The 2011 NFL Season: 10 Bold Predictions

In the past few months, the Boston Bruins won the Stanley Cup, Manny Ramirez abruptly retired and Brett Favre opted not to continue his downward-spiraling career.

The sports world has been host to some of the most unpredictable, mind-numbing events thus far in 2011, and all of this comes prior to the delayed beginning of the NFL season. But now that the lockout is over, the free-agent pool has been all but exhausted and the preseason is in full swing, it is time to look ahead to the long-awaited NFL season.

And right here is where you will find 10 of the most outlandish, yet possible, predictions for what will surely be another captivating season of football.

10. The Philadelphia Eagles Will Not Win the Super Bowl

Sure, it is easier to predict one of the 31 teams that won't win the Super Bowl, but top betting sites have the Eagles at 6-1 to win it all, with the likes of Green Bay and New England.

The Eagles are easily the most athletic team in football, led by Mike Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, Jeremy Maclin, Brent Celek and Ronnie Brown on offense. On defense, they boast prized free-agent Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Asante Samuel, Trent Cole and Jason Babin, to name a few.

But the offensive core are all injury-prone, and on defense the Eagles lack experience and depth at linebacker. Three-quarters of their schedule is against playoff contenders, including four contests against the tough AFC East. As a team, Philly has too many flashy personalities, too many soft offensive players and minimal time to develop team chemistry. The Eagles will win the NFC East and snag a first-round bye, but they won't prevail against a stronger defense late in the NFC playoffs.

9. Matt Hasselbeck Will Resurrect the Tennessee Titans

Three short seasons ago, Kerry Collins led virtually the same Titans offense to a 13-3 record. Hasselbeck has high-ceiling playmakers Chris Johnson, Kenny Britt, Nate Washington and Jared Cook as his supporting cast, which easily trumps his former Seattle weapons.

The defense is vastly different, but a young defensive line backed by veteran linebackers Will Witherspoon and Barrett Ruud, as well as rookie Akeem Ayers, will prove extremely physical and their secondary is underrated coming off a down year.

Tennessee plays in a division with the aging Colts, mediocre Jaguars and defensively inept Texans. Half of their schedule is against teams that were .500 of worse in 2010. Hasselbeck is the perfect piece for the well-balanced Titans, and he will lead the Titans to a wild-card berth in the final weeks of the season.

8. The Bengals Will Finish with the Second-Worst Record in the NFL (to Miami)

Carson Palmer, Chad Ochocinco, Jonathan Joseph, Terrell Owens: four key names that won't be wearing the orange and black this season.

Andy Dalton, AJ Green, Nate Clements, Andre Caldwell: four key players that will replace the previously mentioned.

They have promising talent in Dalton, and the highest-rated WR prospect in Green, but how often does a 4-12 team turn the corner after drafting a receiver in the first round? Their defense is athletic and revamped, but the names Maluaga and Lawson don't exactly scare anyone. The Lions put a drubbing on Cinci in their first preseason game, and their inability to score points will be even more apparent against the likes of Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

After a few years on the upswing, the Bengals are back to being the Bengals.

7. LeGarrette Blount Will Be a Top-Five Running Back

Some won't see this as that impressive of a prediction; after all, Blount rushed for 1,007 yards on just 201 attempts and pounded in six TDs. But only eight times did he have 15-plus carries, and not until halfway through the season did he take the starting role from Cadillac Williams.

Opposition is well aware of the threat that Josh Freeman and Mike Williams are on offense, which will present the opportunity for Blount to get 300 touches this season. If he can avoid injuries and run with a chip on his shoulder like he did in 2010, Blount is poised for 1,400 yards and double-digit touchdowns for the rising Bucs squad.

6. Tim Tebow Will Be the Starting QB for Denver by Week 8

Kyle Orton is not a bad signal-caller by any standards. That doesn't necessarily mean his job is safe. John Fox takes over one of 2010's biggest disappointments, and does not need a quick turnaround to ensure his job safety.

Four of the Broncos' first five games are against Oakland, Tennessee, Green Bay and San Diego, and if they come off their bye 1-4 and can't beat the feeble Dolphins, Fox will not hesitate to let the Tebow experiment begin. The defense's struggles won't be a viable excuse this year, even after the loss of Ty Warren for the season. The Broncos get Elvis Dumervil back after a year-long hiatus, and have bolstered their defense with the addition of No. 2 overall pick Von Miller and former Eagle DT Brodrick Bunkley.

Orton may look good in the first couple games, but he is ultimately destined to fail in Fox's run-heavy offense.

