Redskins, Ravens lead the list of five teams that could jump into the playoff field in 2018

Every year, the NFL is full of parity – some surprising teams jump and make the playoffs, while several teams that we would never have believed in our wildest dreams could regress and miss the playoffs.

Oddly enough, four of the last 10 Super Bowl winners missed the playoffs the following year, with the Eagles to be determined. Philadelphia was one of the teams that I mentioned as a fallback candidate earlier this week . Judging by my mentions, Eagles fans have abandoned the nickname of the city of Brotherly Love.

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Nevertheless, we are fighting bravely for a group of teams that will make the playoffs in 2018. Last year this was my poorly performing segment – having lost 4 -1 on my teams to miss, I went only 2-3 on the teams to do . I strongly believe that this year will be better because there are a couple of very obvious candidates who should make the playoffs.

Love the list, hate the list or just want to swear to someone? Let me know on Twitter @WillBrinson .

And for a more detailed description of possible playoff teams, take a look at the Pick Six Podcast, which features the former Steelers cornerback and Bryant McFadden, CBS Sports star, and I will choose the five teams that will make the jump. If you subscribe and listen to our NFL daily podcast, we'll be best friends. I do not even joke. Your options for eternal friendship: via iTunes | via Stitcher | via TuneIn | via Google Play

Overview: Everyone knew it was going to happen, right? The Chargers are not only favorites to make the playoffs this year they are also favorites of their division for the first time in a while, and that makes sense. The Chargers have already lost Hunter Henry during the OTA, but they have had a very good season. They added Maurkice Pouncey to what could be the best offensive line ahead of Philip Rivers since LaDainian Tomlinson was there and stole Derwin James with their first-round selection of the repechage. Anthony Lynn has some experience as a head coach. Everyone should be more comfortable.

Why They Will Make the Playoffs : They should not be on this list because they should have made the playoffs last year. Los Angeles finished 9-7 after starting 0-4 and could easily have been 2-2 at worst. The other three defeats were an eight-point loss to New England against the Patriots, a three-point loss to Jacksonville against the Jaguars and a terrible loss to the Chiefs in late December, with Rivers taking over and the Chargers threatening to steal the division away. They are talented at every post – Rivers is still a top-10 quarterback, Melvin Gordon has established himself as a consistent runner out of the backfield, Keenan Allen has shown signs of a major breakthrough in the field. Last year, they are going to put Forrest Lamp back on the offensive line, which already includes Dan Feeney, Russell Okung and Pouncey. Defensively, Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa are the best duo in the league, and James at the back will make this defense studious. If there's ever been a year to take this division, it's now, with the Chiefs in transition to quarterback, the Raiders in transition with their coach and the Broncos trying to figure things out. This should be the year of the Chargers, especially with a mild schedule.

Why they could miss the playoffs : things related to shippers. This team has found a way to flout the right situations before the last 10-15 years. Henry's injury is certainly worrying – Vegas dropped the loaders by about 14-1 to win the Super Bowl at 22-1 after that injury, and he felt mainly like "because they're the chargers "reasons. The defense is very good, but linebackers can have problems, Corey Liuget will miss four games to start the year and Jason Verrett must stay healthy for a full season. Rivers has shown that he can mature physically as a quarterback, but it is possible that he falls completely off a cliff and he is certainly at the age when it could happen. Patrick Mahomes could be great for Kansas City, the Broncos defense could be elite and Jon Gruden could launch the Raiders in another season of 12 wins. It's all on the table but the Chargers have a good way.

Preview : Another obvious option for an obvious reason: Aaron Rodgers. The most physically gifted quarterback Ever lost another hunk of a season in 2017 when he suffered a broken collarbone on his throwing shoulder. The disastrous season has resulted in a significant turnover of staff at all levels. Ted Thompson as GM, Dom Capers as Defensive Coordinator, Alex Van Pelt as QB Coach, Jordy Nelson as Rodgers No. 1 Gun. Brian Guntekunst did a great job during the off season, bringing Mike Pettine as DC and picking up weapons like Jimmy Graham. He also added Muhammad Wilkerson to the defense and recruited Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson to strengthen the defensive battlefield. Overall, it is clear that expectations are there for Green Bay to compete or win the division – if Rodgers is healthy, miss the playoffs would be a huge disappointment.

