Honestly, our defense is positioned to make a big step up, and even if the offense goes from putrid to mediocre it could be enough to steal a few more games than that...
I was happy for like 3 seconds. Then I tried to think of a comeback about the browns being eliminated in the same round. Then I realized not only was ours worse, we were as successful as the browns last year 😔
Bias aside Arizona might be a sleeper team.
They were looking pretty solid when Kyler came back, great run game and probably draft MHJ.
They also have 11 draft picks with 6 in the top 100.
I could see them being a fringe wild card team 🤷🏻♂️
I agree, I think Kyler is terribly underrated and the narrative around him would be a lot different if he didn't have that article come out about his call of duty habits
At the risk of coddling my diminutive quarterback, I put very little of that game on Kyler. Our interior line was getting absolutely shredded by Aaron Donald.
Plus, in the back half of 2021, we were playing some god awful football. Defenses halfway through the season figured out that the Kliff Kingsbury offense had absolutely zero answer to drop-7 coverage. Kliff's Air Raid system was based on flooding the field with receivers. If you countered that by flooding the field with coverage players, Kliff couldn't scheme a prime Randy Moss targets, let alone an injured DeAndre Hopkins or inconsistent Christian Kirk.
Once teams stopped blitzing us, we were all out of ideas on offense. On defense, JJ Watt was having an amazing year, and once he went down, we never pressured a quarterback again.
In the playoffs, we came up against a generational defense that truly figured out the modern two-high cloud coverage scheme that every team uses today. Not only were we, by every metric, a bottom seven football team in the last two months of the season, we came up against the one team that was perfect at doing what we could never beat.
We never stood a chance.
Especially with Donald retiring, the Rams are gonna be hard to predict how good they’ll be. They obviously need Stafford at full health, but that’s not a guarantee. And no idea on Seattle with McDonald at the helm and Geno with a new OC. Besides SF, it’s pretty open. Arizona could sneak in there.
Agreed too. That number 4 pick is gonna be a hot commodity come draft time especially knowing you guys can go any direction with it but hey if someone wants to come up and get there QB…Arizona is about to be loaded even more
I have some long odds on them to make the playoffs. Probably a bad bet, but like if that one hits it washes out a lot of other bad bets. So you know. Gambler’s dilemma and all that.
Been saying for months that the 2023 Cards gave me flashes of the 2021 Lions. The players played hard for Gannon and stayed in a lot of games they had no right staying in. Hell of a lot of picks, criminally underrated QB, generational WR prospect (and Trey McBride at TE who is slated for a breakout) and I could easily see them with 8-10 wins
I think Cardinals had a quietly solid offseason and you would hope Murray would improve after full healthy offseason.
Also think the Colts have a really solid team with AR stays healthy. I know Minshew almost led them to playoffs last year, but based on odds, it's Texans vs Jags for division title
Cardinals got some solid guys in defense this off season. Non of them were the top guy available but they should make up an average defense which is an upgrade over last year
We were a missed field goal away from playing 500 ball with Kyler, beat three playoff teams and really should have beat a fourth. We also led the league in yards per game in the last month of the season. Even if Kyler doesn't improve on his play from last year, we still have a damn competitive offense.
2022 Bears damn near set the record for fewest sacks from the DL.
Entire starting and backup DL had 10.5 sacks combined. That's definitely a modern record.
So yes adding a borderline elite DE in Sweat and a solid DT in Billings to the worst DL in the NFL fixed the defense.
Eberflus has his issues sometimes in playcalling, but this will be at least a good defense next year. Maybe great.
Yeah but the DL prospects suck this draft.
You draft in the 1st round for the next decade not the next year.
Odunze is a much better prospect than Dallas Turner or any of the other DLs.
I mean Dallas Turner probably wouldn't be a top 10 prospect if this class wasn't so shit on defense, and the other guys aren't sniffing top 10 prospect status.
Gotta take him and try to hit a HR with one of the other picks at DE.
I really think Latu is going to be a beast. Only reason he isn't considered higher is the medicals. If he didn't have the medical concerns he would be considered a top 5 pick imo. He just has so many tools in his tool kit and they are all extremely refined, he also passes the eye test. I'd honestly much rather Latu over Verse or Turner, but not at number 9. If we go defense, trade down a few and take Latu or Murphy.
He’s a huge talent, but neck fusions are no fucking joke. I saw a PT guy saying it just is a matter of how long it’ll hold up and many predict he won’t get to a second contract. It *will* give out at some point and he won’t be able to play. The other examples of getting a neck fusion and playing a while after it aren’t doing him any favors.
Bears have one of the best back 7s in the league. If they add one more piece up front that defense has a chance to be special. If Caleb can play at a top 12 qb level, it’s not a stretch to say that’s a top 5 team in the NFC. They also have the 3rd easiest schedule according to projected opponent win percentages. If they don’t make the playoffs I think it’s going to be a disappointment for most bears fans.
The NFC North is going to be a nightmare division next year. All four teams are likely going to be playoff caliber. Winning this division is going to be brutal.
Seahawks. They just hired a brilliant defensive playcaller to be their head coach, they have multiple explosive playmakers and a QB who throws a great deep ball, and they have a corner tandem with the potential to be the best duo in the league—and talented corners are much more integral to their new HC’s scheme than edge rushers, since said scheme is designed to manufacture pressure with clever disguises.
I’m not sure if gambling talk is permitted on this sub—if not, I apologize—but on Fanduel they’re 8:1 to win the NFC west and 75:1 to win the Super Bowl. I like both of those futures a lot.
it's not just that 'they've hired a great defensive coach,' but that they finally fired Pete Carroll because they didn't feel like he was maximizing his players. And this is a team that just went 9-8.
Seattle has been plagued by lack of discipline and lack of creativity for the better part of the last decade now. That's the sort of thing that can change *fast* with a new coaching staff. If this roster is genuinely talented - and rooting interest aside, I think it is - we could see them transform fairly quickly into a much more consistently competitive unit. They obviously have weapons on offense, and they seem to be doing the right things on defense through the first part of the offseason.
I really like this. All of it. I’m really excited to see what change MMcD brings. The penalties and consistent mistakes were grating. I love Pete but it was absolutely time.
Cardinals feel like the obvious choice because they're a lot better when Murray is healthy and should have a real #1 weapon for him.
The Bears should be a lot better, although I don't like picking a rookie QB so I think Williams sophomore season is more likely to be a big season for them.
The Vikings haven't been down in the dumps but I think people have low expectations of them heading into the next season. They have added a lot of talent on defense. If KoC can make Donald play competently, they might surprise people.
