NFL Contenders and Pretenders By George Marchal & Ben Storch
Now that 5 weeks have passed in the NFL season, it is safe to say that we have a small idea who is a contender for the Super Bowl. This article will have a list of contenders, pretenders, and failures for this season.
Stuck: means the team is in a bad situation and has injury filled rosters
Playoff Failures: means that the team's season isn’t necessarily over but they need to get back on their feet, most likely not in the playoffs
Playoff Contenders: means they might not be Super Bowl contenders, but are in contention for the playoffs
Playoff Pretenders: Probably aren’t ready for the playoffs yet but are starting to look like a playoff team
Alright! Let’s dive in!
AFC East (Avg Win %: 39.175)
Buffalo Bills (4-2): Contenders
The Bills were highly doubted coming into the season after losing star players like Stefon Diggs, Tredavious White, & Jordan Poyer. However, Josh Allen has balled out this season and proved everyone wrong. Khalil Shakir has been a clear WR1 and James Cook has proved he is fit to be a starter. As well as 2nd year tight end Dalton Kincaid playing in the starting positions over Dawson Knox. Curtis Samuel is an impressive route-runner traded from the Commanders, with veteran experience. This team could go really far this year if they continue to play like they have.
Miami Dolphins (2-3): Stuck
The Dolphins were strong contenders at the beginning of the year, but after Tua’s concussion, their season is in question. They have not had a losing record under Mike Mcdaniel until now. Tua is on concussion #3 and there are serious medical concerns with him playing football again. If he does not return, the Dolphins could be a very bad team. Tyler Huntley is decent, but Tyreek Hill isn’t the same without Tua.
New England Patriots (1-5): Playoff Failures
The Patriots are having their first season without Bill Belichick in over 20 years, and they aren’t doing terribly. They have a sneaky defense but the offense is not doing so well. This team is not most likely not going to the playoffs this year, but there is always hope. This year they are focused on developing rookie QB Drake Maye rather than their season record.
New York Jets (2–4): Playoff Pretenders
The Jets are an impressive team. Their defense is very strong and their offense is top 15 in the league, but they are not looking good enough to win the Super Bowl. They should be able to make the playoffs, but it might be a little while until they win a championship. Them having a record of 2-4 is not good for them, but if they get back on track, they could probably make the playoffs. If the division stays in the low competitiveness level, it could be very easy to win it.
TRADE ALERT: Davante Adams is now a New York Jet. He will be a major impact on this team. He played many years with Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay, and now the 2 are back together. WRs Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, and Randall Cobb all played together in Green Bay and are now in New York. The Jets now have 2 WR stars, Adams and Garret Wilson.
AFC North (Avg Win%: 40.85)
Baltimore Ravens (4–2): Contenders
The Ravens are absolutely stacked on the offensive end. Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson is playing well, especially throwing to 2nd year WR Zay Flowers. Derrick Henry is impossible to tackle. After coming off a good win to the Commanders, who led the league in PPG on offense, the Ravens seem to be the team to beat.
Pittsburgh Steelers (4–2): Playoff Contenders
Even though Justin Fields was supposed to be the 2nd string QB to Russel Wilson, he is one of the reasons this team has a winning record. With Justin Fields' ability to run and throw to star WR George Pickens, the Steelers should be tough to beat. They have just snapped a 2 game losing streak, and are looking good for the rest of the season.
Cincinnati Bengals (2–4): Playoff Pretenders
The Bengals are one of the better losing teams. They have had some tough losses to the Chiefs by 1 and to the Ravens in OT, but a team with this much talent, such as Ja'marr Chase, should be doing better than this. In their first game, they lost to the rebuilding New England Patriots, which sort of set the tone for their next few games. In their past couple of seasons, they have started poorly. Unless the Bengals can figure things out and pull together some wins, they won’t stand a chance. It doesn’t help that their division includes the Ravens and Steelers.
Cleveland Browns (1–5): Playoff Failures
This team may be the worst in the NFL right now. They’ve lost their last 4 games, mostly because of how poorly Deshaun Watson has been performing. Many think he should be benched for Jameis Winston. This Cleveland team is pretty talented with Jerry Jeudy and Amari Cooper, but they can’t help the team if the QB is selling.
AFC South (Avg Win %: 42.5)
Houston Texans (5-1): Contenders
The AFC South only has one good team, which is the Houston Texans. Last season was their first in a long time when they made the playoffs, and they are looking to do it again this year. DeMeco Ryans is coaching the team well. The team’s record is an impressive 5-1, only losing to the undefeated Vikings. Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud is continuing to perform very well, especially because of WR Stefon Diggs acquired from the Bills, and WR Nico Collins. Even though C.J. Stroud went to Ohio State and Nico Collins went to Michigan, the 2 players from rival colleges are connecting really well. I see the Texans as division dominators.
