Ranking the Top 10 NFL Teams Right Now

Though the Super Bowl is still months away, the NFL playoffs are fast approaching, and we continue to get a clearer grasp of which teams are set to reach those playoffs and contend for the ultimate title in football.  Here is a ranking of the top 10 NFL teams likely to withstand the late season tests and truly make a run at this year’s championship:

10.)  Detroit Lions - Though they sit well perched atop the NFC North, there’s a general feeling that the Lions will stutter down the stretch and collapse based on their pathetic history of doing just that.  While I generally agree with that assessment, the Lions are a bit different this year in that they house a terrific defense.  If defense truly “wins championships”, Detroit could be ripe for a tremendous and surprising playoff run.

9.)   Philadelphia Eagles – Chip Kelly’s offense is great when it works, but tragic when it doesn’t. While they usually look good and win the games they should, they usually struggle against the league’s best.  I think an early exit to the playoffs will end their season again, especially since the questionable Mark Sanchez is now the starting quarterback.

8.)   Pittsburgh Steelers – Despite having a tough schedule ahead, the Steelers are usually late-season bloomers and their history of recent titles suggests they are certainly capable. If Troy Polamalu gets healthy and Ben Roethlisberger keeps doing his thing, the Steelers could make a daring run at the Super Bowl.

7.)   Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck is a megastar and that is essential to title contenders. The Colts’ passing attack is tops in the league, but until the defense gets fixed Indianapolis won’t win.  Nevertheless, anything is possible with a top QB and the Colts could just win it all if things go their way.

6.)   Seattle Seahawks – Struggling at 6-4, it’s easy to overlook how dominant the Seahawks were at the end of last year. All the championship pieces are in place but the team needs to step up their game a notch in order to repeat.  I doubt they will, but considering their success last year, who can really doubt Seattle?

5.)  Denver Broncos – Peyton Manning is very good, and the Broncos’ defense is good too. The team certainly has a point to prove following their depressing Super Bowl loss last year, and they could win it this time around.  But after a woeful loss to the St. Louis Rams this week and suffering a couple key injuries, who knows if there’ll be enough in the tank to repeat as AFC Champions.

4.)  Kansas City Chiefs – Andy Reid’s team is on fire, and their defense is great. They’ve beaten the Patriots and the Seahawks this season, showing up in big games.  Knile Davis and Jamaal Charles are a strong running back duo, and Alex Smith is playing smart and avoiding mistakes.  With the team starting to come together, the Chiefs might just get Reid his first title!

3.)  Arizona Cardinals – While they have the league’s best record (9-1) and a tremendous defense, their starting quarterback Carson Palmer went down for the season. Palmer was never elite and backup Drew Stanton is playing well.  However, their defense will dictate how far they go in the playoffs.  They have a tough schedule coming up and if they can come through as NFC West champs, they’ll have earned their chance to make a run.

2.)  Green Bay Packers – No one is playing as good as Aaron Rodgers these days, and with Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers making plays on defense, the spirit of the 2010 Super Bowl is alive and well in Wisconsin. But as we saw in a bad loss to the New Orleans Saints just a month ago, when the offense is slowed the Packers can be beat.  However, any team in this league is beatable, and the way Green Bay is playing right now bodes well for a championship.

1.)  New England Patriots – Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are the NFL’s strongest head coach/quarterback duo and they’ve routinely dominated the league for a decade. However, now 10 years removed from their last of 3 titles, time is running out and there’s an element of desperation in their play.  This could help the team rise up and claim a final Super Bowl title of this incredible dynasty!  They are the team to beat right now.

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Which Surprising NFL Leaders Could Actually Contend for the Super Bowl?

With the 2014 NFL season reaching its halfway point this week, we’ve got a good sense of which teams are contending vs. which teams are already eyeing top draft picks next spring.  However, as is usually the case in these parity-driven league, several teams have come out and surprised us with brilliant starts to the year.  Sure, we expected the Green Bay Packers and the New England Patriots to be pretty good (as they are nearly every year), but who would have predicted hot starts for the Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, and Buffalo Bills?  With solid winning records and with fans’ hopes building, can one of these teams continue their hot streak on to wining the Super Bowl?

The short answer is no, and there’s countless reasons why.  Each of these teams have marginal quarterbacks at the helm.  One could try and argue that Tony Romo and Carson Palmer are elite given their statistics or that Matthew Stafford remains one of the game’s best young quarterback prospects, but none of these guys have had any real success in the playoffs.  And while Kyle Orton has played exceptional in several games for the Bills, we should know by now that he is little more than a serviceable backup.  Let’s see how his numbers last over the course of the year.

