2011 NFL PredictionsAFC East: Jets
AFC North: Steelers
AFC South: Texans
AFC West: Chargers
AFC Wild Cards: Ravens and Patriots
AFC Championship Game: Jets over Texans
NFC East: Eagles
NFC North: Packers
NFC South: Saints
NFC West: Rams
NFC Wild Cards: Lions and Falcons
NFC Championship Game: Packers over Saints
Super Bowl: Jets over Packers
As for the Cowboys, here are my thoughts going into this season...
The Good* The total restructure of the offensive line will definitely help Felix Jones and the Cowboys running game. As long as they can stay healthy (Tyron Smith's injury already blew this), I think their ability to pull and allow Felix's speed to make plays will help him get to 1000 yards.
* Dez should have a big year (health permitting). Now that Roy is gone and he is sharing primary WR duties with Miles, he should get ALOT more opportunities down field to make plays. I think he will end up with more yardage and TD's than Miles but Miles will still be the go to guy on 3rd down.
* The crazy blitzing still of Rob Ryan should help both Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer improve their sack totals. Ware didn't really need much help in this department but I think this crazy Madden blitz still will benefit him most.
* From what I saw from Demarco Murray in the preseason, I think he will not only be able to help in passing downs but also should get some chances as a KR, which should be a major upgrade from AOA (Akwasi Owusu-Ansah). He showed he has alot of top speed and seems to hit the hole pretty hard. I would still have preferred a guard in his draft spot but at least he shouldn't be a total waste of a pick.
* I think our TE depth is really nice going into the season and John Phillips should be able to wrangle the 2nd TE spot away from Marty B. If and when he does, I expect him to contribute 20-30 catches from the 2 TE set, to go along with Witten's 50-60 catches this season. This should be a position of strength and a nice security blanket for Romo.
The Bad* As the youth movement in the O-line will help the running game, I think it will also hurt pass protection. Starting 2 rookies and a practice squader from last year is a big adjustment and I fully expect for them to make mistakes in blitz pickups. Also, since 2 of the rookies have not had a full training camp and off-season workout program, I think they may be pushed around by the bigger defensive lines. Romo will be need to have a quick trigger to avoid being in the top 5 in sack totals.
* Our secondary was one of the worst in Cowboys history last year and I don't see adding Abram Elam being much of a fix all. With Ryan utilizing so many blitzes, I think the corners will be left on an island more times than we will care to see. Add to this that Newman and Jenkins have an injury and our backups being sub-par (except maybe Scandrick but I don't think he was worth his huge contract extension), I think opposing QB's will have alot of big games against us.
* From what I saw last year and this preseason, Ryan's pressure defense seems to leave running lanes open and they really seemed to struggle with stopping straight away rushes. I'm hoping this was because Brooking/Spears were out and Ryan was trying new things but it is reminding me alot of last year's porous defense.
* Our kicking game appears to be a disaster, with Buhler (score one for the 2009 draft) not able to win the job outright and relegated to kick off duties. From watching Bailey in the preseason, I was not all that impressed and would feel better if we had kept Shayne Graham. Maybe Bailey will end up being solid on FG's but it is hard for me to believe any legitimate NFL kicker cannot consistently not get touchbacks with the new rules. Having to keep both of them seems like a waste of a roster spot, too bad we couldn't have used one of our many failed draft picks on a kicker we could rely on for the past 3 years.
My prediction: Cowboys will go 7-9 but play better as the season progresses and the O-line forms some chemistry/experience. This season seems like a rebuilding year while they wait on their dead cap money to alleviate itself in the next 2 years. A decent draft pick and maybe a quality FA over next off-season should make the Cowboys a decent contender for the NFC East next year but not this one.
