2011 NFL Predictions: The NFL's Top 10 Offenses

Offenses in the NFL have been experiencing a golden age of quarterbacking like never before.

The number of high quality starters is at an all-time high, and it makes the game that much better to watch. These offenses will no doubt be littering your fantasy football team with talented players to overtake your opponents week after week.

I take into account all parts of the offense when I do these rankings. The offensive line is incredibly important but often overlooked, and some of these offenses have a lot of questions for the big guys up front. Chances are if you see your team ranked lower, it's because many of the skill position player among these teams are a wash. It comes down to quarterbacking and offensive line play.

Now let's get to it. 

On the Bubble: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers look to have a great young group of wide receivers. 

Mike Wallace can fly, and is one of the best deep receivers in the league. He stretches the field, which allows players like Rashard Mendenhall to find some extra space. Emmanuel Sanders and Antonio Brown are young and interesting receivers. Either could be poised for a break out year in this offense, and make it that much more potent. 

However, the only reason I don't rank them among the top 10 is because of the aging Hines Ward, the overworked Rashard Mendenhall, and what could possibly be one of the worst offensive lines in the league. 

None of the receivers on the roster are a reliable move the chains guy like Ward is. Ward is in his twilight years, and he'll have his moments, but he is just not as effective as he once was. The youngsters are too young to step up and take that role from him. Mendenhall is a surefire candidate for the Curse of 370. The wear and tear last season had on him will surely limit his ability this year.

The offensive line is the largest overall weakness for the Steelers. Outside of center Maurkice Pouncey, there are questions for every single other position. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the best scramblers in the league, but that line could very well be the death of him.   

On the Bubble: The New York Giants

The Giants offense is highlighted by their two dynamite receivers that could be the league's best.

Hakeem Nicks exploded onto the wide receiver scene last year, catching a whopping 79 passes for 1052 yards and 11 touchdowns in just 13 games. Nicks was hampered by a toe injury which he had surgery on. Coming into his third year, typically the magic year for receivers, expect Nicks to establish himself as one of the league's best.

Mario Manningham is also very talented. Manningham performed well with the absence of Nicks, and while he may not be a true No. 1, he is still a superb underrated receiver. Little known fact: there were only four other receivers in the league last year to catch more passes of 20+ yards. 

Ahmad Bradshaw has re-signed, a must have for the Giants considering his versatility. Possibly the best blocking back in football, Bradshaw's only weakness is holding on to the ball. Brandon Jacobs could easily take over the job if Bradshaw were to get injured, and would be able to produce.

My only worry for the Giants comes in the big men up front. The Giants are trying to undergo a youth movement, and cut three different starters from last year. Eli is already interception prone, and still is a good quarterback, but if he's harassed constantly then the Giants will inevitably slip. If the run blocking isn't as good as it was last year, Bradshaw will suffer.

I could easily see the Giants being an elite offense next year, and I could easily see them being just below average. It all depends on how well the line performs, because they have the pieces everywhere else.

10: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were a surprising offense last year, coming out 13th overall in points per game at 22.9.

The offense success was predicated on an extremely efficient quarterbacking effort from Matt Cassel, and even more efficient run game led by Jamaal Charles. In 2009, Cassel fumbled five times and threw 16 interceptions, which he reduced to only two fumbles and seven interceptions in 2010. He took care of the football, and learned when to just throw it away instead of forcing it. Cassel may not wow anyone by taking over a game, but he does have the ability to make difficult throws and all the leadership intangibles to make for an efficient passer.

Jamaal Charles ran at a clip of 6.38 yards a carry, only .02 off of Jim Brown's single season record. He is a truly special talent, and most scouts think he should be considered in the same conversation as Peterson and Johnson. He is a dynamic playmaker, and a chain mover.

What the Chiefs lacked on offense they addressed in the offseason. The passing attack faltered when break out star Dwayne Bowe struggled or was met by elite corners like Champ Bailey. There was no number two or three receiver; Bowe caught 72 passes; every other receiver on the team combined for 67. The Chiefs drafted Jonathan Baldwin, a 6'5" monster who has a 45 inch vertical and ran a sub 4.5 at the combine. Then they added Steve Breaston, a proven No. 2 who will play a lot of slot and has good speed.

The Chiefs took another page out of the Patriots playbook, building a wide receiver group with a wide variety of talents. With second year utility man Dexter McCluster adding another year, and the very talented Tony Moaeki, the Chiefs are loaded at offensive skill positions. Expect a rise in their offense this year.

9: Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboy's will live and die by Romo's health this year. 

Outside of that, they are loaded at the offensive skill positions. Miles Austin is a No. 1 wide receiver, and while 2010 may have been down by his standards, it was still pretty good. 

