NFL 2011: Super Bowls Could Hinge on the Performances of These Guys
One football player has never won a Super Bowl ring, and subsequently one football player has never lost a Super Bowl. However, there can be one significant player that a team relies on to swing games in their favor at pivotal points.
Remember when the Lakers weren't a despicable bunch of sore losers and Lamar Odom's performance was often the difference between them winning and losing?
Production from Odom off the bench swung games in the Lakers' favor. The result didn't just hinge on him, but he was the most important link on the team because he complemented the so-called bigger stars.
The exact same thing occurs in football.
Looking at the teams' that are set up to win it all this season, each team has their very own Lamar Odom. You may not know them now, or you might in some cases, but their performances will have a huge effect on how their respective teams will fare in 2011.
San Diego Chargers: Ryan Mathews
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Realistically, the Chargers biggest soft spot is their special teams play. However, I'm not going to cop out and select a unit rather than a player. I doubt that the Chargers' special teams will ever play as bad as it did last season.
The Chargers are a very balanced team with a very good offense and defense. However, their offense isn't completely balanced. The Chargers need to re-establish the running game in order to take the pressure off of Phillip Rivers and his receivers.
Rivers may have excelled last season with the offense on his shoulders, but they will need a running game if they are to have a deep run (pardon the pun) in the playoffs.
The Chargers gave up a lot to draft Mathews as Ladanian Tomlinson's successor during last year's draft. His rookie season was underwhelming at best, but he did show flashes of his ability.
A breakout year for Mathews will make things very difficult for any opposing defenses.
New England Patriots: Brandon Tate
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At this point, the only player on the Patriots' roster that has the ability to repeatedly stretch the field is Brandon Tate. Aaron Hernandez showed flashes of getting deep, but unless he is moved permanently to wide receiver he won't be able to free up space for his teammates.
Tate came out of college injured and was considered a first round talent by many who fell because of that injury.
Last year was essentially Tate's rookie season, during which he excelled on special teams but was only a complementary option in Tom Brady's offense. Tate had 24 receptions averaging 18 yards per reception which ranked 10th among players with at least that many receptions.
Tate had only three touchdowns all season offensively, which was only one more than he had on special teams. Tate had four receptions over 40 yards as well as eight receptions over 20 yards. His ability to get deep will be vital for the Patriots' offense should they not add another deep threat in free agency.
Currently Tate is the only of the team's wide receivers with the requisite pace to beat a defender deep and prevent the opposing safeties from squashing the field. Without that aspect offensively the team will suffer against the better teams in the league as they did in the playoffs last year.
Indianapolis Colts: Anthony Castonzo
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There is no doubt that the Indianapolis Colts need to have better pass protection for Peyton Manning if they want to even get to the playoffs next season. It came as no surprise to any Colts fan that the team spent it's top two draft picks in the 2011 draft on offensive tackles.
Anthony Castonzo was the first of these tackles (Ben Ijalana was the second) and has the best chance to start. Without a training camp or preseason, Castonzo may have some initial struggles, but there is no doubting that he has enough talent to start as a rookie for the Colts.
If he does seize that opportunity, Castonzo could find himself as the blindside protector for Peyton Manning. Needless to say, Manning will perform if given time, and he essentially did last season without, so Castonzo's performances in that role could ultimately decide what awaits for the Indianapolis Colts' season.
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Pittsburgh Steelers: Bryant McFadden
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There is no doubting the Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest flaw on defense. Last season, the team struggled massively against pass-first offenses. In fact, outside of a close loss to the Jets, they only lost to teams with elite quarterbacks in Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
Reaching a Super Bowl may be a big deal for many teams in the league, but the Steelers are a Super Bowl or bust team each season. They are built to succeed now, with the best front seven defensively in the league as well as an elite quarterback leading their offense.
The secondary is the one position that can be seen as their hamartia. Even more so than the offensive line, the cornerback position play needs to improve. Bryant McFadden will be key to that, as he will either be the second or first cornerback on the team's depth chart.
McFadden is actually a very good fit for the Steelers and was exceptional upon his return during the first four weeks of the season. His biggest issue is dealing with injuries. McFadden doesn't miss games but he does get nicked up very often. Playing through these injuries tends to result in a drop off in his production.
