Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

Another ‘all-offense’ year for the Pats, only in this case they actually go on to make the Super Bowl instead of one-and-done like the year before. Another squad fitting the ‘all-O’ description...the defending-Champ 15-1 Packers. Do the actual 2011 Champs-to-be, Giants, at 9-7 with a neg-pt-diff get boxed out? And how about Tebow’s division-winning 8-8 Broncos (also with a neg-pt-diff)? The only non-playoff winner this season were the 9-7 Titans. Also there were seven, yes seven, non-playoff-participants who finished 8-8!

Steelers tack on another 12-4 season, but despite actually beating the Pats, they sure didn’t seem like a 12-4 team. They get swept by Ravens as well as lose a convincer to another Harbaugh at SF. It would be the Burgh’s last playoff year until 2014. To those who already saw through GB’s inflated 15-1 finish, perhaps 2011 would have been the more sensible year for a ‘Har-Bowl’ for each team was the most-balanced in their respective conference (and Balt already proved they can play at Foxboro - see 2009). Saints posted another great regular season at 13-3.

However, despite me noticing weaknesses of theirs down the stretch, I at the time still saw Green Bay as the favorite going into the playoffs. If only because they already experienced winning it all just the year before while SF came out of nowhere; and the Pack was...15-1! A-Rodg could carry them, cover their weaknesses. Very wrong was I! 2011 was also the Texans’ first ever playoff-appearance along with Detroit’s first in quite a while (0-16 just three years earlier).

1. Saints... Going into this I figured my 1 would be Pats or Pack. Won their last 8.
2. Packers
3. Patriots... Won their last 8
4. 49ers... Definitely the weakest of the NFC “big 3”. Amazing trio of LBs. You could certainly call the Monday night vs. Steelers a statement game.
5. Ravens... Swept the Steelers
6. Steelers
7. Falcons... Somewhat evenly matched with the Lions but get the nod due to head to head.
8. Lions... Gave the Flynn led Packers a memorable New Year’s Day shootout.
9. Eagles... Strong 4-0 finish. Probably should have “deserved” to win the weak NFC East.
10. Chargers... Strong 4-1 finish. See above re: weak division.
11. Giants... I thought maybe they wouldn’t make this list but swept the Cowboys and hung tough with the Packers in December (and New Year’s Day)
12. Texans... Yes 10-6 but ended the year with a thud. Losing 3 straight including the Dan Orlovsky Colts???

This one won’t really be that easy to do. Knowing what we know now, yes, the ’11 Pack despite being defending-Champs were a glorified paper tiger. Although a major surprise that they were one-and-done, and to 9-7 G-men, it shouldn’t have been a surprise at all they not getting to the Super Bowl. Saints finished real strong, their ’09 Lombardi was still fresh, but so was that shocker to Seattle the year before. Pretty strange for a defending-Champ to go out like that. Also, albeit in the opener, the Pack did beat the Saints by more than a TD. It would appear that both Ravens & SF were the most balanced teams, but it didn’t stop the Pats from beating Balt in the AFCC just the same. SF@GB, SF vs NE, Balt vs GB would have been interesting matchups to see that post-season. NE or Balt vs Saints as well.

Anyway, here are mine...

1) Green Bay
2) Saints
3) Ravens
4) Patriots
5) Forty Niners
6) Steelers
7) Texans
8) Falcons
9) Giants
10 - tie) Lions & Bengals
12) Titans

Got to place the 15-1 defending-Champ Packers at #1 going into playoffs despite weaknesses showing (innocent until proven guilty...of being a glorified paper tiger). The ones who won the Lombardi two years earlier, finishing at 13-3, should be 2nd. The Ravens with their swagger sweeping the Steelers, beating SF, and already proving as of late that they can play the Pats, even on the road, and simply being more balanced and not exactly having come out-of-nowhere (getting better each year) will place them in 3rd. Moving them ahead of NO was tempting.

That Week #15 MNF convincer determined who got 5th and 6th place. Texans lost their last three, but I won't count their finale vs Titans; they already clinched their division. Yes losing to Orlavsky a black-eye, but he beat Titans just the week before as well. The 2011 Colts ended their season almost the same way the '86 Colts did (all they had to do was win finale for that very 3-0 finish); each installment made the playoffs the following year.

Giants beating the Pats and giving GB a good game along with finishing 3-1 very much prevents them from missing this list. None of the 8-8s have a solid reason to make the cut except for maybe Philly which I see you, Chris, included. Yes 4-0 finish, 7-4 after their 1-4 start, both offense and defense statistically well, but it just doesn't seem enough. Perhaps I should include them, but who of the dozen above should I replace them with? Chargers a slight consideration who you included as well, Chris. They finished 4-1, but the blowout loss at home to the not-so-special Lions, 10-38, boxes them right on out IMO. Denver losing final three, the first two of those three being convincers (the latter of those two to...Buffalo), easily excludes them as well. Can't believe Steelers let 'Tebow-magic' get the best of them 1st Rd!! Simply a sign of the playoff drought to come in the 'Burgh.