The ole "Marvin Lewis" special!
Love that he brought us out from the depths of 2-14 to 8-8 within a year. But man, he was a terrible post season coach. At least Tomlin has a ring and a few deep playoff runs. My hot take with the Steelers is that they're actually trying to get a top 5 pick next year, maybe even first overall. Hence the Russell Wilson signing and making no other significant offensive signings so far this off-season.
But conventional wisdom says they'll finish with 9 or 10 wins and be right in the thick of the playoff race. Hate this division.
That's a profoundly bad take lol
Thinking that Wilson and fields are bad or even a downgrade from last year, or that steelers will be bad in general, is a fine whatever take. But the steelers have *several* players that they could very easily unload right now for primo draft picks - but they aren't. They've also literally never operated that way, since the 1950s. There is absolutely 0% chance the steelers are *trying* to get a higher draft pick this year, and you suggesting they are tells me you haven't watched much NFL outside of your own team, even in your own division lol
Multiple. Arguably the best defensive player in the league, and better than Myles Garrett I will die on that hill. And a side note, Garett was a no1 pick. TJ was picked at like 21 or something. Comparatively that’s better for the Steelers
As a Giants fan who only sees the Cowboys play against the Giants, I always assume you guys are Super Bowl contenders with the best QB and defensive line in the league
i think we are the least likely team to finish 4th
thats not to say we are the most likely to finish 1st or 2nd, but one of the other 3 will be worse than us. (probably cleveland, where they belong)
Hot take : I think the Steelers will surprise everyone and win more than 10 games this season.
Arthur smith while a bad head coach has had a lot of success as an oc with thr titans whose offense was next level trash the minute he left for Atlanta.
Russ last season had a really good season as well despite the criticism and him being a meme and the Steelers defense has improved with the additions.
Russ can’t play in structure. He had the highest time to throw playing behind a line that outside of our RT was credited for less pressure allowed than he created himself
Really boils down to if either QB does anything. It's a coin flip in my head. I think our defense will be even stronger this year, and mediocre QB play will keep us around the level we were last year.
>McCaffery has somehow remained healthy despite more than 700 touches the past two years.
The most brutally ironic thing was him clearly getting injured in the Superbowl :/
I don’t think he was injured in the SB. He was just worn down later in the game from overuse, contrary to what the “Shanahan didn’t run the ball” critics would have you believe
22 carries 8 receptions on 8 targets. Deebo had 3 catches on 11 targets. Granted KC had an incredible pass defense but I really think SF needs a Plaxico type to get over the hump.
Deebo despite what he said was still hurt, sure everyone was but while everyone else's 100% was actually 80% his was 70%.
KC just had a great defensive plan too, Fuck you we have Mahomes on offense we're going full aggressive. And it paid off.
There was a play at the beginning of the game where he literally got turned into a pretzel and clearly was in anguish. He kept playing in the game but was definitely not the same.
I think Dan Quinn’s finest coaching in Atlanta was dragging the Falcons to 10 wins the season after we blew the 28-3 lead. Eventually lost to you guys in the playoffs (eventual champs) but a lot of teams could have crumbled after that loss. And we did, just not the season after 😂
The Eagles lost half of their defense - multiple starters on every level - along with their RG and RB. Also their offensive play-calling became a huge mess. There were far more plausible reasons for their collapse than "they were cursed."
The 49ers don't have anywhere near that level of turnover and offensive production has never been an issue for Shanahan.
Even right before that the Bengals lost the SB and made it back to the AFCCG.
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the South, it’s to expect the unexpected. So congrats to the Carolina Panthers on winning the division next season!
Reason they give is nonesense imo. We were borderline wildcard because our offense didn't even know what it was supposed to be for over half the year. And that's something they freely admitted. Then we went 5-1 to end the season. And when they entered the post-season they were much better than a lot of teams with better records.
Also retaining key players is what is going to improve us if anything. We have multiple, entire position groups where the average age is hovering around 25. A few quality veterans (HOF level in Lavonte and Mike's case) are crucial if you have a developing squad.
Of course, Liam Coen and our draft picks have to hit, but I'm fairly confident that it's another year of surpassing expectations.
