'08-'09 NFC Predictions: Every Team in Every Division

It’s that time of year again. Girlfriends, wives, friends, video games, pets, and even personal hygiene, prepare to be neglected. The air has gotten a slight chill, wind has picked up, and the next 20 or so Sundays have been put on hold. Football season is here. So without further ado, here is how I feel the 2008-2009 season will break down, in record order by division. Below is the NFC predictions, AFC will be up before Sunday’s games.

NFC West

Arizona Cardinals 9-7

Why not start off my predictions with a surprise? The Cardinals drafted QB Matt Leinart seventh overall in the first round two years ago and have been grooming him for the starting QB job ever since. The Cardinals have a surprising amount of weapons on both offense and defense, with the incredible WR duo of Fitzgerald and Boldin, possibly the best safety in the game with Adrian Wilson, and rookie running back Tim Hightower poised and ready to supplant aging RB Edgerrin James if he stumbles at all. The time is now for Arizona’s quarterback to explode. That is why starting quarterback Kurt Warner should have a very good season leading the Arizona Cardinals to their first division title since the St. Louis Cardinals won the NFC Eastin 1975. I am not down on Leinart, but Warner is proven and playing for his career. I’ll take him on this offense in a pathetic division any day.

Seattle Seahawks 8-8

I was tempted to have the Seahawks slide a little further than this, but Matt Hasselbeck is too good to allow Seattle to have a losing season if he’s healthy enough to prevent it. That is a big if, however, when an aging QB has a nagging back. Also, the loss of RB Shaun Alexander should have more of an impact than people seem to think. Although Julius Jones is a veteran starting running back who should be able to fill the role to a point, I think the losses of WRs Deion Branch (for an extended period) and D.J. Hackett will hurt Seattle. The Seahawks seem to never get any respect from the experts, and even though I am usually the guy to support them, this year they are one of the reasons the NFC West will be so weak.

St. Louis Rams 6-10

There is no way a team with Marc Bulger, Stephen Jackson, and Torry Holt can finish in last place two years in a row. So instead they will just be an embarrassing 6-10 and finish third. Rookie defensive end and first round pick Chris Long will help improve a young, developing defensive line featuring 2007 first round pick Adam Carriker. Yet with all this talent, something is still missing. Maybe it’s a big time run stopper or maybe Bulger has reached his peak, but whatever it is that the Rams are lacking, wins will be one of them.

San Francisco 49ers 5-11

How long will the Alex Smith project really continue? The Texans finally pulled the plug on their fomer number one pick David Carr, and it’s about time for the 49ers to do the same. Unfortunately, J.T. O’Sullivan doesn’t thrill me, and neither does the rest of the SanFran club this year. Isaac Bruce is old and on the downside of his career, and although Bryant Johnson was actually a great addition, no one is going to be able to get him the ball. 5-11 might actually be hopeful, but on a bright note, look for linebacker Patrick Willis to have a great year making a million tackles since his defense will always be on the field. Wait, that happened last year and they finished 5-11? At least they are consistent.

NFC North

Minnesota Vikings 10-6
Everybody is down on Tavaris Jackson, but why? Last year his coach likened him to a young Donovan McNabb, and with a deadly weapon in Adrian Peterson sharing the backfield and taking some pressure of Jackson’s shoulders, he should do just fine managing the game. The bigger concern is the status of his knee. He remains confident that he will start week 1, but if he does, he will have a rough day in Green Bay trying to survive further injury. Regardless, the excellent run defense and young, improving offense should be enough to give Minnesota the edge in the NFC North.

Green Bay Packers 8-8

Can it get any worse for Aaron Rodgers? He has sat behind legendary Brett Favre for his entire career, been injured every time he has stepped in for Favre in the past, and now he has to follow him up and immediately be the man in Green Bay. The Packers organization feel that he is ready, but second-guessing is going to be at a premium if he struggles at all in his first full season as the Packers’ starter. Their defense is still solid, and they have some built in wins within the division, but in the long run I think Aaron Rodgers is a liability, having never stayed healthy when he had opportunities in the past, and with tremendous pressure to perform at a near-Favre level.

