What teams will win each conference and who will win Super Bowl XLVI?
Super Bowl winning teams, by in large, all have one thing in common: great quarterback play. Without great quarterback play, the only other method to winning a championship in the NFL is to have an all-time great defense to cover up the deficiencies of a mediocre QB.Using this as my litmus test, I will narrow down the field to the following teams:New England Patriots (QB)New York Jets (Defense)Baltimore Ravens (Defense)Pittsburgh Steelers (QB + Defense)Houston Texans (QB)San Diego Chargers (QB)New York Giants (QB + Defense)Philadelphia Eagles (QB + Defense)Detroit Lions (Defense)Green Bay Packers (QB)Atlanta Falcons (QB)New Orleans Saints (QB)Tampa Bay Buccanneers (QB)Of these teams, I will narrow it down to teams with stellar coaching and playoff experience. That includes:New England Patriots (QB)New York Jets (Defense)Baltimore Ravens (Defense)Pittsburgh Steelers (QB + Defense)New York Giants (QB + Defense)Philadelphia Eagles (QB + Defense)Green Bay Packers (QB)Atlanta Falcons (QB)New Orleans Saints (QB)At this point, I will elminate teams with glaring weaknesses. Patriots have issues on defense. The Jets ride or die with Sanchez. It is my opinion that Sanchez is vastly overrated and is a big detriment to their ultimate success. Their running game could also collapse due to age. The Ravens face a similar fate concerning Flacco.That leaves me with the Steelers, Giants, Eagles, Packers, Falcons and Saints.It is difficult for a team to repeat, so I will eliminate the Packers. Are the Falcons a complete team? Close, but not quite. Ryan tends to falter in the playoffs. As far as the Eagles go, I don't trust Vick enough to win a championship. Can lightning strike twice for the Giants, or will Eli be his usual inconsistent self? I'm betting on inconsistent. That leaves me with Steelers Vs. Saints. Who wins? My money is on Pittsburgh.Then again, the NFL is always good for a surprise story. My dark horses would include the Houston Texans and the Detroit Lions. (Possibly the Dolphins, but that could just be the homer in me.)FYI, I left the Colts out of this because of concerns over Peyton Manning's neck. Who knows when he might be back. I also don't believe Jim Caldwell is a good head coach.
Which NFL player has had the longest career and never got on the field? For example, maybe a backup QB for 5 years that never took a snap.
Does the player have to make the same team consecutively for that period of time? If that’s a constraint on the answer, then it’s probably Cliff Stoudt, Terry Bradshaw’s backup from 1977 to 1980.Stoudt was thought to be the first player in NFL history to earn an NFL pension (3 1/2 years of service at the time) AND two Superbowl rings without ever taking a snap in a regular season or playoff game, or going on Injured Reserve. There were five or six games between ’77 and the ninth game of 1980 where the Steelers were blowing their opponent out, but Noll didn’t lift Bradshaw to “get the kid some experience.”Stoudt was pretty good about the whole situation. He actually made an off-season living for a couple of years going through the dinner-lecture circuit making jokes about not playing. “I always showered after a game. But the equipment staff never had to wash my uniform because it was as clean as when they hung it up.”