Lord Stan The Man

For Part I of Stanley’s NFL Mega-Preview (including teams No. 17-32), click here.


16. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: I think Kevin Kolb is going to have a good season statistically, but I don’t necessarily think that his play will translate to a great record for the Eagles. Remember, Aaron Rodgers played pretty well in 2008, yet the Packers only finished 6-10. I was initially high on the Eagles this off-season, but I think they were too reliant on the big play last year. Eventually it will come to haunt them, and you can bet that Philly fans will be mad. Expect YouTube videos of Eagles fans doing obnoxious things to surface.

15. CINCINNATI BENGALS: Last year, the Bengals established themselves as an offense predicated on unselfish play and running the ball. Looking for the best way to continue that success, the Bengals signed Terrell Owens, a notorious me-first ball hog that has not played on a run-first offense in his career. (You could make the argument that the ’09 Bills were a run-first offense, but admitting that Buffalo had any semblance of an offense would be giving them far too much credit). Last year the Bengals were bad down the stretch, losing three of their last four regular-season games before falling to the Jets in the postseason. But with the return of Antwan Odom, this defense may even be better than it was last year. That may be their ticket to the postseason.

14. ATLANTA FALCONS: Everyone seems to be very high on the Falcons this year, not only as a contender for a wildcard spot but also possibly the replace the Saints as kings of the NFC South. Count me as a hater, because I don’t necessarily see any good reasons why Atlanta should be better than New Orleans this year. Yes, Matt Ryan will likely be better, and so will Michael Turner. But the Falcons defense doesn’t scare me at all, and I don’t see how it will be much better in 2010 than it was last year, when it was ranked 21st overall in the league. Atlanta will not be able to stop the Saints, and I think that the Falcons are a bit overhyped coming into this season.

13. NEW YORK GIANTS: The Giants have somehow managed to stay under the radar in the much-discussed NFC East, yet New York is still in great position to make a playoff run. If I was a Giant, I would feel disrespected, as much of the off-season talk has centered around the flashy Cowboys, the resurgent Redskins and the consistent Eagles. Credit this slight to the Giants’ poor play down the stretch last season after starting 5-0. New York lost four straight at that point, and then lost their last two games by a combined score of 85-16 to the Panthers and Vikings. Yet the G-Men have nearly all the pieces in place -- the linebackers may be the only real area of concern -- to make a run. If the defense can hold up, this team will be playoff bound in 2010.

12. HOUSTON TEXANS: The Houston Texans sleeper bandwagon has been popular the past few seasons, but the team has still been unable to break through to the postseason. This year, the Texans are no longer considered a sleeper, as they are basically expected to make the playoffs. Nobody disputes the merits of the Houston offense, which consists of one of the best passing games in the league. The defense is still shaky, but for the Texans to make a playoff run, they cannot afford another slow start. And they absolutely cannot afford to lose close games, a problem that plagued the Texans particularly last season. But if this defense can finally put it together, or at least remain semi-competent throughout the season, then we know the offense can carry Houston to the franchise’s first ever postseason berth.

11. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: This off-season, the Chargers “lost” LaDainian Tomlinson, a washed-up back that hasn’t been very productive since 2007. In his place comes rookie Ryan Mathews, who is widely expected to make an impact right away. The Chargers also have two holdouts of note: Marcus McNeill and Vincent Jackson. I think McNeill is a pretty big loss, but I believe he will sign at some point. Conversely, I do not believe Jackson will sign with the team, but I think his significance to the Chargers is a bit overrated. While Jackson is hyped as one of the league’s top receivers, in his best year he only caught 68 passes. Yes, he is one of the game’s better young receivers, but I don’t think the Chargers will really miss him that much. The defense is definitely suspect, but I’m not exactly sure how some are ready to hand this division to the Raiders.

10. MINNESOTA VIKINGS: If every player became magically healthy to start this season, the Vikings might be at the top of this list. But because they are so banged up, I can’t put them much higher. Sidney Rice is out for a good deal of the season, Percy Harvin has migraine issues, and the offensive line is getting worse. Favre has ankle problems too. Do I sense karma finally catching up with the gunslinger? I hope so. I’m rooting for 6-10.

9. MIAMI DOLPHINS: The AFC East is a loaded division, and is second only to the NFC East in my opinion. The Dolphins are one of the “big three” in the AFC East, along with the Jets and Patriots. In a decade dominated by the Pats, the Fins actually won the division in ’08 after a 1-15 season the previous year. This Dolphins team is very tough, and has a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they added another dimension this off-season with the acquisition of Brandon Marshall, who should make Chad Henne’s job a lot easier. Add the improved passing offense to the very successful Wildcat and running game, and it’s easy to see why the offense has evolved into a playoff-caliber attack. Defensively, the linebackers still are of some concern, but the secondary is young and talented. One name to watch out for: Pass rusher Cameron Wake. He’s going to be a star.

8. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Even though the Pats won the AFC East last year, a lot of people are down on New England this season and seem ready to give the division to either the Jets or Dolphins. I still consider the Patriots one of the better offenses in football. Consider the following: The knee injury Tom Brady sustained in Week One of the 2008 season really requires two years of recovery. Julian Edelman emerged last season as a solid receiver for Brady, and should make a good No. 3 or 4 target. And this off-season the Pats replaced Ben Watson with Alge Crumpler, Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski. The Patriots still can’t run the ball, but do they need to? This passing offense should be pretty unstoppable. It is true that the defense is horrendous, but it still has a few good players, namely Vince Wilfork and Brandon Meriweather. They won’t be able to stop some of the elite offenses in the league, but I don’t see too many defenses that will be able to stop the Pats. Maybe not even the Jets.

7. PITTSBURGH STEELERS: Many seem ready to concede the AFC North, as well as the Super Bowl, to the Baltimore Ravens. Why? Because Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for a few games at the beginning of the season? Even if the Steelers start 2-2 or 1-3 without Roethlisberger, they still have ample time to regroup in time for the important part of the season. Plus the likelihood of an ultra-slow start for Pittsburgh is small; besides having a favorable schedule, the Steelers have played well in recent years without Roethlisberger. It also seems like people forget that the Steelers will be getting their best player back on the field this year: Troy Polamalu. Without Polamalu, the Steelers defense is simply not the same. His health is absolutely a concern, but if he can shake off his injuries and remain on the field, there’s no reason why the Steelers’ defense this season can’t revert back to their 2008 form, or at least come close to it. I understand why the Ravens are the favorite in the division, but the Steelers have a great chance to win it as well.

6. NEW YORK JETS: With Darrelle Revis, the Jets are at least a couple spots higher on this list. I know he is just a cornerback, but he absolutely makes a huge difference. Antonio Cromartie is a serviceable No. 1 cornerback, but he is a great No. 2 when Revis is in at the top spot. I know that rookie Kyle Wilson is expected to be good, but no one on this planet can replace Revis. The loss of Calvin Pace for the beginning of the season is also a setback, and I’m not yet convinced Mark Sanchez is capable of leading this team to 12 or more wins. All of that said, this Jets team is absolutely loaded. Both lines are physical and top-notch, which is the foundation for every great football team. Their running game should be one of the best in the league, and the passing attack should be better with the addition of Santonio Holmes. Defensively, the Jets will miss Revis, but I don’t see how any team will be able to run successfully on New York. The Jets had trouble with Miami last year, and the same may be true this season. But New York is a very good team even without Revis; with him, they are a Super Bowl frontrunner.

5. DALLAS COWBOYS: Even though this roster has been full of stars for years, Dallas was surprisingly strong last year. For once they didn’t fold under pressure, and they were able to win big games in December and January (against the Saints, and then twice vs. the Eagles). The Cowboys are even better this year. The defense is one of the quickest in the league, and DeMarcus Ware is probably the best playmaker on defense in the NFL. Dallas is very good at every positional unit except the offensive line, which is one of two main concerns for the team. The other is the schedule: besides a tough slate against the ultra-competitive NFC East, the ‘Boys play the NFC North and AFC South. But this Cowboys team is probably too talented to miss out on the postseason again.

4. BALTIMORE RAVENS: The Ravens are talented on both sides of the ball, and their offense is finally two-dimensional. No one questions their talent, but I have two big questions about this team. First of all, is Joe Flacco ready to take Baltimore to the next level? I’m not sure if I would have confidence in him to lead a late game-winning drive, which is an essential ingredient to any great quarterback. And secondly, and probably more importantly, the defensive backs are horrific. This team prides itself on maintaining a great defense, yet the unit has a glaring weakness. Peyton Manning will pick them apart again in the postseason.

3. GREEN BAY PACKERS: I love the Packers this year, and specifically I love Green Bay’s offense. I picked the Pack to reach the Super Bowl last season, and I am picking them again. I think Aaron Rodgers is ready to become one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL; even though he probably doesn’t have the best feelings for Brett Favre, I definitely think waiting behind Favre helped Rodgers become the quarterback he is today. The defense is still solid, and we know the team is well-coached. There would be no better way to stick it to Favre than a Green Bay Super Bowl victory, and it’s a strong possibility.

2. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: I’m not ready to hop off the Saints’ bandwagon quite yet, unlike so many others dumb enough to spend time making NFL predictions. I don’t see how the Falcons are at all better than the defending champions. This offense probably isn’t getting much worse this year; the defense might experience a drop-off, especially in turnover numbers, but the Saints’ offensive production still should be able to sustain a great season. Everyone loves Atlanta, but New Orleans will still win the NFC South, and will still be considered one of the best teams in the league at the end of the year. They have received way too much hate for a Super Bowl winning team.

1. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: How can the No. 1 team be anyone else than Peyton Manning and the Colts? Indy has made the playoffs every year since 2002, and has won at least 12 games every year since 2003. That’s an unbelievable stretch. It’s boring to pick the Colts as the best team in the league, but it is simply the truth: no team has been as consistent as Peyton’s Colts in the last decade. If I’ve learned one thing in the course of my 17-plus years on earth, it is that you should never pick against Peyton Manning. I’ve learned more than one thing in my life, but I’m sticking with the cardinal rule: never pick against Peyton Manning.

NFC CHAMPION: PACKERS

AFC CHAMPION: COLTS

SUPER BOWL CHAMPION: COLTS



You can e-mail Stanley at lordstantheman@gmail.com with any comments or questions. Stanley writes a Detroit Lions blog for NFL.com's Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com.