Chicago Bears 8-8

Orton or Grossman? Grossman or Orton? In reality, it honestly doesn’t matter. Neither of the two quarterbacks was good enough to distance themselves from each other, let alone be good enough to dominate defenses. Speaking of defenses, that is where the key to the Bears’ success lies once again. A healthy Mike Brown at safety is tremendously underrated, but middle linebacker Brian Urlacher is destined for a downslide. The offense actually has no wide receivers to throw to, so much so that a converted, unsuccessful cornerback is now the number three receiver. 8-8 is simply a result of overwhelming defense, and that's only if they have one more year before the inevitable collapse.

Detroit Lions 7-9

Start scouring colleges for the next Detroit Lions wide receiver. The only two people in Detroit that are actually happy with the Lions are QB Jon Kitna (they keep giving him weapons to bolster his stats) and Lions President and CEO Matt Millen (I don’t even think heknows how he still has a job). In any case, the Lions are exactly what they have been for a few years now: an offense loaded with potential on a very bad team. I will however, give them credit for adding some defensive backs like Leigh Bodden and Brian Kelly, and resisting the urge to draft another wide receiver in the first round. I originally had them at 6-10, they have earned 7 wins in my book.

NFC South

New Orleans Saints 12-4

Yes, they were a huge disappointment last year, but 2008 will be the New Orleans Saints’ bounce back year. Drew Brees has shown consistency and leadership worthy of garnering high expectations. It is a common thought in the NFL that a receiver in his third year is one to watch out for. On that note, the Saints have two: Marques Colston and Reggie Bush. Throw in a fireball at tight end with Jeremy Shockey and the offense should take care of itself. But what about the defense? Mark this down: the Saints’ defense will be one of the NFL’s biggest surprises this year. defensive linemen Will Smith (great actor) and Sedrick Ellis combined with linebackers Jonathan Vilma and Dan Morgan will round out the front seven, while former Patriot Randal Gay and rookie Tracey Porter look to improve a previously sad secondary.

Carolina Panthers 10-6

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother with this team, but in the end I always make the same pick. The one year that I choose the Panthers to miss the playoffs, you can count on a 16-0 run. Therefore I will not bet against them and risk worse embarrassment, and say once again that the Panthers will win the Wild Card at 10-6. Steve Smith’s team enforced two game suspension will hurt the offense initially, but a healthy Jake Delhomme and soon to be starting running back Jonathan Stewart will have to gel quickly in order to overcome Smith’s absence. The addition of underrated wide receiver D.J. Hackett will help a lot to ease the initial pain, but once Smith returns and the team begins to click before games against Atlanta, Kansas City, and at Tampa Bay, the Panthers should be poised to make their move in the NFC south. Carolina’s pass defense has been historically above average and with the anchor of Julius Peppers on the defensive line, the pressure on opposing quarterbacks should be greater than last year’s disappointing performance.

Atlanta Falcons 7-9

If the Falcons end up 1-15 this year, it will probably still be a success. This franchise is clearly the most volatile and chaotic in the NFL, and goes into the season with absolutely no expectations except keep Matt Ryan alive. That is why the Falcons should have a very nice season finishing just under .500. Rookie QB Matt Ryan will get firsthand on-the-job experience as he was recently named the opening day starter, a decision I feel was very wise. Ryan appears to be one of the most NFL ready quarterbacks to come out of college in the past few years, and if the other option was for Ryan to sit the bench and learn under Chris Redman and Joey Harrington (before he was cut), the Falcons definitely made the right choice by starting him. As the lifetime backup to LaDanian Tomlinson in San Diego, RB Michael Turner finally gets his chance to shine alone in the backfield. Jerious Norwood is there to keep the pressure on Turner, but combined the two should form a very nice running attack. Most importantly, the Falcons would not “throw Ryan to the wolves” if they didn’t feel the offensive line would protect him; see that as a good sign for the offensive line. Like the offense, the defensive core is very young. Jamaal Anderson, Michael Boley, and Curtis Lofton will be lead by veterans like John Abraham and Erik Coleman. As a side note, I hope this prediction is wrong and the Falcons do even better than 7-9 and actually make the playoffs, the franchise could use some love.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-10

