WE’RE NOW LESS than a week away from the start of the 2015 NFL season and though everyone starts the year full of hope, expectation levels may be quite different depending on which team you support.
Here we take a look at four teams who made the playoffs last year but may struggle to do so this season last season.
If your team’s not here, congrats, we’ll deal with them in our full preview of both the AFC and NFC in the next week.
Denver Broncos
2014: 12-4 – 1st in AFC West
Peyton Manning threw 39 touchdown passes last season, but in his final four regular season games, he managed to find the endzone just three times, throwing six interceptions in the same period.
Losing two-time Pro Bowl tight end Julius Thomas and left guard Orlando Franklin in free agency certainly won’t help the ageing Manning nor will the loss of his blindside protector Ryan Clady to an ACL injury.
The front seven on defence remains strong but there are certainly question marks over the Broncos’ secondary. Manning has always been able to outscore opponents before but, at 39, is he falling into the trap of playing one season too many?
Projection: 9-7 season – 3rd in AFC West
Dallas Cowboys
2014: 12-4 – 1st in NFC East
There’s no doubt that Dallas still has the best offensive line in football but, by not replacing DeMarco Murray after his move to Philadelphia, they left themselves in a terrible position at running back.
This means Tony Romo will be forced to throw the ball more which equals less time of possession. The Cowboys were so dominant in winning close games last season because they dominated time of possession. Without that this year, the team could revert to the mean.
Their defence also performed well above expectations last season and, with suspension issues at the start of the season, it’s asking a lot for them to hit those highs again. Which Cowboys will turn up is anyone’s guess, but our money is on the non-playoff reaching mediocre Dallas of the first half of this decade.
Projection: 9-7 — 2nd in NFC East
Carolina Panthers
2014: 7-8-1 – 1st in NFC South
In the Panthers favour, they play in the worst division in football so that obviously has to help. Going against them is a four game stretch in the middle of the season — against the Seahawks, Eagles, Colts and Packers – where they’re almost certainly going to go 0-4.
Adding Michael ‘The Blindside movie guy’ Oher as Cam Newton’s left tackle is not the smartest move in the world either, especially as the Panthers’ QB has lost his one true offensive weapon in Kelvin Benjamin through injury.
Carolina’s defence should still be as strong as it was at the end of last season but the offence’s inability to put enough points on the board to win games will come back to haunt them.
Projection: 6-10 — 3rd in the NFC South
Arizona Cardinals
2014: 11-5 – 2nd in NFC West
To lose one quarterback is unfortunate, to lose two is to end up starting Ryan Lindley in a playoff game the result of which is, obviously, losing. Between them, Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton led the Cardinals to an 11-3 record but even keeping Palmer healthy this year probably won’t be enough to bring Arizona back to the postseason.
The running back position and offensive line is certainly in better shape than it was last year but putting your faith in a 35-year old quarterback coming off a serious knee injury in never ideal.
Their schedule certainly doesn’t help with a run in the middle of the season featuring the Lions (road), Steelers (road), Ravens (home), Seahawks (road) and Bengals (home). They also finish up with the Packers and Seattle at home, all seven of which they could conceivably lose.
Projection: 9-7 — 2nd in the NFC West (this is genuinely a big leap forward)