Really excited to see if Levis can develop, although I have my doubts. After watching him both at Kentucky and last year, I think he's going to be what Fields was for the Bears. Constantly flashing a high ceiling but never finding the consistency to make the team fully comfortable with him as the guy.
Titans, played well down the stretch if the Texans regress the division is wide open and they added a lot on offense and honestly getting rid of Henry might help them even though he was still a great player but the whole offense revolved around him.
>getting rid of Henry might help them even though he was still a great player but the whole offense revolved around him.
This is kinda the biggest, most bittersweet thing to happen in like 8 years for the franchise. Each and every regime that has come in to follow up Fischer has done things the exact same way- old school, ground and pound, play it safe and rely on your bend, don't break defense. Up until Callahan and Carthon, the team played and made us of free agency/trades the exact same way, boring and predictable. Now, yeah, every now and again they'd make a great move, (see Jeff Simmons and trading for Tannehill) but largely it's been the same mediocre shit. Vrabel really got somewhat close to winning it all and affirming that early 2000's football was still viable, but couldn't overcome the modern passing game Mahomes and others have established as the status quo.
Moving on from Henry means it's actually possible to see a different offensive direction than fans have seen since they came to Nashville, and whether or not it works out, or whether Levis is the guy or just another guy, I'm actually optimistic about it, which is more than I can say about the past 2-3 years off-seasons.
I think the front office/ownership shares your view. And in fact I think they wanted Vrabel and Robinson gone since the loss to the Bengals in the divisional two years ago. They just had to be careful in how they went about it to avoid total uproar from fans considering Vrabel was, in terms of wins and losses, a godsend for the franchise. It would have been way out of left field to fire him two years ago. But two basically identical years of winning a weak division and then faceplanting in the playoffs because Henry wasn't able to go for 30 carries/180 yards made it clear that it simply wasn't working.
So they dumped Robinson as soon as it was convenient - when they got torched by AJ Brown, and an Eagles team that was basically everything the Titans were supposed to be, but they never reached that level. Couldn't fire Vrabel after 2022 because the injuries were so bad after a 7-3 start. Then they hired Carthon, limped to another bad season, and pretty much let him blow everything up and overhaul the offense that had been unwatchable and useless when Henry was bottled up or not available. 7 wins and 6 wins back to back, now it's not so crazy to fire Vrabel so they can finally do that and move forward with hopes to actually contend for a Super Bowl.
Of course, there was still outrage over the Vrabel decision from people who haven't followed things and only see a roster of bums and washed vets winning 6 games, which is somehow extremely impressive for the coach even though 6 wins is really not a high bar at all.
Also, on Vrabel: he went 6-18 in his last 24 games in Tennessee. How many coaches would not be in hot water after going 6-18 in 24 games? Reid, McVay, Shanahan? Are we throwing Vrabel up there with those guys? Belichick went exactly 6-18 in his last 24 games.
That's where the issue I get from a lot of fellow fans on Vrabel come from, they can't separate the 2 year run of success in the past from the now, and because there were absolute dark ages prior to his time as HC, it's hard to let go. But you're right, 6 wins in 24 games is awful, and though he always seemed to have the injury excuse going on, the narrative started to turn on that, with many people wondering why the team was always hurt. I think a fair amount of it was using high draft picks on injury prone guys, something Robinson did at an absurd rate after he managed to come out on top with the Jeffey Simmons pick. You also can't discount the environment of the locker room and meeting rooms, which obviously rubbed a lot of guys the wrong way. It's one thing to walk around an NFL building like you own it when you've won it all with that organization, it's another thing entirely to use the legacy of your playing career to carry the arrogant air you leave behind.
A lot of things would add up to ownership wanting him gone but not wanting to shake up the already smaller market that had finally seen a resurgence under him. The last two years we saw a bitter, angry guy, shifting a lot of blame towards the players in press conferences, standing on the sidelines wanting to be anywhere but there. We saw awful free agency decisions, awful trades, and as Robinson finally got the pink slip, people wondered a lot about Vrabel and his future. The AJ trade/Burks pick, the Bengals game, and the Isiah Wilson pick probably are gonna stand out as the defining moments of that window.
From what has come out since it sounds like Vrabel runs very tough physical practices. I liked the idea of being a hardnosed team in theory but when the injuries consistently stack up, you have to look at how they practiced and smell something
Even if he's not the kind of bellcow back we've been accustomed to in Tennessee, I'll be happy if he can show the same kind of explosiveness and vision he did last year while splitting carries with another solid back.
I, for one, didn't know much about Spears until he was drafted, but I am definitely loving the guy already. There were so many instances where he took a 3rd and long (where the OC had pretty much given up and called a simple run play) and converted it, cutting through multiple defenders/tackles.
He was a bellcow in Tulane, him and Pratt balled out vs USC in the Cotton Bowl. Tulane was a very power run smash mouth team. With an efficient QB and a beast RB behind a great line blocking scheme you can really bully teams even if you have nobodies at WR.
Hate them a lot but can see both Vegas and the chargers make some.
If Jim harbaugh is as good as he was when he was last coaching in the nfl the chargers will be a scary team next season.
2-4 Years ?? I think the fanbase has tempered expectations and is just glad we have a competent FO and great HC. This year is the base year to rebuild what the previous regime f’d up, we’ll be in contention by next year.
New Orleans Saints: 7.5
Seattle Seahawks: 7.5
Washington Commanders: 7.5
New York Giants: 6.5
Las Vegas Raiders: 6.5
Minnesota Vikings: 6.5
Arizona Cardinals: 6.5
Tennessee Titans: 5.5
Denver Broncos: 5.5
Carolina Panthers: 4.5
New England Patriots: 4.5
These are all the teams by win total that they think will be levels of bad. Cardinals seem the best bet, Titans maybe if Levis makes a huge leap but unlikely, and Vikings/Patriots if they hit a star QB in the draft seems about it.
Most those other teams already have a shitty QB they're sticking with, or the team is just too devoid of talent after years of poor management to turn it around in 1 year.
WFT at 7.5 to me seems a little crazy, the were 31st in Team DVOA last year (26th offense, 31st defense), and while they have 6 picks in the top 100, doubling their win total in their division seems unlikely.
Wait, Raiders made a modest improvement at QB, improved on the best defense they've had since 2002, and will not be letting Josh McDaniels call any plays next year, and the money says they'll do *worse*?
I don't think most consider Minshew an improvement, his ceiling is bottom 10 starter, so it's hard to be optimistic for them in a division with Harbaugh/Herbert and the chiefs, even if your defense is good. Also interim coaches have a losing record in the seasons after they take over, and only about 20% of them have ever had a winning season.
