Momentum Killer?

What makes the NFL great is the idea that at the onset of the season more than half of the league's teams have a legitimate shot at winning a championship, and the shifts and changes of opinion on who these teams are make the conversation all the more interesting. Much in the same way momentum plays a huge role in the flow of games, it may play an equally important role in the overall season flow. Teams like the Baltimore Ravens and New York Jets used this "end of the year" momentum to catapult their teams into big game situations in the Divisional Round and Championship round respectively. This "momentum" could also shows its face during the off season, and no teams can claim the type of momentum and league wide support that these same 2 teams can. The New York Jets' activity in Free Agency has brought many on board their bandwagon while the Baltimore Ravens' key pickup of Anquan Boldin and the quality of their draft had many feeling the Ravens may have another AFC Championship in their future. But much in the same way that that turnover can kill your momentum and turn the tide, so can an injury to a key position. Today, the Baltimore Ravens may have "suffered the turnover" as they lose starting cornerback Dominique Foxworth for the season, and may have also lost Jared Gaither for an extended period of time. Coupled with the developments in the Sergio Kindle case, and all of a sudden you've got more questions than answers heading into training camp. An injury to a Jets offensive lineman forcing second year QB Mark Sanchez to think twice about holding onto the ball for that extra second and Rex's boys don't look all that exciting anymore. The Cincinnati Bengals entered last year among the leagues worst, and finished the year a division champion. This year they enter training camp "in the conversation". The same "conversation" teams like the Colts, Vikings, Saints, and Cowboys find themselves in, and that's the favorites to win the Super Bowl. The Ravens were consistently in that discussion but just as quick as that foot misplacing itself on the field, so goes the title of being a Super Bowl contender. They still very well may be, as the debate will shift from team to team all the way up until that one team is holding up a Lombardi Trophy. But that's what's great about the NFL, that anything could happen on a specific play, whether it be a great thing or as in this case an unfortunate thing.