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For every team like the New England Patriots, who are always virtual locks to get in the playoffs, there is a fringe postseason franchise stuck in the middle, one that’s on the outside looking in. Below, we take a look at three teams the rest of the league shouldn’t be sleeping on despite missing the playoffs last season (and in a couple cases, a number of seasons).
Tennessee Titans
It’s been almost 10 years since the Titans last found themselves in the playoffs. But, the long road back to the postseason is being paved for the team, which, for the first time since 2011, finished a season with a winning record at 9-7 in 2016.
The buzz for a breakout season for the Titans has risen to the point that sportsbooks are shortening their odds to win the AFC South – solid evidence of how much the public’s perception of the team has improved. Moreover, Football Outsiders has given Tennessee the eighth-best odds to make the playoffs, at 43.0 percent. The optimism could all be traced back to Marcus Mariota and the impressive wheeling and dealing the front office has done over the spring and summer.
Mariota is unquestionably the most important Titan coming into the new season. The dual-threat signal-caller improved his rookie outputs by gathering 3,426 passing yards and 26 touchdowns against nine interceptions last season. He also picked up 349 rushing yards with a couple of scores on the ground.
The fact that Mariota was able to put up remarkable passing numbers in his sophomore year was an feat, given the so-so talent he had at his disposal down the field; the pair of Rishard Matthews and Tajae Sharpe acted as his top two targets. General manager Jon Robinson did a fantastic job of giving the receiving corps a shot in the arm, as the Titans spent a first-round pick on wide receiver Corey Davis and snagged Eric Decker in free agency. These additions should lighten the load on the Titans’ backfield, which is led by a 29-year-old DeMarco Murray and reinforced by second-year running back Derrick Henry, making the offense more unpredictable for opponents.
A better passing game should translate to more red zone opportunities for the Titans. This is not exactly a comforting thought for opposing defensive coordinators, as the Titans were tops in 2016 in red zone touchdown scoring percentage. And by the way, Mariota hasn’t thrown a red zone pick since turning pro.
A stout pass rush (Tennessee had 40 sacks last season) and a schedule projected to be one of the easiest in the league are just two more reasons to keep your expectations high on Mariota and the rest of the Titans.
Washington Redskins
For all the drama that Kirk Cousins and his contract negotiation have brought to the Redskins, Washington still has a solid quarterback to work with. Having secured Cousins for one more season, the Redskins don’t have to go through the infuriating offseason process of deliberating who plays under center once Week 1 of the regular season rolls around.
Despite getting embroiled often in internal turmoil, there are seasons in which the Redskins seem to be treading the path to the playoffs. This year has the potential to be one – notwithstanding the controversial firing of general Scot McCloughan back in March – with Cousins leading Washington’s offense again.
Last season, Cousins torched the air for 4,917 passing yards with 25 touchdowns, leading the Redskins to the 11th best scoring offense (24.8 points per game) and third best total offense (403.4 total yards per contest).
There are major concerns on whether the Redskins can duplicate their lethal form on through the air from a year ago. For one, their top two receivers last season, DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon, are both gone. But the arrival of Terrelle Pryor should cover a big part of the void downfield.
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Pryor proved himself as a capable wide receiver in the league in 2016, when he collected 1,007 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 77 receptions despite playing for the football equivalent of a wasteland in the Cleveland Browns. He'll be able to post better numbers now that he’s done catching passes from the Cody Kesler's and the Charlie Whitehurst's of the world.
Pryor will be complemented by second-year pro Josh Doctson, whose role is in line to expand significantly following a rookie season in which he was only targeted seven times. The upside is still definitely there for Doctson, who should thrive playing for a pass-heavy team such as the Redskins.
The Redskins had 62.44 percent of their plays executed via air last season, eighth in the NFL. And we're not forgetting Jordan Reed, who remains as one of the best tight ends out there today. The addition of fourth-round pick Samaje Perine to the backfield, however, should increase the role of the running game after a season where the Redskins were just 20th in rushing yards per game, with 106.0.
The Redskins also spent their first three picks in the 2017 NFL Draft on defensive pieces to shore up the saggy stop unit that ranked 28th in total defense a year ago. First rounder Jonathan Allen lends the pass rush a hand, while Fabian Moreau could find his way partnering with Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like his fellow Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston will have shiny new toys to throw at, perhaps none bigger than veteran wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who gives Tampa Bay a legitimate deep-field threat. Jackson should also ease some pressure off Mike Evans, who was essentially the only consistent customer of Winston’s heaves last year.
Evans had 1,321 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns on 123 targets, 94 more than the second targeted receiver in tight end Cameron Brate. Speaking of tight ends, the Bucs got a steal in O.J. Howard, who was selected 19th overall by Tampa in the draft.
Winston passed for over 4,000 yards last season with 28 touchdowns, but he had 18 interceptions partly because of the Bucs’ lack of variety in targets. Evans is likely going to see fewer double team coverages with Winston getting more options, so it's reasonable to expect Tampa Bay’s offense to soar.
Over in the backfield, Doug Martin’s absence for the first three weeks of the season could be a blessing in disguise should Jacquizz Rodgers rise to the occasion and emerge as a quality starter. If so, the Bucs could have one of the best backfield tandems in the league by the time Martin makes his way back to the turf.
The addition of Chris Baker via free agency is a great assist to the Bucs’ defense, which is now pressured to deliver with all the leaps made by the offense this offseason. Baker had a total of 9.5 sacks in his last two seasons for Washington before coming over to Tampa Bay. He’ll be teaming up with Gerald McCoy, who paced the team last season with 7.0 sacks.
Getting beyond the regular season hasn’t been easy for Winston during his first two years in the NFL, but with a rich offseason haul by Tampa Bay, the postseason is not that much of a dreamland for the Bucs anymore.
