DB's Corner

     So, the time is here for the NFL Season to get underway. 

I'm sure the question on everyone's mind, or one at least, is

what will this season bring?  Of course there will be the usual

ups and downs that come along with an NFL season, but here

are a few observations and predictions that I have concerning this

upcoming NFL season.

First the SUPER BOWL prediction: 

I think this one is a no-brainer, but many disagree with me on this.  The

St. Louis Rams will repeat as Super Bowl champs.  Kurt Warner is the best quarterback in the league and although it doesn't count on the field, he gets extra points for the way he acts off the field.  He is a class individual and he seems to have the big guy upstairs on his side after putting in his fair share of hard work to make it to this point in his life and career.  Yes, the Rams seem to have a bit of divine intervention working for them.  Also, having Marshall Faulk on their team certainly doesn't hurt either.

The Best Records in the AFC and NFC:

Of the two conferences, I think determining the team in the AFC to end up with the best record is a much more difficult task than deciding upon the team in the NFC that will end up with the best record.  The NFC team with the best record will be the Washington Redskins.  What's that you say?  "Hey Dennis, you picked the Rams above as Super Bowl champs, why will the Skins have the best record?"  When you look at the Skins, it is hard to deny the talent they have on their team.  Their defense will be much improved over last year and should keep them in games they were getting spanked in last year.  Also, there is no denying the fact that the Skins will have one of the best offenses in the league this year.   Put those two factors together, a good defense and a great offense, and what do you get?  That's right, many wins in the win column.  However, the Rams will overcome them in the NFC Title game and that will be the end of the Skins for years to come since many of their veterans will leave the team after this season.

The AFC opponent for the Rams in the Super Bowl will be the Indianapolis Colts.  They are all starting to gel at the same time and there is too much talent on this team for this team not to be in the running.  Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, Marshall Faulk, and a decent defense will mean many wins for this team as well as an AFC Title.  In the AFC Title game, they will handily defeat the Oakland Raiders by a score of 28-10.  Why that score?  Because the Raiders defense, which will carry them to near glory this year and a 10-6 season record, will eventually give way in the latter stages of the AFC Championship game.  Add in the fact that the Raiders will perform many 3 and outs during the game and you can conclude as well that their defense cannot spend all day on the field.  The Colts, by the way, will have a 12-4 season record and will suffer losses to the Bills (twice), the Patriots (once),  and one surprise upset at Lambeau Field at the hands of the Green Bay Packers.  Those losses aside, the Colts will still post a better season record than the Titans, Jaguars, or any other AFC team.  However, one injury to the Colts star trio and it will probably be enough to send them back into the depths of 8-8 records and having fans say "Well, they almost made the playoffs this year."  Yep, that's how important keeping that trio healthy will be to the Colts this year.

The Surpise Team for the 2000 Season:

While there could be a handful of breakout teams this year, the team with a strong likelihood to make the transition will be the Chicago Bears.  True, I hate the Bears and would like to see them rot at the bottom of the NFC Central ( a weak division anyway), but I cannot deny that they will be the team to make life hard for not only the Packers and Lions and Tampa (don't expect too much from Tampa).  The Bears, with a stellar year from Marcus Robinson and a much anticipated breakout season from Curtis Enis, will finally see what it means to Windy City fans when they have a football team that actually wins games.  Their chances improve even more when they decide after the 4th game to put Jim Miller back at the helm and he picks up where he left off last year.

The Commish