Thursday 6 September 2018 17:55, UK
To coincide with the start of the 2018 NFL season, we have decided to run through the hopes of all 32 teams.
Read on below as we give cause for optimism for each of the 32 runners and riders - yes, even you, Cleveland Browns fans - hoping to win the Super Bowl come February 3 in Atlanta....
Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliot's "will he or won't he be suspended?" debacle last year caused a massive distraction and, in turn, cost the team a couple of wins as they fell just short of the playoffs. Getting him back will give the confidence to this team they can grab an early lead and run teams into the ground. QB Dak Prescott, meanwhile, has had his sophomore slump and should get back to the player we saw in his rookie campaign.
New York Giants
Calamitous head coach Ben McAdoo is out after two eventful seasons in charge, the second of which saw him preside over a 2-10 record and try to oust Eli Manning as starter, ending the quarterback's streak of 210 consecutive starts. Offensive whizz Pat Shurmur is now in charge, arriving from Minnesota, Manning is back under centre, Odell Beckham Jr - the highest-paid receiver in the league - back after injury, with promising running back Saquon Barkley snapped up in the draft. Reasons to be positive again in the Big Apple.
Philadelphia Eagles
They are the Super Bowl champs! Until proven otherwise, the Eagles are the best team in the game. Even if starting-QB Carson Wentz misses time early, they are in good hands with Nick Foles (preseason struggles aside). The addition of Sidney Jones will help the Eagles passing defense take a massive step forward.
Washington Redskins
Washington never wanted Kirk Cousins, for some reason, despite the quarterback performing admirably in his three seasons as starter. Having said that, the Redskins finished only 9-7, 8-7-1, and 7-9 over those three years. Now in the safe hands of Alex Smith at QB - the highest-rated passer (104.7) in the league last year - it's time for the Redskins to prove it was indeed Cousins holding this team back from greatness.
Chicago Bears
A popular pick among the possible 'worst to first' options for 2018, with quarterback Mitch Trubisky now into his second year after flashes of promise in his first, and with greater options to throw the ball to including, to name a few, Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton - arrivals from the Jaguars, Falcons and Eagles respectively. Jacksonville and Philadelphia both made it to the Championship game having finished bottom of their divisions in 2016 - the latter famously winning the Super Bowl. Omen…?
Detroit Lions
Matthew Stafford. Amazingly, the Lions have not had a 100-yard rushing game since 2013, yet QB gunslinger Stafford always keeps them competitive. New head coach, the promising Matt Patricia out of New England should add some steel to the defense too.
Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is back healthy. This team was comfortably playoff-bound in 2017 with No 12 under centre, maybe even set for the Super Bowl but, after breaking his collarbone in Week Six - Green Bay's record 4-1 at the time - the Packers would lose five of six to slip out of the race.
Minnesota Vikings
They won the Cousins sweepstakes. The big-money quarterback signing through free agency is the missing link to Super Bowl success, with the Vikings performing brilliantly under season-starting back-up Case Keenum last year but with him unable to make the step-up come the NFC Championship game. Their defense is also utterly dominant, finishing first in both yards allowed and points allowed in 2017.
Atlanta Falcons
A down year for Atlanta in 2017 following on from their Super Bowl near miss prior. They snuck into the playoffs through the back door, only to then upset the Rams on Wild Card weekend with a more prototypically explosive Falcons display, the like of which we should see more of in 2018.
Carolina Panthers
Superman Cam Newton is still star of the offense, and tackling machine Luke Kuechly is the leader of a consistently dominant Carolina D.
New Orleans Saints
Veteran quarterback Drew Brees, 39, leads the way but, unlike him, the Saints are getting younger, surrounding the future Hall of Fame quarterback with youthful talent. Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore were named the offensive and defensive rookies of the year in 2017 as the Saints returned to the playoffs. Also, Teddy Bridgewater arrives as an intriguing No 2 to Brees.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
So many were sold on the Buccaneers after their star turn in Hard Knocks leading into the 2017 season, only for that early-season optimism to translate into a 5-11 record. No one is talking them up this year, so that surely means a playoff run then doesn't it?
Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson is still there, even though many others are not. There has been a mass exodus out of Seattle in the summer, but Wilson is still the best QB of the division and is known for often single-handedly driving this team to victory.
San Francisco 49ers
They now have a quarterback. And his name is Jimmy G - just the seven wins from Garoppolo's first seven NFL starts, including five with the 49ers last year to drag them up from 1-10 to an unbeaten finish.
Los Angeles Rams
The Rams went from worst to first in scoring offense in 2017, with first-year head coach Sean McVay turning a 4-12 team into 11-5 division winners. If that's what the offensive guru can manage in his first year, just think what is possible in his second? Especially given the aggressive offseason additions of Brandin Cooks, Aqib Talib, Ndamukong Suh, to name a few, added to Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald - named offensive and defensive players of the year for 2017.
