B2chiefsfan
11-27-2005, 10:39 PM
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/9065785
By Shannon Sharpe (http://www.nfl.com/writers/sharpe)
(Nov. 27, 2005) -- The AFC rankings are virtually set. Obviously, Indianapolis is the top team and Denver is a close second and will battle them for home field throughout the playoffs. The Colts have too many weapons on offense and defense, though. Cincinnati is playing well and will get in, as it should. Carson Palmer (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396173) is having a great season. Chad Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235222), Rudi Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235094) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235086) also are playing well, as is the defense. Throw in the AFC East and you get your fourth division winner, the Patriots. They have injury after injury, their running game is shaky at best right now, and they force Tom Brady (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/187741) to throw 50 times a game. That is not exactly what makes up a championship team. The good news for them is the other teams in their division are the Bills, Dolphins and Jets, and they're going nowhere this season. After that, it gets a bit tricky. Pittsburgh has a tough road ahead. It will play Indianapolis on Monday night, then Cincinnati at home, Chicago at home and at Minnesota before finishing it out against Cleveland and Detroit. Those next four games obviously are going to be tough, to say the least. Ben Roethlisberger (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/493043) has missed four games this season, and the Steelers are not the same team without him. If I had to guess, I would say they aren't going to make the playoffs. So who does that leave? Kansas City and San Diego. http://images.nfl.com/photos/img9065797.jpg As long as LaDainian Tomlinson keeps dazzling defenses, the Chargers should return to the playoffs. As we all know by now, the Chargers started off the season 0-2, then 2-3. Now they sit at 7-4 and have the key ingredients for a top-quality team: a strong running game and a good defense. We don't even need to talk about how great LaDainian Tomlinson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235249) is. The guy simply is unbelievable and can go the distance at any moment, as evidenced by his game-winning run against the Redskins. On the other side of the ball, San Diego can stop the run. I would feel a little more secure in the Chargers if they had a better pass defense. Their only two losses since September came by two points to Pittsburgh and three points to Philadelphia. Kansas City's defense is not as good as San Diego's, but the Chiefs can score. With Trent Green (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1599) putting the ball up and Larry Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396164) running with it, they will be OK. Jacksonville is in the mix as well, but I just think San Diego and Kansas City are better teams. So the way I see the AFC shaking out is: Indy, Denver, Cincinnati, New England, San Diego and Kansas City. NFC interesting and fun to watch
Chicago is the best team. I know a lot of people don't want to say that because the Bears offense is led by a rookie quarterback and doesn't put up a lot of points. However, that defense can flat out play. I've said it before and I'll say it again: As long as your quarterback doesn't mess things up, the defense can win it for you. My Super Bowl ring from the 2000 season with Baltimore is proof of that. Trent Dilfer (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1065) doesn't get enough credit, but we didn't need him to light up the scoreboard. Every game is a battle of field position and the Bears defense, like ours in 2000, is the key. They have given up only four touchdowns in 88 possessions. That's pretty hard to fathom, isn't it? http://images.nfl.com/photos/features/img9065803.jpg Kyle Orton's numbers have been paltry, but he hasn't done anything to lose any games lately. Show me a front four better than Adewale Ogunleye (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/188505), Tommie Harris (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/492957), Ian Scott (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396078) and Alex Brown (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/301991) and I'll show you a Pro Bowl team. There is no better lineman in the game right now than Alex Brown. He is playing tremendous football. The rest of the conference isn't as confusing as it seems. The reality is that there are only five real wild-card possibilities. There will be Dallas or the Giants -- whichever doesn't win the East. And in the South, there's Carolina, Tampa and Atlanta -- two of those three will get in. The problem with the South is that in the last five weeks of the season, the teams will play each other four times. Atlanta will face Carolina twice, New Orleans and Tampa Bay -- plus Chicago. Tampa Bay will play New Orleans twice, Carolina and Atlanta -- plus New England. Carolina will go up against Atlanta twice, Tampa Bay and New Orleans -- plus Dallas. And here's the kicker: Michael Vick (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235253) is 5-0 against Carolina. But Atlanta can't beat Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers can't beat the Panthers. And Carolina can't beat Atlanta. This should be a pretty fun round-robin tournament.
