Playoffs?

With apologies to Jim Mora, let's talk about the NFL playoffs. Last week we looked at a few postseason participants who may fall short in 2010. On the flipside, here are two teams that will crash this year's playoff party:

1) Miami Dolphins--Last year's 7-9 squad was best known for its use of the "wildcat" (I really hate that word by the way). With Brandon Marshall on board and another year of development for emerging QB Chad Henne, the Dolphins should be less gimmick-oriented this season. Ronnie Brown is still recovering from a foot injury, which means Ricky Williams will shoulder the load early. Williams enjoyed a great 2009 (1121 yards rushing, 11 TD) and should be productive again this year. An improving defense added LB Karlos Dansby from Arizona. And of course, don't forget the Bill Parcels factor. The Dolphins look like a serious wild-card contender to me.

2) Atlanta Falcons--The Falcons were a fun Super Bowl pick 12 months ago, but missed the postseason entirely. A return to January football will be built around a great running game. Michael Turner is a workhorse back who makes fantasy owners drool. A healthy Turner will mean big-time production for an offense that also features rising stars Matt Ryan and Roddy White. Toss in future Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez, and the Falcons should be a point-scoring machine. The 2009 defense was a major disappointment, including John Abraham's 5.5 sacks. He and the Falcons D should rebound to at least league average. That should be more than enough help for this explosive offense. Considering their favorable schedule (St. Louis, Cleveland, Cincy, Seattle) Atlanta could easily be a 12-win team in 2010.