Heisman Watch Week 4

If there's one thing we've learned about the Heisman Trophy race thus far, it's this: the race is wide open. Read any Heisman watch on the internet right now and you'll find a variety of players in the top spots, including Will Grier, Dwayne Haskins, and Tua Tagovoila. It becomes even crazier when you look at fringe contenders, like Ian Book, Benny Snell Jr.,  and JJ Arcega-Whiteside. Trying to take stock of the current Heisman race is akin to trying to get a real answer out of Nick Saban. Still, I'm here just to give my two cents. Let's get started.

One player dropped out from last week: Oregon QB Justin Herbert, who blew a late lead to Stanford.

We have two honorable mentions: Ian Book and McKenzie Milton. Both of them had great games and won their games.

10. Drew Lock, Missouri (Last Week: 6)- Lock takes a massive dip on our rankings after Missouri lost to Georgia and Lock had a less than inspiring performance. His final stat line: 23 for 48 with zero touchdowns and one interception. As horrible as that line is, there are two pieces of good news: Lock got some national airtime and ran for 22 yards and one touchdown on five carries. Lock has more than enough time to resuscitate his Heisman campaign.

9. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 9)- Penn State had an easy 63-24 win over Illinois that required QB McSorley to do very little. He ended up going 12 for 19 with three scores and a pick. He also ran 15 times for 92 carries. It's a very solid state line (and a nice improvement over his anemic performance in Week 3) but he was still overshadowed by teammate Mike Sanders. The junior had 22 carries for 200 yards and three scores.

8. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 7)- Stanford picked up a big win over #20 Oregon and Love had himself a nice game, as he carried the rock 19 times for 89 yards and a score. But just like McSorley, Love was overshadowed by a teammate. In this case, it was senior JJ Arcega-Whiteside, a WR who's quietly building up his own Heisman campaign.

7. Benny Snell Jr., Kentucky (Last Week: NR)- Kentucky got a big win over #14 Mississippi State and are now ranked #17. Snell had an excellent game as he ran for four touchdowns and 165 yards on 25 carries.

6. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: 7)- Only three times in history has a college produce back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners: Ohio State in 1974-5 when Archie Griffin became the only two-time winner in history, Army's Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis in 1945 and 1946, and Yale's Larry Kelley and Clint Frank in 1935 and 1936. Thanks to Murray's video game highlights last year and some guy named Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma is in prime position to join that exclusive list.

5. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 4)- Georgia handily gave Missouri its first loss of the season and Fromm looked good doing it. He went 13 of 23 for 260 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. Not the prettiest game by any stretch of the imagination, but enough to keep him in the  Heisman conversation.

4. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- If anyone has been a revelation thus far, it's been Dwayne Haskins. The man has been nothing short of phenomenal as Ohio State has been winning handily and Haskins has been making it look easy. Against Tulane, Haskins completed 87.5% of his passes and threw for five touchdowns, 304 yards, and zero picks. On the season, he has 17 total touchdowns with just one interception. You can make a case that Haskin's stats have been inflated by lackluster opponents, but that all changes in Week 5 when the Buckeyes travel to Happy Valley.

3. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Taylor is looking less-and-less like a top Heisman candidate. While there's nothing bad with getting 113 yards on 25 carries, his performances pale in comparison when you compare it to the likes of those put on by guys such as Haskins, Tya Tagovailoa, and Murray.

2. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier looked great in Week 4 as he threw five touchdowns to get his season total to 14. And while he did throw two picks, he only has three on the season. But enough about Grier, let's talk about his teammate, David Sills V. The man regarded as one of the best receivers in college football is quietly beginning to build his own Heisman resume, which includes 10 receptions and three touchdowns in Week 4.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 1)- Tagovailoa is the first player this season to be atop this ranking in consecutive weeks. He does so after putting up big numbers against #22 Texas A&M. Not only is Tagovailoa looking like the Heisman favorite, his Crimson Tide are looking like the national title favorites.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 3

I think it's pretty safe to say that the college football season has thus far been pretty entertaining. We've had some excellent games, like #2 Clemson at Texas A&M, and some notable upsets, like BYU knocking off Wisconsin. We've also had some excellent performances. Of course, when a player performs well, they tend to get included in the Heisman conversation. That's exactly what we're going to look at here.

