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NFC north
1. Green Bay Packers
It's taken a while but the Packers and Aaron Rodgers should finally get their due over the Vikings and Brett Favre to say nothing over the disappointment and shock of losing to the Cards in that wild 51-45 playoff shootout. Rodgers has matured into a fine talent and with receivers such as Donald Driver, Greg Jennings and third-year tight end Jermichael Finley, he has plenty of surehanded receivers. However, the offensive line needs to improve. Defensively the Packers are one of the best led by defensive player of the year Charles Woodson. They could end up in the big one.
2. Minnesota Vikings
Brett Favre, give it a rest. The old gunslinger should have hung up his spikes following a glorious 2009 season despite the poorly timed interception he threw in the NFC title game against the Saints. Favre was terrific in leading the Vikings to a 12-4 record and their one-sided win over Dallas before their heartbreaking overtime loss to the Saints. But is there anybody on the planet who believes he can find the mojo and duplicate last year's numbers of 4,200 yards passing and 33 TDs against just seven picks? Didn't think so. Like so many others, Favre and the Vikings will have pushed it one year too many.
3. Chicago Bears
Question for Jay Cutler, what the hell was that? After the big trade with Denver, Cutler and his rifle arm was supposed to lead the Bears into the promised land but instead the Chicago faithful got a quarterback who rifled 26 interceptions and seemed to try and force the ball on just about every other throw. Now Cutler has offensive whiz Mike Martz running the attack for head coach Lovie Smith, who is on the hot seat to produce a contender. The big addition over the winter other than Martz was defensive end Julius Peppers who should add some zest to the pass rush.
4. Detroit Lions
The Lions will once again be lousy in 2010 even though they reached rock bottom two years ago and are making a slow climb back to mediocrity. On the plus side they have a young talent in QB Matthew Stafford and a terrific wide receiver in Calvin Johnson. But that's where the gifted player list ends. The Lions have big hopes for rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh but they need help at just about every defensive position as the Lions D has been ranked as the worst in the league for three years running. The Lions still don't look like they can stop teams from putting up a ton of points.
NFC SOUTH
1. New Orleans Saints
To the victor go the spoils and although the track record for Super Bowl contestants going back to the big show in repeat performances is low of late, don't discount the Saints. But repeating in the deeper NFC may prove to be a daunting task. The Saints have a lot going for them from Drew Brees to Tracy Porter and back again. They also are guided by one of the more original thinking coaches in Sean Payton. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams did wonders with his troops last year and they will be a formidable crew again this season. And the offence is simply explosive.
2. Atlanta Falcons
This is still a young team on the rise and if things go their way, they could finish ahead of the Saints. So much of their season will live and die on the performance of QB Matt Ryan and his key receivers Roddy White and tight end Tony Gonzalez. Defensively the Falcons still have a ways to go before it can claim equal footing with the offence. Even though they didn't make the playoffs, last season, the Falcons could boast producing consecutive winnings seasons for the first time in franchise history. Anything shy of a playoff berth this season would be viewed as a disappointment.
3. Carolina Panthers
Head coach John Fox is in the final year of his contract and clearly on the hot seat. The Panthers will be hard pressed to match their 8-8 record of '09. Jake Delhomme, the interception machine, was sent packing and in his place inexperience and optimism abound. Largely untested Matt Moore or rookie Notre Dame star Jimmy Claussen will be the starting pivot. Thankfully for the Panthers they can pound the ball on the ground led by DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Defensively they shed Julius Peppers so the D-line could be problematic. Same goes for their season.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
After plummeting to three wins last season the Bucs won't have to do much to show improvement. The Bucs believe they drafted a future star in defensive tackle Gerald McCoy, who grew up worshipping former Buc great Warren Sapp. Offensively the Bucs are challenged as they don't have much of a running game -- and who knows how quickly young quarterback Josh Freeman will grow or if he even will? Last season they averaged just 15 points a game and scoring looks to be a major issue again in 2010. The Bucs shouldn't expect anything more than a five-win season.
