Jim Lang

Jim Lang is co-host of Brady and Lang in the morning on Sportsnet Radio the FAN 590 and a columnist for sportsnet.ca.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are looking to repeat as NFL champions.

The key questions facing all 32 NFL teams heading into the NFL season.

Are the Philadelphia Eagles the Dream Team of the NFL in 2011?

So much has been made about the Eagles off-season acquisitions. There's no question the Eagles secondary was greatly improved by the additions of corners Nnamdi Asomugha and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie but that doesn't necessarily mean the Eagles are a Dream Team yet. This is the same Eagles team that gave up 49 sacks last year, plus, Andy Reid still has lingering issues with time management. The combination of Michael Vick and DeSean Jackson gives the Eagles an explosive offence. Make no mistake, the Eagles are a good team, but it is too early to call them a "Dream Team".

Can Tony Romo lead the Dallas Cowboys to the promised land?

Forget about Tony Romo's marriage to Candace Crawford, the most important marriage in Dallas-Ft. Worth this year is between Romo and head coach Jason Garrett. Romo is a very talented quarterback and he's put up some impressive regular-season numbers in his time but the big problem for Romo is the fact he's only won one playoff game in his career. Fair or not, unless Romo can enjoy the same kind of playoff success as Troy Aikman or Roger Staubach, he will be viewed as a failure in Dallas.

Are the New York Giants the most dangerous team in the NFC?

Tom Coughlin should have really been born in another era. The Giants head coach is distinctly old school and makes no bones of his love for a punishing running game and a feared defensive line. Defensive end Osi Umenyiora is unhappy with his contract and had his knee scoped during the pre-season. Despite all of this, the Giants still have an outstanding front four that that racked up 46 sacks and knocked out a laundry list of quarterbacks last year. Teams that can run the ball and get after the quarterback like the Giants will make life miserable for opposing teams. Having said all that, if Eli Manning doesn't cut down on last year's league-leading 25 interceptions, the Giants will once again be on the bubble to make the playoffs.

When will Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan stop playing Wheel of Quarterbacks in D.C.?

Diehard Redskins fans don't ask for very much. All they want is an owner who minds his own business, a coach who doesn't hire his son to be his offensive coordinator and a quarterback that can hold down the starting job for more than one year. Shanahan has indicated to reporters on the Redskins beat that he might not make up his mind on who gets the start Week 1 until just before game day. That means "Sexy Rexy" Grossman and John Beck will continue to be viewed as "starting quarterbacks" until Shanahan makes up his mind. So until Shanahan finds the Redskins version of "John Elway", the Wheel of Quarterbacks will continue.

Can the Green Bay Packers repeat as Super Bowl champions?

The Packers certainly have the talent to pull it off, especially at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers goes into the 2011 season as the owner of the coveted "Championship Belt". Two of the Packers better offensive players, tight end Jermichael Finley and running back Ryan Grant, are back after missing the playoff run last year with season-ending injuries. In the pre-season the Packers unveiled a no-huddle offence. Led by Clay Matthews, the Packers still have a bad-ass defence. So the answer is yes, the Packers are more than capable of repeating as Super Bowl champions. That doesn't mean it will happen but all the pieces are in place for Rodgers and the Packers to take another run at the title.

Can Jay Cutler survive another season behind the Chicago Bears porous offensive line?

As much as the fans and media in Chicago like to pound on Cutler, it should be noted that the Bears offensive line gave up a league-worst 56 sacks in 2010. I don't know of many quarterbacks who can survive that kind of beating. Everything else about the Bears screams contending team, stout defence with an above-average running game but the Achilles heel in Chicago is the pass protection. With their first three games against the Falcons, Saints and Packers respectively, Bears coach Lovie Smith will find out in a real hurry what his offensive line is made of.

Can Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford stay healthy for an entire 16-game season?

There is a lot to like about the Lions in 2011, especially their defensive line but if the Lions are going to be at least a .500 team, Stafford has to play an entire season. To help keep him healthy, Schwartz will put Stafford into the shotgun on passing downs. This will give Stafford a better view of Calvin Johnson and give him a better chance of spotting the oncoming pass rush. While Schwartz worries daily about the health of Stafford, he has no such worries with his fantastic defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh.

Is Donovan McNabb the answer for the Minnesota Vikings?

McNabb has led a bit of a vagabond life the last few seasons; from Philadelphia, to Washington and now on to Minnesota. No matter what most Vikings fans think of McNabb, he's a welcome relief to the daily soap opera that surrounded Brett Favre last year. McNabb has something in Minnesota that he's never had before in his NFL career, the league's best running back. In what some considered an off year, Adrian Peterson still ran for 1,298 yards and 12 touchdowns. The problem for McNabb and the Vikings is that they play in the same division as the Packers and the Bears. McNabb might not be the answer, but he's a good stopgap until Christian Ponder is ready to run the offence.