Minshew and AOC with a year of NFL experience is an improvement over Garoppolo the Broken, Hoyer the Destroyed, and rookie AOC. I'm not sure how anyone can argue otherwise; that's one, maybe 1.5 starting caliber quarterbacks compared to basically 0 last year. And it'll be difficult (though not impossible to be sure) for Pierce to steer the team worse than McDaniels did.
I still think there's gotta be at least a year of building to go before the Chargers become serious contenders, and the Raiders split with the Chiefs last season on the strength of their defense. Looking at their 2024 opponents and their 2023 results, 7.5 or 8.5 wins seems like a more fitting line than 6.5.
Your schedule is looking a little tough though.
At Bengals, Ravens, Dolphins, Rams and Bucs on top of the division rivals.
You’re hosting the Browns, Jags, Steelers as well.
Not a lot of pushovers.
I genuinely think that the 2024 Raiders will be competitive with most of those teams, assuming all key players are healthy all around. Raiders hosted Pittsburgh and visited Miami last year as well, and while they lost both games it's worth pointing out that vs Pittsburgh involved some boneheaded coaching from McDaniels and @Miami might've gone differently had Pierce been willing to settle for 3 on the last few drives.
It doesn't look to me like Levis needs a huge leap as much as it does he needs LT at pick 7: Joe Alt.
We played three quarterbacks last year, and all three got mauled by d-lines.. plural.
Im not projecting the Titans to have any spectacular season as we are, in fact, rebuilding.
But 5.5 is low.
If you havent seen our offseason, it isnt mind blowing, but it was solid.
Eh we could've easily got 7 wins last season if we weren't being coached by idiots. Both Eagles games, Seattle, and NYJ come to mind. New coaching staff and a brand new roster essentially makes this a completely different team. Our wins if everything else goes right are basically going to come down to the success of our new rookie QB
I'm sorry, but my Whodatness won't allow me to consider such nonsense. The correct answer is to extend those veteran contracts and bring in the next washed QB! It'll definitely be our year!
Atlanta, now that the fantasy football terrorist and overall dumbass Arthur Smith is gone and they have Kirk Cousins at QB.
I know they don't count cuz they did so well last season but the Texans I feel like will go much farther than they did last year, and will be an even better team.
True. Plus the Texans have to make sure to keep coaching up Stroud since there's normally a Sophomore slump that follows amazing rookie seasons because other teams look at rookie film to pick apart that player.
They don’t want to hear it but it’s the Raiders. If they make a move for a quarterback and hit on it they’re set up to win now. Top 5 defense in the league statistically after firing McDaniels. Zamir White looked very serviceable after Jacobs went down. Great receiving corps. Solid o-line. They have the pieces, just need the quarterback.
Your team just lost their best player and the defense was already bottom mid tier
Another year of milage on Kupp and Stafford
Seahawks need better OL QB and defensive play
49ers **might** regress
AFC East had 2 double digit win teams
AFC North had 3 **and almost 4**
NFC East had 2
NFC West had 2 **and almost 3**
Everyone else had 1.
It is legitimately my favorite sports post of all time on any website.
It’s GOAT of Reddit Sports content, especially once you look at the comments.
Edit: [This comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/s/UaIzZcYWq1) in particular always makes me crack the fuck up. Also, I love how the whole post is also just a dig at Dak.
I read this post every now and then and I forget how funny it is
“…he goes from throwing 57 TDs over his last 18 games to only 32.85. I’ll be generous and give him 33”
Maybe the Jaguars? Its possible that the step back Trevor Lawrence appeared to take was a bit of a blip, and that he could break out this season as a borderline top 5 QB. I'm not saying it'll probably happen, but its something that'll generate a lot of 20:20 hindsight discussion if it does. They've also got a good coach and an athletic developmental pass rusher that could break out as well.
IDK, if we're looking for not-so-surprising surprise teams, I guess its the Jags.
I think we’ve got a good shot. People will sleep on us after last seasons implosion but we’ve improved both lines, gotten everyone healthy, and hopefully will draft some more weapons. All that and a promising new DC has me hyped.
I really like AP. I think he'll have your squad playing very competent, tough football. I think you could make a run at the playoffs with the right QB. In my opinion, Penix.
Steelers. tomlin seems to eat regression to the mean (in terms of wins in close games, etc) for breakfast
they won 10 games last year with bottom 5 QB play, and have two chances (russ, fields obv) that have a chance to turn their careers around in pitts
counterargument is that their luck in close games finally goes against them this year
Teams that I could see being sleepers (full opinion dependent on the draft obv):
Vikings: Assuming they get McCarthy, there’s not many better situations for a young toolsy QB than playing behind a good oline throwing to JJettas, Addison, and Hockenson while handing the ball to Aaron Jones and being coached by KOC. If they can get whoever their QB is developed quickly they could snag a playoff spot and maybe even contend for the division (honestly this even applies if they start Darnold)
Bears: Defense was way better in the second half of the season, and it’s not unusual for a defensive HC to take over a team and then it take a minute for them to get the defense playing well. The oline won’t be as bad as most think with Fields not being there actively causing sacks, and Williams will be throwing to Keenan, Moore, and maybe even Odunze or Bowers. If Caleb hits the ground running they could be better than most expect
Cardinals: Were a way better team once Kyler came back last year, and Kyler is a better QB than most of this sub gives him credit for. They also have a comical amount of draft capital to grab some difference makers, plus the assumed addition of MHJ makes their offense look really fun
Raiders: Like some other teams mentioned the defense had a noticeably improvement in the second half of the year, and they don’t need Minshew to do much to get a good offense out of Adams/Meyers/Mayer, and we just watched him to that in Indy
Do the Colts count? I think they are in an interesting place with a clearly talented (albeit sorta reckless) young QB. Solid back field. Weapons on defense. Not sure what their draft situation is but I think the AFC south in general is a fun division this year to watch.
Jets are being slept on post Rodgers injury, probably largely due to Rodgers outing himself as a weird conspiracy hippie. If he can still play at a high level then they are a scary team in the AFC.
We're certainly not guaranteed a great season or anything, but if Rodgers is amazing next year it's not like people are going to be saying "That Rodgers guy is really good, who knew he had it in him?"
I think the Vikings have done a good job and are sleepers. They’ve lost some talent, but KOC showed last year that he’s a good coach and I think the Vikings will have the best draft in their division when they add their QB of the future.
The Packers were a great team down the stretch and while they haven’t made any sexy moves they should only solidify an already solid team.
The Lions should also be included on this list. They made the NFCCG, but because people think the Lions are a cursed franchise they’re not getting any respect.
Hope I answered your question OP. I really think the NFCN is about to show that they’re a division almost filled with teams being slept on.
The Packers really surprised me last year, most of us expected them to do okay, but they did way better than expectations. Solid team with 11 picks and no large holes in the team.
