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One on One: Who is the best team in the NFL?

San Franciso 49ers

After watching one week of the NFL season it is clear who is the best team in the NFL.

That team is the Indianapolis Colts. Just kidding.

The San Francisco 49ers looked dominant in a 30-22 win over the Green Bay Packers, who finished 15-1 last season.

Any defense capable of holding the Packers to 22 points has to be elite. Not many teams are going to be able to put up points on the Niners this season.

But San Francisco’s suffocating defense is nothing new. They finished second in the NFL in points allowed a year ago.

Where the 49ers have improved is on offense. They have a dominant offensive line that opens gaping holes for running back Frank Gore. Plus, offseason additions of wide receivers Randy Moss and Mario Manningham give more weapons for quarterback Alex Smith to throw to.

If the 49ers can put points on the scoreboard like they did against Green Bay it’s going to be a long year for their opponents.

They should cruise to the playoffs and have to be the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. And in the playoffs where defense is everything I would not want to be facing the Niners in January.

There is little doubt that the 49ers are the best team in football.

-Alex Ross

 

New England Patriots

Have we learned anything in the past decade? The only certainties in life are taxes, death and Tom Brady leading the Patriots to the playoffs.

For the first time since their  days of Super Bowl victories, Brady is surrounded by talent on both sides of the ball.

Finally he has a running back that can run the ball effectively in Stevan Ridley. Finally, he has some big-play weapons at wide receiver in Brandon Lloyd, not to mention his incredible tight ends. And Brady has an experienced offensive line to give him time to work his magic.

The defense has also made strides in the past few seasons. Gone are the old players that couldn’t keep up.  The Patriots improved their secondary during the offseason to keep up with the pass-friendly league.

And no way can we forget head coach Bill Belichick, the mastermind behind this organization. Since 2003, the Patriots have missed the playoffs once, and Tom Brady was injured in the first game of that season.

Sure, the San Francisco 49ers made a statement by beating the Green Bay Packers, and now people are excited about their prospects this season. However, don’t forget the team that was one play away from winning the Super Bowl last season, and only improved in the offseason.

-Bobby Nightengale

 

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