Handicapping the NFC: Brett Favre Is Still the Key

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

In my previous article for Bleacher Report, I came across an interesting streak concerning teams that have won the Super Bowl.

Almost every team that won the Super Bowl since the American-National Football League merger had made the playoffs the season before.

The exceptions to this rule could be broken into two categories-

A-    Teams that employed a new starting quarterback from the previous season for the majority of the campaign (the 1980 Oakland Raiders, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and the 2001 New England Patriots).

B-    Teams that finished strong in the prior season (the 2003 Patriots, the 1982 Washington Redskins, the 1981 San Francisco 49ers, and the 1969 Baltimore Colts).

Therefore, while handicapping the American Football Conference, it was easy to toss out Buffalo and Jacksonville as true contenders for the 2009 season.

But who will the suitors be for the National Football Conference in 2009?

Let’s toss out the Detroit Lions, who may be getting a promising new quarterback in Matthew Stafford, but have a long way to go otherwise.

Also throw out the Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, and Washington Redskins. Aside from the Redskins’ highly rated defense in 2008, there’s little to believe any of these teams are truly Super Bowl contenders; their hopes are mainly for improvement from 2008.

And also, let’s throw out the Dallas Cowboys.

This would not likely be a shocking statement if not for Dallas’ reputation as the NFL’s most popular team.

But the questions regarding the Cowboys still stand, even without clubhouse lawyer Terrell Owens. Their rushing attack is still suspect. They made defensive coordinator Brian Stewart the scapegoat for not making the playoffs in 2008 despite finishing third in the conference in pass defense and sixth in rushing defense.

He’s been replaced by head coach Wade Phillips, proving downsizing is everywhere.

Meanwhile, Tony Romo is still a small college, undrafted quarterback who spent three years on the bench before being placed in the limelight in 2006 out of desperation.

That 4,000 yard season he had in 2007? Scott Mitchell had one once, too.

Playoffs in Dallas? Perhaps. Nobody rushes the passer like DeMarcus Ware, and the pickup of inside linebacker Keith Brooking from Atlanta will help.

Super Bowl? Out of the question.

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