This week, we have to say goodbye to a player that has been on our rankings since the very beginning. Ed Oliver did have six tackles against Texas Tech but his Cougars did give up 635 yards of offense and 63 points to the Red Raiders. Just like a QB is responsible for their team winning, the team's best defensive player is responsible for keeping the defense together. Let's get started.


10. Justin Herbert, Oregon (Last Week: 10)- Herbert has been wowing draft experts so far this year, but his numbers have not been great. He should have had a big game against winless San Jose State, but he threw 2 interceptions while going 16 for 34. He now has four picks in three games while only completing 56.8% of his passes. Unless his arm becomes more accurate, Herbert is going to find it very difficult to move up this list.

9. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 8)- Just like Herbert, McSorley should have had a much bigger game against Kent State. He threw one interception and went 11 for 22. The saving grace is that the Nittany Lions won by 53 and McSorley ran for three scores.

8. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 7)- Love did not play in Stanford's win over UC Davis and tumbles a spot as a result. He will, however, play in Stanford's Week 4 game against Oregon, one that should definitely be a doozy.

7. Kyler Murray, Oklahoma (Last Week: NR)- Murray might have been our biggest omission from the last two weeks but that wrong has been corrected. There is perhaps no player that has been more sensational than Mr. Murray. Against conference opponent Iowa State, Murray threw for 348 yards and three touchdowns. On the season, Murray has an incredible 199.9 QB rating. I'm beginning to think #7 is too low.

6. Drew Lock, Missouri (Last Week: 10)- Lock is probably the best collegiate QB you've never heard of. Missouri is not a power team but Lock has been generating some Heisman buzz. His best buzz of winning the Heisman is if Mizzou continues to win, they're currently 3-0, and challenges Georgia for the SEC East title. So far, Lock has thrown for 11 scores and just one pick.

5. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 5)- A lot of people have Haskins as #1 and that's totally understandable. In OSU's win over TCU, Haskins had three total touchdowns and has completed 72.5% of his passes this season. Still, I'm a little cautious about ranking him higher because we have really yet to see him be tested.

4. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 4)- Fromm has been the sleeper of this Heisman race so far. He continues to put up good numbers but Georgia hasn't really been in any marquee games. That should change soon, as Georgia is a realistic national title contender. In Week 3, Fromm had more TD passes (3) than incomplete passes (2), which is an absolutely sensational statistic.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 2)- The West Virginia/ North Carolina State was canceled due to the terrible weather. Hopefully, everyone in the area is safe.

2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 1)- Taylor had easily his weakest game of the season against BYU. He posted season lows in rushing yards, yards per carry, and touchdowns. On top of that, his Badgers suffered a huge upset against BYU. That really hurts their chances of making the national title game.

1. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 3)- Tagovailoa sits atop our Heisman rankings and becomes the fourth player in four weeks to do so. He is very deserving of the top spot as he went 11 for 15 with 191 yards and two touchdowns as 'Bama handily beat Ole Miss.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 2

I  want to stress something I wrote in last week's post: the Heisman campaign is just getting started. It's way too early to make any real predictions for December. History is littered with guys like Denard Robinson, Leonard Fournette, Trevone Boykin, and Saquon Barkley who looked like sure-fire Heisman winners before their Heisman train ran out of steam. Still, it looks like the Heisman race is over for our preseason pick Khalil Tate. His Arizona Wildcats got throttled by Houston and he threw for more two more picks than touchdowns. We also say goodbye to Kelly Bryant. Though his Clemson Tigers beat Texas A&M, Bryant's performance was uninspiring.

That being said, these early weeks are still important. They let us gauge the early contenders and start to get a feel for the race ahead. Any rankings now are still somewhat arbitrary but they help us stay organized. Let's get started.

10. Drew Lock, Missouri (Last Week: NR)- Lock's name slowly began to enter the college football sphere late last season when whispers about his draft stock began. Now, he's regarded as a first-round prospect and his Heisman campaign is beginning to heat up. He went 33 for 45 with 398 yards and four scores.

