The NFL after 14 weeks is a jumbled mess, as just a couple teams are running away with their divisions, but for the most part in a league where parity reigns, it’s just that – a bunch of so-so teams that have been able to win a couple games and stay in the mix for a playoff spot.
Today though we take a look at some of the teams that most felt were going to make an impact in 2016 but just have not. Teams that were supposed to either be at the top of their divisions or at least challenging for a playoff spot.
With that, here’s the shit heap of 2016!
Jacksonville Jaguars
There was a lot of hope for this young team in 2016, with a young stud at quarterback in Blake Bortles, this team in a rather blah AFC South were supposed to either challenge for the South title, or at least be very much in the mix for a wild card. Instead, it looks as if Gus Bradley will be looking for a job on January 2nd, as at 2-11 this team has been awful. Their offense has gone backwards despite a lot of talent, and week in and week out mistakes have killed them, leaving them as a team that will be drafting in the top five in May.
Arizona Cardinals
A team that was a game away from the Super Bowl last year has gone backwards in 2016, with injuries as well as big issues winning road games. They are 1-5 away from the desert, and with Carson Palmer not playing as well as last season, this team sits at 5-7-1, and they look like a team that is nowhere near the caliber of what they were a season ago. David Johnson is doing his job at running back, but other than him, the club doesn’t have that ‘Eye of the Tiger’ from a year ago.
New York Jets
You kind of saw this coming after it took fucking forever for this team to get Ryan Fitzpatrick back under contract, and once they did you knew he wasn’t going to have the type of season he did last year. A season ago this team was a win away from a playoff game, but the inability to stop the pass with an aging Darelle Revis, and also they are giving up way too many big plays. Now there’s word coach Todd Bowles did a poor job in communicating a QB change on Monday night. Bottom line, this team has fallen very much to the back of the pack in the AFC.
Cincinnati Bengals
Last season’s loss to the Steelers in the wild card game in one of the wildest melt downs in NFL history seems to have had a lasting effect on this team. They never caught the fire they did a season ago, and injuries to key players on offense like A.J. Green seem to be holding them back. At 5-7-1 they are still in the mix in the AFC, but would need to win out and then hope for some help to get to the postseason. They still have the two top teams in the division in the Ravens and Steelers to play, but one loss each to these two teams have them very much behind the 8-ball.
Carolina Panthers
Where do we start with a team that was playing in the Super Bowl a season ago? After 14 weeks they are 5-8, and won’t be in the playoffs this season after getting to Super Bowl 50 just months ago. Some say it’s turn about fair play for the way they played a season ago with a chip on their shoulder, and Cam Newton has quickly learned how hard it is to stay great for two straight seasons. Sunday night’s disaster in Seattle just shows again how far this team has gone back in 2016, and maybe a new attitude is most needed for this team to get back in track next year.
