Football

Browns find themselves in a tough situation

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , ,

The Cleveland quarterback carousel. It is a running joke at this point. The Browns have had so many quarterbacks come and go it is borderline ridiculous. Actually, scratch that, it is ridiculous. The last time Cleveland has one quarterback start all 16 games in the regular season was 2001, when Tim Couch was the quarterback. And before that it was Bernie Kosar a decade earlier. A couple of other have come close like Derek Anderson in 2007 or Branden Weeden in 2013, both of whom started 15 games. 

Brian Sipe
Sipe on the sidelines of a game in 1979.

That right there is the definition of mediocrity at the quarterback position. Since 2005, the Browns have had 16 different quarterbacks start under center for them. Even the Jaguars haven’t been that bad, having only 11 different players start in the same span. The Browns have not had true stability at quarterback since Brian Sipe started every game from 1978 to 1981. That was about 35 years ago! And over those three and a half decades, no quarterback has started every game in back-to-back seasons. That is simply mind boggling to me. How there has been no one to have enough success in Cleveland to start all 16 games two years in a row is beyond me.

Johnny Manziel
Manziel has avoided mistakes this preseason and shown flashes of his development.

However, the Browns do actually have some talent now on their roster at the quarterback position. Johnny Manziel came with a whole lot of question marks but he also oozed with untapped potential. He was an athlete with a great arm still trying to learn how to play quarterback.This offseason has been a major turning point for Manziel in his development, starting with rehab stint and continuing with his much improved play on the field. The Cleveland coaching staff got Manziel to buy in to really working on becoming a better player and so far that is very evident.

Johnny Football isn’t ready to be the starter yet in Cleveland though. If the Browns decided to throw him in week one because he looked good in the preseason, it would undo everything that they had worked on. Manziel would likely return to scrammbler he was in college and forget his coaching in an effort to make plays on a talent devoid Browns’ offense. Waiting a year for Manziel to really know the playbook and fully develop tendencies would be very wise.

Josh_McCown_Browns_2015
McCown joins the Browns as sixth team of his career.

Unfortunately, that means that Cleveland will have veteran journeyman Josh McCown become the 17th starting quarterback for the Browns since 2005. McCown is still riding the coattails of his 2013 success in Chicago. He only made it 11 games last season before being benched in favor Mike Glennon. His stats weren’t pretty either as he posted a 56.3 completion percentage and threw 11 touchdowns to his 14 interceptions.

This preseason has underlined his inconsistency as well. In his first game against Washington, McCown completed all five of his passes and tossed a touchdown. Then last week facing Buffalo, he proceeded to complete seven of ten passes, but threw two of the ten to the other team. Part of McCown’s struggles are definitely due to the lack of talent around him. In fact, no Cleveland receiver has more than three receptions in either of the Browns’ two losses. That being said, if McCown has another poor performance tomorrow in Tampa against his former team, fans could be looking for the Browns to start someone else at quarterback.

Johnny_ManzielThe problem is, there really isn’t anyone else to start. As I have already mentioned, starting Manziel would be a mistake this early on in his development. Outside of McCown and Manziel, the other quarterbacks on Cleveland’s roster are Thad Lewis, Connor Shaw and Pat Delvin, who combined have won two NFL games, both by Lewis. With the news that Connor Shaw could miss the whole season after thumb surgery, the selection is even more limited.


The Brown really have put themselves in a tough position here. It is pretty much a no-win scenario. Either the team suffers through an up and down season with McCown at quarterback, maybe winning six games or Manziel takes over, exciting fans, but potentially ruining all the progress he has made.  

So once again, the Browns have a big hole at quarterback. It should be interesting how they proceed. I think Brett Farve has a pretty free schedule this fall…

NFL Power Rankings: Preseason Week 3

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings ,

1. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 2)
Things seem to be finally falling into place around Andrew Luck. If the defense can be even average this season, Indy should win a lot of games.

2. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 1)
I mentioned last week that they avoided injuries. That didn’t happen this week as the Pack lost Jordy Nelson for the season. Green Bay has to be very happy it didn’t let Randall Cobb walk during the offseason.

3. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 3)
The offense struggled again failing to score a touchdown against the Chiefs. The defense managed to score though. Seattle probably can’t count on that happening every week though, no matter how good that defense is.

4. New England Patriots (Last week: 6)
Pats fans had to be nervous after the first week of the preseason based on Jimmy Garappalo’s performance. He quieted some of the critics with a much more successful night this week.

