2011 Super Bowl Contenders

With National Football League training camps less than a month away, does your favorite team have what it takes to get to the Super Bowl? Here are some of the top contenders, and some of the “goods” they have in the pursuit of the Vince Lombardi Trophy:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS - The defending champions never rebuild, they reload. Pittsburgh still is loaded offensively, bringing back quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, running back Willie Parker, receivers Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes and tight end Heath Miller. Shaun McDonald is around to replace the departed Nate Washington as a third-down receiver.

Pittsburgh’s defense always comes in waves, and that won’t change this fall. Once you get past nose tackle Casey Hampton, there is linebacker James Harrison, last year’s NFL Defensive Player of the Year. If you get past Harrison, there is hard-hitting safety Troy Polamalu.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS - As quarterback Tom Brady goes, so go the New England Patriots. If Brady is 100-percent healthy from the knee injury which knocked him out after Game 1, the Patriots offense has a chance to hum loudly, as it did in 2007. Brady still has wide receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker, and the Pats have added receiver Joey Galloway, tight end Alex Smith and running back Fred Taylor to their already-solid depth.

Defensively, the veteran presence of linebacker Mike Vrabel (traded to Kansas City) will be missed, but the heart and soul of the defense - linebacker Tedi Bruschi - remains. So does nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who is a chore for even the best centers in the league to get leverage on.

NEW YORK GIANTS - “Big Blue” is going to have to answer some big questions in training camp - foremost among them is who will catch the ball from quarterback Eli Manning. While the Giants will continue to hang their hat on the running game, the Giants need to figure out if they have a No. 1 receiver among a group that includes holdovers Steve Smith, Dominik Hixon and Mario Manningham, and rookie Hakeem Nicks.

While the Giants won’t have coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to guide the defense, there are plenty of pieces on the field returning, including defensive end Osi Umenyiora (knee injury). Add in Mathias Kiwanuka and newcomers Rocky Bernard and Chris Canty, and the Giants’ defensive line stacks up against any in the NFL.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES - Veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb has a new contract extension, and he has a few new offensive helpers in rookie wide receiver Jeremy Macklin and offensive linemen Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews. When the entire offense is healthy, McNabb leads a unit which has the potential to be one of the best in the NFL.

Defensively, the Eagles boast a defensive line which not only can get to the quarterback, but is at least 5-deep in rotation. The secondary is in flux but has experience. The Eagles’ weakness, for the second year in a row, is at linebacker.

ARIZONA CARDINALS - The road back to the Super Bowl won’t be an easy one for the Cardinals, who switched running backs and both coordinators during the offseason. Offensively, the keys are keeping quarterback Kurt Warner up-right, keeping wide receiver Anquan Boldin happy and squeezing more out of rookie Chris “Beanie” Wells than Arizona got from both Edgerin James and Tim Hightower in 2008.
Other than safety Adrian Wilson, the Cardinals do not have an “impact” player on the defensive side of the ball. The front seven needs one in order to help out a secondary which has quite a bit of potential.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS - The winds of change blew through Indianapolis during the past offseason, and blowing out of the Colts camp where head coach Tony Dungy, offensive coordinator Tom Moore and all-time great wide receiver Marvin Harrison, among others. Quarterback Peyton Manning will have coach and personnel upheaval the likes of which he hasn’t seen in the NFL, and that means players like running back Joseph Addai, wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark all have to step up.

Beyond defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis and safety Bob Sanders, difference-makers are few and far between on the Colts defense.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS - Does the potential return of sack master linebacker Shawne Merriman put the Chargers over the top? Perhaps, but Merriman would have to be close to what he once was - a pass rusher who had 12½ sacks just two years ago. If Merriman returns to form, he, along with defensive end Luis Castillo and cornerbacks Quentin Jammer and Antonio Cromartie, would anchor a strong defense.

San Diego still has the potential for a potent offense, but running back LaDainian Tomlinson is showing signs of wear. Quarterback Philip Rivers has All-Pro skills, running back/returner Darren Sproles is a firebrand and wide receiver Chris Chambers gives the Chargers a bonafide deep threat.