Jeff Fisher has finally come to a decision on which rebuilding process he wants to overtake:

He’s headed to the “Show Me State.”

The St. Louis Rams have named Fisher as head coach per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Fisher chose the Rams over the Miami Dolphins apparently due to the structure that St. Louis offered. One can only estimate what that means, although the Rams do have a potential franchise quarterback in Sam Bradford, a workhorse back in Steven Jackson, and the No. 2 overall pick in next April’s draft. At least from the outset, there appears to be more to work with for Fisher in St. Louis than in Miami.

The Rams are also expected to make Fisher one of the league’s highest-paid head coaches and he will reportedly have a say in who the team will hire as general manager.

Fisher had the NFL’s fifth highest winning percentage from 1998 to 2008, before falling out of favor in Tennessee. It was no secret that he and former No. 3 overall pick Vince Young didn’t have the best relationship, which put strain on the entire Titans organization. Now he has an opportunity to work with a young man in Bradford who had a ton of success in his rookie season but took a step backwards in his sophomore campaign. (Mostly due to injuries, a new offensive system and an overall lack of talent around him.)

This was exactly the type of hire that St. Louis fans were hoping for. Following back-to-back losing tenures of Scott Linehan and Steve Spagnuolo, respectively, Rams patrons were clamoring for a big name. Outside of maybe Jon Gruden, who reportedly wants to stay in TV for the time being, the team couldn’t have landed a bigger name in Fisher.

At least on the surface, this would appear to be a great fit. But Fisher has a lot of work to do in order to get the Rams to where the franchise was early last decade.

- December 25th – mark it down. That’s the day the Bears get their rematch with the Packers and it’s going to be a spectacle to watch. There might not be a team playing with more confidence right now than Chicago, which hasn’t lost since its ugly effort in Detroit on Monday Night Football back in early October. Jay Cutler didn’t light the stat sheet on fire today but he made big plays all day. And his lone mistake (an interception to Antoine Cason), wasn’t a mistake at all because Johnny Knox slipped on the play. Besides, the Bear defense picked off Philip Rivers in the end zone on the next possession, basically nullifying Cason’s interception. With guys like Cutler, Matt Forte and Devin Hester, as well as a physical, unrelenting defense, the Bears look playoff ready…

…whoops! Talk about timing. About a millisecond after writing that paragraph I saw a report that Jay Cutler’s season might be over due to a fractured right throwing thumb. If that’s the case, then the Bears could be finished. Caleb Hanie has had his moments, such as leading Chicago to a touchdown on his first series against Green Bay in the NFC Championship Game last year. But as B.J. Raji’s interception in that same game can attest to, Hanie is also very inexperienced. If Cutler is indeed out (he’ll undergo more tests on Monday), then his injury dramatically changes the Bears’ offense (and season, for that matter).

- The Falcons would be foolish not to keep Matt Ryan in the no-huddle from here on out. Atlanta ran its no-huddle almost exclusively today in its 23-17 victory over the Titans and Ryan had is second-highest QB rating of the season (110.9), threw for over 300 yards for only the fourth time all year, and didn’t throw an interception for only the third time in 10 games. While they did have issues inside the red zone (they settled for three field goals and Michael Turner coughed the ball up once to allow Tennessee to get back into the game), the Falcons only punted twice in the victory. Offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey has been hesitant to run the no-huddle on a full-time basis but it’s the offense that Ryan is clearly most comfortable running.

- Jake Locker showed why he was once considered a slam-dunk No. 1 overall draft pick. Matt Hasselbeck has done a fantastic job managing games for Tennessee this year but Locker sparked a punchless offense and nearly brought the Titans back from 20 points down in the second half. He only completed 9-of-19 passes but those nine completions went for 140 yards and two touchdowns. He also picked up a first down with an 11-yard rush on a third-and-long and showed good zip on most of his passes. Mike Munchak already backed Hasselbeck as the starter in his post-game press conference but with Matt Schaub now out for the year in Houston, it might be time for Tennessee to roll the dice with the kid. Locker was fun to watch today.

