SportsSpeak73: The 2010-2011 NFL Runner-Ups (Second Tier) 6) M...

!st of all, I'd like to take a moment to say goodbye to one of the best safeties to ever grace the gridiron. RIP Jack Tatum.

The 2010-2011 NFL Runner-Ups (Second Tier)


6) Minnesota Vikings- The Vikings are a team that would easily have found themselves on the cream of crop list if not for two pressing issue. The first issue is that the Vikings don’t know who their Quarterback will be when week 1 arrives. It is widely assumed that Brett Favre will return for another turn under center but if his ankle does not cooperate, the Vikes could find themselves catching balls from unimpressive alternatives Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels. While the receiving corps made drastic strides last season, I doubt their improvement would continue with either of those options in the pocket. The second issue the Vikings must overcome is the fumbling epidemic Adrian Peterson appears to have developed. Strictly on running ability, Peterson is an elite back (18 TDs) with great speed, acceleration, elusiveness, and power. However, his habit of putting the ball on the ground is cause for concern. Generally speaking, teams who win the turnover battle win the game and if Peterson has six turnovers again, then that doesn’t bode well for the Vikings chances.

Defensively, the Vikings are stacked! Their front four includes two elite run stuffers in DTs Pat & Kevin Williams, an outstanding edge rusher in DE Jared Allen, and serviceable threat Ray Edwards at the other end spot. The Linebacker corps welcomes back MLB E.J. Henderson who, when healthy, has proven to be a steady contributor. Outside Backer Chad Greenway should continue to develop into a very well rounded and complete OLB. In the secondary, the Vikings employ diminutive yet dynamic Antoine Winfield and Cedric Griffin at Cornerback and talented young Tyrell Johnson at Strong Safety. The Vikings are talented without question, and even with the aforementioned issues they are a likely playoff team. Still, for them to reach their ultimate goal of hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, they’ll need for both Favre to return and Peterson to be more secure with the ball.


7) Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals have always been a talented team who never seemed to put it together, until last season. Coach Marvin Lewis drew from the knowledge he used as the coordinator to the record setting 2000 Ravens defense and molded the Bengals defense into a top 10 unit that held opponents to 18.3 ppg and totaled 25 takeaways. Responsible for roughly half of those takeaways were Cornerbacks Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. Both CBs picked off 6 passes last season and Joseph returned one of those for a TD. Defensive End Antwan Odom managed to lead the team in sacks with 8 despite only playing 6 games due to injury. His return this season should be a welcome one!

Another welcome addition in Cincy this year will be none other than Terrell Owens. Personally I’m not particularly high on the 37 year old receiver but he does provide an upgrade over most other targets available to QB Carson Palmer. Assuming Owens and fellow Wide Receiver Chad Ochocino can co-exist, the Bengals should improve on their mediocre passing numbers from last season. Running Back Cedric Benson appeared to have found the stride that made him a top 5 NFL Draft Pick and used it to amass over 1,000 yards and 6 TDs. With an upgraded passing attack, those numbers should only improve as teams will not be able to put eight men in the box in an effort to stop the run. With a more potent offense, look for the Bengals to challenge the Ravens for NFC North supremacy.


8) New England Patriots- It seems as if this decade has belonged to the Patriots, and while they may no longer be considered a dynasty, they are far from washed up. The Pats still possess one of the best QBs in the league and a well respected coach in Tom Brady and Bill Bellichick respectively. Brady answered any questions about his injured knee last season by posting 28 TDs and a passer rating of 96.2 for his second best statistical season to date. Brady chain moving WR Wes Welker to injury late in the season and its unknown whether or not Welker will be ready for week 1 competition. Brady is not devoid of weapons however as he still has the talented Randy Moss to throw deep balls to. Unfortunately for Brady, the Patriots did not upgrade their mediocre running game this offseason which means that the Pats success will be completely up to him.


