Baltimore Ravens: In case someone out there didn’t take notice, Ray Rice is a legitimate beast; the addition of star wideout Anquan Boldin will give Joe Flacco a fully loaded arsenal of receivers; and Ray Lewis still eats people, so that has to be taken into account. This team is one of the elite few that can count itself as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The only thing that could come back to haunt them is a weakness at cornerback, which could be exposed while Ed Reed is out recovering from hip surgery.

Pittsburgh Steelers: With QB Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension reduced from six to four games, things are looking up for the embattled 2009 Super Bowl winners. Santonio Holmes is gone, while QB Byron Leftwich will attempt to keep them treading water until Big Ben returns. Another question mark for this team is the condition of safety Troy Polamalu’s knee. He needs to be healthy for the Steelers to return to contender status.

Cincinnati Bengals: Pacman Jones, Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco…you’re excused if you’re unsure whether I’m listing players on the 2010 Bengals or competitors on the next edition of Celebrity Big Brother. This is the most volatile team in the division and they could do well or implode fantastically. Regardless, they’ll be fun to watch on the field and in the pressroom. First-round pick Jermaine Gresham could be key to the team’s attempt to return to the playoff picture.

Cleveland Browns: Jake Delhomme will replace Denver-bound Brady Quinn as the starting QB and should have a much better season than he did last year, but it still won’t be enough for the Browns to pose a serious threat to anybody. On the bright side, the long-term picture for the team looks better than it has in years past, as the addition of Colt McCoy in the draft may have given the Browns their quarterback of the future.

San Francisco 49ers: One of the following four teams will indeed “win” this division, but only in the loosest sense of the term. Expect the 49ers to limp to a division victory in spite of noodle-armed QB Alex Smith. Their running game and the win-or-be-mooned attitude of nutbar coach Mike Singletary is sufficient to win nine games. Eight might be enough, though.

Arizona Cardinals: Recently jettisoned QB-of-the-future Matt Leinart must have been really, really terrible this pre-season. Their entire offence is one of the best in the game, and the Cards have decided to hand the reins over to Derek Anderson, who held a putrid QB rating of 49.1 last year, and lost his job to the equally terrible Brady Quinn. Somehow, the sublime WR Larry Fitzgerald will be wasted.

Seattle Seahawks: Saturday’s cut of T.J. Houshmandzadeh probably won’t directly hurt the Seahawks, since their playoff hopes are slim-to-none. However, he will help another team make the playoffs. The ‘Hawks have a couple of promising rookies (Russell Okung, Golden Tate) who will be impact players down the road, and a talented coach who has something to prove. This is a team built for the distant future.

St. Louis Rams: They’ve invested their franchise, and opening day, in rookie QB Sam Bradford, who hasn’t thrown a pass in over a year because he blew out his shoulder. This team is a long way from contending, and starting this fragile rookie with all-pro potential in his first season isn’t just flirting with the devil, it’s buying him a drink at last call.

Green Bay Packers: Expectations are high for the 2010 Packers, and they should be. Aaron Rodgers is a top-five quarterback in this league, and he will throw to one of the best receiving corps in the NFL. Protection is a concern, but the addition of first-round pick Bryan Bulaga should improve the O-Line, and if he doesn’t, Rodgers showed us last year that he doesn’t need great protection to produce. The defence choked in the playoffs last year, but expect them to step up and propel the Packers into Super Bowl contention.

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings ended their season on a low, losing a heartbreaker to the Saints in overtime, and there hasn’t been much positive momentum since. The Vikings will be one of the best teams in the league this year, but they have some unresolved issues. A questionably healthy Brett Favre and instability at wide receiver make their passing game difficult to put any money on. It might not be an issue if Adrien Peterson has the kind of season he’s capable of, but he needs to hold on to the football. They’ve got a great defence and enough talent to make the playoffs, but too many question marks to win the division.

Chicago Bears: It’s hard to know what to make of this team, but expect a big improvement in their play. A more comfortable Jay Cutler should perform better under centre. Like Cutler, running back Matt Forte slumped last season, but he looks sharper now. This year’s defence is ready to take back some respect with the return of Brian Urlacher, their Peyton Manning. Season them with the super-talented Julius Peppers, and they’re a recipe for success. The Chicago Bears are our sleeper pick to make the playoffs.

