Best Nfl 08 Team?

[foreversunny23]

I'm going with the Colts

[theFRANCHISE]

I'm also inclined to agree, I think the Colts will end the 2008 season with the best record in the league.

That's not to say, of course, that they'll be Super Bowl champions -- it's too early for us to be picking favorites (other than our beloved team, of course...lol). But I believe that Indianapolis is one of the more complete teams in the league, and the only reason why I give them the edge over New England's talent-laden roster, is because they don't have the type of expectations that the Patriots will have to live up to.

Even with the easiest schedule in the league this upcoming season, New England still has its work cut out for them because of the pressure to repeat their 16-0 run and make another run at 19-0. They broke through the invisible glass ceiling that had been set since 1972, and now, they've set the bar too high for even themselves to reach.

Just because they play teams that had the worst records last season, doesn't mean that those teams will be a cakewalk THIS season -- the NFL is all about parity, and there are bound to be a few sleeper picks on that schedule that will upset the "invincible" Patriots.

Going back to why I give Indy the edge, however, I believe that the Colts have the tools they need to compete in the tough AFC South. Their receiving corps is solid, their running back corps is deep, their offensive line's play is always steady, the defensive line continues to perform in the clutch, the linebacking corps is shaky but manageable, and the defensive secondary has flashes of talent mostly due to the efforts of all-world safety Bob Sanders.

Oh, and then of course, there's the "other" Manning that didn't play in the Super Bowl last season...y'know, the one in all the commercials who you can't really hate, but have to as a Ravens fan when the Colts come to town. Y'know, Eli's brother. Perennial Pro Bowler, former Super MVP, former league MVP, second-most in consecutive starts at QB...you get the picture.

As for the other teams, Norv Turner doesn't look as if he'll be able to repeat last year's success with San Diego because, well, he's Norv Turner. Turner and head coaching just plain don't go together. Plus, Philip Rivers is a jerk, and I'm silently praying for his downfall. But, I'd like to see LaDainian Tomlinson succeed, as always, because he's a nice guy and a phenomenal athlete. Other than that, I don't see the Chargers lucking out this year as they did last year in the playoffs. Let's face it -- Billy Volek and Michael Turner won the playoff game against the Colts, NOT Rivers and LT. Also, I noticed signs of the defense faltering at times during the season; the defense has been the cog that's kept the team going when LT has been neutralized, and without that unit, all teams have to do is shut down LT (which has been done before, albeit very difficult to do so) and the game is won.

And then there's the Dallas Cowboys. Frankly, all the headlines they've grabbed this offseason is bound to come back to haunt them at some point. Eventually, the media will point to events of this past offseason (and even the year before), should the team struggle at some point. And then that pressure will cause players to crack. And then chemistry on the field will be interrupted, and everything suddenly becomes a distraction that some players can't handle. And then Jason Garrett breathing down Wade Phillips's neck will get to him, and Jerry Jones will cite that as a reason to hand Garrett the job since Phillips is just keeping the seat warm.

[Ravens_Pwn12]

i going with other

i am saying oakland is gonna be good

[Ravens_Pwn12]

or packers

[Jesse Conroy]

Ravens.. lol

[Devastat1on]

Pats.. They have the easiest schedule next year.. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see them go 16-0 again.. Colts will probably have the 2nd best record.. Indy's always good..

[SaltwaterServr]

And then there's the Dallas Cowboys. Frankly, all the headlines they've grabbed this offseason is bound to come back to haunt them at some point. Eventually, the media will point to events of this past offseason (and even the year before), should the team struggle at some point. And then that pressure will cause players to crack. And then chemistry on the field will be interrupted, and everything suddenly becomes a distraction that some players can't handle. And then Jason Garrett breathing down Wade Phillips's neck will get to him, and Jerry Jones will cite that as a reason to hand Garrett the job since Phillips is just keeping the seat warm.

Seriously?! You expect media attention to doom a football team? Media pressure is going to cause players to crack and the chemistry to be interrupted?

Wow. The rules here mention that you cannot be insulting to another member, but I would call that portion of your post highly speculatory tabloid fodder at best.

This just in, media dooms Cowboys season. Well, that's that. We might as well call off the season because everyone knows the Cowboys never get any media attention.

I gotta paste this over at dallascowboys.com. This is just too funny.

[theFRANCHISE]

Seriously?! You expect media attention to doom a football team? Media pressure is going to cause players to crack and the chemistry to be interrupted?

Wow. The rules here mention that you cannot be insulting to another member, but I would call that portion of your post highly speculatory tabloid fodder at best.

