2011 NFL Predictions: League Leaders in Every Major Statistical Category

With the start of the 2011 NFL season exactly one month away, it is time to get our crystal balls out and start predicting who will lead the league for every major statistical category.

While this is no exact science, we have done our best to factor in both on- and-off-field elements to give the most educated predictions possible.

From quarterbacks to running backs and even kickers and punters, here are predictions for the league leaders in every major statistical category for the 2011 season.

QB Rating

League Leader: Tom Brady (106.2 QB Rating)

Runner-up: Tony Romo (100.8 QB Rating)

There is little doubting the ability of Tom Brady as he is considered by many to be the best player in the NFL. Brady should continue to dominate this year with the addition of Chad Ochocinco to his arsenal. It will be difficult to put up the same statistics he had last year, but he should still lead the league in quarterback rating.

Tony Romo is coming off an injury and has enough weapons to play with to finish second in this category.

Passing Yards

League Leader: Matt Schaub (4,834 passing yards)

Runner-up: Philip Rivers (4,796 passing yards)

Matt Schaub generally finishes the year near the top of this category and the upcoming season will see Schaub lead all passers in yards. If Andre Johnson and Owen Daniels can stay healthy for the entire season, Schaub should run away with the title. Even if those two miss some time, Jacoby Jones, Kevin Walter and Garrett Graham have plenty of ability.

After leading the league in passing yards last year, Philip Rivers will narrowly finish in second place this year. The title will come down to the final game and the only reason Rivers will finish second is because his team has already locked up a playoff spot while the Houston Texans will still be fighting for a Wild Card spot.

Passing Touchdowns

League Leader: Aaron Rodgers (41 passing touchdowns)

Runner-up: Peyton Manning (39 passing touchdowns)

You can call me biased, but the truth is that Aaron Rodgers has way too many weapons to not throw more passing touchdowns than anyone else. Rodgers' slew of weapons includes Greg Jennings, James Jones, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley and rookie Randall Cobb. The Green Bay Packers should have an extremely potent offense and Rodgers will be the beneficiary of so many playmakers.

In what might be his last great statistical season, Peyton Manning will throw the second most touchdown passes of his career, but still come in second place.

Interceptions

League Leader: Mark Sanchez (24 interceptions)

Runner-up: Jay Cutler (23 interceptions)

This year, Mark Sanchez will struggle mightily. He has thrown 33 interceptions in his two-year career and there will be plenty more of those this season. The New York Jets will find themselves needing to pass more this season to stay in games and Sanchez's shortcomings as an accurate quarterback will be on display more than ever.

While Jay Cutler will rack up plenty of interceptions, I think he will also be near the lead league in touchdowns, which will make the people of Chicago more forgiving of their quarterback than the people in New York.

Carries

League Leader: Chris Johnson (347 carries)

Runner-up: Arian Foster (319 carries)

While Matt Hasselbeck is a nice filler until Jake Locker is ready to step in, Tennessee's offense will still be ran through Chris Johnson. In fact, don't be surprised if Johnson is used even more frequently this year than in previous years. He will surely challenge for the rushing title, but will ultimately end up short.

Arian Foster broke onto the scene last year and was a huge boost to Houston's offense. He should still put up great numbers, but won't be used as often as he was last year.

Rushing Yards

League Leader: Adrian Peterson (1,748 rushing yards)

Runner-up: Jamaal Charles (1,653 rushing yards)

To put it in simple terms, Adrian Peterson is an absolute beast. No other running back has the skill set of Peterson. The key will be his health, as his bruising style of running plagued him with injuries last season. However, he is the focal point of Minnesota's offense and should get plenty of touches to lead the league in rushing yards this year.

As Thomas Jones ages, Jamaal Charles should see more and more playing time. He is a star on the rising and will have a very productive season.

Rushing Touchdowns

League Leader: Adrian Peterson (13 rushing touchdowns)

Runner-up: Michael Turner (12 rushing touchdowns)

Not only will Adrian Peterson lead the league in rushing yards, but he will lead the league in rushing touchdowns. As the league moves more to a pass-first league, total rushing touchdowns will be down in comparison to recent years. The Vikings will be giving the ball to Peterson as often as possible and he won't disappoint when given the chance to score.

Even though the Atlanta Falcons drafted Julio Jones in this year's draft, Michael Turner should remain a key member of their offense and score plenty of touchdowns on the ground.