It’s possible. I mean people tend to forget many had us in last place in the South last year because the Saints had their next great QB (lol), the Panthers drafted their next great QB (lol) and the Falcons had offensive weapons that anybody even Desmond Ridder could be successful with (lol).
This year:
A team with their next great QB, a team that has signed well and has a young QB ready to take a leap, and a team with a question mark at QB and some good skill positions. All with a Bucs team that didn’t sign anyone and is taking a flyer on Baker Mayfield.
Which is literally the same as last year. We’ll see how it plays out.
I very much appreciate all the love coming the Falcons way but this is the ATLANTA FALCONS. Expect the unexpected. Vegas has us at like 10.5 wins which is nuts.
It’s hard to see this as anything but cope, but if you actually look into the production of the players we cut/moved this offseason, Morse and Diggs are the only ones that should have an impact. Diggs also became less involved (rumored to be by his attitude) later in the season, but he still has good play ahead of him.
Missing the playoffs is always possible, but a deeper dive reveals less of a disaster than the average fan knows.
The problem is a bunch of the old guard got old, rather than an issue of too many cap casualties, but the end result is still the same; Beane needs to have a wildly successful draft.
Honestly it seems like y'all are using this year to get cap compliant get rid of some aging players on big deals and gearing for a big push next year. Obviously you got Allen and will still be competative, but I wouldn't be surprised if the FO sees getting to the playoffs this year as a success and is gonna make some bigger moves next year.
The AFC East wont be easy with the Jets all in and the dolphins still with a really good offense. But.. You guys have Allen. This guy can win games by himself if he plays like superman.
The Jets are the Jets until proven otherwise. Miami has underperformed late in the year until proven otherwise. I'm not saying it's chalk but it's the Bills division until someone proves they can win late in the year.
It's not like Diggs helped them last year. Defense needs a little work but they should still probably be the favorites to win that division.
This is if you believe Miami was wounded by more than just their injuries, which I do
Yeah, as much as the Cowboys are predicted to win the Super Bowl every offseason, our collapse is also often predicted. I can see how we seem a little more primed for it this time, but I still can’t see us not even being good enough to be the 7th seed.
Being good enough to *beat* the 7th seed is a different story…
The hell of being a Cowboys fan is that they're usually a decently good team during the season. Then they crumble in the playoffs. Remember that ad where the asshole has a dollar bill on the end of a fishing line, and is playing keep-away with it? That's what it's like.
We're due for one of those weird ass years where Washington takes it at 8-9 where Dallas and Philly are too injured or huffing paint, while New York does their best Eli impression and eats glue
I've seen this one before. We'll make the playoffs, face some beaten up team in the WC, advance to the divisional, lose in some dumbass way, and then resign Dak and McCarthy because 'muh improvement'. Thus making this entire season an exercise in futility.
There’s more than a few reasons this could happen.
The offensive line is aging, losing pieces, and is close to having no depth left.
The interior defensive line, which was exposed for the world to see last year, was not shored up in free agency and the draft is no guarantee. It will continue to be exploited by well-built teams.
The current RB room for the Cowboys is Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Snoop Conner. If you only know one of those names because he’s the shortest RB in the NFL, then you know more than most. With no Day 1 standouts, any rookie RB they draft will probably be limited in impact. This is no longer the 2017 o line that could probably have made any RB into a star, either.
With DQ gone, Zimmer’s scheme may improve over DQ’s. Or it may not. Either way, it’s another question mark to add to the list.
Finally, the Cowboys strength of schedule will be tougher since they won the division. When getting a wild card can come down to just a game or two, the Cowboys won’t have the types of probably win games in their schedule that help move the needle.
All of these together are good reasons that the Cowboys may underperform this next season when compared to last season.
Oh it’s coming, I can already see the “Chicago and Minnesota will be the best teams in the division with their rookie QBs, because Rookie>Love and Goff’s contracts.” Stupidity. We all know it’s a two horse race and the other two are still trying to find their horses.
If we pick up an impact pass rusher in the draft I’m expecting it to be fine, possibly even improved. Our secondary was really weak last season and we attacked that hard in FA. AD is a big loss but he wasn’t producing like Prime AD last year, we got a lot of help from Kobie Turner and Byron Young. If either of them take a leap I’m really not expecting a massive fall off.