Detroit Lions: For the first time in a while, Lions fans have reason to hope. Matthew Stafford has the look of a leader and a franchise quarterback, and he will improve his decision-making and efficiency. He has a monster wideout in Calvin Johnson, and rookie RB Jahvid Best could be the Lions’ third promising cub. On defence, Ndamokung Suh is a beast who will make his presence known in the trenches. They’ve added veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, whose experience will be invaluable for this young team. The Lions aren’t roaring yet, but things are definitely looking up.

New Orleans Saints:    The defending Super Bowl champs will not make it back to the big game, but they have enough firepower to repeat as NFC South champions. Drew Brees leads an impressive passing attack while the running duo of Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush rounds out a high-octane offence. New Orleans’ weakness is on the defensive side of the ball, where a unit that forces turnovers at a high rate will have to play more consistently in order for the Saints to make another deep playoff run.

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons boast one of the NFL’s most powerful offences, led by ever-improving quarterback Matt Ryan. Atlanta’s rushing attack cannot be overlooked, as the combination of Michael Turner, Jason Snelling, and the explosive Jerious Norwood will cause problems for opponents all season long. Linebacker Curtis Lofton and safety Erik Coleman lead a defence that thrives off its cohesiveness. If the Falcons can improve on stopping the pass, the team will challenge the Saints for the NFC South crown.

Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are coming off a disappointing third-place finish last season, and the team’s 2010 season will not be any different. The loss of defensive end Julius Peppers will sting, while quarterback Jake Delhomme’s departure signals a new era in Carolina. It will be interesting to see how quarterback Matt Moore performs with rookie Jimmy Clausen breathing down his throat. But the Panthers are a long way from returning to the post-season.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers have not made the playoffs since 2007 and that trend will continue into 2010. Offensively, Tampa Bay is led by an average quarterback (Josh Freeman) and the mediocre running combination of Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward. While the offence seems shaky, the defence is abysmal at best. Gerald McCoy was a solid pick in the draft, and expect the Bucs to receive a further top-five selection this season after another embarrassing campaign.

The Redmen football team had a tough day in Quebec City Sunday, dropping their season opener 50-9 to the Laval Rouge et Or and losing quarterback Jonathan Collin to a knee injury.

The Redmen are awaiting the results of an MRI to determine the extent of Collin’s injury, but initial prognoses were not optimistic.  The second-year from Greenfield Park, QC, collided with a Laval lineman while scrambling under pressure in the third quarter.

Supported by running back Sebastien Lévesque, Laval had an explosive second half.

McGill receiver Charles Sinotte became the first player in CIS history to reach 200 receptions.

The team (0-1) will take on Bishop’s in its home opener this Saturday at 1 p.m.

 Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys’ goal for 2010 is to be the first team to play a Super Bowl game in their own stadium. Tony Romo will be joined by an impressive group of receivers in Miles Austin, Roy Williams, and first-round pick Dez Bryant. Will this team be able to live up to its preseason hype, or will the pressure be too much for Dallas to handle? No matter what happens in the post-season, this is the best team in a very strong division.

New York Giants: The G-Men will be back to prove that their third-place finish last season was an aberration. If Kenny Phillips, Brandon Jacobs, and Ahmad Bradshaw return successfully from off-season surgeries, the Giants will be a force to be reckoned with. Bradshaw will team up with Hakeem Nicks to give the team a potent aerial attack, but the pressure will be on a defence that struggled at times in 2009.

Washington Redskins: The ‘Skins made one of the highest profile moves of the off-season by signing former division-rival Donovan McNabb to fill their void at quarterback. Along with new head coach Mike Shanahan, McNabb will be tasked with pulling the Redskins out of the division’s cellar. Albert Haynesworth will need a bounce-back season on the defensive side of the ball for the Redskins to have success. This team will be improved, but will miss out on the playoffs.

 Philadelphia Eagles: With face-of-the-franchise Donovan McNabb gone to the Redskins, the Eagles will trust Kevin Kolb to run the offence this year. DeSean Jackson will be Kolb’s number-one target while LeSean McCoy will take Brian Westbrook’s spot in the backfield and could be poised for a big season. Andy Reid is confident that the youth movement in Philadelphia is the right formula for success in the NFC East, but the Eagles are probably a year away.

