Sports Column: Making wholesale predictions

Thursday, September 6, 2007

I don't claim to be a clairvoyant -- a fortune-teller.

But it's time to gaze into my crystal ball and fortell the National Football League future.

The season starts tonight, when the defending Super Bowl champion Indianapolis Colts host the New Orleans Saints in Indianapolis. Kickoff is set for 7:30, and the game will be aired on NBC.

I'll deal with not predicting the Colts to repeat as Super Bowl champs later, so I'll just stick to picking divisional champs, for now. Call me the pigskin procrastinator, if you will.

But I can envision the Colts winning the AFC South Division. And, as usual, quarterback Peyton Manning and wide receiver Marvin Harrison will have big seasons.

The Colts' biggest challenge in that division will come from the Tennesse Titans and do-everything quarterback Vince Young, but the Titans will simply come up short because of a lack of playmakers.

In the AFC East, the New England Patriots, with quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss, figured to run away with the divisional title before Richard Seymour was shelved with an injury and hit-you-in-the-mouth, saftey-blitzing Rodney Harrison was suspended for the first four games after violating the league's drug policy.

The Pats are still the hands-down better than their mediocre counterparts -- Buffalo, Miami and the New York Jets.

In the defense-dominated AFC North, the high-powered Cincinnati Bengals, featuring quarterback Carson Palmer and wide receiver Chad Johnson, will have the upper hand over division foes Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland.

As for the toughest division, the AFC West, extradordinary all-purpose running back LaDainian Tomlinson, quarterback Phillip Rivers and sack-happy linebacker Shawne Merriman will lead the San Diego Chargers to the divisional crown, edging an improving Denver Broncos team.

The Broncos improved themselves during the preseason, signing the likes of defensive tackle Dan Williams, who last played for the Kansas City Chiefs, along with Tampa Bay Buccaneers castaway Simeon Rice, a defensive end.

The Chiefs bettered themselves since the start of the preseason, settling on Damon Huard, who had 11 touchdown passes and just one interception last year, at quarterback over Brodie Croyle, whose confidence was obviously shaken after his sub-par preseason effort to unseat Huard.

I've heard whisperings of a 3-13 season or a 4-12 mark for the Chiefs.

No, they're not going to be as bad as those marks. I'll say they will finish 8-8 or maybe 9-7, which would barely slip them into the playoffs once again.

In the NFC, expect Dallas' Terrell Owens to have a breakthrough year, returning to some of the form that put him into elite receiver categories earlier in his career with the San Francisco 49ers and the Philadelphia Eagles.

With Wade Phillips on board, Owens finally escapes the wrath of Bill Parcells, as well as Andy Reid from the City of Brotherly Love.

The Saints will win the NFC South; Chicago will edge Green Bay in the NFC North; and Seattle and Shaun Alexander will run roughshod in the NFC West, edging the Cardinals and emerging quarterback Matt Leinart.

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