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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What a Way to Kick Off the 2014 NFL Season: Packers vs. Seahawks

American sports fans fear not!  After months of inactivity, endless baseball highlights, and pointless preseason games, football is finally set to return with the cool, fall weather that awaits us.  Up first is Thursday’s heavyweight NFC encounter between the Green Bay Packers and the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.  Filled with great players, powerful teams, and a nice bit of historical controversy this game should warm the palates of football fans everywhere and bring a delightful return to the competitive regular season.

But first to the game, and what a game it shapes up to be!  Both teams have playmakers all over the field.  For Seattle, it’s all about their hard-hitting defense led by cornerback Richard Sherman and safety Earl Thomas, both of whom pack a serious punch.  The Packers defense also features stars, but in the form of pass rushers Clay Matthews and the incoming free agent Julius Peppers.  With such impressive guys on the defensive sides of both teams, we can expect a physical fight in which moving the chains could become problematic.

However, both teams also feature great running backs.  Eddie Lacy of Green Bay played admirably last season, especially after Aaron Rodgers’ injury.  Meanwhile, Marshawn Lynch is as tough as they come.  Both backs are strong and push the pile, which will exhaust the defenses and create time for both quarterbacks.

At the quarterback position both teams will feel confident.  Russell Wilson is still young but proved himself in leading his team to a Super Bowl title.  He has great poise and makes plays with his feet as well as his arm.  Rodgers is a former MVP that can torch any defense on his day.  He also has the better receiving options.

But defensively the Seahawks certainly have the edge, and that’s why they won the Super Bowl last year.  In all logic, Seattle should come out and win this home game at CenturyLink Field with its legendary 12^th man (loud fans).  But after a trip down memory lane, I believe the Packers will have the edge in this game.

2 seasons ago the Packers played the Seahawks early in the season under the watchful eyes of the NFL’s replacement refs, hired after a referee lockout that dragged into the regular season.  In one of professional football’s most embarrassing moments, Seattle won the game on a ridiculous Hail Mary catch that was actually intercepted by a Packers’ player. In what is now known as the “Fail Mary” game, Green Bay was robbed of a win and the NFL’s referee dispute was ended overnight as they quickly agreed to terms with the usual (top caliber) officials.  No doubt the end of that game will still be burning for many of the players on the Packers team (and perhaps some lingering guilt still remains deep within Seahawks players).

This game is all about revenge for the Green Bay Packers, and they have the qualities to actually beat the Seattle Seahawks, even in front of their home fans and with their menacing defense.  Additionally, the new emphasis on penalizing over zealous defensive backs (like Sherman) should further aid Green Bay in their cause.  Yes, Seattle will be in a celebratory mood after a well-earned Super Bowl victory, but I think the Packers steal this game late in the 4^th quarter, 27-24.

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Get Ready NFL Fans: Football Season Is Upon Us!

Late summer heat is in the air, and the early reports from football training camps have been making their way to eager fans of the NFL; football season is coming!  For nearly half a year since the blowout that was Super Bowl XLVIII, supporters of each team have been waiting and waiting for this moment.  With the NFL preseason just around the corner, we can thankfully say that it is time for football once again.

Like every other year, unknown questions, blind hope, and a sense of excitement are building around the country.  Will the Seattle Seahawks be unstoppable, just as they were towards the end of last season?  Will Johnny Manziel or any other rookies take the NFL by storm?  Which lousy team will experience the miraculous turnaround to the playoffs that seems to occur every year?  These questions will begin to be answered in the weeks ahead.

But first we must endure the preseason games featuring a lone series by our favorite stars before the fringe players and squad hopefuls take the field.  While the occasional touchdown bomb by Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers will excite the fans, we know that these games are completely meaningless.  While we did receive a hint about the Seahawks for their 4-0 preseason record in 2013, what can we say about the league’s other 4-0 team, the Washington Redskins?

But while all the roster cuts and occasional injuries will keep fans on their toes all August long, we can welcome back the regular season with open arms in just one month.  On September 4^th, we will witness the Green Bay Packers playing the Seahawks in a rematch of one of the NFL’s most infamous games:  The Fail Mary game.  How it will turn out this time around is anyone’s guess, but I’m hopeful that it will be a marvelous spectacle kicking off the great season ahead.

