Look in your rear view mirror
The object that is closer than it appears is the Falcons
Woof, Woof - Dawg
Agreed 100%.
Between the Super Bowl coming up in approx. a month up through the 2019 season, 12 seasons in all, I predict six of the Super Bowls in that time span will belong to
NFL South teams, such as said Falcons (1 ring at least), Panthers (1), Bucs (1), Saints (possible to at least attend Super Bowl), Colts (one more left in Peyton), Titans (1 ring at least). As a region of the country, these teams either have talent left, or talent in the making that will make that region of the country look like the East Coast is to baseball these last 15 years with Mets, Phillies, Yankees, and Red Sox all going to World Series as a short list.
The '80s was a stunning time for NFL West teams like Niners, Raiders (of both Oakland and LA), Broncos, and San Diego. Any given year there was a possible ring for an NFC or AFC West team. NFL Football was a Wild West thing as Lott, Craig, Elway, Montana, Rice, Clark, Young, Plunkett, Flores, and Walsh will prove. Well that supreme dominance of six rings in a short period of time will happen from now for the next ten or so years with the southern division teams.
Of course, in football, besides the NFL west teams in the '80s, other decades had midwestern region teams (Vikes, GB, St. Louis, Chicago, Cleveland) and NFL east teams (Redskins, Cowboys, Giants, Bills, Steelers, Patriots) had their big heydays, too. It's long overdue now for the southern quadrant of this country to pull it together. Oh yeah, MacDawg, check out my signature below...this is the start of the southern region teams and a possible decade long dominance in the NFL. But of course, trades and injuries can make this all mute. Heck, even great coaches play musical chairs.
As to the theory of the Browns doing well, they have a multi-billionaire as a part owner as well as a lot of dot.com billionaires who pumped money into that organization. Another team, who said could never exist and get off the ground had little talent, but "computer industry" money from that stupid micro computer town called San Jose (and surrounding cities) and that team became the San Jose Sharks. San Jose, isn't it always sunny there? Money can do amazing things. NHL said, "No, we don't need another expansion team, especially from San Jose of all places, see you in court, you petty upstarts!" San Jose region said, "OK, see you there too, with the entire Harvard and Yale law alums who we can double puny NY salaries, and see you soon with a San Jose "hockey" team."
Moral of the story, don't underestimate a group of owners and backers with UNLIMITED funds. The Browns will eventually rise to its Bernie Kosar greatness and money will be the point of that sword. If not more than one ring, several Super Bowl appearances in the future.