Arizona Cardinals
Main man running back David Johnson is back, having been injured in the 2017 season opener off the back of a sensational second year in the league, rushing for 1,239 yards and 16 touchdowns, with a further 879 and four scores receiving.
Buffalo Bills
The monkey of the 18-year playoff drought is finally off their back after last year's Wild Card appearance. The next hoodoo to tick off the list then is to banish memories of their four back-to-back Super Bowl losses… Simple!
Miami Dolphins
They no longer have disaster Jay Cutler at QB. Ryan Tannehill returns after missing 2017 to injury, and is surrounded by young talent, most notably running back Kenyan Drake, who enjoyed a breakout second half to his sophomore season.
New England Patriots
Tom Brady. Just the five Super Bowl championships for him. Oh, same for a certain Bill Belichick at coach too.
New York Jets
They might finally have their franchise QB, and his name is Mark Sanchez. Just kidding… This is Sam Darnold's team, who does follow Sanchez's path from USC to New York, but Gang Green will hope he does not put in similar performances.
Baltimore Ravens
Preseason counts for very little, they say. Well, the Ravens went 5-0. Just saying. In all seriousness though, the Ravens come into this season as real underdogs, even in the North (a rarity for them). Underdogs? Now, where have we heard that before? Oh, yes, the 2017 Super Bowl winning Eagles.
Cincinnati Bengals
Last season, the Bengals registered 4,488 yards of offense - the lowest in the league and almost 2,000 lower than the league-leading Patriots! That is historically low, and there's only one way to go - up! Expect a massive offensive improvement in year two for Joe Mixon and John Ross, and Andy Dalton to be better in front of a retuned offensive line.
Cleveland Browns
Winless last year, so it cannot get any worse. Certainly not for head coach Hue Jackson, who has thus far won only one of his 32 games in charge - he has some fun new toys to work with, certainly on offense, with No 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield at quarterback and wide receiver tandem, the returning Josh Gordon and Jarvis Landry, acquired via trade with Miami.
Pittsburgh Steelers
A record six Super Bowl rings. Oh, and they have the 'Triple B' triumvirate of 'Big Ben' Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown at the skill positions.
Houston Texans
Houston fell victim to the injury bug in a big way in 2017, losing three-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt in Week One and rookie QB sensation Deshaun Watson mid-season. Simply having Watt back will take the defense to an extremely high level, and Watson gives them their best attack in years.
Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck is back! Having sat out the whole of the 2017 season, recovering from shoulder surgery, Luck gets to lead the Colts out again in 2018.
Jacksonville Jaguars
That defense. Only the Vikings unit bettered it in 2017 and, similarly to Minnesota, the Jaguars fell only one game short of the Super Bowl having given the might of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots a run for their money in the AFC Championship game.
Tennessee Titans
Tennessee were a playoff team last year, and it certainly feels like they have improved. Out goes Mike Mularkey as head coach, in comes Mike Vrabel (with some solid coordinators in Matt LaFleur and Dean Pees). On the field, Dion Lewis, Malcolm Butler and Logan Ryan bring Super Bowl experience, while second-year receiver Corey Davis is set for a massive breakout.
Denver Broncos
They have a quarterback! After a few years suffering through Brock Osweiler, Trevor Siemian, and Paxton Lynch, Denver courted Keenum, who broke out in Minnesota last year, leading the team to the NFC Championship game. Defensive stars from Denver's Super Bowl run in 2015, including Von Miller and Chris Harris, are still there, and rookies Bradley Chubb and Royce Freeman could play important roles.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback Philip Rivers is ninth in passing yardage in the NFL, all time, and sixth in passing touchdowns, yet he still has no Super Bowl to his name. Only Dan Marino of those above him in those lists also never got a ring. Rivers is now 36, with time perhaps running out on him to join to steer the Chargers to victory, though with this young, talented roster surrounding him, he has a real chance to do so.
Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City were good last year, and with a supposed 'game manager' at quarterback in Alex Smith. Reaching the playoffs with a 10-6 record - having flown out of the traps to a 5-0 starts - the Chiefs had the third-most passing plays of 40 or more yards, with 14, and are only set to air it out even more with big-armed, second-year QB Patrick Mahomes taking the reins of an offense containing speedsters Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill.
Oakland Raiders
Chucky is back as head coach, or should I say Jon Gruden. Brought back to the tune of a 10-year, $100m deal, it is hoped the head coach can replicate the success of his first stint where he guided the Raiders to top spot in the West and the playoffs in each of his final two seasons before being poached to win the Super Bowl with Tampa Bay.
Join us for coverage of the NFL right through the regular season and playoffs, starting with the season-opening Thursday Night Football, right through to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta on February 3.
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