Written by Cameron DaSilva at FoxSports.com
The list of Super Bowl contenders is getting thin
The NFL season is flying by as we’ve already seen Week 6 come and go in the blink of an eye. Even though there is still plenty of time for those fringe teams to turn their seasons around, a handful of squads have emerged as frontrunners to win the Super Bowl. Of course, this is the NFL where injuries happen, teams go through slumps and Aaron Rodgers plays like the league’s worst quarterback for a year, but if you are looking for a Super Bowl champion it’s pretty clear you can limit your search to a select group.
The Packers and Chiefs are borderline contenders, but Rodgers is 7-8 in his last eight starts and Kansas City always falters down the stretch upon reaching the postseason. Buffalo looks good, but there are still several question marks on offense (Tyrod Taylor and the lack of a go-to receiver).
The Raiders are just the opposite, suffering from a serious identity crisis on defense, where Khalil Mack has a measly two sacks and the secondary is surrendering the most passing yards per game. Heck, as a team they’re 32nd in total yards allowed, which won’t win them any Super Bowls.
That leaves only these eight teams, including one that’s currently just 3-3.
Denver Broncos
Following two consecutive losses to the Falcons and Chargers, the Broncos look to have fallen off. That’s simply not the case. Trevor Siemian missed the Atlanta game, and the Broncos were clearly unprepared against the Chargers on a short week. It’s not unusual to see a good team get upset on Thursday night, which is exactly what happened to the Broncos.
Denver’s defense, just as it did last season, will carry the Broncos to the playoffs and beyond. Siemian just has to play as well as he has been going forward, which isn’t exactly a difficult task. At the very least, he’ll be substantially better than Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler in 2015. If he continues to protect the football and lean on the running game, the Broncos will be perfectly fine.
Upcoming tests against the Texans, Chargers and Raiders should allow the Broncos to once again solidify themselves as a top team in the AFC despite recent bumps in the road. Like the Vikings, the Broncos’ success will be determined by the defense’s ability to make big plays at crucial moments.
Atlanta Falcons
Not many expected the Falcons to be among the best teams in the league after six weeks. However, despite the overwhelming doubt surrounding Atlanta and QB Matt Ryan, that’s exactly where they are. They’ve scored more points than any team in football, and by a wide margin. Julio Jones, Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman give Atlanta a dynamic trio of offensive weapons, which Ryan has taken full advantage of.
The Falcons will have a tough road in the NFC with teams like the Cowboys, Vikings, Cardinals and Seahawks in their way, but they proved on Sunday – even in a loss – that their offense is strong enough to overcome deficiencies on defense, particularly the pass rush. So long as Ryan keeps throwing for 300 yards and puts up 30 points per game regularly, the Falcons will be tough to stop, even for a defense as strong as Minnesota’s.
What also greatly benefits the Falcons is the unspectacular division they play in. The Panthers are all but done, as are the Buccaneers. The Saints will probably hang around thanks to Drew Brees, but their defense won’t be good enough to make a run at the playoffs. The Falcons will certainly be around in the end, unlike during last season’s collapse.
Arizona Cardinals
There’s a great possibility that Carson Palmer’s absence from the lineup two weeks ago was exactly what the Cardinals needed to turn their season around. It forced them to lean on their best offensive player, David Johnson, rather than consistently trying to force the ball downfield to their big-play receivers. Not coincidentally, the Cardinals have won each of their past two games handily.
In those two weeks, Johnson received a total of 49 carries. That’s more than he had in the previous three weeks combined when the Cardinals went 1-2. He leads the league in yards from scrimmage and has a whopping eight touchdowns on the ground, while he trails only Ezekiel Elliott and LeSean McCoy in rushing yards. Johnson is truly one of the best backs in football, and he’s proving to be the Cardinals’ go-to weapon on offense. It just took an injury to Palmer to make them realize it.
Now that they’ve established the run and changed their offensive game plan, the Cardinals are once again Super Bowl contenders. At 3-3, they still have some ground to make up, but the roster is loaded with talent. The defense has gotten much better with Tyrann Mathieu as the nickel corner, while Patrick Peterson continues to shut down opposing receivers. With their speed on defense and outstanding pass-rush abilities, the Cardinals will be tough to beat – as long as they stick to their current Johnson-laden approach.
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