Dez Bryant is just plain scary. He's an incredible combination of size, skill, and speed. We'll see if he can take the necessary steps to go to the next level this year, but as it stands the Cowboys look like they have two top notch wide receivers. 

Felix Jones is set for a break out year. After Wade Phillips was fired, Jason Garret gave Felix Jones an extra five touches a game and he averaged a 100 yards from scrimmage under Garret. With Marion Barber gone, he's the only guy. A great runner and receiver, Jones brings something special to the backfield. 

The offensive line leaves something to be desired. If they can't protect Romo then they will have a repeat of last year. This offense could be explosive, or it could crash and burn. We'll see how the offensive line performs this year. 

8: Indianapolis Colts

The Colt's offense has been one of the best in the league for years.

The only way that's going to change is if Peyton Manning sits on the bench. Personally, I'm worried that the neck will force him to sit a couple of games at the beginning of the season, something the Colts really can't afford to do with Houston nipping at their heels.

Innocent until proven guilty, however. Austin Collie came on strong last year in response to injuries of some of the Colt's offense, including Dallas Clark and Addai. He caught eight touchdowns in nine games before succumbing to three concussions. If he can stay healthy, he has proven that Manning loves him, and will be a force on the field.

Reggie Wayne may be getting older, but he will still be incredibly consistent. He will probably approach 100 receptions and will have over a 1000 yards. He's a matchup headache.

Clark and Addai will really be what tips the scales for this offense. Addai is a good runner, when healthy, even if that is a rarity for him. The Colts have to run the ball more this year. The all passing really hurt them last year. The back ups behind Addai leave a lot to be desired also. Jacob Tamme did a great job coming in or Clark, but he does not have the ability to separate and shed defenders like Clark does.

The offense should benefit from reinforcing the offensive line. The top two draft picks, Anthony Costanzo and Benjamin Ijadana, are going to help the run game greatly, and keep people from destroying Manning's neck.

7: New Orleans Saints

I have to express my worry for the Saints receiving game. 

Marques Colston is getting older and losing a step. He cannot create separation like he once could. It leaves them lacking a dominate No. 1 receiver like they have had. Devery Henderson isn't particularly special, but Robert Meachem could step up to fulfill the role Marques Colston has had. 

The Saints scheme very well however. They took another step in making their offense diverse this year by drafting running back Mark Ingram, which will improve their offense substantially. 

Jimmy Graham is one of the most intriguing tight ends in the league currently. A tight end with receiver skills, he became an end zone magnet last year when Drew Brees connected with him for five touchdowns in a few games at the end of the year. He could be the new and improved Jeremy Shockey.

The Saints were only 11th in the league in points per game last year, but some of that is definitely due to Brees throwing so many interceptions. He will undoubtedly regress to the mean and this offense will be elite.  

6: Green Bay Packers

The Packers offense could have been even better last year had Jeremichael Finley stayed healthy. Now he's back this year, and he'll be able to improve upon an already deadly passing attack.

Greg Jennings is one of the receivers most versatile wide receivers. He can play slot, go inside or outside the lines, and even run deep. It's rare to see a wide receiver so good in so many areas.

The Packers have a group of above average receivers trailing him. Jordy Nelson had a spectacular super bowl performance and could come on strong this year. James Jones is solid, and he could be better than that if he just didn't drop so many passes.

The worries come in the run game where the Packers have no truly reliable running back. Ryan Grant was rumored of being cut , but instead just took a pay cut. James Starks may have had a nice postseason, but was not very effective in limited time during the regular season. The Packers lost ace pass blocker and effective backfield receiver Brandon Jackson, which hurts. 

What it comes down to though is Aaron Rogers. He's the best quarterback in football right now, and so this offense is elite. 

5: Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons weren't kidding around when they drafted Julio Jones. 

They want to improve their down the field passing game. They want stud fourth year quarterback Matt Ryan to stretch the field, and Jones speed will surely help them do that. Rookie wide receivers have a large learning curve, but Jones sheer ability makes up for that. At the very least he'll take some coverage away underneath for Harry Douglas and Tony Gonzalez, as well as giving Roddy White some single coverage.

Gonzalez is in his twilight, but he still finds the soft spot in zones and is an end zone accessory. He could be in for a good year with Roddy and Jones giving him room to work with. Harry Douglas is a solid slot receiver, and is definitely a solid piece in the offense.

Michael "The Burner" Turner has been a beast the last few years. He's made the team a run first offense. Now that the Falcons have so many good receiving options, Turner will be able to get more running room.

The offensive line is solid at the very least. They lost Tyson Clabo, the vicious right guard/tackle, but that doesn't mean this line will slouch.

