H2o Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 By Mike Florio - For Sporting News After pondering the six teams that might not make it back to the playoffs in 2008 and six of the teams not good enough to take their places, it's time to put the lid on this three-part series by considering the teams that might crash the playoff party after an absence of at least one year. Previously, we named six '07 playoffs teams that would fail to repeat: Steelers, Titans, Redskins, Giants, Packers and Seahawks. And so two AFC teams and four NFC teams must step up and take their places. Here's the list of those teams that could make it in '08, barring injuries and holdouts and other unexpected developments that I'm sure to use as excuses if these premature prognostications go wrong: 1. Baltimore Ravens It will be a difficult season for AFC North teams. Apart from their six games of pounding on each other, they all play the four teams of the NFC East and the four teams of the AFC South. The difference in schedules? The Pittsburgh Steelers play the New England Patriots and San Diego Chargers, and the Cleveland Browns face the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills on the road. The Ravens? They get the Miami Dolphins and Oakland Raiders. And that two-game swing could be the difference and could lead to what would be an unlikely run at the division title in coach John Harbaugh's first season in Baltimore. With an unsettled quarterback position and a young offensive line that will be without future Hall of Fame left tackle Jonathan Ogden, it's easy to overlook the presumably rebuilding Ravens. But the team still has a defense built to play into January, and, after some uncertainty in January, defensive coordinator Rex Ryan opted to return. As the Steelers and Browns struggle through crippling schedules, the Ravens will be in position to sneak up on opponents expecting a breeze of a game. Plenty of first-year coaches have surprised the league, and Harbaugh provides the kind of breath of fresh air that could push a solid roster to unexpected heights. 2. Buffalo Bills Assuming the Marshawn Lynch hit-and-run imbroglio doesn't turn into a major distraction, the Bills are poised to feast on the likes of the Dolphins (twice), Jets (twice), Raiders, Chiefs, 49ers and Cardinals. This up-and-coming Buffalo/Toronto team features two of the better rookies from the '07 draft class -- Lynch and quarterback Trent Edwards -- and last year's 7-9 record left the team closer to swiping the sixth seed than most realize. Elsewhere on offense, wide receiver Lee Evans is becoming an elite player and rookie wideout James Hardy could make an impact despite concerns regarding off-field problems. The defense could be a lot better -- if new defensive tackle Marcus Stroud is healthy and motivated. Linebacker Kawika Mitchell brings experience to the locker room, along with a big shiny Super Bowl ring he won with the New York Giants in February. It'll be a wild-card, at best, for the Bills, who are stuck in the Patriots' division. But that No. 6 seed certainly could be in Buffalo's future. 3. Philadelphia Eagles The Eagles remain one of the more talented teams in the NFC. Though left in the cellar of a division that sent three teams to the playoffs a year ago, the Eagles aren't far away from leap-frogging one, two or all three rivals in the NFC East. Quarterback Donovan McNabb doesn't have much time left to win that elusive championship, and coach Andy Reid surely feels more than a little heat to turn around things after a disappointing '07. A wild-card berth is the most likely path to the playoffs for Philly, but the Dallas Cowboys could be primed to lose their grip on the division given the exodus of players, assistant coaches and front-office employees to Miami. And the raw weight of expectations could paralyze the Cowboys, a favorite to win Super Bowl 43. If Dallas slips, Philly could slide right in. 4. Minnesota Vikings The good news for the Vikings is that, at 21 of the 22 positions on the field, they are solid. The bad news is their one glaring weakness is at quarterback. That said, Tarvaris Jackson isn't as bad as advertised. And as the defense improves and the running game continues to flourish, Jackson could develop into a legitimate contributor. He won't have to put many points on the board, given the new Purple People Eaters in the Twin Cities. The addition of defensive end Jared Allen to a line that already featured Kevin Williams and Pat Williams allows the Vikings to blitz less from their Tampa-2 defense, allowing them to still pressure the quarterback while dropping more men into coverage to prevent big plays. Given that the Chicago Bears are in decline, the Green Bay Packers won't have Brett Favre and the Detroit Lions are, well, the Detroit Lions, the Vikings should have a fairly easy path to the NFC North crown. 