The NFL is unarguably one of the most popular and widely followed games in the world. Football fans from all around the globe support their favorite teams with hopes of them taking home the coveted Lombardi Trophy.
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The New England Patriots are one of the most powerful teams in the AFC and are seen as one of the conference favorites this season. However, there are some other teams that may pose a serious threat to the Pats’ dream of lifting the trophy.
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos were the top seed in the AFC in last year’s playoffs, and with their offseason additions, including former Patriot Wes Welker, they could stand firmly in the way of the Pats’ Super Bowl dreams. With Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker already showing great rapport with Peyton Manning, the Broncos offense should be tough to stop through the air, an area the Patriots have struggled with in recent seasons. But Denver’s defense has had trouble with Tom Brady in recent seasons, will it be the same way without Welker? The Pats-Broncos rivalry should be on of the most entertaining of the season. They meet on November 24th in Foxboro.
Baltimore Ravens
Despite significant turnover, the defending Super Bowl champs Baltimore Ravens are stilla major threat to the Pats. The Ravens and Patriots always have great battles, and despite both teams going through change, that should still be the case. For the Ravens, they must overcome to losses of Ed Reed and Ray Lewis among others. Their leadership and football savvy really helped the Ravens in the chess match against Tom Brady. Perhaps most important is for the Patriots to stop Joe Flacco from slicing and dicing their secondary, like he did in the second half of the 2012 AFC Championship. The loss of Anquan Boldin should certainly help.
Houston Texas
The Patriots dispatched the Texans twice last season, but they’re still a talented team that will get a chance to finally play the Pats in Houston this year. J. J. Watt has a massive 6’5”, 295-pound physique, and can be unblockable on the field. The return of Brian Cushing should certainly help the Texans in dealing with the Patriots tight end duo of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez. The ultimate question is whether Matt Schaub can overcome the New England defense and put in one of his best games. He struggled in both outings last season.
The AFC was certainly top-heavy in 2012, and the same group of usual suspects look to be back in 2013 competing for a chance to go the Super Bowl. Most of the teams have experienced some turnover, but the major pieces remain in place. Could another team make a leap and challenge these big four? The Miami Dolphins certainly look ready to make a case, but they’ll have to get through New England if they want to make any noise.
