2010 NFL Picks – NFC

Let the predicting begin! I’ve noticed that my playoff picks live in upset city, and that’s always fun.

West

1. San Francisco (9-7) – Not even necessarily a great team, but I think they have enough to win this weak ass division. They run the ball well and kill the opponent’s ability to do so, but I have as much confidence in Alex Smith as I do in communism’s ability to work in the real world, and they need a pass rush.

2. Seattle (7-9) – Great back 7 for the defense, but I think the residents of a retirement community could provide a better pass rush and the D-tackles always seem to disappoint. Offensively, their quarterback is broken down and their receivers stink.

3. Arizona (7-9) – Matt Leinart again? Really? With no Anquan Boldin, their most physical wideout? An offensive line that sucks at pass protection? And a defense that lost Karlos Dansby, and came back with an over the hill Joey Porter? Yeah…

4. St. Louis (2-14) – Say Hello to the worst team in the NFL this season. A rookie quarterback operating behind a terrible line and throwing to an average corps of wideouts, almost all of whom are coming back from season ending injuries. No pass rush, one guy who can cover, and no run defense whatsoever. Awful through and through.

North

1. Green Bay (11-5) – The offense looks stacked, and the blocking improved massively after everyone came back from injuries (and they’re all healthy from the start this year). The defense should be better with a year’s experience in the 3-4 and some guys back from injury, especially at corner where the returns should bring some of what pesky ‘depth’.

2. Minnesota (10-6) – This is WITH a certain attention whore quarterback on the roster. Both lines looked like they were succumbing to age last year, which doesn’t tend to be a good thing and also tends to continue once it starts. Too many key guys carrying too many years equals the beginning of the end.

3. Chicago (7-9) – This team had the most perplexing offseason in the league. Let’s see, our blocking sucked last year…so let’s sign another running back who won’t have any more holes to run through than our existing guy did. And forget trying to improve that bad line. Huh? Oh, and bring in Mike Martz and his spread offense that takes away extra blockers…that’s a good idea, because we want our quarterback to die. I actually don’t disagree with this because Jay Cutler is a douche. Also, news flash, the defense isn’t that great anymore.

4. Detroit (6-10) – Stafford should be better, I like Jahvid Best, and Burleson gives a legit #2 receiver. The defensive line looks pretty damn good. However, I’ve never heard of half of their linebackers, corner is a huge question mark and they also ignored their needs on the O line. Headed in the right direction, though.

South

1. New Orleans (12-4) – Their record gets boosted by the fact half their division stinks. Great offense shouldn’t miss a beat, but I don’t think the Front 7 of their defense can play to the level they reached in the playoffs last year again this time around.

2. Atlanta (10-6) – A return to health for Michael Turner and approximately 277 other guys on their roster should make a big difference to their bottom line for wins. My one problem (and it’s a big one) is their defensive line…again…as they roll in to another year with a defensive end corps that may as well be John Abraham and A Bunch of Dudes.

3. Carolina (7-9) – Certainly, the removal of the incredible turnover machine known as Jake Delhomme will help a bit. But their passing game should still suck, considering Steve Smith wants to be a slot receiver and everyone else is either awful or “Who the fuck is that dude?” No Julius Peppers and no Thomas Davis hurts the pass defense.

4. Tampa Bay (4-12) – Why is this team still rolling out Cadillac Williams…do they have a bet going on how many games his knees hold together? And Michael Clayton hasn’t had a good year since he was a rookie…and that was in 2004. Yet he’s still here and expected to start. Things like that really paint the picture of how bad the talent level on this rebuilding team is.

East

1. Dallas (11-5) – An offseason where the only drama is that their 4th wideout feels ignored? Is this really the Dallas Cowboys? Their starting lineup is dynamite, and recent drafts have left them with depth. The only question is whether they have a left tackle, though Doug Free should already be a better pass blocker than fat, slow Flozell Adams was.

2. New York Giants (10-6) – I sense a return to glory…sort of. They almost HAVE to play better than last year’s mess of a team. By midseason, every single running back on the roster was playing hurt, and the defensive line and secondary were wrecks. Healthy players should help, but Osi Umenyiora needs to stop whining like a bitch and just hit quarterbacks when he’s on the field.

3. Philadelphia (8-8) – New QB with little experience, a thinner receiving corps, an O-line that didn’t live up to the hype and a defense that forgot that it liked to hit the dude with the ball. While turning the page on a LOT of veterans won’t hurt, it also doesn’t help deal with any of those problems.

4. Washington (6-10) – Maybe the most overhyped team of the year. Is McNabb a good addition? Yes, but his receivers still suck. And I don’t see whoever amongst their 3 over the hill tailbacks ends up 3rd string producing anything but a never-ending spiel of whining. Their ‘stud’ defensive lineman took 4 days of minicamp to pass a conditioning test, and a lot of their personnel don’t fit the switch to a 3-4. Long year ahead for the Skins.

Playoffs

First round : Dallas over Minnesota, New York over San Francisco (I don’t think either of these picks is all that shocking)

Second round : New York over New Orleans (yep…you read that right. I think the Giants can put up a lot of points on the Saints defense), Green Bay over Dallas (Cowboys head outdoors in the winter and come crashing down in a ball of ice)

NFC Championship : Green Bay over New York.