Should he return to the level of play that he carried in 2007 when splitting time with William Gay, the Steelers could find themselves back in the Super Bowl next year.
New York Jets: Calvin Pace
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Calvin Pace had only five and a half sacks during the regular season, but he did miss the first four games of the season. He notched a sack in each of the team's postseason games.
The Jets have a very good run stuffing front seven, but they lack play makers and impact players who can change games. Pace is the best option currently with the team.
At 30 years of age, Pace hasn't ever really hit the heights as a sack specialist, but he has been consistent in the past four years, racking up 26 sacks. Pace will need to hit double figures this season if the Jets are to finally make it past the AFC Championship game.
The Jets only registered two sacks in last year's championship game, while the pass coverage was outstanding. If the Jets can add a consistent pass rush to their defensive identity, it would propel them to the top of the NFL.
Green Bay Packers: Jermichael Finley
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The Packers potentially won last season's Super Bowl without it's best offensive weapon. There is no doubt that Finley was the team's biggest option offensively, as he is one of the most physically gifted tight ends in the league.
His season was cut short last year because of an ACL injury. How he recovers from that injury could be the determining factor for the team next season. The Packers' receiving corps was one of the best, if not the best, in the league last season, but the loss of James Jones to free agency and Donald Driver's increasing age will put pressure on Randall Cobb to produce in his rookie season.
Cobb may be talented enough to contribute early in his career, but the team will need the production from Finley. The Packers didn't get anywhere near the production from their committee of tight ends that they could have expected from Finley.
Finley is talented enough to be as big a part of the Packers offense as Antonio Gates is in San Diego for the Chargers. His value to the offense could be even greater if Jordy Nelson cannot step into Driver's role and Ryan Grant doesn't return fully fit, which isn't that unrealistic considering his hard running style and age (28).
New Orleans Saints: Shaun Rogers
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Shaun Rogers was essentially a luxury signing for the Saints. At 32 years of age and with his recent off the field issues (not to mention on the field performance), not many teams were looking to add him to their rosters.
The Saints do not need Rogers to perform having drafted Cameron Jordan to add to Sedrick Ellis and Anthony Hargrove. However, if Rogers can somehow return to his pre-Cleveland Brown stature, the Saints would have a scary defensive line.
Rogers had seven sacks in his final year in Detroit but never managed to star with the Browns. He played in a 3-4 defense last year, which obviously didn't suit him after playing in a 4-3 for so long.
Returning to a winning team with veteran leadership and a 4-3 scheme could be enough to get the best out of Shaun Rogers. If he can become that player again, he could become a versatile pass rusher as well as dominant run stuffer for the Saints.
The Saints need to improve in the spine of their defense, which was a problem that always existed even before being highlighted by Marshawn Lynch last year.
Baltimore Ravens: Jimmy Smith
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Jimmy Smith and Cam Newton were tied for the biggest boom or bust selections in the 2011 NFL draft. Newton obviously isn't going to be appearing on this list until the Panthers show something drastic once the regular season starts, but Smith is.
Jimmy Smith was taken by the Baltimore Ravens with the hope, rather than expectation, that he will be able to stay out of trouble. Smith had numerous off the field red flags against him coming out of college, but his on the field play was startlingly good.
The Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome was in desperate need of adding to the team's secondary, so he was willing to overlook Smith's character concerns. If Jimmy Smith can relieve the pressure on Ed Reed to make plays in the secondary, then the Ravens' defense could carry them to a Super Bowl next season, with or without Joe Flacco.
The Ravens have other concerns, but as things stand, their defense is vastly improved talent-wise over last season as Smith comes in, but also the fact that Terrence Cody is moving into his second year. Who knows...maybe Sergio Kindle may even make an appearance.
St. Louis Rams: Josh McDaniels
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The funny thing about NFL coaches is that most onlookers don't look at them in the same way as players. NFL players can have one bad game or even one bad stint with a franchise and be given a second chance, but we tend to write off coaches once they begin to struggle.
