WORST to FIRST: What team (or teams) that finished LAST in their division in 2017 will finish FIRST in 2018?

[Thomas5737]

41 minutes ago, TitanSlim said:

As much as it pains me, if Watson is anything close to last year and they stay relatively healthy, I think the Texans would be my choice. The AFC South should be a dogfight this year though.

It would be much better to be the one great team a bad division but you have to admit with the beating that the AFCS has taken recently it has to feel kind of good to say we have a few potential really good teams. Even if you really dislike the rest of the division, and you should, at least anything you do in that division should be respected by other fan bases, which really doesn't matter as much as playoff appearances but as far as discussions in places like this it has to feel a little good. I'm drunk though so I don't approve of my English or my message  but it sounds good to me right now. Feel a little good? Yeah that seems wrong even intoxicated. But y'all know what I'm saying so I'm good with it. I think I overused "good" in the post. I quoted good though, that was pretty good.

[Buc Ball]

3 hours ago, Thomas5737 said:

You're entitled to your opinion. Yeah, they beat the Jets and Dolphins last year with Fitz but that isn't the same as beating the Saints (0-2 with Winston and Winston/Fitzpatrick) Eagles and Steelers. Everyone counted out the Browns last year and guess what? They were right. I'll sig bet you that they don't start 2-1 and if you win I'll sig anything you want and if I win you don't have to do anything.

We beat the Saints in week 17 in a game they had to win to guarantee the division, so we have confidence that we can beat them. 

On paper, we won’t (and shouldn’t) be favoured in any of those games, but that’s based on last season’s team. That team had no pass rush, a bad secondary and next to no reliable running game. We’ve spent the off-season focusing on those three areas, so if it gels quickly, we’ll sneak up on teams early in the year.

Besides, in 2016 we started 1-3, yet we ended up being in control of our own destiny for a wildcard spot, so an 0-3 start shouldn’t be fatal.

 

[AlNFL19]

13 hours ago, VanS said:

You guys do realize that whenever everyone starts to count a team out like this, they end up surprising everyone?  

Not usually. People counted out NYJ and CLE last year, both sucked. People tend to count teams out for a reason. Sure, a couple will surprise people, but most are being counted out for a reason. We're not talking about the Patriots starting 1-1 and the world collapsing or whatever, this is the Buccaneers with a 35 year old Ryan Fitzpatrick against three teams that finished at least 11-5 last season. 2-1 for them seems highly unlikely to me.

[Soko]

The Buccs aren’t winning their division. 

The Texans easily have the best chance IMO, with the Broncos and Giants behind them.

[DawgX]

I don't think any of them will, but Houston probably has the best chance. If Watson picks things up where he left off, and their defense can stay healthy, then they could be a solid team. I think Jacksonville is still better, but they could take a step back if Bortles struggles and if their defense isn't as dominant as it was last season, although I think it will be.

Denver would be my next choice, although I think their chances are very slim. Their defense should still be pretty good, and they could win some games if Keenum plays like he did last year, which I'm a bit skeptical of. Plus, the Chargers always seem to disappoint, and who knows what will happen with KC with Mahomes at QB. And I'm not sure if Gruden was the right hire for Oakland, although I'm still a big believer in Derek Carr. I think KC or LAC will likely win the division, but it's a division that I'd say is fairly wide open.

[JaguarCrazy2832]

SF and Houston are the obvious answers given their QB situation 

[Crickett]

Chicago Bears  - With a Minnesota team that go so close to the Superbowl and Aaron Rodgers returning to Green Bay, I don't see it.

Cleveland Browns - Not with Tyrod Taylor at QB, potentially no Josh Gordon and Joel Bitonio (maybe?) and Chris Hubbard at offensive tackle. 

Denver Broncos - I think they have a shot if Patrick Mahomes doesn't figure it out at QB in Kansas City. The ChargIRs are supremely talented, but have already gotten started losing star after star. 

Houston Texans - Deshaun Watson proved me wrong.  I didn't expect him to do well in Houston and he did.  But he's a mobile quarterback coming off of a major injury behind the worst offensive line in the NFL.  I'll believe J.J. Watt is the multiple time DPOY and not a shell of his former self when I see it.  So I don't think they are going to do it.

New York Giants - They have the talent to make the playoffs as a wildcard if they can stay healthy.  But the Giants almost never stay healthy, and with a few exceptions, their depth is razor thin everywhere. 

New York Jets - Ahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.  Oh you're serious.  Let me laugh harder.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  No, the Jets do not have a lot of talent on defense.  They have a lot of talent in their secondary and Leonard Williams.  They have depth at quarterback, a woefully underrated receiver corps and mediocre running backs.  Their line sucks, they have no TE's and their front seven can be described as Leonard Williams and friends in a division with the GOAT head coach and GOAT quarterback. 