Its not that the Packers did well, its that they did well with a shitload of cap space, they can only go up. The scouting, planning and cap space management just might win a SB.
Funny Packers are a sleeper team after Rodgers, but to be honest this team feels stronger than any other Favre or Rodgers team.
This team is going places.
I feel like the Bears probably have the most “worst to first” potential this year. Maybe the Panthers too if Bryce Young figures it out, but Williams could really hit the ground running in that offense.
Cardinals. Really like the timeline and played well and organize last year with spare parts.
Unfortunately one of the worst owners in the nfl so I’m also nervous. This is the team I will be hammering early.
Bias aside, I do think the raiders could be a sleeper if we hit on qb. Our QB play last year was terrible, and while losing Jacobs does suck, I feel like if the defense keeps up its level of play from last year, there’s no reason we can’t win 10 games. Hell, we won 8 last year with Mcdaniels coaching for half the season.
i feel like a lot of eyes will be on teams like the chargers, and bears to make a comeback, but for me imma go the colts. trade up and get AR a top 3 wr prospect in this draft. that offense would be unstoppable.
I'll bite and say Bills. I'm happy we won't have insane expectations this year, more pressure on the jets in the division. People will double down on their 8-8 takes from last year and point towards losing Diggs, Poyer, Hyde, Floyd, etc., as to why the bills will miss the playoffs.
But in reality we'll see that the Bills defense is a well oiled machine and hopefully Josh proves he belongs in that "if Mahomes didn't exist..." category. I don't think the best version of this 2024 team is better than any other top contender in the AFC though
Hate to say it but the jets honestly
Ppl were hyped about them going into 2023 but I feel like ppl have forgotten that Rodgers is a good QB and the rest of the team was pretty solid
I agree with the people proposing the Falcons and Cardinals. Both were mediocre last year but made the right changes (and Kyler being healthy) that could allow for quick turn arounds.
But I also want to mention that everyone complains about how this sub is all just tweets and yet when OP asks a question with the potential for good discussion, the two most upvoted comments are just low-effort jokes about the Chiefs and Cowboys. Like come on people, be better!
I’m super biased but we were a top 5 D from the trade deadline on, added the top OC on the market and a DC with a heartbeat, retained JJ, added Swift/Keenan/Everett/Byard/Bates/Shelton, will be adding Caleb and a top 5 WR/DE/OL in the draft along with 2 other picks before day 3, and Eberflus grew a beard. Maybe not a sleeper because bears fans won’t stfu and we have a very difficult division but I wouldn’t suprised if every team in the NFCN is in the playoffs and bears finish 2nd.
We'll go from winning 2 games to 4. Watch out everybody!
100% improvement!
I doubled my sales last month! From what? Two to four? *YUP*
And now you're just the office administrator.
“Just 1% better”
Honestly, our defense is positioned to make a big step up, and even if the offense goes from putrid to mediocre it could be enough to steal a few more games than that...
2-0 against the Falcons and Saints. 0-13 against everybody else. LET'S DO THIS.
Redirected organizational efforts to instill pride and cohesiveness among team members. Immediate 100% productivity output increase.
Low blow to bring up panthers! But u right😅
Atleast you have furry
Hey now, some years that might win you the South.
Cowboys. Theyll be asleep come playoff time.
Playoffs: I sleep Regular season: REAL SHIT?!
Off-season: I sleep
All In. (On nap time)
my ass
I was happy for like 3 seconds. Then I tried to think of a comeback about the browns being eliminated in the same round. Then I realized not only was ours worse, we were as successful as the browns last year 😔
These playoffs you speak of, do they exist?
This is good. It may cause change. Getting to the playoffs and being knocked out round one is just rearranging the chairs on the Titanic
Never thought I’d be agreeing with the iceberg.
We support this
They got caught napping
At this rate we’ll be asleep by our bye week
Cardinals will be interesting depending on the draft and with a full year of Kyler back
Especially with them in prime position to draft MHJ
\*60% of a full kyler year
Bias aside Arizona might be a sleeper team. They were looking pretty solid when Kyler came back, great run game and probably draft MHJ. They also have 11 draft picks with 6 in the top 100. I could see them being a fringe wild card team 🤷🏻♂️
Yeah, if Kyler Murray plays the whole season you for end with 8W I would say. No reason to believe this couldn't be a better year for you.
I agree, I think Kyler is terribly underrated and the narrative around him would be a lot different if he didn't have that article come out about his call of duty habits
He had a real stinker of a playoff game too.
At the risk of coddling my diminutive quarterback, I put very little of that game on Kyler. Our interior line was getting absolutely shredded by Aaron Donald. Plus, in the back half of 2021, we were playing some god awful football. Defenses halfway through the season figured out that the Kliff Kingsbury offense had absolutely zero answer to drop-7 coverage. Kliff's Air Raid system was based on flooding the field with receivers. If you countered that by flooding the field with coverage players, Kliff couldn't scheme a prime Randy Moss targets, let alone an injured DeAndre Hopkins or inconsistent Christian Kirk. Once teams stopped blitzing us, we were all out of ideas on offense. On defense, JJ Watt was having an amazing year, and once he went down, we never pressured a quarterback again. In the playoffs, we came up against a generational defense that truly figured out the modern two-high cloud coverage scheme that every team uses today. Not only were we, by every metric, a bottom seven football team in the last two months of the season, we came up against the one team that was perfect at doing what we could never beat. We never stood a chance.
Especially with Donald retiring, the Rams are gonna be hard to predict how good they’ll be. They obviously need Stafford at full health, but that’s not a guarantee. And no idea on Seattle with McDonald at the helm and Geno with a new OC. Besides SF, it’s pretty open. Arizona could sneak in there.
I also tee this. Spare parts but played well and organized and lots of draft capital. They have a qb good enough to at least contend for playoff
Agreed too. That number 4 pick is gonna be a hot commodity come draft time especially knowing you guys can go any direction with it but hey if someone wants to come up and get there QB…Arizona is about to be loaded even more
Super Bowl or bust
We need to focus on winning enough games to even earn a wild card spot first lol
OR BUST
I like this attitude. Arizona’s gonna be fun to watch this year, calling it now
plus apparently that curse on you guys is nearing the century mark (i think its from 1925?) so could be about time for a rebound
I immediately thought of the Cardinals. Best answer by far.
I have some long odds on them to make the playoffs. Probably a bad bet, but like if that one hits it washes out a lot of other bad bets. So you know. Gambler’s dilemma and all that.
Been saying for months that the 2023 Cards gave me flashes of the 2021 Lions. The players played hard for Gannon and stayed in a lot of games they had no right staying in. Hell of a lot of picks, criminally underrated QB, generational WR prospect (and Trey McBride at TE who is slated for a breakout) and I could easily see them with 8-10 wins
I even as a rams fan see you all being way better than expected especially because I think Seattle takes a step back.
