Which 1-2 NFL Teams Have a Hope of Reaching the Playoffs?

Oh the perils of your favorite NFL team getting off to a poor start! For every team savoring in their early good fortune this season, there are equal numbers of team feeling quite the opposite; battered and bruised after several losses and unsure of where to turn for hope in the duration of this season. And while I’d be expecting the worst for any team that has started 0-3 (Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), for those 1-2 teams there is still a small hope of salvaging this season, but they’ll need to pick up their game in a hurry.

While there are some of the typically poor teams currently sitting at 1-2, there are also several usually strong teams who were even involved in the playoffs last year that have gotten off to bad starts. These surprising poor starters include the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s nearly half of last season’s playoff teams now suffering below .500!

In my mind these are the teams most likely to rescue their seasons. And history actually beckons warmly for several of them, including the Packers and 49ers, who both started 1-2 last year only to resurrect their hopes and make a strong playoff push.

The key ingredient for such teams is in how they finish the season, not how they’ve started it. Football teams are an organic being, as injuries, player development, and unforeseen future obstacles can alter a team’s shape and style immensely over the course of the year. NFL rosters look very different in September than they do in January and it’s the teams that can handle such change effectively that do well in the later months and typically end up claiming a playoff spot. Unquestionably, a great quarterback can also go a long way to leading a team back from a poor start to a potentially championship-winning season.

Each of the 1-2 teams I mentioned carries great starting quarterbacks (including Aaron Rodgers, Colin Kaepernick, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, and Alex Smith) and this is why they still have hope. Other 1-2 teams that I wouldn’t expect to hear much of a whimper from are the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tennessee Titans, the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and the St. Louis Rams. These teams look to lack any sort of presence on the field and have been pretty marginable for years. Their poor records are due to simple lack of talent.

But for the better teams, they’ve just not clicked into high gear or have been unfortunate in the couple of key plays that can often decide a game one way or the other. Another thing to realize is that 1-2 is just a single game away from 2-1. A play here and there could have made the difference, and I’m sure you’ll find that most fans of 2-1 teams are more than satisfied with their seasons’ beginnings.

As the NFL season wears on, those slight hiccups or mistaken plays will carry less weight as the true contenders of the league emerge and get their needed wins. While I certainly wouldn’t be expecting a Super Bowl following two early losses for teams like the Packers, Chiefs, Colts, 49ers, or Saints, I think it’s far too early to be writing them off as has-beens or incapable of salvaging the season. In many cases they’ve done it before and these specific teams certainly have the talent capable to make a serious run at their respective divisions. But be careful, with their collective poor starts, I would only suspect 2 or 3 of these teams manage to right the ship and make the playoffs this year…

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Widespread Disappointments In 2013 NFL Season: Which Team Has Been Worst?

Here are a few of the legitimate predictions for the 2013 season BEFORE it began: The Minnesota Vikings will contend for the NFC North with Christian Ponder finally becoming a good player and with the addition of Greg Jennings.  Robert Griffin III will fight back through his injury and lead the Washington Redskins to greatness.  Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are simply too good.  The Houston Texans have all the needed pieces of the puzzle for winning the Super Bowl; they just need to win the big games.  The Pittsburgh Steelers will be contenders with Troy Polamalu playing healthy again.  With Steven Jackson, anything is possible for the Atlanta Falcons!  As we now can see, many of these teams have failed to live up to expectations this year.  So who was the worst?

Every year a handful of teams crumble under the pressure of high expectations and above you’ve seen the list of this year.  For every surprising upstart by a team like the Carolina Panthers, another team must suffer.  Such is the way of life in the NFL.  However terrible their seasons have been I think two teams deserve a bit of slack as far as their disappointments:  The Packers and the Redskins.

Sure, the Redskins have the most politically incorrect name and their cocky antics have set them up well to be mocked for their pathetic 3-9 record, but their season was ruined in the NFC Playoffs last year when Griffin III suffered a catastrophic knee injury.  His return to the field was rushed and caused him to miss an entire offseason of practice.  He doesn’t move with the ease and fluidity as he did last year and he is not the same player.  For anyone to expect him to return with the prowess of his rookie year is quite ridiculous.  I sense he may be headed for more success next season.