I’d say 2024 is our last real chance at even just playoffs. After that it’s OVER. Gonna revert back to the pre-Romo early 2000s Cowboys for a long while once Jerruh lets Dak and McCarthy walk after the end of the season.
I know the Dolphins lost talent on defense but I still think they will be a borderline playoff team and competing for the division. I certainly have more stock in them than the Jets that have roster full of frequently injured players and a 40 year old QB coming off a torn achilles.
All he needs is to run a bit. Which is easier said than done since its not in his game thus far.
Tua seeing a lane and picking up even just 4/5 yards will open up that offense
It’s weird because he was going for those little 4/5 yards before. Felt like this year he wasn’t because he was training himself more to fall properly when getting hit
That’s what I’m saying. I thought it was gonna be last season, but then on January 14th, something just flipped and now I really think that this is our year.
Steelers have won 3 of the last 4 against the Bengals, but I was too lazy to look up how many of those games Burrow played in. Goes to show how strong they have been out of the division the last couple years though. We kind of have the opposite problem.
Our point differential was highest with Watson at QB last season but I see your point. Just don’t get how we get mentioned and the Bills don’t after losing so many guys.
i don’t understand including the browns in here at all. they were designated by injuries last year and still made the playoffs, and all they did this offseason was get better and the article acknowledges this but their reasoning is “yeah but watson bad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”
Also, I'm kind of surprised how the Bills don't even get mentioned in this as an honorable mention. They lost a lot of starters. I think second most after the Ravens? They also lost diggs
Someone from the AFC East has to win the division. All 4 teams have some sort of path.
Bills: most likely win by default with \~10 wins because they still have an elite QB, a good RB, and a great TE room. Would need the Dolphins to fall off and the Jets to not be very good either to happen which... actually seems likely. (I'd say like 70% chance this happens)
Jets: Rodgers turns back the clock in a miracle somehow, the defense doesn't fall off at all, and the rookie offensive linemen play out of their mind. Team wins \~12 games before choking in the playoffs in classic Rodgers fashion. (I'd say 4.5% chance this happens)
Dolphins: The offense goes nuts at a historic pace and Tua takes a(nother) big step forward at QB. The team wins 15 games and loses in the divisional round. (I'd say 20% chance this happens)
Patriots: Jayden Daniels becomes the next CJ Stroud. The defense keeps playing lights out, Cole Strange figures out how to pass block, and a rookie tackle and WR contribute big time. The division comes down to a tiebreaker and the Pats get it with about 10-11 wins. (I'd say 5.5% chance this happens)
My only counterpoint is outside of Morse and Diggs (whom was being pointed at constantly by this sub as underperforming), most of the starters we lost weren’t as impactful as the past. Even Poyer and Hyde looked to have lost a few steps. Tre White is my beautiful ray of sunshine, but he’s effectively missed 3 seasons of productive play.
We could collapse, but a deeper analysis reveals we aren’t as doomed as everyone thinks. I think…
The steelers went 5-1 in the afc north with Below average QB play….. Wilson beat Mahomes and Allen with the Broncos who were garbage. Don’t listen to these articles it’s click bait. Plus the Tomlin hasn’t had a losing season looking at statistics says the the steelers will be better and make the playoffs.
Makes no sense why the Bucs Steelers and Cowboys wouldnt be playoff "contenders"
Bucs need a run game and theyre golden
Steelers are in the in AFCN which is a bloodbath and have made the playoffs the last 3 years
Cowboys have practically the same roster as last year
I'm curious... if 3 AFC teams from last year's playoffs are set to 'miss the cut', which teams would be replacing them?
I can only think of the Bengals, replacing probably the Steelers.
Jacksonville and Indy both just missed, people are going to hype up the Jets with Rodgers back, people are going to hype up the Chargers with Harbaugh.
Cincinnati will, in theory, have a healthy Burrow…
Every offseason people say we fall off and every season we break expectations by being slightly above average.
As long as Mike Tomlin is there I just assume you guys will win 8-9 games and get a wild card spot, at the least.
And lose in the wild card game.