This just in, media dooms Cowboys season. Well, that's that. We might as well call off the season because everyone knows the Cowboys never get any media attention.

I gotta paste this over at dallascowboys.com. This is just too funny.

I don't take that as insulting, so don't worry about it.

And I understand that you're a Cowboys fan and you HAVE TO defend your team -- it's an obligation.

But seriously, think about it -- the media is ALWAYS looking for an excuse to tear down a team, especially a successful one that grabs headlines for off-the-field activities.

You've got a team that's acquired the poster child of NFL player conduct issues in Pacman--er, uh, ADAM Jones. You've got the neverending media spectacle that is Terrell Owens. You've got the "distracted" prettyboy hot-shot QB in Tony Romo. You've got a disgruntled veteran in Terry Glenn. You've got the soap opera-like drama in the possible tension between Wade Phillips and his groomed successor Jason Garrett. And, of course, there's always the eternally-ageless (thanks to plastic surgery), flamboyant owner in Jerry Jones.

Pick your off-field poison. Any one of those "distractions" is enough of a juicy headline for the media to take and exaggerate to no end.

And that exaggeration, in the quest to increase readership/ratings/whatever, will be the downfall of the team, because that kind of media scrutiny is, in itself, a distraction.

Why do you think the conservative answer for every player, when talking about off-field distractions, is that "it doesn't concern them"? When, really, you see that it's CLEARLY affecting them IF their on-field production drops.

[Ravens_Pwn12]

Ravens.. lol

lol

[Ravens_Pwn12]

Pats.. They have the easiest schedule next year.. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see them go 16-0 again.. Colts will probably have the 2nd best record.. Indy's always good..

doenst matter about the record, the best team

[foreversunny23]

doenst matter about the record, the best team

True I guess best record and best team are two different things. The best team wins the Super Bowl but doesn't necessarily have the best record (Last Super Bowl perfect example).

[SaltwaterServr]

It's always been media, media, media with the Cowboys. Remove Terrell Owens name, insert Michael Irvin. Subtract Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett, insert players upset with Jimmy Johnson leaving. Subtract Tony Romo, insert Jimmy Johnson drafting Troy Aikman. Remove Terry Glenn add Alvin Harper. Remove Terry Glenn again and add Emmitt Smith's holdout. Replace Adam Jones with Charles Haley. Keep Jerry Jones and add the huge media and fan blow-up of removing Tom Landry. It's always been this way.

The media spotlight has alway shown exceptionally bright on the Star and players know it. If you want to look at end of the season drop off in production, look beyond the media because a pen on paper does not equal the effect of a high ankle sprain.

I don't take that as insulting, so don't worry about it.

And I understand that you're a Cowboys fan and you HAVE TO defend your team -- it's an obligation.

But seriously, think about it -- the media is ALWAYS looking for an excuse to tear down a team, especially a successful one that grabs headlines for off-the-field activities.

You've got a team that's acquired the poster child of NFL player conduct issues in Pacman--er, uh, ADAM Jones. You've got the neverending media spectacle that is Terrell Owens. You've got the "distracted" prettyboy hot-shot QB in Tony Romo. You've got a disgruntled veteran in Terry Glenn. You've got the soap opera-like drama in the possible tension between Wade Phillips and his groomed successor Jason Garrett. And, of course, there's always the eternally-ageless (thanks to plastic surgery), flamboyant owner in Jerry Jones.

Pick your off-field poison. Any one of those "distractions" is enough of a juicy headline for the media to take and exaggerate to no end.

And that exaggeration, in the quest to increase readership/ratings/whatever, will be the downfall of the team, because that kind of media scrutiny is, in itself, a distraction.

Why do you think the conservative answer for every player, when talking about off-field distractions, is that "it doesn't concern them"? When, really, you see that it's CLEARLY affecting them IF their on-field production drops.

[theFRANCHISE]

The media spotlight has alway shown exceptionally bright on the Star and players know it. If you want to look at end of the season drop off in production, look beyond the media because a pen on paper does not equal the effect of a high ankle sprain.

You missed the point I was trying to make.

Look at what I said specifically:

Eventually, the media will point to events of this past offseason (and even the year before), should the team struggle at some point

I never said the media would be the direct cause of the team's struggles; EVERY team struggles at some point, for various reasons. Injury tends to be the most common one, as you pointed out with that high ankle sprain remark. However, the mark of a championship team is its depth, and even the most injury-ravaged ones (last year's Ravens included) CAN'T use injury as an excuse if they truly ARE "deserving" of a championship. But that's a different discussion for a different thread.

