Predictions to tide us over until camps open
July 6, 2007
A few predictions to ponder while waiting, ever so patiently, for training camps to open
Randy Moss will be amazing this season.
I don't buy the notion that he's a clubhouse cancer and will bring down the Patriots. Unless he's mired in a mess (see: Raiders, Oakland, 2005-06), Moss is a beast. Yes, he takes plays off and blocks lackadaisically at times, but you can't argue with his production when the team is winning. And New England is a winner. Moss will be playing catch with the best quarterback of his life on a team coached by a man known for both his X's and O's and his ability to get the most out of supposed problem children (Corey Dillon, Rodney Harrison). He'll be seeking his first Super Bowl ring and looking to prove everybody wrong. He's motivated, and he's in a great situation. Watch out.
The Chargers will not be the top-seeded team in the AFC playoffs.
San Diego is the most talented, balanced team in the league. Norv Turner is a smart coach who will manage the team well. But it's hard to win 13 or 14 games in consecutive seasons. I expect something to go wrong -- a key injury here, a bad bounce there, a bad call, whatever -- and keep the Chargers in the 11-12 win range. New England or Baltimore, maybe both, will win more. AFC West rival Denver might, too. But that doesn't mean the Chargers won't come out on top in the playoffs. In fact, I think they will.
Frank Gore will emerge as the league's second-best running back.
LT is No. 1. After that, most folks are thinking it's Larry Johnson and Steven Jackson, not necessarily in that order. They're both outstanding, but Gore is a man on a mission. He has been training like a madman to improve on a season in which he finished fourth in the NFL with 2,180 yards from scrimmage. Alex Smith will be an improved quarterback in his third season. TE Vernon Davis will be better in his second. Veteran WR Darrell Jackson should help. The entire 49er offense is making vast strides, and Gore will be its star. A big-time star.
Eli Manning will continue to struggle.
Tom Coughlin may have plenty of offensive smarts, but he just isn't getting the job done with Manning. And I certainly don't see Manning blossoming under new Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride, formerly his QB coach. Maybe Manning isn't the real deal. But I don't think we'll know that until we see what another set of coaches can do with him.
The Lions' offense will be fun to watch.
I'm not as high on Detroit as Jon Kitna is -- that must be some Kool-Aid they're serving in the Lions' lunchroom -- but I can't wait to see what Mike Martz will do with Calvin Johnson, Roy Williams, Kevin Jones, Tatum Bell and a line that will be better than you think. If you like high-scoring football games, watch the Lions.
Marshawn Lynch will be the league's best offensive rookie.
This running back has both talent and opportunity. The Bills will give him plenty of touches, and he has the speed and power to make the most of them. The Bills won't miss Willis McGahee at all. Calvin Johnson will have a very good first year in Detroit, but running backs typically have an easier transition to the NFL than wide receivers. Minnesota's Adrian Peterson is another strong possibility, but Chester Taylor will steal enough carries to keep Peterson's numbers from rivaling Lynch's. I like Bears TE Greg Olsen, too, but it's hard to pick a receiver who will be dependent on throws from Rex Grossman. So, Lynch it is.
