But all that's in the past now. The 2016 regular season came and went, and football has never looked so good. whereas the Broncos came into the 2016 season as the defensive Super Bowl champs, and began the year off 4-0, sadly for Denver fans, they did not make it into the postseason.
Not to worry, lots of teams have a legit likelihood to hoist this year’s Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl 51. with that in mind, as we glance ahead to the wild-card round of the playoffs, here’s a glance at the teams with the best odds of winning Super Bowl LI.
New York Giants
The new york Giants won't receive a similar love as a number of the other playoff-bound teams, however you can not overlook this group. The G-Men enter the postseason as the No. 6 seed, with an 11-5 record, and can take their skills on the road to Lambeau Field for a wild-card round encounter with the Green Bay Packers.
If there’s one factor we’ve learned from New York’s past playoff experiences, it’s that all this group needs is to induce in; then Eli Manning, miraculously, flips a switch and turns into an unstoppable force of nature. Who knows, maybe this might be one of those years.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Odds: +400
When QB Tony Romo went down with an injury within the preseason, it looked as if the Dallas Cowboys were destined for one more unsatisfying season
. However, we undoubtedly spoke ahead of time. Behind a pair of dynamic rookies — quarterback dak Prescott and running back/MVP candidate Ezekiel Elliott — the 13-3 Cowboys put up 26.3 points per game (fifth of 32) and clinched 1st place in the NFC, giving them home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Dallas seems like the foremost complete team within the NFC. Following Romo’s recent call to place the team before himself, it’s hard to imagine big D slowing down anytime shortly — and that includes the playoffs.
1. New England Patriots
Odds: +190
In the four weeks Tom Brady served his suspension, the New England Patriots showed the discipline, focus, and skill of a champion team. using 2 totally different quarterbacks, including a beginner, the Pats did their jobs, handled their business, and went 3-1. Then Brady came back to the fold and the remainder of the NFL got to see what New England seemed like at full strength. in a word: deadly.
The Patriots finished the regular season as the No. one seed in the AFC with a 14-2 record. they're overwhelming the opposition on either side of the ball, and they have a fired-up quarterback poised to feature more individual hardware to his already stocked showcase. At this time, only a fool would bet against the New England Patriots.