Likewise, the Packers have suffered the loss of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers.  At 5-2 before his collarbone injury, everything was going right for the team.  Now everything has gone wrong, and they are barely limping ahead and only remain in the playoff race because the Detroit Lions aren’t very good either.  They too can be spared blame because losing a star quarterback is as catastrophic as it can get in the NFL. But for the other teams mentioned (Steelers, Texans, Falcons, Vikings) this season has been a major disappointment and it’s hard to know where to point the finger.

The Vikings were expecting big things following their 10-6 record last season and a trip to the playoffs.  Adding veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings and linebacker Desmond Bishop were supposed to be key ingredients for a side ready to get over the hump.  Instead?  They have yet to figure out who their starting quarterback is and have tried 3, who have all largely failed.  The team is 3-8-1 and wondering what on Earth happened and where to start fixing it.

And then there are the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Traditionally built around a strong offensive line and a tough defense, it’s been anything but that for the Steelers.  Their defense is quite average and their offensive line is quite wretched, highlighted by running back Le’Veon Bell’s 3.3 yard average per rush and Ben Roethlisberger’s 36 sacks (4^th highest in the league).  At 5-7, the 2013 Steelers are practically finished and seem far removed from their Super Bowl days past.

But these aren’t even the worst.  No, there are even far greater disappointments in this league.  Let us take a look at the Atlanta Falcons.  This team has been near the top of the NFC for roughly 5 years and was able to convince Tony Gonzalez to come back for one more go-around.  They just fell short in the NFC Championship game last year, and with quarterback Matt Ryan, incoming running back Steven Jackson, and a generally mature squad of playmakers they expected to contend this season.  What happened?  Star wide receiver Julio Jones got hurt, Jackson is clearly over the hill, and Ryan has been frightfully average.  Meanwhile their once respectable defense is morbid and simply cannot get after the quarterback.  They stand at 3-9 while everyone scratches their heads.

And then there’s the most disappointing team of all: the Houston Texans.  Having reached the playoffs in 2011 and 2012, this team was ready to get over the hump and start contending.  Supposed inexperience in the playoffs had doomed them to early exits in those years, but their roster talent was shown as contender-worthy.  Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels, and J.J. Watt are all capable of making highlight plays.  Matt Schaub was as good a game managing quarterback the NFL knew.  But he lost focus.  After endless weeks of pick 6’s, Schaub was cheered when he left a game injured and hasn’t been seen since.  Meanwhile, the team simply hasn’t made impact plays.  They have forced just 9 turnovers on the year (they’ve lost 21), and they crumble under pressure.  Now with fresh quarterback Case Keenum starting (and playing very average) the Texans are 2-10 and eagerly awaiting this nightmare to be over.  Where will they go from here?

The ability of fortunes to be reversed so quickly in the NFL reveals just how close the competition is in the NFL.  Each of these teams have had recent success and made the playoffs quite often, but 2013 simply isn’t their year.  While disappointment is surely running rampant, fans can rest easy with the single thought that next season they will have every opportunity to come back to form.  And at least next year’s NFL Draft will be exciting with a high draft pick!

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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.

Vikings Brett Favre Is Allegedly Calling It Quits

The Associated Press reported today that someone told them that Brett Favre will not return for his second season with the Minnesota Vikings.

The person the AP was referring to alleges that Favre called Brad Childress and texted some of the players and team officials regarding his intentions for 2010. Favre allegedly told them that his injured left ankle was not healing as expected. Since no official announcements have been made, the person who contacted the AP remained anonymous.

After this morning's practices, Childress would not confirm Favre's status with the team. He advised he had not talked with Favre directly but said he may have a message waiting for him.

The AP made attempts to contact Favre and his agent by they would not return messages.

If Favre actually does not return this year, he will end one of the most successful NFL careers in history. He is a three-time league MVP (1995-97) and won the Super Bowl with the Green Bay Packers in 1997. He has made the most Pro Bowl appearances by any quarterback with 11. He holds most major NFL records including touchdowns (497), yards passing (69,329), wins (181), seasons with at least 3,000 yards (18), most interceptions (317), and has been sacked 503 times.

As we have seen in the past, the 40-year-old quarterback may change his mind before the start of the season. All Vikings fans, including staff at AAA Sports Memorabilia, are hoping for at least one more year from their once hated Green Bay Packers quarterback to now beloved Minnesota Vikings quarterback.

AAA Sports Memorabilia has a great selection of Brett Favre sports memorabilia. We specialize in authentic autographed sports memorabilia for all professional sports along with officially licensed sports collectibles. A certificate of authenticity is included with all autographed memorabilia along with a lifetime guarantee.