Can the New Orleans Saints recapture their magic of 2009?

It would have been impossible for any team to repeat what the Saints experienced in 2009. Instead of coming off of a Super Bowl win, Drew Brees and he Saints are coming off of an embarrassing playoff loss to the Seahawks. The Saints won't need to rely on extra motivation or emotionally uplifting speeches to get ready for this season. The source of the Saints magic can be found in the right arm of Drew Brees. With Reggie Bush in Miami, the Saints brought in former Charger Darren Sproles to add a spark to their offence. If the Saints are going to relive the glory of the 2009 season, their defence, especially against the run, will have to be just as productive.

Was the price the Atlanta Falcons paid for Julio Jones worth it?

Falcons G.M. Thomas Dimitroff paid a king's ransom in draft picks (five in total) to the Browns so they could move up and take Jones out of Alabama. That move was done for one simple reason: The Green Bay Packers. Dimitroff and the Falcons were still reeling from their playoff loss to the Packers and felt they needed to be more explosive on offence to compete with them. The Falcons believe that Jones, who ran a 4.39 in the 40 with a broken bone in his foot, is exactly the kind of player they need to compliment Matt Ryan and the rest of the offence. There's a very good chance the Falcons and Packers will meet again in the post-season. If Atlanta wins that game, then Dimitroff will come off looking like a genius for trading up to take Jones.

Is Cam Newton the franchise quarterback the Carolina Panthers have been looking for?

To be honest with you, it is way too early to tell. If there was anyone that needed a full round of OTA's and mini-camps in the off-season, it was Newton. That didn't happen and that means the rookie quarterback will have to learn the nuances of reading an NFL defence. It certainly seems like rookie head coach Ron Rivera is willing to endure the growing pains that will come with allowing a rookie like Cam Newton to run his offence. Newton is bound to endure some steep growing pains this year.

Can the Tampa Bay Buccaneers keep winning in a very tough NFC South?

The Bucs are a team on the rise. Coach Raheem Morris has a team stocked with young talent including a very large quarterback in Josh Freeman to lead the Bucs offence. Tampa Bay G.M. Mark Dominik was a man on a mission at the draft when he selected defensive ends Adrian Clayborn and Da'Quan Bowers in the first and the second rounds. The Bucs will be a tough foe for any team that faces them but that doesn't necessarily translate into more wins. The combination of a tough schedule and improvements by both the Falcons and the Saints will prevent the Bucs from winning more games than they had last year.

Can St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford avoid the sophomore jinx?

The NFC West is wide open and ripe for the taking this year. Whether or not the Rams are able to win this weak division will depend on their young quarterback. Coach Steve Spagnuolo has laid the foundation for a solid football team in St. Louis. Bradford might not be worth the $50 million dollars in guaranteed money he received as a rookie, but he has all the making of a solid franchise quarterback. The problem for Bradford is the lack of a game-breaking wide receiver to work with.

Is Kevin Kolb worthy of the high price and big money the Arizona Cardinals paid to get him?

Last season was an unmitigated disaster in the Valley of the Sun. The retirement of Kurt Warner left a huge hole in the Cards offence. The Cards went from 12th in passing offence under Warner in 2009, to 31st in 2010. That's why Ken Whisenhunt felt comfortable trading away cornerback Dominique Rogers-Cromartie and then quickly gave Kolb a multi-year contract with at least $20 million in guaranteed money. That is a lot of faith for a guy who has only played 20 games since 2007 and has 11 career touchdown passes. What Kolb does have is a big-league arm. When you have a receiver like Larry Fitzgerald, you better have a quarterback who can get him the ball deep down the field.

Can the Seattle Seahawks stay atop a very competitive NFC West?

I highly doubt a 7-9 record will be good enough to win the NFC West in 2011. Pete Carroll has a new starting quarterabck in Tavaris Jackson with holdover Charlie Whitehurst eagerly waiting in the wings. Carroll has tried to beef up his offensive line and still has a physical running back in Marshawn Lynch. I loved the Seahawks additions of receiver Sidney Rice and tight end Zach Miller in the off-season. If Jackson doesn't turn the ball over and keeps getting the ball in the hands of his playmakers on offence, your darn right the Seahawks can win the NFC West again.

Can Jim Harbaugh turn the San Francisco 49ers into winners?

Jim Harbaugh will attempt to do what Mike Singletary was incapable of -- make the 49ers a winning team again. Harbaugh compiled an impressive resume while coaching at Stanford. Now that he's in the NFL, he has just everything a coach could want, except a top-notch quarterback. Harbaugh has the look of a coach that can return the 49ers to their past glory, just not this year. 49ers fans who were weaned on the exploits of Joe Montana and Steve Young can only shake their head waiting to see if Alex Smith will ever turn into a star quarterback. Give Harbaugh a better quarterback to work with and he could make the 49ers great again.