- I watched Chris Johnson very closely today and from my point of view, there’s nothing wrong with him. He just doesn’t have anywhere to run as Tennessee’s run blocking is abysmal. Atlanta’s run defense is very sound but Johnson was bottled up almost immediately after receiving the hand off.

- Blaine Gabbert threw for 210 yards and didn’t turn the ball over in the Jaguars’ 14-10 loss to the Browns. He also threw a perfectly placed ball that Jason Hill couldn’t haul in with three seconds remaining in the game that could have won it for Jacksonville. But Gabbert’s overthrow to a wide-open (and I mean WIDE-OPEN) Hill in the end zone with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter really cost Jacksonville a huge opportunity to tie the game at 14-14. Those are the types of plays that Gabbert hasn’t been making all season. Now, he’s only a rookie and deserves time to develop. But I firmly believe that Jacksonville screwed up by releasing David Garrard and forcing Gabbert onto the field before he was ready. The kid should be holding a clipboard right now.

- I’m sorry, I know a win is a win and they very well could wind up being tied for first in the NFC East before the night is over (the Giants are currently losing to the Eagles as I type). But that was not a very impressive win by the Cowboys today. The Redskins’ offense has been putrid for over a month and the Cowboys were one 52-yard field goal by Graham Gano away from losing. Jason Witten and Tony Romo made some great plays today and hey, divisional games are usually close. But count me among the people who keep waiting for the ‘Boys to put together that signature win and yet, it still hasn’t come. I picked the Cowboys to win the NFC East this year so I’m not surprised that they’re 6-4. It’s just not a very impressive 6-4 to me.

- Andy Dalton made some big mistakes today, which included throwing three interceptions and being flagged for intentional grounding on the Bengals’ final possession. But it’s clear that he and Cincinnati have a very bright future. This was a team that was without its best offensive playmaker (A.J. Green) and its top cornerback (Leon Hall) and still hung with the Ravens on their home field. On paper, Baltimore should have cruised to victory and it almost did. But thanks to Dalton and the Bengals’ perseverance, they had a chance to at least tie the game in the closing minutes. Assuming Dalton doesn’t go backwards from here, I see no reason why the Bengals won’t continue to challenge the Ravens and the Steelers in the AFC North.

- It was good to see Cam Cameron let it rip today. Sometimes the Ravens’ offense looks like a Ferrari but drives like a Pinto. Joe Flacco took a couple of deep shots, Ray Rice was heavily involved and Torrey Smith (6 receptions, 165 yards, 1 TD) had a breakout performance. Speaking of Smith, if he maintains his confidence week in and week out, he’s going to be a star in this league. That 49-yard catch that he hauled in today was a thing of beauty.

- If I’m a Lions fan I’m ecstatic that my team scored 49 points as Matthew Stafford threw for five touchdowns and Kevin Smith rushed for 140 yards and two scores. But I would be extremely concerned about the number of times they’ve had to stage a big comeback because they’ve dug themselves a huge hole in the first half. Three of the Lions’ seven wins this year (Dallas, Minnesota and Carolina) have come after they’ve fallen behind by 20 points or more and while it’s impressive that they’ve been able to persevere, it would be more impressive if they figured out a way to play four quarters more consistently. Because this is obviously a very dangerous team when they’re firing on all cylinders.

- Cam Newton is extremely fun to watch and he’s making a lot of pundits look very stupid for doubting him (and the Panthers for that matter) back in April. That said, he certainly helped his team lose today. Carolina’s defense turned in a brutal second-half effort against Detroit but Newton’s inaccuracy was a major issue as well. He often missed high to his receivers and wound up throwing four interceptions in the loss. Recklessness simply can’t be a part of his game.

