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.

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 benefits of Burress

Having served a twenty-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to weapons charges, Super bowl winning wide receiver Plaxico Burress is hoping for a second chance in NFL through this year’s free agency.

Recent speculation has produced numerous suitors for the ex-Giant receiver, and most recently he has been linked to the Philadelphia Eagles, an outcome that doesn’t seem so farfetched to most critics.

The Eagles have recently helped reform Michael Vick into a leader that people place their faith in. Vick has also had a troubled past with a prison sentence but has seemingly put his past behind him. Would Andy Reid and offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg relish the opportunity to mould Burress into a superstar again?

Philly already have deep routes covered by DeSean Jackson, and Jeremy Maclin has proven that he is a premium go-to guy but the Eagles could use some assistance converting short third downs. Last season the Eagles relied heavily on Vick’s running game to get those crucial downs, but this method also puts the quarterback hugely at risk of injury.

At the end of last season the Eagles made a swoop for Sinorice Moss, brother of Washington Redskins Santana Moss. Moss had previously been picked up by the New York Giants but due to injuries his time at the Meadowlands was hardly a memorable one. Also added to the receiver equation is tightend Brent Celek and fullback Leonard Weaver, both who were used extensively in McNabb’s last season with Philadelphia. Adaptations to the offence could easily see them playing more roles again in short gains.

So could Burress also feature? It’s a tough choice. Vick would be the ideal mentor for an already reliable receiver who can produce big yards after the catch is made. Will Burress have the same tenacity and attitude to win? Only time will tell.

An Interesting Fact

With the upcoming Champions League final just a day away I started looking at facts about the matches. This then prompted me to look further into stats within the NFL, especially the Super Bowl. One of the facts that interested me the most was that so far if a team returns an interception for a touchdown at the Super Bowl, they have been the winning side proving that a sturdy defence can also win championships.

With further researching I stumbled across a fact that stated certain footballers have won the Champions League with different clubs. Clarence Seedorf was the first player to win the trophy with 3 different clubs, AC Milan, Real Madrid and Ajax.

I wondered whether this had then ever happened in the NFL. Most interestingly enough I discovered that no Quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl ring twice, with different teams and as a starter. It has however been done as a starter and backup quarterback. Kurt Warner was the closest in 2009 with the Cardinals. He had previously won a Super Bowl with the Rams narrowly when the Titans fell short on the one yard line in the dying seconds of the Bowl in 2000.

It seems that unlike football, most Quarterbacks stay very loyal with their teams. I wonder if this record will ever be achieved and if it is, by whom?

Josh Freeman - Mr Underrated

When someone mentions about top quarterbacks in the NFL, players like Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger and Tom Brady come to mind.

They are certainly game changing quarterbacks with the ability to make even the most unlikely miracle happen. Many of the above have produced countless fourth quarter comebacks within the dying seconds of the match to snatch victories. This is what you would expect from a top quarterback, a leader in every circumstance. What you really need is consistency. What use is a quarterback that throws picks instead of completions when under pressure. You need a quarterback that delivers, and does so day in and day out.

The majority of the quarterbacks above have been to Super Bowls and back and proven themselves, but it doesn't mean they are immune from mistakes.

Take Eli Manning. Eli famously led the Giants to a third Super Bowl title against the previously unbeaten Patriots thanks to the help of David Tyree's helmet just three years ago. But the Giants have missed out on the playoffs for the last two seasons showing a dip in form. Last season, despite throwing for over 4,000 yards, 31 touchdowns, he also threw 25 interceptions, his most so far since being drafted in 2004. Maybe he was taking more risks, but the stats suggest they were unnecessary ones. The offensive line conceded just 16 sacks last season, just over half the season prior to that suggesting that they were buying the quarterback time, he was just making the wrong decisions.

Drew Brees, even more of a risk taker, threw 33 touchdown passes, but these came at a cost with the Saints leader being picked off by the opposition 22 times. Brees is an incredibly experienced quarterback and also has the luxury of experienced wide receivers surrounding him so 22 interceptions does come as a surprise.

Everyone raved about Peyton Manning - the 'Field General' producing results with his young team of receivers. The Colts struggled heavily with injuries but still managed to make the playoffs for a 9th consecutive season. He again threw well, for over 4,700 yards but this is always expected from a quarterback with such a high reputation. His quarterback rating overall for the season was incredibly poor in comparison with other top quarterbacks Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers and Michael Vick.

A player in my eyes who deserves more recognition in the 2010-2011 is Tampa Bay's quarterback Josh Freeman. In what was only Freeman's second season, and his first full one he brought the Bucs from a team with a 3-13 record to a very impressive and positive 10-6 record. Unfortunately the Bucs narrowly missed out on the playoffs but Freeman threw for over 3,400 yards, and 25 touchdowns. And at what cost? Just 6 interceptions - equal with Michael Vick. Admittedly Freeman had a bumpy start to the season with 5 picks in the first 9 weeks, but he finished up throwing just 1 pick in the remaining 8 games showing that he is a quick learner and builds upon his mistakes. Freeman also led the Bucs to 4 remarkable comebacks last season which demonstrated his pose and matureness under pressure.

The Bucs are largely constructed on rookie players offensively, the same as the Manning situation. The most senior wide receiver is Maurice Stovall in his sixth year. What Freeman managed to achieve was definitely an impressive second season for such a young quarterback. For a side with very few consistent game changing wide receivers Freeman produced inspirational results and it is a wonder how this talent went so unnoticed amongst euphoria of Vick's comeback season success

Freeman has surely lifted what some fans believed to be a sinking ship in Tampa and the Bucs will be unfortunate to miss out again in the playoffs.