5. San Francisco's Alex Smith Will Be the Starting QB for 16 Games

Since being taken No. 1 overall in 2005, Smith had yet to find himself in an ideal situation, with both personnel and coaching deficiencies delaying his success. Now that he has Jim Harbaugh at the helm and true weapons in Vernon Davis, Braylon Edwards, Michael Crabtree and Ted Ginn Jr., Smith has no excuse to not put up the results.

He is still just 27 years old, and although Harbaugh is taking over a team just a year removed from 6-10, he is well aware he has the pieces to win now, especially in the weak NFC West. Smith posted his best QB rating to date in 2010, and his numbers will only improve under Harbaugh's tutelage, especially behind the excellent offensive line the 49ers have built.

Look for Smith to throw 20 TDs for the first time in his career, and finally jump over the 3,000-passing-yard plateau.

4. The Falcons WR Julio Jones Will Be the Offensive Rookie of the Year

Again, you may be thinking this isn't really a reach. But all of the focus has been on Mark Ingram, Cam Newton and Daniel Thomas, purely because they will be so heavily relied on this season. But Ingram will be overshadowed by Brees, Newton won't be mistaken for Sam Bradford anytime soon and Daniel Thomas is more likely to break a bone than rush for 1,000 yards.

Enter Jones, the second WR taken in the draft, after AJ Green. Unlike Green, Jones steps into a situation where he does not need to be the primary target, as he will line up alongside an already established Pro Bowl WR, Roddy White. Jones and Matt Ryan have already shown excellent chemistry in camp and their first preseason game, and he is a gigantic upgrade over Michael Jenkins.

Matty Ice should find Jones open plenty this season, and his unique blend of size and blazing speed will make him a constant deep threat. Julio Jones will join Ryan as the second Falcon to take the honor home since 2008.

3. The Cardinals Patrick Peterson Will Be the Defensive Rookie of the Year

Peterson is 6'0", 220 pounds and plays cornerback. Not only does he play one of the most in-demand positions in the league, he excels at it. He would be the first corner since Charles Woodson in 1998 to win the award, which has gone to a linebacker nine of the last 11 seasons.

The argument against Peterson winning the award is that corners typically don't put up the flashy statistics that linebackers do, as even a Pro Bowl CB often doesn't breach 100 tackles for the season. But Peterson plays in a division full of mediocre receivers, and his blend of speed and size is almost unheard of at his position.

Even though his numbers won't compare to those of Von Miller or Marcell Dareus, his on-field presence will be enough to force QBs into making stupid decisions, and the Cardinals won't miss a beat without Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Look for Peterson to grab four or five interceptions to go with 80-plus tackles, netting the Cards their first Defensive ROY since Simeon Rice in 1996.

2. Tom Brady Will Win His Second Consecutive and Third Overall NFL MVP Award

In the last eight seasons, either Brady or Peyton Manning have won the MVP six times. LaDainian Tomlinson won the award in 2006, and the elite QB duo hasn't relinquished it since.

The difference this season will be their supporting cast. Manning has Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie and Dallas Clark as his targets. All that has changed is Clark and Collie are healthy again, even though Jacob Tamme did an excellent job filling in at tight end in 2010. Brady still has Wes Welker and sophomore tight ends Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. He also has a full season of Deion Branch ahead, and the NFL's most colorful personality, Chad Ochocinco.

The Colts brought back Joseph Addai to compete for carries with Donald Brown at running back. The Patriots drafted Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley to compete with established backs Danny Woodhead and Ben-Jarvis Green-Ellis. Brady may not have an elite-caliber receiver like Manning does with Wayne, but he has a plethora of talent to lean on and it is anyone's guess who his favorite target will be game-by-game.

Brady and Co. went 14-2 in 2010, and losing to the Jets in the playoffs still stings. Look for the NFL's best QB to be in vintage form, throwing close to 40 TDs, making few mistakes or turnovers, and bagging his third MVP while leading the Patriots to the AFC's No. 1 seed.

Which leads us into my No. 1 prediction...

1. The New England Patriots Will Defeat the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XLVI

The Patriots had the best regular-season record in the AFC (and NFL) in 2010, and the Falcons had the NFC's best at 13-3. The Patriots have one of the best QBs in the history of the game, and the Falcons have one of the best youngsters under center.

The Patriots have over 10 players that are legitimate scoring threats on offense, and the Falcons continually add more to their stockpile. Both teams have consistently succeeded in two of the most competitive divisions in the NFL, and have the same blend of talent, athleticism, youth and experience that the 2010 Packers, 2009 Saints and 2008 Steelers all showed.

The league has reached a competitive peak of equality, and no team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the Patriots in 2003 and 2004. But the Patriots are too good of a team to continue their streak of dominating regular seasons without winning another championship, which is exactly what they will do in 2011.

And Rex Ryan will begin his own streak...of seasons that he couldn't deliver on his Super Bowl guarantee.