- Kellen Winslow (9 receptions, 132 yards, 1 TD) had a monster game but he cost the Bucs’ twice in their 35-26 loss to the Packers. First he was flagged for an obvious pass interference call in the end zone on a third-and-3 from the Packers’ 4-yard-line, which led to a Tampa Bay field goal instead of a potential touchdown early in the third quarter. Then he dropped a pass on a two-point conversation attempt that would have tied the game at 21-21 early in the fourth. Granted, the Bucs’ defense couldn’t come up with that one big stop in the fourth but they were also trailing by nine points virtually that entire quarter because of Winslow’s mistakes. Still, Tampa certainly gave Green Bay all it could handle. There are no moral victories but the Bucs finally showed some punch on offense (including LeGarrette Blount’s unbelievable touchdown run).

- All of those weapons on offense and the Packers’ first two touchdowns today came on a 1-yard B.J. Raji run and a Tom Crabtree five-yard reception, respectively. As if opposing defenses don’t have enough to worry about when it comes to Green Bay, now they have to try and tackle 337 pounds of B.J. Raji and defend some guy named Tom Crabtree.

- Want to know the biggest reason why the previously 0-7 Dolphins have won three games in a row? Try the fact that they haven’t allowed a touchdown in 12 quarters now. Miami’s defense absolutely stifled the Bills today, allowing just 41 rushing yards in a 35-8 rout. They also stuffed Buffalo at the goal line early in the fourth quarter and intercepted Ryan Fitzpatrick twice. And who needs Andrew Luck? Matt Moore has thrown six touchdowns in his last three games.

- Somebody stick a fork in the Bills because they’re done. They made believers out of a lot of people earlier in the year but they’ve looked absolutely horrendous the last three weeks. Do you think the front office is regretting signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to that extension? He signed his new deal on October 28, beat the Redskins two days later and hasn’t won since.

- His play is indicative of a rookie quarterback but Christian Ponder is absolutely maddening to watch sometimes. One minute he’s using his athleticism to make a big throw downfield and the next he’s literally throwing the ball directly to a defender (see his interception to Stanford Routt in the fourth quarter today). He did extremely well to lead the Vikings from 20 points down against the Raiders without Adrian Peterson (who left the game early with an injury), but Ponder made some really bad decisions. Again, this is what you expect out of a rookie but he’s liable to make Leslie Frazier and Bill Musgrave insane.

- Some teams don’t have one capable starter at running back and Oakland has two. It must be nice when Darren McFadden goes down with an injury to have Michael Bush step in and take his place. Bush has lifted the Raiders into sole possession of first place in the AFC West the past two weeks. Of course, it also doesn’t hurt that the Chargers are absolutely imploding.

- Perhaps the most impressive thing about Jim Harbaugh is not the fact that he has gotten Alex Smith to play well or that the Niners’ defense is one of the best in the league. Albeit, those things are impressive but not nearly as impressive as the focus and discipline that he’s instilled in this San Francisco team. The Niners were a talented squad under Mike Singletary but the problem was that he was completely overmatched as a football tactician. And because he was so overmatched both on and off the field, his team began falling apart at the seams. But under Harbaugh, the Niners have played sound football, don’t beat themselves and not once have they been caught looking ahead. With a Thanksgiving Day matchup with his brother’s Ravens coming up in just four days, Harbaugh and the Niners could have easily overlooked Arizona today. Instead, they nearly shut the Cardinals out. Again, under Harbaugh they’ve been highly impressive.

- Considering how brutal their schedule was in the first half and the amount of injuries they’ve had to suffer through (particularly in the defensive backfield), it’s not surprising to see the Rams sitting with only two wins. That said, that’s a pitiful football team they have in St. Louis and if Billy Devaney doesn’t have a better offseason than the one he did this past year, the Rams will continue to lose. Devaney better find some gems in next year’s draft; I’m talking about finding a couple of guys that can make an impact right away or else both he and Steve Spagnuolo will be out of jobs very soon.

- I just can’t wrap my head around the play of Philip Rivers this year. This can’t be the same guy who almost single-handedly kept the Chargers in the playoff hunt last year without his top two playmakers. It just can’t. The interception he threw at the end of the game to Corey Graham was one of the worst throwaway attempts I’ve ever seen. And this came after Major Wright picked him off earlier in the quarter when San Diego’s defense put the Chargers in great field position with an interception of their own. Brutal. Philip Rivers has been brutal this year.

