2007 Pro Football's Best!
The pro football season kicks off this week when the Saints travel to the Colts to battle the defending champs. Here's a look at some of the best of the AFC, the conference that has won 8 of the last 10 Super Bowls.
Steelers (8-8 SU, 7-8-1 ATS in 2006): A return to greatness? Why not? 2006 was a season of bad luck for the defending champs, lost in a brutal schedule, a sea of turnovers and a slew of close losses. The Steelers went 6-2 SU, 5-3-1 ATS to end the regular season, even winning the finale at Cincinnati in OT to knock the Bengals out of the playoffs.
The biggest change Bill Cowher left and 35-year old Mike Tomlin is the new head coach. He had been the defensive coordinator of the Minnesota Vikings. He is just the third coach for the Steelers in 38 years. While it is a transition year, there is a lot of talent for the new coach to work with. QB Ben Roethlisberger is healthy after a terrible 2006, with a serious motorcycle accident and then appendectomy surgery prior to Week 1. The defense is talented and has been physical and attacking in preseason. Pittsburgh is an incredible 16-3 SU, 14-5 ATS on the road the last two years.
Ravens (13-4 SU, 10-7 ATS): This is still a talented team with a monster defense that is capable of beating anyone. The offense has been one-dimensional and got a boost last season from veteran QB 34-year old Steve McNair (3,050 yards, 63.0% completions, 16 TDs, 12 picks). He was steady, but has lost a step and didn't have much wideout speed to work with. The Ravens struggled in their third through sixth games, leading Brian Billick to fire Jim Fassel as offensive coordinator.
They averaged 24.8 points over the next nine games, restoring Billick's reputation as a play-caller, though that offense was totally shut down by the Colts in the playoffs. They will win again behind a dominant defense that was No. 1 overall last fall. The Ravens are 45-16 SU, 35-21-3 ATS at home since their Super Bowl season of 2000.
Chargers (14-3 SU, 9-8 ATS): The 2006 San Diego Chargers were riding high, off a dominating 14-2 regular season. They had MVP RB LaDainian Tomlinson and the best crop of talent on both sides of the ball in the NFL. The way to the Super Bowl was paved in Charger gold, it seemed. Then came the first playoff game, a stunning fourth quarter collapse to the Patriots, a 24-21 defeat at home.
The talent on this team is still awesome, though that defeat triggered a coaching chain reaction. New head coach Norv Turner takes over, an aggressive offensive mind. QB Phillip Rivers impressed in his first full season and passed for 3,338 yards with 22 TDs, 9 picks last season. They are loaded with RB Tomlinson (1,815 yards, 5.2 ypc, 28 TDs), TE Antonio Gates, and add rookie WR Craig Davis (from LSU). San Diego is 16-8 SU, 16-6-2 ATS on the road the last three seasons.
Jaguars (8-8 SU/ATS): Last stand for Jack Del Rio? The Jaguars went from 12-4 and an AFC power in 2005, to an underachieving 2006 season, blowing the postseason by ending the year 0-3 SU/ATS. As a result, the heat is. This defense is outstanding, No. 3 overall in 2006. Jacksonville used to be all-running on offense, but they bring in Dirk Koetter as offensive coordinator, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. During preseason they worked exclusively on the passing game with David Garrard as the starter. Jacksonville is 14-8-2 ATS their last 24 home games.
Patriots (14-5 SU, 11-8 ATS): Their first ever loss in the AFC Championship game started a whirlwind offseason for New England. 29-year old linebacker Adalius Thomas (Ravens) upgrades an already strong linebacking corps, while up front the D-line features three first-round draft picks in NT Vince Wilfork, Ty Warren and Richard Seymour, (although Seymour will miss the first 6 weeks of the season).
New England finished 11th in total offense behind QB Tom Brady (3,529 yards, 24 TDs, 12 picks) and adds 26-year old WR Dante Stallworth, slot receiver Wes Welker and 30-year old WR Randy Moss. Brady has 3 Super Bowl rings but has never had this kind of wideout talent to work with. They have a remarkable home-field edge, too, going 31-6 SU and 22-14 ATS in the regular season at home from 2003-06.
Saints (11-7 SU, 10-8 ATS): Wow! From 3-13 to 11-7 all the way to the NFC Championship game. Saints fans have a lot to cheer about and they can thank head coach Sean Payton, QB Drew Brees and RB Reggie Bush. The Saints were No. 1 in the NFL in offense, averaging 25 points, 112 yards rushing and 280 passing. Free-agent QB Drew Brees was sensational, with 4,418 yards, 26 TDs, 11 INTs, completing 64% of his passes.
WR Marques Colston was a great story, coming out of Hofstra and caught 70 passes for 1,038 yards. Throw in RB Reggie Bush and his 88 catches for 742 yards, and this passing game is lights out. The defense still needs work, especially in the secondary, but played well in August. New Orleans is 6-3 SU, 7-2 ATS on the road and 9-5 over the total their last 14 games.
Bears (15-3 SU, 11-7 ATS): It was a magical season for the Bears...until the Super Bowl. Defense leads the way behind LB Brian Urlacher. Chicago allowed just 10 and 15 ppg at home the last two seasons, where they have gone 15-4 SU, 12-7 ATS. For a team that made it to the Super Bowl, there were curious changes.
DT Tank Johnson got in more trouble and the Bears jettisoned him. They shipped out RB Thomas Jones, meaning they're putting their chips on young Cedric Benson. If Benson can't step up, that would put more pressure on QB Rex Grossman to carry the offense, and he was wildly inconsistent (23 TDs, 20 picks), after beginning the year with a 10-2 TD/INT ratio. They like rookie TE Greg Olsen and remember the 2006 Bears were 13-4 "over" the total.
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