Rushing Average

League Leader: Jamaal Charles (5.9 yards per carry)

Runner-up: Darren McFadden (5.5 yards per carry)

It is very unlikely that Jamaal Charles puts up over six yards per carry again, but he should still do enough to lead the league in the category. Even with an increased workload, Charles will still carry the ball with great success. He has good speed and field vision and should be near the top in yards per carry for a very long time.

After finally having a breakout season, Darren McFadden won't be slowing down anytime soon. He will continue to split carries, but he should still put up quality numbers.

Receptions

League Leader: Reggie Wayne (126 receptions)

Runner-up: Wes Welker (119 receptions)

Reggie Wayne will be the beneficiary of Manning's career-type season. Not only will he lead the league in receptions, but Wayne is going to have the best year of his illustrious career. He won't have the most receiving yards or touchdowns, but he will be near the top in both categories and should do enough to earn All-Pro honors.

While Chad Ochocinco should take away some of Wes Welker's opportunities, Welker is still Brady's favorite target and we all know how much Brady loves short throws across the middle.

Receiving Yards

League Leader: Andre Johnson (1,492 receiving yards)

Runner-up: Mike Wallace (1,406 receiving yards)

There isn't a better receiver in the entire league than Andre Johnson. No player has his rare combination of size, speed and strength and he is a mismatch for nearly every cornerback in the NFL. This year Johnson will stay healthy and separate himself from the other top receivers as football's best.

Mike Wallace is coming off a spectacular season and with Hines Ward aging, he will only see more opportunities from Ben Roethlisberger. Wallace is a big play threat who can make plays after the catch.

Receiving Touchdowns

League Leader: Calvin Johnson (14 receiving touchdowns)

Runner-up: Antonio Gates (13 receiving touchdowns)

If Matthew Stafford can stay healthy for an entire season, Calvin Johnson could become the most feared receiver in the NFC. Johnson is a physical freak of nature who has great hands and plays the game with passion. He finished second in the league in receiving touchdowns last year with Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton throwing him the ball. This year, with Stafford, Johnson will finish second to no one.

Antonio Gates had his struggles with injuries last season, but he looks to be back to full health and should be Philip Rivers' favorite red-zone target.

Receiving Average

League Leader: DeSean Jackson (21.7 yards per reception)

Runner-up: Mike Wallace (21.3 yards per reception)

There might not be a more explosive player than DeSean Jackson in the entire NFL. He quickly became Michael Vick's favorite target last season and that doesn't appear to be changing anytime soon. With Jackson's speed and Vick's arm strength, these two are a perfect match for each other. As long as both players stay healthy, Jackson could continue to lead the league in receiving average for the foreseeable future.

Jackson and Mike Wallace finished first and second in this category last year and nothing will change in the upcoming season.

Total Offensive Touchdowns

League Leader: Matt Forte (17 total touchdowns, 9 rushing and 8 receiving)

Runner-up: Calvin Johnson (15 total touchdowns, 14 receiving and 1 rushing)

Following a poor sophomore campaign, Matt Forte got back on track last season. At times, he was a better receiver than running back, but he still put up great numbers from both positions. Forte will build on his success last season and become an even more popular target for Jay Cutler. It wouldn't be too surprising, and Forte also led the league in total yards from scrimmage.

Not only will Johnson lead the league in receiving touchdowns, but he will run for a touchdown off a reverse play to help him finish second in total offensive touchdowns.

Field Goals Made

League Leader: Neil Rackers (34 field goals made)

Runner-up: Nick Folk (33 field goals made)

With the Texans putting up plenty of points, Neil Rackers should have his fair share of field goal opportunities. He is an accurate kicker and has a powerful foot.

The New York Jets offense will struggle at times to find the end zone which means that Nick Folk will be kicking field goals quite frequently.

Field Goal Percentage

League Leader: Matt Bryant (92.7 field goal percentage)

Runner-up: Ryan Longwell (91.9 field goal percentage)

Matt Bryant is one of the most accurate kickers in the league and he plays in a dome, which will only help his field goal percentage. He finished fourth last year in this category, but each of the kickers ahead of him are older and their statistics should drop enough for him to gain the top spot.

As one of the most accurate kickers of all-time, Ryan Longwell will always challenge to lead the league in field goal percentage. He did it last year, but falls a few misses short this year.

