11 AFC Teams Having Winning Records but Only 6 Playoff Spots are Available

It’s going to be a soul-crushing experience in January for much of the AFC.  At the current moment 11 of the conference’s 16 NFL teams have winning records, but just 6 of them will reach the playoffs.  That means that nearly half of the teams that are currently feeling quite good about their season won’t even get to watch their teams compete in a playoff game!  Let’s take a look at who will be figuring to come out of this mess with a postseason berth and who will be looking back at the month of December and wondering what happened.

First, let’s take a look at how this strange scenario has come to be.  One thing odd about the AFC (and the entire NFL) this year is that no team has dominated up until this point.  The best teams stand at 9-3, which is only a 75% winning record.  While good, when we realize that these are the league’s current strongest teams we have great parity.  But at the other end of the standings lies the dark truth.  4 AFC teams have become the dreaded whipping boys of the conference.  The New York Jets, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Oakland Raiders all sit poorly placed at 2-10 or worse.  Their overall atrociousness has been gifting all the other teams easy victories, which is in large part responsible for the current situation.  However, while some of these AFC teams’ wins may be unjustified, the fact that so many are winning will set up for an enthralling December!

What’s truly astounding about these records is that typically strong teams like the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos have very little wiggle room in the upcoming weeks.  Tom Brady and the Patriots are just 2 games ahead of both the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins (both at 7-5).  With games against both teams, New England could possibly lose their division lead and perhaps even a playoff spot!  While I certainly doubt that will happen, the very possibility of it this late in the season speaks to the conference’s strength and equality.

It’s also worth noting that many of these 7-5 teams are going to be playing one another and their records will balance out.  An intriguing situation has developed in the AFC North, where the Cincinnati Bengals hold a 1.5 game lead over the 7-5 Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, and Pittsburgh Steelers.  Each team could conceivably win the division or finish in 4^th!  While a Browns surprise would be delightful, I suspect the Bengals should hold onto the lead.

Elsewhere, I expect the Broncos, Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts to hold onto their division leads while the San Diego Chargers and the Baltimore Ravens should claim the wildcard sports.

However, with these wildcard opportunities still hotly contested, the final weeks of the year will be extremely entertaining as the stakes continue to grow.  For all the contending teams of the AFC, the playoffs are basically starting right now.  No one can afford to slip up and it’s all up to play for.  While the current mass of 11 winning teams lopped in the conference will certainly change in the next month, those who do reach the NFL playoffs will have earned their tickets!

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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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NFL Season Picks Up Right Where it Left Off Last Season

The wonderful thing about the NFL is that with the worst teams getting the top draft picks, and with the inclusion of the salary cap, predicting who will remain dominant from one year to the next is a very inexact science.  Once great teams can implode very quickly while a “worst to first” occurrence in one of the NFL divisions seems to happen annually.  However, after watching week 1 of the 2014 NFL season, it seems like this year has picked up right where we left off from a year ago, with little substantial change.

In short, both Super Bowl participants of last year won big.  The Seattle Seahawks’ tough defense beat up on the Green Bay Packers (whose weak defense continues to look shaky).  Meanwhile, Peyton Manning and his high-octane Denver Broncos offense looked tremendous (even without the suspended Wes Welker) once again in their victory over his former team, the Indianapolis Colts.  However, the Colts still looked competitive, as Andrew Luck nearly pulled off a comeback reminiscent of his heroics last season in the NFL playoffs against the Kansas City Chiefs.  However, against a top-level team like the Broncos, his efforts weren’t enough.

Elsewhere, most of last season’s playoff teams won last week, including the Carolina Panthers, the Cincinnati Bengals, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Philadelphia Eagles.  A few surprises did rattle our predicting senses, like the Miami Dolphins tremendous comeback victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, and the Tennessee Titans dominating the Chiefs, who’s poor form late last season seems to have continued.