Going back to my point, I was saying that the MEDIA tries to tear down certain teams that make headlines, because negativity always makes for a better story.

The media WANTS to see a team like the Cowboys fail because they're always in the spotlight. It's much easier to tear a team down than build them up since no team is perfect. The imperfections of the team (i.e. off-field headlines) are what the MEDIA WANTS to point to as reasons for the team's failure.

And then here's my follow-up:

And then that pressure will cause players to crack. And then chemistry on the field will be interrupted, and everything suddenly becomes a distraction that some players can't handle.

Pessimism is often tied to negativity. Negativity is what causes a player to lose their motivation and lose their focus. And what's it called when you lose focus? A distraction. And note that I said SOME players, not all. I should've been more specific and mentioned that the majority of those players that MAY be (NOT "will" be) distracted will be younger, especially rookies.

The players MAY recognize that the spotlight is on them even brighter for being on "America's Team," but there's a fine line between saying something and doing it. Simply recognizing and acknowledging that limelight only becomes the equivalent of just SAYING something if they can't show it on the field.

[SaltwaterServr]

The point you were trying to make is clear by your original post. The headlines (media) will haunt them. If they struggle the media again will cause issues. Your original source for the issues is the media and that the team will fall apart or players will play poorly because of negativity the media creates.

I cannot believe someone actually thinks that a missed tackle, poor route running, a missed block, failure to read coverage, or any of that is directly tied to what appears on a blog, is transmitted across the airwaves, or gets put into print on paper. Simply ludicrous.

Professional football players falling apart because some mean old newspaper writer said they aren't any good. Please, someone call their mommy, our starting right guard is starting to cry in the whirlpool.

[raven43]

i going with other

i am saying oakland is gonna be good

You're funny!

I hope.....

um, this is for the best in the NFL....

[raven43]

well I'll say other and side withe the ravens, but for real. I mean, c'mon we had a seven game improvement in 2006 and the core of that team is still here. I wouldnt be suprised to see another year where we win alot more games thatn the year before.

[foreversunny23]

well I'll say other and side withe the ravens, but for real. I mean, c'mon we had a seven game improvement in 2006 and the core of that team is still here. I wouldnt be suprised to see another year where we win alot more games thatn the year before.

Sure, if everyone works up to their potential and we have a disciplined team (NO MORE STUPID PENALTIES). There is no reason we can't be the best team in the NFL.

I can see it now. Troy Smith starts, our receiving corps constantly catch 70 yard bombs or catch and then run 60 for a TD, our running game steamrolls past everyone, our defense produces shutout after shutout. Helllooooo Lombardi Trophy. Records are broken. Perfect seasons are made. John Harbaugh will go down as the best coach in the history of the NFL! Harbaugh would then say, "The MVP for this season goes to the team. They all stepped up and showed everyone that they were champions."

Wow I'm drooling now...

[Ravens_Pwn12]

You're funny!

I hope.....

um, this is for the best in the NFL....

hahahha i was kidding hahha

but that would be funny if they were

[ragnorok99]

I think it will be the Chargers, barring our beloved Ravens. But before I make my argument for the Chargers, let me viciously attack the other teams on the poll:

The Colts:

--Marvin Harrison is dealing with both a knee injury and a shooting incident that doesn't seem to be getting much press for some reason. The depth behind him and Reggie Wayne is very shaky.

--Their two best defenders (Dwight Freeney and Bob Sanders) are both coming off surgeries. I've always felt Sanders is overrated, and he'll still have to show last year's full 16-game season wasn't a fluke while recovering from yet another surgery.

--They lost Ben Utecht, who was an important part of their two-TE sets.

--The AFC South is going to be a brawl this season. It wouldn't surprise me to see Jacksonville win it at 10-6 or 11-5.

The Cowboys:

--I feel that Marion Barber is going to break himself at some point this season. He's never had the show all to himself and could run himself into the ground, depending on how many snaps Felix Jones gets.

--Roy Williams is a liability in coverage. Zach Thomas could be one concussion away from retirement, while Pacman is one slipup away from early retirement himself. The defense could go downhill real quick.

--Owens is another year older. I don't think the new contract will lessen his motivation, but I still expect a slight dropoff. There isn't much behind him other than Witten--Crayton's a good #3 guy and Glenn's status isn't fully known.

--Overall, though, the Cowboys are probably #2 for me, behind the Chargers.

