Count on It

3 Bold predictions for this year:

1. Larry Johnson is done. Sure he may say that he feels better than he's felt in 2 years, and he's dropped 10 pounds from his playing weight of 235, down supposedly to 222-225, but the combination of his age, wear and tear, and an offensive unit in disarray will be too much for him to overcome to once again become a dominant force. After two full seasons ('05 and '06) and 750+ carries, Johnson has not eclipsed the 200 carrie mark in 2 injury marred seasons ('07 and '08). Even with newly acquired Matt Cassel finally bringing some legitimacy to the threat of a passing attack, I just don't think he has the tread left on his tires to be the force he once was. The Chiefs best option would be to use him the way the Carolina Panthers used Deshaun Foster over the last few years of his career. Make him a 10-15 carrie guy. Get him in the game near the goal line where he can use his size. Johnson seems to think he can still do 20-25 a game, I just don't see it happening. Prediction: 200 carries - 800 yards - 5 TD's

2. The Falcons are legit. Matty Ice, Michael Turner, and Roddy White are no joke. This is an offence that is going to be dangerous for years to come. They used the draft to address defensive needs at DT (Peria Jerry), and safety (William Moore). And had arguably the biggest off-season acquisition in trading a second round pick for Tony Gonzalez. Make no mistake, they are the class of the NFC South and are bona fide NFC Championship Contenders. Prediction: regular season - 13-3, playoffs - at least a trip to the NFC Championship.

3. Mario Williams will be Defensive Player of the Year. You heard it hear first. 14 sacks in 2007, 12 sacks 2008. Surrounded by a fast, physical, young defensive group (particularly along the defensive line), Williams has become the force that many wondered if he could be during his first year with the Texans. At this point, it's safe to say that Houston made the right selection with its first overall selection in 2005, the only question now is just how great he can become.