My buddy Michael Rand, whom I worked with at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune and who runs a great blog called Randball, actually discovered (and properly made fun of) this little gem in the Detroit Free-Press. Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna predicts the Lions will win 10 games this season. Whoops, check that. MORE than 10 games. See, he predicted 10 victories before he saw the schedule. Then he saw the schedule and decided that the Lions would do better than just 10 measly wins.

This means one of two things. Either Kitna believes wide receiver Calvin Johnson is the missing piece. That's one thought. Or the other possibility: Kitna fell asleep, had a dream that he had been traded to the Indianapolis Colts, woke up and didn't realize he was dreaming.

Ten wins? This is a team that hasn't won more than SIX games in any of the past six seasons. They went 3-13 last season. Heck, they have won only 24 of their past 96 games. But Kitna's theory is every season there's one team that goes from, say, 5-11 to, say, 11-5. So why not the Lions?

But here are my five choices of teams with losing records in 2006 who have a chance to turn it around this season.

1. Arizona (5-11)
New coach (Ken Whisenhunt) and QB Matt Leinart has a year under his belt.

2. Miami (6-10)
QB Trent Green surely is good for four more wins to make it 10-6.

3. Atlanta (7-9)
QB Michael Vick is motivated to shut up all the critics.

4. Tampa Bay (4-12)
Yes, I know I predicted a 5-10-1 season, but maybe Jeff Garcia is the answer.

5. Detroit (3-13)
Is it possible Jon Kitna isn't a kook after all? I doubt it, but what the heck. If he turns out to be right, I'll look like a genius, too.