Following the Philadelphia Eagles’ run to their first ever Super Bowl championship in 2017, Sky Sports’ NFL Editor David Currie assesses the teams in contention for the new campaign…
The 2018 NFL season is wide open.
Ahead of kick-off last year, we pondered just who could stop the New England Patriots? Well, the answer proved to be the Philadelphia Eagles, overcoming the Tom Brady and Bill Belichick powered machine in a most memorable of Super Bowl victories in Minnesota.
Philadelphia were ‘literal’ underdogs, carrying that mantra – and a fair few dog masks – with them as they went from worst (in 2016) to first in the NFC East, and even overcame the devastating loss of their starting quarterback Carson Wentz to injury in Week 14.
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Unfancied through the playoffs, despite being the No 1 seed in the NFC, back-up Nick Foles expertly guided Philly past 2016 beaten finalists, the Atlanta Falcons, denied the Minnesota Vikings a home Super Bowl and then bested Brady and co.
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But, now the Eagles are the ones being hunted. There are new underdogs to make their way in 2018, but who are they?
Philadelphia and the Jacksonville Jaguars went under the radar last year, streaking all the way to the Conference Championships having propped up their divisions previously. So, is there anyone from the New York Giants, and Jets, Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and winless Cleveland Browns (don’t laugh) capable of a similar leap?
The Giants are sure to bounce back from a horrendous 3-13 record, courtesy of a new head coach, Pat Shurmur replacing the hapless Ben McAdoo, superstar receiver Odell Beckham Jr returning from the injury that sidelined him for most of 2017 and the addition of No 1 running back in the draft, the explosive Saquon Barkley.
The Texans too stand to benefit from the return to fitness of offensive and defensive leaders, Deshaun Watson and J.J. Watt, respectively, while the Bears are a trendy pick. Chicago QB Mitch Trubisky’s development stretches into a second year, aided by extra offensive weapons, including Allen Robinson – an exciting addition from the Jags – while their defense has got exponentially better (and more expensive) with the blockbuster trade for edge rusher Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders on the eve of the season.
The 49ers will also be better, as will the Browns – after an 0-16 season, I suppose they cannot exactly get worse – but it is likely a year too early for both, despite huge optimism surrounding their two signal-callers in particular, with Jimmy Garoppolo having guided San Francisco to a 5-0 finish to last season after his arrival from New England and Cleveland selecting Baker Mayfield with the No 1 overall pick in the draft.
Inevitably, questions have arisen since the Super Bowl over whether we are now finally set to witness the end of the Patriots dynasty. Brady is another year older at 41, Belichick was rumoured to be unhappy with the trade of QB heir apparent Garoppolo mid-season and, as is often the case in New England, talent has been lost from the roster in the offseason as well as defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, gone to lead the Detroit Lions.
But, we know better than to write off the Patriots, aiming as they are for a 10th consecutive AFC East division title, a third-straight Super Bowl appearance and ninth from the last 18 seasons – a truly remarkable period of sustained success.
They are still a class above in the AFC, as their track record proves, but the Pittsburgh Steelers – long-time pretenders to the throne – have a roster loaded with talent, carrying the ‘Triple B’ threat of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell for one last year before the latter’s franchise tag runs out and he likely leaves, bringing the trio down to two.
The Jaguars, and their ferocious defense, should be in the mix again after running the Patriots so close in last year’s Championship game, while the Tennessee Titans and Texans could also challenge out of a competitive South division and the Philip Rivers-led Los Angeles Chargers are the dark horse of many.
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As for the NFC, Philadelphia’s supremacy is to again be challenged by the Los Angeles Rams and the Vikings after both 2017 playoff teams made aggressive moves into the market, the Rams bringing in, among others, Brandin Cooks (Patriots), Aqib Talib (Denver Broncos), Marcus Peters (Kansas City Chiefs) and Ndamukong Suh (Miami Dolphins). They should have the run of the NFC West where the Seattle Seahawks, by way of contrast, have suffered from a mass exodus of starters.
Minnesota, meanwhile, won the big battle of offseason, snapping up prized free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins, though their hold on the NFC North is to be hotly contested by the Green Bay Packers. They have the NFL’s richest player in Aaron Rodgers back at quarterback after he was sidelined by a broken collarbone for much of 2017, sustained in the Week 6 meeting with Minnesota which only serves to add to the intrigue as the two teams duke it out this year.
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Set to be similarly competitive, the NFC South, with the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers and Falcons all making the playoffs last year and capable of challenging again over the coming months.
The NFL is famously said to be a league where any team can win on any given Sunday, and the wide open 2018 season is sure to act as no greater example of that.
David Currie’s 2018 NFL predictions
- AFC champs: Pittsburgh Steelers
- NFC champs: Los Angeles Rams
- Dark horses: San Francisco 49ers
- Season MVP: Todd Gurley (Rams)
Watch the first game of the new NFL season as reigning Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles host Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, live on Sky Sports Action from 12.30am on Friday morning.
Follow the 2018-19 NFL season with us on Sky Sports and through our website skysports.com/NFL also our app for mobile devices and iPad, or follow our Twitter account @SkySportsNFL
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