Green Bay will win Super Bowl XLV over Baltimore.
The Washington Redskins? Sorry, a winning season is needed for a postseason chance.
As the first Sunday of NFL football begins, the Packers are the crystal ball choice in a league known for flipping champions faster than Usain Bolt on Red Bull.
Yes, Aaron Rogers is ready to make Packers fans forget Brett Favre’s wandering ways. Indeed, Rogers could match Favre’s one ring status and supplant the latter in local legend status.
Not that Favre and Minnesota aren’t worthy adversaries. I just have a feeling Favre stayed one season too long as shown by looking like an old statue throwing off his heels in a 14-9 loss to New Orleans on Thursday.
New Orleans winning two straight titles seems improbable — the Saints have already had their miracle. Dallas fights the jinx of no Super Bowl host ever reaching the game.
Green Bay gets Baltimore in the Super Bowl, not because the Ravens are the AFC’s best team, but may simply survive a crowded field. Indianapolis chokes more than Doc Holliday eating a scone. San Diego, New England, Pittsburgh and the New York Jets had their chances. It’s Baltimore turn.
It’s never this simple looking five months out, but the NFL will continue its traditional mixture of new contenders and old bosses.
The AFC has Indianapolis and San Diego repeating division titles along with New York and Baltimore. Houston and Miami are wild cards.
The NFC is also half establishment, half newcomers. Dallas and New Orleans repeat division titles while San Francisco and Green Bay earn crowns. Wild cards are Minnesota and the New York Giants.
The top two seeds per conference gaining first-round byes and home-field edges are normally everything given balance among top contenders. But in the AFC, Baltimore can win on the road as the probable third seed to Indianapolis and New York. The Jets threaten to become one of those teams distracted by their own bragging. When coming down to it last year, New York couldn’t beat Indianapolis and this time won’t hold off Baltimore. The Ravens may not be the best team in September, but come December that defense will dominate.
New Orleans and Green Bay seem like the NFC’s elite because they win on either side of the ball. When the Saints couldn’t do much against the Vikings in the opener, the defense checked Minnesota to nine points. That makes New Orleans awfully tough. But Green Bay would freeze out New Orleans if the Packers host the NFC Championship Game. That’s what makes the regular season win total so important.
The dark horse is San Francisco. Coach Mike Singletary has this team on the verge, but like last year’s Jets is probably a year or two away from a Super Bowl.
So clip and save the prediction: Green Bay (-3) over Baltimore, 17-13.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