9. Justin Herbert, Oregon (Last Week: NR)- You might not have realized it, but Oregon is ranked #20. A big reason why is QB Justin Herbert. In the 62-14 Week 2 win over Portland State, he went 20 for 26 with four passing touchdowns. He now has 531 passing yards and nine TD throws on the year. If you're looking for a dark horse to put some money on, you can't do much better than Herbert.

8. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 5)- McSorley takes a bit of a tumble after Week 2. Yes, Penn State won 51-6 but it was an ugly win. McSorley went 14 for 30 for only 145 yards and looked just lackluster. If he wants to move up, he's going to need a big Week 3 performance against Kent State.

7. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 8)- After a disappointing Week 1 showing, Love bounced back against #17 USC. He had 22 carries for 136 yards and a score as the Cardinals held off the Trojans to stay undefeated. While he is trending in the right direction, we do have to limit his upward movement as he will not take the field against UC Davis in Week 3. The nature of the injury is undisclosed and we do not know how long he'll be out for.

6. Ed Oliver, Houston (Last Week: 6)- Oliver's Houston team looked great against Arizona and he did a great job of bottling up fellow Heisman contender Khalil Tate. Oliver racked up eight tackles and should do more of the same against Texas Tech on Sunday.

5. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: 9)- Haskins was nearly perfect in a conference game against Rutgers. He went 20 for 23 with four touchdowns as the Buckeyes won 52-3. With Mike Weber not really getting any shine in this game, Haskins is now comfortably Ohio State's top Heisman contender.

4. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 1)- Fromm drops three spots from the top after getting overshadowed by Justin Fields in Georgia's win over #24 South Carolina. Fromm's Heisman campaign is still alive but he needs to start standing out more if he wants to be considered a frontrunner.

3. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 4)- Tagovailoa had as many touchdowns (four) as he had incomplete passes (six) in 'Bama's win over Arkansas State. He also ran for 20 yards. Jalen Hurts also played well but Tagovailoa still has the starting job on lock. Alabama starts their conference play in Week 3 when they take on Ole Miss.

2. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 3)- Grier was sensational in Week 2 against Youngstown State as the Mountaineers won 52-17. He went 21 for 26 with 332 yards and four touchdowns to keep up with the great numbers posted by guys like Haskins and Oklahoma's Kyler Murray (who is an honorable mention this week).

1. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 2)- Taylor moves up to #1 on our Heisman watch after racking up a career-high 253 running yards against New Mexico. He also scored three times and looked genuinely incredible. He is by far the running back with the best Heisman chances.

Thanks for reading everyone. 

Heisman Watch Week 1

With the first week of the 2018-2019 college football season over, the Heisman race has finally begun. It's important to note that no one is out of the race yet. They may have had a bad game in Week 1 but there is plenty of time for them to bounce back. There is absolutely no time to overreact here.

Our rankings for this Week will be based on our preseason rankings, so go check those out if you haven't already. It may be a little unfair to use some arbitrary rankings as the base but in the end, does it really matter? The best player and most deserving of the Heisman will rise to the top. Let's get started.

10. Kelly Bryant, Clemson (Last Week: 9)- Bryant by no means had a bad game in Clemson's dominating 48-7 win over Furman. Still, it was over Furman and he wasn't even the biggest QB story on the field. All of those headlines belonged to star freshman Trevor Lawrence, who impressed many people with his debut performance. Bryant meanwhile, went 11 for 17 and threw for 132 yards and one touchdown. At least he's still the starter.

9. Dwyane Haskins, Ohio State (Last Week: NR)- In our preseason rankings, the only player we had listed in the top ten was running back J.K. Dobbins. Unfortunately for him, he was at best the third most impressive player in OSU's win over Oregon State. Mike Weber was second and Haskins was #1. The sophomore threw for five touchdowns and 313 yards as the Buckeyes put up 77 (yes, 77) on the poor Beavers.

