PATRIOT64

It seems every year there is that 1 team that comes out of nowhere to earn that Cinderella tag and be a force as the regular season ends and into in the playoffs - I can't quite find a team anywhere that qualifies right now,Last years participant was New Orleans who came within 1 game of the SB.

There are 5 legit contenders for the SB right now,3 from the AFC and 2 from the NFC -
AFC - NEW ENGLAND,INDIANAPOLIS,PITTSBURGH
NFC - DALLAS,GREEN BAY

If there is a cinderella waiting to sneak into the spotlight I would say in the AFC Tennesee would be a weak pick and Detroit in the NFC but both are extremely weak choices.

IYO Are there really any cinderella sleepers to sneak up on the 5 favorites? or does this race in 2007 have no chance for a longshot to hit the board?

I say there is a 99.9% chance that 2 of those 5 teams mentioned will be in the SB.

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bradmahn

An out of nowhere team to make it to the dance? Green Bay fits that tag, seeing as how no one thought they'd even win their division. Now they're looking like they'll take it going away.
But the NFC is still open. The Cowboys are prime candidates for the 2006 Chargers Award, which goes to the most talented team to lose their first playoff game because of poor coaching and stupid mistakes.

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I don't like Dungy and that's because he [was] the head coach of the Colts. Period. End of question. The degree to which I like a player or coach is predicated solely on the color of the laundry they wear on Sunday. When fans admit this and stop bashing players and coaches for any other reason, the world of sports will be infinitely improved.

BoTown

AFC: Not gonna happen. One of the big 3 (that one being New England) is getting into the SB.

NFC: NY Giants still belong in the discussion of legit contenders in the NFC. Their 3 losses came against Dallas and Green Bay. They could conceivably win their next 6 games, before losing to the Pats in Week 17 of course.

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DisgruntledTunaFan

OTOH-the Giants could have easily started 0-3, but surprisingly, Joe Gibbs decided to sit on a 17-3 halftime in their wk3 meeting at FedEx. Who knows how their season would be up to now if it weren't for that?

Here's another telling stat about the Giants-18/32 sacks have come against a rookie LT(Eagles) and the lowly Niners. Otherwise, they haven't put much QB pressure on their other opponents, and their pass D is pretty vulnerable.

And another telling stat with Coughlin is that they generally don't play well in the second halves of seasons.

With that being said-Arizona could be the NFC sleeper-they could have easily been undefeated b/c they've lost all of their games by a TD or less(Wisenhunt, apparently, has the Marty Ball philosophy). They could very well make a run if they continue to hold onto games late.

RayClay

I agree. How about the Lions? I haven't seen them, but just seeing 6-3 is weird.

Kitna is the most underrated QB in football, any of these teams with good personnel but stiffs for QBs must be kicking themselves.

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DisgruntledTunaFan

Despite their patchwork secondary, their front 7 is very good(which is why they're forcing alot of TOs). And they have Kevin Jones back, which gives them another dimension in the O.

Also-Ron Marinelli, like Lovie Smith and Mike Thomlin, comes from the Dungy umbrella.

bradmahn

The Lions strike me as an average team. They aren't going to beat the teams they're not supposed to beat. They've had a pretty easy schedule so far and it gets much more difficult in the coming weeks. I think they'll make a strong push for the sixth seed with an 8-8 or 9-7 record, but they're not going to advance. They have had too many games where they just don't show up.

Kitna seems like a good QB for Martz, smart enough to know a bunch of plays, but dumb enough not to ask questions like "why the hell aren't you giving me a running game?"

__________________
I don't like Dungy and that's because he [was] the head coach of the Colts. Period. End of question. The degree to which I like a player or coach is predicated solely on the color of the laundry they wear on Sunday. When fans admit this and stop bashing players and coaches for any other reason, the world of sports will be infinitely improved.

Aqua4Ever04

I still think San Diego has the most talent in the league. If Norv ever figures it out and if Rivers can get back to some form of competence, the Chargers can challenge the Pats/Colts/Steelers.

bradmahn

Uhhh, no.

Well, they did just beat the Colts, but they have no shot in a rematch against the Pats and the Steelers would take it to them.
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I don't like Dungy and that's because he [was] the head coach of the Colts. Period. End of question. The degree to which I like a player or coach is predicated solely on the color of the laundry they wear on Sunday. When fans admit this and stop bashing players and coaches for any other reason, the world of sports will be infinitely improved.

RayClay

If Norv ever figures what out? That team is probably a worse psychological mess than the Bengals. Where does the leadership come from. Not "cry me a" Rivers. (or "cry me a Tomlinson either). Steroid boy isn't breaking records anymore. Gates is the only one that seems to shut up and play every game (I loved seeing BB chatting with him after the earlier game.

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