Every year, about half a dozen teams make the NFL playoffs despite failing to do so the previous season. That means that an equal number of teams fail to get back to the postseason. On Tuesday, we gave you three teams that could finally end playoff slumps. Today, three that could fall from grace.
Denver Broncos: They still might have one of the best defenses in football, even without Malik Jackson and Danny Trevathan. But there’s a reason it’s so hard to repeat (nobody has done it since 2004), and it’ll be even harder for Denver without those two guys as well as quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler. It’ll be hard to win twice in a row without elite quarterback play, but winning the division could also be a challenge considering how much better a healthy Chiefs team and a revamped Raiders team should be.
New England Patriots: How much will it hurt if indeed they don’t have Tom Brady for the first quarter of the season? Maybe not a lot, but having to use Jimmy Garoppolo instead of Brady could cost them a win or two. And considering that the Jets, Bills and Dolphins all look strong, it’s fair to wonder if New England’s seven-year reign atop the AFC East is about to come to an end.
Washington Redskins: The ‘Skins have finished either first or last in the NFC East in eight consecutive seasons, and the division hasn’t had a repeat champion in over a decade. With the Giants investing heavily in their defense in the offseason and the healthier Cowboys likely to contend, there’ll be a lot of pressure on Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins to prove he wasn’t a one-hit wonder in 2015.