8. Bryce Love, Stanford (Last Week: 3)- No Heisman hopeful had a more disappointing Week 1 performance than last year's runner-up (except for perhaps our next entry). Going against the San Diego State Aztecs should have been a way for him to relax and pad out his stats. Instead, he struggled mightily and ran for a mere 29 yards on 18 carries. This was definitely the worst performance of Love's collegiate career. We could excuse this performance if the rest of his team struggled but that simply wasn't the case. QB K.J. Costello threw for 332 yards and four scores while JJ Arcega-Whiteside scored four times. Love will need a big game against USC next week to move back up these rankings.

7. Ed Oliver, Houston (Last Week: 7)- As I said in our preseason post, Oliver would need to go above and beyond in order to get some Heisman consideration. He certainly did that in Houston's opening game against Rice. The junior DT racked up 13 total tackles as his Cougars handily beat the Owls 45-27.

6. Khalil Tate, Arizona (Last Week: 1)- A QB doesn't need to be on the best team to win the Heisman but it certainly helps (see Newton, Cam and Winston, Jameis). He at least needs to be on a ranked team (see Manziel, Johnny and Griffin III, Robert). Tate may not have either one of those things. The Arizona Wildcats are not ranked and they dropped their season opener to Brigham Young. Tate only completed 50% of his pass attempts for just one touchdown. The dual-threat specialist also failed to inspire with his ground performance as he rushed for a paltry 14 yards on 8 carries.

5. Trace McSorley, Penn State (Last Week: 5)- Penn State needed overtime to beat Appalachian State but at least McSorley had a good performance. He went 20 for 35 with 229 yards and one score. And even though he's not known as a running quarterback, he managed to rack up 53 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries.

4. Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (Last Week: 8)- Finally, Alabama has its starter. No, it's not the man who went 26-2 and led the Crimson Tide to two straight national title games. Instead, it's the hero from last year's championship game and boy, does he deserve it. Tagovailoa completed 12 of his 16 passes with 227 yards and two scores for a QB rating of 99.1. He also picked up a TD on the ground.

3. Will Grier, West Virginia (Last Week: 6)- A lot of people have Grier as their current Heisman frontrunner and it's not hard to see why. In West Virginia's 40-14 win over Tennessee, Grier threw for an incredible 429 yards and five touchdowns. On a related note, his star receiver David Sills V (who caught seven passes for 140 yards and two scores) is also getting some much-deserved Heisman buzz.

2. Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin (Last Week: 4)- Wisconsin looks like a real national title contender and Taylor looks like a real Heisman contender. His 18 carries led to  145 rushing yards and two touchdowns as the Badgers trounced Western Kentucky, who by the way has the best nickname of all-time. Go Hilltoppers!

1. Jake Fromm, Georgia (Last Week: 2)- Fromm finds himself in a similar situation as Kelly Bryant. He played well but his play was overshadowed by the new star freshman QB. In this case, it was Justin Fields. Side note: I have followed Fields for months and I think the world of him. He's a future star for sure. Still, I think Fromm has this starting job on lock, something I can't totally say for Bryant.

Thanks for reading everyone. Check back next week for our Week 2 rankings.

Rapid-fire NFL 2018-2019 Predictions

If you've followed us here at TSE at all, you know we like our predictions. We enjoy taking a deep dive into every single team and agonize over all of the individual season awards. But that's not going to happen this time. Instead, we're going to make some rapid-fire predictions for the upcoming season. Why? Because it's nice to mix things up every now and then (and also because the season starts tomorrow and there isn't time for a full predictions post). We'll predict the final standings for each division, the postseason seeding, the postseason itself, and all of the awards. Ready? Then let's get started.

NFC North:

4. Chicago Bears- This all depends on how well Mitchell Trubisky does this year. At least their defense is stacked.

3. Detroit Lions- Remember, they came super close to making the playoffs last year. Their defense is still a major question mark but at least their run game should be a lot better.'

2. Green Bay Packers- Without Aaron Rodgers, the Packers are a middling team at best. With him, they're pretty much a lock to make the playoffs.

1. Minnesota Vikings- Some pundits think the Vikings are the best team in football. I don't think they're that good, but they're definitely Super Bowl contenders, especially with a healthy Dalvin Cook.