The St. Louis Rams announced that quarterback Sam Bradford suffered a high ankle sprain during Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers. The team’s statement on Twitter stated that Bradford “will be day to day this week but certainly limited in practice this week.”

Bradford’s 2011 season has been a nightmare as the Rams have gone 0-6. After 5 games he only has three TDs against 2 interceptions, and his completion percentage is down from 60% in 2010 to 52.8% this season. The Rams implemented a new offense after losing offensive coordinator Pat Shurmer and his West Coast offense, so Bradford has had to adjust to Josh McDaniels as his new coordinator. McDaniels has had his own problems after two tough years as the head coach in Denver.

A sophomore slump isn’t uncommon for NFL quarterbacks, so Rams fans shouldn’t panic, but Bradford needs to be on the field, and this injury may slow him down for a while.

Eagles (1-0) @ Falcons (0-1), 8:20PM ET
Outside of Chargers-Patriots or maybe Bears-Saints, there isn’t a juicer matchup on the schedule this week. The Falcons should be embarrassed by the way they performed last week in Chicago but they have zero time to wallow in self pity because Michael Vick and the Eagles come storming into the Georgia Dome this weekend. Andy Reid has had major ownage on the Falcons over the years, as Philly is 9-2-1 against the spread in its last 12 games against Atlanta, which includes a 4-1-1 ATS mark on the road. With defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux set to miss over a month with a knee injury, the Falcons’ defense is in major trouble. An 0-2 start for the defending NFC South champions is a big-time reality.
THE ODDS: EAGLES –1.5

Chargers (1-0) @ Patriots (1-0), 4:15PM ET
Two teams picked by many to win their respective divisions will square off in New England on Sunday when the Pats host the Chargers at 4:15PM ET. These two teams met in San Diego last October and despite dominating the first half, the Bolts fell to the Pats, 23-20. The underdog is 6-2 against the spread in the last eight meetings between these two teams, while the under is 4-1 in the last five meetings. That said, the over is 4-1 in the last five meetings in New England and after watching Tom Brady dissect the Dolphins on Monday night, it’s hard to envision a low-scoring game this Sunday at Foxboro.
THE ODDS: PATRIOTS –7

Bears (1-0) @ Saints (0-1), 1:00PM ET
It’s a little early for anyone to be playing the disrespect card but if there were one team who could justify it, it would be the Chicago Bears. I couldn’t find one prognosticator who picked them to repeat as NFC North champions, which is understandable given that they play in the same division as the Super Bowl-winning Packers. But some people even had the Bears finishing below the Lions in the North. (Not that Detroit is bad, but the Bears essentially have the same roster as last year and some expect them to crash this season.) All Chicago did in Week 1 was dominate the Falcons in all facets of the game and yet, Da Bears find themselves as 6.5-point road dogs against the Saints. If they can beat New Orleans in the Superdome this Sunday, the Bears will certainly have everyone’s attention in the NFC. Chicago is 2-0-2 against the spread in its last four games against the Saints, while the underdog is 5-2-2 ATS in the last nine overall meetings between these two teams. That said, the home team is 3-0-2 ATS in the last five meetings.
THE ODDS: SAINTS –6.5

Rams (0-1) @ Giants (0-1), 8:30PM ET
The Giants will look to get back on track this Monday when they host a banged-up Rams team. Steven Jackson has been ruled out for St. Louis but quarterback Sam Bradford plans to play. The favorite is 5-2 against the spread in the last seven meetings between these two teams, while the Rams are 0-5 against the number in their last five games against the Giants. Many analysts picked the Rams to win the NFC West but they have a brutal first-half schedule and after hosting the Eagles last week, they’ll hit the road on Monday to face another tough NFC East opponent.
THE ODDS: GIANTS –5.5

Check out Bullz-Eye.com for a complete list of NFL Week 2 odds.