The one player truly capable of becoming elite is Stafford with the Lions.  Featuring Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush on offense, you’d think he’d be able to do it and at age 26 he still has room to grow and develop, but the Lions unfortunately have a knack for losing that is seemingly running rampant throughout the entire city of Detroit.  While they managed a playoff appearance in 2010 (which ended in the first round), they have become perennial late-season swooners.  Last season the Lions were 6-3 before stuttering to a 7-9 record.  In 2012 they were a respectable 4-4 before losing 8 straight and finishing 4-12.  This is a team that tends to run out of steam when the games begin to matter most! 

Meanwhile the Bills have also grown notorious for poor play, having not reached the NFL playoffs since 1999 (due in large part to the Patriots’ success).  They last teased their fans in 2011 by starting off 5-2 before succumbing to a 6-10 finish.  And then there’s the Cowboys, whose 8-8 record for 3 years running has been maddening to fans.  They seem to live for getting hopes up only to crush them with a late-season falter.  Romo seems to have all the skills but he folds under pressure.  At 34, the chance of him finally getting it right is fleeting at best.

Similarly, the Cardinals’ 34 year-old Carson Palmer has also been just a better-than average QB during his career, putting up solid numbers for the Cincinnati Bengals but never quite achieving greatness.  However, this is the team I see most likely to actually contend for the Super Bowl should the stars align.  The Cardinals got the short end of the stick last season and missed out on the playoffs despite a 10-6 record.  They are hungry and have proven that in the young season, claiming victories against the San Diego Chargers, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles.  They will have a tough end to the year facing the 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks in successive weeks, though if they come through that test, look out!

For me, the challenge about a surprise team winning the Super Bowl is that they lack playoff experience.  Recent Super Bowl champs have all had unsuccessful playoff runs in previous years, but that experience helped them later on.  For example, the Seahawks won a wildcard game in 2012 before losing in the divisional round.  The next season they built off of that success and won the Super Bowl.  For teams like the Lions, Bills, Cardinals, and Cowboys, their last trips to the playoffs were so long ago that many of the core players really can’t understand the magnitude of such games.  As a result, should any of these teams reach the postseason, they’ll probably fall short and lose.  The best bet would be a solid, winning year to build up for a serious run at the Super Bowl in 2015.

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2013 NFL Season Begins this Week - Our Division Winner Picks

Ravens Super Bowl XLVII Pano Photo Mint

 

Alas, the long wait is over! Long gone are the mind-numbing preseason matches played between backups desperate for a job, gone are the boring reports of which undrafted free agent signee is having a strong training camp. Finally, all the NFL talk is finally set to end and we can actually enjoy professional football once again. With the many burning questions for each NFL team to be answered in the coming days as week 1 begins, here is a full prediction of which teams will be the winners of their division and among the contenders for Super Bowl XLVIII:

 

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens – Although there was a mass exodus of players, including Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Lewis, the Ravens are still the reigning Super Bowl Champions. Joe Flacco proved his worth last year during the NFL Playoffs with some incredible throws, and he has the tools to lead this team back to the playoffs. Meanwhile Ray Rice is a tremendous running back. Their division is always highly competitive, but I feel that the Ravens should rise to the top.

 

NFC North: Green Bay Packers – While the other three teams did get better in the off-season, this division has been owned by the Packers for as long as I can remember. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, and with him at the helm, the Packers will always be favored to win this division.

 

AFC South: Houston Texans – On paper a Super Bowl favorite, the Texans have playmakers all over the field. Matt Schaub has a great arm, while Arian Foster and Andre Johnson will collect scores of touchdowns. The only thing standing in their way is winning in the clutch, and this team has yet to do so, falling short in the last few playoffs.

 

NFC South: New Orleans Saints – Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons have been contenders but I see them losing steam this year. Meanwhile, the Saints have head coach Sean Payton back while Drew Brees is entering his final years as a star player. Something tells me that the Saints will be a major NFC force this season.

 

AFC East – New England Patriots – Forget about the scandals, forget about Tim Tebow. This team is about Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and the pair have won nearly every division crown since 2000. With their rivals scrambling for healthy and manageable qb’s, the Patriots could win even by default.

 

NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles – Probably the most competitive division in which each team has a legitimate shot at winning, I put my money on Michael Vick and the new high-speed Chip Kelly offense. I feel that Vick is always an intriguing prospect to win a game, and that his new coach will get the best out of him. Playmakers LaSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson will ensure that the Eagles outscore their opponents, though this division is totally up for grabs!

 

AFC West – Denver Broncos – Pretty much a given, Peyton Manning is entering his final years and team VP John Elway has assembled the squad necessary for them to get another NFL Championship. After snatching away Wes Welker from the Patriots, I fully expect the Broncos to win the AFC and likely the Super Bowl as well, sending the elder Manning off into his retirement in style!