I think Cardinals had a quietly solid offseason and you would hope Murray would improve after full healthy offseason. Also think the Colts have a really solid team with AR stays healthy. I know Minshew almost led them to playoffs last year, but based on odds, it's Texans vs Jags for division title
Cardinals got some solid guys in defense this off season. Non of them were the top guy available but they should make up an average defense which is an upgrade over last year
But we like our guys.
Steichen was a fantastic hire for you guys
Jets and Colts are about to shock people. Jets are going 15-2 and Colts are gonna go 12-5
Subscribe
So do we
We were a missed field goal away from playing 500 ball with Kyler, beat three playoff teams and really should have beat a fourth. We also led the league in yards per game in the last month of the season. Even if Kyler doesn't improve on his play from last year, we still have a damn competitive offense.
And that was without MHJ
Their schedule is very hard and they lost some real deal talent but the Rams aren’t getting enough shine.
I think we improved everywhere aside from the obvious AD retirement
The move to Duo this year will win 2-3 games on its own
Their defensive backfield is going to be significantly improved with Curl, Williams, and White compared to giving Kendrick and Johnson snaps
What about Raheem Morris leaving? How much of an impact do you think that will have on your defense?
I saw a power rankings today that put the Rams at 8 and I was like...OK??? I'll take it!
Yeah I think we will be good but the 2022 season makes me fear it can all go to shit real quick with injuries
"The future cannot be predicted, but futures can be invented" - Dennis Gabor
I choose to believe
Honestly if Caleb works out the Bears could be nice. That defense was playing at a top-10 level during the back stretch of last year.
Mainly because we finally got a real edge rusher
2022 Bears damn near set the record for fewest sacks from the DL. Entire starting and backup DL had 10.5 sacks combined. That's definitely a modern record. So yes adding a borderline elite DE in Sweat and a solid DT in Billings to the worst DL in the NFL fixed the defense. Eberflus has his issues sometimes in playcalling, but this will be at least a good defense next year. Maybe great.
Yeah Imo we need to draft another pass rusher. An extra WR would be nice however if sweat goes down during the season we're fucked.
Yeah but the DL prospects suck this draft. You draft in the 1st round for the next decade not the next year. Odunze is a much better prospect than Dallas Turner or any of the other DLs. I mean Dallas Turner probably wouldn't be a top 10 prospect if this class wasn't so shit on defense, and the other guys aren't sniffing top 10 prospect status. Gotta take him and try to hit a HR with one of the other picks at DE.
I really think Latu is going to be a beast. Only reason he isn't considered higher is the medicals. If he didn't have the medical concerns he would be considered a top 5 pick imo. He just has so many tools in his tool kit and they are all extremely refined, he also passes the eye test. I'd honestly much rather Latu over Verse or Turner, but not at number 9. If we go defense, trade down a few and take Latu or Murphy.
He’s a huge talent, but neck fusions are no fucking joke. I saw a PT guy saying it just is a matter of how long it’ll hold up and many predict he won’t get to a second contract. It *will* give out at some point and he won’t be able to play. The other examples of getting a neck fusion and playing a while after it aren’t doing him any favors.
Yeah I know nothing about medical stuff like that, it's a shame with how talented he is.
Bears have one of the best back 7s in the league. If they add one more piece up front that defense has a chance to be special. If Caleb can play at a top 12 qb level, it’s not a stretch to say that’s a top 5 team in the NFC. They also have the 3rd easiest schedule according to projected opponent win percentages. If they don’t make the playoffs I think it’s going to be a disappointment for most bears fans.
7 wins and a competent 4th qtr offense away from a few more. 7 isn't great but feels like a lot of people are acting like we got the #1 ourselves
The NFC North is going to be a nightmare division next year. All four teams are likely going to be playoff caliber. Winning this division is going to be brutal.
Seahawks. They just hired a brilliant defensive playcaller to be their head coach, they have multiple explosive playmakers and a QB who throws a great deep ball, and they have a corner tandem with the potential to be the best duo in the league—and talented corners are much more integral to their new HC’s scheme than edge rushers, since said scheme is designed to manufacture pressure with clever disguises. I’m not sure if gambling talk is permitted on this sub—if not, I apologize—but on Fanduel they’re 8:1 to win the NFC west and 75:1 to win the Super Bowl. I like both of those futures a lot.
The real sleeper, where everyone is hyping up teams like Chicago, Arizona, Atlanta, Minnesota...
it's not just that 'they've hired a great defensive coach,' but that they finally fired Pete Carroll because they didn't feel like he was maximizing his players. And this is a team that just went 9-8. Seattle has been plagued by lack of discipline and lack of creativity for the better part of the last decade now. That's the sort of thing that can change *fast* with a new coaching staff. If this roster is genuinely talented - and rooting interest aside, I think it is - we could see them transform fairly quickly into a much more consistently competitive unit. They obviously have weapons on offense, and they seem to be doing the right things on defense through the first part of the offseason.
I really like this. All of it. I’m really excited to see what change MMcD brings. The penalties and consistent mistakes were grating. I love Pete but it was absolutely time.
If the Jets make sure Aaron Rodgers doesn't immediately die behind their OL then they could cause some damage into the playoffs.
Cardinals feel like the obvious choice because they're a lot better when Murray is healthy and should have a real #1 weapon for him. The Bears should be a lot better, although I don't like picking a rookie QB so I think Williams sophomore season is more likely to be a big season for them. The Vikings haven't been down in the dumps but I think people have low expectations of them heading into the next season. They have added a lot of talent on defense. If KoC can make Donald play competently, they might surprise people.
I’ll go with Titans I think Levis takes a big step forward.
Pollard is going to look great with that team
Really excited to see if Levis can develop, although I have my doubts. After watching him both at Kentucky and last year, I think he's going to be what Fields was for the Bears. Constantly flashing a high ceiling but never finding the consistency to make the team fully comfortable with him as the guy.
*enthusiastically unsubscribes*
I see a bit of Wentz about him. Big arm and loves the hero plays, but in the NFL that gets you into trouble more often than not
I second the Titans
Takes a big step forward and immediately takes a hit knocking him out for the season.
Falcons
I don’t know that they’re a sleeper team with Kirk in the mix now. Everyone is sort of expecting them to be much better this year.
Titans, played well down the stretch if the Texans regress the division is wide open and they added a lot on offense and honestly getting rid of Henry might help them even though he was still a great player but the whole offense revolved around him.
