Every season in the NFL there are turnarounds, there will be teams that improve and there are team's that take a step back. It is usually because of change in personnel, whether it's the coaching staff or the 53-man roster change comes EVERY season. The upcoming 2018 season will be no different, so let's look at 5 teams on the rise and 5 on the possible decline.
Smitty's teams on the rise
Cleveland Browns
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| Look for Ward and Mayfield to start from day 1 |
Having a winless season means you can only go up, right? Well in the Browns case they have not had any luck with quarterbacks since coming back nearly 20 years ago but now they seem to have finally gotten it right. Their defense botched 3 games that could have taken them out of the hole and 6 were lost by less than a touchdown, so if Hue Jackson can fix the little things they could make a drastic turnaround.
New York Giants
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| Manning has the weapons he's dreamed of his entire career, now it's time to produce or be forced to retire. |
The Giants spent $200 million to revamp their defense a couple of seasons ago, but now they have focused on the other side of the ball which may pay off big time. New York selected Saquon Barkley in the NFL draft and paid a King's ransom for Nate Solder which means Eli Manning has finally got the weapons he needs. The only thing he has to do is go out and execute like last season (only 13 interceptions, lowest since 2008). He will have a healthy OBJ and 2nd-year stud TE Evan Ingram to make his arsenal complete, but the question is the same as every season, CAN THE GIANTS STAY HEALTHY?
San Francisco 49ers
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| Is Jimmy G and Shanahan the perfect match? |
Jimmy Garopolo came over at the trade deadline last season and put nay-sayers in their place by winning 5 straight to end the season. GM John Lynch gave the Bay area every reason to trust his judgment of hiring Kyle Shanahan to lead his team. They made some key offseason moves on both sides of the ball, so improvement is all they are waiting to see how it pays off. They also will have to see how they respond to offseason adversity and off the field distractions.
Tennessee Titans
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| Derrick Henry is the man in Tennessee now, it's time for him to prove the Titans decision right to move on. |
Tennessee had to be one of the biggest surprises of the 2017 season as they made a run to the divisional round of the playoffs. Marcus Mariota will have to take his game to another level this season if they are to repeat the success of last season. The Titans also have a first-year coach in Mike Vrabel who's from the Bill Belichick tree and could make an instant splash. They fixed one of their biggest needs getting pass rush help in the draft with Evans and Landry, so know all they have to do is put it all together.
Green Bay Packers
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| Rodgers has something to prove after an injury-riddled 2018. |
Aaron Rodgers had a year to forget as he battled a shoulder injury that would keep him out most of the season and keep the Packers from the playoffs for the first time in 9 seasons. Green Bay is a part of the current theme of being hit by the injury bug as they used 3 quarterbacks and running backs, which all were injured at some point during the season. Mike McCarthy has a new coaching staff this season and new faces that could put the Packers right back in the thick of things in the NFC.
Smitty's teams on the decline
Dallas Cowboys
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| Can Dak Prescott carry the Boys' without Dez Bryant and Jason Witten? |
Dallas is one of those teams that seems to find a way every season but this time around they may finally hit a wall. After a 9-7 2017 campaign, the Cowboys were marred by an Elliott suspension, Dez Bryant antics and injuries to key players. Now that Dez is gone and Terrence Williams may be looking at a suspension, what will Jason Garrett do to possibly save his job beyond 2018? Dallas will have some growing pains with the World Champion Eagles and Giants making major upgrades to their rosters.
Jacksonville Jaguars
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| Can Blake Bortles become the passer the Jags desperately need in the offense? |
If you have been following me then you know I have to make a BOLD prediction every now and then, so here it is! The Jaguars will take a minor step back next season because of their strength in the schedule, The AFC South is getting stronger and Blake Bortles is still the quarterback. They made it to the AFC Championship (Should've won) last season true enough but can they overcome the loss of their top receivers, top tight end? I think ultimately yes but Deshaun Watson is coming back and Mariota and the Titans will be tougher after a strong run last season. Their defense has gotten stronger this offseason, but can the offense score enough points to put them over the top?
Kansas City Chiefs
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| Can Andy and the Chiefs overcome a lot of key losses and keep pace in the AFC West? |
This team is always tricky to doubt because Andy Reid always finds a way to rally the troops. He's called "The QB Whisperer" for a reason, he develops them to play in his system and they adapt well. The question I have is how will they recover from the loss of Marcus Peters, Derrick Johnson, and Tamba Hali? The core of their defense is gone so this may be one of those season that they will have to score a ton of points. They have some weapons in Travis Kelce, Kareem Hunt, and newly acquired Sammy Watkins but will it be enough?
Seattle Seahawks
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| Are Pete Carroll's days numbered in Seattle? |
Pete Carroll has always found talent whether it's on the college or pro level. His first season in Seattle, Carroll made over 200 transactions to assemble the team he wanted, so now he has his back up against the wall again. Russell Wilson is still the centerpiece of this team but the Seahawks have to re-tool the defense after finishing 11th in 2017, Seattle has a lot to replace with names like Sherman, Avril and possibly Chancellor not being with the team in 2018.
Miami Dolphins
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| Is this Tannehill's final season in Miami? |
Miami is in a full rebuild and Adam Gase has a tall order to fill as the Dolphins unloaded a lot of payroll with Suh, Landry (Due for a big payday) and Mike Pouncey, so now the question becomes can Miami build around Tannehill? Ryan Tannehill is coming off an ACL injury and is due $17.5 million (Restructured base salary in 2018 $775,000) but can the Dolphins get the proper production from him to build a competitive team with the talent already on the team. They still have a good defense with names like Cam Wake, Reshad Jones, and they also drafted Minkah Fitzpatrick to help out a young secondary, which is definitely a plus. Tannehill will have to put his hopes in DeVante Parker, Kenny Stills, and Danny Amendola to become a solid unit to steer the Phins offense.
I can't wait to see how the 2018 season unfolds, because it's always surprises and disappointments so let's see who will stand and who will fall, stay tuned!
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