This is a guest post by Fred Cartwright. When he’s not toiling away at his day job, Fred spends his downtime researching and writing about the NFL. To say he can’t wait for the playoffs to start is a massive understatement
The NFL playoff picture is slowly becoming clearer. Although we don’t know yet exactly which teams will be competing, a few top contenders have emerged. This season is not like last season, when the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos were a clear cut above the rest of the league and met in the Super Bowl. Rather, it feels as if there are a number of teams capable of a strong playoff run and potential championship win. So with only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, here’s a look at some of the top contenders and their chances of winning the Super Bowl.
Green Bay Packers
With an offense that looks unstoppable, a home field advantage that gives them an easier path than most to the Super Bowl, and a recent win over the red-hot Patriots, Green Bay is starting to look like the leading favorite—and the betting sites agree. Betfair have a load of tipsters you can follow for specific NFL topics and game weeks, but they also carry an updated odds list for Super Bowl contenders and the Packers are currently at the top. With 9/2 odds to win it all, the Packers certainly appear to be the team to beat, and they are shaping up to be the closest thing we have to the 2013 Seahawks or Broncos.
Denver Broncos
While the Broncos have been questioned at times this season—ESPN even ran an article about signs of decline for Peyton Manning and the team as a whole—they’ve just kept on winning. They’re 9-3 (6-0 at home) and boast one of the best offenses in the league and a defense that appears much improved from last season. C.J. Anderson has emerged in recent weeks as the reliable running back Denver has been waiting for, and we shouldn’t underestimate the Broncos’ hunger to win the Super Bowl after last year’s embarrassing loss to Seattle. They’re listed at 5/1 odds to win it.
New England Patriots
Also with 5/1 odds, the New England Patriots are beginning to look like their old selves. Despite the recent loss at Green Bay, the Patriots appear to have their strongest team in several years. Also, the dynamic duo of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady continues to keep their offense so dynamic and unpredictable that few can keep up. The only question mark plaguing New England is which running back they’ll depend on when they need one. From Jonas Gray’s coming out party against the Colts to Legarrette Blount’s homecoming, the Pats have seen some sensational performances out of the backfield. Shane Vereen may just be the most reliable runner they have, though he does most of his damage catching passes. There isn’t an apparent go-to player for playoff carries, but maybe that’s just how Belichick wants it.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have been puzzling all year. One week they appear to be out of sorts, suffering from a Super Bowl hangover and losing their grip on the chemistry that made them so formidable a year ago. The next week they look every bit as dominant and cohesive as they’re expected to be. Frankly, inconsistency doesn’t bode well for a team looking to repeat as Super Bowl champion, but they still have the fourth best odds (at 8/1) and an undeniably talented roster. A week 14 showdown with the Eagles will be a nice test for the Seattle defense heading toward the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles
With 12/1 odds, the Eagles round out the top-five contenders, and at times they’ve looked dominant. Their Thanksgiving win over the Cowboys was an impressive performance, and the offense looks just as deadly under Mark Sanchez as it did under now-injured QB Nick Foles. In fact, ESPN’s Power Rankings even boosted the Eagles from #5 to #4 after the transition to Sanchez. It seems clear at this point that whoever emerges victorious from this weekend’s matchup between the Seahawks and Eagles will be viewed as a real contender alongside the top three on this list.