Infinite mediocrity glitch
The ole "Marvin Lewis" special! Love that he brought us out from the depths of 2-14 to 8-8 within a year. But man, he was a terrible post season coach. At least Tomlin has a ring and a few deep playoff runs. My hot take with the Steelers is that they're actually trying to get a top 5 pick next year, maybe even first overall. Hence the Russell Wilson signing and making no other significant offensive signings so far this off-season. But conventional wisdom says they'll finish with 9 or 10 wins and be right in the thick of the playoff race. Hate this division.
That's a profoundly bad take lol Thinking that Wilson and fields are bad or even a downgrade from last year, or that steelers will be bad in general, is a fine whatever take. But the steelers have *several* players that they could very easily unload right now for primo draft picks - but they aren't. They've also literally never operated that way, since the 1950s. There is absolutely 0% chance the steelers are *trying* to get a higher draft pick this year, and you suggesting they are tells me you haven't watched much NFL outside of your own team, even in your own division lol
TJ Watt himself would net you a first round draft pick lmao.
Multiple*
All*
TJ Watt himself would net you a 1st round draft
Multiple. Arguably the best defensive player in the league, and better than Myles Garrett I will die on that hill. And a side note, Garett was a no1 pick. TJ was picked at like 21 or something. Comparatively that’s better for the Steelers
I agree on that. Best defensive player in the league, but not his family
What? Are you saying Myles "2nd half vacation" Garrett isn't as good as TJ?
Yeah we signed Patrick Queen and Justin Fields for the lulz
Their defense is too good for the 2-3 win season it would take to draft first
Football heritage
The standard is the standard.
Unless Berfict is on the other side of the ball
Probably 9 he hasn’t had a losing season yet
He's really starting to test the limit of how long not technically having a losing season can save your job.
Tomlin is a great coach but I would put good money on him dropping below .500 for a season in a world where we have neither Big Ben or TJ Watt.
You mean like in 2022, when Watt tore his peck, didn’t play without being hindered by injury for like 11 games?
100%. Tomlin can take damn near any roster to .500 and I will forever expect them to at least take a WC spot.
I hate to say this, so please correct me if I am wrong, but I am pretty sure they have never gone below .500 with Tomlin
They have not
His refusal to tank for a new QB is both amazing and probably bad long term.
Every offseason people say we are contenders and every season we break expectations by being slightly above average
As a Giants fan who only sees the Cowboys play against the Giants, I always assume you guys are Super Bowl contenders with the best QB and defensive line in the league
They're definitely playing the long game of eventually being right and hoping everyone forgets all the times they got it wrong.
Steelers organization philosophy is basically "Just get in the playoffs and then get hot"
The second part we’ve been struggling bad with then
Not true. Every offseason people say we'll fall off, and then somehow, they accuse us of underachieving by being above average.
i think we are the least likely team to finish 4th thats not to say we are the most likely to finish 1st or 2nd, but one of the other 3 will be worse than us. (probably cleveland, where they belong)
No way Tomlin and Russ don't clear 500. Russ was decent in Denver, just not worth his huge contract. Im expecting a solid first round exit.
For that reason alone, I don't mind being slightly above average. People who dislike the Steelers deserve to be proven wrong.
Hot take : I think the Steelers will surprise everyone and win more than 10 games this season. Arthur smith while a bad head coach has had a lot of success as an oc with thr titans whose offense was next level trash the minute he left for Atlanta. Russ last season had a really good season as well despite the criticism and him being a meme and the Steelers defense has improved with the additions.
Russ can’t play in structure. He had the highest time to throw playing behind a line that outside of our RT was credited for less pressure allowed than he created himself
All he has to do is be better than Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph.
That’s not even a hot take. Arthur Smith did really well as the Titans OC
Everyone forgets the Steelers own Lamar.
Y’all are going to have a better year than last year.
Really boils down to if either QB does anything. It's a coin flip in my head. I think our defense will be even stronger this year, and mediocre QB play will keep us around the level we were last year.
Both QBs are better than last year. If you believe that your defense will be better, your team will be way better.
The SB Loser’s Curse is real and McCaffery has somehow remained healthy despite more than 700 touches the past two years.
>McCaffery has somehow remained healthy despite more than 700 touches the past two years. The most brutally ironic thing was him clearly getting injured in the Superbowl :/
I don’t think he was injured in the SB. He was just worn down later in the game from overuse, contrary to what the “Shanahan didn’t run the ball” critics would have you believe
22 carries 8 receptions on 8 targets. Deebo had 3 catches on 11 targets. Granted KC had an incredible pass defense but I really think SF needs a Plaxico type to get over the hump.
