NFL Super Bowl XLIX Odds:
Baltimore Ravens 40-1
Carolina Panthers 25-1
Surging Carolina Panthers made waves in their improved 2013 season, and sent warning signals to the rest of the league.
Carolina
Panthers
The Carolina Panthers playoffs took an early exit with the loss to the San Francisco 49ers , "the second best team in the NFL" according to Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman.
Regardless of their early playoff retreat, NFL teams would be wise not to quickly overlook the Panthers. Just like the deceptive drawback of a tsunami wave, the Panthers will storm back in the 2014 season, more dangerous and much more destructive.
The Carolina Panthers playoffs took an early exit with the loss to the San Francisco 49ers , "the second best team in the NFL" according to Seattle Seahawks Richard Sherman.
Regardless of their early playoff retreat, NFL teams would be wise not to quickly overlook the Panthers. Just like the deceptive drawback of a tsunami wave, the Panthers will storm back in the 2014 season, more dangerous and much more destructive.
Quick Snapshot of the Carolina Panthers:
Season W L Offense Ranking Defense Ranking
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2013 12 4 26 2
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2012 7 9 12 10
Offensively, the Panthers drop in offensive rankings is slightly misleading. Cam Newton's stats are almost identical to last season, with the exception of his marksmanship in throwing down-field beyond 20 yards. Cam Newton was 6-1 for TDs / INTs last year, but flattened out at 8-6 this year.
WR Ted Ginn, WR Brandon LaFell, and TE Greg Olsen are all coming off one of their best seasons, while RB Jonathan Stewart's injury and cap hit have handcuffed the Panthers flexibility. Questions remain on what's left inside the tanks of WR Steve Smith and RB DeAngelo Williams. Steve Smith has been the face of the Panthers franchise for the last 13 years.
On defense, the Carolina Panthers defensive destruction is led by DE Greg Hardy and DE Charles Johnson (49 combined sacks last two seasons). Newcomer S Mike Mitchell, CB Captain Munnerlyn, and LB Thomas Davis are both returning from career best seasons.
Luke Kuechly, 2013 NFL Defensive Player of the Year and 2012 Defensive Rookie of the Year, has comfortably become the center piece of the NFL's second best defense. Only the Seattle Seahawks defense stood in their way in 2013 for top honors.
The long list of In-house draft picks to watch (CB Melvin White, DT Kawann Short, LB A.J. Klein, S Robert Lester, LB Courtney Upshaw, LB Josh Bynes, DE Pernell McPhee, DE Wes Horton, DE DeAngelo Tyson), compliment the Panthers scouting department.
DT Star Lotulelei is the sturdy hand grip of this Panthers defensive hammer, that's just going to get even better. This imposing sophomore is a serious Pro Bowl threat this coming season.
Special teams production, the Panthers are ranked number one overall defensively, but lag at 29th place on the return side. WR Ted Ginn owns the 6th spot in punt return average and 16th place in kickoff return average. Panthers sophomore Brad Nortman snagged the NFL 4th best punting average.
Carolina Panthers' coach Ron Rivera, who deservedly won the NFL Coach of the Year, has consistently bested his Panther's Win / Loss season record. Six of the last seven Super Bowl winning coaches claimed their NFL title in their 4th or 5th season. Entering into his fourth year, coach Ron Rivera has the Panthers poised for a Super Bowl strike.
The Panthers will attempt to maintain their defensive resurgence by resigning their FAs, acquire backup insurance for their running game, shore up their offensive special teams production, and maximize their deep threat potential during this free agency and NFL draft period.
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The Baltimore Ravens are like a bad headache of the NFL; they just won't go away.
Baltimore
Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens came close to advancing to this year's playoffs, after enduring the expected "bounce" year after losing so many cornerstone players.
The 2012 Super Bowl Champions were "moulting" last season, shedding cap unfriendly contracts. This season, expect the cap leaner Ravens to stick their beaks back into the AFC playoffs chase, right from the start.
Quick Snapshot of the Baltimore Ravens:
Season W L Offense Ranking Defense Ranking
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2013 8 8 29 12
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2012 10 6 16 17
Offensively, the Baltimore Ravens offensive production took a hit and fell five points per game. Joe Flacco's stats from last year show that he was asked to throw the ball much more often, producing a career pass attempts total (Rice's on-going hip troubles likely the source). Flacco's INTs went up substantially with the added workload.
The 2012 Super Bowl Champions were "moulting" last season, shedding cap unfriendly contracts. This season, expect the cap leaner Ravens to stick their beaks back into the AFC playoffs chase, right from the start.
Quick Snapshot of the Baltimore Ravens:
Season W L Offense Ranking Defense Ranking
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2013 8 8 29 12
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2012 10 6 16 17
Offensively, the Baltimore Ravens offensive production took a hit and fell five points per game. Joe Flacco's stats from last year show that he was asked to throw the ball much more often, producing a career pass attempts total (Rice's on-going hip troubles likely the source). Flacco's INTs went up substantially with the added workload.