Can the New England Patriots find a way to win their first playoff game since 2008?

Call it the curse of Eli Manning if you would like but the fact remains, the Patriots haven't won a playoff game since beating the Chargers in the AFC Championship game way back in January, 2008. In 2010, the Patriots had an amazing 14-2 record, only to get beat by Bart Scott and the Jets. This year, both Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will be on a mission to not only get back to the postseason, but to finally get off the playoff schneid. In an effort to bolster the Patriots playoff hopes, Belichick stunned a lot of people with the signings of Chad Ochocinco and Albert Haynesworth. It is assumed that Belichick and Brady will once again lead the Patriots to an excellent regular-season record. Whether or not they can regain their playoff magic again is still up for debate.

Can New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez take the step from being a good quarterback to a great one?

For all his faults, Sanchez has won an impressive four road playoff games in the first two years of his career. Both playoff runs ended in a loss in the AFC Championship game. Jets coach Rex Ryan will be the first to tell you that his team is going all the way to the Super Bowl. Sanchez can help Ryan make true on all of his off-season proclamations by taking his game to the next level in 2011. Santonio Holmes is back and the Jets went out and signed ex-Giants receiver and ex-con Plaxico Burress. Eventually Sanchez will have to take control of the Jets huddle and the Jets locker room. Eventually Sanchez will have to put the Jets on his young back and lead to them to the Super Bowl. Does he have the talent to do it? You bet. Will he do it this season? I doubt it.

Can the Buffalo Bills offence be effective with a makeshift offensive line?

The Bills have gone to great lengths to shore up their 32nd-ranked run defence but drafting defensive lineman and signing linebackers doesn't address the team's biggest need, the offensive line. This is far and away the Bills biggest issue, especially at offensive tackle. Unless the O-line can provide some semblance of protection for Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Bills will have a tough time winning many games. The Bills lack of talent at offensive tackle will receive a severe test in Week 6 when they face the Giants fearsome front four.

Will Miami Dolphins fans ever warm up to Chad Henne and stop booing him?

Whether they like him or not, Dolphins fans better get used to seeing Henne run their team's offence. Henne will have a new weapon to work with this year in running back Reggie Bush. Receiver Brandon Marshall is entering his second year with the Dolphins and has the talent to be considered one of the best receivers in the league. The problem for Henne and anyone who plays quarterback for the Dolphins is that they are forever being compared to Dan Marino. Henne is no Marino but if he can win some games, the Dolphins faithful might actually learn to like the guy.

Will the Pittsburgh Steelers once again prove to the rest of the AFC that they are true playoff warriors?

For all their faults, the Steelers have been to the Super Bowl three times in the last six seasons. As good as the Steelers are they just got beat by a better by a better team, the Packers, in Super Bowl 45. The Steelers still have a great defence and they still have one of the best money quarterbacks in the league in Ben Roethlisberger. Because of the way the Steelers are built, and the way Mike Tomlin coaches the team, they will once again be a team to be wary of in the post-season.

Will the Baltimore Ravens finally be able to rid themselves of their dreaded Steelers playoff jinx?

Since 2001, the Steelers have beaten the Ravens three times in the post-season. One of those losses, in 2008, cost the Ravens a trip to the Super Bowl. As great as he is, Ray Lewis cannot play forever. If the Ravens are ever going to exorcise the Steelers jinx, they will need Joe Flacco to find a way to solve the riddle of the Steelers defence. The Ravens are one of the toughest, most physical teams in the NFL. Much like Mark Sanchez, Flacco is a young quarterback being counted on to take his game to the next level. As much respect as I have for the Ravens, I am not convinced that Flacco can solve the Steelers 'D' in the post-season.

Will Colt McCoy thrive under the Cleveland Browns' new West Coast offence?

Freed from the iron fist of Eric Mangini, McCoy will enjoy much more support and freedom under new coach Pat Shurmur. Watching over all of this is one of the West Coast offence's greatest teachers, Browns president Mike Holmgren. It certainly won't hurt McCoy's confidence knowing that he has a beast like Peyton Hillis in the backfield to hand the ball off to. The marriage between Shurmur's West Coast offence and McCoy should pay immediate dividends for the Browns offence. So yes, McCoy will thrive this year and the Browns will improve on last year's 5-11 record.

Can Andy Dalton replace Carson Palmer at quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals?

The much-maligned Bengals are heading into the season with a raw rookie, Andy Dalton, running their offence. In a few years, Dalton might prove to be a solid NFL quarterback. The problem for the Bengals is that they will have to suffer along with Dalton as he goes through his expected growing pains. The Bengals have a serviceable running game and a decent front seven. Maybe, just maybe, that will be enough for the Bengals to scrape together four wins in what is an obvious rebuilding year. Living by the adage that "What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger", Dalton should be a much stronger player after this season.

