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 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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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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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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2013 NFL Wildcard Playoff Games Preview

The 2013 NFL Playoffs have finally arrived, and they are all set to begin with the wildcard matchups this weekend. While the league’s top 4 teams earned bye weeks and get to rest their weary legs, these underdog football teams will be put to the test right away, with their entire seasons hanging in the balance.  While these supposed “lesser” NFL squads have a long and hard road to the Super Bowl, such teams often do win the big dance, so none of them should be counted out.  But who will get past that initial first hump and into the divisional round?  Here is a preview for the NFL wildcard games this weekend:

Kansas City Chiefs at Indianapolis Colts – The Chiefs will probably lose this game.  Not only did they lose to the Colts 23-7 just two weeks ago, but they have now lost 5 of their last 7 games, a rather grounding experience following their 9-0 start to the season.  The only playoff team that the Chiefs have beaten is the Philadelphia Eagles.  Meanwhile, the Colts have topped the 49ers, Seahawks, and Broncos, making them one of the most dangerous teams around.  Is Andrew Luck ready to lead a playoff run?  I think so:  Colts win 23-7.

New Orleans Saints at Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles rebounded from a bad start and now feature one of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses.  With the emergence of quarterback Nick Foles, the team thrives around the explosiveness of DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy.  However, the Saints also feature a high-scoring offense led by Drew Brees.  They have quite a strong defense and could have potentially earned a bye if not for the surprising year by the Carolina Panthers.  Although the weather will be cold, I foresee a shootout with the Saints winning through a defensive stand late in the game:  Saints win 41-35.

San Diego Chargers at Cincinnati Bengals – This is a total offense vs. defense matchup.  Philip Rivers leads a delightful passing attack by the Chargers, while the Bengals defense is amongst the best in the league.  These are two solid teams that could both do well in the playoffs, but I think the miraculous Chargers dream ends this week, as Andy Dalton and AJ Green should be able to muster enough points while the Chargers get slowed down by that defense.  Nevertheless, the game should be close, possibly featuring a poetically just missed field goal by the Chargers at the end of regulation:  Bengals win 20-17.

San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers – The 49ers have the key ingredients for success in the playoffs: a strong defense and a powerful rushing attack spearheaded by Frank Gore.  They amassed a 12-4 record but are forced to go on the road as a wildcard team due to the great year by the Seattle Seahawks.  The Packers suffered to an 8-7-1 record with quarterback Aaron Rodgers missing nearly half the year.  However, he returned last week and won in miraculous fashion over the Chicago Bears, converting a dramatic last-minute 4^th and 8 for a touchdown.  They also have a strong running game led by rookie Eddie Lacy.  However, their defense is very questionable.  But with temperatures set to be in the single digits at Lambeau Field, this game will be a major test for both sets of players.  While Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers have dominated the Packers in recent games, Green Bay looks invigorated with Rodgers back at the helm, and I see them as a team of destiny: Packers win 28-24.

No matter which team you are rooting for, whether or not your team is in the playoffs, AAA Sports Memorabilia has a collectible for you.  We have a great selection of NFL collectibles and autographs.  New items are added daily so visit us often to see what we have for you.

Super Bowl XLIV Items Will Be Authenticated by PSA/DNA

The NFL is expected to use over 100 footballs during Super Bowl XLIV.  Eventually these footballs will be collector's items and to ensure their authenticity, the NFL has hired the world's largest sports memorabilia authentication company, PSA/DNA Authentication Services, to certify all the footballs used in the Super Bowl.

 

Because of the enormous amount of sports memorabilia counterfeiting around the world, PSA/DNA will be using a very unique method in "tagging" the footballs.  The footballs will be "tagged" with a specially-prepared synthetic DNA link that leaves an invisible to the eye security mark.  This DNA strand will only be seen when illuminated with a special laser frequency. 

President of PSA/DNA, Joe Orlando, advises, "The DNA link has an astronomical 1-in-33 trillion chance of being accurately reproduced by counterfeiters."

 

This DNA link will also be placed on items such as sideline pylons and flip coins.    

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Rhodes Arrested for DUI

Indianapolis Colts' running back Dominic Rhodes faces a DUI charge after State Troopers arrested him earlier this morning. Rhodes was pulled over after troopers caught him driving 81 mph in a 55 mph zone in a GMC truck on Interstate 65.

Troopers have reported that it was a "normal" DUI arrest and that Rhodes was cordial during the incident. Rhodes is expected to be released after his initial hearing which is typically routine procedure.

Rhodes had an exceptional season for the Colts even though he shared the backfield with Rookie Joseph Addai. He had been Edgerrin James' backup since 2001 and had the opportunity to take the position outright in 2006. Even though he shared the limelight with Addai, Rhodes still managed to rush for 641 yards and 5 touchdowns. He has a total of 2,274 yards over the past six years.

Rhodes has been in trouble with the law before. He had been arrested for domestic assault back in 2002 against his child's mother.

Rhodes is a free agent and with Addai's spectacular rookie performance for the year, one could speculate that Rhodes may not be back with the Colts this year. This arrest probably does not help his cause, unless maybe he tells Dungy he was only celebrating Dungy's decision to stay with the Colts!

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Tony Dungy Will Return to the Colts in 2007!

Tony Dungy will get another shot at the big game in 2007. After rumors that Dungy may leave the team, he made an announcement that he will return as the Indianapolis Colts' head coach.

Dungy will once again make the Colts a impressive team and should have good chances to repeat and win the Super Bowl next year.