2017 NFL division leaders Steelers a lock Rams no sure thing

Wiki Article

2017 NFL division leaders: Steelers a lock, Rams no sure thing Published: Gary Payton II Jersey Nov 08, 2017 at 04:27 AM Gil Brandt This has been a topsy-turvy NFL campaign, but with a solid half-season of action in the books, we have a clearer idea of taking shape. Some divisional races appear to have crystallized to the point that we can more or le s call them now, while others remain decidedly in flux. Below, I've ranked all eight division leaders (per ) according to the likelihood that they will still be in first place when the 2017 regular season comes to an end, naming the top challengers to the most vulnerable front-runners: LOCK 'EM IN TODAY 1) Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2 in the AFC North) There is not a bona fide challenger to the ' supremacy in this division, with the (4-5), (3-5) and (0-8) all floundering. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, is one of just two teams to rank in the top 10 in (No. 10) (No. 5), joining the (who rank ninth in offense and third in defense). also lines up very much in their favor, with all their remaining road games ( , , ) coming against teams with losing records, while they should be the favorites in all five of their remaining home games ( , , , , ). Yes, I like Pittsburgh to win its pivotal Week 15 matchup with New England, which I also expect to decide home-field advantage in the AFC playoffs. 2) Philadelphia Eagles (8-1 in the NFC East) Since the 12-team playoff format was first implemented in 1990, 100 percent (35 of 35) of the teams to start 8-1 have reached the postseason. The are in the top 11 (No. 5) (No. 11), and they've outscored their opponents by 104 points thus far this season, the second-highest mark in the NFL. is having an MVP-caliber campaign, with 23 touchdowns, a 104.1 pa ser rating and an impre sive yards-per-attempt mark of 7.8. General manager Howie Roseman has done a great job adding talent, such as receivers and , and . Some challenging road matchups loom, including games , . And there's the question of how much to ACL and MCL tears will hurt the offense. But the have a 2.5-game lead over the second-place and have already and should at least split their two games with Dallas, the NFC East is theirs for the taking. 3) New England Patriots (6-2 in the AFC East) The have won the AFC East in 14 of the past 16 seasons. With and Bill Belichick at the helm, they seem to be as automatic a lock as you can find. So why are they third? Looking at only, the face obstacles that could be slightly tougher to overcome than those in front of the and . Yes, it would be a shock if anyone else won the division, but the (5-3) and (4-5) better than expected. New England has the unenviable task of playing three road games in a row ( in Week 13, on "Monday Night Football" in Week 14 and in Week 15, with the latter game coming after a short week). And then there's the upcoming two-game stretch of games (against the Raiders), although that does not look as tough as it once did. Finally, the second-place get two more shots against them, although Brady is 26-3 against Buffalo in Moritz Wagner Jersey his career. Those factors make New England more likely to finish out of first place than Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, if only by a hair. WHERE'S THE COMPETITION? 4) Minnesota Vikings (6-2 in the NFC North) The have a two-game lead over Detroit and basically face only the up-and-down as a threat, as the look lost without quarterback (broken collarbone) and the are lacking on offense. Minnesota's is good, giving up just 16.9 points per game. The offense has been OK despite the absences of running back and quarterback , with playing well in Bradford's place, completing 63.9 percent of his pa ses and notching seven scoring to ses (I don't see being more than a backup this season). includes a potentially problematic five-game stretch ( , , , , ). But if the win at least two of those, they should be in good shape, given that they finish with games . Minnesota is the most consistent team in the division, and that will be rewarded with a title. 5) Kansas City Chiefs (6-3 in the AFC West) Back when the were 5-0, it seemed like they would roll to home-field advantage in the playoffs. But they've lost three of their last four and look vulnerable, with the disappointing performances of the and (and the early-season struggles of the 3-5 Chargers) keeping Kansas City in this tier. Veteran QB is still playing very steady ball, but running back has slowed down -- the dynamic rookie has averaged just 48 rushing yards per game over his last four games after putting up 122 yards per contest in the first five games. The ' is also giving up lots of yards -- I think they really mi s safety (ruptured Achilles). The roster is strong, but the team is not playing well right now, which is why Kansas City is a notch below Minnesota. OBSTACLES AHEAD 6) New Orleans Saints (6-2 in the NFC South) After starting 0-2, the won six straight and are now 6-2. Only two other teams have done that before in the era: the 1993 and the 2007 . Both went on to win the . New Orleans' defense has improved dramatically, ranking and after finishing 27th and 31st in those categories last season. Two rookies are starting at defensive back -- and -- and both are playing well. The running game, meanwhile, has been much better; the averaged 94 rushing yards in their first four games and 151.5 in their last four. WATCH OUT FOR: the . Carolina, which already at home, would need to win get some help from Atlanta, which has left. But the do have , and that gives them a legitimate shot in this race. 7) Los Angeles Rams (6-2 in the NFC West) The are averaging 32.9 points per game this season, an increase of 18.9 over 2016's average -- that's the biggest increase from one year to the next by any NFL team since 1960. Interestingly, the next-biggest increase since 1960 was logged by the 1999 , who made a jump of 15.1 points from 1998 -- and went on to win the . and are soaring, with veteran left tackle -- who is four years older than head coach Sean McVay, for whatever that's worth -- proving to be a crucial addition. That said, how this team will perform down the stretch, with that includes games and road contests , remains something of an unknown. WATCH OUT FOR: the . The are currently ahead of Seattle by one game, but statistically, there is very little gap between the teams, as Los Angeles and and the rank fourth on offense and 13th on defense. Where I'd give an edge to the is in experience; this Seattle team has a proven record of succeeding late in the year, with a 34-10 regular-season record in November, December and January since became the starting QB in 2012. Los Angeles, meanwhile, is new to the scene of NFL contenders. Plus, Seattle in Los Angeles. The ahead of them, with just one sub-.500 opponent on the docket (San Francisco ), but the have just two (Houston and San Francisco ). Of course, Seattle must take care of busine s in both remaining games against the , beginning with in Arizona. 8) Tenne see Titans (5-3 in the AFC South) The are in first place by virtue of their -- who are also 5-3 -- in Jacksonville. But they look extremely vulnerable, with , , a point differential of minus-12 and a pedestrian takeaway differential of plus-1. Tenne see also has games . WATCH OUT FOR: the . In contrast to the , the rank in the top 10 on both offense and defense, while quarterback has been playing well. The Jags also have the easiest remaining strength of schedule in the league, with their opponents posting a combined winning percentage of .348. It might come down to the regular-season finale, but even if it doesn't happen until the two teams' , I think Jacksonville will knock the out of first place in the division. I do still see Tenne see as a wild-card team, however. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content Davis Bertans Jersey or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
https://emiliojbre19754.bmswiki.com/4059928/nfl_considering_midnight_madness_event_to_open_training_camps_per_report
Click here Click here