They've got talent on offense, and lots of it. This team is easily capable of 25+ points a game.  

4: Houston Texans

The Houston Texans offense has been victimized by a terrible defense. 

Matt Shaub is a good quarterback, who has the best wide receiver in the league in Andre Johnson. Johnson shows up all over the field and if he isn't double covered will destroy a defense. 

The Texans are getting back Owen Daniels, who is a huge part of the offense. A terrific pass catcher, he gives the Texans another very reliable target. Jacoby Jones has flashed potential, and if he puts it together the Texans could improve significantly.

Arian Foster led the league in rushing last year with over 1600 yards. He's a great talent that gives the Texans one of the more varied and effective offenses in the league. Ben Tate has shown he has great ability, and if Foster goes down this year, the drop off won't be significant. 

The Texans also benefit from one of the NFL's best offensive lines. Individually none of the players are particularly great, but as a squad they are fantastic. Excelling in pass protection and run blocking, the offensive line makes this squad one of the NFL's most dangerous.  

3: New England Patriots

The best offense in the NFL last year, the New England Patriots put up a terrifying 32.4 points per game.

Offensively, the Patriots have had a simple strategy for a long time now: diversity. They use many different players that have many different talents, and they don't stand still. They bring in new guys with new skill sets every single year.

After they cut Randy Moss the big question was how were they going to stretch the field? No one thought they'd be able to anymore. They took two young tight ends in Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski and stretch the field over the middle with a lot of two tight end sets.

They used a bruising between the tackles running back in Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis to grind out the clock in game and punch in touchdowns. Danny Woodhead became a speedster with dynamic playmaking abilities.

The Patriots don't stand still. They have been keeping the league on their toes for years by continually adding pieces to make their offense unique and hard to figure out year after year.

They've added a slew of running backs and Ochocinco to the mix. If No. 85 was going to have one more good year, he'd have it in New England. We'll see what the Hoodie does this year. As long as they have Brady quarterbacking they'll make this list.

2: Philadelphia Eagles

Michael Vick came back two years removed from the game to dazzle the league.

His speed has not declined, he is in wonderful shape, and for the first time in his career, he learned to stay still in the pocket and throw beautiful passes down field. The biggest concerns are injuries. If Mike Vick can stay healthy, the Eagles offense will be brilliant.

The Eagles signed Vince Young to back him up, a very good move considering Young's talent and identical skill set. Young isn't as good ad Vick in anything he does, but he could do a good Vick impersonation for a few games.

The two primary wide outs, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin, are studs. Maclin is entering his third year in the league, the magic number for wide receivers. If he recovers from his illness, he'll be the man.

The scary thing is they also have Jackson, who could be a No. 1 receiver himself. He's one of the leagues best deep threats, and his speed is matched by few in the NFL. He is a dangerous weapon outside.

The Eagles might be the fastest team in football. LeSean McCoy is a speedster, and catches the ball a lot out of the backfield. He was wonderfully efficient in the run game, averaging 5.2 yards a carry, 5.9 when Vick was in the game.

If you wanted one word to describe the Eagles offense it would be explosive. Every offensive player on that team can take it to the house on any given play. The only question becomes, can the offensive line keep Michael Vick on his feet?

1: San Diego Chargers

The second team in points per game last year at 27.6, the Chargers have a vicious offense.

It all starts with Phillip Rivers, an elite quarterback in the league who throws one of the best looking deep balls in the game. He makes players on his offense better by being there, even guys like Patrick Crayton and practice squad receivers.

Vincent Jackson is a No. 1 receiver, something they lacked last year after Gates was injured. He is poised for a big year. Malcolm Floyd is returning to the Chargers, which is an unexpected and pleasant surprise for them. Floyd may not have the ability of Jackson to find soft spots and separate, but he has an incredibly knack for the spectacular catch. He's a great No. 2 receiver.

Questions abound for Antonio Gates. He's one of the largest match up nightmares in the league, but the foot injury he suffered last year is scary. It's a nagging injury that he played with a good portion of last year, but was still dominant. The question won't be if he can perform if he sees the field, just whether or not he will actually see it.

I'm not the biggest Ryan Mathews fan. I think the kid has potential, but I don't see him as an all out home run No. 12 overall pick. That being said, he adds unique skill set to the backfield. Mike Tolbert is simply difficult to tackle. He's a large man that, when he gets a full head of steam, can run over every defensive back in the league. Reports have come out that Norv Turner plans to use them as a one two punch this year, which is good since Mathews is so injury prone.

The offensive line is solid in pass protection and run blocking. They will be the least of worries for the Chargers. The offense will terrorize defenses week after week.