ARIZONA CARDINALS

Arizona proved that they can’t win…or at least compete to win without Kyler Murray. His health and presence on the field is paramount to the organization. I’m not saying they’re a playoff team, but he can lead them to that opportunity and maybe win a few games to be in line for the seventh seed. Their schedule’s not promising, and their defense must improve. However, if they can navigate past their pre-bye week schedule, they have a better chance in at least four of their last seven games.

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS

I want to be upset at Washington for getting rid of Sam Howell, but the Jayden Daniels draft pick was smart. He’s a good quarterback with plenty of upside and should elevate the offense with plenty of talent mixed with experience. The downside is their defense. They allowed the most total yards, passing yards, and total points last season. Most is to blame on them, but some of the blame is on the offense for Howell’s 21 turnovers while the offensive line allowed 65 sacks (second-most). The NFC East has questions for the Cowboys and Eagles while the Giants are expected to finish about the same as last season. Most importantly, Washington was the Eagles’ biggest annoyance for the past few seasons. If their defense can take a step forward, the Commanders could find themselves in a surprising position.

DENVER BRONCOS

Since Peyton Manning retired, Denver was on a never-ending search for a quarterback. It could be worse; they could be the Browns. However, Denver’s defense is good across the board, especially their secondary led by Patrick Surtain II. The offense has talent, and their offensive line could be underrated if they improve their pass protection. For the first time since Manning’s retirement, Denver’s likely starting fresh with a rookie quarterback in Week 1. While Bo Nix doesn’t have to be all-worldly out the gate, his starting experience in college could set the tone for the offense along with Sean Payton’s play calls. If Nix doesn’t nix the offense, Denver has advantages that the Raiders and Chargers lack to move up in the standings.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Pittsburgh has an opportunity, but they must do this as early in the season as possible. In the first nine games, they face five teams that have rookie and second year quarterbacks (that includes Penix if he steals Cousin’s Week 1 start). They also face teams with unknowns this season (Chargers, Cowboys, Jets, and Giants). They must dominate those games early before facing Baltimore to start out their all-out AFC North gauntlet with a touch of Eagles and Chiefs. What a wallop of a post-bye week schedule for the Steelers, Russell Wilson, and Justin Fields. But with a healthy playoff-caliber defense, they will be the toughest out even with the NFL’s toughest second half schedule.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Minnesota took a step back last season due to key injuries on offense and lack of production in the run game after Dalvin Cook’s departure (7 total rushing touchdowns without him). They lose Kirk Cousins, Eric Kendricks, and Danielle Hunter, but I doubt things would be much worse for the team. Adding Jerry Tillery, Blake Cashman, and Andrew Van Ginkel to Brian Flores’s defense will maintain this defense’s stability. The offense adds Aaron Jones to improve the run game and Sam Darnold to run the offense while rookie JJ McCarthy develops. Darnold’s given a second chance after playing under Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers as a backup. If he can overcome his turnover struggles that Josh Dobbs and Nick Mullens suffered through last season, the Vikings could shock the NFC North while battling for a wild card spot.