We are a little over two months from the start of the 2013 NFL regular season, but it’s never too early to look at the teams and make some predictions. This is the fun time of year when we are able to do that, based on what we think teams are going to do.
It’s easy to predict at the top of the list of Super Bowl favorites the usual suspects who will come in and contend for a title.
Teams like San Francisco, Denver, New England, and Green Bay. And then the second-tier just below that in Atlanta, Seattle, New Orleans, Houston and the New York Football Giants. But what about teams further on down the list where betting odds have set them well out of contention. Which of these teams, if any, will pull off the big surprise and make a run at the playoffs, and perhaps even a run at Super Bowl 48?
There are a couple of teams well down the list of Super Bowl XLVIII favorites that have caught our attention heading into the new year. Among them are the Detroit Lions. The Lions are sitting all the way back at 40/1, which is about midway on the betting lines. Detroit has been one of the best offenses in the league statistically over the last couple of seasons, but their defense has been lackluster. But while the offense has put up big numbers, it hasn’t been as balanced as they would like.
The Lions brought in Reggie Bush in the offseason, and Bush really has the pedigree and build to mold right into this Detroit offensive system to try and bring another threat into mix. Any attention that can be brought away from Calvin Johnson will breed success.
But the key will be on defense, if the Lions can stop people, or even slow them down. We think this could be the year that the Lions make the playoffs and potentially make some noise in the postseason.
Outside of the Lions, we are going to take another 40/1 team in the St.Louis Rams, under the direction of head coach Jeff Fisher. St. Louis appears to have the tools in place to compete in the NFC West, albeit against San Francisco and Seattle. The Rams acquired receiver Tavon Austin in the draft, and we think he is going to win the offensive rookie of the year. Austin will develop a nice chemistry with quarterback Sam Bradford to form one of the more productive tandems in the league.
They also brought in inside linebacker Alec Ogletree out of Georgia, who is a rare combination of size and speed to help out on defense.
It will come down to how St. Louis performs against their division as to whether or not they can make a run at the postseason, but we think that the Rams will take a big step forward this season.