NFC East
1. Dallas Cowboys
The Super Bowl is set for Cowboys Stadium and you better believe that meddlesome owner Jerry Jones will have a meltdown if his Boys aren't in it. The problem is the Cowboys are still being coached by Wade Phillips and there's nothing in his resume to suggest he can lead a club that deep into the playoffs. Ditto for quarterback Tony Romo who has yet to prove he can get the job done when it counts. Speaking of which, Dallas has another brutal test in the final third of their season as they face New Orleans, Indianapolis, Philly and Washington . The bottom line is if there's no Super Bowl, there's no joy in Dallas.
2. New York Giants
It was a dud year for the Giants last season as they came out of the blocks looking like champs after they raced to a 5-0 record. But then the wheels came off after being destroyed 48-27 by the Saints on Oct. 18 and the G-Men never recovered as they went 3-8 the rest of the campaign. It got so bad that the Giants are no longer the darlings of Manhattan, being replaced by Rex Ryan and the Jets. But it's not as bad as it looks as the Giants were crushed by injuries last season and should be a much improved unit this season. A key to their season will be the performance of their defensive line.
3. Washington Redskins
There has been more off-season buzz about the Redskins than all the other teams combined and for good reason. Impatient owner Dan Snyder did a housecleaning of the front office and ended up with new GM Bruce Allen and new head coach Mike Shanahan. They followed that up by making the biggest splash in the off-season pool by trading for veteran Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. In the U.S. capital, visions of a Super Bowl appearances were dancing in their heads. McNabb, though, will be entering the season on the limp. With all the veterans Shanahan brought in, it's now or never.
4. Philadelphia Eagles
Someone has to finish last in what is easily the toughest division in the NFL and we're going with the Eagles. By moving McNabb it signalled a rebuilding year for the Eagles who have handed the reins of the offence to Kevin Kolb. Backing up Kolb will be the quickly fading Michael Vick. Defensively the Eagles will attack the quarterback relentlessly with a variety of blitzes. If they can't get to the quarterback, the Eagles are in trouble as the linebacking crew and secondary is vulnerable to the pass. This season is all about Kolb and his development. The payoff may not come for a year or two.
NFC west
1. San Francisco 49ers
In the worst division in the NFL somebody's got to finish first and thanks to Kurt Warner retiring from the Cardinals, the honour will fall to the 49ers. But San Francisco has a lot going for it as well beyond its scenic vistas, lounging sea lions on the docks and snazzy restaurants. Alex Smith is showing signs that he's a legitimate starting quarterback and they sport a terrific running back in Frank Gore. The passing game has got to succeed to lessen Gore's load. Defensively, they are like head coach Mike Singletary, as tough as they come. The 49ers need to start posting wins against quality opposition.
2. Arizona Cardinals
This one's easy -- no Kurt Warner, no Anquan Boldin, no playoffs. There is no chart yet established to properly show the gap between Warner and Derek Anderson, who looks like he inherited the No. 1 job after the petulant and unworthy Matt Leinart blew another shot to be the starting QB before being cut. With Warner and Co., the Cardinals were never out of any game and could strike from any spot on the field. Under Anderson they figure to be hard pressed to put up points and will leave the defence on the field for long stretches which leads to fourth quarter fade outs. The reign is over.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Welcome to USC north and the Pete Carroll show. The Seahawks were a disappointing 5-11 last season and could improve to a .500 season this year. Carroll, in his third stint in the NFL, likes to do things his way with his players so expected a big turnover in the roster. Matt Hasselbeck is adequate at best at quarterback while their running game should benefit from the addition of Leon Washington. Notre Dame's Golden Tate is expected to be a big play receiver. Carroll doesn't have to do much to get this team into contention given the lack of quality in the division.
4. St. Louis Rams
3-2-1, blast off. That's the number of wins the Rams have churned out in the past three seasons (2007-2009). So things can't get much worse for the Rams who selected Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford with the top pick in the draft. Bradford should bring some excitement back to the franchise which not so long ago was billed as the Greatest Show on Turf. They may not be the greatest this season but they will be improved. At running back they still have one of the best in Steven Jackson. Defensively, though, they've been porous and still need a lot of help on the defensive line.