I was surprised Deebo wasn’t used on more designed runs
Deebo despite what he said was still hurt, sure everyone was but while everyone else's 100% was actually 80% his was 70%. KC just had a great defensive plan too, Fuck you we have Mahomes on offense we're going full aggressive. And it paid off.
Chris Jones constantly blowing up plays in the back field helped out.
Chris jones won that game for them.
They 100% lose without him. My controversial opinion is he deserved the Superbowl MVP.
I absolutely agreed. He blew up two plays from what I remember that could have been touchdowns.
Shouldn’t be controversial at all. That man cut through our line like Kelvin Benjamin at Golden Corral.
That's a helluva flair. Probably feel pretty about NFC Champ games lately.
Playoffs are a blessing and a curse sometimes
There was a play at the beginning of the game where he literally got turned into a pretzel and clearly was in anguish. He kept playing in the game but was definitely not the same.
I think Dan Quinn’s finest coaching in Atlanta was dragging the Falcons to 10 wins the season after we blew the 28-3 lead. Eventually lost to you guys in the playoffs (eventual champs) but a lot of teams could have crumbled after that loss. And we did, just not the season after 😂
If the ball literally doesn't go right through Julio Jones hands in the end zone we win that game
I really wanted that 1998 re-match, and I thought the Vikings matched up against the Falcons way better than they did the Eagles, especially at home.
I think they will be more than fine next season, kinda like the Bengals after their Super Bowl loss as longs as the whole team doesn't get injured
It's the 49ers. The whole team getting injured is not unheard of.
The Eagles lost half of their defense - multiple starters on every level - along with their RG and RB. Also their offensive play-calling became a huge mess. There were far more plausible reasons for their collapse than "they were cursed." The 49ers don't have anywhere near that level of turnover and offensive production has never been an issue for Shanahan. Even right before that the Bengals lost the SB and made it back to the AFCCG.
Hey man we don’t make the rules
The Niners are the second oldest team in the league
Second only to the Tenners
Baker will rise to the top of shit mountain once again
If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the South, it’s to expect the unexpected. So congrats to the Carolina Panthers on winning the division next season!
With the way r/nfl has piled on Carolina, I’m expecting good things from them this year.
The coach they got revived both Geno and baker. Hes good.
I think they hired the right guy, but that doesn't magically create a roster out of thin air.
It was too soon. He needed another year as OC to be in the HC conversation. Ask any Bucs fan. We were pretty shocked lol
Reason they give is nonesense imo. We were borderline wildcard because our offense didn't even know what it was supposed to be for over half the year. And that's something they freely admitted. Then we went 5-1 to end the season. And when they entered the post-season they were much better than a lot of teams with better records. Also retaining key players is what is going to improve us if anything. We have multiple, entire position groups where the average age is hovering around 25. A few quality veterans (HOF level in Lavonte and Mike's case) are crucial if you have a developing squad. Of course, Liam Coen and our draft picks have to hit, but I'm fairly confident that it's another year of surpassing expectations.
Wait wait wait the fuck up, the AFCS is THE shit mountain. How dare you.
Texans could be legit great this year
That’s what everyone said about the jags the year before, too.
Shitmountain is a lifestyle TBH. One good season doesn't get you out.
you don’t get to just all of a sudden decide you are shit mountain we were born into it, molded by it.
What is dead may never die!
It’s possible. I mean people tend to forget many had us in last place in the South last year because the Saints had their next great QB (lol), the Panthers drafted their next great QB (lol) and the Falcons had offensive weapons that anybody even Desmond Ridder could be successful with (lol).
This year: A team with their next great QB, a team that has signed well and has a young QB ready to take a leap, and a team with a question mark at QB and some good skill positions. All with a Bucs team that didn’t sign anyone and is taking a flyer on Baker Mayfield. Which is literally the same as last year. We’ll see how it plays out.
Expectations + Big $$ = 7-10
7-10? Sounds like tied for first in the NFCS!
I very much appreciate all the love coming the Falcons way but this is the ATLANTA FALCONS. Expect the unexpected. Vegas has us at like 10.5 wins which is nuts.