5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 5)
Who will Peyton be targeting this season outside of Demarius Thomas. With Wes Welker injured and Julius Thomas in Jacksonville, Denver is going to need someone else to step up in the offense. Cody Latimer is rumored to fill the Welker-like role, but only time will tell.

6. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 4)
We finally got to see Darren McFadden and Joseph Randle in game action. Neither looked amazing but Randle looked a lot better than McFadden. The defense looked good too but that before losing Orlando Scandrick for the whole season. That could really hurt Dallas’ chances at a deep playoff run.

7. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 8)
This team didn’t lose many of the pieces from it’s 12-4 season a year ago. Assuming one of the Arizona quarterbacks can stay healthy, the Cardinals could end up as the team to beat in the NFC.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 7)
Ben Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards a season ago and LeVeon Bell finished second in yards from scrimmage. It will be hard for either of those players to repeat that success with Maurkice Pouncey in a walking boot.

9. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 10)
Alex Smith finally threw a touchdown pass to a wide receiver. Now let’s see if he can do it when it counts. The Chiefs offense on the whole didn’t look great but the defense held the Seattle offense under 250 total yards.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 11)
It might only be preseason but the Eagles notched their second big win in as many weeks. Sam Bradford took some shots in his first game action and seemed to hold up just fine. Kenjon Barner displayed once again why the Eagles brought him in this offseason with another ridiculous return.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 9)
Andy Dalton finished his preseason appearance against Tampa with two interceptions, including a pick six, and only 46 yards passing. Jeremey Hill lost the ball on one of his four carries. The fact that Bengals can play that poorly, against a team that was the worst in the league a season ago, is terrifying for Cincy fans.

12. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 13)
Another sharp outing for Teddy Bridgewater as he finished 10 for 14 with 89 yards and a touchdown. Charles Johnson had a good night as well with four catches for 40 yards and he was on the receiving end of Bridgewater’s touchdown pass. That could be a good combination for Minnesota this season.

13. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 12)
23 carries for 46 yards against Arizona isn’t exactly confidence instilling. Granted Melvin Gordon did not play but that has to fall somewhat on the offensive line. Not time to panic yet but the Chargers need to run the ball to take all the pressure off Phillip Rivers.

14. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 14)
Mixed result for Miami as Ryan Tannehill looked fantastic while Lamar Miller sputtered. The next step for Miami is getting the offense to click all at once. The revamped defense continued to impress, as the first team only allowed nine points.

15. Detroit Lions (Last week: 15)
I thought Detroit was in trouble when Ndumakong Suh and Nick Fairley left but the first team defense hit Robert Griffin III on six of his eight dropbacks and knocked him out of the game. If that is the kind of pressure Detroit can produce this season, they might not even realize though other guys are gone.

16. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 16)
Cincy showed this week that it can still falter at any time which gives the Ravens hope. However, Joe Flacco looked even worse than Andy Dalton did this week, toss two interceptions on only seven passes. Could be a rough season in Baltimore.

17. Houston Texans (Last week: 20)
Naming Brian Hoyer quarterback is a step in the right direction but it is merely a stop gap solution. Hoyer is already 29 and is not exactly a franchise quarterback. Houston are going to need to find a real long term solution soon.

18. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Tyrod Taylor faired well in his start against Cleveland. It wasn’t anything eye popping. Rumors are that Rex Ryan wants to start Taylor but the rest of the coaching staff isn’t on board. Should be interesting how that pans out.

19. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 20)
Atlanta might have lost this week but Matt Ryan came out firing and the Falcons first team offense put up 14 points in the first quarter. The Falcons need to find a way to get their defense to hold up though through the whole 60 minutes.

20. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 21)
The Saints ruled the first half of their game with New England, which was all that really mattered. Drew Brees threw two touchdowns and the Saints offensive line didn’t allow a sack the whole game. The defense didn’t generate any sacks though either so that has to count for something.

21. New York Jets (Last week: 22)
The Jets’ offense showed some signs of life. Take it with a grain of salt though as they started slow once again and the Falcons did have the worst statistical defense in football last year. The defense looked good, but is still getting killed by big plays.

22. New York Giants (Last week: 19)
Yet another Giants safety went down with an injury this week in Bennett Jackson. That makes three in two weeks. Even more concerning, Odell Beckham Jr. doesn’t have a reception through two preseason games. Slightly worrying but not cause to panic just yet.

23. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 27)
Another strong outing from Johnny Manziel paired with a really poor one from Josh McCown makes you wonder how much longer Manziel will play with the second team. He is playing decently well with zero talent at the wide receiver position. Go back and watch the game film to see what I’m talking about.

24. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 24)
Nick Foles looked dreadful against Tennessee this week. He completed 3 of 7 passes for 18 yards and threw a pick. Tre Mason carried the ball for six yards on three carries. St. Louis, like Carolina, needs to find their offense.

25. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 23)
Life without Kelvin Benjamin began for Cam Newton and it didn’t look pretty. Newton finished four for ten with an interception against Miami. Carolina needs to find some source of offense to have any hopes of repeating as division champs.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 26)
Jarryd Haynes did it again this week, picking up 138 all-purpose yards. He might be the spark that this San Francisco team needs because otherwise, the cupboard is pretty bare in terms of talent.

27. Chicago Bears (Last week: 27)
Jay Cutler had a good outing against Indy this week. However, the Bears offense still failed to score a touchdown in the first half. Chicago won’t win too many games by just kicking field goals.

28. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28)
Latavius Murray is primed for a breakout season. This young core of Murray, Derek Carr and Amari Cooper could be a lot of fun to watch this year in Oakland. They might not win a ton of games, but they will definitely compete in more of them.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 30)
Allen Robinson might be the best player on the Jaguars team. Jacksonville needs to find some other players to step up and start moving this team in a positive direction.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 31)
The Bucs defense balled out on Monday night against Cincy. This Tampa group forced 3 turnovers and didn’t allow the Bengals to score a touchdown until the fourth quarter. Jameis Winston looked solid as well as he scored his first professional touchdown. Good signs for the Bucs’ future.

31. Washington (Last week: 29)
A concussion for Robert Griffin III likely means the end of his time in Washington. He will be out for a several week most likely and the Redskins will probably just leave in someone else even after he returns. Washington is in for a long season.

32. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
The Titans looked good this week against St. Louis and if any of that success carries over to the regular season, don’t be surprised if Tennessee finally climbs out of the NFL cellar.

Falling stars

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL , , , ,

Football is a brutal sport. You know that going into it. It is still demoralizing to have your season cut short by injury nonetheless. It is even more so when that injury occurs in a game that counts for absolutely nothing. The season ends before it ever really begins.

Jordy Nelson Already this year, we have seen stars get hit hard by preseason injuries. Jordy Nelson and Kelvin Benjamin have both torn their ACL. Robert Griffin III is out with a concussion. And those are just some of the bigger name stars that have gone out due to injury. There are dozens of other players who already have seen their season’s cut short or put on hold.

The problem is that the NFL doesn’t really have a solution to this. You play preseason games as an attempt to develop chemistry or give guys fighting for a roster spot an opportunity to play in a game like setting where the coaches don’t have to worry about the outcome. They are essential to team development and preparation. No one has yet to come up with an alternative to these games. The NFL also isn’t the only one who plays preseason games but that doesn’t make these injuries much easier to stomach for fans.

However, these injuries could provide new opportunities for other players. In Green Bay, Davante Adams showed flashes of his ability particularly in the team’s playoff win against Dallas. Now, he has an opportunity to show what he can do as a main target.

RG3For Washington, this could spell the end of the RG3 era if the concussion is serious. That could be a good thing though for both sides. Griffin probably needs a fresh start away from Washington and the team definitely needs to wipe its hands clean of the franchise altering trade and move on.

Down in Charlotte, Cam Newton might have to showcase his running abilities once again with Benjamin out and this could be a chance for other young receivers like Corey Brown and Devin Fuchness to display their skills in a much bigger role. 

This is an optimistic approach to these terrible situations. It is not easy for teams to rebound from monumental injuries. Very few teams in NFL history are built to. And yes, it sucks that these guys were hurt in completely meaningless games.

Kelvin_BenjaminAt the same time though, they still should be playing. I know it’s easy to just say that starters should play in the preseason but that is just foolish. These few games allow players to work on timing, new plays, cohesion with new players. Without any of that, it is very likely that the first two or three weeks of the regular season would be fairly rough and probably even sloppy. Realistically, as a fan, would you be able to simply look on and say, “Oh, my team’s star player suffered a season ending injury. Well at least it was in a meaningful game,” and actually mean that? No. There is no way you could. Whether these injuries happen in week 3 or the preseason or week 13 of the regular season, they are going to be crushing either way.

