Five teams in the NFL that the media and fans are sleeping on
Every year one team in the NFL surprises the rest of the league. Last year the Buffalo Bills made the playoffs for the first time in 17 years. Here is a list of five teams that the media and fans are sleeping on. Check out this latest article by Draft Diamonds writer Mark Thomas. Make sure to follow him on Twitter!
Houston Texans – Coming off a 4-12 season the Texans have a lot on their plate. They have some issues on the offensive line that need to be addressed but they filled some holes by bringing in Seantrel Henderson, Zach Fulton and Senio Kelemete to come in and make an impact and not become a part of giving 54 sacks through the whole season. The addition of Tyrann Mathieu to the secondary adds some talent and can help a defense that was at the bottom half of every defensive stat. With Deshaun Watson back fully recovered from the ACL tear he suffered during the middle of the season. When he was up and playing he took the league by storm when he threw for 1669 yards on 61 percent passing. With a nice receiving core at the helm and a tenacious defense to back them up I think they could possibly make a run at the wild card because of the Jaguars and the titans it’s going to be hard for them to compete for a division title, but they could be in the chase for a major turnaround from last year.
Chicago Bears – The monster of the midway have been looking like fairytales and pixie dust for about the past 5 years they have been of the bottom of the NFC north for 4 years. Through those 5 years there has always been a bright spot in their defense. There has always been talent on the offensive side of the ball but for one offensive coordinator or another they have never been able to flourish. The offensive line is the main reason why you could say that but when you are in a system where everything is pass happy and throwing the ball down field and not short passes and grinding it out in the run game, you’re liable to get sacked multiple times through a course of a game and it adds up in the stat sheet and the injury report. Now I think the bears have crossed over to the common-sense side of football, With Matt Nagy at the top chief in Chicago with an offensive mind as the Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator, he was able to get Ty Hill, Kareem Hunt, Travis Kelce the ball in situations so where they can be able to make plays. with a young group of guys with Mitchell Trubisky and Jordan Howard they can score some points. The bears will have one of the best defenses in the league and if they can score points don’t be surprised if they are at the top of the division.
Denver Broncos – This is team could make a serious run at a conference title with its defensive presence. With the acquisition of Bradley Chubb in the draft to add to an already loaded defensive line, they are primed to do something special on the defensive side of the ball. But there is another side of the ball that needs to be addressed. The Quarterback situation is not settled because they have a 1st rounder that was supposed to be the guy, but it didn’t happen he ended it being beat up by a 7th rounder in that same draft. On another hand you have an unproven backup that people don’t know can lead a team. I think that’s what it comes down to in the end if the broncos want to be successful.
Washington Redskins – the skins are a sleeper team to a lot of people except there fan base. They believe they have one of the best teams in the NFL and rightfully so. You have one of the beat secondaries in the league and a front 7 that can get after the passer and stop the run. With the east being so talented I think the it’s up for grabs even with the defending champs it’s anyone’s division. The skins must do a lot offensively. With the signing of Adrian Peterson, they are looking to add to a decent run game, they did that by drafting Derrius Guice who tore his ACL in the preseason. With a good group of pass catchers out wide and a solid offensive line this team could be in playoff contention.
Seattle Seahawks – The Seahawks are already looking like they are a shell of a bottom tier NFL team by all the assets they let go of. This team hasn’t been the same since that horrible play call in super bowl on the 2-yard line but never the less. I think the Seahawks will have a better year than most people expect. The Seahawks front 7 will be the core of this team, if they don’t perform then it can go bad, but I think they are solid due to the fact they have one of the beat linebacker cores in the league with Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright leading the charge. With some former 1st round picks signed on the defensive line. They are looking good. The Seahawks Achilles Heel will be there offensive line, with the signing of former 1st rounder DJ Fluker and a draft pick Jamarco Jones I still think it needs to be some work done up front. They have a good running back in Rashaad Penny. If they can move bodies out the way they can get there mystique back.
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