If you’ve read Brad Gagnon’s post on three teams he thinks will get back to the playoffs in 2015, you know those teams can’t get into the postseason unless they knock out teams that were previously in it. So who will fall off this season?
Carolina Panthers: They benefited from one of the worst divisions in the history of football to sneak into the playoffs in 2014. But the other three teams in their division all got better this offseason. Some significantly better. The Panthers were just 5-8-1 with Cam Newton as their starter last season (2-0 with Derek Anderson) and they’ll need much more consistent play from their $100 million quarterback if they want to get better.
Dallas Cowboys: The loss of DeMarco Murray is going to hurt much worse than people realize. Not only is he gone, but he’ll be playing for a division rival with an axe to grind two games a season against them. Unless the Cowboys can find a way to lure Adrian Peterson, they’ll be counting on Darren McFadden to carry the torch. That’s a massive drop off from Murray and it will be felt significantly on offense.
Cincinnati Bengals: It’s just really tough to compete in their division and Andy Dalton continues to struggle down the stretch when it matters. When your division features teams led by Super Bowl champs Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger, having the inferior quarterback puts you at a severe disadvantage.
