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.
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.
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