Playoff Teams from ’09 set to fall this year
It is foolish to think that all of the playoff teams from 2009 will be back in the postseason this year. Every year teams fall as it is hard to have two great seasons in a row. Last year we saw six teams who failed to return to the playoffs after making it in 2008. In fact the top four seeds from 2008 were all on the outside looking in at the end of last season.
The Tennessee Titans, the Pittsburgh Steelers, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons all made the playoffs two years ago but failed to return last year. The Titans were the AFC’s top seed in 2008 and the Giants were the NFC’s top seed but both finished with 8-8 records. The Panthers were the 2nd seed in the NFC but also fell to 8-8 last year as Jake Delhomme had the worst season of his career. The Dolphins and Falcons both started slow and battled injury problems and both missed out as well. Even the defending Super Bowl champions the Steelers failed to reach the playoffs. You can’t say the same isn’t bound to happen this year. Teams hit slumps, have injuries and seasons don’t quite pan out the way the last season did. Here are some teams that may fall short of expectations this year and may miss out this year.
The Arizona Cardinals have to come to mind when thinking about teams set to fall. The Cardinals still have a solid group and a good coaching staff but so many pieces that led them to success are gone. For one, Kurt Warner retired and the Cardinals quarterback situation is looking dim with neither Matt Leinart nor Derek Anderson able to lock down the starting job. The Cardinals also traded wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Boldin was a great complement to Larry Fitzgerald and has the ability to collect great yardage after a catch. Steve Breaston will be counted on to replace him, but Boldin is irreplaceable. The Cardinals also lost their defensive leader in linebacker Karlos Dansby. Yes they added Joey Porter, but Porter’s ageing and his production has dropped. With all these losses, that will translate into a drop for the Cardinals as their division is improving, and they seem to be getting weaker.
The Philadelphia Eagles may be looking at a short-term drop. They traded Donovan McNabb to the Redskins to make room for Kevin Kolb to take over as the starter. While Kolb does look like he can fill the long-term role, it will be his first season as a starter and may still have to learn a few things before he can take the Eagles to the postseason. The Eagles still have a solid unit but they play in the toughest division in football. The Cowboys and the Giants look primed to duke it out for the prize which may leave the Eagles as the odd one out. That’s not to say that their playoff drought will last long. With experience Kolb will get better and should lead the Eagles to many playoff berths, just give him some time to learn first.
Many said that when the New England Patriots fell 33-14 to the Baltimore Ravens in the wild card round last year, it was a signal of times changing; a sign that the Patriots dynasty is over and that they are heading for a downturn. With Tom Brady still their quarterback it’s hard to imagine that the Patriots will fall too much this season, but the fact is the Patriots were exposed as a one-dimensional team that can only throw the ball. They have virtually no running game and an inexperienced defence. In a competitive AFC East division, the Patriots may only fall a little, but that could be enough for them to miss the playoffs.
The New York Jets are being hyped as a Super Bowl favourite but they may be overhyped. Yes they got some big names this offseason, but those big names are past their prime. They lost Alex Faneca and their leading rusher from last season Thomas Jones. The Jets prided themselves on being a good rushing team (they were 1st in the league). Instead they got a washed up Ladanian Tomlinson, Jason Taylor and Santonio Holmes. Holmes is indeed a star but he’s suspended for the first four games of the season. Quarterback Mark Sanchez is being counted on to take a bigger role but he has not proven he’s ready for a heavier load. Darrelle Revis does not appear to be close to ending his holdout and he’s the Jets’ best player. This season may bring some disappointment for the Jets and bring Coach Rex Ryan down to earth.
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