Is this the year that Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts take a step back in the AFC South?

Every fall, pundits proclaim that this is the year that Peyton Manning is going to have an off year and the Colts will miss the playoffs. Well the Colts have made the post-season nine years in a row and if Manning can last the season, there's a very good chance they will make it 10. The only thing that could derail the Colts plans is an injury to Manning. The Colts are more than a little worried about Manning's neck injury. So much so that they lured Kerry Collins out of retirement and signed him to a contract as insurance in case they were forced to head into the season with Curtis Painter. If Manning is healthy and playing, the Colts are still the team to beat in the AFC South.

How bad will the Tennessee Titans offence be if the Chris Johnson issue isn't resolved soon?

Upset with what he feels is an inferior contract in relation to his production and star power, Chris Johnson is mired in a bitter holdout with the Titans. Matt Hasselbeck was brought in from Seattle to run the offence, and to mentor Jack Locker as the Titans quarterback of the future. There seems to be no resolution to the chasm between Johnson and Titans management concerning his contract. Without him in the lineup, the Titans offence is a lot less dangerous for opposing teams. Without Johnson in the lineup, the Titans offence has the potential to be downright awful.

Will the Jacksonville Jaguars ever be considered a great team?

The Jags are the poster boys for parity in the NFL. There are rarely ever truly horrible but they have also never been one of the best team's in the league. More often than not, there are one of those teams that wind up with a record that ranges anywhere from 7-9 and 10-6. Sometimes that is good enough to get into the post-season, most times they just miss. Jack Del Rio has a stud rookie in Blaine Gabbert pushing returning veteran David Garrard for the starting quarterback job. Until Del Rio and the Jags can find a great quarterback, they will be destined to be a middle-of-the-road franchise.

Is this the year the Houston Texans finally make the playoffs?

The Texans have it all; a beautiful stadium, a passionate fan base, talented players and arguably the best-looking cheerleaders in the NFL. The only thing missing from their resume is a playoff appearance. To help the Texans get over the hump, they hired former Cowboys coach Wade Phillips to rebuild the defence. Now if there is one thing that Phillips is really good at, it is coaching defence and he has a big job on his hands as the Texans pass defence was atrocious last season. If Phillips can turn the Texans defence around, (and that is a big "if") they have a shot at their first ever playoff appearance as the trio of Matt Schaub, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, the Texans can put up points on the other side of the ball.

Can the Oakland Raiders regain some of their old Silver and Black swagger?

All Tom Cable did last year was lead the Raiders to a 6-0 record in the division and an 8-8 record overall. That wasn't good enough for Al Davis, so in comes new head coach, Hue Jackson. In era of high powered aerial attacks, the Raiders rely on an old-school running game lead by Darren McFadden, aka Run DMC. If McFadden and Michael Bush can continue to pound the ball on the ground, the Raiders will be able to regain a glimmer of the swagger that stayed with them during their glory years. The issues in Oakland have less to do with the coaching staff and the players and more to do with ancient owner Al Davis.

Will the Tim Tebow debate ever end for the Denver Broncos?

I feel sorry for the Broncos new head coach John Fox. Here he is, trying to get a team ready for the regular season and every day he is forced to answer questions about a player, Tebow, who might not even be good enough to be his 2nd string quarterback. There's no question that Kyle Orton is the starting quarterback in Denver. There's a question as to whether or not Tebow will beat out Brady Quinn for the back-up job. Until Tebow ever figures out what it takes to be a true starting quarterback in the NFL, I am afraid the debate will never end. Forget abut Tebow, the real young star in Denver is linebacker Von Miller, a potential defensive rookie of the year candidate.

Is Matt Cassel good enough to lead the Kansas City Chiefs to playoff success?

If there ever was a time for Cassel to put it all together to lead the Chiefs to playoff victory, it is now. Cassel is 29 years old and he's the quarterback of a solid Chiefs team in a division that is wide open. Much like the Raiders, the Chiefs are a team that likes to run the football. When you have a running back like Jamaal Charles, you might as well use him. Eventually though, teams will load up the box to stop Charles and dare Cassel to beat them with his arm. Until he proves that he can beat the best teams in the AFC with his arm, no one will believe that Cassel can lead the Chiefs to greatness.

Can the San Diego Chargers finally stop being viewed as an underachiever?

Philip Rivers and the Chargers bounced back from a brutal start to the 2010 season to go close out their schedule with an impressive 7-2 record. It wasn't good enough to get the Chargers into the post-season, but it did serve as another reminder what Rivers and the Chargers are capable of when healthy and properly motivated. Many Chargers fans will tell you the blame lies squarely at the feed of coach Norv Turner.