Opinion: Underrated Teams Thus Far that Could Shake up the PLayoffs
We’re only heading into week five, but there are a few teams that have shown potential for success despite their record. Most of these teams have struggled in years past, but it’s looking like the ship has finally begun to turn around. It’s obviously still extremely early in the season, but if these teams are able to hold on to what they have, I am confident that they could shake up the playoff picture towards the end of the season.
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)
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Quarterback Trevor Lawrence has really begun to take shape this season. So far he’s thrown for 946 yards, 2 interceptions, and has a completion rating of 65.7 percent. Last season he had a completion rating of 59.6 percent, so he’s clearly been improving as he gets more experience. The Jags have a new coach this season, Doug Pederson, who looks to have turned the franchise around following the monstrosity that was the short-lived Urban Meyer era.
Their first game of the season looks to have been a rust buster, as they lost to the Washington Commanders 28-22. This was the Commanders only win of the season so far. The next week, they came out and dominated the Colts, winning 24-0. Lawrence was 25-of-30 with two touchdowns, and the defense had three interceptions. The following week, they had another dominating win against the Chargers, winning 38-10. The Chargers have a great quarterback with Justin Herbert, but Lawrence had a better game, throwing 28-of-39 with three touchdowns. Herbert had two touchdowns and an interception, so again, both the offense and the defense did everything right to win the game.
Last week they played the undefeated Eagles and had an early lead, but had some miscues throughout the game that allowed them to lose 29-21.
This week they play the Texans, and I expect them to come out with a win. Looking forward to the rest of their schedule, they have a lot of winnable games. If they can continue to have success on offense and force turnovers on defense, they will have a great season and could become playoff contenders.
Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
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The Falcons haven’t been very good for the past few years, but it looks like they are starting to turn a corner. They have veteran quarterback Marcus Mariota, who hasn’t been able to find a lot of success in the NFL, but maybe he can turn that around in Atlanta. They haven’t lost a game by more than four points, which is promising, but they also haven’t won a game by more than four points.
They have their work cut out for them in the coming weeks, having to play the San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and Chargers soon, but most of those teams have shown weaknesses, and if the Falcons can pinpoint those weaknesses and put pressure on them, I’m sure they can come out with a win or two. Looking deeper into the season, they have some games that should be easy wins against the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, and Pittsburgh Steelers. If they can come out on top in the easier games, they may find themselves in the playoffs, especially in a relatively weak NFC.
New York Jets (2-2)
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Zach Wilson has just returned from injury for the Jets, and he came out with a win against the Steelers. It wasn’t pretty however, as he threw for a 50 percent completion rate and two interceptions. This game was a big rust buster for Wilson, and I’m sure as the weeks progress he will find more success on offense. The Steelers have a great defense, so it’s not surprising he struggled against them, but he still led his team to victory. He has some great receivers in Corey Davis, Garret Wilson, and tight end Tyler Conklin.
They have a tough schedule coming up against the Miami Dolphins and Green Bay Packers, but with Tua Tagovailoa out, they might be able to scrape by with a win. Further into the season, they have some winnable games against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Bears, and New England Patriots. These are must win games, and they can’t take their foot off the gas if they want to find success and potentially reach the postseason. They're in a difficult division with the Buffalo Bills and the Dolphins, so it will be interesting to see how the season plays out.
Honorable Mention: Lions (1-3)
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The Lions offense has looked incredible, leading the league in points scored at 35 points per game and total yardage at 436.8. However, they also lead the league in points allowed with 35.3 points per game. Quarterback Jared Goff seems to have turned the offense around, having amazing offensive weapons in Amon-Ra St. Brown, T.J. Hockenson, Jamaal Williams, and De’Andre Swift. The biggest reason I don’t see this team making the playoffs is because of the difficult schedule they have this year. They still have to play the Packers twice, the Dolphins, Bills, Dallas Cowboys, and Jaguars in the coming weeks, which will be tough games to win.
I’m not saying that all these teams are guaranteed locks in the playoffs, as we are only approaching week five, but I suspect these teams could ruin some other teams playoff chances near the end of the season.
