NFL club-by-club guide: New England Patriots to figure again and why the Pittsburgh Steelers are an outside bet

A club-by-club guide to the NFL season

New England Patriots' Tom Brady will once again lead their offence (Getty)

NFC North

Chicago Bears: From an underwhelming preseason to an ‘all hands on deck’ approach to their backfield – plus the game-by-game inconsistency of Jay Cutler - the Bears appear somewhat of a mixed bag this year. 2015’s forgotten man, receiver Kevin White, figures to be a bright spot however and should ensure opposing teams can’t just focus on Alshon Jeffery – although drops have been a major concern since White returned to the field after missing all of last season with injury. A 14-23 loss to the Texans wasn’t an ideal start to the season and, in a crowded NFC North division, any post-season action for John Fox’s team seems unlikely.

Detroit Lions: NFL.com actually ranks the Lions 23^rd in their pre-season power rankings which, it must be said, seems generous given the gaping hole left by the retirement of Calvin Johnson. Add to that the two-year slump Matthew Stafford finds himself in (last year was his lowest-graded season since his rookie year) and the Lions appear to be facing an uphill fight for relevance. His season began with a bang however – going 31 of 39 for 340 yards and three TD’s in the opener against the Colts. Defensively, DeAndre Levy’s return will boost their linebacking options but a lack of pressure up front could prove the unit’s Achilles heel, as evidenced by the evaporation of an 18-point lead in the opener last week.

Green Bay Packers: A lot could depend on the production of Jordy Nelson who, as we know, missed last season with a knee injury. Like most people however, we’d expect Mike McCarthy’s side to figure prominently in any post season discussions. A slimmed down Eddie Lacy should help Aaron Rodgers return to his best after struggling to the lowest PFF rated season of his career in 2015, while the brilliantly named Ha Ha Clinton-Dix has morphed into one the league’s top run stuffing safeties. Jared Cook figures to play an important role too as the Packers look for their first dynamic tight end since Jermichael Finley but they will need to improve on their opening performance, a 27-23 win over the upstart Jags in Jacksonville.

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Minnesota Vikings: One and done in the playoffs last year thanks to a missed 27-yard field goal, I was pretty high on the Vikings making the leap this season until Teddy Bridgewater’s season-ending knee injury. The subsequent addition of Sam Bradford was a necessary, if not expensive, need and the former Eagle is unlikely to have to wait long for his time in the spotlight. Running back great and expected focal point of the offense, Adrian Peterson, struggled in their opening weekend win, amassing only 31 yards on 19 attempt as the Titans completely shut down the seven-time Pro Bowler. As a result, if they are to reach the 11 or 12 wins many are expecting, fans should expect to see some new wrinkles in the Viking offense given a lack of any standout receiving options.

NFC East

Dallas Cowboys: The upgrade in talent and pure physicality that Ezekiel Elliott offers in comparison to Darren McFadden should see the Cowboys’ run game continue to be the league’s best in, what could be, a tricky season. With fourth round pick, and pre-season hype machine, Dak Prescott in charge of America’s Team, Tony Romo’s injury enforced absence has done little to quell the belief that the Cowboys are on the up. Defensively however, there are more questions than answers. Any pre-season momentum appears lost though after a narrow loss to the Giants in a game that Prescott and Elliot become only the second rookie quarterback-running back combo to start a season opener for the Cowboys since Roger Staubach and Calvin Hill in 1969. The Cowboys should improve as they go on though, unless Mark Sanchez sees the field…

New York Giants: Given that, both, the Eagles and Cowboys will be starting rookie quarterbacks, the Giants should fancy their chances of, at least, a respectable finish within the division. Throughout the preseason though, their offense has been woeful – hardly an encouraging sign as they look to end a three season span that has seen them fail to end the regular season with a winning record. Now 35, Eli Manning’s play has been on a downward spiral since 2011 and, despite the brilliance of Odell Beckham Jnr, any injury to the mercurial receiver is likely to see Big Blue in trouble. Big free agent signings Olivier Vernon and Damon Harrison could see the defensive line emerge as the best in the league, but questions over their linebackers and safeties remain. A narrow win over Dallas in week one should see optimism around Ben McAdoo’s team grow but there will be trickier tests ahead.

