The 2011 National Football League season begins

Now that the first quarter of the National Football League season is over, it’s time to figure out what to look for as the season progresses until the Super Bowl takes place in February 2012.

What to look for:

1. Indianapolis Colts

For Colts fans this was the year Indy is supposed to challenge for another Super Bowl, instead this campaign could be a total washout with 4-time MVP Peyton Manning sidelined after undergoing heart surgery. neck a few weeks ago. He’s supposed to miss 2-3 months, so in the meantime, the Colts signed veteran QB Kerry Collins. But the results so far have not been good because the Colts are 0-3. They have Curtis Painter as a backup quarterback, but they could also sign another veteran quarterback like Carson Palmer (see below) or David Gerrard (see below). Then again, Indy could say “forget it” about this season and wait. April 2012 for the Andrew Luck draft in the NFL Draft.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

It will be interesting to see how the Cincinnati Bengals fare this season. The team has made some big changes to their roster: The triplets are gone. Earlier this year, the team decided not to re-sign wide receiver Terrell Owens, making him a free agent; In July, the team traded All-Pro Wide Receiver Chad Ochocinco to the New England Patriots; and starting quarterback Carson Palmer requested that the Bengals trade him (the team turned down the request) because they aren’t committed to winning (since he appeared in the AFC Championship Game against Pittsburgh, the team has gone downhill), He also said that he would rather retire than play for the Bengals this season. Their number one pick in the NFL Draft, Andy Dalton, has taken over the quarterback duties this season. Despite the ongoing drama, coach Marvin Lewis was able to keep his job and actually signed a new contract during the offseason.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars

Just before the season started, the Jags decided to release David Gerrard, their starting quarterback for the past 4 years, in favor of Luke McCown. Ironically, the Jaguars did the same thing in 2006, when the team dumped starting quarterback Byron Leftwich for Gerrard. The Jaguars are currently 1-2, but they’ve switched quarterbacks: McCown is out and the team’s first-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Blaine Gabbert, is in. We’ll see how the quarterback trade turns out this season.

4. Denver Broncos

During training camp, the Broncos had a quarterback controversy on their hands. Starting quarterback Kyle Orton was competing for the starting job against second-year backup Tim Tebow and third-year member Brady Quinn. For a while, it was rumored that Tebow had the odds in favor of taking the job, however it was reported that the team wanted to trade Tebow or even make him a wide receiver. New coach John Fox decided to keep Orton, but the team is currently 1-2. We have to see if this controversy spills over into the regular season.

Teams to look for this season

1. Detroit Lions

After finishing the 2008 season with a 0-16 record, the Lions began making smarter picks in the NFL Draft and now it’s paying off. The team is 3-0 in both offense and defense, playing very well. Now, it would be great if the Lions could make the playoffs and win the Super Bowl, but it all depends on keeping Matthew Stafford injury-free. The past two seasons, Stafford missed significant playing time with shoulder injuries. The Lions’ resurgence coincides with the Tigers’ victory in the AL Central and the possible odds of being favorites to win the AL pennant in this year’s baseball postseason show that the city of Detroit is coming back. Side note: the story would be even better once the jobs return to the motor city.

2. St. Louis Rams

The Rams lost in the NFC West Championship game in January against Seattle and the idea was that St. Louis has quarterback Sam Bradford, running back Stephen Jackson and improved defense that the team can improve despite. from the 7-9 record. Well, right now it doesn’t look good with an 0-3 record. Look for the team to change course and start winning again.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Despite being beaten at home by the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, the Falcons are a team people should pay attention to right now. It’s been a slow build, but every year since 2007, the team has emerged as a title contender. Atlanta is currently 1-2, but it’s like the old football saying “No one wins the championship in September,” so we’ll see if the team can turn it around in December.

Head coaches in the hot seat

1. Tony Sparano, Miami Dolphins

In 2007, the Dolphins made it to the NFL Playoffs, and even though they lost the game against Baltimore, they felt they had both the offense and defense to become a promising team they didn’t want to play for. Since then, the team has gone 7-9 over the past two seasons. So far, the Dolphins are 0-3 and there is talk that the team could replace Sparano at some point in the season. Let’s hope he can turn it around or another coach brings his talent to South Beach and revives the Dolphins franchise.

2. Jack Del Rio, Jacksonville Jaguars

Once upon a time the Jaguars were a playoff contender team, now they have gone backwards and missed the playoffs three seasons in a row. This year, the Jags have a new starting quarterback and drafted another last April. It hasn’t worked out yet because the team is 1-2 so far. The Jaguars have to come back this year or else coach Del Rio could be out of a job.

3. Gary Kubiak, Houston Texans

From their inception in 2002 through 2008, the Texans were an easy win for any team that played them. Since then, Houston has built a strong defense led by Mario Williams and a very good offense with quarterback Matt Schuab, running back Arian Foster and wide receiver Andre Williams. The problem the team has is that Coach Kubiak has led Houston to an 8-8 record two years in a row and a 9-7 mark last season, but no playoff appearances. The Texans hit a roadblock last year and finally beat Indianapolis in Houston two years in a row and the team could possibly beat the Colts in Indy (there’s a very good chance of that happening) when the two teams meet later this year. . For Kubiak to keep his job, Houston must make the playoffs or someone else will take over as head coach and turn the Texans into a serious NFL contender.

Who is going to win the Super Bowl?

Your guess is as good as mine. No one saw the Arizona Cardinals, a perennial losing team, reach the NFL championship game in February 2009 against Pittsburgh, or the New Orleans Saints, a team known as the “Aints” for their 1-15 season in 1980, it won all of them in February 2010, almost years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and the Gulf Coast. The title is on the line and anyone can win it on any Super Bowl Sunday.