Another season, another dollar.
As a proud Eagles fan, it is with great disappointment that I deem this season a failure. Oh well. There's always next season.
Regardless, there are 12 other teams in the NFL who had better luck than my Eagles. Four have already been knocked out, but eight teams still remain. Theoretically, they all have a chance at a Super Bowl victory, but some have an easier path than others, following an injury-plagued regular season and wild card round. Here's what each team will have to do to reach their ultimate goal:
AFC:
Denver Broncos: The O-Line - With a bye week and home field advantage, the road is the easiest in the AFC for the Broncos. However, it's unclear how Peyton Manning will fare after missing so much time due to injury. Backup Brock Osweiler was pulled halfway through the last regular season game after starting the last seven regular season games, at which point Manning came in and sealed the deal for the Broncos. With a reliable defense and special teams, the key to Denver's success in the playoffs is the offensive line. Whoever the Broncos choose to put under center is going to need time to throw the football and minimize mistakes, because Peyton will be playing with a chip on his shoulder. Creating holes for CJ Anderson to exploit will also be important.
New England Patriots: Staying Healthy - Amid frequent injury and offseason drama, the Pats still managed a 12-4 record. A loss last week to the Dolphins cost them home field advantage for the playoffs, but they still start with a bye, which will be useful for all of the injured players on their roster. When everyone is healthy, this team is unstoppable. Therefore, the key to this team's success in the playoffs down the road relies upon staying healthy.
Kansas City Chiefs: D-E-F-E-N-S-E - The Chiefs are riding an 11-game winning streak after starting out 1-5 in the regular season. Under former Eagles Head Coach Andy Reed, and on this winning streak, the Chiefs defense has allowed more than 20 points only once. For their streak to continue, the defense, spearheaded by Derrick Johnson and Justin Houston must continue their stellar play, especially with Jeremy Maclin looking questionable for a matchup against the Patriots. The Chiefs winning it all would truly prove that defense wins championships.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Big Ben - Although the Steelers made out with the final playoff spot as the sixth seed, they are definitely regarded as one of the more dangerous teams in the playoffs. Ben Roethlisberger has officially issued out a challenge to his teammate, wide receiver Martavis Bryant to be less soft, to which Bryant responded with a spectacular touchdown catch in a dramatically ended wildcard matchup against the Bengals. However, the Steelers will only be successful if their quarterback plays well. Roethlisberger has only gone two games this season without throwing an interception. Come playoff time, Roethlisberger is usually at his best, but it remains to be seen how much a shoulder injury suffered against the Bengals will affect him, especially with star receiver Antonio Brown out with a touchdown. The Steelers had a glimpse at how ineffective backup Landry Jones would be if Big Ben doesn't play, and it's not pretty.
NFC:
Carolina Panthers: No Butterfingers - Not only is Cam Newton the nicest guy of all time, but he also singlehandedly brought the Panthers an almost perfect regular season. OK, he did get some help from some guys named Greg Olsen, Luke Kuechly and Josh Norman to name a few, but the man has basically carried the Panthers offense. Cam Newton and the Panthers defense will shine, but the pressure will be on for the lacking Panthers receiving core. Ted Ginn Jr. is the best receiver on the team, and is notorious for dropping passes. Better play is expected from the wide receivers if the owners of the best record in football want to win it all.
Arizona Cardinals: A running back with the Last Name "Johnson" - This team may be the most well-rounded team in the NFL. With an MVP candidate quarterback, a relentless defense, and consistent special teams, this team has almost no question marks -- except for the starting running back in the playoffs. David Johnson has been playing well since Chris Johnson was out due to injury, but Chris has begun to return to practice. With a week off before their first playoff game, the Cardinals have a decision to make about who will be starting at RB, and whoever it is has to show up big time.
Green Bay Packers: Protecting the Quarterback - With a Super Bowl already under his belt, Aaron Rodgers has shown that he can bring a team success. However, in the last two regular season games of the season, Rodgers was sacked 13 times. This number was minimized to one in their wild card matchup against the unimpressive Redskins, but there will be tougher games ahead. If the injury-plagued Packers can't rally together and protect Aaron Rodgers, their playoff hopes will not last long.
Seattle Seahawks: Doug Baldwin - The preseason Super Bowl favorites have made their way into the playoffs as the sixth seed, but can be scary down the stretch. After starting the season a bit slow, Seattle ended with a 6-1 run. A large reason for their success late in the game has been wide receiver Doug Baldwin, who has caught 11 touchdowns in the last six regular season games for Seattle. This is the best production of his career, and if he continues his hot streak, the Seahawks can be a huge threat to any team in the NFL, especially with Marshawn Lynch coming back just in time for a divisional game against the Panthers.