Largely though, it was the same players kicking off the year in the fashion we’ve grown used to.  The Dallas Cowboys’ quarterback Tony Romo continued to throw the ball (and the game) away to the defense with 3 interceptions, the San Diego Chargers found a way to ruin a strong lead over the Arizona Cardinals, and the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints battled to an exciting, close game which Matt Ryan and the Falcons won.

And unfortunately, the typical lowest of the low NFL teams continued their atrocious form, reminding fans that they are still paltry teams that shouldn’t even dream of glory; see the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, St. Louis Rams, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

But what does warmly breathe new life for football fans is that the sport has officially returned.  Yes, your specific team may still be dealing with the frustrations of the past and a rather bleak outlook, but at least your Sunday afternoons have returned to normal with all the games on display!

And who knows, there are still 15 games for each team to decide their fate.  The great thing about the NFL season is that teams can easily overcome a loss by proving the doubters wrong the next week by winning and changing their fortunes.  The real drama of the season will arrive come December, when the playoff contending teams must get their acts together and earn vital wins.  But those days are still a long ways away.  For now, it’s time to simply enjoy the action because while half the teams lost their openers, the season still beckons brightly for everyone….Except the Rams…losing Sam Bradford to an ACL again is just tragic!

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The Top 5 NFL Free Agent Signings…So Far

As NFL free agency moves into its second week of existence, the vast majority of premium football stars have already secured lucrative deals with various teams across the country.  Meanwhile that second tier of less talented “squad” players continue to bounce around team visits, holding out hope for a big deal, but probably starting to realize that they may just have to settle for something less than spectacular on the payment front.  Nevertheless, I have taken a look at most of the free agents that have been signed so far and here is my list of the 5 top free agency signings this year:

5.  Hakeem Nicks – While his great play seemed to tail off in the last few years, the failure of the New York Giants has been the team as a whole, and therefore I cannot point the finger at Nicks.  With his quarterback Eli Manning playing terribly and getting little support from a non-existent rushing attack, the Giants simply had a horrendous season.  With the Indianapolis Colts, Nicks will get a fresh start with an incredible young QB in Andrew Luck.  Additionally, he will be gifted the opportunity to learn from future Hall of Fame wide receiver Reggie Wayne in his twilight years. The Colts are going places and Nicks will certainly help with his physical presence!

4.  Julius Peppers – Certainly no spring chicken at 34, many have forgotten just how dominating this player can be.  An athletic freak, Peppers might well have 5 good years left in the tank.  Another benefit in signing with the Green Bay Packers is that he won’t have to be the central playmaker in the defense that already stars Clay Matthews.  This pair of sack masters will probably revamp the team’s defense and could help them get over the hump that is the San Francisco 49ers and become Super Bowl contenders once again.

3.  Josh McCown – While not spectacular, the mature veteran quarterback is exactly what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers need.  While Mike Glennon showed some promise and smart decision-making last year, McCown is someone you can count on.  As the Chicago Bears saw last season, this player was able to fill in and played exceptionally well and consistently made good throws.  While he is already 34, McCown will be the perfect bridge player that will give the Bucs some time to groom Glennon or another potential starter down the road.

2.  DeMarcus Ware – Teaming up with Von Miller and the Denver Broncos, Ware will now be part of one of the premier teams in the league.  While Peyton Manning can keep up the score with nearly everyone, Ware will help make impact plays and sacks on the other side of the ball.  He is on the wrong side of 30, and is coming off of his worst season statistically, but this defensive end will now have the opportunity to play for a legitimate contender and could just push them over the top!

1.  Jairus Byrd – The New Orleans Saints were one of the few teams that actually gave the Seattle Seahawks a run for their money last year.  They already had a pretty stingy defense, but Byrd is a safety that can make the big game-changing impact.  His 22 interceptions since 2009 is right up there with the best defensive backs in the game, and he has a tendency to force fumbles as well.  With creating turnovers being absolutely key to success in the NFL, Byrd is the word that will prove to be well worth all the money spent to secure this deal!

