It’s getting to be that time of year when the NFL’s top teams really start to show themselves. At least that’s what we’ve seen in the past. It’s been difficult this season to find a true front-runner. The Chiefs and Broncos received a lot of love early on, though that’s come to a stop rather quickly. The Patriots are of course part of the conversation, as are the Saints and Seahawks. But who really has the best shot at winning the Super Bowl?
I’m going to ignore all the teams in the NFC East and NFC North. The Packers problems run deeper than just Aaron Rodgers, and if he were healthy they still aren’t true contenders. A quarterback cannot alone win the Super Bowl. He’s great, no doubt about it, but he would not be able to take that team all the way this season. I don’t see much reason to talk about any AFC North teams either. They’re all under .500 aside from the Bengals, and the Bengals haven’t won a playoff game in over 20 years. They’re probably not breaking that streak this year and they’re not winning the Super Bowl. The AFC South is another division with no shot. The Colts have to be the most difficult team to predict in the NFL, and Luck is still too young. He could lead them to the playoffs, but they’re not getting a ring this year.
So whose left? Chiefs, Broncos, Patriots, Saints, Seahawks, Panthers, and 49ers. Of those teams, I’d rule out the Chiefs first. Injuries to their defense are going to kill them. Alex Smith is capable, but not great. The only teams over .500 they’ve beaten this year are the Cowboys and Eagles – not exactly stellar wins. They’ve had an easy road and are starting to be exposed. They’re out. I also don’t believe in the Broncos. We all know about Peyton’s postseason shortcomings, and they just gave up a 24-0 halftime lead. Great teams don’t lose games like that. Sure it was Brady on the other side of the field, but that shouldn’t matter. Peyton won’t be getting his 2nd ring this year.
That of course leaves the Patriots in the AFC. Their remaining schedule is weak (Texans, Browns, Dolphins, Ravens, Bills) and they have best head coach in the NFL. I don’t know how Belichick and Brady constantly turn no-names into Super Bowls, but they do. My pick for the AFC team in the Super Bowl is the New England Patriots. Pardon me while I go puke.
The NFC is way more cluttered. I like Seattle, but only at home. I think the 49ers are starting to get hot at the right time once again, but it may be too little too late. The Panthers just don’t scare me yet, I think they’re about a year off. Plus I feel like Carolina is missing a big wide receiver, and yes that is a shot at Steve Smith. He’s fast, he has great hands, and makes some ridiculous catches. If he were AJ Green’s size he’d probably be on his way to Canton. But he’s not. His height is a disadvantage no matter how much he says it isn’t. If the Seahawks have home-field advantage, I’d take them the whole way. But I want to see how their defense responds to the suspensions that were recently announced. They have the Saints at home in their next game in what could very likely be a preview of the NFC Championship game.
But that brings me to the Saints. They got Sean Payton back and have gone back to their winning ways. The offense is just as high-powered as ever and the defense has been massively improved. After their matchup with Seattle they have the Panthers twice with the Rams and Bucs in between. I really think it’s going to come down to Seattle and New Orleans for the NFC, and whoever is at home will win.
My wildcard pick in all of this is Arizona Cardinals. They’re playing some good football right now and Carson Palmer is just wily enough to take them on a deep playoff run. Do I think they’ll win the Super Bowl? No, not really. But they’re worth mentioning.
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