NFL 2009 Season Preview: Separating the Dark Horses from the Trojan Horses

(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

With the exception of recent dynasties like the Patriots and Steelers, the NFL is still rife with parity. And as a result, every year several teams come out of nowhere to shock the NFL world.

After finishing last the previous season in their respective divisions, we saw Philadelphia, Miami, Baltimore, and Atlanta rise from the ashes to make the 2008 postseason.

The Eagles' and Ravens' turnarounds weren’t necessarily surprising, considering both teams had significant playoff success this decade, but there likely isn’t an "expert" out there who had the Falcons and Dolphins making a return to the postseason.

Conversely, every year there are teams with lofty expectations, pegged as playoff locks and championship contenders, that fall short of expectations. These teams resemble the computer version of a Trojan horse <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> —they appear legitimate based on recent history, but inherent destructive elements are in place that could ultimately lead to undesirable results.

Last year, such 2007 playoff teams as Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Dallas, Seattle, and Jacksonville all met this fate—and most of them fell hard. In fact, with the exception of Tampa, these teams made it to at least the second round of the 2007 playoffs before failing to qualify at all in 2008.

So, who are the likely 2009 dark horse and "Trojan horse" candidates? Let’s take a look at all eight divisions and pick a team with the potential to rise, and one with the potential to fall.

NFC East

Dark Horse: Washington Redskins

The NFC East could quite possibly be the best division in the NFL in 2009. Most everyone in the football world has the Eagles and Giants penciled in as not only the top two teams in the division, but the top two teams in the conference. Some would suggest they are the top two teams in the NFL.

I’m not a Dan Snyder fan, but if Albert Haynesworth stays healthy and doesn’t turn into another bloated unmotivated fat cat, the 'Skins defense should be among the league's best in 2009. It will be interesting to see how Jason Campbell reacts knowing ownership doesn't believe in him as the QB of the future.

When you consider the 2008 Redskins raced out to a 6-2 start, there are elements in place that tell me this team could surprise in 2009 and sneak up on the two favorites.

Trojan Horse: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles are the consensus "sexy" pick in 2009 to win the division and represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. If all the key players stay healthy and the draft class produces, I agree they are a wild card team at worst.

But that’s in a perfect world; in reality there are some combustible elements here I don’t like. First of all, if Donovan McNabb gets hurt, this team isn’t going anywhere.

Brian Westbrook is the key to making the entire offense work, and he has never played a full season in his NFL career. There are already big-time questions regarding his health heading into the season.

A lot of experts also think the offensive line will be dominant in 2009, with the addition of Jason Peters, but he is another player with injury concerns. A lot of curious eyes will be watching to see if he truly is a Pro Bowler, or just a pretender. As a Bills fan who knows the real Jason Peters, I’m betting on the latter.

Defensively, longtime cornerstones Brian Dawkins and Lito Sheppard have moved on via free agency, and there is likely going to be a new defensive coordinator as well. See where I’m going with all of this?

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?