FAVORITE TEAMS

1) NEW YORK JETS

New York was highly optimistic since Aaron Rodgers was traded there. Then, he goes down with a season-ending injury after four plays of the first drive of the first week of the regular season. Now, they’re a complete dumpster fire for another season. It may have been a long time coming since the Jets failed to address the offensive line during the offseason. I’m sorry, but not being active in that area when trying to protect of one of the best quarterbacks is more of an organization problem. Zach Wilson took plenty of heat, but him and other quarterbacks didn’t make the situation any better. They could bounce back immediately next season once he returns, but the offensive line must improve, or parts of East New York might as well burn down.

2) CINCINNATI BENGALS

Well, the Bengals are ousted after Joe Burrow’s season-ending injury, but it took a while before the inevitability hit. Burrow’s calf injury was a concern to start, but it eventually healed, and things looked optimistic for the Bengals. Then, Burrow’s hand was covered in a wrap which looked suspicious. Maybe it meant nothing, but a lot of people suspected it. Once he sustained it against the Ravens, he was done for the season. Their inevitability was delayed because of Jake Browning’s performance, but it eventually petered out against Pittsburgh on Christmas. The Bengals were a good team with glaring issues. It could be on defense that’s sorely misses Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates or the offensive line despite adding All-Pro tackle Orlando Brown to hopefully shore up everything. The team were able to finish the season above .500 with their one and only AFC North win in a meaningless game against the Browns. They must address those issues next season. Most importantly, if your quarterback’s not 100% by Week 1 and it’s concerning, bench him for the first few weeks. It’s a 17-game season and it’s a long ass stretch. Not worth putting your franchise quarterback at risk.

3) LAS VEGAS RAIDERS

There were issues for Vegas for a good amount of time. No matter how much talent they have, nor the past “success” Jimmy G. had, it didn’t make much of a difference. The problem was the toxicity surrounding Josh McDaniels that may have hurt the locker room. Josh Jacobs, Hunter Renfrow, and Davante Adams’ displeasure towards McDaniels was the writing on the wall. After McDaniels was given the pink slip, the tables turned under Antonio Pierce along with rookie quarterback Aidan O’Connell at the helm. The team played much better under him and won a couple of games that kept their playoff hopes alive before a close loss to the Colts. Overall, the defense was the story of the season. Maxximum Crosby and company dominated for the majority of the season and made points a premium to their opponents. Defeating the Chiefs on Christmas was the highlight of their season. If they don’t retain Antonio Pierce as the new coach, they must hire an offensive-minded head coach or coordinator to improve this offense overall for the sake of Crosby and his defense.

4) LOS ANGELES CHARGERS

The Chargers are talented with a future MVP/Hall of Fame quarterback, experienced and talented receivers led by Keenan Allen, and a workhorse running back in Austin Ekeler. The Bolts’ defense was surrounded with talent including Joey Bosa, Khalil Mack, and Derwin James Jr. This is a great group that could run the table in the AFC West and the conference itself. Well…that didn’t happen. Why? Brandon Staley. Sugarcoat it, make excuses, tell me I’m wrong all you want, but it was Staley himself. He was supposed to elevate this team to a Super Bowl caliber roster, but he failed altogether. Herbert got hurt, the offense wasn’t on, then the defense eventually suffered through injuries and couldn’t hold their own in a few games. This is still a great roster that should run it back next season. The question is…who’s the head coach to lead them and can they manage cap space to retain most of their key players?

5) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

The Jags started out the season 6-2 before the bye. After, they finished the season 3-6 and couldn’t win the game against a vengeful Tennessee Titans. Trevor Lawrence was beat but did his best to play through the pain. Defense underperformed and became a true disappointment. What a big disappointing end as they were highly expected to win the division without much competition. Houston and Tennessee had other ideas this season, and Indianapolis was a win away from stealing it in a Jacksonville loss. While the Jags swept Indy, they went 2-2 against Tennessee and Houston combined. Better luck next year.

6) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Speaking of AFC South teams, Indianapolis had some bad luck in the past four seasons. They lost a thriller to Buffalo in the 2020-2021 playoffs in Philip Rivers’ last season of his career. They lost the last two games the next season after needing just one win to make the playoffs. Jacksonville not only booted them out, but they also Jaguars held the overall 2022 draft pick in the end. Then, Indy was bombarded with injuries last season and couldn’t field an opportunity to return. After everything that happened with Jonathan Taylor during the offseason and Anthony Richardson going down with a season-ending injury, the team still held it together with Gardner Minshew to go on a run. That run eventually ended against Houston in the last week due to first-year coach Shane Steichen’s crucial play call mistake on fourth down. They should compete for the playoffs next season, but this much bad luck doesn’t do them justice…

7) DENVER BRONCOS

The “Let’s Ride” motto started by Russell Wilson came to a disappointing end. Last year was abysmal, and this season wasn’t any better. After an ugly start by the defense, they played their Top 5 caliber football again while overcoming injuries and a couple of turnovers by way of trade, waive, or being released. Unfortunately, the offense didn’t back them up, and Wilson couldn’t get things rolling in Mile High. Tim Patrick’s return is key, but will they keep him after back-to-back season-ending injuries? Also, the run game must be a focal point to be remotely relevant against a tough AFC West. Will Sean Payton commit to Jarrett Stidham moving forward or will they aim for free agency or the draft a QB? We’ll see.

8) TENNESSEE TITANS

The Titans were expected to decline and rebuild. Benching Ryan Tannehill for Will Levis and trading away a few of their key players, including Kevin Byard, made it official. While Will Levis could be the guy, the offense will look completely different. It didn’t matter if DeAndre Hopkins was a key receiver, he was pretty much their ONLY receiver. He led the receiving core in nearly every statistical category by double or triple the amount individually. Defense is still fair, but they need to fill a few holes on that side. Unfortunately, Derrick Henry may have carried his last ball for Tennessee and most likely will go elsewhere next season. What will Tennessee look like next season? Houston, Jacksonville, and Indianapolis are ahead of schedule. However, kudos on the revenge win over the Jags after being eliminated last year by them.

9) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

We all knew it was coming and Patriot fans assumingly knew this too. The AFC East division became too tough for the new-look Patriots to keep up with. Albeit, they did upset the Jets (first meeting) and the Bills (first meeting), the roster’s too sporadic to believe in. The defense is elite, but they suffered some key injuries. The offense was well…the typical offense. Apparently, Mac Jones wasn’t the answer and backup QB Bailey Zappe couldn’t do much to elevate this offense. The offense overall was subpar outside running back Rhamondre Stevenson and possibly tight end Hunter Henry. What will happen with Bill Belichick in the offseason? Patriot fans, you’re now falling on some hard times and won’t do more than compete for the playoffs for a good, few seasons.