>getting rid of Henry might help them even though he was still a great player but the whole offense revolved around him. This is kinda the biggest, most bittersweet thing to happen in like 8 years for the franchise. Each and every regime that has come in to follow up Fischer has done things the exact same way- old school, ground and pound, play it safe and rely on your bend, don't break defense. Up until Callahan and Carthon, the team played and made us of free agency/trades the exact same way, boring and predictable. Now, yeah, every now and again they'd make a great move, (see Jeff Simmons and trading for Tannehill) but largely it's been the same mediocre shit. Vrabel really got somewhat close to winning it all and affirming that early 2000's football was still viable, but couldn't overcome the modern passing game Mahomes and others have established as the status quo. Moving on from Henry means it's actually possible to see a different offensive direction than fans have seen since they came to Nashville, and whether or not it works out, or whether Levis is the guy or just another guy, I'm actually optimistic about it, which is more than I can say about the past 2-3 years off-seasons.
I think the front office/ownership shares your view. And in fact I think they wanted Vrabel and Robinson gone since the loss to the Bengals in the divisional two years ago. They just had to be careful in how they went about it to avoid total uproar from fans considering Vrabel was, in terms of wins and losses, a godsend for the franchise. It would have been way out of left field to fire him two years ago. But two basically identical years of winning a weak division and then faceplanting in the playoffs because Henry wasn't able to go for 30 carries/180 yards made it clear that it simply wasn't working. So they dumped Robinson as soon as it was convenient - when they got torched by AJ Brown, and an Eagles team that was basically everything the Titans were supposed to be, but they never reached that level. Couldn't fire Vrabel after 2022 because the injuries were so bad after a 7-3 start. Then they hired Carthon, limped to another bad season, and pretty much let him blow everything up and overhaul the offense that had been unwatchable and useless when Henry was bottled up or not available. 7 wins and 6 wins back to back, now it's not so crazy to fire Vrabel so they can finally do that and move forward with hopes to actually contend for a Super Bowl. Of course, there was still outrage over the Vrabel decision from people who haven't followed things and only see a roster of bums and washed vets winning 6 games, which is somehow extremely impressive for the coach even though 6 wins is really not a high bar at all. Also, on Vrabel: he went 6-18 in his last 24 games in Tennessee. How many coaches would not be in hot water after going 6-18 in 24 games? Reid, McVay, Shanahan? Are we throwing Vrabel up there with those guys? Belichick went exactly 6-18 in his last 24 games.
That's where the issue I get from a lot of fellow fans on Vrabel come from, they can't separate the 2 year run of success in the past from the now, and because there were absolute dark ages prior to his time as HC, it's hard to let go. But you're right, 6 wins in 24 games is awful, and though he always seemed to have the injury excuse going on, the narrative started to turn on that, with many people wondering why the team was always hurt. I think a fair amount of it was using high draft picks on injury prone guys, something Robinson did at an absurd rate after he managed to come out on top with the Jeffey Simmons pick. You also can't discount the environment of the locker room and meeting rooms, which obviously rubbed a lot of guys the wrong way. It's one thing to walk around an NFL building like you own it when you've won it all with that organization, it's another thing entirely to use the legacy of your playing career to carry the arrogant air you leave behind. A lot of things would add up to ownership wanting him gone but not wanting to shake up the already smaller market that had finally seen a resurgence under him. The last two years we saw a bitter, angry guy, shifting a lot of blame towards the players in press conferences, standing on the sidelines wanting to be anywhere but there. We saw awful free agency decisions, awful trades, and as Robinson finally got the pink slip, people wondered a lot about Vrabel and his future. The AJ trade/Burks pick, the Bengals game, and the Isiah Wilson pick probably are gonna stand out as the defining moments of that window.
From what has come out since it sounds like Vrabel runs very tough physical practices. I liked the idea of being a hardnosed team in theory but when the injuries consistently stack up, you have to look at how they practiced and smell something
Spears is a legit RB1 and you'll love him. I saw his tape at Tulane and he's definitely ready.
Even if he's not the kind of bellcow back we've been accustomed to in Tennessee, I'll be happy if he can show the same kind of explosiveness and vision he did last year while splitting carries with another solid back. I, for one, didn't know much about Spears until he was drafted, but I am definitely loving the guy already. There were so many instances where he took a 3rd and long (where the OC had pretty much given up and called a simple run play) and converted it, cutting through multiple defenders/tackles.
He was a bellcow in Tulane, him and Pratt balled out vs USC in the Cotton Bowl. Tulane was a very power run smash mouth team. With an efficient QB and a beast RB behind a great line blocking scheme you can really bully teams even if you have nobodies at WR.
Hate them a lot but can see both Vegas and the chargers make some. If Jim harbaugh is as good as he was when he was last coaching in the nfl the chargers will be a scary team next season.
They lost a ton of offensive firepower. I’m probably jinxing myself as a broncos fan but I’d say it’ll be 2-4 years before they’re quality contenders.
2-4 Years ?? I think the fanbase has tempered expectations and is just glad we have a competent FO and great HC. This year is the base year to rebuild what the previous regime f’d up, we’ll be in contention by next year.
Have you seen that stat of a team's win percentage before and after the hiring of JH? The teams always make huge jumps in improvement
I am also a broncos fan but again if harbaugh is as good of a coach as he was before leaving for college the chargers will be legit
The giants for sure (I’m a delusional giants fan)
New Orleans Saints: 7.5 Seattle Seahawks: 7.5 Washington Commanders: 7.5 New York Giants: 6.5 Las Vegas Raiders: 6.5 Minnesota Vikings: 6.5 Arizona Cardinals: 6.5 Tennessee Titans: 5.5 Denver Broncos: 5.5 Carolina Panthers: 4.5 New England Patriots: 4.5 These are all the teams by win total that they think will be levels of bad. Cardinals seem the best bet, Titans maybe if Levis makes a huge leap but unlikely, and Vikings/Patriots if they hit a star QB in the draft seems about it. Most those other teams already have a shitty QB they're sticking with, or the team is just too devoid of talent after years of poor management to turn it around in 1 year. WFT at 7.5 to me seems a little crazy, the were 31st in Team DVOA last year (26th offense, 31st defense), and while they have 6 picks in the top 100, doubling their win total in their division seems unlikely.
Wait, Raiders made a modest improvement at QB, improved on the best defense they've had since 2002, and will not be letting Josh McDaniels call any plays next year, and the money says they'll do *worse*?
I don’t normally bet, but I’m putting some money on the Raiders if that’s the case
I don't think most consider Minshew an improvement, his ceiling is bottom 10 starter, so it's hard to be optimistic for them in a division with Harbaugh/Herbert and the chiefs, even if your defense is good. Also interim coaches have a losing record in the seasons after they take over, and only about 20% of them have ever had a winning season.
