Editor’s note: This is part 8 of a 32-part series in which Tim and Zuri draft the teams they think have the best chance of winning the Super Bowl. All teams will be picked to ensure a winner, so check back, because someone will be making a case for the Lions and the greatest one-season turnaround in NFL history.
Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson make an interesting combo. (AP Photo/Dave Einsel)
The three most interesting teams in the NFL are Buffalo, Philadelphia and Minnesota. Not because they’re amazingly talented — although two of the three have that going for them — but because their story lines have already been colored by offseason acquisitions of (in)famous players. Of all three, Brett Favre is the wildcard (pun intended).
He brings the old gunslinger mentality to the Vikings that is inspiring Tarvaris Jackson to play like an actual professional. It’s humorous, because Favre might have a cracked rib right now. But couple this asset with Adrian Peterson, everybody’s No. 1 running back, backup Chester Taylor, a couple of solid receivers in Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian, and the Vikes have a formidable offense.
On the flip side, the defense is more the formidable, leading the NFL last year by stuffing the run to an amount of 76.9 yards per game. I picked them as my No. 5 defense overall. With the Williams boys up front, it’ll be hard to look past another repeat effort. Don’t forget tackle machine Chad Greenway pursuing those pesky backs in the NFC North. It’s a blitzkrieg of talent for goodness sake.
They’re toughest opponents, which I’ll give a Grade A, are the Green Bay Packers (Weeks 4 and 8), the Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 7) and the New York Giants (Week 17). Somewhat difficult, but definitely handleable opponents, which I’ll say are in the Grades B and C range, are the Chicago Bears (what was Tim thinking?… Weeks 12 and 16), the Arizona Cardinals (Week 13) and the San Francisco 49ers (Week 3). Everybody else is poster board fodder. Which leads me to believe this could very well snowball into a 11-5, 12-4 or 13-3 season depending on their luck. And very much depending on Jackson’s reaction to Favre and whether or not he can bid his time and come in and work effectively.
I mean, they always have Sage Rosefels and John David Booty to go to as well.
What a cheap shot at my pick, you bastard.
I may pick the Bears again at No. 9.