Which 1-2 NFL Teams Have a Hope of Reaching the Playoffs?

Oh the perils of your favorite NFL team getting off to a poor start! For every team savoring in their early good fortune this season, there are equal numbers of team feeling quite the opposite; battered and bruised after several losses and unsure of where to turn for hope in the duration of this season. And while I’d be expecting the worst for any team that has started 0-3 (Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers), for those 1-2 teams there is still a small hope of salvaging this season, but they’ll need to pick up their game in a hurry.

While there are some of the typically poor teams currently sitting at 1-2, there are also several usually strong teams who were even involved in the playoffs last year that have gotten off to bad starts. These surprising poor starters include the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, the Indianapolis Colts, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. That’s nearly half of last season’s playoff teams now suffering below .500!

In my mind these are the teams most likely to rescue their seasons. And history actually beckons warmly for several of them, including the Packers and 49ers, who both started 1-2 last year only to resurrect their hopes and make a strong playoff push.

The key ingredient for such teams is in how they finish the season, not how they’ve started it. Football teams are an organic being, as injuries, player development, and unforeseen future obstacles can alter a team’s shape and style immensely over the course of the year. NFL rosters look very different in September than they do in January and it’s the teams that can handle such change effectively that do well in the later months and typically end up claiming a playoff spot. Unquestionably, a great quarterback can also go a long way to leading a team back from a poor start to a potentially championship-winning season.

Each of the 1-2 teams I mentioned carries great starting quarterbacks (including Aaron Rodgers, Colin Kaepernick, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, and Alex Smith) and this is why they still have hope. Other 1-2 teams that I wouldn’t expect to hear much of a whimper from are the Miami Dolphins, the New York Jets, the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, the Tennessee Titans, the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, and the St. Louis Rams. These teams look to lack any sort of presence on the field and have been pretty marginable for years. Their poor records are due to simple lack of talent.

But for the better teams, they’ve just not clicked into high gear or have been unfortunate in the couple of key plays that can often decide a game one way or the other. Another thing to realize is that 1-2 is just a single game away from 2-1. A play here and there could have made the difference, and I’m sure you’ll find that most fans of 2-1 teams are more than satisfied with their seasons’ beginnings.

As the NFL season wears on, those slight hiccups or mistaken plays will carry less weight as the true contenders of the league emerge and get their needed wins. While I certainly wouldn’t be expecting a Super Bowl following two early losses for teams like the Packers, Chiefs, Colts, 49ers, or Saints, I think it’s far too early to be writing them off as has-beens or incapable of salvaging the season. In many cases they’ve done it before and these specific teams certainly have the talent capable to make a serious run at their respective divisions. But be careful, with their collective poor starts, I would only suspect 2 or 3 of these teams manage to right the ship and make the playoffs this year…

No matter which NFL team you root for, AAA Sports Memorabilia has an enormous selection of sports collectibles for your favorite team.  Whether you are looking for an autographed collectible for your favorite athlete or a non-autographed collectible, we have what you are looking for.  We also carry display cases that are built by hand right here in the USA.  Check us out weekly as we are always adding new product.

The 2014 Mock Top 5 NFL Draft Picks

Mock drafts are an interesting endeavor.  Not only must one consider who are amongst the top football players available in the selection process, but we also have to think about which specific NFL teams are making those picks, and their particular needs and wants.  One must also consider the potential for big trades for draft picks and players that can totally throw any mock draft for a loop.  But with the NFL draft now just 1 month away, let’s have a go at deciding which players will go in the top 5, and to which teams they will go that are in such desperate need at the top of this 2014 NFL draft.

1. Houston Texans – Johnny Manziel – QB – Texas A&M – The Texans are in dire need of a new franchise quarterback.  One year ago they were considered potential Super Bowl contenders with Matt Schaub under center.  Now he is off the team, and the Texans just signed Ryan Fitzpatrick, who if anything, resembles a perfect carryover quarterback for Houston to nurture their next franchise star.  While the jury is certainly out on Manziel, especially with his rambunctious character, the player is a local Texas boy and he has a heck of a playmaking ability.  Perhaps he is a reach for being selected #1, but I think the Texans would greatly benefit from picking up this potential superstar.  A move back several spaces may be in their best interest if they can still nab him, but the Texans need a new face, and “Johnny Football” would be perfect for them!
2. St. Louis Rams – Greg Robinson – OT – Auburn – The Rams need to figure out if Sam Bradford is their franchise guy, and after 4 NFL seasons it’s looking less and less likely of ever panning out.  Injured halfway through the year, St. Louis needs to keep their man on his feet and having a potential Pro Bowl offensive lineman will do just that.  Robinson is a rock and will help Bradford have the time to hunt down Chris Givens and Tavon Austin.  This is a smart pick and one that could preserve their franchise quarterback and bring out the best of his abilities.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jadeveon Clowney – DE – South Carolina – He’s the best player in this draft and has all the tools to become a Hall of Fame NFL player, but the previous teams have larger needs to fulfill and already have strong pass rushers like Robert Quinn and J.J. Watt, meaning Clowney will slide to #3.  Jason Babin of the Jaguars was the team’s best defender with 7.5 sacks.  They need Clowney more than their burning desire for a star quarterback!  If someone intrigues them as a potential franchise star they may look elsewhere, but Clowney is someone with Julius Peppers-like potential and they won’t pass him up!
4. Cleveland Browns – Blake Bortles – QB – UCF – Bortles is a special talent and has all the tools needed to succeed in the NFL.  The only thing holding him back is his small-school collegiate playing experience, but he did manufacture big wins against Louisville and Baylor (both nationally ranked 6^th when they played) last year.  He proved that he can be a winner and a leader, and those characteristics are incredible valuable in the NFL.  The Browns have been a joke of a franchise for their entire existence this millennium and a superstar quarterback like Bortles might just make them relevant again…
5. Oakland Raiders – Sammy Watkins – WR – Clemson – With Matt Schaub as their quarterback and a crop of receivers including James Jones, Denarius Moore, and Rod Streater, the Raiders could use a playmaker.  Each of those aforementioned players are decent pass-catchers who can make a play or two every given Sunday, but Sammy Watkins can take over games.  He is by far the most intriguing wide receiver prospect available and could help spark a resurgence in Oakland’s offensive fortunes.  Don’t expect Watkins to slip out of the top 5 as he is an explosive player and the best offensive prospect available in 2014!