The Patriots:

--The defense is getting old at a lot of positions, aside from Jerod Mayo. Richard Seymour was pretty bad last season after returning from his injury, so it will be interesting to see if he can return to form.

--They lost Asante Samuel. They've been OK after losing a top corner before, but it can't help an aging defense to lose its #1 corner.

--They're going to have an enormous hangover from Super Bowl 42, and history has not been kind to Super Bowl losers.

--The offensive line showed some cracks in the Super Bowl. More defenses may start rotating quicker linemen in to match up against NE's guards on passing downs, because the Patriots had trouble with Justin Tuck. They also had problems blocking speedy guys coming from weird angles, like Antwan Barnes and Corey Ivy. Defensive coordinators will be studying those games, and they'll probably come up with some ways to annoy Brady.

Why I think The Chargers have the best shot other than, you know, the Ravens:

--Tomlinson is nearing the end of his prime. If he's going to get a ring, now's the time. I think that, along with the criticism about his knee injury, will motivate him. He's still the best RB in the league--now is his time to strike.

--They have receivers now.

--Rivers showed some improvement and a crazy amount of toughness last season. He has the team firmly behind him. Like him or not, his brash tactics seem to work--I happen to like him, despite referring to him as "Juice Box" because he always looks like he needs one. Anyway, I think this is the year Rivers fully develops into The Guy for SD.

--The defense is very, very nasty with one star entering his prime (Merriman) and another one emerging (Cromartie).

--Their #1 seeded "mascot" lost to the #16 seeded Poe. Nothing motivates like a punch in the mouth, and that was a haymaker from Mike Tyson.

[raven43]

Glenn's status isn't fully known.

Oh, you didn't hear? he wouldn't sign some form saying he had to pay like, 500,00$ and because in his contract there was a clause saying that f he didn't sign it he would get released, he's know like, "hey, whatever, release me."

So I guess he asked to be released.

[MKdave]

The Colts:

The Cowboys:

--Overall, though, the Cowboys are probably #2 for me, behind the Chargers.

I disagree. I think the Cowboys are VASTLY overrated. Outside of Terrell Owens, they have a fairly poor receiving corps. I think Julius Jones did and underrated job for the Cowboys, and I think Barber will struggle with Felix Jones as his backup.

Also, In 'Pacman' Jones, they may have taken in one distraction too many, despite being renowned for dealing with them.

[ragnorok99]

I disagree. I think the Cowboys are VASTLY overrated. Outside of Terrell Owens, they have a fairly poor receiving corps. I think Julius Jones did and underrated job for the Cowboys, and I think Barber will struggle with Felix Jones as his backup.

Also, In 'Pacman' Jones, they may have taken in one distraction too many, despite being renowned for dealing with them.

They also have Witten to help out with receiving. Terry Glenn might still come back the last I heard, but who knows.

Julius Jones averaged 3.6 yards/attempt behind a really solid line last year. I don't think they'll miss him much.

I don't think Pacman is completely done being stupid, but if it works out, Jerry Jones made a great choice and they'll have one of the best secondaries in the NFL once they figure the Roy Williams thing pans out. Kind of scary, especially with DeMarcus Ware pressuring QBs.

I know this looks like I doubled back on my original post, but all of the arguments I could come up with against the Cowboys hinged on someone getting hurt or suspended. You can apply the injury thing to any team, though. If they stay healthy, the Cowboys should have a pretty beastly defense to go with their #2 scoring offense. And they play in the NFC, which gives them a slightly easier road than the other candidates.

[Ravens_Pwn12]

hopefully the ravens will be the best. hahha

[Raven07]

im going to have to go wit the COwboys on this onem simply because they seem the most super bowl Ready than any of the others (apart from us that is ) they seemingly have pretty much everything in place for a huge push to that superbowl and if you think about it, all they really need, is consistancy from their Quarterback (Romo) throughout the play offs and they'll be pretty much set and ready to go.

but the fact still remains as is, even though fans around the NFL, thought that last year was "dallas's year" in which can be understandable because they had a decent/good regular season and made the play offs, however, once a team enters the play offs, what you or they, did during the regular season, becomes only a distant memory and one can only live in today and the now, so once the play offs started everyone was back at 0-0 nd everyone was dead even with the winner of each contest moving forward and the loser, well....going home.

I surely wouldnt at all be suprised to see Dallas making a push for the big game, not only to be in it, but win it as well. All the pieces of the puzzle are in place, all that is needed is consistant positive play from Romo come play off time and bam!....there you have it.