With the season starting on Thursday September 6th, a lot of people are already picking favorites for the Super Bowl. Of course, this season's biggest teams of choice are the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, my Pittsburgh Steelers and the Minnesota Vikings. This may be based on last season, their quarterback or even the players they picked up in free agency. The Patriots still have Tom Brady, the Eagles are getting Carson Wentz back on a team that was able to win the Super Bowl without him, the Steelers still have Big Ben and Antonio Brown and the Vikings added Kirk Cousins who most would consider to be better that Case Keenum who led the Vikings to the NFL championship game witht the same roster last year.
But with all these assumed front-runners, there's always a few teams that burst on the scene. Last year, that team was the Jacksonville Jaguars. This year, I have picked nine teams that either underperformed in the playoffs or missed the playoffs entirely last season that have a high chance of shocking the world and take the league by storm this season.
1. Seattle Seahawks
Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks
Despite having a heavily depleted defense due to free agency, with Russell Wilson at the helm, I highly expect the Seahawks to at least win eight games, for a minimum of an 8-8 season. Their offensive line is still questionable, and with the loss of a big target in Jimmy Graham to the Packers, his most notable target will be Doug Baldwin, who is definitely capable of being a thousand-yard receiver this year. Between Wilson's athleticism and his ability to throw the ball accurately on the run, I would keep him in mind for any of those in need of a quarterback on their fantasy team.
2. Dallas Cowboys
Ezekiel Elliot, Dallas Cowboys
Coming off a very unappealing year filled with distractions involving the anthem protest and the Ezekiel Elliot suspension, I expect a pretty decent turn around from the dynamic duo of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot. Although some would say they got worse due to the release of lead receiver Dez Bryant and lead tight end Jason Witten to the broadcast booth, I would actually say that they have improved. With a receiving core made up of Terrance Williams, Cole Beasley, Tavon Austin and Rico Gathers, they have actually become a fast team rather than one relying on the deep ball and jump ball touchdowns. With a "dink and dunk" passing game combined with heavy touches by Elliot, this team will definitely be one to watch out for. Let's also not forget they are in a weak division, where the Redskins are injury-riddled and the Giants' Eli Manning is questionable.
3. Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
Two words: Aaron Rodgers. This man is a walking supercomputer when it comes to the quarterback position. He can make all the throws, and do them in a way that makes the defense look foolish. With the combination of Rodgers, Jimmy Graham, Randle Cobb and Devonte Adams, the Packers are capable of outscoring teams. The offense is really the only thing that makes this team elite; but if the defense can be "bend but not break," they are capable of being a pretty well-rounded team. In case they don't, expect any Packers game to be a shootout for 60 minutes.
4. Los Angeles Chargers
Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers
This team is way too underrated in my eyes. The team features Pro Bowler quarterback Phillip Rivers, capable thousand-yard receivers Kennan Allen and Mike Williams, and a tough defense led by possible Defensive Player of the Year candidates Joey Bosa and Melvin Engram. This is a team that may burst onto the scene, mainly out of the fact that they are in a weak division: The Chiefs are starting rookie quarterback Patrick Mahommes, the Raiders may have one of the most suspect defenses in the entire league that could get worse if they lose Khalil Mack, and the Broncos are questionable at quarterback with newly acquired Case Keenum, whose only notable year was last year with the Vikings.
5. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns Defense
I feel like in my past articles, I have raved a lot about the Browns, and honestly, I am staying on that hype train. Tyrod Taylor, Jarvis Landry, Carlos Hyde, Josh Gordon and Nick Chubb are all offensive studs that are highly capable of turning the Browns around. I'm not going to say that they are a bubble playoff team, but they definitely are going to be an improved team. This may not sound like much, since they have been 1-31 in the last two years, but six or seven wins would definitely be a big step in the right direction. I wouldn't sleep on David Njoku at their tight end spot either -- I've personally got him on my fantasy team because of his big frame and ability to be a threat in the red zone.
6. New York Giants
Odell Beckham Jr., New York Giants
Now I know I said earlier that the Cowboys were a legitimate threat. That was partly because Eli Manning is very questionable when it comes to accuracy and his ability to hold onto the ball. But my belief in the Giants has more to do with who he is throwing the ball to. Odell Beckham, Jr., Evan Engram, Sterling Shepard and even Saquon Barkley out of the backfield. With all the very elusive and fast weapons at Manning's disposal, the Giants, similar to the Packers, are going to rely heavily on outscoring their opponents.
7. Los Angeles Rams
Los Angeles Rams Wide Receivers
The Rams are hardly talked about, yet they improved significantly this offseason through free agency. With the acquisition of the shutdown cornerback duo Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters, Ndamukong Suh at defensive tackled to pair with Aaron Donald, and speedster wide receiver Brandin Cooks, this team has only become more dynamic and more of a threat for the NFC title. This will be a "grind it out" team relying on tough defense, a strong running game with Todd Gurley and throwing the deep ball off of play action. As far as I'm concerned, they're trying to bring "The Greatest Show on Turf" back in the 2018-2019 season.
8. New York Jets
Sam Darnold, New York Jets
This team is just a fun, old-school team that is always going to be a decent team due to their grit. The big difference this year is that they may actually have a true quarterback in Sam Darnold, something they lacked since the days of Mark Sanchez -- which isn't much for Darnold to live up to. In a division where it's basically the Patriots and nobody else, the Jets have more than a chance to catch some teams off guard and rack up out of conference wins against teams that underestimate them -- or even try to beat up on the Dolphins and the Bills.
9. Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are always going to be in the hunt for a playoff spot, despite being in a tough division with the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints. With a great defense led by Thomas Davis, Luke Kuechly, and Cam Newton, who is just a beast at quarterback, they definitely pose a threat. I would also advise watching out for rookie DJ Moore from the University of Maryland, as I feel he is a possible Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate if utilized as the big-play threat that he is. I expect many screens to DJ Moore and Christian McCaffrey, along with the occasional called run plays for Cam Newton to maximize the athleticism of their offensive talent.