Teams poised for a Super Bowl run: Part 2

5. Minnesota Vikings - Now I know this might upset a few, and believe me it was a tough decision, but I honestly believe the Vikings could be the dark horses of the NFC this year. They have no pressure at all and not many are mentioning them. As opposed to the start of last season, their offseason movements have mostly gone under the radar, despite picking up quarterback Donovan McNabb in free agency, and losing wide receiver Sidney Rice. Assuming McNabb doesn’t go down injured like Brett Favre did last year, he could be a step in the right direction for the Vikings. And it may be that he is the difference-maker for Minnesota this season, helping them to sneak into the play-offs via a wildcard spot.

Although they’ve lost Sidney Rice, the Vikings still have a number of big playmakers, including Bernard Berrian, Percy Harvin, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe and of course Adrian Peterson. Even while struggling at the quarterback position last season, and missing Rice through injury, they still managed to out rank rivals Chicago Bears in terms of offence, and it seems their defence is still as strong as ever, ranking eighth overall in the league last season.

The Vikings have also been strengthened offensively by the addition of wideout Michael Jenkins, a big-framed receiver who has played under offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave before. Jenkins departed Atlanta after the Falcons traded up to select receiver Julio Jones in the 2011 draft – a move that shocked most back in April.

McNabb may have had a tough season with the Redskins last year, but that was mostly down to a lack of protection from what was a weak offensive line. The Vikings OL, however, was much more impressive – allowing Brett Favre to be sacked just 22 times last season, one of the lowest in the league. With more time to make passes, McNabb could be very dangerous.

Don’t write the Vikings off just yet, they still might pose a threat in their division.

4. Philadelphia Eagles - How could I not include the Eagles after they made big waves in this year’s free agency period. Having already been coined the ‘Dream Team’, the Eagles have a lot of pressure to do well this season, and a Super Bowl appearance is a feat that I see being highly attainable.

They have been the most consistent team in the NFC East in recent years, making the play-offs on eight occasions in the past 10 years. With the few key changes they have made, it is entirely possible to see them finally going the distance.

Having strengthened the roster by bringing in Vince Young as a backup QB, it means that if Vick does get injured, they will have a signal caller who is still capable of getting the job done. Also, with the addition of Cullen Jenkins, Jason Babin and big time cornerbacks Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, hopefully the Eagles’ red zone defensive woes will be put to bed.

3. Atlanta Falcons - With ‘Matty Ice’ Ryan at the helm, the Falcons have come very close to mounting a serious Super Bowl run in recent years. This season, the team will be much the same as last year, with a few new additions. The Falcons surprised a lot of people when they jumped up the draft ladder to pick up wide receiver Julio Jones. Atlanta’s front office must have seen something they like in the player, and he could have a huge role this season with his speed and athleticism. Early reports from pre-season training camp are that Jones has been lighting it up – prompting talk that the team’s decision to give up a whole host of draft picks may be vindicated immediately. The Falcons now have an offence bursting with talent, and one which looks set to explode again this season.

One problem with the Falcons last year was that they lacked a game-changing pass rusher. This lack of pressure on the quarterback left them vulnerable in the secondary and, as a result, they were torn to pieces by Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs. Hopefully by adding Ray Edwards this will not be as damaging a problem as last season.

2. New England Patriots - With Tom Brady back to his best, look out for the Patriots to dominate the AFC again this season. The possibility of an undefeated season for the Pats might not be as laughable as it sounds either, as Belichick has managed to keep most of their key players during the past offseason.

Bill Belichick is a man who knows what he is doing in free agency, and picking up wide receiver Chad Ochocinco and defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will without doubt enhance the team’s Super Bowl prospects.

The most important signing, however, is likely to be defensive end Shaun Ellis. Ellis spent 11 years at bitter rivals the New York Jets , helping coach Rex Ryan mould the defence into one of the most feared in the NFL. Now that he has crossed the bitter divide, he takes with him all his experience and knowledge of how the Jets defence operates. It looks as if the Patriots might just have the edge over the Jets, exactly what they need if they are to pay a visit to Lucas Oil Stadium in February.

1. Green Bay Packers - Everyone is now fully aware of just how dangerous Aaron Rodgers can be. On the back of last season’s success, only a fool would fail to predict them making a return to the big one.
History is also in the Packers’ favour; every other time they have featured in a Super Bowl, they have repeated the achievement the following year.

Last season the Packers did it the hard way, winning the Super Bowl after finishing the year in one of two NFC wildcard berths, and they did it missing key players such as TE Jermichael Finley and RB Ryan Grant. This year, after adding reinforcements in the draft and free agency, the Pack have increased the strength and depth of their roster still further.

They are a legitimate threat to any team in the NFL, and I expect to see them at the summit of their division come January.

The most feared fortresses in the NFL: why home-field advantage can be so important

A hot topic of discussion in the NFL is which venue is the toughest to get a ‘W’ at. There are lots of different reasons why a stadium or field can be difficult to visit – with the weather, type of turf, exuberance of the fans and whether or not the game is played in a dome being key factors.