 

NFC West – Arizona Cardinals – That’s right, the Cardinals are about to snatch this division. The 49ers will experience the typical hangover that follows Super Bowl losers while I just don’t think that the Seahawks are as good as everyone thinks. Enter the Cardinals. With veteran quarterback Carson Palmer linking up with Larry Fitzgerald, and with rookie defensive playmaker Tyrann Mathieu about to become the NFL’s defensive rookie of the year, expect the Cardinals to do the unexpected!

 

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5 Intriguing Rookies for the 2013 NFL Season

Every year the NFL welcomes scores of young and hungry new players to their ranks. The talent varies immensely across the whole group of players who are desperately seeking their big chance in the NFL. After the first preseason game, it may be a little early to declare any of these 5 top NFL rookies as definite future stars, but this handful of players made a big name for themselves in their first competitive action and could figure prominently for their respective teams this year:

 

1. E.J. Manuel – Although he still looks quite raw, Manuel had a very solid first outing with the Buffalo Bills, and is likely to be the starter once the regular season begins. He went 16 of 21 for 107 yards and a nice touchdown pass to Dorin Dickerson. He also picked up a solid 24 yards on the ground, displaying an ability to be a read-option quarterback, which is the latest NFL trend. He may need some time to get comfortable with deeper passes, but his intelligence and command during his first start was solid. These were the traits that attracted Buffalo into making Manuel the first quarterback selected in the NFL Draft and should help him develop into a capable NFL starter.

 

2. Tyrann Mathieu – A bit of a troublemaker in college, Mathieu slid all the way to the 3^rd round, but his initial play in the preseason resembles an impact player that could have been picked much earlier. He made a sack and several other impressive tackles. Additionally, he had a decent punt return of 24 yards, showcasing his all-around skills. Yes, he may have some baggage that could come back to haunt the Arizona Cardinals should he make a stupid off-field choice, but for now it looks like the Cardinals found a defensive playmaker well into the draft. He could be the defensive rookie of the year and the steal of the draft.

 

3. DeAndre Hopkins – A first round wide receiver, Hopkins had a solid preseason debut for the Houston Texans. Already a loaded offense with Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, the Texans may now have another legitimate receiving threat. His 34-yard touchdown catch against Minnesota displayed an incredible ability to react to the ball and showed a real go-getter characteristic. After an impressive college career at Clemson, Hopkins looks like another wonderful receiver for Matt Schaub and the Texans, with 4 catches for 52 yards on the night and the score.

 

4. Cordarrelle Patterson – On the other side of the field for the Minnesota Vikings was the debut of Patterson, the 29^th overall pick in the draft. Expected to replace Percy Harvin and supplement the incoming Greg Jennings, Patterson has big play abilities. His very first touch was a kickoff that he returned all the way to midfield. In addition to the return, Patterson caught 4 passes for 54 yards and looked oh-so-good in that number 84 jersey (previously worn by Randy Moss). The Vikings offense could be set to explode if Christian Ponder can find a way to get the ball to Patterson and if Adrian Peterson continues his powerful rushing assault.

 

5. Geno Smith – Although his durability wasn’t that impressive on his debut, resulting in a mild ankle sprain, Smith was playing pretty well in his first NFL action. He went 6 of 7 for 47 yards and looked the part of an NFL quarterback. When he fell awkwardly during a rushing attempt, it was sad to see because he was about to display his impressive running ability that had so wowed the NFL scouts. Smith may win the New York Jets starting quarterback role by default based on the shaky play of Mark Sanchez, but the jury is still out over whether Geno Smith will succeed at this level.

 

Did your team receive a good draft pick that you feel may be better than one of these five? Let us know what you think. These rookie players will contribute a lot to their team, and their autographed sports collectibles will only rise as they become more productive and well-known to the fans. So get your rookie autographed collectible now before they are all gone and watch your investment increase.

Is Anquan Boldin Leaving the Birds Nest?

Rumors are starting to circulate about Anquan Boldin and his chances of being a Arizona Cardinal this year.  We have always liked Boldin and have had him on our fantasy team almost every year he has been a pro.  

 

Based on the rumors, the Philadelphia Eagles may be pursuing Boldin.  There are also rumors that the Dallas Cowboys are wanting him even more.  Boldin has three more years left on his contract for about $12 million.  Boldin's companion Larry Fitgerald had signed a four-year deal worth $40 million with $30 million guaranteed in the off season.

 

This may be the reason why there are rumors that Boldin will be leaving.  Boldin's salary is much smaller than Fitzgerald and he could possibly raise his worth by going to another team.

 

Boldin's number would most definitely rise in fantasy football if he went to either the Cowboys or the Eagles.  Could you imagine the damage he would cause the opposing team if he was catching passes from McNabb or Romo? We'll see - he'll hopefully be on our fantasy team again this year.

 

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