We now finish up our NFL season preview by walking through all the teams in order of their odds to win the Superbowl. Be sure to check out the NFC in Part 1 before proceeding. On to the AFC...
Indianapolis Colts +561 ~11/2
Edge is gone. Marvin Harrison is a year older. If they didn't win last year, what has changed that suggests they should be the favorite to win it all?
As many have pointed out, the big loss from Edge's leaving is in the blocking category and if defenders are getting into the backfield, well, Peyton is about as mobile as a stalk of corn.
Sorry, I can't see the Colts at the shortest odds. I would think 9/1 might be more appropriate.
Side note: I really like the work Peyton does in TV commercials. Couldn't you just see him in five years as Vince Vaughn's long lost brother who takes over the team in Dodgeball 3?
To hell with this column, I'm writing a script.
New England Patriots +837 ~8/1
The defense was clobbered by injuries last year and Brady had to put in a superhuman performance to carry them through the meat of last season despite having a hernia (operated on in the off-season) that no one seemed to want to discuss along with the other off season QB injuries. Maybe it wasn't a "sports hernia", maybe it was just a regular hernia and therefore not manly enough to talk about. In any case Brady should soar without those concerns.
In the pre-season they have looked like they are out to stomp the world. Hard not to think of them as favorites. +837 is an attractive bet, but there are better ones.
Who's up for a pool on the date of the first shot of Bill Belichick when he is not frowning? He did a little five second "You're watching the NFL Network" bumper and he was even frowning in that. It's not a Dick Vermeil Hall of Fame level scrunchy face, but it's a solid effort and a paragon of consistency. How long before he makes a guest appearance on Nip/Tuck as a football coach who's trying to keep his Botox use from the press?
Pittsburgh Steelers +1134 ~11/1
Explain to me why anyone is more likely to win it all than the Steelers.
Because Jerome Bettis is gone? Love to Jerome, but that's not a season killing loss. Hey, did you know Jerome Bettis is from Detroit, the very city where he won the Super Bowl? (Sorry, that was just for old time's sake.)
Now you could point out that Duce Staley showed up to camp looking like he had been wedged in a chocolate pipeline in Willie Wonka's factory. But even if they have to go to running back by committee, they should still be OK, their O-line being top notch.
Article comments
1 - Matthew T. Sussman
"Hey, did you know Jerome Bettis is from Detroit, the very city where he won the Super Bowl?"
No. WAY.
You know, they really should have promoted that. It would have been a great storybook ending.
2 - Craig Lyndall
I know it is fun to just dismiss the Browns. And while I know they don't have a realistic shot of taking their uber-competitive division this season with the likes of Cincy, Pittsburgh and even the Ravens with Steve McNair, your covereage here just looks lazy.
Kamerion Wimbley, the Browns first round draft pick looks excellent. Willie McGinest and Ted Washington were brought in to help an extremely poor run defense. Braylon Edwards made it back from ACL surgery as fast as anyone that I can ever remember. Kellen Winslow is finally back from crashing his motorcycle last off-season. Joe Jurevicious was brought in to help bring some additional efficiency to the passing game. Now, I don't expect you to spend all that time on a team that will go 9-7 if everything goes their way, but to skip out on all those changes and additions seems to be a bit dismissive.
The Browns lost LeCharles Bentley, but he wasn't the only reason that most people were giving the Browns the highest marks for off-season activity.
3 - david mazzotta
That's an excellent summary of the Browns, Craig.
I've always liked Jurevicious, and Braylon Edwards is my Wolverine homie, but..."Interesting" is still a stretch.
Events conspired to give Winslow the *second* most important motorcycle accident recovery. That's a bad break if there ever was one.
Even the bookies gave them the shrug line (100/1).
They just don't set my fingers a typin'.