San Francisco 49ers - I think the 49ers have the best opportunity to go from worst to first.  I thought they made a huge mistake drafting Tremaine Edmunds.  I'll be honest, I still do think that was mistake, but not as much as it would have been had Reuben Foster not been completely exonerated. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They far and away have the best talent of any team on this list.  I loved their draft and aside from Chris Conte, I don't think they have any holes on their roster on paper.  However, questions are still present regarding arguably the two most important people on the Buccaneers team, their starting quarterback and their head coach.  The Bucs have the talent to make the playoffs, but so did the Jaguars in 2016 and that didn't happen until some changes were made. 

[ninjapirate]

i think the texans or 9ers could do it don't like any other teams chances. 

[VanS]

15 hours ago, Thomas5737 said:

You're entitled to your opinion. Yeah, they beat the Jets and Dolphins last year with Fitz but that isn't the same as beating the Saints (0-2 with Winston and Winston/Fitzpatrick) Eagles and Steelers. Everyone counted out the Browns last year and guess what? They were right. I'll sig bet you that they don't start 2-1 and if you win I'll sig anything you want and if I win you don't have to do anything.

There's honestly nothing I'm interesting in putting in your sig.  So why would that bet interest me?

[VanS]

15 hours ago, TitanSlim said:

As much as it pains me, if Watson is anything close to last year and they stay relatively healthy, I think the Texans would be my choice. The AFC South should be a dogfight this year though.

Your Tennessee Titans will win the AFC South this year.  And I believe pretty easily.  They look like the best team in that division.

[VanS]

2 hours ago, AlNFL19 said:

Not usually. People counted out NYJ and CLE last year, both sucked. People tend to count teams out for a reason. Sure, a couple will surprise people, but most are being counted out for a reason. We're not talking about the Patriots starting 1-1 and the world collapsing or whatever, this is the Buccaneers with a 35 year old Ryan Fitzpatrick against three teams that finished at least 11-5 last season. 2-1 for them seems highly unlikely to me.

Only because you are using last season as the prism with which you are looking at this season.  At this time last year, the team nobody saw winning this division was New Orleans and yet the won it.  The team everyone had winning it was the Falcons and they needed to get into the playoffs as a wild card.  Nobody thought the NFC South would have 3 teams in the playoffs and yet it happened.

The Bucs being good in 2018 seems unlikely only because you are using last year as the benchmark.  In the NFL you are only one week away from totally flipping the script on the preseason prognostications.  If the Bucs go into New Orleans and beat the Saints in week 1, then suddenly all that unlikely talk of them starting the season 2-1 disappears.  

 

[TitanSlim]

11 minutes ago, VanS said:

Your Tennessee Titans will win the AFC South this year.  And I believe pretty easily.  They look like the best team in that division.

I certainly hope so.

I could see a case being made for anyone of the Titans, Jags, or Texans winning the division. Someone would have to talk me into the Colts winning the division though.

[AlNFL19]

25 minutes ago, VanS said:

Only because you are using last season as the prism with which you are looking at this season.  At this time last year, the team nobody saw winning this division was New Orleans and yet the won it.  The team everyone had winning it was the Falcons and they needed to get into the playoffs as a wild card.  Nobody thought the NFC South would have 3 teams in the playoffs and yet it happened.

The Bucs being good in 2018 seems unlikely only because you are using last year as the benchmark.  In the NFL you are only one week away from totally flipping the script on the preseason prognostications.  If the Bucs go into New Orleans and beat the Saints in week 1, then suddenly all that unlikely talk of them starting the season 2-1 disappears.  

 

No, it doesn't only seem unlikely to me because of what happened last season. I just don't believe that this roster, led by Ryan Fitzpatrick, can win 2 of 3 against three more talented rosters coached by better coaches.

[Jeezla]

If Watson plays at least 15 games, the Texans win that division, but the Jags should put up a heck of a fight. The Broncos would be my #2 choice if their OL isn't hot garbage. 49ers 3rd choice. They just don't have very good skill position players to make me think the Jimmy G train keeps moving at full steam. George Kittle might be their best weapon this season outside of McKinnon, and the Rams are just too stacked. The other teams will be 8-8 at best and need their QB's to develop. The Giants need theirs to retire because Eli straight up isn't even average anymore.  The Giants are basically the Cowboys/AP Vikings in that they will only go as far as their stud RB's can take them.

[JMG5]

I went with the Texans.