Redmen aim to take next step

The McGill Redmen intend to improve upon last year’s sensational season when they return to the field on Friday. Playing at the Old Four Tournament at Queen’s last week, the Redmen didn’t miss a beat as they captured top spot by a score of 2-1 against the hosts for the second time in three years. Freshman Sebastian Munro fired home a rocket at the 85th minute to seal the victory. The goal was Munro’s second game- winner in two games, the first one at the 25th minute of the game against Western.

Head Coach David Simon has an incredible core to work with, led by goalkeeper Jean-Lou Gosselin and dynamic midfielder Yohann Capolungo. Capolungo is the heart of the Redmen’s offensive machine.  A two-time QSSF conference all-star, he possesses an uncanny ability to penetrate any defensive formation with his great speed and the ability to bury his chances. Gosselin, meanwhile, was very steady in goal last season. A more experienced defence should improve his play even further this year.  

The Redmen are a little green at forward. Thankfully however, should freshmen Munro, Alex King, or junior Peter Valente fail to produce, Capolungo can jump-start the role. Being ranked second in the first CIS rankings of 2010 is no easy feat, and obstacles increase on the way to the top, but there are still good reasons to believe the Redmen might get there.

Martlets ready for new season

It didn’t take long for this young team to raise expectations.  Last year, the Martlets had exactly one fourth-year player on their team, with the roster mostly composed of 19 first and second year players.  Many had low expectations, hoping the team would mature and break out in two to three years time. But these youngplayers were anything but ordinary. Led by defensive stalwart Katherine Green of Richmond Hill, Ontario, McGill players held six out of 11 spots on the Quebec Student Sports Federation’s first team.  As an eighth seed, the team made it all the way to the QSSF final before falling to theUniversité de Montreal.

The roster’s depth was evident in the team’s winning record.  Coached by Marc Mounicot, the young Marlets team finished the regular season with a 10-3-1 record and placed second at Nationals. New recruits like midfielder Hannah Rivkin, who had experience at the national level last season, are impressing early.

So far, the team’s commitment has translated into a sweep at the Old Four Tournament and a subsequent 6-1-1 record in preseason play. This team has a chance to win it all. Hopefully, last year’s playoff experience will have taught them valuable lessons.  

The soccer teams will be some of McGill’s best this fall.  Their first matches are Friday against Sherbrooke at Molson Stadium

, with women at 6 p.m. and men at 8 p.m.

San Diego Chargers: It must be hard to be a fan of a team that’s terrific every single regular season but can’t get it together in the playoffs. Phillip Rivers, for all his success in the regular season, isn’t the guy to change things. Evidently, he lacks the fortitude to take his team to the next level. They also have an aging defence: former studs Shawne Merriman and Quintin Jammer have both lost a step. Nevertheless, they smartly ditched headcase Antonio Cromartie. Defence aside, the team is good enough on offence to gun their way to 10 or 11 wins.

Denver Broncos: A tough stretch of opponents in weeks 3-6 (Colts, Titans, Ravens, Jets) will really test this team’s resilience. Based on the outspokenness of coach Josh McDaniels and drafting of noted good-boy Tim Tebow, the team is built on character. His coaching ability and the team’s commitment to competing will be on trial during that stretch. If QB Kyle Orton can go 2-2 against those wicked defences, they will be fired up and dangerous down the stretch and could even challenge for a wild-card spot.

Oakland Raiders: For the first time in eight years, the Raiders may win more than five games. Lazy, entitled locker-room cancer JaMarcus Russell is finally gone. New QB Kyle Boller might gel with young guns RB Darren Mcfadden and WR Darrius Heyward-Bey. The defence looks to be solid with studs Nnamdi Asomugha and Quentin Groves. Talented youth and low expectations can combine could make them spoilers, but they’re probably a year away from the playoffs.

 Kansas City Chiefs: It’s gonna be a long season in KC. QB Matt Cassell and RB Thomas Jones are someone else’s expensive castoffs, and outside of rookie Eric Berry and LB Mike Vrabel, their defence is anonymous. The Chiefs don’t have much to look forward to other than first pick in April’s draft. Welcome to Kansas City, Mark Ingram