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Can the Seattle Seahawks Build the Next NFL Dynasty Following Super Bowl Win?

After the Seattle Seahawks’ dominating and somewhat surprising Super Bowl performance over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos 43-8, the question on everyone’s mind is whether this team can construct the next NFL dynasty.  The last true dynasty to emerge in professional football was Tom Brady and his New England Patriots, who came to fruition a decade ago and are still very competitive to this day.  But Tom Brady never abused a team in a Super Bowl quite like what we just witnessed, and I suspect that 31 NFL teams are absolutely terrified about competing with the Seahawks in the near future.  Is Seattle going to be unbeatable?

They seem to have all the pieces of the puzzle: A great hard-hitting defense, a strong running game, and a quarterback capable of making plays when necessary.  Perhaps the most important hint that Seattle should find future success is their young age and promising careers up ahead, though as we will discuss, this could become their downfall as well.

The Seattle Seahawks have taken advantage of several great recent drafts and used free agency to fill the voids in order to make this team incredible.  While the early success of star players like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Earl Thomas, Malcolm Smith, and Russell Wilson is an absolute joy to see, it will present a major problem in roughly 2 years.  Still on their rookie contracts, these key players make up just a miniscule fraction of the team’s salary cap.  But when it comes time for their first paydays, the team will be scrambling to manage their salary cap.

Because of these talented and cheap youngsters, Seattle has used their money on many highly prized free agents in the last few years, including Cliff Avril, Sidney Rice, Red Bryant, Chris Clemons, Percy Harvin, Marshawn Lynch, Brandon Mebane, and Zach Miller.  With each of these players making over $5million, there will be little room for re-signing their superstars unless drastic cuts are made.  Unfortunately, they may begin this year, as playmaking wide receivers like Golden Tate and Doug Baldwin are free agents.  Pass rusher Michael Bennett (who led the team in sacks) is a free agent, as are cornerbacks Walter Thurmond and Brandon Browner.  There is simply too much talent on this team for the general manager to afford.  And while that may seem to be a good problem to have, it could also destroy this roster.

After the celebration and merriment in Seattle concludes, they will have to make adjustments.  The team needs to focus on who their true stars are (Wilson, Sherman, Chancellor, Thomas, and Lynch in my opinion) and focus their big-money contracts on them.  The majority of the rest will either have to make serious financial compromises or take their talents and their paydays elsewhere!  While it will be hard for Seattle to replicate this type of success with new players, this has become the standard for the NFL in the salary cap era, and the Seahawks will have to put faith in their ability to keep drafting playmakers in the future.  Only if they can continue to find impact players through the draft will this team be able to survive its impending departures and truly establish a dynasty.  With the modern NFL having such an even playing field and with its salary cap complications, creating a dynasty is harder now than ever.  But after witnessing last night’s beat down, I think anything is possible with this Seahawks team!

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A Preview of Super Bowl XLVIII: Broncos Take On Seahawks

It’s finally here!  Yes, this is it: The BIG GAME!  In less than a week, all the talk will finally come to a screeching halt.  It won’t matter how big of a tool Richard Sherman is, it won’t matter whether Peyton Manning calls it quits after the game, it won’t even matter that this epic Super Bowl will be played in freezing temperatures outside in New York.  No, on the afternoon of February 2^nd, as the sunshine of the great light that has been the 2013 NFL season drifts across the sky and prepares to set, two teams will proudly march onto a football field and compete for the greatest prize in the sport.  What should we expect, and who will come out on top in this fantastic matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks?

There may be some weather during the game like snow or rain, but I don’t think it really will have any effect on the game.  Remember, this is football, and while both passing offenses would surely prefer a comfortable outing, these pros can catch balls and run routes on any surface.  This will be a game of willpower between the two most talented teams in the NFL.