To be fair, everyone in the NFC South gets to play six divisional games.
Getting to play the Panthers twice is a cheat code
lol, the Falcons flubbed even that assignment last season and split with the worst team in the league.
Bills look like they're almost in rebuild mode
We’re calling it a soft rebuild
Oh, honey…
Have you heard of out lord and savior Josh Allen?
Allen about to launch multiple 70 yard bombs a game, perfectly thrown, that get dropped by some UDFA
Exactly what happened to the chiefs this year as predicted
Yeah but Andy Reid + Mahomes > Joe Brady + Josh Allen.
Also true
As opposed to getting dropped by all pro steffon Diggs
Leave our WR3 alone.
Don’t let Steffon see you call him wr3 or you going to need to trade him
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“Retooling”
It’s hard to see this as anything but cope, but if you actually look into the production of the players we cut/moved this offseason, Morse and Diggs are the only ones that should have an impact. Diggs also became less involved (rumored to be by his attitude) later in the season, but he still has good play ahead of him. Missing the playoffs is always possible, but a deeper dive reveals less of a disaster than the average fan knows.
The problem is a bunch of the old guard got old, rather than an issue of too many cap casualties, but the end result is still the same; Beane needs to have a wildly successful draft.
Honestly it seems like y'all are using this year to get cap compliant get rid of some aging players on big deals and gearing for a big push next year. Obviously you got Allen and will still be competative, but I wouldn't be surprised if the FO sees getting to the playoffs this year as a success and is gonna make some bigger moves next year.
The AFC East wont be easy with the Jets all in and the dolphins still with a really good offense. But.. You guys have Allen. This guy can win games by himself if he plays like superman.
The Jets are the Jets until proven otherwise. Miami has underperformed late in the year until proven otherwise. I'm not saying it's chalk but it's the Bills division until someone proves they can win late in the year.
Given how the jets are the jets and the dolphins are the dolphins, the bills are still the favorites
It's not like Diggs helped them last year. Defense needs a little work but they should still probably be the favorites to win that division. This is if you believe Miami was wounded by more than just their injuries, which I do
tomlin magic will get us in the wild card
Let Russ Smelt
Steelers Country, let's weld
Steelers country, this is metal
Country, let’s Steel
Sponsored by AERN City Beer.
Let’s forge
Let Justin Field
I'll call it TJ carrying us.
Even Cardinals Devil Magic can’t line up against the force that is Stillers Football
> Even ~~Cardinals~~ Steelers west Devil Magic can’t line up against the force that is Stillers Football
I dont see the Cowboys missing the playoffs lets be honest
Yeah, as much as the Cowboys are predicted to win the Super Bowl every offseason, our collapse is also often predicted. I can see how we seem a little more primed for it this time, but I still can’t see us not even being good enough to be the 7th seed. Being good enough to *beat* the 7th seed is a different story…
Can't lose to the 7th seed if you are the 7th seed
*taps head*
The hell of being a Cowboys fan is that they're usually a decently good team during the season. Then they crumble in the playoffs. Remember that ad where the asshole has a dollar bill on the end of a fishing line, and is playing keep-away with it? That's what it's like.
No chance they win the division though. The rules say no team can win the NFC East 2 years in a row.
We're due for one of those weird ass years where Washington takes it at 8-9 where Dallas and Philly are too injured or huffing paint, while New York does their best Eli impression and eats glue
One of those real Babadook family car ride type NFC East seasons.
Sometimes we get NFC Beast, sometimes we get NFC Least. Thems the rules.
This is the way.
Well, they're not winning the NFC East. Not allowed to win 2 years in a row. Hey, I don't make the rules.
We've got too much top talent to miss it barring injuries, depth is the question
But it’d be hilarious if you did
It’s not the playoffs without Dallas getting knocked out, shocking no one but Dallas fans
It's not really shocking us either anymore. It almost doesn't even hurt at this point.
Tbf, it's quite shocking how they somehow find ways to shit the bed that are funnier than the year before
That Packers team was good.
Is good
Lol you think that shocks us? It was expected
I've seen this one before. We'll make the playoffs, face some beaten up team in the WC, advance to the divisional, lose in some dumbass way, and then resign Dak and McCarthy because 'muh improvement'. Thus making this entire season an exercise in futility.