5. New Orleans Saints There's a strange phenomenon in the NFC South. In every season since its inception in 2002, the last-place team the previous season has rebounded to win the division the following year. In '08, the chances of the Atlanta Falcons knocking off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are remote, at best. Instead, look for the Saints to get back on track after a disappointing '07 season. A tough early-season schedule put the Saints into a hole from which they couldn't emerge. The Saints' road is easier in '08, and a 6-2 record when they hit their bye week isn't a stretch. So, look for the Saints to jump over Tampa Bay to win the division. It's not all bad news for the Bucs, who still should do well enough to swipe a wild-card berth. 6. St. Louis Rams Last year, the Rams were primed to make a run at the Super Bowl -- until virtually every player in the starting lineup got injured. The damage to the team's offensive line was stunning, and it left an otherwise solid team unable to compete. Unless there's a problem with the franchise's training/conditioning program, last season was an aberration and it's fair to assume there won't be a rash of injuries in '08. If healthy, the Rams will contend for the NFC West crown. Running back Steven Jackson is in his contract year, and quarterback Marc Bulger remains one of the best in the game. The presence of Adam Carriker and Chris Long will help coordinator Jim Haslett pump up the defense. The Rams could be good enough to knock off the Seahawks and bring Mike Holmgren's coaching career to an end on Dec. 28. Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and writes two columns a week for Sporting News. The flatulant did call us the "Buffalo/Toronto" team though. That's 6 points on the "Turd Watch" for that guy for diahrea journalism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tomcat Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Nice manners babe!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BuffaloWings Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 The **** did call us the "Buffalo/Toronto" team though. That's 6 points on the "Turd Watch" for that guy for ****like journalism. Agreed...it was a good piece, but the "Buffalo/Toronto" thing wasn't necessary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Anderson's Lunch Pail Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Wasn't this article from like a month ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJPearl2 Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 Wasn't this article from like a month ago? Try 3 months ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted July 11, 2008 Share Posted July 11, 2008 What? He writes about the Rams injury situation but fails to mention that the Bills secondary had a number of injuries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H2o Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 Try 3 months ago. The date on the page of the article said July 7, 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 How can a team that started the season off 0-8, after going 2-2 in the pre-season, be deemed to be "primed to make a run at the Super Bowl -- until virtually every player in the starting lineup got injured?" Is he talking about them all getting injured in training camp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I stopped reading after seeing that his number 1 AFC team to take the wild card spot was the Ravens. What a retard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I stopped reading after seeing that his number 1 AFC team to take the wild card spot was the Ravens. What a retard. I thought so as well. But the difference between 2006 and 2007 was that LDE/LDT Trevor Pryce missed most of the season in 2007, and the defense allowed 24 PPG, almost double what they allowed in 2006. And offense was never their strong suit in 2006, so having a rookie QB might not change much there. But expecting Pryce, who will be 33 before the season starts, to be totally healthy all season, and for Flacco to avoid making costly rookie mistakes, is asking a lot. Still it's not as far-fetched as the Rams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I thought so as well. But the difference between 2006 and 2007 was that LDE/LDT Trevor Pryce missed most of the season in 2007, and the defense allowed 24 PPG, almost double what they allowed in 2006. And offense was never their strong suit in 2006, so having a rookie QB might not change much there. But expecting Pryce, who will be 33 before the season starts, to be totally healthy all season, and for Flacco to avoid making costly rookie mistakes, is asking a lot. Still it's not as far-fetched as the Rams. The Ravens were 13-3 in 06. Again, the Bills were not the only team to have injuries in 07. Also, how consistent is it to argue that the Bills rookie OC will obviously make hay while the Ravens rookie HC will obviously be a bust? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 The Ravens were 13-3 in 06. Again, the Bills were not the only team to have injuries in 07. Also, how consistent is it to argue that the Bills rookie OC will obviously make hay while the Ravens rookie HC will obviously be a bust? What other injuries did the Ravens have, other than Pryce, whose absence seemingly single-handedly destroyed their defense and season? And a rookie head coach also cannot be discounted (I forgot to mention that). But I did say that I could see them making the playoffs. So what's the problem here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lets_go_bills Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 The date on the page of the article said July 7, 2008. Weird. This was posted a couple months ago. Sorry to bust yer balls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 What other injuries did the Ravens have, other than Pryce, whose absence seemingly single-handedly destroyed their defense and season? And a rookie head coach also cannot be discounted (I forgot to mention that). But I did say that I could see them making the playoffs. So what's the problem here? Steve McNair. Todd Heap. Their starting corners. Nobody special. Actually, there is no problem at all. I agree and can see the Ravens turning it around quickly again. Unlike other franchises, the hiring of a new head coach didn't necessarily mean that most of the core veterans got thrown overboard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ax4782 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 The Ravens were 13-3 in 06. Again, the Bills were not the only team to have injuries in 07. Also, how consistent is it to argue that the Bills rookie OC will obviously make hay while the Ravens rookie HC will obviously be a bust? Yes, so many other teams had 17 players who started for us during the season go on injured reserve. No one is saying that Schonert is going to tear things up, but we do have a relatively weak schedule, and by all reports, the offense if much different than the scheme run by SF. I also have no idea how Harbaugh is going to do as a coach. He steps into an interesting system, but as far as I could tell, you were the one to make the negative comparison. No one here made any mention of it. Strange how quickly some are to heat up their coaching dislike/insecurity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsVet Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 What other injuries did the Ravens have, other than Pryce, whose absence seemingly single-handedly destroyed their defense and season? And a rookie head coach also cannot be discounted (I forgot to mention that). But I did say that I could see them making the playoffs. So what's the problem here? Jonathan Ogden. Apparently franchise LT's aren't plentiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans4e64 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I thought so as well. But the difference between 2006 and 2007 was that LDE/LDT Trevor Pryce missed most of the season in 2007, and the defense allowed 24 PPG, almost double what they allowed in 2006. And offense was never their strong suit in 2006, so having a rookie QB might not change much there. But expecting Pryce, who will be 33 before the season starts, to be totally healthy all season, and for Flacco to avoid making costly rookie mistakes, is asking a lot. Still it's not as far-fetched as the Rams. I get the Rams. Steven Jackson is back, Bulger is back, and they've added WR Donnie Avery. Their offense should be explosive again (if the line can hold up). In a horrible NFC, I could see them possibly making the playoffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sisyphean Bills Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Yes, so many other teams had 17 players who started for us during the season go on injured reserve. Please, just stop quoting this 17 statistic like some magic talisman. I know it, you know it, I know you know it, we all know it. The point is that it isn't the magnitude of the number that is important, it is the player and who the backup is that is important. Losing Rolle, McAllister, Ogden, McNair, Pryce, and Heap is a major talent drain for any team. (But the Dolphins are happy about it, saved them from 0-16.) Losing Copeland Bryan, Jason Whittle, Aaron Merz, Kevin Everett, Kevin Harrison, Matt Murphy, Coy Wire, Anthony Thomas, Kiwaukee Thomas, Jason Webster, Peerless Price, Al Wallace, George Wilson, Ryan Denney, Paul Posluszny, Ko Simpson, and Derek Schouman is disruptive, yes, but it is hardly a list of All Pros or Hall of Famers and in many cases these players were outperformed by their understudy anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JinVA Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Nice manners babe!! He's totally serious ass wipe! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hazed and Amuzed Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Weird. This was posted a couple months ago. Sorry to bust yer balls. That's weird considering he mention's the Marshawn thing and that only happened about 1 month ago... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts