Rank them 1 to 12 - Most likely to win Super Bowl XLV

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Rank the teams in order of how you think in terms of chances to win Super Bowl XLV

1- is most likely
12- is least likely

Here's my assessment....

1- New England - they haven't showed signs of slowing down,must expect more of the same

2- Atlanta - Matt Ryan is forming into an elite QB very quickly

3- New Orleans - Saints are ready to defend the title

4- NY Jets - The defense is championship caliber,weak link is Sanchez

5- Baltimore - Has been close but hasn't been able to get there

6- Pittsburgh - No team is more dangerous on defense than the Steelers,weak link is that putrid OL

7- Philadelphia - That offense has a boatload of weapons but average on defense

8- Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers has battled well thru a tough injury plagued season and that defense is solid

9- Indianapolis - Manning is always a threat,no matter who is at WR

10- Kansas City - I see the 2010 Cinderella team falling quickly to Baltimore in the WC round

11- Chicago - Not good enough at QB to contend for a title

12- Seattle - 7-9 team with Charlie Whitehurst at QB have no reason to be in the playoffs,only because their division is putrid

 

[Timbo717]

Pretty reasonable assessment. I would put Jets behind Ravens or Steelers just because I think the QB factor will help out the Ravens and Steelers. I would've put Philly above them too just because Vick has been so good and they have very good offensive weapons beside him, but their play the last couple of weeks has been down.

Overall a good ranking.

 

[borg]

Rank the teams in order of how you think in terms of chances to win Super Bowl XLV

1- is most likely
12- is least likely

Here's my assessment....

1- New England - they haven't showed signs of slowing down,must expect more of the same

2- Atlanta - Matt Ryan is forming into an elite QB very quickly

3- New Orleans - Saints are ready to defend the title

4- NY Jets - The defense is championship caliber,weak link is Sanchez

5- Baltimore - Has been close but hasn't been able to get there

6- Pittsburgh - No team is more dangerous on defense than the Steelers,weak link is that putrid OL

7- Philadelphia - That offense has a boatload of weapons but average on defense

8- Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers has battled well thru a tough injury plagued season and that defense is solid

9- Indianapolis - Manning is always a threat,no matter who is at WR

10- Kansas City - I see the 2010 Cinderella team falling quickly to Baltimore in the WC round

11- Chicago - Not good enough at QB to contend for a title

12- Seattle - 7-9 team with Charlie Whitehurst at QB have no reason to be in the playoffs,only because their division is putrid

You really think the Jets can win 3 road games and then a SB. I'd swap Indy and NYJ for starters.

 

[jbb9s]

Rank the teams in order of how you think in terms of chances to win Super Bowl XLV

1- is most likely
12- is least likely

Here's my assessment....

1- New England - they haven't showed signs of slowing down,must expect more of the same

2- Atlanta - Matt Ryan is forming into an elite QB very quickly

3- New Orleans - Saints are ready to defend the title

4- NY Jets - The defense is championship caliber,weak link is Sanchez

5- Baltimore - Has been close but hasn't been able to get there

6- Pittsburgh - No team is more dangerous on defense than the Steelers,weak link is that putrid OL

7- Philadelphia - That offense has a boatload of weapons but average on defense

8- Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers has battled well thru a tough injury plagued season and that defense is solid

9- Indianapolis - Manning is always a threat,no matter who is at WR

10- Kansas City - I see the 2010 Cinderella team falling quickly to Baltimore in the WC round

11- Chicago - Not good enough at QB to contend for a title

12- Seattle - 7-9 team with Charlie Whitehurst at QB have no reason to be in the playoffs,only because their division is putrid

1. NEP -
2. Saints - Brees, albeit it up and down year, is 2nd best QB in league. Also, Saints lost 3 straight going into playoffs last year and turned it around when it mattered - also, matches up well with ATL whenever they go there. Playing with chip on their shoulder ,defending champs - beat ATL in ATL last week.
3. Atl - tough to beat at home, SB on fast track controlled environment. Matt Ryan is top 5 QB. Would like to face this team much more than Brees in Dallas.
4. Pitt - is only team that can beat NEP with tough defense and limited mistake football. Could probably handle adverse environment in 3 weeks too. Big Ben has the experience in big games. By the way, if Pitt pulls off the miracle, he joins Brady, Aikmen with 3 rings. I don't lilke the sound of that. However, if Pats win, the gap btwn him and Brady is back up to 2.
5. Indy - Manning. Yea they barely made it in, but Pats are one Arrington ankle sprain away from seeing Butler out there for 80 snaps in the AFCCG against Manning. This is not a good thought.
6. Baltimore - I kind of like Flacco, also Pats beat this team without Ed Reed first time around. Also, they always play Patriots tough.
7. Chi - don't know how a #2 seed can fall any farther down the ladder
8. KC - screwed up by losing yesterday, but good coaching staff that knows BB. By the way, for as much crap as ex-assistants take in this chatroom, Mangini and McDaniels were able to beat Patriots last game we played, respectively
9 Philly - Vick
10. GB - too bad they had all those injuries, definitely expect to see them at the top in '11. In fact, this is my SB 2012 prediction: Pats v Packers.
11. Jets - this team sucks and Sanchez is hurt. I would love to see them upset next week and come into Foxborough for a 30 pt playoff loss
12. Seattle - did anyone watch the game last night?

 

[Haley]

1 - New England: :rocker:
2 - Green Bay: My dark horse, but with their tough D I think they have it in them to beat both Atlanta and Chicago
3 - Pittsburgh: Like GB, gotta respect that D. Plus they are getting more healthy than they have been in a while
4 - Chicago: Tough team to ever count out with Urlacher, Peppers and Cutler.
5 - Baltimore: Need to get past the Steelers, not sure they can
6 - Atlanta: I think Atlanta loses to Green Bay when the gloves come off in the playoffs
7 - New Orleans: They are too inconsistent to make it imo
8 - Indianapolis: *choooooke* against the Steelers
9 - Philadelphia: Green Bay eats their lunch
10- NY Jets: Dolts 1 and done 'em
11- Kansas City: sorry matty
12- Seattle: comment not required here, haha

 

[aluminum seats]

Rank the teams in order of how you think in terms of chances to win Super Bowl XLV

1- is most likely
12- is least likely

Here's my assessment....

1- New England - they haven't showed signs of slowing down,must expect more of the same

2- Atlanta - Matt Ryan is forming into an elite QB very quickly

3- New Orleans - Saints are ready to defend the title

4- NY Jets - The defense is championship caliber,weak link is Sanchez

5- Baltimore - Has been close but hasn't been able to get there

6- Pittsburgh - No team is more dangerous on defense than the Steelers,weak link is that putrid OL

7- Philadelphia - That offense has a boatload of weapons but average on defense

8- Green Bay - Aaron Rodgers has battled well thru a tough injury plagued season and that defense is solid

9- Indianapolis - Manning is always a threat,no matter who is at WR

10- Kansas City - I see the 2010 Cinderella team falling quickly to Baltimore in the WC round

11- Chicago - Not good enough at QB to contend for a title

12- Seattle - 7-9 team with Charlie Whitehurst at QB have no reason to be in the playoffs,only because their division is putrid

First thing to do is determine what teams actually have a shot--surprised you put the Jets 4th....their defense isn't remotely what it was like last year. At all.

Teams that have a legitimate chance to win it:

Pats, Atlanta, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Green Bay, Indianapolis.

Actually, just typed that out, but looking at it, that's the order I'd go too. Those 5 teams have a shot, in that order.

 

[SanAngeloState]

I would put the top group as

Pats, steelers, gb, no

a good shot:

indy, atlanta, balt

not a good shot:

philly, jets, kc, chicago

no shot:
seattle,

 

[shakadave]

1- New England - Incapable of losing to Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Atlanta, Chicago, so that's a plus. Only a hot offense can beat us, because no defense can shut us down.

2- Baltimore - Made it to OT this season in Foxboro (Brady 1 TD, 2 INT) and then added Ed Reed. Is our D-line healthy enough to stuff their run?

3- New Orleans - Saints = underrated defending champion. 2nd best coach in NFL. Won in Atlanta recently.

4- Philadelphia - Capable of beating Pats 48-44

5- Atlanta - Balanced yes, but elite in no area. The Chiefs of the NFC, talentwise.

6- Indianapolis - Manning basically beat us in Foxboro this year. Brady usually can't buy a first down in crunch time vs. Manning when it counts.

7- Pittsburgh - Worst 12-4 team in recent memory?

8- Green Bay - Defense > Rodgers

9- NY Jets - They basically blow.

10- Kansas City - More Pro Bowlers and near-Pro-Bowlers than I thought. Cassel's numbers are sick! But they suffer from the fact that there's no such thing as the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

11- Chicago - Pretty good against middling teams. No good in playoffs.

12- Seattle - Did any team ever do less in a game than the Rams offense last night?

