Indianapolis Colts
By CHRIS KWIECINSKI
The NFL season is upon us (finally) after a deflating offseason.
And with two days until opening Sunday, let’s talk about the playoffs.
Speak of contenders, and you’ll only get a handful in response.
Green Bay and Seattle are the obvious ones, while Denver and Dallas are up there too.
New England’s in there too, I guess.
But the Super Bowl 50 champ? That’ll be the Indianapolis Colts.
How? Well, here’s how, so buckle up.
The Colts have one of the greatest QBs of the decade in Andrew Luck, and he’s only getting better.
After an embarrassing AFC title game loss, the Colts reloaded with veterans, addressed their problem spots and are back with a vengeance.
But wait! What about the other contenders?
Seattle lost way too many pieces of their “Legion of Boom,” Denver has a QB that can’t feel his fingers and Dallas has receivers that don’t know how to catch a football.
As far as Green Bay is concerned, Aaron Rodgers may be the best QB, but that’s not going to make your defense actually defend, now will it?
And New England? I guess they’ll find a creative way to cheat sometime soon. Who knows?
I digress, but it’s obvious: with the most complete team and MVP-caliber QB play, the Colts will win the Lombardi trophy.
Green Bay Packers
By BRANDON WALLACE
As a lifelong Bears fan, it pains me to say that the Green Bay Packers have the best chance at winning the Super Bowl this year.
They have the experience, the talent and the hunger to make it to the big game after choking away their opportunity last year. But even all those factors aren’t the main reason they’ll win it this year. Everything for the Packers revolves around No. 12, quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
In an era where a team will only go as far as its quarterback take it, the Packers have the best in the game. Rodgers has elite accuracy and throwing power, but it’s his mind that sets him apart. Nobody can read a defense, extend a play or provide leadership like Rodgers can. Quarterback play is what makes or breaks a team, and the Packers have nothing to worry about there.
The Packers finally have a running game to complement Rodgers’ aerial attack with the emergence of Eddie Lacy. In the past, defenses could just sit back and wait for the pass. Now, defenses have to be wary of the run.
The Packers’ defense, specifically the secondary, has always been a question mark, but this year’s squad has more experience and talent than the defenses of the past. At the very least, the Packers’ defense will perform well enough to keep them in the game.
If everything goes as expected, the Packers seem like the team to beat in the NFL.
