Which 2015-16 Playoff Teams Fail to Make the Dance in 2016-17?

[Clayton]

For me when they lost DC's in the past, they still had Lewis to hold the ship together. I am not really enamored with Gruden as I am Hue, but if Andy Dalton regresses to bleh as a QB, they're really behind the 8 ball. We'll have to see though.

Its not just the OC, though. Its losing Eifert for a few games and losing Sanu and Marvin Jones. Its actually not hard to see them something like 2-4 after their first 6 games.

I think that opens the door more for Raiders, Jets, Bills than Baltimore or Cleveland, though. Pittsburgh might win that division by 3+ games

 

[ATL96Steeler]

CIN is always losing an OC or a DC.

Eifert is a big deal, though. The problem I have is that the Browns have a sketchy roster and the Ravens could possibly be even worse.

Aside from what I said already...I think the DIV leader schedule will make it hard for CIN to repeat as DIV winner...but they should still be in the playoff mix.

Browns are not going to factor this season and I'm not sure what to make of BAL yet, but I don't think they will be worse than '15.

 

[Clayton]

Browns are not going to factor this season and I'm not sure what to make of BAL yet, but I don't think they will be worse than '15.

Flacco and Mike Wallace might be a thing. D might be a little better. Not sure thats an 8-8 roster let alone a competitive one, though.

Bengals are a rich man's Falcons and Ravens look like a poor man's Giants. Bengals first place schedule...eh. One of those teams is Denver in the first month and the other is @Houston. Steelers get KC and @Indy. I guess that easier...maybe?

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Flacco and Mike Wallace might be a thing. D might be a little better. Not sure thats an 8-8 roster let alone a competitive one, though.

Bengals are a rich man's Falcons and Ravens look like a poor man's Giants. Bengals first place schedule...eh. One of those teams is Denver in the first month and the other is @Houston. Steelers get KC and @Indy. I guess that easier...maybe?

BAL...if I had to guess today...8 wins, on paper, they've improved the back 4...I think the edge rushers are losing a step, but the DL should still be solid and the ILBs are pretty good. One thing we can pretty much count on...Wallace will get his opportunities deep...if he still has it he could be a factor stretching the field if nothing else.

CIN...I look at the out of DIV road games...@ NYJ, DAL, NE, NYG, HOU...the Jets with Fitz will be a tough out...I can see them going 2-3 possibly 1-4.

PIT...@ WAS, PHI, MIA, IND, BUF...they should do no worse than 3-2, but it's likely they will be favored in all 5.

 

[Clayton]

CIN...I look at the out of DIV road games...@ NYJ, DAL, NE, NYG, HOU...the Jets with Fitz will be a tough out...I can see them going 2-3 possibly 1-4.

PIT...@ WAS, PHI, MIA, IND, BUF...they should do no worse than 3-2, but it's likely they will be favored in all 5.

Washington won most of their home games last year. Giants and Cowboys I don't think have any established home field advantage at all. I don't think the schedule is much of an issue because its purely a guessing game right now. Steelers just simply have the best roster as long as key players stay healthy and I'm not sure its close.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Washington won most of their home games last year. Giants and Cowboys I don't think have any established home field advantage at all. I don't think the schedule is much of an issue because its purely a guessing game right now. Steelers just simply have the best roster as long as key players stay healthy and I'm not sure its close.

Yep definitely a guessing game at this point, but it's still 4+ weeks from camp...that's what we NFL heads do...lol.

The Steelers will be counting on some young players to contribute early (notably DT Hargrave) and you never know how they will adjust to pro ball...Gotta play the games, which I'm looking forward to, as always.

 

[Clayton]

Yep definitely a guessing game at this point, but it's still 4+ weeks from camp...that's what we NFL heads do...lol.

The Steelers will be counting on some young players to contribute early (notably DT Hargrave) and you never know how they will adjust to pro ball...Gotta play the games, which I'm looking forward to, as always.

I'm trying to think of the games that no one wants to play.

Patriots @ Foxboro with Brady is probably top of the list. @seattle, @Denver, @KC, @Pitt, @Baltimore when Baltimore is good, @Atlanta when they are good, @New Orleans when they are good. Arizona when everyone is healthy. Maybe add Carolina and Green Bay to the 'everyone is healthy' list. I'd probably also add the Rams to the list not because they'll win often but because they have a high rate of knocking QBs out of games the past year and a half.

Pretty sure the NFC West is going to get hit by the schedule grinder this year. Niners schedule looks super hard.

 

[Money]

Flacco and Mike Wallace might be a thing. D might be a little better. Not sure thats an 8-8 roster let alone a competitive one, though.

It will only take a slight improvement over last year for the Ravens to finish 8-8 this year. Their schedule is about as generous as anyone could ask for.

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Vikes have a better chance of winning SB(not happening) then they do of missing playoffs(obviously not happening).

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I'm trying to think of the games that no one wants to play.

Patriots @ Foxboro with Brady is probably top of the list. @seattle, @Denver, @KC, @Pitt, @Baltimore when Baltimore is good, @Atlanta when they are good, @New Orleans when they are good. Arizona when everyone is healthy. Maybe add Carolina and Green Bay to the 'everyone is healthy' list. I'd probably also add the Rams to the list not because they'll win often but because they have a high rate of knocking QBs out of games the past year and a half.

Pretty sure the NFC West is going to get hit by the schedule grinder this year. Niners schedule looks super hard.

ATL looks pretty brutal as well.

This should be an interesting year with several teams trying to break into the winning season ranks for the 1st time in a while, MIA, OAK, JAX, TB...IND, BAL, NO & ATL trying to re-establish themselves as contenders. I really would not be surprised if the entire NFCE is 9-7 this year.

 

[Cincyfan78]

As for CIN:

Sanu was the 5th or 6th option at WR. A RB had more receptions than him. Other than a few trick plays a year, he really didn't bring much. Losing Jones stinks, but I think the offense can sustain a high level of play with the WR drafted and signed in F/A.

If Eifert misses a lot of time, that is the biggest blow.

Burfict missed a lot of time last year coming off the PUP list. Losing him for just 3 games is nothing, and the signing of Dansby certainly helps lessen the blow.

Losing Hue kind of hurts, but the guy taking over has been a guy Dalton has worked with his entire career in QB coach Zampese. I don't think there's going to be a lot of drop-off there, as long as AJ, Eifert remain healthy the offense will be good with a top 5 OL protecting Dalton and giving Bernard room to run.

But, every year people think they will lose something and drop off, and it hasn't happened yet.