I never thought I would pick against perennial winner Jeff Garcia, but the time has come. The Bucs took advantage of a bad division last year en route to a division title. With an improved NFC South, this year will not be the same. Although Tampa Bay’s defense still appears to be dominant, their offense is nothing more than dormant. The Bucs pretty much have no explosive players on offense. Their starting running back is a guy who logged 222 carries last year, with only six of them going for more than 15 yards. I am still not sold on Joey Galloway being capable of being a winning team’s number one receiver, especially with a shaky groin injury and Ike Hilliard being the next best receiving option.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys 13-3

This is an easy one. Although any of the four NFC East teams have the talent to win the division if things go the right way, the Cowboys are the clear cut pick to come out on top. Consistency at the skill positions coupled with a superb defense should put the Cowboys right where they were last year, vying for the top of the NFC food chain. Their schedule seems very winnable on paper, and with Romo, Owens, Barber, Witten, and rookie running back stud Felix Jones, the Cowboys will have no problem finding themselves in the playoffs for the third straight year.

Philadelphia Eagles 10-6

Here we go again. 10-6. Wild Card. Playoffs. Just once let me be right with this team. Can McNabb, Westbrook, and Dawkins all manage to stay healthy for an entire season? It’s a lot to ask, but if they can, the weapons are there on offense and defense for the Eagles to grab a Wild Card spot. Defensive end Trent Cole is a monster poised to improve on his stellar 2007 season, while the addition of former Patriots star Asante Samuel will help form an enviable cornerback duo with veteran Lito Sheppard. The Eagles’ success hinges entirely on health, which is the same story we have come to know in years past. The problem is that Philadelphia is growing tired with the lack of success, and whatever the excuse may be, if things don’t change this year, I have a strong feeling the personnel will.

New York Giants 7-9

How could it be that the Super Bowl Champions (gag) could follow it up with a losing record? Easy, they are not that good. I will admit that Eli Manning was incredible in the postseason, and was the reason that the Giants even got to the Super Bowl at all (he was notthe most valuable player in the Super Bowl, however, Justin Tuck was). But that was last year’s 10-6 team who got hot at the right time and rode Eli’s arm through the NFC playoffs. The Giants are starting the season already with a few big losses. TE Jeremy Shockey was traded during the offseason (yes, they won without him but let’s not start comparing Kevin Boss to Shockey in terms of talent) and Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora is gone for the year with a knee injury. The Giants also lost superstar DE Michael Strahan to retirement and linebacker Kawika Mitchell and safety Gibril Wilson during free agency. Even though they addressed some issues with their secondary during the draft, I feel their losses greatly outweigh their gains, and they will be exposed, including Eli Manning who I feel will regress to human status.

Washington Redskins 7-9

Last year I picked the ‘Skins to go 2-14 and have a top 5 pick in the ’08 draft. It’s safe to say that I was dead wrong and clearly can’t assess their ability. I am a big supporter of young QB Jason Campbell, but RB Clinton Portis is a perpetual question mark, even with his undeniable talent. Former head coach Joe Gibbs was able to take a below average team and have them play out of their minds to make the playoffs last year. The problem is that the team had almost a supernatural presence in ’07, while the tragic death of safety Sean Taylor propelled the team in an invincible fashion into the playoffs. The Redskins are mortal now, and as much as I hope Campbell and Portis can both stay healthy and productive, Portis carried the ball 325 times last year, the most in the NFL, and is coming dangerously close to an age where elite running backs suddenly break down after big seasons. New head coach Jim Zorn was the quarterbacks coach in Seattle, and he has vowed that the passing offense will be emphasized this year. If everything, and I mean everything, goes right, then maybe they could make a push for the playoffs again, but otherwise I expect nothing more than mediocrity.

Mario Mergola is the co-creator and writer at The Digital Blitz.