Finally, we have games that count, which means finally we get serious about predictions. I'm not talking about who's going to the Super Bowl. I'm talking about who's going to make Brett Favre sit down, who could keep the New York Jets from an on-time departure and who makes the NFL revise its policy in Dallas.
Anyway, it's time to walk the plank. Here are 10 bold and sometimes risky predictions for the season ahead:
Brett Favre's ironman streak ends
The indestructible quarterback has a string of 269 straight starts, and that is astounding. It's also a streak that will end. Favre turns 40 this season and 40-year-old quarterbacks have trouble getting out of the way of 25-year-old pass rushers. Now, put Favre on a fast indoor track, and you have an accident waiting to happen. With Baltimore, the New York Giants and Pittsburgh on the schedule I don't see how he sails through another season without bowing out.
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| The Super Bowl loser curse could be too strong for Ken Whisenhunt and Arizona. (Getty Images) |
OK, OK, so they look like the best team in the division. So did New England last year. And the Chicago Bears the year before that. The record of Super Bowl losers is abysmal, and I don't know how the Cards escape. Only one of the last eight Super Bowl losers returned to the playoffs, and that was Seattle. Heck, only two had winning records. Ken Whisenhunt hasn't had a losing record as a head coach, and that always puts you in the race in the NFC West. But it won't be enough to buck an eight-year trend.
LaDainian Tomlinson leads the AFC in rushing
So he's 30. Curtis Martin was 31 when he led the AFC in rushing. L.T. is determined to prove a lot of people, including the Chargers, wrong for second-guessing him. Remember, he had to take a pay cut this year. That almost caused him to bolt. He thinks he's the best back in the game, and he plans to demonstrate it. As long as he stays away from nagging injuries, I'm on his side.
Mike Shanahan becomes next head coach of the Redskins
It happens sooner or later, but it happens. Where there's smoke there's fire, and there's an awful lot of smoke these days. In fact, a source I trust told me the Redskins were prepared to hire Shanahan last spring if they swung the deal for Jay Cutler. Shanahan will return to the NFL no later than next season and, if the Redskins' offense doesn't get a pulse, it will be here. Until he took on Jim Zorn, owner Daniel Snyder was all about paying megabucks for high-profile head coaches. Mike Shanahan qualifies.
A Michael Vick-Donovan McNabb fissure develops
I was at Vick's first game, and what I remembered most was not Vick saying how he plans to do everything he can to make the Eagles a playoff team but how he plans to be a starting quarterback again. Hmmmm. Well, he won't be one here, not as long as McNabb is around, and that puts him on a collision course with the 11-year pro. I know, it's a lovefest right now, but tell me there won't be calls for Vick to step in if McNabb and the Eagles hit a bump in the road, as they did last November.
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| If Matt Schaub stays healthy, expect a Texans playoff appearance. (Getty Images) |
This is a big deal? Well, yes, when you haven't had a winning season in franchise history it is. The best the Texans have done is 8-8, and they've been there the past two seasons. It's time to take the next step, just as Arizona did a year ago, and now that they have a reliable running back I say they do it. My biggest concern: Another injury to quarterback Matt Schaub. I'm not a Dan Orlovsky believer. But Indianapolis and/or Tennessee takes a step down, opening the door for Houston.
Tony Romo pulls another el foldo in December
The poor guy is as useful in December and January as mittens in Miami. Not only does he lose then, he loses twice as many as he wins. That won't change this season. Look at the schedule, then start collecting resumes for the Cowboys' next head coach. Three of the last five games are away, and there isn't an opponent with a losing record in there. Say goodnight, Tony.
Shane Lechler and Mike Scifres make the NFL revise its stance on the Cowboys' video board
You know what's coming as surely as I, which is that Shane Lechler and Mike Scifres use Jerry Jones' multi-million-dollar screen as a backboard, forcing the NFL to make owner Jerry Jones raise it after the season. Look, we have a Super Bowl going in there in February 2011, and there's no way the league risks having a punt hit the roof. If Super Bowl XLV were next week I guarantee the policy changes. Instead, the NFL is hoping for a minimum of disruptions this season, but with Lechler and Scifres on the schedule there is no way.
The Jets win no more than one of their first five starts
There are a couple of things that make this a sticky issue. First, there's the schedule. It's tough early; the Jets' first five opponents were 51-29 last year. None had a losing season. Two were division champs. One is New England. Only two are home. Ouch. Second, the Jets start a rookie quarterback ... and not just any rookie but a guy with one year of starter's experience in college. Mark Sanchez looks as if he could be a good one, but he's green and needs time. He won't get it the first five games. Now, more than ever, the Jets need to lean on their defense, Thomas Jones and Leon Washington.
Chris Henry produces more touchdowns than Ochocinco
The problem with Chris Henry has always been that he's better on the field than he is off of it. Now, however, he seems to have taken to life off the police blotter, and the Bengals -- as well as Henry -- should reap the rewards. Henry is a legit deep threat who knows how to find the end zone. He not only scored in every preseason game, he led the league in touchdowns this summer with four. OK, so those games don't count. It's a preview of what's to come, and that's a wake-up call for Chad O. He'll have to work to stay up with his partner.
Prisco's Picks | Expert Picks: Week 1 | SI: Crystal ball | 
Judge: Predictions | Three sure things