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Philadelphia Eagles: Step up, Carson Wentz. Expected to warm the bench behind Sam Bradford and Chase Daniel when he was taken with the second overall pick in the draft, Wentz’ career got off to a good start as the Eagles comfortably overcame the Browns. Way down NFL.com’s power rankings (26) the Eagles are clearing house after the disappointment of the Chip Kelly era and, as a result, have more than a few issues to address. Jettisoning DeMarco Murray, Byron Maxwell, Kiko Alonso they also signed Fletcher Cox to one of the largest contracts in NFL history (6 years, $103million). Off season signings Rodney McLeod, Leodis McKelvin and co figure to play early but the most important acquisition may well prove to be former Lions coach, Jim Schwartz who arrives as the new Defensive Coordinator.

Washington Redskins: Prising away, arguably, the best player available in free agency (Josh Norman) and coming off the back of a division title, the signs in the capital were promising ahead of their opening weekend collapse to the Steelers. Question marks remain over Kirk Cousins who finished 30 of 43 with two interceptions – a less than promising start for an embattled QB who needs to prove himself all over again if he is to earn the long-term contract extension he craves. Norman represents an excellent addition though and gives them a true No.1 cornerback to pair with Breshaud Breeland – who himself went from the 100^th-ranked cornerback to the 14^th according to PFF. Still, more should be expected from their pricey free agent signing who, rather than taking away the Steelers’ best receiving option, left Breeland out to dry against Antonio Brown who finished with eight catches for 126 yards.

NFC South

Atlanta Falcons: Where do we begin? Last season’s Falcon’s won six of their first seven games, before collapsing over the second half of the season en route to an 8-8 finish and, despite the off season changes, it’s hard to see them improving too much this time around. Big hitting draft choice Keanu Neal has been brought in to help shore up a leaky secondary and despite the fact he’s due to miss a few weeks recovering from minor knee surgery, he’s ideally suited to Dan Quinn’s system – one which saw Kam Chancellor flourish in when Quinn was in Seattle. Things didn’t get off to a great start however, as the Atlanta went down 31-24 to an impressive Tampa Bay team who scored on their first two possessions of the second half to nudge their lead out to 18 points before the Falcons rallied.

Carolina Panthers: The bandwagon is likely to be a little emptier this year, although don’t expect it to last too long. Last season’s nearly-men, Cam Newton and co. failed to get their season off the ground in the opener, going down once again to the Broncos in a nail-biter. Newton was the last season’s MVP for a reason though and with the return of Kelvin Benjamin set to bolster an already giant receiving core, the Panthers and Riverboat Ron are primed for another late season run. The loss of Josh Norman in free agency and the retirement of Charles Tillman will be felt, but the Panthers possess the best front seven in the league and they’ll need the big guys to perform to mask a secondary that can be picked on.

New Orleans Saints: The Saints haven’t made the playoffs since 2013 and are heading into the year on the back of two 7-9 seasons that many would like to forget. Despite this, Drew Brees remains one of the league’s best quarterbacks – as his 424 yard, 4 touchdown performance in their opening week loss to the Raiders should attest. Defensively however, they were, and are, a mess although absence of Brandon Browner this time around already ensures they won’t/can’t be as bad again. Kenny Vacarro and Jarius Byrd were somewhat of a bright spot at the safety positions however and that trend should continue this year thanks to an emerging front seven.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: It’s tough to know what to expect from a side that flashed ability last year, yet still stumbled to a 6-10 record. The off-season change of head coach is off to a good start though as a result of the Bucs seven-point win over Atlanta. 2014’s first round pick Mike Evans will need to improve though – an odd thing to say about a guy who finished last season with 1,206 yards. Dropping almost every other pass Winston threw to him (he finished with 75 catches from 148 targets) Evans could see his numbers down a little this year given a pair of running backs that include the Bucs first ever back to be named All Pro, Doug Martin.

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NFC West

Arizona Cardinals: Bruce Arians’ side set a franchise record last year, piling up 13 regular season wins on their way to an NFC West title before falling apart in the NFC Championship game and, in all honesty, it would be of little surprise to see them better that this year. But they’ll need to recover from a shock loss to Tom Brady-less Patriots side who strolled into Arizona and surprised the league, despite missing a bevy of starters. Worth remembering though, Carson Palmer’s brainfart performance against the Panthers aside, the Cardinals had it all last season and have only added to it this offseason, trading for New England’s troubled, but talented, Chandler Jones and drafting Ole Miss’ Robert Nkemdiche. On the back end, two of the league’s premier players, Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu, will ensure opposition teams don’t have an easy ride.

