A breakdown of who can win the Vince Lombardi trophy this season
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the goal of more than 1,700 players spanning 32 teams. 17 grueling weeks consists of 16 games, and if they're lucky, there's a chance to play three to four more.
There are only eight spots in the playoffs, which means two-thirds of the league won't move on and only one team will reach that ultimate goal of hoisting the prestigious trophy.
Millions of fans will celebrate victory and mourn losses as they follow their teams on their quest for that ultimate trophy. The following is a breakdown of teams with the best chances to be a contender this season.
The Baltimore Ravens enter the season coming off a very solid 12-4 2010 campaign and won a playoff game before losing by a touchdown to the eventual AFC champion Steelers.
The Raven offense is led by fourth year quarterback Joe Flacco . Flacco ranks third in wins for a quarterback in his first three years since the merger in 1970. He is also considered to be a very good deep ball thrower and will benefit greatly from the addition of the speedy Lee Evans to the receiving corp . Defense is the face that this organization built its reputation on. All-world safety Ed Reed led the league in interceptions last year and he only played in 10 games. With some youth added in the first round, such as cornerback Jimmy Smith, the defense should rank towards the top of the league this season and the Ravens will be headed back to the playoffs.
The defending AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers did make many moves in the off-season which is not unusual. Pittsburgh does a really good job of building through the draft. The team ranked in the top three in most of the important statistical categories last season. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out the first four games of 2010 while serving a suspension and still managed to throw for 3,200 yards. The defense which ranked first against the run will also look to continue their dominance. Though the Steelers fell to the Packers in the last Super Bowl, which was their third appearance in six years, they have a good chance to get back there again this year.
When Peyton Manning is your quarterback, you always have a chance to win. Such is the case with the Indianapolis Colts. Manning and his favorite target Reggie Wayne led the NFL in passing yards last season with 288 yards per game. The rest of the team, however, didn't fare so well. The Colts ranked near the bottom of the league in rushing offense and defense. There's also the fact that Manning is injured and while he's expected to be back early in the season, how many games that he will be out is still in question. With a healthy Manning the Colts are in it. The real question is whether the Colts can avoid being in too big of a hole when that happens.
The Patriots, led by three-time Super Bowl winning quarterback Tom Brady, come in at the top of the list of the contenders to win the Super Bowl. Brady is coming off an MVP season in which his last nine regular season games he threw multiple touchdowns in each game and zero picks. Now with Chad Ochocinco , a six-time Pro Bowler, Brady's numbers should keep going up. If Albert Haynesworth stops being bad of his own accord, the defense will be better and the Patriots will be making another trip to the Super Bowl.
The Jets have made plenty of moves over the last couple years in an attempt to win it all, from Pro Bowl cornerbacks , such as Antonio Cromartie , and linebackers, like Bart Scott, to a Super Bowl MVP that is Santonio Holmes. The Jets have been to the AFC Championship Game the last two seasons but failed to advance in both times. The Jets seem poised to get over the hump this year. Third year quarterback Mark Sanchez led a pass offense that only ranked 22nd last season but had a stellar postseason, putting up two of his best passing performances all year in two of the teams three playoff games, and will look to improve on that.
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