The hyped up and talked about matchup here is the Broncos’ prolific offense vs. the Seahawks’ hard-hitting defense.  Peyton Manning can gouge defenses and broke many records this year.  The likes of Eric Decker, Damaryius Thomas, and Wes Welker can each make great plays.  But the defenses they have faced have yet to be as nasty and powerful as Seattle’s, with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, and Kam Chancellor making plays in the secondary, while Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett put the heat on quarterbacks and generate sacks.  In these big games, I often see such top ranked sides result in a stalemate.  I expect the Broncos to put up roughly 20-25 points and the Seahawks to force at least 1 or 2 turnovers.

But what usually dictates such a matchup is the other side of the game: the Seattle offense vs. the Denver defense.  Both are quite average (Seahawks offense was ranked 17^th, the Broncos defense ranked 19^th).  Whichever of these units rises to the task will win Super Bowl XLVIII.  Seattle harbors an excellent young quarterback in Russell Wilson, though he is young and often falls into that labeling of a game manager.  Marshawn Lynch pounds the ball and makes tackling hard for opponents.  His ability to push the pile will have a great influence on the game’s outcome.

Meanwhile the Broncos defense is built around a team cohesiveness that has grown tremendously throughout the season.  They played their best football as the season wound down and into the playoffs (Champ Bailey’s return also helped).  Although superstar pass rusher Von Miller went down and won’t play, the team still generates some pressure through Shaun Phillips and the rest of the team.  In the last 4 games, the Broncos defense has allowed just 15 points per game, and most of those have come in the 4^th quarter with the team leading by a wide margin.  Remember, this includes tremendous playoff games against Philip Rivers and Tom Brady, who were both largely shut down by the defense.

Therefore, I give the edge to the Broncos.  I think they will slow the Seahawks’ rushing offense and force them to pass.  A couple early Manning touchdown passes will put immense pressure on Seattle to score.  With the ball in Wilson’s youthful hands, expect some costly mistakes late in the game.  I’ll take the Broncos’ experience over Seattle’s talent any day of the week.  Manning will be riding off into the sunset as a Super Bowl champion again, and the Denver Broncos will win this game 24-14.

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Are the Seattle Seahawks America’s Villains Heading to Super Bowl XLVIII?

To me, something strange happened last night as the Seattle Seahawks booked their ticket to Super Bowl XLVIII with an NFC Championship victory over the San Francisco 49ers; the Seahawks became the villains!  They will head to the big game in New York City with the vast majority of casual fans rooting against them.  Here are some things that swayed me in this thinking:

The NaVorro Bowman situation:  The All-Pro 49ers linebacker made an incredible play in the fourth quarter of the game, stripping Jermaine Kearse at the sideline and holding on to the ball, all while sustaining a potentially career-ending injury to his knee.  He fell on the play with the ball and should have been ruled down.  However, the officials made a grave mistake and didn’t rule him down, thus the injured player was swarmed by a scrum for the ball.  Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch ended up with it, but can we really applaud him for ripping the ball out of someone’s hands while they are in agony?  If anything, that’s just dirty play.  Adding insult to injury is that the obvious call was for some reason unreviewable (how is it that there is always a terribly controversial play that’s unreviewable?  Why don’t we just make everything reviewable?).  Further cementing disgust with this team from Seattle was that Bowman had popcorn thrown onto him while he was carted off the field...real classy, Seattle…

Speaking of classy, let’s talk about Richard Sherman, the self-proclaimed best cornerback in the NFL!  While there is no doubt that he made a tremendous play to win the game, his actions afterwards displayed the complete opposite of sportsmanship.  He hardly celebrated with his teammates before running over to pat 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree on the bum, then he went and gave a choke sign to Colin Kaepernick, and then he gave us a postgame interview for the ages, talking himself up and telling Crabtree to shut up.  Richard Sherman is an absolute clown and is now the most hated player in football!

