2009 NFL Season Win Total Predictions. With football coming on quickly, this is effective time to see what could materialize this fall on the gridiron.

Future numbers are listed for each team. A year ago I focused on the Pittsburgh Steelers, who were predicted to have 9 victories, and wrote: The Steelers had 10 wins in 2007 with the top ranked defense.

The offense was already effective (ranking third in rushing and 17th in total), with strong balance, and they gain Illinois RB Rashard Mendenhall and Texas WR Limas Sweed. Mendenhall was a great pick and gives them a brute force back to go along with speedy RB Willie Parker.

They have a fantastic QB in Ben Roethlisberger, plus pass catchers Hines Ward and former Ohio State speedster Santonio Holmes. This team was superior at home at 7-2 SU, 6-3 ATS giving up just 13.8 ppg and again look like the top team in their division. Take the over nine victories. The result: This team went 12-4 on the way to yet another Super Bowl title.

For 2009 the Patriots are seeing their over/under set at 12 wins, while the New York Giants and Chargers are at ten . Various factors come into play when assessing futures, in addition to offseason moves. With that in mind, let s take a evaluate changes that took occurred with certain teams and how that might effect their status for the current futures odds.

Carolina Panthers (over/under 8.5 wins): Everyone remembers the awful playoff loss, when Jake Delhomme threw 5 interceptions in a 33-13 home loss to Arizona. What people forget is that Carolina was a dominant team, 12-4 during the year, gaining the No. 2 seed for the playoffs. They have balance on offense, with a strong offensive line and a power running back punch of DeAngelo Williams and Jon Stewart.

Plus, they gave 34-year-old Delhomme a five year contract worth more than $30 million to take his mind off any contract negotiations. When Delhomme is called upon to throw more than 30 passes, Carolina gone just 7-22, so Jon Fox knows the ground game is important. The defense is in good shape after re-signing Julius Peppers. The Panthers also re-signed cornerback Chris Gamble and offensive tackle Jordan Gross to multimillion-dollar offers before they would have become high-level free agents. Those moves are often overlooked when assessing a team s offseason transactions. Carolina looks very good once more; take Over 8.5 wins.

Chicago Bears (over/under 8 victories): All the buzz has been on new quarterback Jay Cutler, a big name who is just what the Bears have wanted for years. While QB is the most important position, he can t do it alone. And I see problems all over the roster for the Chicago Bears (including with their coaching staff).

The Bears were near the bottom in rushing a year ago, with no ground game and a weak offensive line. And who will Cutler have to catch the ball? Chicago is banking on significant production from several unproven guys at wide receiver in 2009. Earl Bennett is slotted to start with zero NFL receptions, first-year guys Juaquin Iglesias and Johnny Knox are being counted on, leaving starter Devin Hester and veteran slot receiver Rashied Davis as the only trusted pass catchers. And Brandon Rideau could envision in the discussion, but he has almost no NFL experience.

On defense, the Bears ranked 21st overall and 30th against the pass in 2008, giving up a whopping 241 yards passing per game. DT Tommie Harris left knee makes you question what the team was thinking when they signed him to a contract extension last summer. Lovie Smith and the GM have done a awful job on personnel, the Bears didn t have a draft pick until the third round and don t have a first-rounder in the 2010 draft. The Cutler euphoria could go away quickly after a few big losses. Under 8 wins.

New Engand (over/under 12 wins): So which Patriots are going to show up? The juggernaut of 2007, or the injury-hampered group of 2008? Even without Tom Brady, they won 11 times last season, meaning they have averaged 13.5 wins the last two years in the regular season. The offense is stacked and all indications are that Brady is back at full strength.

The defense has a lot depth in the secondary, adding three 2nd and 3rd round picks, including second rounders safety Patrick Chung (Oregon) and CB Darius Butler (UConn). The Patriots were the 2nd highest scoring offense in the AFC in 2008, even without the 2007 MVP and his record 50 touchdowns. Have to think the division isn't going to be as good, as Miami won t sneak up on teams and have everything go their way, plus the Jets have a new coach and a rookie QB. The schedule is fairly easy, with the only difficult games as a visitor are at Indy and the Saints in November. Over 12 wins is more likely.