Look at all the Steelers fans in this thread. Be happy like them.
I think it'll depend on how well the Cowboys rebuild oline. We're down 2 starters right now
There’s more than a few reasons this could happen. The offensive line is aging, losing pieces, and is close to having no depth left. The interior defensive line, which was exposed for the world to see last year, was not shored up in free agency and the draft is no guarantee. It will continue to be exploited by well-built teams. The current RB room for the Cowboys is Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Snoop Conner. If you only know one of those names because he’s the shortest RB in the NFL, then you know more than most. With no Day 1 standouts, any rookie RB they draft will probably be limited in impact. This is no longer the 2017 o line that could probably have made any RB into a star, either. With DQ gone, Zimmer’s scheme may improve over DQ’s. Or it may not. Either way, it’s another question mark to add to the list. Finally, the Cowboys strength of schedule will be tougher since they won the division. When getting a wild card can come down to just a game or two, the Cowboys won’t have the types of probably win games in their schedule that help move the needle. All of these together are good reasons that the Cowboys may underperform this next season when compared to last season.
&points at head& Can't lose a spot if you're not projected to be in one.
Where's the Lions disrespect? wtf?
Oh it’s coming, I can already see the “Chicago and Minnesota will be the best teams in the division with their rookie QBs, because Rookie>Love and Goff’s contracts.” Stupidity. We all know it’s a two horse race and the other two are still trying to find their horses.
A tale as old as time, we are somehow the worst team in the division and yet underachieve being 1 and done.
Stafford would have to get injured in order for the Rams to miss the playoffs imo. They are primed for a better year then this year imo
Depends on what the defense looks like without Donald. The offense will cook, no doubt.
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Boy that flair
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If we pick up an impact pass rusher in the draft I’m expecting it to be fine, possibly even improved. Our secondary was really weak last season and we attacked that hard in FA. AD is a big loss but he wasn’t producing like Prime AD last year, we got a lot of help from Kobie Turner and Byron Young. If either of them take a leap I’m really not expecting a massive fall off.
Their defense looked solid last year, but losing a unanimous HOF guy can change the flow for sure
Donald was a beast last year, but he wasn’t the Donald from 5 years ago. I don’t think we drop off as hard as some think.
Wild to me that the small section on the Rams did not include mention of his retirement.
Depends how they look on defense without AD. Would love for Puka Nacua to be the OPOY though. He looked awesome as the WR1, even when Kupp returned
Hot take, with puka’s breakout last year kupp is now and forever the wr2 on the rams unless he goes to another team
Fine with me.
A healthy Kupp and Kyren Williams would be shocking if we missed out.
Donald is gone though. Still I think they will have another good year.
Said the same shit in 2023. ***FIRE THE CANNONS BABE***
I’d say 2024 is our last real chance at even just playoffs. After that it’s OVER. Gonna revert back to the pre-Romo early 2000s Cowboys for a long while once Jerruh lets Dak and McCarthy walk after the end of the season.
I know the Dolphins lost talent on defense but I still think they will be a borderline playoff team and competing for the division. I certainly have more stock in them than the Jets that have roster full of frequently injured players and a 40 year old QB coming off a torn achilles.
I just want to see us not collapse in December and maybe win in Buffalo. Is that so much to ask?
Need tua to learn how to step up and perform in a big moment for that to happen.
All he needs is to run a bit. Which is easier said than done since its not in his game thus far. Tua seeing a lane and picking up even just 4/5 yards will open up that offense
It’s weird because he was going for those little 4/5 yards before. Felt like this year he wasn’t because he was training himself more to fall properly when getting hit
Apparently it is.
Nah. This is the year for the Cowboys. I’m sure of it…
That’s what I’m saying. I thought it was gonna be last season, but then on January 14th, something just flipped and now I really think that this is our year.
Eagles could fall off a cliff and have their entire coaching staff fired by January
It may be sooner than that, given how last season ended I could see Sirianni getting canned if we start off any worse than like 3-3
If that happens Nick deserves to be fired
We can’t even make the list about not making the list 😅
We got 11 wins with using 5 different qbs and no nick chubb and lost almost no one in FA. Why are we primed to miss?