But even before yesterday’s events, the Seahawks have been much maligned.  With 5 suspensions for performing enhancing drugs since 2010, they have been the most affected team.  They also have the most defensive back penalties this season, and have been exposed as cheaters, who hold onto receivers at an alarmingly high rate, knowing that many penalties go unnoticed.  Their head coach, Pete Carroll, arrived from USC where the school’s football program fell into disarray due to NCAA violations that he instituted (he ditched the school right before the mess became public).  The Seahawks have also benefitted from several high profile refereeing errors.  In addition to the Bowman incident, there was the heinous “Fail Mary” episode last year in which the Seahawks were erroneously granted a last second touchdown to beat the Green Bay Packers (I still growl whenever I hear talk about Russell Wilson and his incredible home record!).  And the way the team acted upon winning the game…it was like they had already won the Super Bowl.  Sorry boys, but the toughest test is up ahead…

If there is one hope for football fans, it’s that the “sheriff” is coming to town.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, Peyton Manning is here to save the day.  If there’s any team that can put these annoying sea pigeons to bed it’s Manning and the Denver Broncos.  Go watch Manning’s postgame remarks after the AFC Championship game.  He speaks about how great his “team” is.  He is entirely thankful and humbled by the opportunity he has.  He doesn’t talk about how he’s the greatest quarterback to ever play the game (though he actually is), he doesn’t call out opponents and throw insults.  In fact he called Tom Brady, his defeated competitor, “great.”  He has been the league’s most beloved and respectable character throughout his great career.  And so America at large will clearly be supporting the Broncos in the Super Bowl.  Here’s to hoping that Manning abuses Sherman all day and throws for 400 yards and 6 scores, leading the Broncos to a thrashing over the Seahawks!  May Richard Sherman get burned on several obvious pass interference calls and go crying into the locker room without shaking anyone’s hand following the beating.

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Peyton Manning and Tom Brady Set for Another Epic Duel

This is a rivalry that has dominated the NFL for the past decade.  Both quarterbacks are sure to be in the Hall of Fame and have set and broken each other’s records for several years now.  Although their respective paths to the NFL were nearly polar opposites, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are now going to square off for yet another memorable duel with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.  And with both quarterbacks in the twilight of their careers, this could possibly be the last such matchup with such high stakes at play.  The upcoming AFC Championship could define who gets the last laugh in this famous rivalry!

While Manning was the top pick in the 1998 NFL draft, Brady was picked 199^th in 2000, deep within the 6^th round.  For such a lowly drafted player to even become a starter is a tremendous achievement, but Brady has become one of the greatest quarterbacks ever!  In many respects, he has had an even better career than Manning.  Brady has won 3 Super Bowls, played in 5, and has an 18-7 playoff record that stands as the best ever.  Manning’s achievements are more about the regular season, where he has won a record 4 NFL MVP awards, though he also has 1 Super Bowl ring from 2 appearances.  However, he is often ridiculed for his poor play in the postseason, and has just a 10-11 record after last week’s success.

Throughout the years, Brady and the New England Patriots have dominated this rivalry, owning a 10-4 all time record over Manning mostly during his time with the Indianapolis Colts.  However, Manning did orchestrate a monumental comeback from down 21-3 to winning the AFC Championship game in 2006 en route to winning his Super Bowl.  But in their matchup early this season it was the Patriots coming from down 24-0 to win over Manning and the Denver Broncos back in November.  These are clearly two players who never give up!

So what should we expect this time around?  Peyton Manning and the Broncos have more talent, evidenced by their record-breaking offense highlighted by Demaryius Thomas, Wes Welker, and Eric Decker.  The Patriots meanwhile have been patchwork all season long.  Their two dominant pass-catching tight ends weren’t able to play much.  Aaron Hernandez is headed to prison for murder while Rob Gronkowski only played several game before tearing 2 ligaments in his knee.  They have had to organize the offense around Julian Edelman and Stevan Ridley.  However, their main emphasis of attack centers around their running back LaGarrette Blount.  Brady only threw 25 passes in their last game as Blount ran with power and success.