NFC East:

4. Washington Redskins- The Redskins are years away from the team that won this division three years ago. The injury-ridden Redskins are going to need a lot of luck to make the playoffs.

3. Dallas Cowboys- The biggest question in Dallas is about the receiving corps. Michael Gallup, Tavon Austin, and the others are going to have to step up big time.

2. New York Giants- It seems unlikely that a team who won three games last season can contend for a playoff spot but it's definitely possible here. New HC Pat Shurmur can revitalize Eli Manning, OBJ is healthy, and Saquon looks like the real deal.

1. Philadephia Eagles- It's hard to rank the defending Super Bowl champions any lower than this. They have an absolutely loaded roster and will be even better when Carson Wentz returns.

NFC South:

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- All of the Hard Knocks hype has disappeared. Both starting QB Jameis Winston and head coach Dirk Koetter need big seasons to potentially save their jobs.

3. Carolina Panthers- The Panthers are a great team but it feels like they may get shut out of the playoffs simply because the NFC South is so loaded.

2. Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons managed to avoid the dreaded Super Bowl runner-up hangover and made it to the divisional round next year. Unless second-year offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian steps up in a big way, that's where their ceiling probably is.

1. New Orleans Saints- I really think the Saints might be the best team in the NFC. Drew Brees is an all-timer, they have the best RB tandem in the league, and that defense is to die for. What's not to love?

NFC West:

4. Arizona Cardinals- The Cards will only be interesting when Josh Rosen takes over for Sam Bradford.

3. Seattle Seahawks- Even with Earl Thomas back, Seattle's defense is full of question marks. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson is the only true positive on the offensive side of the football.

2. San Francisco 49ers-  There's no way Jimmy Garoppolo continues his undefeated streak the entire year (probably). Still, he should have a very good season and develop into the franchise QB John Lynch believes him to be.

1. Los Angeles Rams- There's a chance that the Rams' Frankenstein defense implodes. There's also a chance that it's the league's best.

NFC Seeding:

1. Los Angeles Rams 2. Philadelphia Eagles 3. Minnesota Vikings 4. New Orleans Saints 5. Green Bay Packers 6. Atlanta Falcons

AFC North:

4. Cleveland Browns- The Browns most likely will not go winless this year, which is obviously a great thing. Four or five wins should be enough to save Hue Jackson's job.

3. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals might be one of the least interesting teams in the NFL. They're also miles away from the playoffs.

2. Baltimore Ravens- Will Lamar Jackson replace Joe Flacco this year? That all depends if the Ravens are in the playoff hunt.

1. Pittsburgh Steelers- Not having Le'Veon Bell seriously hurts the Steelers. If he does return partway through the year, their fortunes immediately take an upturn.

AFC East:

4. Buffalo Bills- I still can't believe the Bills made the playoffs last year. They should be a nothing team this year.

3. Miami Dolphins- This could be the last year of Ryan Tannehill starting for the Dolphins. He'll at least need to get them into the playoff hunt to keep his job.

2. New York Jets- The Jets seriously overachieved last year and won five games. Adding Sam Darnold and Isaiah Crowell should increase that number.

1. New England Patriots- Yes, the Patriots are arguably the best team in football but they also play in what is probably the league's worst division. It'll be interesting to see how Tom Brady does without Danny Amendola and Brandin Cooks.

AFC South:

4. Indianapolis Colts- Getting Andrew Luck back is obviously huge, but the Colts need more than that. They're seriously lacking on both sides of the ball and face incredibly long odds of making the playoffs.

3. Tennessee Titans- Even though the Titans won a playoff game last year, it's hard to see them making the playoffs this year. Marcus Mariota has struggled as of late and he doesn't have anyone elite to throw it to.

2. Houston Texans- This all depends on how well Deshaun Watson does. He played like a Pro Bowler in limited action last year but that could fall apart if he gets injured again. Remember, he has torn two ACLs.

1. Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jaguars were one of last year's big surprises last year and look to continue that trend. It will certainly help if Leonard Fournette can stay out of trouble.