 

[Anteros]

1. New England
2. New Orleans
3. Falcons
4. Colts
5. Steelers
6. Packers
7. Ravens
8. Eagles
9. Bears
10 Chiefs
11 Jets
12 Seahawks :ditto:

 

[kwa1430]

1- New England - all cylinders are running. I think the biggest obstacle is Baltimore.

2- New Orleans - I think Brees knows how to play this time of year.

3 - Atlanta - Ryan is going to get a chance to making a national name for himself.

4- Baltimore - Good balanced team. Defense is not as dominated as past but still very good. Reed's health determines their fate.

5- Kansas City - Routing for a matchup in NE

6- NY Jets - Defense needs to play better.

7- Pittsburgh - No team is more dangerous on defense than the Steelers,weak link is that putrid OL

8- Philadelphia - Offense of line cannot block and Vick is going to have trouble with blitzes in the postseason.

9- Green Bay - Defense is good but no running game is going to hurt them.

10- Indianapolis - Shootout in the playoffs. Lack of defense is their demise.

11- Chicago - Overrated.

12- Seattle - 7-9 in the NFC east. Enough said.
__________________

 

[dinustef]

1. New England - We are playing like real contenders!
2. New Orleans - On my book, the best NFC team. Had a bit of a letdown during the season, but they will be ready for the PO.
3. Baltimore - only team in AFC, that i can see to beat us (with some lucky alignment of stars ). I would love to avoid them.
4. Pittsburgh - Elite defense but it is too much dependable of Polamalu, with solid offence, can be dangerous at times.
5. Green Bay - Very unpredictable team. Can win anybody, but they also can lose to Detroit. They can be a surprise.
6. Indianapolis -Manning is a choker, but he is also a great QB. Can lead them, but the defense is not so good.
7. Philadelphia - I don't know what to expect from them. They can put points on the board, Vick had a great year, but with all that scramble he will take some serious hits. Difficult task on the very first game.
8. Atlanta - NFC first seed, but i don't like their chances I just don't. They are too mediocore team, without any true leader.
9. NY Jets - Good, very good defense, but terrible QB, he sucks big time. Not this time Jets.
10. Chicago - Could say almost the same, like for the Jets. I don't get it how they managed to get this 1st round bye.
11. Kansas City - I don't think that even they believe that SB is possibility. They are not bad overall, but also, they are not good enough.
12. Seattle - Just can't take them serious. One and done.

 

[Metaphors]

1: Patriots - The goal is to get into the end zone and keep your opponent out of the end zone. The difference between the #1 Pats (65 TDs) and #2 Colts (51) is the same as between the #2 Colts and the #21 Bears (37). The Pats TD differential (29) blows away the #2 Packers (22). This despite the Pats playing 7 games against current playoff teams, 3 on the road.

2. Packers - Tough, aggressive defense should keep them in every game and an accurate QB that can get into the end zone in the 4th quarter. Losing Grant and Finley hurts them but they look like a team that could get on a run. If they can avoid the Saints, they have already played well at Philly, at Chicago and at Atlanta...so their road to the SB will be familiar.

3. Steelers - They will go as far as Roethlisberger takes them. He was able to string together 2 postseason runs where he didn't flake out and so he is capable to doing it again. They just need to pray that the Pats get knocked off since it is hard to see the Steelers winning the AFCC game in Foxboro.

4. Saints - Had an erratic year but that team knows what it takes to win the SB. If they can get fully healthy on offense, they have a lot of diverse weapons that will force their opponents to win a shootout.

5. Eagles - Vick is the X factor for them. It is difficult to cover their speed and still keep appropriate focus on containing Vick. If the Eagles can keep a game close, they are a dangerous team late.

6. Ravens - Fundamentally flawed at CB and QB. They just can't cover if the QB is given even a little time to throw and Flacco just isn't productive enough to win a high scoring game. However, their road to the SB will be outdoors and bad weather will play to their strengths and mitigate their flaws.

7. Falcons - Should be higher but there just seems to be something missing with them. A lot of ugly wins and that doesn't bode well for the playoffs when efficiency is key. They do win the turnover battle and are explosive in the return game, so they may need to find inventive ways to win.

8. Jets - The only reason they are this high is that they match up well against the Colts and have familiarity with the Pats. Their QB is erratic, their running game isn't overly effective, they struggle to generate pressure without heavy blitzing and their non-Revis secondary is a mess. Big plays on ST will be their key to making a deep run.

9. Bears - They should be higher considering they have a bye, but their offense just doesn't match their environment. They are a big play, speed team playing on a slow track with nasty weather. They look like a one-n-done.