Defensively, the Patriots are a question mark. They traded away All-Pro DE Richard Seymour early last year for draft picks, yet drafted only 4 defensive players in this year’s draft, none of which are expected to match Seymour’s productivity. With Seymour’s departure, the only holdover from the Pats dynasty days is NT Vince Wilfork. Wilfork remains one of the better NTs in the NFL and after receiving a new contract this off-season, has no reason to play any less than exceptional football. Jerrod Mayo is the unquestioned leader of the Linebacker corps which isn’t a very good group unfortunately. Mayo is a stud no doubt, but while he racked up 103 tackles last year, he also missed 4 games. Other than Mayo, no one in the LB corps strikes fear in the heart of opposing offenses which is a far cry from the days when McGinest, Bruschi, and Vrabel patrolled the hash marks in Foxboro.


9) Pittsburgh Steelers- The Steelers are a quality team who may not finish the season with a quality record. The team will be without franchise QB Ben Roethlisberger for at least the first 4 games of the season and during that span they’ll face three quality teams (Falcons, Titans, Ravens), leading to the very real possibility that they’ll start the season 1-3. Without Roethlisberger, the Steelers will rely on statue like QB Byron Leftwich to hold the fort. While Leftwich is a more than serviceable option, the problem arises when you couple his immobility with the Steelers porous O-Line. Another problem for the Steelers is the WR position. While Mike Wallace had an exceptional rookie season, he is now being asked to replace Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes which is a tall order. However, he will have a steady and efficient mentor in Hines Ward.


In spite of all the questions the Steelers face on the offensive side of the ball, they rank this high because of their defense. Last year’s was not quite up to coordinator Dick LeBeau’s standards, but that can be at least partially attributed to injuries. All-Pro Troy Polamalu was sorely missed, as the Steel Curtain struggled mightily in his absence. Polamalu is a ball hawking safety who allows LeBeau to be more aggressive in his schemes. Without him, the Steelers were forced to be more conservative which doesn’t suit their style of play. Also, look for OLB James Harrison to return to the form that made him the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year. With Polamalu back on the field, Harrison will likely be freed up to be more of a blitz artist.


10) San Diego Chargers- While I expect the Chargers to collect another AFC West division title, their Super Bowl aspirations this season could very well go unfulfilled. On paper, the Chargers appear to be as talented as ever. However, that paper lists Vincent Jackson and Marcus McNeil on the Chargers’ roster and it appears there is a very real possibility one, if not both, of these players will hold out. Jackson’s absence would be significantly more poisonous to the Chargers hopes of a Super Bowl appearance because he is their No. 1 receiver and a very effective one at that. Jackson caught roughly 32% of QB Phillip Rivers’ TD passes last season (9 of 28) and though All-Pro TE Antonio Gates constantly abuses defenses, Rivers will need more than one steady target to get the Chargers to greatness. As for Rivers, the holdout with the most pressing importance to him is likely the situation with McNeil. McNeil has been protecting Rivers’ blindside for Rivers’ entire career as a starter. McNeil is a two time Pro Bowler who is widely considered one of the elite Tackles in the game. If he holds out for the first 10 games of the season, Rivers may be in for a beating. Assuming, McNeil returns earlier, expect Rivers to remain the brash, trash talking assassin who backs up his words with his arm. Over the past two years, Rivers has a higher average passer rating than any other QB including P. Manning & Brees (his exclusion from the 2008 Pro Bowl was CRIMINAL). With a new power back (rookie Ryan Matthews) and an elusive specialty back (Darren Sproles), the Chargers should run the ball more this season than years past.


The Chargers defense is also a point of uncertainty. There is potential there to be sure, but the question is whether that potential will develop into talent. The departure of Antonio Cromartie means Antoine Cason will likely replace him as a starting CB. Cason is a big corner (6’0”) with decent ball skills that should be able to hold his own against most WRs. Opposite of Cason is veteran Quentin Jammer. Over the course of his 8 year career, Jammer has averaged 2 INTs and 12 deflections a year. He also prides himself on being an excellent corner in terms of run support. Speaking of run support, the Chargers are looking to improve on their numbers from 2009 when they ranked 20th in the league allowing 117 ypg on the ground. Expect rookie DT Cam Thomas to push for the starting NT job as Ogemdi Nwagbuo was largely ineffective last season. The Chargers are a team with one elite player and a multitude of players ranging from decent to good but they don’t have many great ones. They can sorely afford to have two great ones watching from home so A.J. Smith, get it together and get Jackson and McNeil on the field.