Top 5 Super Bowl Contenders
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Ah, Week 9. It’s that time in football when the talented teams emerge from those that have just been lucky. The contenders rise above the pretenders. Coaches like Wade Phillips begin waking up each night in a cold sweat (see also Brad Childress, Mike Singletary and John Fox). And Buffalo Bills fans attempt to build time machines that will take them back to the early ‘90s.
But you already know all that. What you need to know is which teams really have a shot at smooching the Lombardi trophy come February.
Without further ado, your top 5 Super Bowl-caliber teams…
5. The Tennessee Titans
Statistically, the Titans are hovering toward the middle in nearly every offensive category. But that doesn’t matter, as evidenced by the fact that the unimpressive San Diego Chargers are in the top 5 across the board. What does matter is that the Titans are playing tough, physical football in the league’s strongest division, the AFC South. They’ve managed to go 3-1 on the road while switching signal-callers (between Vince Young and Kerry Collins) nearly every week. They’ve proved they can win despite a thus far lukewarm performance from Chris Johnson. And though their upcoming schedule is anything but easy, this week’s acquisition of Randy Moss will only help the Titans continue to play at a high level. They just need to make sure they can beat…
4. The Indianapolis Colts
It’s never wise to discount Peyton Manning, although some people inexplicably did after a season-opening loss to the Texans. The Colts have since exacted sweet revenge with a 30-17 manhandling of Houston, but many feel they aren’t playing with the same zeal that led them to a (doomed) Super Bowl appearance last year. And yet, Manning boasts a quarterback rating of 101.4 and is on pace to match or exceed his total touchdown and passing yard numbers from recent seasons. True, the Colts lost Dallas Clark indefinitely and several of their other stars are pretty banged up too. But if you look up “clutch” in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Manning’s face. There is no one better to have under center (and, with Jeff Saturday, it’s a pretty good center to be under) in high-pressure situations. Just remember how Manning and company trounced…
3. The New York Giants
The G-Men are a breath of fresh air in the otherwise typically sub-par NFC. After early disappointing losses to AFC South teams (including the Manning Bowl in Week 2), Eli Manning’s Giants have played top notch football. Defensively, they appear quite dominant, allowing an average of just 263 total yards of offense per game. Manning himself is having an average season, but his field is flush with dynamic duos at other positions that put Batman and Robin to shame. Witness: Ahmad Bradshaw/Brandon Jacobs; Mario Manningham/Hakeem Nicks; Justin Tuck/Osi Umeniyora. Most teams would consider themselves lucky to have just one of those tandems. As a result of having all three, the Giants are very difficult to cover and get around on either side of the ball. The icing on the cake is the Giants' remaining schedule. They have a couple of interesting divisional matchups ahead, but every game is winnable for them. It would sure be exciting if the Super Bowl comes down to a rematch between the Giants and…
2. The New England Patriots
New England is alone at the top, the singular team remaining with just one loss on the season. But after they went 18-0 in 2007 only to lose to the Giants in the Big Show, you have to take any Patriots’ record with a grain of salt. What’s truly impressive is the quality of their product on the field. Their play this year has drawn comparisons to the ’01-’02 Super Bowl-winning team for the workhorse-style and Tom Brady’s penchant for spreading the ball around. The Pats seem utterly unaffected not only by Brady’s headline-making haircut, but by the wave-making departure of Moss. Young running backs BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Danny Woodhead are coming into their own. It sure doesn’t hurt that Deion Branch, MVP of Super Bowl XXXIX, is back on the team. The Pats’ biggest question mark is their defense. With names like Bruschi, Harrison, Law and Seymour forever ringing in their ears, current impact players like Vince Wilfork will have to step it up. New England can claim they’re the best team in the league this season if they beat…
1. The Pittsburgh Steelers
They may have one more loss than the Patriots, but the Steelers are still scary. Terrifying, actually. No team can run the ball on them. They are one of only two teams who have put up double digits in sacks, interceptions and forced fumbles (the other is Tennessee). They beat five very good teams. And they did this while their two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger missed the first four games. Big Ben ran into some trouble against New Orleans last week, but they are, after all, the defending world champs. Hines Ward consistently puts up bigger numbers with Roethlisberger than without him, and second-year receiver Mike Wallace looks like the next big thing. With no key injuries, the Steelers have all the tools in place to beat any team. Their biggest test will be on Nov. 14, when New England comes to Heinz Field to face a sea of Terrible Towels. Clear your schedule now—that’s one midseason matchup that is not to be missed.
To reach writer Kate Rooney, click here.
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