My point is that this should not be a cause for every starter to sit out the entire preseason. Maybe there are ways to be more cautious when these players are in but overall, the whole point of preseason is to put players in a game environment and see how they react. This grace period before everything starts to count is vital to the development of players in the league, especially rookies.

Can you imagine if Marcus Mariota had turned the ball over on the first two series of his career in a regular season game? That wouldn’t exactly be a confidence booster. There would be no chances for the coaches to say, “OK, don’t worry about the score, just try to learn from those mistakes.” The NFL is a win now league. Teams always want to win as soon as possible. There is simply no room for complacency.

Preseason helps avoid those situations and gives players a chance to grow. In the end, it makes for much better games to watch once the regular season rolls around because now these guys are warmed up and ready for the long haul. 

NFL Power Rankings: Preseason Week 2

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 1)
The Pack managed to make it through the first week of the preseason without any major injuries. A win over the Patriots was solid as well. Aaron Rodgers looked sharp in his brief appearance. The future looks bright as well after Brett Hundley’s impressive appearance.

2. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 2)
Don’t read too much into the loss to the Eagles. Andrew Luck complete five of his six passes for 42 yards. The running game will be much improved as well once Frank Gore returns this week. The defense did fairly well with the starters playing, holding Mark Sanchez to just two of seven passing.

3. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 3)
Not the best start of all time for Seattle. That offensive line looks like it could use some work as it allowed two sacks of Russell Wilson in the early going. The big concern was how the Seahawks would fair without Max Unger and it doesn’t look like those concerns were quieted. Tyler Lockett was a bright spot though.

4. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 4)
Hard to judge the Cowboys performance this week versus the Chargers as Tony Romo, Joseph Randle and Dez Bryant all missed the game. However, it was nice to see a strong performance out of Gavin Escobar with five catches for 47 yards.

5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 6)
Denver moves up a spot mainly due to the Patriots’ issues. Peyton Manning didn’t appear in this first preseason matchup but Brock Osweiler, Ronnie Hillman and Cody Latimer all looked good in this one. The latter two could be integral parts of this Bronco offense in 2015.

6. New England Patriots (Last week: 5)
It is hard to say the Patriots are in trouble after just one week but Jimmy Garrappalo did not exactly instill confidence in Pats’ fans. He completed 20 of 30 passes but only amassed 156 yards. That will improve as more of New England’s starting offensive lineman begin to play, but still not a great first impression.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
It was good to see Ben Roethlisberger hit a Steeler wide receiver not named Antonio Brown for a touchdown pass. The Steelers have to hope that Deangelo Williams can fill in for LeVeon Bell those first two weeks still, which is a scary thought.

8. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 7)
Adding Chris Johnson could be a nice addition for this team. Mike Iupati going down for 6-8 weeks is not good though. It was also nice to see Carson Palmer back under center. He looked great too, completing all four passes for 79 yards in his brief appearance.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 9)
The Bengals defense looked good against what many expect to be a potent Giants offense. Cincy also has two great young runners to take some of the pressure of the often-disappointing Andy Dalton. The Bengals have to feel good about their playoff chances entering the season.

10. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 11)
The first team offense struggled without Jamaal Charles in the picture. That should tell you just how valuable he is to this team. They will go as far as he can carry them this season.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 12)
Ignoring Tim Tebow’s return is for the best in terms of looking at the Eagles’ hopes of doing well. Nelson Agholor showed some flashes though, as did Kenjon Barner. The Eagles might have found some need skill position players to help score points this season.

12. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 10)
Melvin Gordon did not impress much in his first ever NFL game. Six carries for 11 yards is Trent Richardson-like numbers. This Chargers team needs a solid starter to rely on after the mess the backfield turned into last season.

13. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 13)
Teddy Bridgewater looked really strong in his short time on the field. The defense managed to bully the rookie Jameis Winston as well in his first action, recording two sacks and a pick. Good outing for the Vikings. We still all just want to see Adrian Peterson play again.

14. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 14)
If the Patriots struggle out of the gate without Brady, this could be Miami’s division to win. A strong defense and a steadily improved Ryan Tannehill could do the trick for the Fins this year.

15. Detroit Lions (Last week: 15)
Detroit bullied the Jets all night long. The pass defense looked strong and the Lions offense took it to this vaunted New York D. Ameer Abdullah looks as good as he has been advertised in camp too.

16. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 16)
It is going to be tough for the Ravens to make the playoffs again. You have to assume they would be looking for a wildcard spot behind either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati atop the division. And the AFC is wide open with teams that could challenge for those two spots.

17. Houston Texans (Last week: 20)
The move is more due to the circumstances of teams around them. Alfred Blue did pretty well in relief of Arian Foster and Cecil Shorts III looked like he could be a weapon on his 58-yard touchdown reception. Now if only they had a clue as to who will play quarterback.

18. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Tyrod Taylor is getting a start for the Bills. That probably isn’t a good sign. He might end up being decent but based on his track record, Buffalo is in trouble if this is the best guy they have in camp at the moment.

19. New York Giants (Last week: 19)
Landon Collins will likely miss some time now with a sprained MCL. That is not a good sign to start the season for a Giants’ defense that allowed the fourth-worst yards per attempt average in 2014.

20. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 22)
The Falcons might actually be the favorite to win this division despite looking like a .500 team on paper. If Tevin Coleman can put together a good season for this team though, they will be much more balanced on offense.

21. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)
The Saints are not exactly a playoff bound team but they have a shot in the weak NFC South. With Junior Galette and Jimmy Graham gone though, that could be an uphill battle.

22. New York Jets (Last week: 21)
Some were saying the Jets could be a playoff contender if their offseason acquisitions pay off. It didn’t look like it though in Detroit though as New York finished the night with 56 passing yards. That was for the whole game. It might be preseason, but that is not a good sign.

23. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 17)
Carolina struggled to make the playoffs last year. And that was with Kelvin Benjamin. With the second-year wideout done for the season with an ACL tear, Cam Newton is in for a very long season.

24. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 24)
The Rams need Todd Gurley to be a factor this season. That doesn’t mean rush him back but if he does very little, St. Louis is going nowhere in the standings and likely headed for Los Angeles.

25. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 27)
Before anyone gets too excited, let’s remember it’s preseason. That being said, Johnny Manziel looked pretty good the other night. He finally looked like a quarterback with a ton of athleticism rather than an athletic dude trying to play quarterback. There is still a long way to go though from here.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 26)
There is no hiding the fact that this will be a long year for the fans of the red and gold. Carlos Hyde is unproven and there is not a wide receiver with a future on this roster. Now with Aldon Smith gone, San Fran is in a lot of trouble.

27. Chicago Bears (Last week: 25)
With rumors that Kevin White could miss the whole season due to injury, the Bears have to be in panic mode. If people thought Jay Cutler looked bad last year, 2015 could be even worse.

28. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28)
The Raiders had a good first week of the preseason. This team could pull off a couple of upsets throughout the season, but they will be upsets. The Raiders are favorite against almost no one in the NFL.

29. Washington (Last week: 29)
Robert Griffin III announced to the media that he thought he was the best quarterback in the NFL. Washington proceeded to ban RG3 from future media engagements, and then announced he will start the whole season no matter what. Considering this is election season, I can’t believe the football team is the one surrounded with the most uncertainty in the nations capital.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 30)
Well it is hard to be worse than the Buccaneers and Titans. We will see if the Jags can find a way to get Blake Bortles comfortable in this offense and maybe try to keep him upright for once.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 31)
Well Jameis Winston finally debuted in an NFL uniform. His first appearance was pretty uneven though. He threw a pick and completed less than half his passes but there were certainly bright spots as well.

32. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
Marcus Mariota first game started about as poorly as possible. He was strip sacked and picked off on his first two drives. However, Mariota settled down and completed the rest of his passes. Seems like the kid can bounce back.

NFL Power Rankings: Preseason Week 1

Chris McGlynn Football, NFL, Power Rankings

The season is not underway yet but that doesn’t mean we can’t start ranking teams. The preseason is set to kickoff tomorrow so it is time to begin my first NFL Power Rankings of 2015.

1. Green Bay Packers
The Packers come into the season as my Super Bowl pick. Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback in the NFL and he has way too many weapons on offense between Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Davonte Adams and Eddie Lacy. Think the Packers can win based on offense alone? Their 2012 Super Bowl win was due in large part to their second ranked defense. Just saying.

2. Indianapolis Colts
Like Green Bay, this team wins games by scoring points. Andrew Luck is an MVP candidate heading into this season and should have a much improved running game to support him with Frank Gore coming to town. The Colts suddenly have a very deep wide receiving core as well with Andre Johnson and Phillip Dorsett joining Indy during the offseason. The defense probably still needs some work but with the Patriots weakened, this is my pick to win the AFC.

