As we get closer to the playoffs, there are teams that seem to be better or worse than they actually are. In this article, I will give my opinion on one team from each conference that is a contender and a pretender in my eyes.
Contenders:
Vikings: Before the Vikings won against the Bills, I thought this team was not even close to what was displayed in their record. They were 7-1 and didn’t have any statement wins. They have marginally won almost every game, regardless of how talented the opposition was. However, following their shocking upset win playing the game of the year in Buffalo, they have instilled enough confidence in me for me to believe they can win the Super Bowl this year. They are an exciting team to watch and have the talent, coaching, and ‘it’ factor to win it all despite them never winning it all before.
Dolphins: At the beginning of summer, I had predicted that this team had a shot to win the Super Bowl if Tua Tagovailoa played well. He has done just that behind a very strategic and creative-minded head coach in Mike McDaniel. Tua has evolved into a legitimate MVP candidate and has taken a huge leap in his game. They have won crucial games and, when healthy, they have dominated. It is time for people to give this team the respect they deserve and place them among the top teams in the NFL.
Pretenders:
Cowboys: The Dallas Cowboys have shown that they are a good team. However, they have also showed that with a healthy Dak Prescott, the team hasn’t been as dominant like expected. I am not saying that Cooper Rush is better by no means, but Prescott has simply not lived up to the eite quarterback he is thought to be. They have an elite defense led by one of the best defensive coordinators, Dan Quinn, which makes them a playoff contender. They aren’t a championship contender due to the fact that they aren’t elite in all aspects of the game. I don’t envision a season where the Dallas Cowboys are remembered to be champions after this season.
Titans: The run game can only work for so long. For the past couple years, the Titans have gained momentum in the playoffs and come up short because of teams being able to stop Derrick Henry. It is vital for championship teams to be multi-dimensional. Ryan Tannenhil is average, but he has no weapons. If you plug in a system quarterback with no weapons and a below average game plan, you are setting your team to fall short when the stakes are at its peak.
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