Tony Romo poised to win playoff game
. which occasionally deserts me. As it did when I divined that the hiring of former Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo as Saints defensive coordinator would boost New Orleans' defense into the league's top 10. I even went so far as to project that Spagnuolo's arrival would help the Saints more than Sean Payton's suspension caused absence would hurt, a laughable notion in the span of time, given that New Orleans' defense gave up an NFL record 7,042 yards last season and Spagnuolo was summarily fired.
2. Of the many quarterbacks facing prove it seasons in the NFL Chicago's Jay Cutler, Minnesota's Christian Ponder, Tampa Bay's Josh Freeman and Jacksonville's Blaine Gabbert among them it will be Freeman who most resoundingly answers the challenge and secures his long term future with the Bucs. I'm not quite forecasting a playoff season in Tampa Bay, but the Bucs will be in the NFC hunt until the very end, and Freeman will deliver consistent production en route to the franchise's first winning season since 2010, earning himself a contract extension.
4. The Eagles' Chip Kelly, with his fast break football on display in Philadelphia, will be the most exciting and talked about new coach among the eight offseason hires in the headset fraternity. But it will be "Big Red,'' now wearing red in Kansas City, who gets the last laugh. Former Eagles coach Andy Reid was the only guy to jump from one full time gig in the NFL coaching ranks to another this offseason, and he'll show that experience really does count for something, leading the talented and vastly improved Chiefs from 2 14 to an AFC wild card berth.
5. Proving that money can't buy you a deep game, Miami won't find receiver Mike Wallace to be the perfect match with the arm of second year quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Wallace will help the Dolphins but he won't be an elite difference maker for them, and his first year of work in South Florida will look a lot like Brandon Marshall's first season with the Fish, in 2010, which Cheap Jerseys produced 86 receptions for 1,014 yards, with just three touchdowns, an 11.8 yard average catch and a long gain of 46 yards.
7. Realize I'm considerably out of the mainstream on this one, but by the end of the season, the Bears and quarterback Jay Cutler will both be ready to move on from each other, deciding a five year relationship is long enough. With new Bears head coach Marc Trestman energizing his game, Cutler will have some dazzling moments in 2013. But doesn't he always? In the final analysis, Cutler will play a lot like Cutler plays, with some great, some bad and some ugly. And Chicago will once again be in Wholesale NFL Jerseys that 8 8 neighborhood.
8. Rob Ryan won't perform any miracles with his new 3 4 defense in New Orleans, but with Drew Brees and the firepower of the Saints' offense, he doesn't have to. A legit middle of the pack showing by the Saints' defense will lead to three more wins in New Orleans, and a return to the NFC playoff field after the debacle of last year's bounty saga. With a vastly improved secondary that draws on the energy and aggressiveness of fly around rookie strong safety Kenny Vaccaro, and the well honed coverage skills of veteran free agent cornerback Keenan Lewis, the Saints' defense has its attitude back.
14. Although everyone from Emmitt Smith to Eric Dickerson hyperventilated about its change the game of football impact when it was passed at the NFL's annual meeting this spring, not five times this year will the new crown of the helmet rule prompt any real controversy or consternation. Running backs can still lower their head near the line of scrimmage to get those tough yards. It's only in the open field where they won't be allowed to use their headgear like a weapon. Excuse the bad pun, but it's a no brainer of a rule in the age of player safety concerns.
16. Jacksonville won't be a factor in a deep AFC South race, and anything north of five wins will register as over achievement for the rebuilding Jaguars. But with new head coach Gus Bradley teaching his team to trust his glass half full approach, and new general manager Dave Caldwell bringing a clear eyed talent evaluation to the team's personnel department, Jacksonville has a chance to be pesky this season. If nothing else, with an offense that will have some variety and versatility for a change, the Jaguars will field their most interesting and intriguing team since they last went to the playoffs in 2007.
17. At the six week mark of the season, the Cleveland Browns will be one of the surprises of 2013, winning two thirds of their games and holding a share of first place in the AFC North. Alas, the good times won't last the whole season, but the Browns won't be flukes either. The defense is still considerably ahead of the offense in Cleveland, but that's OK; that approach has worked before in this division. The Browns offseason spending spree will offer real help, but the acquisition of offensive coordinator Norv Turner will prove the best move of all.
18. Not just any NFL franchise was in the position to add pariah like former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to their staff after his year long suspension from the game, but the Titans and head coach Mike Munchak will wind up very thankful that they were willing (or desperate enough) to make that hire. Williams will bring his signature intensity and blitz centric attacking approach to a Tennessee defense that gave up an NFL high 29.4 points per game last year, and his presence as a senior assistant to defensive coordinator Jerry Gray will instill some much needed edge and identity to a Titans team that lacked both.
19. Sorry, no embarrassment of rookie quarterback riches this season. But then we all knew that. Manuel will heal up and make the Bills look smart for making him the only first round QB of 2013. He'll lack the polish and wow factor of Griffin, Luck and Wilson, but he'll give Buffalo it's most consistent threat at the game's preeminent position since early in the Drew Bledsoe era. As for the Jets' Geno Smith, all of my instincts say that Gang Green should hold on tight for repeated bouts of turbulence. It's the wrong team at the wrong time for Smith.
20. It's not the loss of Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Paul Kruger, Dannell Ellerbe and Cary Williams on defense that will be a season long storyline for defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore. Instead it's a question of how quickly can the Ravens' offense figure out a new identity for itself with receiver Anquan Boldin and tight end Dennis Pitta no longer available due to a March trade and a late July injury. The bottom line is that what's old is new again in Baltimore: This is a defensive led team that may have to carry the offense for significant stretches of the season.