But with the Broncos offense firing on all cylinders, Brady is likely to have to pass in a game that could easily become a shootout.  Manning clearly has more weapons and talent around him, and he has the full backing of the Denver fans behind him too.  But there’s something about the Patriots.  They are a team that can pick apart an opponent like no other, and they always come to play when the stakes are at their highest.  Head coach Bill Belichick is an absolute genius when it comes to football and I think that the Broncos will get slowed down just enough for the Patriots to win this game.  Blount’s yardage on the ground will keep Manning on the sideline for much of the game and I think Brady will have the last laugh.  Expect the Patriots to be headed to the Super Bowl after winning this one: 28-24.

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Which NFL Team With a Bye is Most Likely to Lose in the Playoffs this Week?

In the NFL, there is a definite goal during the regular season for the best teams to earn one of the top 2 AFC or NFC seeds in the playoffs.  While the other 8 teams had to compete in the wildcard round last weekend, these 4 distinguished teams had the luxury of resting players and gearing up for the final push in the season ahead of the Super Bowl.  Those fortunate squads include the league’s most potent offenses and most powerful defenses.

In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks have been terrorizing opponents’ offenses all year.  Hard-hitting players like Luke Kuechly, Greg Hardy, Richard Sherman, and Earl Thomas are quickly becoming known as some of the toughest in the entire league.  And as the cliché states, “defense wins championships”.  Both teams are among the favorites for the Super Bowl.

But in the AFC, the two top teams feature the legendary quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, who know how to win and how to score points.  Manning led the Denver Broncos and their offense to a record-setting year, while Brady helped the New England Patriots overcome numerous injuries and dismissals to still be among the best teams around.

But while the natural thought would be that these teams would steamroll their way to the Championship games next weekend, upsets have become more and more the norm for NFL games.  Especially for teams that receive a bye in the playoffs, there can often be a bit of a lull and a lost sense of urgency.  Slight rustiness can derail these teams’ hopes very quickly.  Additionally, there is the issue of momentum.  Some of these wildcard teams have been battling all season long, and have been playing in potential season-ending games for a month.  Meanwhile, teams like the Broncos and Seahawks booked their tickets to the playoffs a month ago and haven’t had to play in high intensity matches since November.  This can totally catch a favored team off-guard when a hungry and determined team comes into their stadium ready to fight!

So which team is most likely to be upset this weekend?  The Carolina Panthers.  The problem with the Panthers is that they lack playoff experience.  While the Broncos, Patriots, and Seahawks all have been in many such high profile games, the Panthers haven’t reached the postseason since 2008.  Additionally, this will be quarterback Cam Newton’s first experience in such a game.  Newton is an emotional player and has a tendency to overthrow receivers when rattled.  While he does have big game experience in winning the BCS National Championship with Auburn, he has yet to face an NFL defense in such a high profile game.  The San Francisco 49ers have a defense among the league’s best.  With such a young and inexperienced squad, the Panthers are ripe for the picking.

The one player who does have playoff experience is the team’s top receiving option, Steve Smith, who is likely to play but could certainly be slowed by a PCL sprain late in the season.  With his injury and the youth of the Panthers, I see them facing a severe test in this game.  The 49ers were in the Super Bowl last year and certainly can slow down Newton and the Panthers.  Additionally, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick is a dynamic playmaker, and running back Frank Gore can certainly push the pile.

However, the Panthers did beat the 49ers in a defensive battle earlier in the year, and they clearly have the talent alone to make a Super Bowl run.  I think this game is a definite toss-up and may just be the end of a remarkable season for the Panthers.  While they are certainly the most likely of the top seeded teams to fall this week, the Carolina Panthers still have a great team and could win this game.  Let’s see what happens this weekend in the NFL Divisional playoff round!

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Which Low-Lying NFL Team Can Make a Dramatic Super Bowl Run?