Why are they going to make the playoffs : Again, Rodgers. He is the most dangerous quarterback of football when he is in good health. Nobody has a higher ceiling. He will be protected by a strong offensive line and has Davante Adams (a flourishing star out), Graham, Randall Cobb and young talent. The racing game needs to be settled, but there are a lot of bodies out there. Defensively, it's the best team the Packers have deployed in recent years. I'm oddly disappointed with the difference that Pettine can make for this team – his defenses were outstanding when he was coaching under Rex Ryan, and his time with the Browns was way better than people thought, in hindsight.

Why They Could Miss The Playoffs : Look back last year if you need evidence on the fact that the Packers are not going into the playoffs. Rodgers has missed a lot of time over the past few years, while he would lose a good part of the season and would still be disappointing, he could actually conjure up "Has Aaron Rodgers gone his first and his injury? " take. Do not sell short media on that one. The defense does not have to be good. I'm on Pettine during the off season, but it could turn quickly if the youngster does not make a leap and the first seven can not put pressure on anyone. The racing game is just kind of a guess at this point, but Aaron Jones is suspended, we do not know how the Packers want to use Ty Montgomery, so Jamaal Williams is a bit of the default guy but without big stats from the last year. If Adams is not up to the bill, the Rodgers receivers will have made a big step back from the Jordy Nelson summit.

Preview : There is commotion around this team because of Joe Flacco, the Super Bowl and quarterback giant who sits in an extremely hot chair. Lamar Jackson's selection in the first round meant the Ravens' long-range plans and perhaps even their short-term plans: if Flacco is bad this year, Jackson can enter the field. He electrified the city of Baltimore, he electrified the Ravens fan base and, frankly, thinking about Jackson running a quick attack is electrifying. Even without Jackson under center, the Ravens have enough time to inflict damage in North AFC. Michael Crabtree, Willie Snead and John Brown are perhaps the best escaped trio that Flacco has had in a few years, which says something (badly about their previous receivers). All of these guys were added during the off season, which is the last offseason of Ozzie Newsome's tenure as GM of the Ravens. There could certainly be a feeling of "Win One For Ozzie" here, which sounds silly, but the Ravens managed to make it work the last time they won a Super Bowl.

Why They Will Make the Playoffs : We spend so much time in 2018 focusing on the position guys, we often lose sight of the fact that football is played, and the Ravens are at bottom of the trenches. They have an offensive offensive line, and it should not be surprising if Orlando Brown – a good football player with terrible combination tests – ends up producing right away. Alex Collins is an underrated rider. Dude plays with his hair on fire. Even if you do not believe that Flacco gets up, there are enough dangerous players in attack to lengthen the peloton and give him a deep weapon. Personally, I do not want to bet against Joe Flacco with his back against the wall. I saw him and he turns into Joe Montana. Defensively, it is one of the top three teams of the DVOA who did not do much to improve in the offseason, but it does not. There is no need to improve. Baltimore cleared three teams last year! It does not sound as good as it should be, but closing three different NFL teams in one season in this passing period is pretty impressive. Four of their seven defeats were from one point, and they were 0-4 in those games. John Harbaugh is a very good coach. They have a sequence of three games on the road at first but win one and they get nine wins.

Why They Could Miss The Playoffs : The whole Flacco-Lamar thing could completely be undone. Flacco has virtually carte blanche in Baltimore to do what he wants, but he knows the situation. He will not be on the Ravens in 2019, unless there is an injury to Jackson. His contract is heavy and Baltimore has just invested in a big quarterback who has been irrationally pushed down drafting boards. The racing game might have a hard time if Collins can not repeat last year 's success and the offensive line is not up to par. It's hard to see the defense being bad in itself, but the Ravens managed to miss the playoffs with an elite defense last year. The difference now is that they have a parachute for the offense if Flacco fights.

preview : The Redskins team last year is considered a poor team with a quarterback in foursome statistics and a dubious defense. But the story could have been very different: no one in the NFL has lost more games than Washington last year, according to the Adjusted Games Lost Game of Football Outsiders, and no one will remember that it's not the same. was a top-5 team against Jonathan Allen fell after five weeks. Spot a brace on the defense line, Da' Ron Payne joining his former mate Crimson Tide in the middle of this defensive line. Washington has also plunged into the repechage of Derrius Guice, the LSU, who could end up being the thief of the repechage if he plays his potential as a cow-bell. Oh yes: they decided to bail out Kirk Cousins, trading for Alex Smith before letting Cousins ​​know his freedom of free agency. The attack has a makeover, but it's not that different.