For this very reason, Josh McDaniels' addition in St. Louis isn't receiving much acclaim from the media. Many people may have forgotten that McDaniels was the man behind the 2007 Patriots offense and has worked extensively with Tom Brady.
The fact that the Rams brought him in just as they were putting the offense on Sam Bradford's shoulders shows you that the Rams hadn't forgotten about his offensive genius. Should Josh McDaniels rebound from his horrible time with the Broncos, the Rams will likely be in the playoffs.
Much like the Cardinals a few seasons ago or the Seahawks last year, anything can happen once a team gets into the playoffs (especially from the NFC West it seems). With a stud quarterback like Bradford and plenty of new weapons such as Donnie Avery being added to his arsenal, Josh McDaniels could make this offense one of the best in the league next year.
Atlanta Falcons: Kroy Biermann
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The addition of Julio Jones has somewhat overshadowed the Falcons ignorance to not add another pass rusher to their team. The Falcons defense still relies too heavily on John Abraham to make a deep run in the playoffs.
As a unit the Falcons ranked 20th in the league with only 31 sacks. When you consider that Abraham had 13 of those 31 and Jonathan Babineuax was second with four, then there is a major problem on that side of the ball.
Regardless of how well Julio Jones fits the Falcons offense, they won't be explosive enough to get by against better teams without better pass rushing options. Abraham has never been a big time player because of all of the attention he receives.
Kroy Biermann is the only potential option to bookend the defensive line unless the team picks up someone like Ray Edwards in free agency. Biermann only had three sacks last season, his first as a starter, but showed some promise in limited time notching five sacks the year before.
The Falcons will be hoping that Biermann just needed a season to adjust to a full time role before exploding this season. In reality, they now need him to after giving up on drafting a pass rusher.
Kansas City Chiefs: Justin Houston
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This may be the least heralded first year player on this rookie heavy list. Justin Houston was projected as a first round pick until the NFL combine when character issues clouded his talent.
Houston is a talented pass rusher who could fill a major need for the Kansas City Chiefs across from Tamba Hali. The Chiefs are hoping that Houston will benefit from the strong leadership that they have in their locker room with players like Mike Vrabel, Thomas Jones and Romeo Crennell providing an example to Houston.
With an extremely talented secondary behind a good run stuffing front seven, the Chiefs offense is only lacking a pass rush. If they can add that aspect to their game and the offense can match its performances from last season, the Chiefs will return to the playoffs once again.
The Chiefs are in a similar situation to the Atlanta Falcons but they will benefit even more from an additional rusher because Tamba Hali is better than John Abraham and their secondary is close to being elite if not already.
Philadelphia Eagles: Nate Allen
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Nate Allen suffered a season ending injury last season but thankfully for the Eagles it wasn't a potential career ending injury like Ellis Hobbs'. Hobbs' status remains uncertain, which won't have a major impact on the Eagles' secondary because he was already on his way to the bench.
The Eagles' secondary is probably their biggest weakness and with Quintin Mikell potentially leaving in free agency they will need some rebuilding. Nate Allen and Asante Samuel remain the only starters currently listed on the team from the start of last season.
Allen had a brilliant start to his rookie season hauling in three interceptions in the first four weeks. The Eagles will be looking to him to be an impact player once again in his second season on a more consistent basis.
With the Eagles having one of the most dynamic offenses in the league, their defense could be the key to Michael Vick making his first Super Bowl appearance.
New York Giants: Hakeem Nicks
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Nicks may be a curious addition on this list, but there is good reason. Nicks was a star last season. He breached the 1,000 yard mark with 79 receptions and 11 touchdowns.
Nicks established himself as the team's top receiver, and even had a season high 12 catches against the Houston Texans early in the season. However, Nicks only started 12 games. Statistically this makes his achievements even more impressive, but he missed the team's biggest game of the season on the final week.
The Giants lost one of the four games that Nicks didn't start while the victories were against a poor Redskins team and a close victory over Jacksonville. Nicks needs to stay fully fit and exceed the expectations that he set last season for the Giants to have a chance at going to the Super Bowl.
He is a game changing play maker with the dynamic ability to take over against any opposition. With the uncertainty over the running back position in New York, the passing game could take center stage for the Giants.
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