Los Angeles Rams: It’s been a busy off season for the Rams. From relocating to LA, starring in this year’s Hard Knocks to paying Tavon Austin the dollar his performances to date don’t merit AND mortgaging their future on Jared Goff - only to have him head into the season third on the depth chart – the Rams were awful in their opener, going down 0-28 to an average 49ers side. For a team that hasn’t posted a winning record since 2003 and has no standout receiving threat to stretch the field, it was hardly the start they’d hoped for. Defensively, Aaron Donald spearheads a front seven that should cause problems for any opposition, despite their lacklustre opener, although question marks linger over linebackers Akeem Ayers and Mark Barron. In a stacked division, the Rams are already on the back foot.

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San Francisco 49ers: Despite many predicting Chip Kelly’s appointment would lead to an about turn on Colin Kaepernick, the embattled QB remains somewhat of an afterthought in a footballing sense. Given the quick-fire nature of Kelly’s offenses to date, Carlos Hyde figures to have a prominent role provided he can stay fit and the former Ohio State runner got his season off to a promising start, rushing for 88 yards and two TDs in an easy win over the Rams. However, from here we’ll get a better idea of what the Niners bring to the table as they face a challenging run of games that will see them face Carolina, Seattle, Dallas and Arizona in tough opening few weeks.

Seattle Seahawks: You know what you’ll get from Pete Carroll’s Seahawks and that’s exactly why we figure they’ll feature prominently in the post-season. Weakened by the retirement of Marshawn Lynch (will he actually stay retired?) the Seahawks are still loaded with talent, including Tyler Lockett – a player worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses. The manner of their narrower than expected two-point win over the Dolphins has raised a few concerns however, with Doug Baldwin’s two-yard winning TD coming with only 31 seconds left on the clock. As ever, the real strength of this side is their defence. Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas are both top-three rated players in their respective positions and the front seven can cause consistent trouble for offenses thanks Michael Bennett’s versatility and Cliff Avril. Judging by their offensive struggles, they’ll need the Sherman and co. to be at their best as they find their scoring momentum.

AFC North

Baltimore Ravens: In an always competitive (bar the Browns) AFC North, the Ravens will need Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil to overcome their recent injuries if they are to improve on last year. Two of the best pass rushers of the 2000s, it remains to be seen how much either of them have left in the tank – with Suggs’ ability sure to come under the microscope as he makes his way back from a torn Achilles. There are question marks all over the Ravens roster though, with Joe Flacco’s performances likely to remain under the microscope as the debate over whether he is ‘elite’ or not rage on. An opening weekend win over the Bills shows the potential within this side, but trickier tests lay ahead.

Cincinnati Bengals: As off seasons go, the Bengals’ was pretty special… Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson left to take over in Cleveland, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu left for overpaid contracts elsewhere, Andre Smith joined the Vikings and Vontaze Burfict got himself suspended. For many, such change would pose far too many challenges but Marvin Lewis is a model of consistency and there’s little reason to expect anything else from his team. A last minute field goal secured a tough win over the New York Jets in their opener but a week two clash with Pittsburgh will prove a much tougher test. Additionally, Brandon LaFell seems a somewhat underwhelming replacement for Sanu and Jones but his involvement here could be crucial given the single coverage he’ll see once Tyler Eifert returns to the fold alongside A.J. Green.

Cleveland Browns: Hung out to dry in Washington, RGIII’s shot at redemption would, at least, make the Browns watchable again had he not been placed on IR after fracturing a bone in his shoulder in the 10-29 loss to Philadelphia. Little more than an interested onlooker for at least the next eight weeks, the former Rookie of the Year’s stint in Cleveland is not off to a great start. In his place the Browns will look to either Cody Kessler or Josh McCown – who would mark the 25^th and 26^th quarterbacks to have been handed the keys since 1999! With a tough clash with the Ravens looming this weekend, it looks as though the Browns are already playing catch-up.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Decimated by injuries last season, the Steelers got their season off to a flier, putting up 38 points as they obliterated week one opponents, Washington. Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown, arguably the best receiver around at the moment, inflicted most of the damage but it’s important not to overlook the contribution of DeAngelo Williams who rumbled his way 143 yards and two TD’s in place of the suspended Le’Veon Bell. When healthy there is little Big Ben cannot do and with many of the opinion that Bell is the best back in the league, the one-two punch potential of the offense is plenty of reason to fancy the Steelers as an outside bet to reach the Super Bowl.

