2009 NFL Team Previews
by Predictem.com Staff
Welcome to the Predictem.com NFL team previews page which offers a team by team look ahead to what’s in store for the 2009-2010 NFL football season.
These team previews are broken down by last year’s team record (including against the spread records), name of coach, super bowl odds, where and when the team trains during the preseason, player transactions, a look at the teams offense and defense (including special teams), the teams schedule and projections on how we think they’ll do this season.
We’ll post them as our writing staff completes them and hope to hammer out all the NFL teams time permitting! Enjoy!
San Francisco 49ers Team Preview – We expect RB Frank Gore to bounce back after an injury riddled season but will EITHER of SF’s two QB’s bring enough to the table to win some games? The jury is still out on that one. Neither Hill nor Alex Smith has looked that great. To be determined!
Arizona Cardinals Team Preview – Can the Cards avenge their Super Bowl loss? Will Kurt Warner faulter opening the door for Matt Leinart? Hightower and Beanie Wells give this team a great backfield.
2009 Washington Redskins Team Preview – The Redskins were a dismal 8-8 last season but should be much improved this year. The signing of Albert Haynesworth was a huge move for them as he’s one of the most dominant defensive players in the game. The big question is QB play. Can Jason Campbell grasp the west coast offense? Will Clinton Portis hold up?
2009 New Orleans Saints Team Preview – Expect bigger things from the Saints this year. They made a slight improvement on defense during the offseason but still won’t crack the top 20 in team defense. As you probably already know, the offense is a finely tuned machine and will be one of the leaders come seasons end. Look for Pierre Thomas to have a huge year running the ball.
2009 Carolina Panthers Team Preview – The Panthers should be a decent team this year. Look to bet on the OVER earlly in the season as we feel their defense isn’t going to stop many of the good offenses in the league. Rumors are that J. Stewart is a bit banged up too, so look for D. Williams to get a ton of carries this season and for him to be one of the best RB’s state-wise.
2009 Cleveland Browns Team Preview – So many question marks here. Will Brady Quinn be able to hold down the QB job? Which Braylon Edwards will show up this year? The one whose hands are like fly paper or the ball-bobbling goofball we saw last year? Jamaal Lewis is getting older, is he still effective at tailback?
2009 Kansas City Chiefs Team Preview – A handful of new faces may just be what the Dr. ordered here. New coach Todd Haley inherits one of the worst teams in the NFL but before you go on trashing them, they have indeed given themselves a facelift that may just get them back in the win column. They’ve upgraded at QB with Cassell and they add TOUGH Mike Vrabel to their defense.
2009 Denver Broncos Team Preview – Head Coach McDaniel made his presence felt immediately by shipping Jay Cutler to the Bears. Can he bring in a better defensive scheme than Mike Shanahan had? Will Knowshon Moreno run wild like he did at Georgia? Can Kyle Orton lead his team? Not much is expected from the Broncos this year but don’t count them out, they’re not as bad as advertised.
2009 Dallas Cowboys Team Preview – T.O. is gone! Don’t sweat that though as QB Tony Romo still has plenty of weapons including: Roy Williams, Jason Witten, Austin Miles and a much underrated Patrick Crayton. At 15-1 to win the Super Bowl, the Cowboys present some value.
2009 Philadelphia Eagles Team Preview – Can an aging Donovan McNabb lead the Eagles to the promise land? Will rookie Jeremy Maclin step up and make big plays? They look TOUGH this year.
2009 Cincinnati Bengals Team Preview – A healthy Carson Palmer makes a huge difference here. Look for them to be a great team to bet on as they will likely get no respect from bettors in the beginning of the 2009 NFL season. Remember… Good teams win, bad teams cover!
2009 Jacksonville Jaguars Team Preview – This is one of the most dangerous 5-11 teams in NFL history. Look for the Jags to make a huge comeback this year and to compete for a playoff spot.
2009 New York Giants Team Preview – Will Eli Manning still put up big numbers after “getting paid”? Will this team rebound to match their efforts that got them to Super Bowl 42? We don’t think so!
2009 Houston Texans Team Preview – Many are picking this team to go as far as the Super Bowl. They’re solid on the sides of the ball. Now it’s just a matter of keeping healthy. Lead by Matt Schaub on offense and Mario Williams on defense, look for this team to cover spreads early on until they get the respect from the oddsmakers that they deserve.
2009 Atlanta Falcons Team Preview – Can Matt Ryan follow up a superb Freshman campaign with a solid showing? Will the duo of Michael “The Burner” Turner and Jerious Norwood continue to run wild? We think so!
2009 Chicago Bears Team Preview – Will Jay Cutler make a difference? Can Orlando Pace protect him from grueling NFC defenses? Has Hester lost his blazing kick return abilities?
2009 Baltimore Ravens Team Preview – Last years 12-4 ATS record was no fluke. This is a GOOD team that may have even gotten better during the offseason. The team welcomes Pro Bowl C Matt Birk who will be a HUGE addition. Joe Flacco is better than his stats advertise. Call us crazy, but this team may end up in the Super Bowl if they stay healthy.
2009 New York Jets Team Preview – How will the team fair now that Brett Favre is gone? Will the addition of Bart Scott bolster the defense? Who will lead this team, Mark Sanchez or Kellen Clemens?
2009 Miami Dolphins Team Preview – The team welcomes back Jason Taylor but does he have anything left in the tank? The “wildcat” should provide for some exciting plays this year and the running game should be one of the best in the league. Will Ricky Williams get caught with doobies again?
2009 Tennessee Titans Team Preview – Will this be the year Vince Young proves his worth as an NFL QB? Will Chris Johnson run wild?
2009 San Diego Chargers Team Preview – How can one mention the San Diego Chargers without wondering what will come of LaDainian Tomlinson this year? Is he washed up? Will his nagging injury be healed and will he regain his old form where he tore up defenses for 100+ yards and multiple touchdowns?
2009 Indianapolis Colts Team Preview – How will Peyton Manning fare in his first season without his trusty receiver Marvin Harrison? Tony Dungy is no longer the head coach. It looks like a questionable year for the Colts.
2009 Seattle Seahawks Team Preview – Mike Holmgren has been replaced by Jim Mora Jr. Many think it was time for Holmgren to go and that the team is now headed in the right direction under new tutelage. Matt Hasselbeck returns healthy and has a new target in T.J. Houshmandzadeh which should lead to more passing touchdowns this season.
2009 Pittsburgh Steelers Team Preview – Will Big Ben be able to shake sexual misconduct allegations? If so, expect the Steelers to return as one of the league’s best teams and most difficult to beat whether they’re at home or on the road.
2009 Minnesota Vikings Team Preview – At time of print, Brett Favre still hasn’t made up his mind on if he’s going to play this season or not. If he doesn’t can career backup Sage Rosenfels lead the Purple Pride to the promise land? Many are picking this team to win Super Bowl XLIV.
2009 New England Patriots Team Preview – There’s no QB controversy here! Tom Brady healed up and the team promptly shipped Matt Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. Look for this team to be hungry and regain it’s from from a couple years ago.
2009 Oakland Raiders Team Preview – God only knows how this team will do this season. Probably crappy though. Why you ask? Because they’re owned by a guy named Al Davis.
2009 Green Bay Packers Team Preview – This may be the most underrated team in all of football. Injuries and fluke endings caused a 6-10 record during the 2008 season but did you know that the Pack lost a whopping 7 by 4 points or less? They could have very easily gone 13-3 instead of 6-10 without injury and other unforeseen issues. Look for them to be solid this season.
