As the historical NFL draft has finished, the question is: Who will win the Super Bowl? This question is impossible to answer, but we can recap the past two months and answer these questions: Who will dethrone Tom Brady? What is up with Marshawn Lynch? Who is the next powerhouse team? And who had the greatest offseason/draft?
Let’s start by exploring my top 10 teams. This might be the key to telling us who will win the Super Bowl. Obviously, the list is not set in stone. These will become monthly lists. Remember to watch for the updates with my list. Now let’s start the list:
1. Atlanta Falcons. They came in last year as an underdog in the playoffs. They then beat the Packers and Lions to proceed to Super Bowl 51, where they blew a 25 point lead against the Patriots. They just need to acquire some good players in the draft, maybe a sleeper or two, and their road to the Super Bowl would be a bit clearer.
2. New England Patriots. The powerhouse team of the Patriots acquired some good players from Free Agency and lost no one too great. Tom Brady is still at the helm and as long as he doesn't get injured, they are looking at 1st seed and at least AFC Championship game.
3. Dallas Cowboys. This young team is on a roll. They went from a sad 2015 season to 14-2 in 2016. They have Dak at the helm and Zeke at Halfback. This team is destined for glory. Their road to the Super Bowl may be bumpy, but now that the Rookies are now in their Sophomore seasons, they are only getting better. I see them losing in the NFC Championship though.
4. Green Bay Packers. In the NFC Championship game against the Falcons, they fell short in a final score of 21-44. They pulled off an ‘upset’ against the Cowboys in the classic game at Dallas with a final score of 34-31. With a good draft, this team will boost up their defense, which will propel them to the next level. If this team doesn’t see any major injuries, they are easily a force to be reckoned with.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers. Oh, Pittsburgh. They have an aging QB in Big Ben Roethlisberger, but the man can still throw with the best. Le’veon Bell and Antonio Brown make ‘The Killer B’s’ on offense, while their extremely young defense looks to do nothing but improve with the draft and progression. Also, the team has the 5th easiest schedule in the League this year, giving them a chance at the 1st seed.This team is probably a AFC Championship/ Super Bowl team and always a force to be reckoned with.
6. Oakland Raiders. This team had an incredible season last year, but fell short after Derek Carr broke his fibula in Week 16. This team had no QB and lost in the first round of the Playoffs. But the team has a bright future as the draft can help them on both sides of the ball. This team will be dominant in 2017, guaranteed.
7. New York Giants. Although I believe they will not win the division, they can make the playoffs. Even though the inconsistent Eli Manning is at the helm, they have a great defence to bail the offense out. This team is on the rise, and is not slowing down until the NFC Divisional Round, where I believe the team will fall in a blowout.
8. Seattle Seahawks- These guys probably dropped way down compared to where you thought they were going to be. But this team is not as young and dominant as before. Richard Sherman is clearly looking to be traded, Russell Wilson is no longer his old 24 self, as he is already 28, nearing 30. But even though this team is aging, it can still make it, in my opinion, to the NFC Divisional or get lucky and make the NFC Championship game. But I don't see them having a great chance at that elusive Lombardi.
9. Houston Texans. This team is amazing with the number 1 ranked defense last year. After acquiring Deshaun Watson through the draft, they finally got a Quarterback to go with the amazing wide receivers that team has. I think that with some luck, they can see the AFC Championship game.
10. Last but not least ( well, they kind of are), the consistent CLEVELAND BROWN- Just kidding. It’s the Minnesota Vikings. This team had a bad year due to the fact Adrian Peterson had a season ending injury early on. But, with Teddy Bridgewater getting better by the day and a good defense, this team is definitely going to make the playoffs on a 9-6-1 record (prediction)
There you have it, my top ten NFL teams for the 2017-18 season. I wish good luck to all teams, and I will see you guys next time!