Now that the NFL Draft is over and training camps are on the horizon, we can begin looking ahead to the 2018 season and assessing how we think each team is going to do. Sure, there will be some surprises along the way, but expectations are already growing for a number of teams. Some will likely be able to live up to it, but others probably won’t.
Who will frustrate and disappoint relative to offseason expectations? Here are eight teams who may let everyone down once the regular season gets underway, at least based on what fans and pundits are expecting of them.
It’s hard to take the Ravens seriously as a true contender. We’ve seen enough from Joe Flacco to know that he’s just not the long-term answer at quarterback for this organization, and Baltimore seems to be aware of it now. His bad contract has hurt the team’s ability to bring in and retain talent as well. The futures of Flacco and coach John Harbaugh are likely riding on this season. They may be able to get to .500, but a difficult early-season schedule looms. They play four of six on the road, plus a home game against the revitalized Denver Broncos, which could push the Baltimore braintrust to some early decisions.
7) Oakland Raiders
When you bring in Jon Gruden after all those years of rumors and speculation, expectations for big things will be sky-high. To be clear, there’s nowhere to go but up after a 6-10 campaign in 2017, but those expecting a significant turnaround and a playoff berth may find themselves disappointed. Much depends on the play of Derek Carr, but the reality is he might not have enough around him yet to get it done this season. That could result in an 8-8 season in which they more or less improve but don’t quite break through.
The Bills aren’t widely expected to duplicate their 2017 playoff appearance, but they could really take a significant step back in 2018. They’ve overhauled their offensive line and the quarterback situation is still unsettled, with heir apparent Josh Allen unlikely to get immediate first-team reps. The Bills, in a credit to them, seemed to know that their playoff appearance was more fluke than step forward, and haven’t let it alter their rebuild plan. That’s good long-term, but it’s probably going to mean some serious regression in the near-term.
The Seahawks seemed to thrive on chaos and adversity during their peak years, and they’ll have to recapture that spirit in 2018. Russell Wilson and the remaining aspects of the defense are too good to let this team totally crash, but losing Richard Sherman and Jimmy Graham will hurt. There’s also no hint as to when they’ll get Earl Thomas back in the fold. The NFC West is getting tougher, and Seattle has been dealt a difficult schedule on paper as well. They may not only miss the playoffs for the second year in a row, but they may also have their first sub-.500 season since 2011.
Don’t hold your breath for a rebound in Dallas. With Ezekiel Elliott free of his legal issues and playing to the strengths of their offensive line, many think they can push for 10 wins and a playoff spot. The reality is that quarterback Dak Prescott has few weapons outside of Elliott, David Irving is bringing his own legal issues to the table, the defense has questions, and it’s hard to argue they’ve really improved the roster. Reality dictates that 8-8 — or worse — is more likely than a return to playoff form.
3) San Francisco 49ers
The 5-0 finish to the season under Jimmy Garoppolo has undoubtedly raised expectations, but it would be wise to pump the brakes on the Niners. Teams will have seen some of the quarterback now, and while he’s undoubtedly talented, there’s going to be a bit of a correction in that record. Has the defense improved enough to make them legitimate contenders? They were 25th in points allowed last season, which won’t do if this team really wants to fulfill its playoff chatter. By all accounts, an 8-8 season would be a step up after they went 6-10 last year. But given the fact that people are talking ten wins and a playoff bid, a .500 season might look like a letdown. They were, after all, 1-10 at one point. Garoppolo or not, that doesn’t just go away.
2018 will end up being what could best be described as a transition year for the Chiefs. It won’t even necessarily be the quarterback’s fault — Patrick Mahomes is the starter, and there will be growing pains, but he should manage it. It’s the defense, which has lost both Derrick Johnson and Marcus Peters, that will likely take a step back in 2018. The offensive talent will keep Kansas City above water, but there’s a very real chance they find themselves absent from the playoffs for the first time since 2014.
How much do you really trust Blake Bortles? There’s an argument to be made that the Jaguars made it to the AFC Championship in spite of and not because of him. Their strength was in their defense, which played incredibly well all season and very nearly dragged them over the line.
The defense is still really good, but this team is still predicated on too many ifs — specifically, if Bortles takes care of the ball. It’s hard to trust a team that has this many question marks at the quarterback position to be a contender, and it’s also reliant on the defense matching everything they did a year ago. Everything has to go right for Jacksonville to replicate their 2017 season. That’s a very tall order.