AFC West:

4. Oakland Raiders- Without Khalil Mack, the Raiders defense is about as useful as stopping the run as aluminum foil. Derek Carr will probably need to have a lot of big games in order for the Raiders to contend for the playoffs.

3. Denver Broncos- The Broncos' QB situation is an utter mess and has been so for many years. Is Case Keenum the answer?

2. Kansas City Chiefs- The Chiefs have built up an offense that will allow new QB Patrick Mahomes to hit the ground running. He should feel very comfortable with weapons like Tyreke Hill, Travis Kelce, and Kareem Hunt.

1. Los Angeles Chargers- The ancient Aztec curse that causes the Chargers to underachieve and suffer notable injury losses has to be kept at bay here. If it lies dormant, then the Chargers are division favorites.

AFC Seeding:

1. New England Patriots 2. Pittsburgh Steelers 3. Jacksonville Jaguars 4. Los Angeles Chargers 5. Houston Texans 6. Kansas City Chiefs

Wild-Card Round:

#6 Atlanta Falcons at #3 Minnesota Vikings- The talent gap is really close here and home-field advantage just might be the decider here. Pick: Minnesota

#5 Green Bay Packers at #4 New Orleans Saints- I trust the Saints defense much more than the Packers defense, Rodgers or no Rodgers. Pick: New Orleans

#6 Kansas City Chiefs at #3 Jacksonville Jaguars- Mahomes may be a better QB than Blake Bortles but Bortles has proven playoff experience. Pick: Jacksonville

#5 Houston Texans at #4 Los Angeles Chargers- If the Texans are healthy, they can go with the best of 'em. There's always at least one upset in the first round and this seems the most likely. Pick: Houston

Divisional Round:

#4 New Orleans Saints at #1 Los Angeles Rams- The Saints were a fluke play away from meeting the Eagles in last year's NFC title game. They should make it this year.  Pick: New Orleans

#3 Minnesota Vikings at #2 Philadelphia Eagles- As much as I want to pick the Vikings, I can't forget about the beating they received in last year's NFC Title game against the Eagles. This game should be closer though. Pick: Philadelphia

#5 Houston Texans at #1 New England Patriots- I really think the Texans could upset the Pats here but Tom Brady changes everything. The man has engineered more postseason comebacks than Deshaun Watson has had pro starts. Pick: New England

#3 Jacksonville Jaguars at #2 Pittsburgh Steelers- The Jaguars handily beat the Steelers last year and have only gotten better since then. I just can't see the Steelers overcoming their internal strife. Pick: Jacksonville

Conference Championships:

#4 New Orleans Saints at #2 Philadelphia Eagles- The Philly fans will be absolutely ravenous but Drew Brees is experienced enough to not let it faze him. Super Bowl champions rarely repeat and this will probably be where the champs fall. Pick: New Orleans

#3 Jacksonville Jaguars at #1 New England Patriots- The Jaguars came close to beating the Pats last year and while they've gotten better, you can't say the same about the Patriots, who have big questions about the o-line and defense. Pick: Jacksonville

Super Bowl:

New Orleans Saints vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

On paper, these two teams are evenly matched. This should be an excellent and competitive game with the Saints squeaking out a close one.

Pick: Saints
Super Bowl MVP: Drew Brees

Regular Season Awards:
MVP: Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player: Todd Gurley
Defensive Player: Joey Bosa
Offensive Rookie: Saquon Barkley
Defensive Rookie: Bradley Chubb
Coach: Pat Shurmur
Comeback Player: Andrew Luck

Thanks for reading everyone. Comment below and let me know your NFL predictions. 

Which NFL Team has the Best Chance of Going First to Worst?