AAA Sports Memorabilia has been serving football fans with their collecting needs since 2006.  We have a great selection of authentic autographed NFL memorabilia along with officially licensed NFL sports collectibles.  We also have a wide selection of handcrafted display cases made right here in the USA.  Our products are officially licensed with the NFL and the NFLPA.  Our autographed memorabilia is obtained through paid private athlete signings and are backed by the most trusted companies in the industry.  Visit us today for your next sports collectible.

Who Will The St. Louis Rams Pick On Draft Day?

The NFL draft starts on April 22 and the St. Louis Rams has the number 1 pick.  Experts have suggested that a defensive player may be picked this year as the number 1 pick.  But others think that the Rams may select a quarterback instead.

Is it possible that Oklahoma’s quarterback Sam Bradford will be taken as the number 1 pick?  His prospects of becoming the number 1 overall pick has begun to increase after a recent workout that he completed on his college campus.  Bradford missed the majority of his final season due to a shoulder injury.

Bradford had made a convincing showing last Monday that he is well on the road to recovery.  The exhibition consisted of passes ranging from a swing pass to a running back to patterns forcing him to throw to the sidelines and even a post pattern that went for more then 50 yards in the air.  He went 13-for-13 during a warmup session and only missed one out of 50 during the following workout. 

If Bradford continues to show progress on his surgically repaired shoulder, he could very well overtake the top defensive players and take that number 1 pick.

AAA Sports Memorabilia carries over 50,000 autographed and non-autographed sports memorabilia.   Our selections include the St. Louis Rams and Collegiate related memorabilia.   Our inventory includes autographed photos, autographed balls, signed gloves, game used, bobbleheads, games, tailgating supplies and much more.   If you can’t find what you are looking for, please contact us at cs@aaasportsmemorabilia.com. 

Fearsome Foursome Tackle Merlin Olsen Passes

Hall of Fame Los Angeles Rams’ Tackle Merlin Olsen, member and anchor of the Los Angeles Rams’ Fearsome Foursome, passed away earlier today (03/11/10) at the age of 69, from mesothelioma, a form of cancer.   

Olsen was also known for being a color commentator for NBC’s pro football and Rose Bowl telecasts.  He worked with Dick Engberg and had acted on television.

Olsen had joined the Los Angeles Rams in 1962 and he spent his entire 15-year career with this team.   He was the NFL’s Rookie of the Year even though the Rams only won 1 game.  During his 15 year career, he was voted to the Pro Bowl every single year, except for his last year.  He was voted NFL MVP in 1974 by the Maxwell Club  of Philadelphia.   Olsen earned a spot in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1980 and then in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982. 

Our condolences go out to the Olsen family.

AAA Sports Memorabilia has a limited supply of autographed memorabilia from Merlin Olsen.  Celebrate his life and career today before his products are gone. 

Rams Tight End Arrested for DUI

Dominique Byrd, St. Louis Rams tight end, was arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drunken driving in Los Angeles. This is Byrd’s second run in with law enforcement in the last three months.

  

 

 

Byrd was arrested near the Sepulveda Boulevard exit of Highway 101, about 20 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles. It was at 2:34 a.m. on Sunday and he was released later that night.

  

 

Byrd is also facing charges of assault and armed criminal action for his alleged role in the December 4 nightclub scuffle in downtown St. Louis. Byrd was accused of hitting a bar patron in the face with a drinking glass. He has pled not guilty to these charges and is scheduled for a jury trial in July.

 

The Rams had selected Byrd in the third round of the 2006 draft. He only played in five games in 2006 and only had two catches with one resulting in a touchdown.

 

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