5. Baltimore Ravens
2012 Regular Season: 10-6 2012 Post Season: Super Bowl Champions
While
history doesn’t typically favor previous Super Bowl contenders in being able to
make a run at a second consecutive title, after a surprising display of heart
and perseverance that was the hallmark of their Super Bowl run, the Ravens have
a great shot at making it back to the big dance. While this may be hard to believe considering
their defense has been systematically picked apart since the start of free
agency, remember that throughout most of the regular season the Ravens were
able to overcome defensive adversity by allowing their offense to take over the
helm. If their superb performance in
last year’s playoffs is any indication of how stellar this team can be during
the regular season, then the odds of them winning the Lombardi trophy are not
quite as farfetched as some may believe.
4. New England Patriots 2012 Regular Season: 12-4 2012 Post
Season: Lost in AFC Championship
As long as
Tom Brady is at the crux of this powerhouse offense, you can never count the Patriots
out as a potential contender. While they
have come up short in their last two appearances, since those disappointing and
demoralizing loses, this team has incrementally improved on both sides of the
ball. Not only do they have an adequate
secondary and a young imposing defensive front, but their ability to run the
ball consistently and effectively has also improved drastically in the last
couple of years. The only disheartening
aspect of this teams ability to make it back is the loss of the their go to
slot receiver Wes Welker. Over the past
several years Tom Brady was able to develop a strong and reliable rapport with
the highly touted receiver that has been quintessential to their regular season
successes. Still, the Patriots have been
known for being able to effectively rebuild their offense and on top of that
they still have arguably the best tight ends in the league in Hernandez and
Gronkowski.
3. San Francisco
49ers 2012 Regular Season: 11-4-1 Post Season: Lost in Super Bowl
This team is built to win
championships. Their offensive line
alone is far and away one of the most versatile and consistent fronts currently
in the NFL. Couple that with a stellar
set of receivers and reliable tight ends and it would seem that you would have
all the necessary ingredients for a dominant NFC team. However, the main concern that prevents the
49ers from being at the top of this list is their quarterback. While this may seem extremely surprising
given his innate talents in terms of running the read option, after watching
the Super Bowl it is clear that even this dynamic offensive scheme has its
weaknesses. On top of that, teams across
the NFL will have the entire off-season to study Kaepernick to make his fluid
actions seem less unpredictably savvy.
However, if Kaepernick continues to build off his unexpected successes
of last season, than he has the potential to be not only a confident and
respected young quarterback, but also a future Super Bowl champion
2. Green Bay Packers 2012 Regular Season: 11-5 Post Season:
Lost in Divisional Round
If you have one of the best
quarterbacks in the league year in and year out, then chances are you will be a
continual threat come post-season play. Aaron
Rodgers has more than proven that he is not only the best quarterback in the
league but that he is clearly the face of this hopeful and passionate Green Bay
Packers organizations. While Rodgers’
individual accolades are nothing short of spectacular, the rest of teams
isolated performances don’t quite meat this lofty standard. The defensive front lacks complete
consistency, and their running game, while improved, has never been a reliable
component of how the Packers run their high-octane offensive attack. If this team can fully utilize not just Aaron
Rodgers, but also the other essential aspects that are required for a
definitive championship run, then watch out folks because we’ll be in for a
hell of a ride.
1. Atlanta Falcons 2012 Regular Season: 13-3 Post Season:
Lost in NFC Championship
Offensively, this team has it
all. They have a superb quarterback in
Matt Ryan along with two of the best and reliable wide outs in the league in
Julio Jones and Roddy White. On top of
that, one of the most prolific and battle tested tight ends in the NFL (Tony
Gonzalez) has decided to forgo retirement for one more year to come back and
valiantly compete for a championship.
While the Falcons running game has been relatively non existent as of
recently, that looks to change with the advent of their recent acquisition in
Steven Jackson, a consistent 1,000 yard rusher who has at times single handedly
carried the St. Louis Rams. The only
blemish that would prevent this team from reaching NFL stardom is a stifled and
deflated defense that has failed to crack the top 20 in terms of effectiveness. If the Falcons can address this issue by
using its given draft picks effectively, then we could potentially be witnesses
to one of the most complete and awe inspiring teams to enter 2013 NFL season.
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