3. Seattle Seahawks
This is supposed to be the year that the Seahawks finally let Russell Wilson loose. He has more weapons than ever, thanks to the arrival of Jimmy Graham. The offensive line might take a little bit of figuring out with Pro Bowl center Max Unger gone but this defense looks just about as strong as it ever did. Seattle is still going to be very hard to beat.

4. Dallas Cowboys
If they still had DeMarco Murray, they might be number one. The Cowboys defense isn’t perfect but adding Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory will improve it and might even push it to the territory of above average. Tony Romo is thankful to keep Dez Bryant around and Bryant is thankful he finally got paid. Dallas should win the NFC East again and make some noise in the playoffs.

5. New England Patriots
Without Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork or Tom Brady for the first four games, the Patriots are going to struggle. Even after Brady returns, this team is going to have to find a way to generate a lot of points to make up for the weak defense. They remain at five because they are the raining Super Bowl Champions but this team is going to slide a bit if they can’t get on track.

6. Denver Broncos
There are a lot of question marks surrounding this team. The biggest one is how well will Peyton Manning perform. I think this Broncos offense is going to dip some but due to the losses of Julius Thomas, Manny Rivera and Wes Welker rather than Manning’s declining play. Denver is certainly not a lock to win the West this year.

7. Arizona Cardinals
If Carson Palmer returns to pre-surgery form, the Cardinals could very well be the team to beat in the NFC West. Arizona went 11-5 last season despite playing with either their second or third string quarterback under center for 10 out of their 16 games. With Palmer, they were undefeated. Oh and they had the fourth best scoring defense. This is a complete team.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will struggle without LeVeon Bell in the lineup. Plain and simple. However, with those two games coming against the Bradyless Patriots and the reeling San Francisco 49ers. Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger should be more than enough to beat those two teams.

9. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals will challenge Pittsburgh again for the division. They will also probably end up as one of the wildcards from the AFC. And then they will almost definitely find a way to blow it in the wildcard game. If the Bengals bow out of the first round yet again, expect a new coach in Cincy.

10. San Diego Chargers
Melvin Gordon could be the missing piece in San Diego. Phillip Rivers is in a contract year too so he will be hard pressed to put up good numbers. The Chargers pair they vamped up offense with a defense that ranked in the top ten last season for yards allowed. They should challenge Denver for the division crown.

11. Kansas City Chiefs
Maybe I am over estimating the talent in the AFC West this season but the Chiefs have a vastly improved secondary after getting Eric Berry back and drafting Marcus Peters. Jamaal Charles will still be the workhorse but Jeremy Maclin definitely improves this passing attack and should catch at least one touchdown this season.

12. Philadelphia Eagles
Definitely the toughest team to figure out by a landslide. This Eagles team could be a Super Bowl contender or a basement dweller. No one is quite sure. Losing McCoy and Maclin definitely hurt what was a talented Eagles offense. The jury is still out on the health of DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford as well.

13. Minnesota Vikings
I think a lot of people are sleeping on the Vikings this year. They are loaded up at skill positions and Teddy Bridgewater is the reigning Rookie of the Year. The defense was solid but needed some help when it came to stopping the run. Spending their first three picks on defense showed the Vikings were ready to address the problem. They should be a Wild Card team in the NFC.

14. Miami Dolphins
Miami is right on the cusp of being a good team. Ndomakung Suh immediately improves a Dolphin run defense that ranked 24th last season. Once Devante Parker is healthy, Ryan Tannehill is going to have some weapons to work with as well. Miami could sneak into the Wild Card picture by season’s end.

15. Detroit Lions
You can’t pretend that the loses of Nick Fairley and the aforementioned Suh won’t really hurt the Lions rush defense. Matthew is still not an elite quarterback either. Stafford’s record against teams that finish with winning records is 3-24 over the last four years. Tells you all you need to know.

16. Baltimore Ravens
Short and sweet, I am not a huge fan of the 2015 Ravens. Breshad Perriman cannot replace Torry Smith nor can Timmy Jernigan replace Haloti Ngata. This team is going to struggle to throw the ball with Steve Smith Sr. as the only proven receiver on the roster. And he’s 36.

