The Pittsburgh Steelers Will Win the AFC and 5 More Bold NFL Predictions

One of the biggest offseason stories in the NFL was a second accusation of rape on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger was not found guilty in court but was definitely convicted in the court of public opinion. Roethlisberger will miss part of the season after a suspension and when he returns there may be no player in the NFL that gets more heat from the opposition. How will it affect the Steelers?

The Pittsburgh Steelers will win the AFC. You heard it here first. It's easy to see why the experts are down on the Steelers. Roethlisberger will miss part of the season, there was no running game last season and the defense was poor. In 2010 Troy Polamalu is back to being healthy and a lot of people don't realize he is as important to the defense as Roethlisberger is to the offense. Roethlisberger being gone for 4 to 6 games is nowhere close to Polamalu missing 11 games last season.

Since Roethlisberger was drafted by the Steelers they are 5 - 5 when a back up starts. That's not an impressive number but it certainly isn't bad either. Considering the first part of the season is the easiest stretch for the Steelers it is possible they have a winning record when Roethlisberger returns. The toughest game without Big Ben will be at home against Baltimore but the Steelers' back up, Dennis Dixon, filled in for Roethlisberger last year at Baltimore and the Steelers just barely fell short 17 - 20.

The running game should be more improved now that the Steelers won't waste rushes on Willie Parker and the 23 year old Rashard Mendenhall is only going to get better. The offensive line was a big problem for the Steelers last year but Pittsburgh went and drafted Maurkice Pouncey, a center that helped Tim Tebow become one of the best rushing quarterbacks in college football history. On top of all of that the Steelers suffered from the Super Bowl hangover last season and in 2010 they have something to prove again.

5 More Bold NFL Predictions

1. The Minnesota Vikings will not make the Playoffs
Bret Favre is coming back for one last hurrah but the season will end with disappointment once again. Look on the bright side Vikings fans, the last pass of Favre's career can't be an interception in a big playoff game if he doesn't make the playoffs. Favre is not going to match his single digit interceptions from last year, Sidney Rice is out with an injury and Percy Harvin is having problems with his head. The Packers are going to cruise to a division win. The NFC East is sure to snatch up one of the Wild Card slots, maybe two, while the NFC South's runner up to the Saints will also be in the mix.

2. The Dallas Cowboys are not a Super Bowl Contender
The 2010 Dallas Cowboys are one of those instances where the lines between football and fantasy football are blurred. Every member of the Cowboys offense is a good fantasy football choice. The Cowboys should run up the score in a number of games. A good fantasy football team is not the same as a good football team. Romo did finally win a playoff game but I'm not convinced of anything after beating an Eagles team that rolled over two weeks in a row to the Cowboys. After all, the Eagles quarterback, Donovan McNabb, has been to the Super Bowl once and to the Conference Championship four other times and still has a reputation for not being able to win the big one. Nobody should give Romo the benefit of the doubt after running his playoff record to 1 - 3 either.

3. Donovan McNabb/Redskins > Kevin Kolb/Eagles
The love for Kevin Kolb is one of the mysteries of 2010. Kolb has started just two games in his NFL career and has a 1 - 1 record. Kolb's win was impressive but it came against a 4 - 12 Kansas City Chiefs team that ranked 29th in points given up and 30th in yards given up. Kolb's other start the Eagles got decimated by the Saints. There is no evidence of a good quarterback and certainly no reason to think Kolb is better than Donovan McNabb. As mentioned earlier, the Eagles rolled over twice to the Cowboys, DeSeean Jackson is the most overrated receiver in the NFL and Brian Westbrook is gone. The Redskins will take a step forward and at season's end the Washington Redskins and Donovan McNabb will be better than Kevin Kolb and the Philadelphia Eagles. This will lead to...

4. Michael Vick will be the Eagles' starter by the end of 2010

5. Aaron Rodgers will be the MVP
To be the MVP a player needs to be the best player on one of the best teams. No one player will stick out for the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Jets. Joe Flacco isn't quite there yet. Brees will not duplicate 2009. Peyton Manning will do his thing again and Tom Brady and Wes Welker will get back on track but when the Packers dominate the NFC unlike any team in the AFC will be able to do the only choice for 2010 MVP will be Aaron Rodgers.