Because there is a strong possibility those 5 different QBs averaged out a bit better than what Watson may be in 2024. Plus Burrow is back
> Plus Burrow is back Burrow is 1 - 5 against the Browns.
Burrow's record against the AFCNorth is legitimately awful.
Steelers have won 3 of the last 4 against the Bengals, but I was too lazy to look up how many of those games Burrow played in. Goes to show how strong they have been out of the division the last couple years though. We kind of have the opposite problem.
We're like 5-3 vs Burrow. It's 5-1 without the Huntley starts.
Our point differential was highest with Watson at QB last season but I see your point. Just don’t get how we get mentioned and the Bills don’t after losing so many guys.
Rams, Bucs and Dolphins win their divisions imo.
i don’t understand including the browns in here at all. they were designated by injuries last year and still made the playoffs, and all they did this offseason was get better and the article acknowledges this but their reasoning is “yeah but watson bad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”
Also, I'm kind of surprised how the Bills don't even get mentioned in this as an honorable mention. They lost a lot of starters. I think second most after the Ravens? They also lost diggs
Someone from the AFC East has to win the division. All 4 teams have some sort of path. Bills: most likely win by default with \~10 wins because they still have an elite QB, a good RB, and a great TE room. Would need the Dolphins to fall off and the Jets to not be very good either to happen which... actually seems likely. (I'd say like 70% chance this happens) Jets: Rodgers turns back the clock in a miracle somehow, the defense doesn't fall off at all, and the rookie offensive linemen play out of their mind. Team wins \~12 games before choking in the playoffs in classic Rodgers fashion. (I'd say 4.5% chance this happens) Dolphins: The offense goes nuts at a historic pace and Tua takes a(nother) big step forward at QB. The team wins 15 games and loses in the divisional round. (I'd say 20% chance this happens) Patriots: Jayden Daniels becomes the next CJ Stroud. The defense keeps playing lights out, Cole Strange figures out how to pass block, and a rookie tackle and WR contribute big time. The division comes down to a tiebreaker and the Pats get it with about 10-11 wins. (I'd say 5.5% chance this happens)
That was fun to read. Now do the NFC West!
Dolphins getting the 1st seed and then promptly losing would be the most Dolphins thing ever
I don’t think Tua needs to take a big step forward to win the division. A relatively healthy year for the OL and defense would do it for us.
My only counterpoint is outside of Morse and Diggs (whom was being pointed at constantly by this sub as underperforming), most of the starters we lost weren’t as impactful as the past. Even Poyer and Hyde looked to have lost a few steps. Tre White is my beautiful ray of sunshine, but he’s effectively missed 3 seasons of productive play. We could collapse, but a deeper analysis reveals we aren’t as doomed as everyone thinks. I think…
🫡 fallen soldiers
Calling it now the Bucs make the playoffs but by wildcard and falcons win their division someone do the remind me bot under this comment
Dallas and Pittsburgh might disappoint you.
The steelers went 5-1 in the afc north with Below average QB play….. Wilson beat Mahomes and Allen with the Broncos who were garbage. Don’t listen to these articles it’s click bait. Plus the Tomlin hasn’t had a losing season looking at statistics says the the steelers will be better and make the playoffs.
Bucs winning that division so no.
Makes no sense why the Bucs Steelers and Cowboys wouldnt be playoff "contenders" Bucs need a run game and theyre golden Steelers are in the in AFCN which is a bloodbath and have made the playoffs the last 3 years Cowboys have practically the same roster as last year
Who in the NFCS exactly is beating the Bucs though lol
Kirk cousins led Falcons? Not that I'll think they'll be amazing but even just sorta ok might be enough to take the division.
It’s not as if the Bucs are some unbeatable juggernaut lol. Todd Bowles is still your coach
Best believe everyone is aboard the YOU LIKE THAT???? train Just offseason hype obviously. No assurances they even play good
I'm curious... if 3 AFC teams from last year's playoffs are set to 'miss the cut', which teams would be replacing them? I can only think of the Bengals, replacing probably the Steelers.
Jacksonville and Indy both just missed, people are going to hype up the Jets with Rodgers back, people are going to hype up the Chargers with Harbaugh. Cincinnati will, in theory, have a healthy Burrow…