The next category of teams I am ranking are the teams that I consider
to be playoff contenders. These are
teams I don’t see as Super Bowl contenders but either as solid playoff teams or
teams that will be fighting for a playoff spot.
1.
Atlanta Falcons
I really can’t believe that I have the Falcons this high in the
ranking. They will probably win 10 games
win a division and have a home playoff game.
Do I see the Falcons winning the Super Bowl no… but they still are a
pretty consistent team that you know what you are getting every week. Considering I see down years coming from the
Saints and Panthers then the Falcons will probably be the main beneficiary from
that. They have a solid quarterback, a
great receiving core, a solid running game and a solid defense. To me they have all the tools of a team that
is can win in the playoffs and not good enough possibly to win a playoff game
and definitely not good enough to win the Super Bowl.
2.
San Francisco 49ers
Last year the 49ers came out of nowhere to win the NFC West and came
within a muffed punt of going to the Super Bowl. However I just don’t think they are as good
as they were last year. They had almost
no injuries last year and their turnover differential was unfathomably
good. I think because of their signings
of Randy Moss and Mario Manningham their offense will actually be worse. Last year at last their offense never turned
the ball over, this year involves Alex Smith taking shots down field and to me
that means a few more touchdowns and a lot more interceptions. The only reason I see them doing this well is
that their defense is probably still the best in football and the division they
play in is extremely week. Overall
though a team with Alex Smith at quarterback
3.
Buffalo Bills
Am I overrating the Bills because I’m at Bill fan? Probably! Really though I think the Bills are a very
scary team this year that is going to win a wild card spot. They have a great running game, and a great defensive
line. Personally though, and I feel like
I’m getting repetitive with this, it comes down to the play of the
quarterback. Ryan “the Amish Rifle”
Fitzpatrick was a great quarterback until he broke his ribs and from that point
forward he was average at best. I think
that Fitz can come back and be the player he was before he broke his ribs so he
can lead the Bills into the playoffs.
They have a great deal of elite players like Fred Jackson, Stevie
Johnson, Mario Williams, Kyle Williams, and Marcell Dareus. I’m in on the Bills so much because this is
probably the most talented Bills team since I became a fan and I have to think
that they are going to be a playoff team.
4.
Dallas Cowboys
Honestly now we are at the three teams which I honestly don’t know how
good they are going to do. The top 3
teams in the NFC East are all good, extremely talented, and extremely
inconsistent and unpredictable teams. So
my thought pattern is that the Cowboys and the Giants were basically talent
wise the same team last year, it came down to Miles Austin losing a pass in the
lights. So to me the Cowboys had the
better offseason and despite some major injury worries on offense I think their
defense is going to be much better than last year. I think their offense is still very talented
with the now underrated Tony Romo, Miles Austin, Dez Bryant among other
weapons.
5.
New York Giants
Who are the New York Giants? Are
they the team that was quite lucky to win 9 games and only beat one playoff
team in doing so, or are they the team that went through the playoffs beating
the Falcons, Packers and Patriots? This
team has great players all over the field but they are also really bad at other
things. I have no idea how they are
going to be this year, all I know is that they have a great passing game and
defensive line, a decent back 7 and a horrible running game. This team got outscored last year and then
ended up winning the Super Bowl.
Personally though I just think the team is way too inconsistent for them
to be any better than about a 9-7 team.
6.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have the most talented team that I am not putting in the
Super Bowl contenders and possibly have the most talented team in the
league. The biggest issue is that I don’t
see Michael Vick staying healthy for a full season and without Vick I don’t see
the Eagles being successful. They have a
strong running game, but part of that is having Vick, and statistically running
quarterbacks like Vick have a tendency to make the team’s running game much
more effective. This has shown to be the
case through Vick, Newton and Tebow among other players. The defense should be better than last season
as the defensive coordinator now has some experience under his belt and should
utilize players like Nnamdi Asomugha better this season. Who knows this team could easily win double
digit games and be a high playoff seed but right now I can’t see them being an elite
team. Also for all Bills fans out there
Trent Edwards is there 3rd string quarterback… do with that whatever
you like.
7.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints last season were an elite football team with an elite
offense and an elite coach whose combined prowess of those 2 players is
probably only exceeded by the Patriots.
However the Saints just had way too many issues this offseason for me to
think that they were going to be successful.
Their top 5 coach in football is suspended the entire season and his replacement
is suspended for the 1st 6 games.
This combined with multiple important defense players facing suspension,
most notable among them Jonathon Vilma.
The Saints defense will be so bad this season, and I have to think that
the offense is going to be less sharp so it is hard for me to see the Saints
being an elite team. This is a team that
will probably be fighting for a playoff spot and I think will be lucky to get
it.
8.
Detroit Lions
Since 2008 the Lions have made the progression in wins from 0 to 2 to 7
to 10. Based on this progression it
would seem that the Lions were about to break through and have an elite
season. There is a strong case for this
to happen but personally I don’t think that it will. For one I think Stafford is an elite
quarterback in this league and will probably win a Super Bowl and could win
league MVPs at some point but right now I think he is in for a bit of a letdown. I’m expecting a bit more picks and a bit
worse production from Stafford and since the team is built around him throwing
to Calvin Johnson I see them being a bit worse than last season. Really though this is a team built around
offense that only has one elite level target for Stafford, so if Johnson’s level
of play even slips a bit the offense could fall off substantially.
9.
San Diego Chargers
Now we get to the team that is probably going to go out of its way to
attempt to lose this division. Year
after year the Chargers have the best team in the division but shoot themselves
in the foot and end up losing it. This
year though I think the Chargers don’t have a supremely talented team, but they
do have one that might be good enough to win it. They are flying under the radar and if Rivers
improves his play even a little from last season then why wouldn’t the Chargers
be just a bit better than last season.
Rivers interceptions increased substantially from his career norms and
if you look at when that happens to a quarterback then the numbers usually
bounce back to their normal numbers the season after. Eli Manning for example, he led the league in
picks 2 seasons ago and then the season after was an elite quarterback leading
the Giants to the Super Bowl.
10.
Denver Broncos
Having the Chargers above them tells you all one thing about this season;
I don’t see Peyton Manning’s Broncos as a playoff team this year. Actually the only reason I am even putting
them here is out of respect for Peyton Manning.
The problem is that even if Manning returns to his level of play that he
was in his last season he played then I’m not sure that’s good enough to make
the playoffs. The problem that everyone seems
to be forgetting is that the Broncos were extremely lucky to get to 8 wins last
season and really should have been a 5 or 6 win team. So if you are going off of that basis is
Manning good enough to lead a bad football team to 9 or 10 wins? I don’t think
so. That is of course going of the basis
that he is going to stay healthy which I’m not sure if you know this but he has
had 4 major neck surgeries so that is not a guarantee. If Manning does miss some time they have
Caleb Hannie as the backup quarterback.
Who is Caleb Hannie? Only arguably the worst quarterback in NFL
history. Hannie is like if you Tim Tebow
except he threw a lot more picks, couldn’t run the ball well and didn’t have a
Jesus like ability to win games. There
is also the problem that the rest of the team isn’t good at all, they have a
bad receiving core, a running game elevated by Tebow and an extremely overrated
defense. That’s why I really don’t see
the Broncos as a playoff team but because they play in a weak division and do
have Peyton Manning I will give them a shot.
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