It happens every season; we make predictions based on analysis and precedence of the teams we think will be successful during the upcoming season. Like any other sport, we expect the New York Yankees to do well and the Los Angeles Lakers to win, and the majority of the time these teams live up to the hype. But what about the teams that break our hearts, the teams we expect to do well, are given exorbitant amounts of praise and ultimately those teams we consider as “sure bets”. However, when the time comes to win games these teams always find ways to fumble the ball and fail to live up to expectations. Here are five teams that are wearing facades this upcoming season and whose true colors will show once the season plays out.
Tennessee Titans – Maybe it’s because they have the best running back in the league in Chris Johnson or perhaps it is the belief that Vince Young is going to turn into an elite quarterback in the NFL that make fans believe the Titans are a strong enough team to win 10 or 11 games. Although Young is back in his starting spot as quarterback, he has yet to show that he can be productive enough on the offensive end. The Titans don’t need a rushing quarterback; they have the best running back in the league. Young and the Titans cannot be successful throwing only 10 touchdowns a season. Being in the AFC South won’t help their case as the Indianapolis Colts are primed to win the division yet again and the Houston Texans look to be getting better every season. Don’t forget the fact that the Titans gave up more yards in the air than almost every other team in the league last season. The Titans better pray that Johnson doesn’t get injured and that Young’s off-the-field issues don’t affect him this year.
San Diego Chargers – Now before you question me on this one listen to what I have to say. Yes, the Chargers will win the division and earn a playoff berth and yes, Philip Rivers will be a Pro Bowl quarterback in 2010. However, what consistently happens to Norv Turner and the Chargers every season is that they put up big numbers and win games during the regular season only to fail miserably come playoff time. The issue for the Chargers this season that was not a factor in past years is the running back position. If Ryan Mathews is unable to make an impact and Darren Sproles can’t carry the weight, life is going to become much more difficult for Rivers and the Chargers offense. Don’t get your hopes up about the Chargers.
New York Jets – The hype surrounding the Jets this season is overwhelming to a point that you would think they had just won the Super Bowl – or perhaps it’s because cornerback Darelle Revis keeps making headlines for a holdout in his contract negotiations. Either way, whatever hype you have heard about the Jets, don’t believe it. They snuck into the playoffs last season at 9-7 and chances are that quarterback Mark Sanchez will be a victim of the sophomore jinx. He had a good rookie season but not a great one and didn’t put up explosive numbers only throwing for 12 touchdowns to 20 interceptions. With Thomas Jones out and Shonn Greene and an aging LaDainian Tomlinson in, the running back position is not looking as strong as the 2009 campaign. The Jets offseason acquisitions included a number of players in Jason Taylor and Laveranues Coles who are getting older and losing a step, as well as Santonio Holmes who will miss the first four games of the season due to suspension. Antonio Cromartie will have trouble handling the opposite side of the field of Revis (if Revis plays) and is a liability at the cornerback position after having only 33 tackles and three interceptions in 2009. The Jets will be on the bubble come playoff time, whether or not they get in is up to Sanchez and whether he protects the ball makes the right decisions.
Pittsburgh Steelers – The Steelers won the Super Bowl two years ago and were unable to make the playoffs last season posting a 9-7 record. The first four games will be a big test for the Steelers as Ben Roethlisberger is serving a suspension for his off-field incident. The defensive line for the Steelers will be solid assuming they can stay healthy. With Santonio Holmes gone to New York and Hines Ward getting older every year, a lot of pressure will be on second year wide receiver Mike Wallace. If he struggles or gets injured, Roethlisberger will have a hard time finding Ward in double coverage. The Steelers struggled last season against their division rivals posting a 2-4 record. With a game against the Baltimore Ravens during Ben absence, a meeting with the Cleveland Browns in Roethlisberger’s first game back and two games against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers have their work cut out for them.
New England Patriots – Don’t let the Patriots fool you: they are not the same team that built a dynasty from 2001-2007. There are many question marks for the Patriots coming into this season. Wes Welker is still making his way back from a knee injury, Randy Moss is slowly losing that explosive first step as he ages and the running game is still an area that needs improvement. Kevin Faulk is more of an all around back and is used often in passing situations rather than a true running back. Laurence Maroney hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards since he became a Patriot and Fred Taylor’s body is aging and is not the Fred Taylor of old when he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Patriots also had problems winning on the road and in order to be successful you cannot win two of eight games on opponents’ turf. With a schedule that includes games on the road against the New York Jets, San Diego Chargers, Pittsburgh Steelers the Patriots may be showing signs of slowing down.