The New England Patriots are the model of consistency in the NFL. If you ignore the 2008 season where star QB Tom Brady tore his ACL, they last failed to make the postseason in 2002. Furthermore, they have won nine straight division crowns, a feat that no other team has come close to replicating. Seeing as the rest of the division has more chance of Bill Belichick revealing any useful info at a press conference than they do of overthrowing the Pats,  let's go ahead and make it ten straight,

But what about these teams that finished at the bottom of their division last year? It may seem crazy, but a lot of those teams have a chance at winning their division. In other words, they have a chance of going from worst to first. This is by no means a rare phenomenon, both the Jacksonville Jaguars and the defending champions Philadelphia Eagles did it last year. Some of you might be asking, how is this even possible? Well, this is the NFL, a highly volatile league where it doesn't take much to increase (or decrease) your stock drastically. So in this article, we're going to look at all of the eight cellar dwellers from last year and rank their chances of winning their division. Let's get started.

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, NFC South- This ranking is more about the competition Tampa faces rather than Tampa itself. The NFC South had three teams go to the playoffs last year and the last two NFC Champions are in the division. It just seems highly unlikely that Tampa can breakthrough that incredible wall. New Orleans, Carolina, and Atlanta are all top contenders to make the playoffs and are just much better teams than Tampa.

The Hard Knocks effect was very evident this time last year when the Bucs were expected to contend for the playoffs. Instead, they had a wholly unremarkable season and finished in the cellar. Now, starting QB Jameis Winston is suspended for the first three games of the season and rookie RB Ronald Jones II has been nothing short of disappointing in the preseason. Yes, I know it's the preseason, but that still doesn't totally excuse his underwhelming results thus far. DeSean Jackson and Winston failed to develop much of a connection last year, leaving Mike Evans as the only true receiver other defenses have to worry about. For the Bucs to make the playoffs, a lot of things will have to fall into place. That just seems unlikely.

7. New York Jets, AFC East- The Bucs are probably a better team than the Jets, but this ranking all comes down to the division. While the NFC South is probably the best division in the league, the AFC East is probably the worst. Besides the New England Patriots, there is next to nothing going on in this division. Yes, the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs last year, but that was mostly because of Tyrod Taylor and there wasn't any other competition in the AFC.

To be fair to the Jets, their prospects are certainly improving. Rookie QB Sam Darnold looks like the real deal and should get some valuable experience this year. Head coach Todd Bowles is a defensive-minded coach and led the Jets to a better than expected season last year. There's a chance that they could even contend for a playoff spot, though that's probably just a pipe dream.

6. Chicago Bears, NFC North- The Bears find themselves in an unusual spot this year. They were comfortably in the basement of the NFC North last year and were definitely the worst team in the division. Now, they find themselves a much better team thanks to additions such as Allen Robinson, Trey Burton, Roquan Smith, and of course, Khalil Mack. Add to that the continued development of sophomore QB Mitchell Trubisky and the exciting running back duo of Jordan Howard & Tarik Cohen, and you get a recipe for a team on the rise. This time won't take off immediately, especially with Trubisky still having some growing pains, but things are looking up.

With that being said, the Bears certainly won't even make the top two of this division. The Minnesota Vikings made the NFC Title game last year and many pundits consider them to be the best team in the entire league. Then we have the Green Bay Packers, who have the best QB in the league in Aaron Rodgers. It doesn't matter who else the Packers have, they're a playoff contender as long as Rodgers is healthy. The only team the Bears have a realistic shot at beating is the Detroit Lions, and that's not even a sure thing. Their new coach is defensive guru Matt Patricia and they've done a lot to revitalize their run game, including by drafting Auburn star Kerryon Johnson and using their first-round pick on Frank Ragnow. On top of that, the Lions were extremely close to making the playoffs last year. The odds are certainly not in Chicago's favor.

5. Cleveland Browns, AFC North- How can a team go from 1-32 in the previous two seasons to winning a division? It's certainly implausible, but not impossible. Thanks to the additions of Tyrod Taylor and Baker Mayfield, the Browns have the best QB situation in years. They also have additions such as Antonio Callaway, Damarious Randall, Nick Chubb, Carlos Hyde, and Jarvis Landry roaring to go. Basically, the Browns are a much better team than their record says.

