Teams to Beat 2126

NFC Leads the Way with the League's Top 4 Defenses
By "Gary Gray"

Pre-Season 2126 (USAFL Headquarters) - 
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Offense: Ranked #1
On any given play, the Pats are a touchdown threat. Rollins enjoys superior protection all season, even against the Purple People Eaters. Losing Redden hurts - and hurts bad - but Braxton steps up to the plate and delivers a solid ground game to complement the league's most dangerous passing threat.

Defense: Ranked #5
Acquiring Chris Hood doesn't compensate for the dismal lack of coverage. Kenneth Ambrose and Caesar Hinton can't hang with big, fast wide receivers. The Pats give up too many points through the air.

Strengths: The Long Ball, Offensive Line
Weaknesses: RB Depth, Defensive Backs

Prediction: Championship.
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MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Offense: Ranked #5
The Vikings arguably have the top QB/HB/WR combination, but their second-string running back, guard, and tackle are serious liabilities.

Defense: Ranked #1
It's hard to imagine losing one of the top defensive linemen in the league to free agency and retaining the ability to strike fear into the hearts of quarterbacks. Despite a depleted line, the Purple People Eaters return for another year of dominance.

Strengths: Smalls & Smith, Offensive Skill Players, Best DB Set Ever
Weaknesses: HB2, G2, T2, DE2, DT2 - in a word, Depth

Prediction: In a repeat of the 2125 championship matchup, the Vikings sorely miss DL Carl Wallace and fall to the high-octane Patriots. Minnesota's top guys perform well, but secondary starters suffer from a lackluster season.
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WASHINGTON REDSKINS

Offense: Ranked #2
Eleven starters return, with Fenner benched in favor of one of the fastest quarterbacks the league has ever seen. A powerhouse offensive line leads the way, second only to the Patriot’s front five.

Defense: Ranked #2
Four new starters turn one of the league's worst defenses of 2125 into an elite core for 2126. As a unit, this team boasts one of the best defensive lines in the league and expects to stuff the run while pressuring the quarterback. Defensive backs are only decent.

Strengths: Team balance, Linemen
Weaknesses: WR Depth, TE, OL Randolph, DB Depth

Prediction: Minnesota's superior defense boots the 'Skins out of the second round of playoffs, stealing sweet revenge from their Week 12 loss.
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CAROLINA PANTHERS

Offense: Ranked #3
Carolina has a serious problem with the Vikings claiming QB/HB/WR superiority. But like the Vikings, the offensive line is an issue. It's solid, but not great.

Defense: Ranked #3
The linebackers and defensive backs are merely average, but the Panthers are strong where it counts; their D-Line is ready to dominate. Miller + Campbell + Belk + Griffen is a scary combination.

Strengths: Team Balance, Defensive Speed
Weaknesses: Defensive Backfield, Average O-Line

Prediction: Carolina makes the playoffs easily but falls to the Minnesota juggernaut in the first round.
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CHICAGO BEARS

Offense: Ranked #7
This unit is solid from top to bottom, but the line doesn't feature any serious pancakers who can pull & plow. Bob Ryan's lack of mobility becomes a concern against elite D-Lines, and Lankford becomes frustrated by linemen who have two left feet. Switch to K-Gun puts Lankford in the spotlight and he runs up big numbers, but lackluster receivers are the bane of the Bears.

Defense: Ranked #4
Burlington emerges as a premier perimeter threat and free agency target in 2127. Bellows and Hood prepare to shut down any receiver in the league. But depth is a concern, especially at linebacker.

Strengths: Lankford, Elite Defensive Players
Weaknesses: Defensive Depth, Average Offense

Prediction: The Bears snag the last NFC wildcard ticket, but lose in the first round by a heartbreaking, last-second field goal from Alexander Phillips.
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BUFFALO BILLS

Offense: Ranked #4
With the AFC's second-best offense, the Bills light up the conference week in and week out following the strength of their line. Problem is, the fifth OL on the squad shouldn't be on the field. Receivers can't run crisp routes, and Rembert's infamous mobility problems cause some serious issues against good defenses.

Defense: Ranked #7
Solid. But that's not enough in the USAFL. With the exception of Bruce Branley, the Bill's defense doesn't have any elite players. A switch to 3-4 can't cover up that fact.

Strengths: Offensive Line
Weaknesses: Average all-around

Prediction: The AFC East is practically guaranteed three playoff teams, and the Bills will have one of those slots. They pray it's the top wildcard ticket so they don't have to face New England in the first round.
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NEW YORK GIANTS

Offense: Ranked #8
Hamstrung by one of the slowest offensive lines the league, the Giants struggle to score points. Darryl Noble and George Stone become frustrated with the rest of the offense, creating sideline rifts that prevent New York from reaching the playoffs.

Defense: Ranked #6
The Giant's defense is similar to the Patriot’s - great line backers but poor linemen and defensive backs. With little pressure up front, the backs are burnt time and time again.

Strengths: Darryl Noble, Linebackers
Weaknesses: Linemen, Defensive Backs

Prediction: The Giants fall 1 game short of securing a playoff bid.
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CINCINNATI BENGALS

Offense: Ranked #6
'Thompson goes deep to Easterly . . . . . TOUCHDOWN!' - Fans will hear that phrase a lot in the 1st quarter of Bengals' games. But by the 2nd quarter, Thompson is gassed and his offensive line refuses to look him in the eye after giving up 5 sacks.

Defense: Ranked #8
The Bengals' defensive backfield is a sorry sight, and the d-line needs revamped. Out of the teams to beat, the Bengals will be the easiest because they give up so many points.

Strengths: Best WRs in the League, Linebackers
Weaknesses: No Secondary RB, D-Line, Defensive Backs

Prediction: Maybe one of the AFC West teams will rise to the occasion and steal the last AFC wildcard slot from the Bengals. Cincinnati’s front office troubles spill over to the field, and they struggle to make the playoffs.
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WILDCARDS

Dallas - Quietly and sporadically assembly a good team, but not quite there yet.

Kansas City - Tries hard to recover from a disappointing 2125 campaign; almost wins the AFC West, but that's not saying much.

Detroit & Philadelphia - Good teams, but can't keep up with the NFC powerhouses.

Pittsburg - Despite signing Redden and maintaining the league's best line backing corps, the Steelers fall short because of their subpar linemen on both sides of the ball.
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JUST FOR FUN

No team goes undefeated in 2126.

Baltimore Ravens have 3 candidates for ROY but go 0-14.

Lankford and Smith battle for the rushing title.

Oakland emerges with the AFC West crown, becomes a competitive team for seasons to come.

Green Bay feels snubbed by this review and battles for a .500 season, bids $45 million on Washington players in free agency in 2127.

Six teams are running K-Gun in 2126. They are successful; three QB's top 30 touchdowns, and two more teams switch to K-Gun in 2127.

Two teams fail to score over 200 points in the regular season.

One team gives up over 400 points in the regular season.

New England falls just short of 450 points.

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