Mitch McLaughlin: Colts vs. FalconsFor the past four seasons last year's Super Bowl teams ?" New England and Philadelphia dominated their respective conferences like no teams have in the NFL's history. The Patriots became just the second team to win three Super Bowls in a four-year span following the Cowboys who did the same thing in the mid-1990s.
In the NFC the Eagles have won four straight division titles and been to the last four NFC championship games (first NFC team to do that) before making their first Super Bowl appearance in 24 years last January.
These two teams have shown that some franchises can consistently win in the salary cap era. Outside of New England and Philadelphia no other teams have made it to back-to-back appearances in their league's championships games.
So will any teams knock off these two this season?
The Patriots seem to have much tougher competition in the AFC. The Colts have the offense to beat anybody and if their defense can improve to just the top 15 they will be a very scary team. But it seems this team must have home-field in the playoffs since they have looked very un-Colts like in their two playoff match-ups with the Patriots. The Ravens and Steelers are also contenders since they may have the best two defensive units in the NFL.
In the NFC, it's much more wide-open. Michael Vick might be able to get the Falcons in the playoffs by himself, but will they have enough to go far in January? The Vikings made some big additions to their defense and their offense will be just as potent without Randy Moss. Remember they still have Daunte Culpepper. One team to look out for is the 2003 NFC champs, the Carolina Panthers. They still have one of the NFL's best defenses and with their offensive skill guys back from injury (Steve Smith, Stephen Davis, DeShaun Foster); the Panthers will be back at the top of the NFC.
My Super Bowl pick: Colts over Falcons. Manning vs. Vick, how much better can it get?Benn Hodapp: Ravens vs. FalconsThere's some pretty intriguing stuff on the NFL palate heading into the 2005-06 season.
In the NFC it's all about two teams, the Eagles and the Falcons. Terrell Owens will play and play well, all the while his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, will flap his gums about how he is just doing his job and that sharks never stay still, or some insane gibberish.
Donovan McNabb and Owens will have dynamic statistical years that will lead the Eagles to yet another NFC title game. But as has been the case three of the last four years, their season will end there.
The Falcons come into the season with high expectations for quarterback Michael Vick, who the team hopes will be more comfortable now in the second year of the team's experimentation with the West Coast offense. They will fly into Philadelphia for the NFC Championship game and win.
In the AFC all the talk will be about the Patriots and the Colts.
The talk will end up being exactly that as the Baltimore Ravens will sneak into the Super Bowl under cover of darkness. With the addition of a great wide receiver in Derrick Mason, perhaps former Cal quarterback Kyle Boller can finally figure this game out. If he does, this team is darn near unbeatable. With running back Jamal Lewis coming back from a four-month jail sentence after last season, this offense could be pretty good for the first time in a long time.
Along with a defense comprised of two-time Defensive Player of the Year linebacker Ray Lewis and reigning Defensive Player of the Year safety Ed Reed the Ravens simply do not give up points-ever.
In Super Bowl XL it will be the Ravens who survive to take home the Lombardi trophy, beating the Falcons by a score of 23-14.Matt Vevoda: Jets vs. VikingsMany things about the 2005 NFL season will be similar to the last few years.
Offense will dominate, Terrell Owens won't shut up, Randy Moss will have some kind of drama and Peyton Manning will choke in a big game.
One thing that will change is the Super Bowl champion.
Much like the 1990 San Francisco 49ers, the Patriots will see their three-peat hopes get smashed by a New York team, but this time it will be the New York Jets and not the New York Giants.
The team that will be in the Super Bowl playing against the Jets will be the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings traded their all-pro, all-headache receiver Moss to the Oakland Raiders but will be just fine without him. Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper had a phenomenal year last season but was lost in Manning's record year.
The Indianapolis Colts will come to the brink of a Super Bowl berth once again but Manning will throw interceptions to former Patriot and current Jet Ty Law to solidify his status as the next Dan Marino, great in the regular season, unable to win big games in the playoffs. The headlines in the off-season were dominated by Eagle's receiver and former 49er Terrell Owens.
Owens threatened to hold out of training camp, reported anyway to camp, got kicked out of camp and apparently doesn't own any workout equipment inside his house and prefers to do sit-ups in his driveway.
Owens returned from his punishment but not before bad-mouthing his quarterback and Campbell's chunky soup spokesman Donovan McNabb. McNabb and Owens vow they can play well and never talk, but chances of that are unlikely so don't count on the Eagles playing at Detroit in the Super Bowl.