Indianapolis Colts (3-3): Stuck
The chances of the Colts winning their division are very low, but if Anthony Richardson gets healthy, we could see a good team. He hasn’t played much, but could lead the team to some success in the following years. Jonathan Taylor is also injured, so the offense won’t be able to perform as well unless Joe Flacco plays better. WR Michael Pittman Jr. is a key to this injured offense. Overall, the Colts are the second best team in the AFC South.
Tennessee Titans (1-4): Playoff Failures
The Titans have gotten worse in these past few years. They used to be a playoff contender with Ryan Tanehill, A.J. Brown, and Derrick Henry, but all those players are now gone. Tennessee is currently in the stage of rebuilding, and needs to make many adjustments. If this team wants to have any success, Will Levis needs to perform better. The offense isn’t that bad, including RB Tony Pollard and WR DeAndre Hopkins. Unless the Titans can pull it together, they won’t be attending this year’s postseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5): Playoff Pretenders
In the first 11 games last season, the Jaguars were 8-3, one of the best teams in the AFC. In their last 6 games, the Jaguars went 1-5 and missed the playoffs. The Jaguars have been struggling ever since then, even though they have a decent team. Trevor Lawrence’s best WR is Evan Engram, but everything else needs a bit of rebuilding. The Jaguars need to go back into the good team they were at the start of last season, or things will continue to get bad.
AFC West (Avg Win %: 60.825)
Kansas City Chiefs (5-0): Playoff Contenders
The Chiefs are the team they were expected to be, they are great. Now, they were granted some questionable calls that could’ve heavily affected those games, but they still can perform in big games. The team is probably going to go far in a weak AFC West as well. The Chiefs are good, but it will be hard to do a three-peat.
Los Angeles Chargers (3-2): Playoff Contenders
The Chargers are a mediocre team at best. They are weak on the defensive side and decent on the offensive side. RB JK Dobbins (former Raven) has performed well this season, along with rookie WR Ladd McConkey, but the team isn’t even close to winning a championship any time soon. It wouldn’t be surprising to see them in the playoffs this year though.
Denver Broncos (3-3): Playoff Pretenders
You can’t hate the Broncos anymore. The team looks pretty good with rookie QB Bo Nix and top CB Pat Surtain II, but they aren’t a playoff team. At this point, everyone is kinda rooting for them after a decade of bad luck since their Super Bowl with Peyton Manning. We will have to see what this team does to make a playoff push.
Las Vegas Raiders (2-4): Playoff Failures
There is almost no hope for the Raiders at this point. They traded the clear-cut WR1 Davante Adams, they are struggling to find a solid QB, and they just can’t win big games. The team might need a couple years to solidify themselves as a contender, but for now, they are probably looking at next year's draft.
NFC East (Avg Win %: 52.5)
Dallas Cowboys (3-3): Playoff Failures
The NFC East is an interesting division this year, and the division is at a low point. The Cowboys are an okay team at most. They have some stars, like CeeDee Lamb, Micah Parsons, and Zack Martin, but they are not a Super Bowl caliber team, and they have not been one for a while. A team with this many pro bowlers should not be 3-3. The Cowboys always lose in the playoffs if they do make it anyways, and after a rough start to the year, do not expect much from the team.
New York Giants (2-4): Stuck
The Giants are a very mediocre team. They have played much better since week 2 and have a pretty good defense, but this is not the team that will make the playoffs anytime soon. Rookie WR Malik Nabers has played extremely well so far and is the clear new star for the Giants, but unfortunately, this young rookie is out due to a concussion. That really impacts the Giants’ season. The Giants impressed everyone by taking down a great Seahawks team last week. If this team plays well for a few weeks, they could possibly make their way into the playoffs, despite the loss of their best WR.
Philadelphia Eagles (3-2): Playoff Contenders
The Eagles are interesting this year. They are great and terrible at the same time. The problem is mostly the defense, but the offense is not playing how they are supposed to be. With their star RB, Saquon Barkley, and WR A.J. Brown, the Eagles are most likely going to make the playoffs this year, but the up and coming Commanders might not let them win the East.
Washington Commanders (4-2): Playoff Contenders
After years without much success, the Commanders are looking a lot better this year. Rookie QB Jayden Daniels is performing extremely well. He is very accurate and does an amazing job avoiding sacks to extend plays. Frankie Luvu is leading the defense with sacks, and WR Terry McLaurin is leading the receivers.
NFC North (Avg Win %: 78.35)
Chicago Bears (4-2): Playoff Pretenders
This year, the NFC North has solidified themselves as the best division in football, and the Bears are not disappointing. Rookie QB Caleb Williams finally broke out this week with an amazing performance. The Bears are in 3rd place tied with the Packers but still might make it. Right now it’s between the Bears and Packers for a playoff spot. This is a tough division, so being 4-2 is really good.
