The NFL lockout is a thing of the past and preseason is mercifully over. Here’s a rundown on some teams around the NFL that should be interesting to watch this season. Some are perennial contenders, while others are teams that might be ready to make a splash this season.
AFC:
EAST: New England Patriots
The Patriots have been one of the most dominant teams of the past decade. Lead by future hall-of-fame quarterback Tom Brady, the Pats came up short against the New York Jets in the playoffs last season. During the offseason, the Pats made some big trades, acquiring DT Albert Haynesworth and WR Chad Ochocinco. Drafted by the Bengals in 2001, Ochocinco (formerly Johnson) put up solid numbers throughout his career, making less-than-spectacular pivots like Carson Palmer and Jon Kitna look good. If Brady and Chad get in sync together, expect the duo to make frequent appearances on NFL highlight reels in 2011.
NORTH: Cleveland Browns
The Browns share their division with two of the toughest defensive teams in the league: the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. Since their last playoff appearance in 2002, the Browns have amassed a dismal record of 43-85, having only mustered one winning season. Starting QB Colt McCoy worked out with Brett Favre during the offseason, and the gunslinger taught the young pivot the new offence the Browns will be implementing this year. Can McCoy and Madden cover athlete RB Peyton Hillis make the Browns relevant in the AFC North? It is worth noting that the Browns lost seven games by a touchdown or less in 2010, so things are looking up for the Dawg Pound.
SOUTH: Houston Texans
Since joining the NFL as an expansion franchise in 2002, the Houston Texans have been dominated by Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. The Texans’ record against the division rival is 2-14 heading into the 2011 season. That’s downright pathetic. Last season, RB Arian Foster ran for 1,616 yards and 16 TDs as the Texans went into their bye week 4-2, before faltering through the rest of the season to finish 6-10. This season, Peyton Manning is not quite 100 per cent after undergoing neck surgery during the offseason. Houston has talent on both sides of the ball, so if they can beat Indy they’ve got a shot at a decent playoff run
WEST: Denver Broncos
After a very disappointing 4-12 season in 2010, all eyes are on the quarterback situation in Denver. Kyle Orton had a decent year statistically, but only managed to put up three wins in his 13 starts. Meanwhile, the Broncos have a young, athletic, college superstar waiting in the wings. Tim Tebow might still be too raw to take on the role of full-time starter, but there’s no denying that that his athleticism and scrambling ability has the potential to give opposing teams headaches. While it’s probably best for Orton to get the majority of starts if the Broncos want to win right now, giving Tebow some playing time will be important in developing him into the Mile High Messiah he’s being hyped up to be.
NFC:
EAST: Philadelphia Eagles
They’re being called “the Dream Team” even before playing a single regular season game. The Eagles made the biggest moves in the offseason, making huge upgrades on both sides of the ball. Perhaps the most notable signing came just recently, when the club announced that they had signed their star quarterback Michael Vick to a US $100 million deal over the next six years. The Eagles are stacked with talent at almost every position, making them a popular pre-season Super Bowl pick. We will have to wait and see if the team chemistry is a dream, or a locker room nightmare.
NORTH: Detroit Lions
The lowly Lions haven’t had much to roar about; for far too long the Lions have been the NFL equivalent of the free space on a bingo board. But things are slowly improving in Motor City. QB Matt Stafford is young with plenty of promise, but he still needs to step up his play and prove that he stay healthy for a full season. Stafford will be relying on young weapons like WR Calvin Johnson and RB Jahvid Best to have great performances, and DT Ndamukong Suh to follow up his impressive rookie season with another dominating season anchoring the Lion’s front seven. The Lions should claw out of the NFC North basement in 2011.
SOUTH: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs could and probably should have made the playoffs last year. At 10-6, they were a more deserving team than the NFC West division-leading Seattle Seahawks, who got into the playoffs at 7-9, an all-time worst for a playoff-bound team. Tampa QB Josh Freeman had a great year last season, throwing for over 3,000 yards, 25 touchdowns and only six interceptions, while rookie RB LeGarrette Blount ran for 1,007 yards on the ground. This year the Bucs beefed up their defence, drafting MLB Mason Foster, who is projected to start when the Bucs open the season against the Detroit Lions. These young Bucs should be an exciting team to watch this season.
WEST: St. Louis Rams
After notching only one win in 2009 — against the Detroit Lions, no less — the St. Louis Rams have been in rebuild mode. They drafted QB Sam Bradford first overall in the 2010 draft and started him in every 2010 regular season game. Bradford led the Rams to a 7-9 record, a disappointing losing season, and yet nearly good enough to secure them a playoff berth in the weakest division in football. Heading into 2011, the Rams acquired Bradford a solid weapon to target, signing former Jacksonville Jaguar Mike Sims-Walker to a one-year deal. With a young, improving quarterback to build around and a respectable running game, the Rams will be a threat in the NFC West this year.