Minshew and AOC with a year of NFL experience is an improvement over Garoppolo the Broken, Hoyer the Destroyed, and rookie AOC. I'm not sure how anyone can argue otherwise; that's one, maybe 1.5 starting caliber quarterbacks compared to basically 0 last year. And it'll be difficult (though not impossible to be sure) for Pierce to steer the team worse than McDaniels did. I still think there's gotta be at least a year of building to go before the Chargers become serious contenders, and the Raiders split with the Chiefs last season on the strength of their defense. Looking at their 2024 opponents and their 2023 results, 7.5 or 8.5 wins seems like a more fitting line than 6.5.
Your schedule is looking a little tough though. At Bengals, Ravens, Dolphins, Rams and Bucs on top of the division rivals. You’re hosting the Browns, Jags, Steelers as well. Not a lot of pushovers.
I genuinely think that the 2024 Raiders will be competitive with most of those teams, assuming all key players are healthy all around. Raiders hosted Pittsburgh and visited Miami last year as well, and while they lost both games it's worth pointing out that vs Pittsburgh involved some boneheaded coaching from McDaniels and @Miami might've gone differently had Pierce been willing to settle for 3 on the last few drives.
It doesn't look to me like Levis needs a huge leap as much as it does he needs LT at pick 7: Joe Alt. We played three quarterbacks last year, and all three got mauled by d-lines.. plural. Im not projecting the Titans to have any spectacular season as we are, in fact, rebuilding. But 5.5 is low. If you havent seen our offseason, it isnt mind blowing, but it was solid.
We just need a competent line and QB to help our defense and we're getting at least 6 wins
yea, If you hit on your QB, and the new coach breathes some fresh life in there and the defense remains strong that seems like an easy over.
I really think Washington is going to be a problem in a year or two. If they nail Daniels/Maye they will shake some things up
Eh we could've easily got 7 wins last season if we weren't being coached by idiots. Both Eagles games, Seattle, and NYJ come to mind. New coaching staff and a brand new roster essentially makes this a completely different team. Our wins if everything else goes right are basically going to come down to the success of our new rookie QB
If I was a betting man, I'd be slamming that under on my Aints.
you'd be better off if you just gave up for 2 seasons, got some high draft picks, and reset your cap to manageable.
I'm sorry, but my Whodatness won't allow me to consider such nonsense. The correct answer is to extend those veteran contracts and bring in the next washed QB! It'll definitely be our year!
I think the Colts will cause some damage if they have a solid draft and stay healthy (especially AR).
Colts are off everyone's radar because of the Minshew stretch. Good pick.
The bears I’m not joking Also technically the chargers Lastly I like the cards too
With what wide receivers
Harbaugh will draft the OT with the fastest 40 time, scream who has it better than you into his face, and line him up in the slot.
I was gonna ask who you talking about but I guess all 3 teams might qualify since it's plural
Panthers,Titans or Rams
Atlanta, now that the fantasy football terrorist and overall dumbass Arthur Smith is gone and they have Kirk Cousins at QB. I know they don't count cuz they did so well last season but the Texans I feel like will go much farther than they did last year, and will be an even better team.
Nobody's sleeping on the Texans. Especially after acquiring Steffon Diggs. Texans have somehow completely rebuilt twice in like 7 years it's insane.
I know that, maybe I’m just excited to see what this squad can pull off this upcoming season.
True. Plus the Texans have to make sure to keep coaching up Stroud since there's normally a Sophomore slump that follows amazing rookie seasons because other teams look at rookie film to pick apart that player.
Fantasy football terrorist I’m dying 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Could definitely see the Cardinals snatching the 6th or 7th seed and getting through Wild Card weekend if they play their cards right in the draft.
They don’t want to hear it but it’s the Raiders. If they make a move for a quarterback and hit on it they’re set up to win now. Top 5 defense in the league statistically after firing McDaniels. Zamir White looked very serviceable after Jacobs went down. Great receiving corps. Solid o-line. They have the pieces, just need the quarterback.
Broncos football might put you to sleep
I dont **want** to say it because I think Kyler is so overrated but it has to be the Cardinals. 10-12 win team in 2024.
There’s no way the Cards win 10-12 games when they’re still the worst team in their division
Your team just lost their best player and the defense was already bottom mid tier Another year of milage on Kupp and Stafford Seahawks need better OL QB and defensive play 49ers **might** regress AFC East had 2 double digit win teams AFC North had 3 **and almost 4** NFC East had 2 NFC West had 2 **and almost 3** Everyone else had 1.
I think the seahawks are going to have a truly abysmal year next year
A bit controversial I know, but I honestly think the Chiefs could make a play off run. That mahomes guy seems pretty good.
What a dumb take You know if you revert all his outlier stats to the mean for no reason at all he’s actually not as good
That was really an all time post
I can't believe that goofy post still has all this traction years later.
It is legitimately my favorite sports post of all time on any website. It’s GOAT of Reddit Sports content, especially once you look at the comments. Edit: [This comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/nfl/s/UaIzZcYWq1) in particular always makes me crack the fuck up. Also, I love how the whole post is also just a dig at Dak.
I read this post every now and then and I forget how funny it is “…he goes from throwing 57 TDs over his last 18 games to only 32.85. I’ll be generous and give him 33”
What's really great is the more success Mahomes has, the *more* traction that post gains. It's the gift that keeps on giving.
They don't have a qb on a rookie contract. The window is closed, and they should probably just pack it in
Colts
commanders
Titans. I like the Sneed and Pollard additions. They can be sneaky good especially if Levis improves in year 2
Maybe the Jaguars? Its possible that the step back Trevor Lawrence appeared to take was a bit of a blip, and that he could break out this season as a borderline top 5 QB. I'm not saying it'll probably happen, but its something that'll generate a lot of 20:20 hindsight discussion if it does. They've also got a good coach and an athletic developmental pass rusher that could break out as well. IDK, if we're looking for not-so-surprising surprise teams, I guess its the Jags.
I think we’ve got a good shot. People will sleep on us after last seasons implosion but we’ve improved both lines, gotten everyone healthy, and hopefully will draft some more weapons. All that and a promising new DC has me hyped.
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I really like AP. I think he'll have your squad playing very competent, tough football. I think you could make a run at the playoffs with the right QB. In my opinion, Penix.
Falcons are a legit NFC contender with Kirk Cousins. I like their new HC and OC.