By Shannon Sharpe (http://www.nfl.com/writers/sharpe)
(Nov. 27, 2005) -- The AFC rankings are virtually set. Obviously, Indianapolis is the top team and Denver is a close second and will battle them for home field throughout the playoffs. The Colts have too many weapons on offense and defense, though. Cincinnati is playing well and will get in, as it should. Carson Palmer (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396173) is having a great season. Chad Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235222), Rudi Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235094) and T.J. Houshmandzadeh (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235086) also are playing well, as is the defense. Throw in the AFC East and you get your fourth division winner, the Patriots. They have injury after injury, their running game is shaky at best right now, and they force Tom Brady (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/187741) to throw 50 times a game. That is not exactly what makes up a championship team. The good news for them is the other teams in their division are the Bills, Dolphins and Jets, and they're going nowhere this season. After that, it gets a bit tricky. Pittsburgh has a tough road ahead. It will play Indianapolis on Monday night, then Cincinnati at home, Chicago at home and at Minnesota before finishing it out against Cleveland and Detroit. Those next four games obviously are going to be tough, to say the least. Ben Roethlisberger (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/493043) has missed four games this season, and the Steelers are not the same team without him. If I had to guess, I would say they aren't going to make the playoffs. So who does that leave? Kansas City and San Diego. http://images.nfl.com/photos/img9065797.jpg As long as LaDainian Tomlinson keeps dazzling defenses, the Chargers should return to the playoffs. As we all know by now, the Chargers started off the season 0-2, then 2-3. Now they sit at 7-4 and have the key ingredients for a top-quality team: a strong running game and a good defense. We don't even need to talk about how great LaDainian Tomlinson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235249) is. The guy simply is unbelievable and can go the distance at any moment, as evidenced by his game-winning run against the Redskins. On the other side of the ball, San Diego can stop the run. I would feel a little more secure in the Chargers if they had a better pass defense. Their only two losses since September came by two points to Pittsburgh and three points to Philadelphia. Kansas City's defense is not as good as San Diego's, but the Chiefs can score. With Trent Green (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1599) putting the ball up and Larry Johnson (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396164) running with it, they will be OK. Jacksonville is in the mix as well, but I just think San Diego and Kansas City are better teams. So the way I see the AFC shaking out is: Indy, Denver, Cincinnati, New England, San Diego and Kansas City. NFC interesting and fun to watch
Chicago is the best team. I know a lot of people don't want to say that because the Bears offense is led by a rookie quarterback and doesn't put up a lot of points. However, that defense can flat out play. I've said it before and I'll say it again: As long as your quarterback doesn't mess things up, the defense can win it for you. My Super Bowl ring from the 2000 season with Baltimore is proof of that. Trent Dilfer (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/1065) doesn't get enough credit, but we didn't need him to light up the scoreboard. Every game is a battle of field position and the Bears defense, like ours in 2000, is the key. They have given up only four touchdowns in 88 possessions. That's pretty hard to fathom, isn't it? http://images.nfl.com/photos/features/img9065803.jpg Kyle Orton's numbers have been paltry, but he hasn't done anything to lose any games lately. Show me a front four better than Adewale Ogunleye (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/188505), Tommie Harris (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/492957), Ian Scott (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/396078) and Alex Brown (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/301991) and I'll show you a Pro Bowl team. There is no better lineman in the game right now than Alex Brown. He is playing tremendous football. The rest of the conference isn't as confusing as it seems. The reality is that there are only five real wild-card possibilities. There will be Dallas or the Giants -- whichever doesn't win the East. And in the South, there's Carolina, Tampa and Atlanta -- two of those three will get in. The problem with the South is that in the last five weeks of the season, the teams will play each other four times. Atlanta will face Carolina twice, New Orleans and Tampa Bay -- plus Chicago. Tampa Bay will play New Orleans twice, Carolina and Atlanta -- plus New England. Carolina will go up against Atlanta twice, Tampa Bay and New Orleans -- plus Dallas. And here's the kicker: Michael Vick (http://www.nfl.com/players/playerpage/235253) is 5-0 against Carolina. But Atlanta can't beat Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers can't beat the Panthers. And Carolina can't beat Atlanta. This should be a pretty fun round-robin tournament.