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AFC East

Buffalo Bills: Headed towards the season opener with a productive quarterback, there was a growing sense of optimism that this maybe the year the Patriots are really challenged for supremacy in the East. However, while a depleted Patriots side opened their season with a win, the Bills failed to get off the mark as they went down in a low scoring 13-7 loss to Baltimore. Offensive planning has never been Rex Ryan’s strongpoint though and, as with any Ryan team - and there are two of them here following Rob’s arrival - the true strength of this team is the defence. Possessing perhaps the best cornerback tandem in the league with Ronald Darby and Stephon Gilmore, the Bills should fancy their chances of post-season action provided they can score when it matters – something they struggled to do against the Ravens.

Miami Dolphins: A team in the midst of a sea of changes, it’s hard to look at this roster and see a playoff team come the end of the regular season. Letting go of Olivier Vernon, who secured himself a mega contract in New York, the ‘Phins took a couple of fliers on Mario Williams, fresh from a disappointing season in Buffalo, Kiko Alonso and Byron Maxwell before picking up Arian Foster late on. The former Texan already appears an important piece of the offense, accounting for 100 yards from scrimmage in their opening season loss to Seattle. Questions remain over Ryan Tannehill though, and rightly so after last season’s regression. Ndamukong Suh remains the defensive line’s most important player and he’ll be needed more than ever given that Cameron Wake is 34 and recovering from an Achilles injury and Mario Williams has arrived on the back of the worst season of his career.

New England Patriots: Despite the absence of Tom Brady it was business as usual for New England as they kicked off their 2016 win with a win over Arizona. Jimmy Garoppolo, starting in Brady’s place, looked every inch a second round pick as he led a depleted New England side to an upset win over the Cardinals. Despite trading away Chandler Jones, new recruits Chris Long and Martellus Bennett looked like they’d been in New England for years as they emerged unscathed from their trip to Arizona – with Bennett, in particular, shining in Rob Gronkowski’s absence. Chris Hogan was also poached from Buffalo in typical Bill Belichick fashion and he too looked the part. Ultimately, provided Garoppolo holds his own over the opening games, expect Brady to return and lead the Patriots to yet another division title.

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New York Jets: Re-signing Ryan Fitzpatrick seemed like a no-brainer but the Jets took their time in doing so, almost as though they believed Geno Smith was a suitable alternate. Eventually however, the deal got done and that will please receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker who, without question, are crucial to any success Gang Green plan on achieving this season. Defensively, Darrelle Revis remains the biggest name on the roster but his opening weekend left a lot to be desired as he was roasted for 180 yards – with the Bengals’ A.J. Green catching all 10 passes thrown his way while lining up opposite the former All Pro. A week two clash with former coach Rex Ryan should make for interesting viewing as both teams look to avoid finding themselves 0-2.

AFC South

Houston Texans: The Texans knew their offence was a problem, so they went out and re-tooled it, extensively. Splashing the cash on Brock Osweiler, Bill O’Brien then went out and brought in Will Fuller and the former Ohio State QB-turned-receiver, Braxton Miller, to accompany DeAndre Hopkins in the passing game. Lamar Miller joined too, replacing the released Arian Foster who has since joined the Dolphins and, in their first competitive outing, the unit was impressive as they lead their side to a 23-14 win over Chicago. Fuller, in particular, shone as he became the first player in franchise history to record a 100 yards receiving on debut. (He ended with 107 and a TD.) Defensively, the Texans are a force too – with J.J. Watt leading a stellar cast that includes Whitney Mercilus and Jadeveon Clowney among others.

Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck’s return is of huge importance to the Colts. Playing only seven games last season, the former Stanford QB was replaced last year by – the since retired - Matt Hasselbeck, although you wouldn’t know that from his performance on Sunday. Throwing for three TD’s and 385 yards, Luck did what he could to drag his side into a shootout, albeit one they ultimately lost. Age seems to be a theme throughout the Colts roster though, with the team expected to lean heavily on the oldest runner in the league, Frank Gore. Defensively D’Qwell Jackson and Robert Mathis are also edging towards the twilight of their careers. T.Y Hilton remains the offense’s lone home-run threat but Luck will also look to the continually improving Donte Moncrief after letting Coby Fleener walk in free agency.

