2008 NFL Playoff Team Photo Tour

The Arizona Cardinals were expected to contend for a playoff berth in 2008, but I don't think anyone anticipated they would run away with the NFC West the way they did. Of course, few probably expected the division to be as weak as single-ply toilet paper in a downpour either.

Heading into the 2008 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers were expected to contend for the AFC North title. They were, after all, the defending division champs. Having finshed the 2007 season with identical 10-6 records, the Steelers and Cleveland Browns were expected to battle for the crown, but the challengers failed to live up to their overblown expectations and another team took their place.

After finishing in last place in the AFC North in 2007 with a 5-11 record, few gave the Baltimore Ravens a legitimate shot at competing for the division title in 2008, especially since they were breaking in a rookie at quarterback. But that rookie outperformed expectations and the defense returned to dominance. And while the team came up a game short to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the division, they did reverse their record to 11-5 and landed a wild-card berth in the playoffs.

Heading into the postseason, the Philadelphia Eagles must really feel like a team with a new lease on life. So many things had to fall into place over the final two weeks of the season just for them to have a chance at taking the final wild-card berth in the NFC from the Dallas Cowboys. But, regardless of how unlikely the scenarios appeared, fall into place they did.

2007 was a disaster for the Atlanta Falcons. Their superstar quarterback, Michael Vick, had been sent to prison on charges related to dog fighting, and the team in general simply fell apart, finishing in last place in the NFC South with a 4-12 record. But as quickly as things fell apart in Atlanta, they came back together in 2008 behind an unlikely cast.

The Carolina Panthers were a trendy Super Bowl pick heading into the 2007 season, but after a posting a disappointing 7-9 record, head coach John Fox found himself on the hot seat entering the 2008 season. His team, however, was a model of consistency this season as they rolled to a 12-4 record and the No. 2 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Having won at least 12 games in each of the previous five seasons, the Indianapolis Colts have become accustomed to success... especially early in the season. But 2008 got off to a rough start based on the lofty standards set by their recent success. In fact, they lost four out of their first seven games while the division-rival Tennessee Titans were busy winning their first ten and building an insurmountable lead in the standings. It seemed the Colts streak of playoff appearance was in serious jeopardy.

In this age of parity in the NFL, it's not unusual for bad teams to turn things around from one year to the next and make a run at the playoffs in the year following a poor season. But few, if any, teams have made the type of stunning turnaround the Miami Dolphins did in 2008.

The Minnesota Vikings were a popular pick to win the NFC North and perhaps go all the way to the Super Bowl. The one main weakness was perceived to be at the most important position on the roster. Quarterback Tavaris Jackson's ability to lead this team at this point of his career fell under heavy scrutiny throughout the preseason.

Coming into the 2008 season, the New York Giants, led by head coach Tom Coughlin, were defending NFL champions fresh off a surprising upset of the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. So with every team on their 2008 schedule gunning for them, they faced the daunting challenge of simply trying to get back to the playoffs, which was no guarantee considering the projected strength of the NFC East.

It's tough to take a team seriously when they squeak into the playoffs with an 8-8 record that was built in a horrendous division. But, the reality is, the San Diego Chargers could in fact be a team to be concerned about in the postseason. And as the New York Giants proved last year, any team making it to the playoffs has a shot if they get hot at the right time.

The Tennessee Titans entered the 2008 NFL season a bit under the radar. Defensively, they were expected to compete, but on offense quarterback Vince Young was still learning the ropes of his position and he didn't appear to have a lot of dependable weapons to work with. Things didn't start the way they were expected for Tennessee, though, as Young suffered an injury in the team's first game of the regular season and the Titans were forced to turn to nearly-forgotten veteran Kerry Collins behind center.