2013 NFL Picks: An Early Look at Super Bowl XLVIII Favorites and Contenders

2013 NFL Picks: An Early Look at Super Bowl XLVIII Favorites and Contenders: While the 2013-14 NFL season is still several months away, a lot has already happened since the Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers in a Super Bowl that featured big plays by on the part of both teams, a power outage and a goal line stand in the closing minutes. Franchises have added new pieces through the draft and some have added new coaches and coordinators. Perhaps even more importantly, some teams have been very active overhauling their rosters in free agency while some have seen their depleted. As a result of all the offseason activity, the pecking order in the NFL has changed, and certain teams have put themselves in the championship conversation and vice versa. With that in mind, here is an early look at the favorites to win the 2014 Super Bowl along with the top contenders.

The Favorites

If safety Rahim Moore doesn’t fall over himself trying to defend a Hail Mary, the Denver Broncos might have won the Super Bowl last year. After upgrading an already-potent offense as well as both lines in the offseason, Denver should be right back in the mix this season. For one, quarterback Peyton Manning should only be better in his second season back from multiple neck surgeries, especially with star slot receiver Wes Welker joining the receiving corps and rookie running back Montee Ball joining the backfield. The bottom line is that the Broncos have as much, if not more, talent than a team that went 13-3 and ranked second in scoring and fourth in points allowed last year. A Super Bowl title is well within reach.

They came within one good play of winning the Super Bowl last year, and the San Francisco 49ers are built to make another run at a title.. A defense that has been one of the best in football for years still has a majority of its core intact, and the offense could reach new heights with dual-threat quarterback Colin Kaepernick at the helm for the entire season. Throw in a strong draft that added further depth on both sides of the ball along with the offseason signing of veteran receiver Anquan Boldin, and San Francisco is as loaded as ever. Granted, losing Michael Crabtree to an Achilles injury isn’t ideal, but the receiver should be back for the crucial portion of the season, and it’s not like he was an instrumental piece of the offense until late last year anyway.

Sure, they lost leading-receiver Wes Welker and Swiss army knife Danny Woodhead in the offseason, and tight end Rob Gronkowski is dealing with injuries, but the New England Patriots still have Tom Brady under center and Bill Belichick on the sidelines. Brady was the architect of the highest-scoring offense in the NFL last year, and with Leon Washington and Danny Amendola being added to the mix, there are still enough pieces in place for Brady to put on a clinic again this season. Ultimately, the Patriots probably need Gronkowski to be healthy in order to win the Super Bowl, but as long as Brady stays healthy, a division title and deep playoff run is the norm.

Other Contenders

With Aaron Rodgers running the offense and Clay Matthews leading the defense, the Green Bay Packers have two cornerstones in place that will keep them in the Super Bowl conversation. That being said, it is Green Bay’s attempts to upgrade the pass rush and running game over the past two drafts that could get them over the hump. When the Packers have struggled, they have been unable to get off the field on defense and have been too one-dimensional on offense. If Datone Jones, Nick Perry and Jerel Worthy begin to make an impact on the defensive front and Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin jumpstart the ground game, Rodgers and the passing attack can take care of the rest.

Pete Carroll has turned the Seattle Seahawks into a team that flat out punishes opponents on both sides of the ball. Running back Marshawn Lynch is back to lead a ground game that ranked third in the NFL last year, and the stingiest defense in the league may have gotten better with Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett bolstering the pass rush. Meanwhile, dynamic slot receiver Percy Harvin was added to a passing attack that blossomed last year under rookie quarterback Russell Wilson. Seattle has more than enough talent on offense and defense to win a Super Bowl this season, the only real question that remains is whether or not Wilson can avoid a sophomore slump as defensive coordinators have time to study him in the offseason.

Coming off a 12-4 season that saw them rank in the top 10 in both scoring and points allowed, the Houston Texans may have gotten even better in the offseason. Houston spent a first-round pick on receiver DeAndre Hopkins, and he has the talent to make opposing defenses pay for double-teaming fellow receiver Andre Johnson on every play. If the passing game becomes more versatile, it is only going to help the already-dangerous Arian Foster punish defenses on the ground, transforming a solid Texans’ offense into a great one. Meanwhile, a defense that made major strides last year behind pass-rusher J.J. Watt and cornerback Johnathan Joseph added veteran safety Ed Reed and will welcome back star linebacker Brian Cushing from injury. A few new weapons could be all the Texans need to reach the next level.

Led by ever-improving quarterback Matt Ryan and a receiving corps that features Roddy White, Julio Jones and Tony Gonzalez, the Atlanta Falcons have become a staple of the postseason in recent years. However, Ryan and company have just one playoff win to show for all their regular season success, and they still prove that their finesse style of play on both sides of the ball can deliver a championship. Granted, Atlanta did add another versatile weapon to the offense in running back Steven Jackson this offseason, but a mediocre secondary and pass rush remain. Still, the core of a team that has averaged more than 11 wins per year since 2008 remains intact. If the Falcons can find an attitude to match their talent level, they could make a title run.

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