So how do they stack up with the rest of their division? Realistically, the only ream they'll be able to pass is the Cincinnati Bengals. The injury-ridden Bengals started a big slide last season and that doesn't show any sign of slowing down anytime soon. The Baltimore Ravens are a middling team and one that realistically shouldn't be serious title contenders or cellar-dwellers. That leaves the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ignore everything about the Le'Veon Bell holdout and remember, the Steelers have one of the best offenses in the league and are serious Super Bowl contenders. The Browns have no chance of toppling the Steelers and will probably just scrape together a few wins.

4. Denver Broncos, AFC West- The fate of the Broncos completely depends on their QB play. Former first-round pick Paxton Lynch completely flamed out, Brock Osweiler's moment in the sun is long over, and Case Keenum has had a grand total of one productive NFL season. Let's just say for a moment, that Keenum does manage to replicate his shocking success with the Vikings last year. How far can the Broncos go then? Well, they would then be in the hunt for a division crown. Remember, the Broncos won the Super Bowl only two years ago, and many members of that team are still dressing up in the Mile High City. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders are both still top-notch receivers and Von Miller is still one of the best defensive players in the entire league. Let's add rookie running back Royce Freeman to the mix and you potentially have a smooth, dangerous offense.

The AFC West is probably the most open division in the entire NFL. The defending champs, the Kansas City Chiefs, have a new QB in sophomore Patrick Mahomes, the Los Angeles Chargers have injury problems and are chronic underachievers, and the Oakland Raiders must adjust to new head coach Jon Gruden and life without defensive stalwart Khalil Mack. Thus, there is a wide array of possibilities for the Broncos and all of them are equally possible.

3. New York Giant, NFC East- It feels weird to say that a team that went 3-13 last year has a chance to win their division, but its' true. Remember, this Giants team made the playoffs two years ago. The offense was NY's main problem last year but new head coach Pat Shurmur worked wonders with Case Keenum and the Vikings last year. They also have quite possibly the best rookie in the league in Saquon Barkley and the best young WR in OBJ. If all of the pieces come together, G-men fans will be very happy.

The main problem: the reigning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles. If anything, the Eagles will only be better since starting QB Carson Wentz is on his way back from the hospital bed. Then we have the Dallas Cowboys, who made the playoffs two years ago and are looking for a bounce-back season. Then there's the Washington Redskins, who made the playoffs three years ago and are looking to soar in the post- Kirk Cousins era. This division is potentially loaded, but the Giants have the personnel and talent to rise above it all (or at least finish second and fight for a wild-card spot. Yeah, they probably won't make the playoffs).

2. San Francisco 49ers, NFC West- The 'Niners and the Los Angeles Rams are the only real contenders in the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals are rebuilding around rookie QB Josh Rosen and don't have the talent to contend for the playoffs and the depleted Seattle Seahawks are miles away from the team that won two straight NFC Championships. Still, the Rams are a far better team than the 'Niners. They handily won the division last year and have made significant additions to the team, including wide receiver Brandin Cooks, secondary star Aqib Talib, and five-time Pro Bowler Ndamukong Suh.

That being said, SF winning the division wouldn't shock everyone, at least not fans in the Bay Area. New franchise QB Jimmy Garoppolo has proven himself to be the real deal and he has some solid weapons in guys like Pierre Garcon, Matt Brieda, and George Kittle. Yes, the loss of Jerrick McKinnon is a big blow and yes, the defense is nowhere near as good as the Rams', but this is still a young, hungry team on the upswing. That's a formula for success.

1. Houston Texans, AFC South- This all hinges on one player: Deshaun Watson. When he was healthy last year, the Texans looked like one of the best teams in the league and Watson seemed a shoo-in for Offensive Rookie of the Year. When he tore his ACL, the Texans took a mighty tumble. Now that Watson is back and healthy, no one would be surprised if Houston won the AFC South. The duo of DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller V is an extremely dangerous one and if J.J. Watt is healthy, then he's one of the most important players in the entire NFL.

The AFC South used to be the laughingstock of the NFL, now they have four legitimate playoff contenders. The Jacksonville Jaguars went to the AFC Title game last year, the Tennessee Titans made it to the divisional round last year, and the Indianapolis Colts are playoff contenders with Andrew Luck back. If the Houston Texans break out of this group, they'll certainly earn it.

Thanks for reading everyone.