Why They Will Make the Playoffs : This is not a perfect division for a playoff race, but it's better than the South NFC or the AFC East . The Eagles are the defending champions and could destroy everyone. Or they may have trouble being healthy! Everything is possible in the NFL. The Cowboys do not have to be good this year, and the Giants rely on Eli Manning to get back to form. Washington is a sleeper to steal the NFC East. The attack is better suited to what Jay Gruden wants now – Smith gives them a higher floor than Cousins, and if the offensive line is in good health, I'd bet Guice is easily ahead of 1200 yards. Jamison Crowder was tailor-made for working with a QB like Smith. I've been a fan of Josh Doctson for a few years; It is now time for an escape. Jordan Reed in good health would be icing on the cake. It's just a very weird situation, because the list is consistent despite a ton of turnover. Smith is not the kind of guy to shake things up; he has a limited window on the left and gives them a very good shot to entertain and a thief in this division.

Why they could miss the playoffs : I could totally miss Smith, who bears some similarity Donovan McNabb (an older veteran was selected among the top five, traded by Andy Reid in Washington at the end of his career). Maybe Cousins ​​went to remind everyone of how good he was. The pass-catchers do not need to stay healthy or to be productive – nobody has done it either on this front in recent years. Injuries to the offensive line could be considered a stroke of luck, and this could be a problem. If the defensive line does not stay healthy or does not generate pressure, the back of the defense might have a hard time keeping up. The Cowboys and Giants could be better and the Eagles could make waves. Gruden is – unfairly, I think – on the list of coaches that could be fired by Vegas. If the wheels come off early, D.C. is always ready for a football drama

preview : It's so absurd, having 49ers to nine wins to start the season. It was a team to a victory (1-10) before adding Jimmy Garoppolo and inserting it into the starting lineup. They were horrible. I've been somehow anti-49ers this offseason and now I find myself sort of buying as a sneaky SNF team to make the playoffs. We thank John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan for not sitting on their laurels this season off. They went out and became aggressive in free agency and draft, attacking Jerick McKinnon for a hefty price. If anyone else does it, we might question it, but McKinnon certainly fits what Shanahan wants to do with his demis. Mike McGlinchey in the project gives them a long-term potential replacement for Joe Staley at the left sore. Richard Sherman is the top billing for a defense that feels a year away but can be terrifying if everything clicks.

Why They Will Make the Playoffs : Jimmy G is the Truth and What We Saw Last Year – A Quiet, Cool, Pressure-Raised Signal Call and Playing Baby Brady – continues in 2018. If that's the case, you'd better buy fantastic stock in guys like Marquise Goodwin and George Kittle, because they're going to catch Jimmy G's assists and these are two potential studs. Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner and Solomon Thomas could all reach their cruising pace next year and make this defensive line one of the best in the league. Reuben Foster is suspended for only two games. Sherman, if he is healthy, will have something to prove. Put over / under on his interceptions of Russell Wilson next year at 1.5 and take over. Adrian Colbert is part of Pete Prisco's star team, and by looking at it, you can see why. Too many people know this team, and they could be in a year, but if everything clicks, they will arrive this year and challenge the Rams for the supremacy of the division.

Why they could miss the playoffs : Everything should not click. The league now has a whole season off to watch Jimmy G at his belt, and this could result in a worse performance next year. Its sample size is impossible to replicate on a full-season scale. (Right?) There could be serious growth pains for this offense, even with Shanahan and all these weapons. This is not an elite unit in its own right as in Atlanta, by all means. All these wonderful defensive pieces that we mentioned could take another year to rattle – Thomas was not a major impacter last year, Foster did not stay healthy, Sherman came out of # An Achilles torn and goes to a new plane. The Seahawks and Cardinals could very well be much better than we expected. A late top party for the 49ers is not a free gift.