The question is, which of these aspects contributes most to a home team’s advantage? Is there one team that stands out as being able to use more than one of these factors to their benefit?

Let’s start with intimidating fans. Many teams are notorious for having ruthless supporters, a perfect example being the Philadelphia Eagles fans at Lincoln Financial Field, who are well-known for egging rival teams. Philly’s fans are renowned for being incredibly merciless – and on some occasions even towards their own under-performing players.

It’s not just at the Linc that the callous abusive nature is evident. Cleveland Browns’ fabled Dawg Pound and Oakland Raiders’ Black Hole both create just as uninviting an atmosphere.

But the most talked about fans can be found in Seattle. Known as the ‘12th man’, visitors to Qwest Field have to endure their play calls being drowned out by the decibels of noise the unique stadium design generates. So effective can they be that during the 2005 season a huge 11 false starts were called against the New York Giants.

It is a similar case with the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium and many of the teams that now play in an indoor stadium or dome. These teams can all bring noise to put off their opponents when they need to.

Heinz Field and Soldier Field, home to the Steelers and Bears respectively, earn notable mentions for having the worst playing turf in the league, as well as windy weather conditions. But it is Lambeau Field, home of the Packers, Patriots’ Gillette Stadium and Broncos’ Invesco Field that all experience the worst weather conditions. Especially so when the snow falls in the winter months.

Invesco Field has another trick up its sleeve for opposing teams, however. It’s called Mile High for a reason, and that means the air is much thinner, making it difficult for players to breathe – something the Broncos players are all used to.

But what do the stats say? Well, since the league expanded in 2002, it comes as no surprise that the Patriots are top of the pile with home wins – having a win percentage of 83%. This is closely followed by the Colts with a 79% win rate. Surprisingly, a team that is rarely mentioned when talking about the toughest place to visit, the Ravens, came third in the rankings with 74%.

Fourth were the Steelers and their terrible towels with 71% and in fifth were the Chargers who play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium, the heat being the most problematic issue at their venue. Missing the cut in joint sixth place were the Packers, Eagles, Seahawks and the Vikings. The stats would seemingly suggest that these are the most difficult places to go to and come away with a win.

However, when considering the toughest place to play, it’s understandable that not all the best teams should be ranked at the top. Most of the time good teams will naturally have good home winning percentages. The Colts’ Lucas Oil Stadium is a prime example of this.

Playing in a dome, the Colts do not have to endure adverse weather conditions like they would at other stadia. Their fans are also not renowned for being the loudest or most intimidating in the league, but they continue to deliver when it matters most – perhaps more down to the Peyton Manning factor than any outside influences.

So, after compiling this data about home-field advantage, here are my thoughts about the most impenetrable fortresses in the NFL:

1. Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots – A mix of cold weather and the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady connection.

2. Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Steelers – Terrible Towels, terrible turf and terrible weather: enough said.

3. Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers– Cold, miserable weather and intimidating ‘cheesehead’ fans.

4. Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia Eagles – Rowdy, ruthless and unforgiving. The fans are as unwelcoming as the weather.

5. Quest Field, Seattle Seahawks – The 12th Man!

Motor City madness: is the suggestion of Detroit making the postseason so far-fetched?

Just two seasons removed from an 0-16 record, are the Lions in with a shot of making the play-offs? The short answer is yes.

When Nick Fairley dropped out of the top ten in April’s NFL draft it was never going to be long before someone nabbed him. And when Lions fans saw him within their grasp as he slipped past the Texans and Vikings at 11 and 12 respectively, their eyes must have been watering with the sheer anticipation and giddiness of what the pick could mean.

Sure enough GM Martin Mayhew and coach Jim Schwartz selected the defensive tackle at 13, and suddenly coaches from around the league had their heads in their hands when the realisation of what the choice meant hit home. The Lions had teamed up Fairley alongside last year’s Pepsi NFL rookie of the year Ndamukong Suh (pictured right) to create a formidable wall which has every chance of dominating up-front for years to come.

Opposing offensive coordinators will need every ounce of their attacking nous if they are to run through that barricade. Suh and Fairley could be stuffing halfbacks for the next decade. Add to that an improving offense, which may become great if 2009 first overall pick Matthew Stafford can stay healthy, and it’s difficult to argue against them making a run at the play-offs.

There is one thing, however. The Lions are forced to share the NFC North with Super Bowl champions the Green Bay Packers. Ok, so this is less than ideal. Detroit are nowhere near the level of Mike McCarthy’s world beaters so they won’t touch the Packers for first spot. And yes, on paper, going up against two other teams who have reached the NFC Championship game in the past two seasons suggests their chances may be bleak. But the Vikings are the not the team they were in 2009 when they were buoyed by the resurgence of a battling Brett Favre.

After Brad Childress’ departure and the appointment of former defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Minnesota is in a rebuilding phase. They drafted quarterback Christian Ponder in the 2011 draft and have suggested they want the rookie to start from the outset. One thing is clear in this league: if you don’t have steady and experienced quarterback play, you won’t stand a chance.

