The Super Bowl this year was won by the New Orleans Saints. That does not mean that they will win it the next year. In fact, over history, very few teams have been talented enough to repeat as champions twice in a row. So what teams do have the potential to win the championship next year.
The first team that comes to mind is AFC runner ups, the New York Jets. The Jets had one of the best defenses in the NFL last year. They played a brutal schedule and backed their way into the playoffs. Once they were in the playoffs, they proved that they were the real deal and that their record was a result of the powerful schedule they faced throughout the season. The Jets, with one of the leagues top defenses, has done the unthinkable this offseason; Improved their defense. Many people see the signing of Cromartie as a downgrade for the Jets, but here is the thing; Cromartie was a decent number 1 corner back who could play with the league's best receivers and not make a fool of himself. Now Cromartie will be playing as a number 2 opposite the best corner in the NFL. This should allow Cromartie to dominate number 2 Wide Receivers and keep himself in a position to make plays. Last year it was hard to run on the Jets, this year it will be hard to do anything on the Jets.
Another team that has the potential to win the Super Bowl is the Chargers. The Chargers have had the talent to win the Super Bowl for years now. The biggest down side to the Chargers is their coach, Norv Turner, who leaves a lot to be desired as an NFL coach. The Charges will, for the 5th year in a row, field the most talented team in the NFL, but the question will be if they are mature enough to win games without good coaching. A lot of that will fall on the shoulders of Phillip Rivers. Rivers was terrific last season making good passes and leading his team. He did have some maturaity issues that people would like to see resolved. If Rivers has become a more mature quarterback you can expect the Chargers to be one of the last teams standing when playoff time rolls around next season.
Another team from the AFC that could win the Super Bowl is the Colts. Why? Peyton Manning. Manning is the best quarterback in the league, the best player in the league and that is all that needs to be said about the Colts. The Colts have few stars on their team and are overall, not that talented. With Manning at Quarterback, the Colts could be in the hunt next season, much like they were in this season.
The NFC has less teams that look like contenders. Aside from the champions, the only other real threat would be the Vikings. The Vikings have only got stronger this off-season by adding a reliable, fumble proof back in LT2. LT2 and Peterson should be the league's best running back duo and if the Viking's run the ball and rely on their backs they will go deep. They cannot allow Brett Favre to throw the ball 35+ times per game this season. For the Vikings to go far, the running backs need to carry the offense.
While there are other teams who certainly could emerge in the Super Bowl race next season, these teams certainly appear to be the early favorites.
Brian Gibson has been writing online content for over 2 years and enjoys writing about sports, health and entertainment. He also maintains a website, Products Review Network, which has product reviews for products such as Calms Forte 4 Kids and Whole House Surge Protector.
