With only eight teams still standing in the quest for the Super Bowl, it is about time to make some not-so-bold predictions.

It would have been nice had I made these at the beginning of the season. But then again, I probably would have picked New England to win it all. Who would have known that the 11-5 Patriots would have been left out of the postseason?!

Anyway, if I was going to bet on this year’s Super Bowl champion, my money would be on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defense is top notch and the offense can be pretty good when Ben Roethlisberger is on his game, giving the Steelers the most balanced football team left on the board in my opinion.

And now that I have cursed the Steelers, I will be prepared to make a new Super Bowl pick next week. Enjoy this weekend’s slate of games.

Here are today’s great reads:

• Three quarterbacks and a few rookies in this 2009 first-round mock draft. [Bruno Boys]
• Fantasy owners should not count on LaDainian Tomlinson’s services anytime soon. [ProFootballTalk]
• Breaking down Fox Sports’ early NFL mock draft. Look for our first stab at this year’s NFL Draft on Tuesday. [The Big Lead]
• Heath Miller as the top tight end this weekend? I would rather use Hines Ward or Santonio Holmes from the Pittsburgh passing game. [Bruno Boys]
• Franchising Antonio Bryant would be a good move for the Bucs and should make his dynasty owners happy that he finally found a home. [Pancake Blocks]
• Not sure I agree with the LenDale White > Chris Johnson call. White had three carries for four yards against the Ravens earlier this year. [Lester's Legends]

For more great reads, check out my Google Reader Shared Items page.