August is here. Summer is dwindling down and fall is around the corner. This can only mean one thing: football season is back. The NFL is the most popular out of the major sports in this country. Part of it is due to the parody the league has. Every year in the NFL, there are dark horse teams. These are teams that come out of nowhere and perform better than anyone’s expectations. In 2015, the Jets, Redskins, and Vikings were the dark horse teams that surprised the NFL landscape. Who will be the surprise dark horses of 2016?
Jacksonville Jaguars
This is a team that has been bad for so long. The last time they had a winning record was in 2007, when they went 11-5 with David Gerrard (QB) and Maurice Jones-Drew (RB). After a 9-year lull, the Jaguars are primed to win the division. Last season, quarterback Blake Bortles showed why he was a first-round pick. He threw for a career high 4428 yards and 35 touchdowns (Pro-Football-Reference.com). Bortles began to develop chemistry with young wideouts Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. This young nucleus, which also includes second-year running back T.J. Yeldon, is getting veteran help in the backfield with the signing of Chris Ivory. Ivory will provide power-running and stability for Bortles to lean on, and Yeldon will continue to grow and be the change-of-pace running back that brings speed and catch-passing ability out of the backfield.
On defense, the Jaguars ranked 15th in run defense, but were 29th in pass defense (NFL.com). Therefore, they drafted cornerback Jalen Ramsey with the 5th overall pick in the draft and signed free agent Prince Amukamara to solidify the back-end of their defense. The Jaguar pass defense should improve and will allow the Jaguars to win the AFC South and make some noise in the playoffs.
2015 Record: 5-11
2016 Prediction: 10-6
Tennessee Titans
Second-year quarterback Marcus Mariota is ready to take the next step and lead the Titans. Mariota has all the tools needed to be successful in the NFL and the organization made some moves to further help him along. The most notable was trading for DeMarco Murray. Murray is coming off of a disappointing year with the Eagles. However, Murray never fit in the system that the Eagles wanted to run. The Titans, if used properly, get a running back that can be unstoppable like he was two years ago with the Cowboys. And if Murray wasn’t enough, the Titans drafted Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry in the second-round of the NFL Draft. The Titans also signed Rishard Mathews, who will bring veteran leadership and is primed for a breakout season.
Defensive Coordinator Dick LeBeau, considered one of the greatest defensive minds in the league, helped the Titans defense improve from two years ago. They finished as the 12th overall defense in the NFL last year, as supposed to 27th overall in the previous year (ESPN.com). Instead of signing flashy names and spending the big bucks, they have added a lot of depth and veteran leadership on defense because the Titans defense was crippled by injuries late in the season. The Titans have a solid team and one that can be a threat in the AFC wild card hunt.
2015 Record: 3-13
2016 Prediction: 9-7
New York Giants
Last year, the Giants only played one end of the football field. They ranked 8th in total offense, averaging 26 points-per-game. Eli Manning and Odell Beckham helped the Giants stay in games. It is even more impressive that they did it without a running game. The Giants needed to revamp their defense, and did they ever. Their defense ranked dead last in the NFL last year (NFL.com). Giants fans can be happy because the Giants cannot be any worse than last. They’ve brought in Janoris Jenkins (CB), Damon Harrison (DT), Olivier Vernon (DE) and Leon Hall (CB), and drafted Eli Apple with the 10th overall pick in this year’s draft. This defense has undergone a total renovation and it should show some results. It helps that the Giants have a much easier schedule than last year. Combine the improved defense and easier schedule with this high-powered offense, and the Giants are setup for a successful year.
The Giants division, the NFC East, is also a weak division in comparison to other divisions. The Washington Redskins will have a target on their back after surprising everyone and winning the division last year. They will have to prove that last year was not a fluke. The Philadelphia Eagles are transitioning to a new coach and new system with a carousel at the quarterback position. Being in this circumstance does not lead to positive results. The Dallas Cowboys cannot stay healthy, especially quarterback Tony Romo. This team always has some kind of circus storyline that serves as a distraction. The Giants are easily the most talented team in the division, and anything short of winning the division will be disappointing.
2015 Record: 6-10
2016 Prediction: 10-6
In my opinion, these are the dark horse teams to watch out for in the 2016 season. Stay tuned for the let-down teams of 2016.
sidelineinsight.com 