While NFL experts drool over the potential Super Bowl matchup of the likely top-seeded Seattle Seahawks and the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos, history tells us that those NFL Playoff seeds don’t really mean that much.  In fact, in the last 10 years, only twice has a number 1 seed won it all!  In that timespan, we have also witnessed two 6 seeds, two 4 seeds, two 2 seeds, one 3 seed, and one 5 seed win a Super Bowl.  In essence, what matter most is just getting to the playoffs.  From there, it’s anyone’s ball game.  In fact, the pressure of being a top seed and the disruption from a bye week can often derail the Super Bowl favorites from reaching their dreams.

Like any other season, the playoff chase in 2013 is coming down to the wire, and while all the talk is about Manning’s records and the Seahawks’ dominance at home, a whole host of NFL clubs are flying under the radar, waiting patiently for that cold January day when they can stun the nation and complete the big upset.  So who could potentially be a surprise Super Bowl winner come February?

Let’s start with the AFC, where the Indianapolis Colts are the most confusing team around.  While they have won several inspiring games over the Broncos, Seahawks, and 49ers, they have also lost a couple frightening blowouts to the Rams, Cardinals, and Bengals.  Their statistics are extraordinarily average, while quarterback Andrew Luck has struggled a bit in his second year, especially without playmakers Reggie Wayne and Ahmad Bradshaw who were lost to injuries.  It seems like this is a team whose performance simply depends on the day.  At 9-5 and already qualified for the playoffs, anything is possible.

Then there are the Miami Dolphins.  At 8-6 they are in the thick of the playoff race, despite being under .500 just three weeks ago.  If they can continue this stretch of victories (which included a victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots), Miami could come into the playoffs as the AFC’s hottest team.  Like the Colts, the Dolphins have a young quarterback in Ryan Tannehill who is playing pretty averagely.  However, winning games is most important, and if they continue this run, look out!

And lastly there are last season’s champions, the Baltimore Ravens.  Currently at 8-6 and competing with Miami for that final spot in the playoffs, the Ravens are another team on a hot streak looking to join the party.  The statistic that goes in their favor is that save for an opening day beat down by the Broncos, the Ravens have lost their other 5 games by 3 points or less.  By staying competitive down to the wire, they will have opportunities to snatch games away from opponents, like they did in Denver in last season’s AFC Divisional round, and like they did last Monday night in Detroit.  With experience winning it all, a hearty defense, and a quarterback in Joe Flacco that can make the occasional miracle play, the Ravens are a good bet to make a surprise Super Bowl run if they can just reach the postseason.

Now let’s turn to the NFC playoff picture.  The teams that wouldn’t surprise anyone consist of the Seattle Seahawks, the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Carolina Panthers.  But there are some nasty snakes lurking in that playoff race, and one of them could make a serious bite!

First off, allow me to commend the Green Bay Packers for even being in this discussion.  Having seen their season nearly collapse following an injury to Aaron Rodgers, they have now won two games in dramatic fashion with backup Matt Flynn, while their defense has been able to take over several games late down the stretch.  Getting Rodgers back is key to their fortunes, but with exciting rookie running back Eddie Lacy becoming a focal point of the offense, this team finally has real balance.  And wouldn’t it just be some sort of poetic justice for the Packers to make a statement up in Seattle, considering they were the team robbed of a win there by the replacement referees and the historic “Fail Mary” play last year?  If the Packers play Seattle, expect them to come out on top.

But for the Packers to even reach the playoffs, they will have to top the Chicago Bears, who have also survived through a long injury spell to Jay Cutler.  The Bears have serious talent, feature a pounding running back in Matt Forte, and have two highlight stealing wide receivers in Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey.  They will have a tough ask ahead, playing the Philadelphia Eagles and the Packers, but with a stingy defense, this is another team that you shouldn’t overlook.

Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles have intrigued viewers this year.  Based entirely upon a high-octane offense led by budding star quarterback Nick Foles, the Eagles have won 5 of 6 and are finally starting to click, offensively that is.  Unfortunately, their defense is quite horrid, and while they will qualify to the playoffs via a Dallas Cowboys meltdown, I don’t foresee them getting anywhere.

