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.

Simply Unstoppable?

Devin Hester is one of the most feared special teams players within the NFL. In his short five season career so far he has scored countless punt returns, kick returns and even a missed field goal return.

He currently holds the combined kick returns record in a career of 14, with 10 punt returns and 4 kickoff returns taken all the way to the house. The 10 punt returns and 4 kickoff returns are also records individually themselves but we haven't seen a kickoff return since 2007. Many fans will remember Hester's most significant return of the first play in the 2007 Superbowl against the Indianapolis Colts who later fought back to take their second Lombardi Trophy in their franchise history.

But it is not just from the special teams that he poses a threat. Last season Hester also posted an impressive average of 11 yards per reception, similar stats to Peyton Mannings most favourable receiver, Reggie Wayne.

One of Hester's most impressive returns was in 2006 against the New York Giants where he returned a missed field goal attempt to end zone in what was to be a record breaking 108 yard return. This record was only to last a year as the following season ex-Charger Antonio Cromartie returned a missed field goal attempt for 6 points against the Minnesota Vikings in the dying seconds of the first half. The new record was marked at over a 109 yard return. Unfortunately it made no difference to the outcome as Adrian Peterson went on write himself in the record books clocking up 296 rushing yards, on 30 carries and 3 touchdowns.

Hester's juking, speed, agility and elusiveness have made him one of the most recognised faces in the NFL. Is he unstoppable? The simple solution would be just don't kick to him!

Rams close to fitting missing pieces of the jigsaw – Part One: Defense

After a breakout season for last year’s number one draft pick Sam Bradford, and a young defense which stepped up to the plate under the stewardship of head coach Steve Spagnuolo, Rams fans can be forgiven for believing a return to the good ol’ days of the ‘the greatest show on turf’ aren’t too far away.

Most of the talk pre last month’s draft was dominated by speculation that the Rams needed a no.1 receiver to provide a weapon for offensive rookie of the year Bradford. However, when Julio Jones excelled at the Scouting Combine there was no chance either he, or number one receiver in the draft A.J. Green, were realistically going to fall to St Louis at 14 without a team putting together an expensive package like Atlanta did to grab him as high as six.

The Rams have too many other needs and could not afford the luxury the Falcons had to exchange multiple first and second round draft picks. Disappointing though it was that they were unable to add Jones to the roster, when general manager Billy Devaney and coach Spags saw DE Robert Quinn – rated by many as the best pass rusher in the draft – drop into their laps in the middle of the first round it was an opportunity too good to miss.

Quinn offers an immediate upgrade to the front four and will likely create a formidable pass rush with four-year veteran Chris Long – a former no.2 draft pick in 2008 – and the experienced sack machine James Hall, 34, working in rotation – a tactic coach Spags employed with great success as defensive coordinator of the Giants.

Although the loss of pro-bowl safety O.J. Atogwe to the Redskins and the lack of a ‘shutdown’ corner have created a couple of glaring holes in an inexperienced secondary, the pressure up-front from Hall, Long and Quinn should be enough to counteract this weakness.

Either way, it is clear the Rams need to lure a veteran strong safety or cornerback from the free agency market to put together what would be a young and formidable defensive machine. The best available would be former Oakland Raiders defensive back Nnamdi Asomugha, but it is unlikely St Louis will have the financial resources to tie down a guy who is seen by most as the best cornerback in the game.

The lack of talent in the free agent market at that position is why there were cries from fans to snatch Prince Amukamara instead of Quinn in the first round of the draft, before he ultimately fell to the Giants.

But although it would have significantly enhanced the secondary there would still be the need of addressing the safety position, and it’s clear that, despite an ultra-productive season in 2010, Hall is unlikely to hit the same heights with his aging body, meaning Quinn’s selection was the more sensible. Especially as C.J. Ah You struggled badly as the third DE towards the end of the season, after what had been an encouraging start.

Instead, coach Spags has placed his faith in veteran cornerback and defensive captain Ron Bartell to lead the back seven alongside battalion leader James Laurinaitis – who was the centre piece of a stellar defensive unit at the middle linebacker spot. Bartell needs to marshal second-year cornerback Jerome Murphy, rookies Jermale Hines, Mikhail Baker and Jonathan Nelson, and promising young DB Bradley Fletcher – who collected four takeaways last season.
But the team is still short of experience on this side of the ball.

If St Louis could attract the services of safety Eric Weddle from the Chargers, Ike Taylor from Pittsburgh and an OLB like Chad Greenway from the Vikings, they could be the missing pieces of the puzzle. And signing players like Greenway, Taylor and Weddle to help mentor St Louis’ young group of defenders brings with it the real potential of turning the rebuilding franchise into one of the most feared outfits in the NFL.

It’s a long-shot, but coming off the back of a season where the team won more games than the previous three put together, the mere talk of it has got Rams fans excited about the team’s future.