As the 2016 season inches closer, some NFL teams appear poised to continue with their winning ways. Meanwhile, other clubs look to be on course to see a themselves improve a great deal.
Unfortunately on the other side of the ledger, there will be a group of NFL teams that underachieve. That could come in the form of players failing to perform up to par or injuries to said players.
The following five teams could easily fall into the latter category if things don’t bounce the right way for them.
Houston Texans
Despite dealing with a revolving door at the quarterback position, the Texans managed to win nine games and earn the AFC South title a season ago.
This has fans looking for improvement heading into the 2016 season, especially after the team signed a young quarterback and star running back in free agency.
Lamar Miller is bound to enhance a rushing offense that hasn’t been the same since Arian Foster was in good health. So with a solid running game in place and a stellar pass catcher in DeAndre Hopkins set to lead the passing game, what could possibly go wrong?
First off, the Texans are banking on a quarterback in Brock Osweiler who has only seven career starts under his belt. The veteran will face several top-10 defenses this upcoming season, including his former Denver Broncos squad.
Furthermore, the foundation of the team, defensive end, J.J. Watt is reportedly in danger of missing the start of the regular 2016 season. Watt is recuperating from back surgery, which is no easy task. If he is not 100 percent, the team will suffer.
The reality of the situation is as follows. The Texans could easily underachieve as a unit and find themselves fighting for a .500 record.
Projected finish: 7-9
Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has a ton of talent on its roster. And after two consecutive seasons that saw the team improve its product on the field, fans are surely thinking about playoffs in 2016.
Though, many indicators point towards the team going the opposite direction in 2016.
Rex Ryan-led teams have not recorded more than eight wins in any of the five seasons since his former New York Jets squad posted an 11-5 record back in 2010. This is something Ryan himself has to overcome.
On the field, there are a ton of issues at hand, none more so prevalent than the running back position. Buffalo’s pricey investment in LeSean McCoy failed to pay off last season. Dealing with injuries throughout the entire year, McCoy rushed for only 895 yards and three scores in 12 games.
It is possible that McCoy has simply eclipsed his prime. The run game could lag altogether if the team resorts to signing a washed up Reggie Bush as McCoy’s backup.
To make matters even worse, the suspended Karlos Williams isn’t even a lock to make the final 53-man roster after putting up a stellar rookie campaign (more on that here).
Regarding the passing game, Sammy Watkins has struggled to maintain his health during his first two seasons in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Bills are still trying to figure out of Tyrod Taylor is worth a long-term investment (more on that here).
On the opposite end of the field, Buffalo’s defense is adequate, but finished last year with a league-high 113 penalties. Rookie first-round pick Shaq Lawson potentially missing extensive time as a rookie surely won’t help.
Projected finish: 6-10
Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons should be the team in the NFC South that gives the Carolina Panthers a run for their money within the division.
Sporting an offense that features a receiver in Julio Jones that put up 136 receptions for 1,871 yards last season, the Falcons have the talent on that side of the ball to post double-digit wins.
Furthermore, Atlanta has an up-and-coming running back duo in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to keep the ground game competitive and provide balance for Matt Ryan.
Unfortunately, the Falcons didn’t do a whole lot to improve their weaknesses on defense during the offseason. Last year saw this unit ranked dead last in the NFL in sacks. Adding Derrick Shelby (3.5 sacks last year in Miami) to the mix won’t fix this issue.
While the Falcons appear destined to struggle, it might just be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that end up challenging Carolina.
Projected finish: 7-9
Seattle Seahawks
Since drafting quarterback Russell Wilson back in 2012, the Seahawks have made the postseason every year. During that very same span, the team has earned two Super Bowl appearances and a Lombardi trophy.
Yet another double-digit win season and postseason appearance surely is possible here. Though, there are some major concerns on both sides of the ball.
After missing 10 games to injury last season, Marshawn Lynch hung up his cleats. It’s not a coincidence that Seattle earned its fewest wins (10) of the Wilson-Pete Carroll era with Lynch banged up all year.
And while Thomas Rawls proved himself to be a decent replacement as a rookie, he’s coming off a serious late-season foot injury.
Regarding Wilson, can he keep up his level of production? He was the third-most sacked quarterback in the NFL last year. This stat might stay fresh again this year considering the Seahawks have the worst-ranked offensive line in the league, according to Pro Football Focus.
The Seahawks struggled out of the gate last season, going 0-2 to open the regular year. If they get off on the wrong foot again, opposing teams could swoop in and take advantage.
Projected finish: 9-7
Denver Broncos
The Broncos did not lose more than four regular season games in any of the four seasons that former quarterback Peyton Manning was calling the shots.
Now that the team must face life post-Manning, is winning such a high volume of games even a reality? The Broncos defense is quite stellar and will be able to pick the team up like it did last season.
The question here is whether said defense can overcome what might be an equally bad offense. Mark Sanchez, Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch are all competing for the starting quarterback job.
The plan here is to likely hand the ball off to running back C.J. Anderson a whole heck of a lot. Though, as we saw last season, Anderson has proven himself to be an inconsistent force in the backfield.
It will be up to the Broncos’ defense more than ever to play elite-level football. If that doesn’t happen, we could be looking at a substandard season for the team.
Projected finish: 9-7