17. Carolina Panthers
This division should be marginally better than it was a year ago, but still not good. And the Panthers should still win it. The defense looks solid and Cam Newton has a good rapport with Kelvin Benjamin. That offensive line is shaky at best thought. Newton could be in for a long year.

18. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are going to look very different from last season. C.J. Spiller is gone in favor of LeSean McCoy. Matt Cassell takes over Kyle Orton’s role. Kiko Alonso is now an Eagle. And Rex Ryan is now calling the shots. The Bills are one of those teams that, if they had a quarterback, they would be really good.

19. New York Giants
Injuries once again plague the Giants and the season hasn’t even begun yet. Will Beatty will miss most of this season with a torn pectoral muscle. That means Ereck Flowers will be thrown into the starting role. Having a rookie left tackle protecting Eli Manning’s blindside is not comforting.

20. Houston Texans
Like the Bills, the Texans have just about all of the pieces in place, except for at quarterback. They at least have a group with some promise. It will be interesting to see how the franchise fares with Andre Johnson though. A lot is riding on DeAndre Hopkins being a true number one receiver.

21. New York Jets
Probably the only team in the league that benefits from having their starting quarterback’s jaw broken. Ryan Fitzpatrick knows the system from his time with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in Buffalo. The Jets could compete this year, or completely fold and go 5-11.

22. Atlanta Falcons
Offense has never been the problem for Atlanta. Still the Falcons bolstered their ground attack with Tevin Colemon. On the other side of the ball, Dan Quinn arrives from Seattle to rejuvenate the league’s worst statistical defense. I think Vic Beasley is a bust (see Gohlson, Vernon for comparison) but only time will tell.

23. New Orleans Saints
Giving Drew Brees more time to throw the ball was a good decision. The Saints need some of their gambles, like C.J. Spiller and Stephone Anthony to pay some immediate dividends if New Orleans has any hope of returning to the playoffs in 2015. It’s a slight chance but with Brees under center you never know.

24. St. Louis Rams
How on Earth the Rams front office convinced the Eagles that Sam Bradford was worth Nick Foles AND draft picks is beyond me. If Foles stays healthy, the Rams could be a sleeper team to challenge for a wild card spot. However, Foles doesn’t have the same targets he did in Philly.

25. Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler is a marked man in Chicago. However, Adam Gase is pretty good at coaching up quarterbacks. With Kevin White and a fully healthy defense, the Bears should improve this season. Based on how tough the division (ok mostly the Packers) look though, it might not be by much.

26. San Francisco 49ers
It’s amazing that just two years ago, this team was a crazy Seattle interception away from being in the Super Bowl for what would have been a second consecutive season. Now, the 49ers are the basement dwellers in the NFC West in terms of talent. This is going to be a long year for the Bay Area football.

27. Cleveland Browns
Yeah I know the Browns almost avoided a losing record and weren’t eliminated from the playoffs until Week 16 but Cleveland is still a mess. After letting Brian Hoyer walk, the Browns found themselves with Josh McCown and the science experiment still known as Johnny Manziel. Pair that with the fact that former quarterback Terrelle Pryor might be Cleveland’s best receiver and you understand why they are ranked where they are.

28. Oakland Raiders
The beginning of the David Carr era was less than stellar but there was some promising moments for the young quarterback. With a real weapon in Amari Cooper and a potential possession receiver in Michael Crabtree, Oakland’s offense could be at least average. Especially with Latavius Murray in the backfield. Watch out for that kid on highlight reels.

29. Washington
This ranking could change very quickly if Washington finally finds a competent quarterback. The running game is there and the defense is starting to come along with some bright young corners and a couple of potentially impactful pass rushers. If RGIII comes close to his 2012 form, Washington will be better this year.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars
Losing your first round pick mere weeks after signing him to a season-ending injury is rough and yet it totally seems to for the Jaguars. With reports Justin Blackmon will never play again, the Jags keep losing out on young talent. However, Blake Bortles seems to be the exception.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
They might have finished with the worst record in football a season ago so the Bucs are already in better shape than a season ago. This team is still lacking in talent but locking down the talented guys they have like Lavonte David is how Tampa needs to continue to rebuild.

32. Tennessee Titans
Without a clear running back or wide receiver set to start for Tennessee the offense will probably struggle. Pair that with the fact that they have a rookie quarterback and it’s almost a guarantee. The defense doesn’t look much better but bringing in Brian Orakpo is a step in the right direction. The Titans probably won’t be leaving the NFL cellar anytime soon though.