The final team to analyze is the Arizona Cardinals, 9-5 and stuck in 3^rd place in the NFC West.  Ignored due to their highly touted rivals 49ers and Seahawks, the Cardinals are actually a pretty decent team.  They are also hot, winning 6 of their 7 last games.  Veteran quarterback Carson Palmer has brought maturity and belief to the side, while Larry Fitzgerald can still make all the big plays.  But defensively they are stout and can get after the quarterback, led by pass-rusher John Abraham.  Unfortunately, they will have to beat both the 49ers and the Seahawks in the final weeks to reach the playoffs.  But if they can do that and prove their worth, they could certainly be the surprise Super Bowl team.

And so how do I think it will shake out?  I see the most likely surprise teams being the Ravens in the AFC and the Packers in the NFC.  Could they possibly feature in a snowy Super Bowl in New Jersey?  Let’s see how this all unfolds, as they still have to clinch a playoff spot!

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Are the Denver Broncos the Best Team in NFL History?

Through 5 games, the Denver Broncos look to be the best team ever in the NFL.  The numbers speak for themselves:  Their 46 points per game is a full 16 points higher than the Dallas Cowboys, who are in 2^nd place this year.  They are averaging nearly 500 yards per game.  Quarterback Peyton Manning has already thrown 20 touchdown passes to just 1 interception.  That’s more than twice the touchdown passes by Aaron Rodgers, Matt Schaub, Andrew Luck, and Tom Brady.  So while the Broncos are clearly playing head and shoulders above everyone else today (particularly on offense), is this team the greatest we’ve ever seen?  And should we now put our entire life saving’s on this sure bet to win Super Bowl XLVIII?

At 5-0, the Broncos have been perfect, but we all know this is a long season, and those ’72 Miami Dolphins are the lone team to sustain it throughout an entire year.  Recent seasons have seen similar early displays of dominance.  The 2007 Patriots actually went 16-0 during the regular season and put up most of the NFL records that the Broncos will be chasing.  The 2011 Green Bay Packers started 13-0, and Aaron Rodgers went on to break the single season quarterback rating with 122.5 (Manning’s 2013 rating is currently 136.4).  It is worth pointing out though that neither of those tremendous teams won the Super Bowl that year.

The problem with blazing hot starts to an NFL season is that you risk running out of steam.  The Super Bowl champion is usually the team that clicks towards the end of the season, not the start.  Passing becomes more difficult as the temperatures drop, so the games begin to revolve around clock management and rushing attacks.  Knowshon Moreno is off to a decent start this year, but it may have a lot to do with opposing defense’s current pre-occupation in defending Wes Welker, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker.  Also, the Broncos may have a fumbling problem with 6 fumble losses on the year (only the New York Giants have more with 7).

Another common trait among Super Bowl champions is a strong defense.  The jury is still out on the Broncos’ defense.  Although they rank 29^th in yards allowed, their 8^th rank in points allowed resembles an ability to hold down the fort. Also, remember that superstar linebacker Von Miller hasn’t played a single snap this year.  After recording 18 sacks last season, Miller could vastly boost this defense and help terrorize opponents.

Therefore, I think we should optimistic about the Broncos’ Super Bowl chances, but we need to exercise some patience.  Yes, this team is on pace to shatter quite a few records, but when temperatures drop and the team faces some real adversity, we will get a stronger sense of their true capabilities.  It’s also worth mentioning that the Broncos have had a fairly soft schedule up to this point, with their opponents combining to a 9-16 record (excluding games against Denver it is 9-11).  Looking ahead, there are really only 4 tough games on the schedule (2 against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, 1 against the Patriots, and 1 mouth-watering date with Manning’s former team, the Indianapolis Colts).  We will probably have to wait until the NFL playoffs to determine how special this Denver Broncos team really is, and should wait until they actually win the Super Bowl before we start declaring them the best team ever.

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