The Rams make an easy choice for NFC West champions this year, don’t they? They’re like the Almond Joy in a candy bowl that’s also hosting Tootsie Rolls, Spice Drops, and those black and orange-wrapped pieces of awfulness that people hand out at Halloween.

Coconut? Yeah, I can deal with coconut.

But while most media members are predicting the Rams to win their division this year, I actually envision them taking a step back. In fact, I think 8-8 would be quite an accomplishment for a team that is definitely on the rise but has some major hurdles to overcome to make the postseason.

Have you checked out the Rams’ schedule this year? It’s freaking brutal. They open up at home against everyone’s chic pick the Eagles before heading to New York to play the Giants in Week 2. They come back to St. Louis for two home games and while one of those contests is a Week 4 matchup with the Redskins, the other is a Week 3 tilt against the Ravens.

After they come back from their BYE in Week 5, the Rams travel to Green Bay and Dallas before hosting the Saints in Week 8. So in six of their first seven games they play the entire NFC East, the defending Super Bowl champions, and the team that won it all in 2009 and might be poised to do it again in 2011.

Thanks, schedule makers!

Another problem, of course, is the dreaded sophomore jinx for Sam Bradford. In all honesty, I think it’s foolish to believe that all young players are destined for failure in their second seasons, as if life always warns us when we’re about to fall on hard times. But while the jinx itself is a rather juvenile way of looking at the situation, there is something to a quarterback struggling in his second year. The playbook expands, responsibility grows, and now defensive coordinators have 16 or so games to dissect your weaknesses. It’s not a jinx – it’s maturation.

Bradford had an impressive rookie campaign and I do believe he’ll only get better. But I’m willing to bet he’ll suffer through different kinds of hurdles than he did as a rookie, especially seeing as how he must learn a new offensive system under Josh McDaniels and as expectations continue to rise. (Keep in mind that this is a team that many people believe is a playoff contender, circumstances like a weak division be damned.)

There are plenty of reasons why some observers have fallen in love with the Rams. The spotlight is on Bradford, but this team has also built an impressive-looking defensive line and acquired one of the most productive safeties in the NFL this offseason in Quintin Mikell. The Rams vastly upgraded the right guard position with the signing of free agent Harvey Dahl (who replaces the highly ineffective Adam Goldberg), and gave Bradford another weapon in Mike Sims-Walker.

But the schedule stinks, Bradford will suffer more growing pains in his second year and it’ll be interesting to see how long Steven Jackson continues to rumble on as the Rams wear him down to the treads. Outside linebacker, depth in the secondary, and uncertainty at the wide receiver position are three other causes for concern heading into the season.

So who will win the West? My guess would be the Cardinals, although I don’t write that with much conviction. I just have a hunch it won’t be Bradford and the Rams.

Pre-season predictions are rather silly, aren’t they? I mean really, we haven’t seen any of these teams play and yet we’re all ready to predict who will appear in the Super Bowl. Ridiculous. Just ridiculous, I say.

But damn it they’re fun. You can’t deny that. If we as fans don’t partake in a little pre-season shenanigans then I ask you, what are we doing with our lives?

My regular season and Super Bowl predictions won’t be released until next week, but here’s a little something to whet your appetite in the meantime.

Ten Predictions for the 2011 NFL Season:

1. The Eagles won’t win the Super Bowl.
I’m not a big believer in Michael Vick. I used to be. I used to believe that he could walk on water and was going to lead the Falcons to not one, but about 16 Super Bowls when he was in Atlanta. Then I realized the guy was completely fine with not putting in the work to raise his game to the next level. I realize he was complacent and was fine with being an extraordinary athlete but not a championship-caliber quarterback. I don’t know Michael Vick personally so maybe I have him all wrong. And maybe he really has grown as a player and a person in Philadelphia. Hey, Andy Reid is 10-times the coach Jim Mora was, so maybe all Vick needed was better guidance. That said, I don’t think Vick will win a Super Bowl this season with the Eagles. He’s never done well when the expectations were high and if you want proof of that, look at his 2005 and 2006 seasons in Atlanta. (Pundits were more than willing to hitch their wagon to Vick back then, just as they are now.) There were no expectations for him at the start of last season because it was Kevin Kolb’s team. But now it’s his team and I don’t think he’ll see the Eagles through to the end. This prediction may look foolish for most of the regular season, but let’s see what happens come January and February.

