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Originally Posted by hsmall628
I like Baltimore as a darkhorse candidate to make to the SB this year... Love the addition of Trevor Pryce on the defensive line... throw him in there with guys like Lewis, Reed, McAlister, and Suggs and you have a SB calibur defense. On the offense, they pick up a competent QB in McNair and Mike Anderson to help out Jamal Lewis with the running game. They have enough weapons with Mason, Clayton, Heap... only question is can the offensive line keep McNair upright. If not, they are done.
I agree with Shane in picking Carolina on the NFC side. Its still a team fairly intact from their last SB run a few years ago. I love the rookie Williams from Memphis; the combo of him and Foster should make for a solid running game. The addition of Keyshawn Johnson should open up the passing game for Steve Smith and the defense will be stout as always. Obviously there biggest question is can they stay healthy?
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Interesting choice, hsmall628. The Ravens could very well return to their old form. Getting Kyle Boller out of the picture will help tremendously. I think the Ravens finally learned that just because Boller could do impressive tricks during the combine (he got on his knees at the 50 yard line and threw the ball through the goal posts) that didn't mean that he was a NFL caliber QB.
People seem to forget that Jamal Lewis is only a few years removed from having a
2,000 yard season. He battled through a nagging injury last year and, by the way, came to the team straight out of prison. He's healthy now and has had a chance to get his bearings back.
Mike Anderson is a solid runner. No doubt, he won't perform as well as he did in Denver (with their excellent line and dirty blocking schemes), but he will bring a strong work ethic and intensity to the running game. From a fantasy standpoint, I wonder how many goal line touchdowns he'll steal from Jamal?
McNair to Mason should be a potent combination. They were dynamite in Tennessee, so I see no reason why they shouldn't continue that trend. You're right about McNair's health. If they can keep him upright, the Ravens may be sitting pretty. If Boller comes back in, then they can forget about the rest of the season.
As for their defense, I assume that they're scrapping the "46" Defense after last year's disappointing showing. A return to a more conventional defensive alignment should help.
It seems that every year there are a few teams who completely reverse their fortunes and make it to the playoffs. I could certainly see the Ravens being one of those.