Now that most of the personnel changes have been made prior to the start
of the 2013 season, it is safe to start making some predictions. Once again,
the NFL looks as though it will have plenty of balance in both the NFC and AFC.
Here are the top 3 teams in each conference heading into the season.
NFC
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers came so close to winning the Super Bowl last year, but the
Ravens prevailed in the end. As bad as that loss was, the good news is San
Francisco would be even better this season. With Colin Kaepernick blasting on
to the daily fantasy sports scene last season and now settled into the quarterback role
and the defense even better, this is perhaps the most dangerous team in the
NFL.
Atlanta Falcons
It is true that the Falcons have had very little playoff success in the
past, but they are once again set up for a possible run. Their offensive firepower,
led by Matt Ryan, could be good enough to get them all the way to the Super
Bowl.
Green Bay Packers
Whenever a team has Aaron Rodgers calling the shots, they have a chance
to have success. They have made some improvements to their defense, but it
still needs to get more consistent if they want to add another Super Bowl.
AFC
Denver Broncos
Last season, the Denver Broncos looked like they could go all the way
and win the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning and company came up a bit short, but
instead of staying the course, they went out and picked up better players to
fill the holes on the roster. As long as the aging Manning stays healthy, they
are currently the Super Bowl favorites out of the AFC.
New England Patriots
There are a ton of distractions for the New England Patriots right now,
but once the season rolls around, things should be back to normal. Even if they
are unable to have the services of Aaron Hernandez due to off the field legal
matters, New England should run away with their division and make noise in the
playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals
With all due respect to the Baltimore Ravens, their division rivals in
Cincinnati just seem to be slightly better heading into the season. They had a
great draft and most of the younger players will be a year older and wiser at
the NFL level.