Minnesota Vikings (5-0): Contenders
Why is Sam Darnold actually good? Why is this team still undefeated? The answer is because this team is well-coached and completely stacked. On defense, they have CB Stephon Gilmore and Harrison Smith, but offense is where this team really shines. Sam Darnold is playing well because he has Aaron Jones, Jordan Addison, and Justin Jefferson. Star TE TJ Hockenson is also returning from an injury soon. If this team keeps it up, making the playoffs won’t be a doubt, and maybe going even bigger is a possibility.
Detroit Lions (4-1): Contenders
Last year this team almost made it to the Super Bowl, and they are looking pretty good so far this year. With their dynamic RB duo and Amon Ra St.-Brown, the offense should lead the team to a good year. Let’s not forget their defense though, which includes one of the best pass rushers in the NFL, Aiden Hutchinson.
Green Bay Packers (4-2): Playoff Pretenders
I know this team is pretty good right now, but they are arguably the worst in their division. They might make the playoffs, but not enough is known yet. If Jordan Love is a consistent accurate QB, especially targeting Christian Watson in the end zone, the Packers might make the playoffs instead of the Bears, but in the competitive AFC North, it is hard to tell.
NFC South (Avg Win % 40.85)
Atlanta Falcons (4-2): Playoff Contenders
This Atlanta team has played well so far. They proved to be one of the best teams in their division, beating every team so far in their division. They will likely get the 4 seed as one of the division leaders for the playoffs. This team is very talented, including experienced QB Kirk Cousins, Matthew Judon, and TE Kyle Pitts. I think we might see some success from this team this year. Their 3-game win streak is pretty impressive.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2): Playoff Contenders
Tampa Bay lost to Atlanta in overtime, but they might still be better. This team includes experienced QB Baker Mayfield and experienced WR Mike Evans. If these 2 players connect, this team will have a chance to make the playoffs yet again. But the Falcons stand as an obstacle for the division title, but both teams could find themselves in the postseason.
Carolina Panthers (1-5): Playoff Failures
Carolina probably isn’t going to make the playoffs this year. Their only win was to the struggling Raiders. After losing 3 straight, it seems like the Panthers really need to continue rebuilding. It doesn’t help that they lost their best defender Frankie Luvu, or that the QB situation isn't great. Andy Dalton threw 2 picks last week against Atlanta, but Bryce Young likely wouldn’t do any better.
New Orleans Saints(2-4): Playoff Failures
The Saints started their season off 2-0, and everything has gone downhill since then. They can’t seem to win. QB Derek Carr has been so bad that they benched him for rookie QB Spencer Rattler, who was a 5th round pick in the draft. The Saints are most likely not making the playoffs, but maybe they just need a little “push” to get back on track.
NFC West (Avg Win % 38.325)
Arizona Cardinals (2-4): Playoff Pretenders
The Cardinals might have been a contender if star rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr., son of Peyton Manning’s favorite Colts target, didn’t get a concussion. Now 2 rookie WRs are out with concussions, really hurting their team. Without Marvin, the Cardinals probably won’t appear in the playoffs this year. If he gets better, the Cardinals might become a good team, with throws from Kyler Murray to Harrison Jr..
Seattle Seahawks (3-3): Playoff Pretenders
The Seahawks started 3-0 against 3 struggling teams. Then they lost 3 straight. If Seattle continues this, they won’t make the playoffs. The team is pretty good, but QB Geno Smith threw 2 picks against San Francisco. If he can clean it up and throw well to guys like D.K. Metcalf and Jaxson Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks should be in decent shape.
Los Angeles Rams (1-4): Playoff Failures
How is the team that won a Super Bowl 3 years ago continuously struggling? What’s happening? The answer is that star WRs Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp are injured. Players like Von Miller have left the team after their Super Bowl win. This good team is turning into a decent losing team, but if everyone gets healthy, and with some luck, the Rams could get back into the playoff team they were.
San Francisco 49ers (3-3): Playoff Contenders
Even though the 49ers are starting off this season poorly, they are still the best team in their division. This stacked team should be able to start turning into one of the best, with many pro bowlers on both sides of the ball. The 49ers have a tough Super Bowl rematch next week against Kansas City, but not winning won’t be the end of the world for them because they are known to do well towards the end of the season and in the playoffs.
Playoff Predictions
Ben:
NFC
Division Leaders
Lions
Buccaneers
49ers
Commanders
Wild Card
Eagles
Vikings
Falcons
AFC
Division Leaders
Bills
Chiefs
Ravens
Texans
Wild Card
Steelers
Chargers
Colts or Broncos
George:
NFC
Division Leaders
1.Lions
2. 49ers
3. Eagles
4. Falcons
Wild Card
5. Vikings
6. Commanders
7. Buccaneers
AFC
Division Leaders
Chiefs
Ravens
Texans
Bills
Wild Card
Steelers
Chargers
Bengals or Colts
