DALLAS COWBOYS

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the ‘Boys  - aka America’s Team – would actually host the Super Bowl in their own stadium on February 6? Don’t count on it, but expect them to finish atop the division and make some noise in the playoffs. The loss of OL Flozell Adams will be felt greatly but the addition of WR Dez Bryant may soften the blow. For QB Tony Romo, it’s put up or shut up time, and the same goes for HC Wade Phillips.

PREDICTION: 10-6 (11-5 in 2009)

NEW YORK GIANTS

Coasting at 5-0 a year ago, the G-Men appeared to be on their way to a dominating season before the wheels came off. Now HC Tom Coughlin must pick up the pieces and that will not be an easy task. Their once impregnable defense is going through a transition period and they still lack a set of receivers that put a scare into anyone. Their backfield? If RB Brandon Jacobs can stay healthy, it will be formidable, but he hasn’t been able to do that in the past. QB Eli Manning needs to be nearly perfect for Big Blue to make the playoffs, and he is far from that.

PREDICTION: 9-7 (8-8 in 2009)

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

HC Mike Shanahan needs to put his stamp on this team right away and straighten out the situation concerning overweight and non-conditioned DT Albert Haynesworth. The overpaid former All-Pro has been a distraction since he came to town and the only way this team will succeed is if he gets his ass in shape or is shipped away. New QB Donovan McNabb is a vast improvement and will look to avenge when the ‘Skins play the Eagles twice.

PREDICTION: 8-8 (4-12 in 2009)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

Even the hard-to-please fans in Philly have to realize that this is a rebuilding year. QB Kevin Kolb gets the nod and will have his hands full. Expect Michael Vick to get more playing time than last year and he may be the difference between third and last place if he can find some of that magic he used to have in Atlanta.

PREDICTION: 6-10 (11-5 in 2009)

Photo by William J. Hauser

Once the Jets finished their offseason shopping spree by bringing in Brett Favre, team owner Woody Johnson my have had visions of grandeur and foolishly thought that he was getting the quarterback of old, not just an old quarterback.

Even when the Jets were 8-3, they were winning in spite of Favre, not because of him. Their five-game winning streak was the one part of the season where Favre was not forcing the long throw and was having success underneath. Why they went away from that and started having the 39-year-old put the game on his shoulders is also a question that needs to be answered.

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Not even waiting 24 hours to digest what happened, Johnson canned Mangini the morning after the 24-17 loss to Miami that completed the Jets’ December collapse. “I appreciate everything Eric Mangini has done for this organization over the past three seasons,” Johnson said in a statement the team released on Monday. “He is a bright, young football mind and I wish him success in the future.

“In our judgement, we made the decision we believe is in the best interest of the organization. We will begin the search for the next head coach of the Jets immediately.”

And that man will no doubt definitely NOT be Bill Cowher or Mike Holmgren. Neither will be on any sideline next fall, especially not one as shaky as the Jets’.

This is an organization that is in a transition period, one that may go smooth or take a long time to fix. The quarterback position is one that holds the most questions. Both Johnson and general manager Mike Tannenbaum stated that they would like Favre to return. A man turning 40 who led the league in interceptions (22) with possible shoulder issues is not a formula for winning. That was proven in the past five weeks, when the Jets were lucky to win even one of those games.

The remaining QBs on the roster are either unproven youngsters (Brett Ratliff, Erik AInge) or one that has proven himself unworthy of starting (Kellen Clemens).

Whatever direction the Jets go, the quick hook given to Mangini shows that Johnson expected big things out of this team, especially because of Favre’s presence. Unfortunately, the Jets were about five years too late.