Joe Flacco had a drop-off in TD to INT ratio when throwing for more than 20 yards down-field, similiar to Panthers Cam Newton. Last season Flacco was 9-0 in favor of TDs, but fell to a 1-6 mark for INTs this year.
Joe Flaccos's favorite target WR Torrey Smith, will probably need more than an improved WR Marlon Brown to shake off double and triple coverages. Injured Ravens RB Ray Rice, RB Bernard Pierce, and TE Dennis Pitta are all wildcards going into this new season, which may force the Ravens coaching staff to shuffle the deck.
On defense, It doesn't seem to matter which player is being inserted into the Ravens "Plug n Play" defense, they all contribute. Credit the Ravens coaching staff of identifying players like LB Daryl Smith (Jags), LB Elvis Dumervil (Broncos), CB Corey Graham (Bears), and S James Ihedigbo (Patriots).
Keep an eye on the Ravens own homegrown crop (S Matt Elam, S Jimmy Smith, and DE Arthur Jones), with Pro Bowl Candidates LB Terrell Suggs, DT Haloti Ngata, and CB Lardarius Webb rounding out the Ravens D.
Special teams production, the Baltimore Ravens are ranked 6th overall on the offensive side of the ball, and a respectable 13th on defense. Ravens special teams is led by WR Tandon Doss (NFL punt return average leader), and sophomore kicker Justin Tucker (ranked 6th in FG percentage).
Joe Flaccos's favorite target WR Torrey Smith, will probably need more than an improved WR Marlon Brown to shake off double and triple coverages. Injured Ravens RB Ray Rice, RB Bernard Pierce, and TE Dennis Pitta are all wildcards going into this new season, which may force the Ravens coaching staff to shuffle the deck.
On defense, It doesn't seem to matter which player is being inserted into the Ravens "Plug n Play" defense, they all contribute. Credit the Ravens coaching staff of identifying players like LB Daryl Smith (Jags), LB Elvis Dumervil (Broncos), CB Corey Graham (Bears), and S James Ihedigbo (Patriots).
Keep an eye on the Ravens own homegrown crop (S Matt Elam, S Jimmy Smith, and DE Arthur Jones), with Pro Bowl Candidates LB Terrell Suggs, DT Haloti Ngata, and CB Lardarius Webb rounding out the Ravens D.
Special teams production, the Baltimore Ravens are ranked 6th overall on the offensive side of the ball, and a respectable 13th on defense. Ravens special teams is led by WR Tandon Doss (NFL punt return average leader), and sophomore kicker Justin Tucker (ranked 6th in FG percentage).
If the mark of a good coach is to bring out the best of his players and at the right time, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh is arguably one of the NFL's best. Harbaugh's Ravens have never had a losing season and have only missed the playoffs once.
The Ravens will need to stabilize their running game, clamp down on opponent's special teams production, solidify their TE position, and re-establish the deep threat to re-center Baltimore's Super Bowl drive.
The Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XLVIII victory, reaffirmed the existing team schematics for the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers.
The Ravens will need to stabilize their running game, clamp down on opponent's special teams production, solidify their TE position, and re-establish the deep threat to re-center Baltimore's Super Bowl drive.
The Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XLVIII victory, reaffirmed the existing team schematics for the Baltimore Ravens and the Carolina Panthers.
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Seattle
Coach Pete Carroll combined a hard hitting defense, threat of a powerful running game, and a proven NFL QB that can be asked to throw the leather for the W, if need be. There is no reason that the Panthers or Ravens cannot be the Seahawks 2014 edition.
The NFC conference is brutal again this year with a handful of Super Bowl contenders (49ers, Packers, Saints, Falcons), possible uninvited guests (Lions, Eagles and Giants), and the defending Super Bowl champs (Seahawks).
If it wasn't for the Seahawks Richard Sherman's late game heroics in the NFC Championship game, we would have all watched the 49ers raise the Lombardi Trophy instead.
The Carolina Panthers have a legitimate chance at winning the difficult 2014 NFC title this year, without having the burden of Super Bowl expectations placed upon them at season's start. The Super Bowl hype / pressure crushed the Texans and the Falcons last year, and weighed down the 49ers regular season start.
The Baltimore Ravens are in a AFC conference that appears to be in a state of flux, still sorting out the top tier teams (Patriots, Broncos, and Colts). It wouldn't take much for a reloaded Baltimore Ravens team to make a deep Super Bowl run.
This year's NFL WR draft class is deep in 1st-round potential, a fortunate turn of events for the Ravens and Panthers, whose NFL draft selections rest at the bottom half of the order.
This year's NFL WR draft class is deep in 1st-round potential, a fortunate turn of events for the Ravens and Panthers, whose NFL draft selections rest at the bottom half of the order.
NFL Super Bowl XLIX
Regardless of the future Super Bowl odds, the Carolina Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens are two teams that can fly under the radar in preseason hype, and still deliver a Super Bowl punch in Arizona 2015.
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