Then there’s last year’s NFC Championship losers, and current NFC North champions, the Chicago Bears. At times last season Lovie Smith’s men looked unbeatable. In other games they were average. Despite having the experience of Jay Cutler leading Mike Martz’s offense, there’s something about the Bears which says they won’t be able to reproduce the form they showed last season in making it to the postseason. How accurate an assessment this is, only time will tell.

It’s clear the Lions need a lot to go right for them if they are to reach the postseason, and having the current lockout in place is just another hurdle this young group of players must overcome. But they appear to have the necessary pieces of the puzzle and, with a bit of luck, they may well be the surprise outsider to nick a wild-card berth alongside the Bucs in the NFC South.

Packers to repeat?

Last pre-season there were many analysts predicting the team with the best shot at Super Bowl glory was one of the NFL’s oldest and most decorated: the Green Bay Packers.

GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy had assembled a young, talented crop of developing talent – sourced mainly through the NFL draft, something Thompson believes in so admirably. Then came the injuries, the slip-ups against teams like the Redskins, Dolphins and Lions, and it suddenly dawned on the Packers faithful that the Wisconsin outfit might not even make the play-offs.

The hot team in the NFC were the Falcons, and the Patriots seemed unbeatable once again as they went on an eight-game winning streak in the AFC – one which would have been a 14-game run had they not suffered a surprising loss to the Browns in week 9. Suddenly nobody was talking about Green Bay as a legitimate Super Bowl candidate anymore: big mistake.

The Packers rallied behind their leader Aaron Rodgers late in the season. Having carried his team for most of the year, the quarterback who replaced Brett Favre at the helm was never going to let the two concussions he suffered keep him out for long. Despite a growing list of injuries to key players, Rodgers and McCarthy continued to defy the odds. It seemed that every time someone went down, McCarthy found a way to patch-up what appeared to be a sinking ship. Players such as undrafted rookie Sam Shields stepped up to the plate big time, and after a crushing win against the New York Giants in week 16 the Packers had their postseason destiny in their own hands. Only one team stood in the franchise’s way: arch rivals the Chicago Bears.

In what was a drab encounter Green Bay scrapped a 10-3 win at Lambeau Field and the rest, as they say, is history. Chicago’s loss came back to haunt them as they were outfoxed by Mike McCarthy’s team in the NFC Championship game. The Pack were on a roll, and after demolishing every team like a wrecking ball as they gathered momentum in the postseason, they went on to claim their fourth Super Bowl title, and as number six seeds nonetheless. The question is, can they repeat?

The last time a team won back-to-back NFL championships was six years ago, when the New England Patriots were victorious in Super Bowl XXXVIII and XXXIX. The 2010 champions, the New Orleans Saints, looked well-placed to do so in the eyes of many observers last season. But after a solid, yet unspectacular regular season, which saw them slip under the radar and into the play-offs hot on the heels of division rivals the Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees and co. were unceremoniously dumped out of the postseason at the first hurdle. By a team who won the NFC West with a 7-9 record no less: the Seattle Seahawks.

The Packers have key players such as RB Ryan Grant and TE Jermichael Finley back from injury, and have once again added a strong group of rookies from the draft. Going by what the record books say, the smart money would be on a return to the play-offs, with the franchise falling just short of winning another Super Bowl ring. But then again, every time Green Bay has won a Super Bowl they have reached the big game the following year – winning one and losing the other. If McCarthy and co. can lead a team decimated by injuries and without a running game to speak of – at least until the arrival of James Starks in the postseason – to Super Bowl glory, then imagine what they could do with a fit and healthy roster.

And with Aaron Rodgers having finally stepped out of Favre’s shoes with a Super Bowl ring of his own, there is a real possibility this franchise could become a dynasty over the next decade – much like the Patriots team that dominated the early part of the last one, the 70’s Steelers and Green Bay themselves in the 60’s, when the franchise was coached by the legendary Vince Lombardi. If ever the franchise had a chance to recreate just a snippet of his success, surely this crop of players are the ones who could do it.

The Season Ahead: Chicago Bears

The Bears were another team to feature in the playoffs after Jay Cutler resolved past seasons of numerous interceptions. With an experienced side they had high expectation of another Superbowl.

After losing to the Packers in the last game of the season enabling the Packers to squeeze into the playoffs via a wildcard berth. The two bitter rivals met again in the NFC Championship game. Cutler struggled, Rodgers prevailed and the Bears again fell to the sword of the 'Cheeseheads'.

So can they do it again?

Despite the fact that the Bears had one of the stingiest defences last season I actually believe they will fall short again this season. Cutler came unstuck when it mattered most last season and fell out of favour of the fans. He has always been ridiculed about his inability to maintain consistency throughout all four quarters. This sometimes can affect a players performance in two ways. Will he come on stronger next season and play with a chip on his shoulder or will his confidence drop.

With a tough start to this years schedule I think the Bears could lost their first 3 opening games resulting in the fans loss in confidence with Cutler which in turn will inevitably lead to their downfall this season.

Projected record: 9-7

Playoffs: No

NFC Championship: No

Superbowl: No