegoat at the end of the season. Smith is on his last chance in Chicago and 2010 will not be a good year for the Bears.
Detroit Lions
The Good: The Lions have a ton of young talented players on their roster. WR Calvin Johnson continues to improve and QB Matthew Stafford is heading into his second season as a starter. Rookie RB Jahvid Best has received rave reviews during the preseason and DT Ndamukong Suh should provide a huge boost to the Lions defensive line.
The Bad: The defense. Detroit has ranked last in the NFL three years in a row in total defense. While Suh and veteran DE Kyle Vanden Bosch should help improve the line, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. The offensive line is also an issue as several young players need to improve upon their 2009 seasons.
Bold Prediction: RB Jahvid Best will win 2010 offensive rookie of the year in the NFL.
The Verdict: The Lions are heading in the right direction under the direction of head coach Jim Schwartz and GM Martin Mayhew. While they are not a playoff team, Detroit will at least double, and might triple, their win total from 2009.
Green Bay Packers
The Good: The offense. QB Aaron Rodgers is an absolute star in the making. The Packers are poised to have one of the most explosive offenses in all of football. Green Bay has great depth at WR including Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordie Nelson, and James Jones. RB Ryan Grant provides a steady player in the backfield and TE Jermichael Finley seems poised for a breakout season. The offensive line is slightly older but still very strong. Strong LB play highlighted by Nick Barnett, AJ Hawk, and Clay Matthews.
The Bad: There are many question marks on defense. Green Bay played in several shootouts last season. CB Al Harris and S Atari Bigby are out for at least the first six weeks of the season due to injury. While the front 7 is strong against the run, there are still many question marks defending the pass. Also K Mason Crosby missed some key field goals last season.
Bold Prediction: Aaron Rodgers will win his first MVP.
The Verdict: The Packers will have one of the best offenses in the league and will win the NFC North. They should go deep into the playoffs but their pass defense will be their ultimate downfall.
Minnesota Vikings
The Good: The defense is one of the top units in all of football. DE Jared Allen leads a strong front four and the secondary has the ability to shut down opponents passing games. Adrian Peterson is one of the best running backs in the game and QB Brett Favre is statistically the best QB in NFL history.
The Bad: The Vikings have major question marks at wide receiver heading into 2010. 2009 breakout star Sidney Rice will miss most of the first half of the season with a hip injury and second year starter Percy Harvin has suffered migraine headaches throughout the summer. Speaking of injuries, there are several questions surrounding Favre. Even though he has started in an unfathomable 285 consecutive games, the 40-year old had offseason ankle surgery and has been beat up a lot during his 20 year NFL career. It’s impossible to count Favre out but it seems like 2009 was the perfect storm for Favre and the Vikings. Unfortunately for Minnesota fans, the season ended two weeks too soon.
Bold Prediction: Favre won’t make it through the season and his 285 consecutive games steak will come to an end.
The Verdict: The Vikings are a very talented team but they will be pushed in the division this year by Favre’s old squad, the Green Bay Packers. Minnesota will make it to the postseason as a wildcard but their season will likely end the same way many Brett Favre years end: with a crippling interception.
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