10. Colts - Their "resurgence" is a myth considering the only thing separating them from a .500 season was the Titans (x2), the Jags and the Raiders...and they really couldn't put away any of those teams even though they were effectively playoff games. They should lose to the Jets next week but you can never underestimate the desire of the league to keep Manning in the playoffs.

11. Chiefs - Not as bad as they looked this week but the Ravens are a horrific matchup for them. Their best hope is that Weis pulls an amazing gameplan out of his ample behind.

12. Seahawks - The only thing they have going for them is a great home environment. Even that likely won't be enough to get by the Saints.

 

[upstater1]

1. New England
2. Pittsburgh
3. New Orleans
4. Green Bay
5. Atlanta
6. Indianapolis

No one else has a chance. Obviously my big omission is Baltimore but I am NOT a believer in Flacco in a tight spot.

Pittsburgh has so much experience and grit that I think they are the biggest threat. I think Pitt tends to have an overinflated ego problem. They tend to overlook teams, and they show up unprepared too often, but they have as much talent as any other team.

 

[40yrpatsfan]

I would put the top group as

Pats, steelers, gb, no

a good shot:

indy, atlanta, balt

not a good shot:

philly, jets, kc, chicago

no shot:
seattle,

+1, my feelings exactly. Steelers are our biggest AFC threat, with Indy and Baltimore a close 2nd.

Saints and Packers are the class of the NFC, I have a hard time seeing Atlanta beating either one. Either one would give us a great SB opponent and story lines galore.

 

[aluminum seats]

+1, my feelings exactly. Steelers are our biggest AFC threat, with Indy and Baltimore a close 2nd.

How many times do Brady & Belichick have to beat the Steelers before people stop saying what a "threat" they are? A thousand? The Pats dominated the Steelers, in Pittsburgh, this year, and the Pats defense has only grown & matured since then.

The Colts are the only AFC team capable of giving the Pats a game in the playoffs, let along winning.

 

[ayjackson]

1. Patriots
2. Saints
3. Steelers
4. Ravens
5. Falcons
6. Eagles
7. Packers
8. Jets
9. Colts
10. Bears
11. Chiefs
12. Seahawks

 

[TealSox]

1. Patriots - I hate to set my expectations this high, but with a BYE week and home field advantage, they should get the top nod. Belichick is always a threat from the sidelines when given time to scheme and the right weapons to work with. And speaking of weapons, the team is operating like a finely tuned machine and Spikes is coming back from his 4 game suspension.

2. Falcons - Matt Ryan has been heralded for his unbeaten record at home and (fittingly) they have home field advantage through out the playoffs.

3. Ravens - Unless the Chiefs can play better, then the Ravens practically have a first round bye as well and will then make there way to New England (unless the Jets can beat the Colts). Defensively, they are play to the caliber of a playoff caliber team and they have a ton of weapons offensively.

4. Saints - Considering their match ups, I figure they should be able to destroy the Seahawks and (given my prediction that the Packers will beat the Eagles) put up a decent fight against the Bears.

5. Packers - What they lack in a running game, they make up in their passing game. Rodgers carries this team he has the weapons, including the ageless Driver and Jennings. Most importantly, I think the defensive will match up well against the Vicks... err... Eagles. Clay Matthews will need to be on the top of his game to ensure the Pack makes it to Atlanta.

6. Eagles - Vick... Vick... Vick.... On some days, the media builds him up to be Superman, but he is vulnerable and if ever there was a time for him to be exposed, it will be in the playoffs. Doesn't help that they will be facing the Packers, who can pressure the QB with the best of them. If they can win, they go on to Chicago, who I feel are very vunerable.

7. Steelers - Stacked with playoff experience, a top five defense, and home field advantage, they are easily the 3rd highest rated AFC team (if not higher). If they get the Colts, Manning will have a tough match up that he is capable of winning... but on the road, it may favor the Steel.

The rest.....

8. Colts

9. Jets

10. Bears

11. Chiefs

12. Seahawks

 

[Disco Volante]

4- NY Jets - The defense is championship caliber

If their defense is "championship caliber" then the Patriots are the '85 Bears.

 

[sbpatfan]

Tier 1: Patriots, Steelers, Saints
Tier 2: Packers, Falcons
Tier 3: Ravens, Bears, Eagles
Tier 4: Chiefs, Colts, Jets
Tier 5: Seahawks

 

[T_Brady12]

Patriots
Steelers
Saints
Falcons
Ravens
Eagles
Colts
Jets
Bears
Packers
Chiefs
Seahawks