NFL Predictions for 2010 Season: Five Controversial Predictions

The NFL regular season is approaching closer and closer with each passing date. Brett Favre is officially back, which is generally a signal that the season is about to start. Most teams still have three preseason games left, but, before you know it, the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints will have kicked off the 2010 season. 

This article will have some "controversial" picks in the sense that many experts and NFL fans will not agree with them.

If you don't agree with what is being said please feel free to shed your opinion and join in on the discussion.

Carolina Panthers Will Make the Playoffs Under Matt Moore

Rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen has received all the attention nationally, but it is Matt Moore who will be the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback. Not only will Moore be the starting quarterback, but he is also going to lead an under the radar Panthers team to the playoffs.

Carolina has the offensive line and running game to move the chains offensively. The question is do they have the quarterback? 

Yes they do.

One reason to believe in Moore is to look at what he did against the Minnesota Vikings last season. He threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns against one of the league's best defenses. 

John Fox is in a contract year and, if he delivers the Panthers to the postseason, would be an even more coveted free agent.

Terrell Owens Will Show Us He's Still an Elite Wide Receiver

He may not possess the speed that allowed him to blow by defenders anymore, but that doesn't mean Terrell Owens isn't one of the best receivers in the game.

Pairing T.O. up with Chad Ochocinco will allow him the ability to return to his dominant ways. Getting out of Buffalo to a team that has a good quarterback in Carson Palmer is just what Owens needs to rejuvenate his career.

If Owens doesn't eclipse the 1,000 yard mark and total at least 10 touchdowns, you can consider this prediction a failure. 

New York Jets Will Struggle Early, But Finish Strong

Rex Ryan has done the New York Jets no favors this offseason by putting an even bigger target on his team. The unrealistic expectations coupled with the absence of Darrelle Revis will ultimately lead to a slow start for the Jets. 

Bringing in LaDainian Tomlinson looks good on paper, but on the field it isn't going to work. Tomlinson clearly doesn't have any gas left in the tank as evidenced last season with the San Diego Chargers.

Letting Thomas Jones go—a more productive runner at this stage in his career—will prove to be a mistake.

Mark Sanchez had a good postseason, but we can't forget that his regular season performance was rather undesirable. The Jets traded for Santonio Holmes this offseason, which will help out Sanchez after he serves his four-game suspension.

The Jets have a difficult schedule to open the season and, without Revis, that vaunted defense isn't as scary. Look for this team to come back to Earth, but rebound strong to make the playoffs.

Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings Will Miss the Playoffs

Brett Favre was terrific last season and almost led the Minnesota Vikings to a storybook finish. Then Adrian Peterson continuously fumbled the football and, well, we all remember how Favre's last pass ended up in the NFC Championship game.

This season will end up much differently for the Vikes.

Percy Harvin is battling migraines and getting 16 games out of him seems highly unlikely. Sidney Rice has a bad hip that will likely end up being a nagging injury he has to deal with the rest of the season. 

The third-down, pass-catching running back Chester Taylor bolted for division-rival Chicago, leaving Minnesota with the big bruiser Toby Gerhart as its backup running back.

Neither Gerhart nor Peterson will be able to replace the versatility Taylor gave Minnesota on third down.

Minnesota's defense is also getting up there in age. Pat Williams is no longer the force he once was and Antoine Winfield no longer is what he used to be.

Last but not least, the biggest reason the Vikes will be unable to make the postseason will be because of No.4. Favre may say he feels like a 21-year-old, but he won't be saying that after the first game of the season against New Orleans.

Teams are going to go after Favre as much as possible—especially teams within the division—and beat up on the old man.

He may make it out on the field every Sunday, but will he be healthy enough to be effective?

Chris Johnson Will Eclipse 2,000 Yards for the Second Straight Season

Chris Johnson is coming off of a historic season and repeating what he did last year seems highly unlikely. He carried the football 358 times last season and many will tell you that because of the high amount of carries his production is going to take a dip.

While that may be the case for many running backs—most recently, Michael Turner—Johnson is different.

He will be going into only his third season so he doesn't have the wear and tear on his body that he will have after a couple more seasons.

The Tennessee Titans are going to rely heavily on Johnson once again to try to make the postseason. Vince Young will help take the pressure off of Johnson so he isn't consistently running into eight-man fronts.

Johnson is aiming for 2,500 yards, which would be the single-season record that is currently held by Eric Dickerson.

While reaching 2,500 yards may be unrealistic, reaching 2,000 for the second straight season isn't.