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Jacksonville Jaguars: When you manage to secure yourself a top-five pick in the draft for five years in a row, it’s safe to say things aren’t quite going to plan on the field. That could be about to change though, despite a narrow opening weekend loss to Green Bay. Malik Jackson, Chris Ivory, Prince Amukamara and Tashaun Gipson have all made their way to Jacksonville and have been joined by two of the top five players available in the year’s draft, Jalen Ramsey from Florida State and Myles Jack from UCLA. Add to that the return of their 2015 selection Dante Fowler and you begin to get an idea of the talent Gus Bradley is acquiring. If Ivory can hit the ground running (no pun intended) the Jags offense will be worth keeping an eye on too as the Allens (Robinson and Hurns) look to build on last year’s electrifying performances.

Tennessee Titans: Flashing potential last year, the Titans appear well positioned to improve on their 3-13 record thanks to the acquisitions of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry – who’s shown more than enough in the preseason to suggest he has a bright future in the NFL. Murray’s lack of production in Philadelphia was an unfortunate case of not fitting the system Chip Kelly wanted to use and a return to downhill running should see the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year return to his best, despite his slow start in the defeat to the Vikings. Defensively however, there are questions aplenty and, in what appears to be a two-horse division, our money is on the Titans fighting it out with the Colts for the wooden spoon.

AFC West

Denver Broncos: No Peyton, no problem. Or that’s the case so far following their opening day win over Super Bowl 50 opponents, Carolina. Last season’s suffocating pressure off the edge continues to be a theme with opposing QBs forced into erratic throws. Trevor Siemian’s performance was pedestrian against the Panthers though and it remains to be seen how long his stint as a starter will be given the readiness to hand Paxton Lynch his opportunity. A lack of a reliable running game could prove tricky to overcome as the season wears on but, barring any mishaps, the Broncos will be there or thereabouts once we hit the playoffs.

Kansas City Chiefs: It’s always hard to know what to expect from a team when the season before they started 1-5, lost their best player and then won 10 straight… Defensively however, the options at Andy Reid’s disposal should see the Chiefs fighting it out with Denver for division supremacy. Anything more than that is hard to predict given the lack of options at Alex Smith’s disposal despite the 33 points the unit put up in the win over San Diego. Leading one of the franchise’s largest ever come from behind win, Smith threw for 363 yards as they overcame a three touchdown deficit before clinching the win on the first possession of overtime. Quite what such a comeback means is difficult to ascertain given the Chargers defensive weaknesses so expect a week two clash with Houston to paint a clearer picture.


 
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Oakland Raiders: After years of stumbling around the basement, the lights finally came on in Oakland last year under Jack del Rio. Finishing with a 7-9 record, general manager Reggie McKenzie’s hard work with a lengthy list of salary cap woes paid off as the Raiders secured Kelechi Osemele and Bruce Irvin in free agency. Irvin, in particular, was a huge part of their week one win over the Saints that saw Del Rio roll the dice on a two-point conversion with only 47 seconds left on the clock. Derek Carr continues to look an elite player in the making under centre and in Amari Cooper he has a receiver capable of delivering a home run at any time. Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin’s ability to get after opposing quarterbacks should be fun to watch as the season progresses too while Latavius Murray will look to build on last year’s Pro Bowl berth.

San Diego Chargers: It’s hard to see the Chargers not improving on last year’s win total of four, despite the competition around them. Drafting Joey Bosa with the third pick in the draft, hopes of an immediate impact were high until he missed nearly all preseason in a contract dispute while more will also be expected from last year’s top pick, Melvin Gordon. Rushing for two TD’s against the Chiefs, Gordon impressed despite being outgained by Danny Woodhead as the Chargers blew a 17-point fourth quarter lead. Despite only throwing for one touchdown, Philip Rivers showed flashes of his old self which bodes well given the return Ken Wisenhunt as the team’s offensive coordinator – a role he previously occupied back in 2013 when Rivers completed 70% of his passes for 32 touchdowns and 4,478 yards.