2. The Texans will finally reach the playoffs.
As I wrote last week, I think it’s the Texans’ year. The Colts have a cloud of doubt hanging over their heads because of the uncertainly surrounding Peyton Manning’s neck, so now is Houston’s chance to seize the AFC South. I love the hiring of Wade Phillips, who always seems to turn teams around in his first year, and the signing of former Bengals corner Jonathan Joseph. Assuming Phillips does fix the defense and Arian Foster’s hamstring injury isn’t something that will linger all season, the Texans have more than enough firepower to finally make their first postseason appearance in franchise history.

3. The Lions will finish 8-8.
Some people won’t think this is a bold prediction but a .500 season would be proof of just how far the Lions have come since the Matt Millen era (which don’t forget included an 0-16 season). Matthew Stafford’s ability to stay healthy is obviously key. If he stays on the field for all 16 games the Lions will give most teams trouble this season, especially at home. Their defensive line might be the best in football and GM Martin Mayhew did a nice job upgrading the linebacker corps in the offseason. Can the Lions contend for a playoff spot this season? Sure, why not. But I think an 8-8 record would still be the mark of a successful season, especially given the troubles this team has had over the past decade.

4. The Steelers won’t repeat in the AFC.
The Patriots look like they’ve fixed their pass rush, the Texans have gone a long way to improving their defense with the additions of Wade Phillips and Jonathan Joseph, the Chargers will have Vincent Jackson and a healthy Antonio Gates back this season, and the Ravens acquired a deep threat in Lee Evans (assuming he can stay healthy). The Steelers, meanwhile, still have question marks along the offensive line and at cornerback, and are another year older at key positions. Don’t get it twisted: This is a playoff team. But do I think that the Steelers will make a repeat appearance in the Super Bowl? Let me just say this: Staying at the top is often harder than getting there.

5. The Saints will rise again in the South.
Nobody seems to be talking about the Saints this season, which is a scary thought given how much firepower they have on offense and given the strengths of their defense. The Saints found out the hard way last season that it’s hard to repeat. But I see Drew Brees rebounding and the addition of rookie Mark Ingram should provide the return of Sean Payton’s balance on offense (something that was lost in 2010). On the other side of the ball, the Saints are now deep along the defensive line and in their secondary thanks to the moves they’ve made the past two offseasons, although outside linebacker remains a question mark. Meanwhile, the Falcons are solid and just recently have started to add some major depth to their defense with the signings of James Sanders and Kelvin Hayden. But they’ve got a tough first-half schedule (Bears, Eagles, Bucs, Packers, Colts, Saints) and I think they’re going to have to grind more this season than in 2010.

6. Colt McCoy will make big strides in the West Coast.
I’ve made it no secret that I think Colt McCoy is a perfect fit for the West Coast Offense and while I don’t think we’ll be seeing the Browns in the playoffs this year, they should be more competitive. Defensively I have my concerns, but I really like what Mike Holmgren has done on the offensive side of the ball. He seemingly has found his WCO quarterback in McCoy, his WCO coach in Pat Shurmur, his WCO running back in Patrick Hillis, and his WCO receiver in Greg Little. (I also like the underrated Ben Watson at tight end.) Obviously the Browns will suffer plenty of bumps in the road, but they’re going to be better than people think this season.

