2011 Lockout “Season” Will Be Better For New Orleans Saints Then Others

3.  St. Louis Rams

Sam Bradford lit the year up with an amazing rookie season.  It’s starting to really look like the Rams are back on track to the skill level of the “Greatest Team on Turf.”

But Bradford still needs to get more experience from things like an intensive off-season training and playing in his sophmore season.  This team played at an average level last seasn, but I think will be playing at a very high level by next season (or whenever the next time the NFL ever plays a game).

2.  Detroit Lions

Detroit already has the stigma of being one of the least visited, and yet highly populated cities in America.  Up until lately, they also had to deal with having one of the worst teams in football history.

With the additions of Matt Stafford two years ago, Ndamakong Suh last year, along with Nick Fairley this year, this team is starting to look like it might become a huge power in the NFC North.

This is where I go back and forth about where this team ended up on my rankings.  It might end up being very good for Matt Stafford to get a year of rest after his continuing injury problems, but will it be good for the rest of the team to get held back a year.  Either way, Detroit needs to make sure all their hard work in putting this team together doesn’t go to waste, just because a one year hiatus.

1. Dallas Cowboys (Jerry Jones)

Ever since the Super Bowl seating fiasco, Jerry Jones has not been in many high favors lately.  Around 400 fans were unable to watch their favorite team play in Super Bowl XLV because Jerry Jones oversold the new stadium without checking in with the local fire marshals.

While he’s still dealing with that lawsuit, he is also viewed as one of the main leaders in the owners lockout.  You know, the lockout that the majority of fans around country despise, and this includes people from the Dallas area.

To go along with all of that, the Cowboys have rookie head coach who won a few games last year, but still is completely unproven until he has coached a whole season.

Then, as if to put the icing on the cake, the Cowboys did not look like the dominant team they’ve been for the past few years.  Tony Romo looked barely average and Miles Austin seemed more concerned with his celebrity status instead of his football career.

If the Cowboys want to be succesful for whenever the next time they play, somebody really needs to step into a leadership role and take control of this team.

One thing I will never be upset about is having to live in New Orleans.  Football or no football, I will always be able to hear that sax man doing his best to make sure everybody goes into the day feeling great to be in this culturally unique city.

Hear are some other teams that were in consideration for this list: Minnesota Vikings, Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Oakland Raiders.