The Road to Super Bowl XLIV Begins

The 2009-10 NFL Football Season is here,

marking the fiftieth season of the Original Eight charter members of the American Football League, whose owners became collectively known as “The Foolish Club.” The fifth league to use the AFL moniker (previous leagues in 1926, 1934, 1936-37, and 1940-41, all had failed) began play in 1960 and would become the American Football Conference (AFC) when it merged with the NFL in 1970.

Here’s an inside look at the top two teams for each Conference – AFC and NFC. Starting first with AFC’s New England Patriots, with the return of QB Tom Brady, he returns to a slightly aged version of the same offense that they scored all their points in during that 16-0 regular season. His return also gives credibility to a running game which has declined the last two years, and really needs a breakout season from RB Laurence Maroney or help from veteran RB Fred Taylor.

The second team to watch out for in the AFC is the Baltimore Ravens mainly because they’re just a great young team that consistently drafts well. The defense finished second in the NFL last year, and showed a knack for forcing offenses into critical mistakes. They also led the league in defensive scores last year. They will have great special teams under John Harbaugh again this year, making them a shoo-in for the postseason.

Going to the NFC side, there’s no doubt that last year’s number one passing team, the Arizona Cardinals, would still be a favorite to reach the Super Bowl since they now have that rushing attack to make the offense far more versatile. RBs Beanie Wells and Jason Wright will make a much better running duo than Tim Hightower, who will handle goal line duty, and the departed Edgerrin James. Kurt Warner is resigned, and Matt Leinart gives them good depth at Quarterback. LB Cody Brown and S Rashad Johnson were great draft picks that will help to restock a young, strong defense.

The New Orleans Saints should finally make it back to the NFC title game as QB Drew Brees is the preseason front runner to be MVP of the NFL. The receivers are young and talented. RB Pierre Thomas, an undrafted player two years ago, is on the verge of becoming a top ten RB in the NFL. The defense does not appear to have any gaping holes, spending considerable resources on shoring up the defensive backfield while finding young pass rushers. With no weaknesses, we’ll see if the defensive totals come back to a respectable level.