Super Bowl 48: Here Are Our Picks
It’s never too early to check out some futures on the Super Bowl. It’s been a few week since we last looked at them. There has been a few roster moves since then. We’ve seen the rookie class at the combine, we have had time to let the shine of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers wear off a little bit. So let’s take a step back and look at some things we do know.
1. Just because you went to the Super Bowl last year, does not mean you will again. There are so many plays in a season that could have gone either way that help a team win it all. it is nearly impossible to do it again and catch all those same breaks. Then in Baltimore’s case you throw in that they will not have Ray Lewis next year, and already you can see a new team holding the trophy up next year.
2. Some quarterbacks are on their way up still and will get better next year. See; Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III (as soon as he is healthy), Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill (if the Dolphins can get him someone to throw to), Colin Kaerpernick (yes he can get even better), Matt Ryan (winning a playoff game could make him even better). Josh Freeman, Christian Ponder,Sam Bradford and even Joe Flacco. All of these guys are young and can still be improving.
3. Some guys while still great, are on the way back down. See: Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Michael Vick (and he is no longer great).
4. Then you have some which we aren’t sure which one to put in. See: Aaron Rodgers,Tony Romo, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Philip Rivers, Matthew Stafford, Jay Cutler, Andy Dalton and Matt Shaub. These guys could have all seen their best years, or maybe not. Some are really still young, like Dalton, Schaub and Stafford, but the jury is out on whether they will ever be elite. Some are still not that old, but may be old enough n0w that they have had their best years already. Rodgers, Brees, Romo and Manning would fall into this category.
But if you are one of the QBs mentioned above, at least your team has one. You could be the Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, Oakland Raiders, Tennessee Titans or Buffalo Bills and not have one worth mentioning. Notice you saw none of those teams even sniff playoff contention a year ago. So since the quarterback position is so key to winning in the NFL, here are our picks to contend for the Super Bowl in New York.
In the AFC we like the New England Patriots again to take the AFC East. There is still too big of a gap between them and the rest of the division to pick anyone else, even if Brady is on the decline.
In the AFC South we like the Indianapolis Colts to win it next year. Luck is the next superstar quarterback in this league.
In the AFC West, we will go with the Denver Broncos again. Peyton likely has one more year in him and that’s about all.
And in the AFC North we think the Pittsburgh Steelers will be back. They don’t stay down for too long and they’ve missed the playoffs and suffered an early exit the last two years.
Our AFC Wild Card picks are the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers.
In the NFC East, we like the New York Giants to be back.
In the NFC North we like the Minnesota Vikings this year. Ponder is getting better all the time.
In the NFC South we have to stick with the Atlanta Falcons.
In the NFC West we are going to go with the Seattle Seahawks next year.
Our NFC Wild Card picks are the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints.
So who does that leave for the Super Bowl? How about the Falcons vs the Colts. You heard it here first.