Punting Average

League Leader: Brandon Fields (46.9 punting average)

Runner-up: Shane Lechler (46.5 punting average)

Brandon Fields has had put together two great back-to-back seasons as a punter. I'm not sure that is a compliment, but for a punter, it probably means a lot. Fields will have plenty of opportunities to punt the ball this year with Miami still struggling to find a consistent offense.

I don't know much about punters, but I know Shane Lechler is one of the best in the game.

Kick Return Yards

League Leader: Marc Mariani (1,618 kick return yards)

Runner-up: Randall Cobb (1,532 kick return yards)

The reason that Marc Mariani will lead the league in kick return yards isn't due so much to his ability (although he is very good), but more due to Tennessee's lack of defense. Mariani should get plenty of opportunities to return kicks, which will result in him leading the league in this category.

It might be surprising to see a rookie finish second, but Randall Cobb is an electric player who will step in from day one for Green Bay and become a top kick returner.

Kick Return Touchdowns

League Leader: Leon Washington and Marc Mariani (3 kick return touchdowns)

Both Leon Washington and Marc Mariani will return three kick returns for touchdowns. Washington has always been one of the best in this category and should continue to score as a kick returner. Mariani is an up-and-comer, but should be one of the best return men in the league for the next few years.

Punt Return Yards

League Leader: Devin Hester (618 punt return yards)

Runner-up: Dexter McCluster (493 punt return yards)

This really shouldn't surprise anyone, as Devin Hester might be the best punt returner in NFL history. Dexter McCluster is coming off an impressive rookie season and should continue to develop this year.

Punt Return Touchdowns

League Leader: Devin Hester (4 punt return touchdowns)

Runner-up: DeSean Jackson (2 punt return touchdowns)

Once again, Devin Hester will lead the league in punt return touchdowns. The Chicago Bears would be foolish to try and cut back the amount of returns that Hester gets so he can play more time at wide receiver.

Even though he might not have punt returns as dramatic as those he had last year, DeSean Jackson will still return enough punts for touchdowns to finish second in the league.

Tackles

League Leader: Patrick Willis (163 total tackles)

Runner-up: Ray Lewis (149 total tackles)

Some began to doubt that Patrick Willis was the best middle linebacker in the game after a so-so performance last season. Well, Willis will put all doubters to rest when he completely dominates in the upcoming season. There aren't many defensive players that play with the intensity of Willis, and even less have as much ability as he does.

Time is running down on Ray Lewis' career and he will give us one last great performance before he calls it quits.

Sacks

League Leader: DeMarcus Ware (18 sacks)

Runner-up: Clay Matthews (15 sacks)

It is common knowledge that DeMarcus Ware will either lead the league in sacks or be very close to leading the league in sacks. This season will be no different as Ware continues to prove why he is the best pass rusher in the entire NFL.

Coming off a season that saw him finish second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Clay Matthews will improve his statistics and contend for the award once again.

Interceptions

League Leader: Asante Samuel (8 interceptions)

Runner-up: Troy Polamalu (7 interceptions)

If Asante Samuel stays in Philadelphia, the Eagles will have one of the best cornerback trios in NFL history with Samuel, Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Opposing teams will have to decide between Asomugha and Samuel the majority of the time, so Samuel should see plenty off passes thrown his way. He should take advantage of plenty of those throws and lead the league in interceptions.

If Troy Polamalu can stay healthy for the entire season, he has a chance to win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. His total interceptions will only help in that regard.

Forced Fumbles

League Leader: James Harrison (8 forced fumbles)

Runner-up: Dwight Freeney (6 forced fumbles)

There is no doubting that James Harrison is one of the most intense and hard-hitting linebackers in the game. The only thing that could stop Harrison from leading the NFL in forced fumbles is a possible lengthy suspension for his offseason actions. Even if the Roger Goodell doesn't force him to serve one, it is still a possibility that the Steelers could make him sit out some games.

Even as Dwight Freeney ages, he is still one of the top defensive lineman in the league and most of his forced fumbles will come as he takes down the quarterback.

Defensive Touchdowns

League Leader: Eric Berry (4 defensive touchdowns)

Runner-up: Ed Reed (2 defensive touchdowns)

Eric Berry had a fantastic rookie season that earned him a trip to the Pro Bowl. He will build on his success last season and demonstrate his elite playmaking abilities in the secondary. Whenever he gets his hands on the ball, he is a threat to score six points. He should return enough interceptions for touchdowns this season to lead the league.

Ed Reed is another dynamic safety in the open field, but his age is catching up to him and his numbers could drop off a little this season.