7. The Packers will reach the NFC Championship Game again.
I’ll stop short of predicting the Pack to win it all again, only because I know how difficult it is for teams to repeat (especially in the NFC for whatever reason). But has everyone forgotten that this team won the Super Bowl last season? It seems like nobody is talking about the Packers and they once again have one of the best and deepest rosters in football. Aaron Rodgers is a stud, the defense should once again be solid, and they’re getting players like Jermichael Finley and Ryan Grant back from injury. There’s an argument to be made that Green Bay is better now than it was heading into the Super Bowl (on paper, that is). Nobody should fall asleep on the Packers this season, especially not with how explosive Rodgers and the offense is.

8. The Cowboys will make the playoffs.
It’s funny, at this time last year everyone outside of opposing fans in the NFC East thought the Cowboys were a shoe-in to win their division, if not the Super Bowl. Now nobody is talking about “America’s Team,” even though a healthy Tomo Romo will be back under center and Jason Garrett’s offense showed life after Wade Phillips was fired. The Cowboys have plenty of offensive firepower in Romo, Jason Witten, Austin Miles, Dez Bryant and Felix Jones. Now it’s up to the defense (particularly the secondary) to step up and play significantly better than it did a year ago. I think it will, and I think the Cowboys will head back to the postseason this year.

9. The Rams won’t win the NFC West.
The Rams are the perfect team to win the West because the division is brutal and Sam Bradford ushers in new hope. (They’re also 3-0 in preseason, if that means anything to anyone.) But have you seen the Rams’ first-half schedule? Holy smokes: home versus the Eagles, at the Giants, home versus the Ravens and Redskins, at Green Bay and Dallas and then home versus the Saints. There’s a possibility the Rams may not win more than two games in the first eight weeks of the season. I like the Rams, I really do. But something tells me Bradford will suffer a little in his second year (Matt Ryan certainly did and most players do), and either the Cardinals or Niners will win the division.

10. Julio Jones will win Rookie of the Year.
I know, I know – I’m going out on a limb with this prediction. But honestly, I took my time looking at this year’s candidates for ROY and there’s just no one with more upside at this point than Jones. I almost went with Mark Ingram because I truly believe he’s going to have a big impact on the Saints’ offense this season, but will he receive enough carries in order to put up big numbers? I doubt it. Jones, on the other hand, should receive plenty of opportunities to shine in Atlanta. The Falcons are moving away from their ball-control ways and with teams having to pay attention to Roddy White, Michael Turner and Tony Gonzalez, Jones should see plenty of one-on-one coverage from defenses (which in turn allows him to make more plays). The best part about Jones is that so far he looks the part. He looks like a rookie that is ready to make an impact in his first season and given the talent around him, he shouldn’t have loads of pressure on his shoulders in his first year.

The top guys we chose on offense and defense should run away with these awards, but stranger things have happened.

Offensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Sam Bradford, St. Louis Rams—Almost led the Rams to a playoff berth, but either way had a great rookie year—3512 yards, 18 TDs, with 15 picks.

2. Aaron Hernandez/Rob Gronkowski, New England Patriots—Along with their QB, these two guys are probably the biggest reason the Patriots are 14-2. Check out these combined numbers – 87 catches, 1109 yards, 16 touchdowns. For two rookies!

3. Mike Williams, Tampa Bay Bucs—Finished with 11 touchdowns and was a big reason the Bucs became relevant again this season.

4. Colt McCoy, Cleveland Browns—Can someone explain to me how this guy fell to the second half of the third round of last April’s draft?

5. Christopher Ivory, New Orleans Saints—In just 12 games, had 716 yards and 5 scores

Defensive rookie of the year power rankings

1. Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions—Led all DTs with 10 sacks, but more importantly, earned the respect of everyone and had O-coordinators having to game plan against him.

2. Devin McCourty, New England Patriots—Finished with 7 picks and 82 total tackles.

3. Eric Berry, Kansas City Chiefs—With Cassel, Charles and Bowe, the Chiefs now have a game-changer on defense too.

4. Joe Haden, Cleveland Browns—65 tackles and 6 picks on a team that is going to be really good in a year or two.

5. Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants—Everyone wondered what the Giants would do with another defensive end, but this kid exceeded everyone’s expectations.