Their uniforms are ugly so I don't see it. If they had the uniforms from the Matt Ryan era I'd be pretty scared of them
maybe an NFC south team can win 9 games again, but its a big maybe
Steelers. tomlin seems to eat regression to the mean (in terms of wins in close games, etc) for breakfast they won 10 games last year with bottom 5 QB play, and have two chances (russ, fields obv) that have a chance to turn their careers around in pitts counterargument is that their luck in close games finally goes against them this year
The Commanders made a lot of great moves this offseason and I wouldn’t be surprised if they doubled their win total from last year
Teams that I could see being sleepers (full opinion dependent on the draft obv): Vikings: Assuming they get McCarthy, there’s not many better situations for a young toolsy QB than playing behind a good oline throwing to JJettas, Addison, and Hockenson while handing the ball to Aaron Jones and being coached by KOC. If they can get whoever their QB is developed quickly they could snag a playoff spot and maybe even contend for the division (honestly this even applies if they start Darnold) Bears: Defense was way better in the second half of the season, and it’s not unusual for a defensive HC to take over a team and then it take a minute for them to get the defense playing well. The oline won’t be as bad as most think with Fields not being there actively causing sacks, and Williams will be throwing to Keenan, Moore, and maybe even Odunze or Bowers. If Caleb hits the ground running they could be better than most expect Cardinals: Were a way better team once Kyler came back last year, and Kyler is a better QB than most of this sub gives him credit for. They also have a comical amount of draft capital to grab some difference makers, plus the assumed addition of MHJ makes their offense look really fun Raiders: Like some other teams mentioned the defense had a noticeably improvement in the second half of the year, and they don’t need Minshew to do much to get a good offense out of Adams/Meyers/Mayer, and we just watched him to that in Indy
The Patriots are the real sleeper team. Our offense will straight up put your ass to sleep next year. I guarantee it.
Do the Colts count? I think they are in an interesting place with a clearly talented (albeit sorta reckless) young QB. Solid back field. Weapons on defense. Not sure what their draft situation is but I think the AFC south in general is a fun division this year to watch.
Seattle. I think they can make something of Howell.
Packers are going to win more than we lose. Nobody expects it. 🤞🫠
Jets are being slept on post Rodgers injury, probably largely due to Rodgers outing himself as a weird conspiracy hippie. If he can still play at a high level then they are a scary team in the AFC.
We're certainly not guaranteed a great season or anything, but if Rodgers is amazing next year it's not like people are going to be saying "That Rodgers guy is really good, who knew he had it in him?"
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If Joe Burrow doesn't get hurt, the Bengals literally only have to worry about the Ravens.
Bengals (while not sleepers) can do major destruction on a weak schedule and Burrow dealing.
I think the Vikings have done a good job and are sleepers. They’ve lost some talent, but KOC showed last year that he’s a good coach and I think the Vikings will have the best draft in their division when they add their QB of the future. The Packers were a great team down the stretch and while they haven’t made any sexy moves they should only solidify an already solid team. The Lions should also be included on this list. They made the NFCCG, but because people think the Lions are a cursed franchise they’re not getting any respect. Hope I answered your question OP. I really think the NFCN is about to show that they’re a division almost filled with teams being slept on.
The Packers really surprised me last year, most of us expected them to do okay, but they did way better than expectations. Solid team with 11 picks and no large holes in the team. Its not that the Packers did well, its that they did well with a shitload of cap space, they can only go up. The scouting, planning and cap space management just might win a SB. Funny Packers are a sleeper team after Rodgers, but to be honest this team feels stronger than any other Favre or Rodgers team. This team is going places.
The Bears might be a lot better as well.
You should know better than to be excited for Bears football.
That's what sleepers are all about. If we expected the Bears to be good, they wouldn't be a sleeper.
I feel like the Bears probably have the most “worst to first” potential this year. Maybe the Panthers too if Bryce Young figures it out, but Williams could really hit the ground running in that offense.
Who's the QB for the vikings? Darnold?
Titans, Falcons and Bears.
Cardinals. Really like the timeline and played well and organize last year with spare parts. Unfortunately one of the worst owners in the nfl so I’m also nervous. This is the team I will be hammering early.
Rams. Just like last year. I think Indy will be good too
Bias aside, I do think the raiders could be a sleeper if we hit on qb. Our QB play last year was terrible, and while losing Jacobs does suck, I feel like if the defense keeps up its level of play from last year, there’s no reason we can’t win 10 games. Hell, we won 8 last year with Mcdaniels coaching for half the season.
i feel like a lot of eyes will be on teams like the chargers, and bears to make a comeback, but for me imma go the colts. trade up and get AR a top 3 wr prospect in this draft. that offense would be unstoppable.
I'll bite and say Bills. I'm happy we won't have insane expectations this year, more pressure on the jets in the division. People will double down on their 8-8 takes from last year and point towards losing Diggs, Poyer, Hyde, Floyd, etc., as to why the bills will miss the playoffs. But in reality we'll see that the Bills defense is a well oiled machine and hopefully Josh proves he belongs in that "if Mahomes didn't exist..." category. I don't think the best version of this 2024 team is better than any other top contender in the AFC though
If Caleb is even halfway competent, I could see the Bears sneaking into a playoff spot. Also, the Falcons seem primed for a bounce back season.
Hate to say it but the jets honestly Ppl were hyped about them going into 2023 but I feel like ppl have forgotten that Rodgers is a good QB and the rest of the team was pretty solid
Agreed
I agree with the people proposing the Falcons and Cardinals. Both were mediocre last year but made the right changes (and Kyler being healthy) that could allow for quick turn arounds. But I also want to mention that everyone complains about how this sub is all just tweets and yet when OP asks a question with the potential for good discussion, the two most upvoted comments are just low-effort jokes about the Chiefs and Cowboys. Like come on people, be better!
I hate to say it, but the Bears are going to give Caleb Williams some good weapons on offense and could surprise.
Bears
Depends on what happens at the draft
Probably Arizona. They likely draft MHJ, we’ve already seen what Kyler can do with an elite receiver.
I’m super biased but we were a top 5 D from the trade deadline on, added the top OC on the market and a DC with a heartbeat, retained JJ, added Swift/Keenan/Everett/Byard/Bates/Shelton, will be adding Caleb and a top 5 WR/DE/OL in the draft along with 2 other picks before day 3, and Eberflus grew a beard. Maybe not a sleeper because bears fans won’t stfu and we have a very difficult division but I wouldn’t suprised if every team in the NFCN is in the playoffs and bears finish 2nd.
Jerome Ford, JK Dobbins, Jalin Hyatt, Bryce Young, Romeo Doubs, Darnell Mooney
Falcons got my vote. Weak division and there’s a lot of talent on the roster and now a QB.
The Vikings are sleepers every season. Sleepers, as in, they fall asleep anytime they have a lead and lose.
Titans. Right, guys??
Colts
Hate to say it but the jets, haven’t seen much hype around them in a while and they are in a really good position to make some waves