While many mouthwatering fixtures will draw intrigue in the opening months of fall, we know that the NFL season will gradually build in excitement until the incredible winter games of the playoffs, and the eventual celebration of Super Bowl XLIX next February.  We certainly don’t know which games will be the most exciting until at least 6 weeks in (though fortunately flexible scheduling should showcase the best games each week), but for a fan of any team, what does it really matter so long as your favorite team is playing?

I could sit here and pick 5 teams I fully expect to contend for the Super Bowl, but what’s the point?  Right now, every team sits as equals at 0-0, and their players are roughing it out in the summer training camps, bracing themselves for the tough games ahead, which are certain to test every bit of their strength and perseverance.  This is what football is all about, and it has just gotten underway in the most serious manner for every team in the NFL.

And so as preparations are made for the upcoming NFL season, let’s sit back and count down the days until our precious football returns to action and celebrate the growing anticipation of our favorite sport!

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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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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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Five Crucial Games in Week 2 of the NFL

Manning vs Manning

The NFL season is hitting full swing once again, and with it comes another exciting batch of football games in the week ahead.  Of course this early in the season, every team still has hope and optimism for what lies ahead, meaning that fans of all the teams can enjoy the sport once again before the crushing realities of the season sink in.  However, most of the contending teams are already known and their games will be a bit more exciting than the games between those desperately hopeful and woeful teams.  Here are 5 must-see matchups in the week ahead:

 

1.  Washington Redskins vs. Green Bay Packers – Both teams were in the playoffs last year, but both teams also lost in their first game of the season.  The 49ers beat the Packers again, while the intense new offence of the Eagles proved too quick for the Redskins defense.  Will Robert Griffin III be ready this week?  He sure looked rusty against the Eagles.  Whichever team loses this game is going to be in full panic mode after an 0-2 start to the new year.  I feel that Packers, led by the maturity and skill of Aaron Rodgers, will win this one.

 

2.  New York Jets vs. New England Patriots – Although the Patriots won against the Buffalo Bills led by rookie E.J. Manuel, it was a much tighter game than any Patriots fan would have liked.  Meanwhile, Geno Smith was a hero for the Jets and led a late game-winning drive.  With the Patriots defense not looking that good, could the Jets spring a surprise?  I highly doubt it, and I’m sure Tom Brady and his team will look better at home, but with new receiver Danny Amendola expected to miss this game, Brady is simply running out of offensive weapons.  This game could be quite close, but in the end you would have to be a bit crazy to pick against the Patriots against another rookie in their home opener.

 

3.  San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks – This is said to be the monumental struggle in the NFC West, with both teams winning in week 1 after having productive 2012 seasons.  With mighty defenses and exciting quarterbacks, this matchup should be a feast for the eyes and is surely the game of the week.  I still think the 49ers have the edge and that Colin Kaepernick is a better quarterback than Russell Wilson, but the Seahawks at home are a monstrous force, having won all their home games last season.  Hopefully a close game that comes down to the wire, I’m picking the 49ers here.

 

4.  Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants – Peyton Manning against Eli Manning is always going to be a treat, but while big brother Manning and the Broncos looks to have the best team in the league, the Giants had a pathetic showing in Dallas, stumbling out of the blocks.  Now they’re looking for help from 31-year-old Brandon Jacobs, who hasn’t rushed for 1,000 yards in a season since 2008.  Although the Broncos are the clear favorites and I’m picking them to win, don’t count out the Giants.  They are routinely the team that overcomes the odds and beats the best teams.  However, that usually happens late-season in the playoffs.  The Broncos will win this game.

 

5.  Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals – While Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers look like a team in decline, the Bengals are on the ups with A.J. Green and Andy Dalton.  However, let’s not get carried away.  The AFC North is as competitive as any division, and both teams came out losers last week.  The Bengals are expecting a big year this season and the pressure is on, while the Steelers are flying real low under the radar.  While neither team looks like real contenders, this game should still be a major battle between heated rivals, and should be quite entertaining.  I’m picking the Bengals because I like cats…

 

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