It’s time for the 91st NFL season to begin, but it wouldn’t be a real NFL season without some really bad predictions from me. I’m the one who picked the Browns to make the Super Bowl in 1995 (they had fans throwing dog bones at them by the end of the year, as they tucked their tails between their legs and slinked off to Baltimore), told you to take Danny Wuerffel as your fantasy quarterback in 2002 (he lasted all of 92 passes), and, well, the last time I picked the Super Bowl winner was, I think, when Lombardi prowled the Tundra.
But we all have bosses, and mine have asked for my 10 predictions for this NFL season. I’ll start with my reiteration of a pick most of you seem to think quite daft:
1. I think the Steelers are going to win the Super Bowl, and I expect Dennis Dixon to hand Ben Roethlisberger, at worst, a 2-2 team when he returns from suspension. The locker room likes Dixon and thinks he should have had more of a chance to beat out Byron Leftwich this summer before Leftwich’s knee injury handed Dixon the job. He’ll be a handful for Atlanta, Tennessee (away), Tampa Bay (away) and Baltimore to prepare for.
2. I think Carolina’s my surprise team of the year and will play in January … because I love that running game and like Matt Moore to morph into a top 15 quarterback.
3. I think the pass-rusher who emerges this year, thanks to a little help from his friends, will be Anthony Spencer of Dallas. Great potential, great defense for an outside linebacker.
Full story: Peter King’s predictions for the 2010 NFL season – Peter King – SI.com