Top 5 Contenders for Super Bowl XLIII

Posted by Chris Widner on 02.07.2008

The season is barely finished and I look forward to next year.

John Clayton released his list of the top 5 contenders for the big game next year so I felt obligated to do the same. I'm sure if you ask me again come September this list will change, but just a few days removed from the Giants' stunning victory here is my list of contenders.

1. New England Patriots - As John Clayton points out, the Patriots have the easiest schedule in the league next year, so they are pretty much a lock for the post season. The AFC East doesn't offer much competition for the Patriots, so I can easily see them winning the division and possible home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. When you consider the fact that they were 1:00 away from winning it all on Sunday they will be a very motivated team. That's just scary.

I'm sure there are a lot of you out there that want to point out reasons they may not be a dominant team next year, so let's take a look at that. They'll probably lose Asante Samuel who is by far the best player in the secondary. Their linebackers are old, some might retire, so they need to gain some depth there. Plus there is the rumors that the truth on Spygate has just begun so, as Clayton points out, Belichick could be in some hot water. I highly doubt that anything will come of these latest rumors, but you never know.

2. San Diego Chargers - Although tempted to put the Colts here, I've got to go with San Diego. The Norv Turner experience turned out much better than most, including myself, expected and now they have an entire offseason to include Chris Chambers into the playbook. He is a very good receiver and could be the missing piece to their puzzle on offense. As far as easy schedules go in the NFL they have one of the best. There's no reason why they can't win their division next year.

I really can't think of any particular reason why they won't be able to contend next season. Rivers should be ready for the regular season, so unless his rehab is disastrous they'll be fine. If the Patriots don't fix their defensive woes, you may see the Chargers as my #1 contender come September.

3. Indianapolis Colts - Barely missing out on the #2 spot is the Indianapolis Colts. Robert Mathis has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with and Dwight Freeney will be back, so they're going to do a great job of pressuring the QB. Bob Sanders has shown what he's capable of, when healthy for a full season, so you know the run defense will be stout.

While there was talk about Tony Dungy "taking it easy" this coming season, I just don't see it. He is a classy individual and is dedicated to his craft, so I can't see him slacking off as the head coach. The biggest issue for them is their divisional opponents. When the "worst" team in your division goes 8-8 you know you have serious competition. They're going to lose some games to the division, but that only serves to help them. They'll be battle tested come playoff time.

4. New York Giants - Just when you thought I was going to play follow the leader, I throw the Giants in the mix. I'd love to place my Cowboys here, I really would, but I just can't do it. The Giants, and especially Eli Manning, got hot when it counted and they won it all. Eli has shown he can handle the pressure and is ready to lead this team to years of success.

While they deserve this spot, at least right now, there are a lot of question marks. First and foremost is Steve Spagnuolo. Will he be back next year? If not, they're going to drop unless they replace him with an excellent coordinator. The other question mark is Jeremy Shockey. Are they going to keep him? Eli played much better with the loud mouth gone. Kevin Boss has proven to be a great replacement, so in the interest of team chemistry they need to send him packing. If they don't, the team will suffer.

5. Dallas Cowboys - I still feel like Tony Romo can lead this team to success in the playoffs. We, I mean they, lost to the Giants because of that awesome pass rush. The Cowboys will be back and they're going to be even better now that they realize that Marion Barber should be the starter. Wade Phillips impressed us all by not screwing up and actually contributing to the team's success. Too bad those darn Giants became a team and Eli grew up or we, sorry I meant they, would own the NFC East.

The biggest question marks for this team are the receivers and the offensive line. If the Cowboys can get a center who can snap in the shotgun they should be OK. The receivers are effective and Terry Glenn will be healthy, but they're getting up there in age. Luckily they have a couple of first round picks to take care of this. Just stay away from Mario Manningham, please.

I'm sure you guys are going to give me some flack for these choices, but I can't wait to see what you have to say. As always, the feedback is welcomed.