subject: Nfl Tickets - A Few Bold Predictions For The 2010 Season [print this page] With the start of the NFL season right around the corner, teams are quickly making their last-second preparations for another highly anticipated season. Though there are a few teams that seemed to have separated themselves from the pack, the 2010 NFL season promises to be once again filled with unpredictability and unknown players ascending to stardom out of nowhere. Here are a few predictions worth considering as we inch closer to the start of the regular season.
1. Randy Moss will be the most productive receiver in the league.
For fantasy football purposes, Andre Johnson is the consensus number one pick at wide receiver. With 100 catches and 1,500 yards in each of his last two seasons, Johnson certainly is a good choice to once again be the most productive wideout in the league, but my money is on Randy Moss.
While Moss has scored double-digit touchdowns in each of his three seasons in New England, Johnson has yet to record 10 scores in his seven seasons in the NFL. Last year, Moss had 1,264 yards and 13 touchdowns even though quarterback Tom Brady was largely feeling his way back into the league after a bad knee injury sidelined him in 2008. With Brady gaining strength as he moves further away from the injury, the Patriots are sure to sling the ball all over the field, particularly considering that their defense seems to have regressed from the level it used to be at. In a contract season, Moss has extra motivation to be at the top of his game and his upside is nothing short of enormous.
2. The Houston Texans will make the playoffs.
Ok, so the Texans haven't made the playoffs yet in their franchise's history, but that shouldn't stop them from making it happen in 2010. In 2009, the Texans finally had their first winning season and have one of the best passing attacks in a pass-first league. On defense, the Texans could struggle in their secondary but also have playmakers at all three levels, including a legitimate pass-rusher in Mario Williams.
But it's really all about the offense for the Texans. If Matt Schaub can stay healthy, he could emerge in the discussion of the top five quarterbacks in the league and last year he guided the number one passing offense in the entire NFL. Andre Johnson is an absolute stud and Jacoby Jones looks to be pushing Kevin Walter for the number two receiver position, which makes for a very dangerous receiving corps. Tight end Owen Daniels has also looked fairly good following his major knee surgery and running back Arian Foster could be one of the best kept secrets in the league. If Foster can step in as a legitimate ground threat, the Texans may actually challenge the Colts for the division instead of sliding into the postseason as a wildcard.
3. Matthew Stafford will turn some heads in 2010.
On a 2009 team that lacked much of an offensive line and had few playmakers outside of Calvin Johnson, Stafford showed some signs of being a good signal caller and definitely gained some favor as a legitimate leader. Though his numbers were far from spectacular, Stafford was also asked to throw the ball a ton, which is usually a recipe for disaster in a rookie year. After all, even Peyton Manning threw 28 picks his rookie season.
This year, the Lions seem to have addressed their offensive needs fairly well. In Jahvid Best, Stafford should have a decent option in the backfield, both for running and catching the ball, and Nate Burleson fits nicely as a solid number two receiver opposite Johnson. Stafford will be asked to once again throw the football a lot and he already made the Lions much more interesting in 2009 than they would have been without him. Though Mark Sanchez is the young quarterback that most people are paying attention to, 2010 could be the season that Stafford shows why the Lions took him first overall in the 2009 draft.
4. The Cowboys will win the Super Bowl.
The Cowboys are more than just a popular team that sells lots of NFL tickets. This season, it seems they have all the pieces to make a legitimate run at a title. Tony Romo has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league over the past few seasons and now the Cowboys have so much offensive talent they almost don't know what to do with it all. To win in the NFL you have to be able to throw the ball and Romo can spread the ball out to a plethora of good options, including Miles Austin, Jason Witten, Roy E. Williams and Dez Bryant.
Many are also sleeping on their ability to run the football. Though he's technically the second-string running back, Felix Jones is the type of explosive back who can take every ball to the house and Marion Barber is still a very bruising back who gives them a nice change of pace. The Cowboys were ranked sixth in passing and seventh in rushing last season, giving them the type of balance that may get even better in 2010. With elite pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware leading an underrated defense, the Cowboys are going to be very difficult to take down this season and are no longer a dark horse to win the Super Bowl.
