Two-part post today as I wanted to break down the AFC and NFC teams vying for the Super Bowl. Many people have come up to me over the past week or so and called me crazy for thinking that New England and Pittsburgh have distanced themselves and have the best chance at winning the Super Bowl.
You can give me every point possible to argue in favour of the other 10 teams, but you’ll never convince me that any of the others belong in the same category. First up, let’s talk about the AFC.
New England Patriots/Pittsburgh Steelers
I’ll put them in the same category because I have them as my two favourites to win the Super Bowl. It’s a shame that they’ll end up facing each other in the AFC Championship game. Both teams have dealt with adversity so well and deserve to have the first-round byes. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have taken possibly their weakest team on paper and received the same results as any other year. Meanwhile, the Steelers dealt with the loss of Ben Roethlisberger to start the year and many injuries, but still grabbed the second seed.
Baltimore Ravens
Any time I hear this team brought up, I keep hearing Lee Versage telling everyone not to forget about this team. The fact that they finished 12-4 is great evidence that you should heed that warning, but I think the Ravens are a small step below those two teams. They have great talent on both sides of the ball, but as the statistics even show, they lag behind the Big 2 in the major categories.
New York Jets
Could you have a shakier 11-5 team than this year’s version of the Jets? No one can explain how this team got to 11-5 based on the way some of their top players performed throughout the season, but they’re in and now can prove to everyone that they are for real. Success or failure solely depends on Mark Sanchez. Can he be better in his second playoffs? He needs to be or it will be deja-vu all over again for Jets fans.
Indianapolis Colts
We’re used to seeing Peyton Manning and company at this time of the year, but the difference between this year and previous ones is the “company” Manning is bringing this time around. Injuries have ravaged this team and it’s a minor miracle that Manning was able to take a bunch of third-stringers and practice squad guys and win with them. With all the talk about the no-name offence, the Colts defense better step up if they want to make a run. They’ve been lackluster this season and have been exposed many times.
Kansas City Chiefs
The upstart Chiefs were certainly not expected to be here when the season started, but led by Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe, they managed to hold off the Chargers and win the division. The biggest question mark will be how they handle the pressure. The question also has to be asked: Will they walk into Baltimore just happy to be there?