We did the guesses, time to make it official: which teams were the big surprises this year (good and bad)

[msgkings322]

The upside surprises to me are Washington, Minnesota, and I guess Philly and the Rams?

Downside ones are San Francisco, Cincinnatti, Dallas and Cleveland

And yes most downsiders are due to injury

 

[Think McFly Think]

I think Minnesota fans are the most shocked of all that they could be the 1 seed with a win week 18.

I didn’t see that happening the most out of your picks.

Washington I agree with also, I thought JD might fizzle after his early season success but he maintained his quality of play and with the offense he’s working with, it’s very impressive they are playoff bound.

Biggest surprise downside to me was the Jets struggling with an elderly Rodgers coming off an extremely debilitating injury coupled with the fact that he’s an arrogant douchebag that loves the smell of his own shit and is a team killer on the field and off.

 

[SteelersPride]

I think Minnesota fans are the most shocked of all that they could be the 1 seed with a win week 18.

I didn’t see that happening the most out of your picks.

Washington I agree with also, I thought JD might fizzle after his early season success but he maintained his quality of play and with the offense he’s working with, it’s very impressive they are playoff bound.

Biggest surprise downside to me was the Jets struggling with an elderly Rodgers coming off an extremely debilitating injury coupled with the fact that he’s an arrogant douchebag that loves the smell of his own shit and is a team killer on the field and off.

That last paragraph is accurate. People used to genuinely think he was a wholesome good hearted, team oriented fella

 

[Xeliou66]

The Vikings, Commanders and Broncos have been the best surprise teams -

The Vikings have to be the #1 surprise, I didn’t give them much of a chance at the playoffs given that Sam Darnold was their QB, it’s remarkable that they might get the #1 seed, Darnold has been much better than expected and their D has been great as well.

I figured the Commanders would improve but I didn’t think they would make the playoffs, Daniels has been great and their D has been somewhat better than I expected.

The Broncos looked kind of mediocre on paper coming into the season, but their D has become really strong and Nix has been good as well.

The worst surprise teams are the Browns, Niners and Cowboys

The Browns are a joke, Deshaun is washed and the whole franchise is just a clown show. The Niners had a slew of injuries derail their season but I figured they would at least make the playoffs. The Cowboys also had plenty of injuries but they were worse than I expected

 

[Battlelyon]

I thought the Falcons would be a little better.

Bo is making overrated Payton look good. The Broncos were little better than I thought.

Of course nobody expected Minnesota to win 14 games.

Washington got it together more quickly thanks to stellar play of Daniels. Should be interesting next season. Does Daniels hit that Sophomore slump like so many do. More recently Stroud.

No surprise on San Francisco and Cleveland.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I thought the Falcons would be a little better.

Bo is making overrated Payton look good. The Broncos were little better than I thought.

Of course nobody expected Minnesota to win 14 games.

Washington got it together more quickly thanks to stellar play of Daniels. Should be interesting next season. Does Daniels hit that Sophomore slump like so many do. More recently Stroud.

No surprise on San Francisco and Cleveland.

I can't find anything to disagree with on this post...

A Rams fan I can't disagree with.. God dammit... welcome to 2025 Shark

 

[jarntt]

Pretty much agree with everything stated here. I will add that I think it's crazy that if Minnesota wins next week they will have gone 15-2 in a really tough division, have the #1 seed in the NFC and yet still no one really thinks they are all that good. I may just start rooting for them to win this year based on that alone

 

[Battlelyon]

I can't find anything to disagree with on this post...

A Rams fan I can't disagree with.. God dammit... welcome to 2025 Shark

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

Pretty much agree with everything stated here. I will add that I think it's crazy that if Minnesota wins next week they will have gone 15-2 in a really tough division, have the #1 seed in the NFC and yet still no one really thinks they are all that good. I may just start rooting for them to win this year based on that alone

Jesus jarntt....

First I have to agree with Battle, now you're rooting for the Vikings.. next thing I know, the Mariners will have a competent team this year! 2025 is bullshit so far!

 

[Think McFly Think]

Pretty much agree with everything stated here. I will add that I think it's crazy that if Minnesota wins next week they will have gone 15-2 in a really tough division, have the #1 seed in the NFC and yet still no one really thinks they are all that good. I may just start rooting for them to win this year based on that alone

The Vikings are definitely good, the Packers played sloppy offense at times in that game last week but the Vikings D played very well.

Although, if the Vikings face a team with a good pass rush I think it will rattle Darnold a lot. The Packers couldn’t get enough pressure on him and he was lighting it up except for that bad INT he had.

If Darnold was going to have some sort of epic collapse I think it would’ve happened already and I’m not saying it couldn’t in the playoffs, but the Vikings’ game plan throughout the season has seemingly structured him into it to achieve success overall.

The NFCN is wild this year with the exception of the Bears obviously and I have no clue wtf they are doing and they don’t either.

 

[PnkPanther]

The Vikings are definitely good, the Packers played sloppy offense at times in that game last week but the Vikings D played very well.

Although, if the Vikings face a team with a good pass rush I think it will rattle Darnold a lot. The Packers couldn’t get enough pressure on him and he was lighting it up except for that bad INT he had.

If Darnold was going to have some sort of epic collapse I think it would’ve happened already and I’m not saying it couldn’t in the playoffs, but the Vikings’ game plan throughout the season has seemingly structured him into it to achieve success overall.

The NFCN is wild this year with the exception of the Bears obviously and I have no clue wtf they are doing and they don’t either.

I know PFF isn't gospel, but Darnold is top graded PFF QB vs blitz this season (or at least was at one point late in season, I haven't checked in few weeks)

 

[Think McFly Think]

I know PFF isn't gospel, but Darnold is top graded PFF QB vs blitz this season (or at least was at one point late in season, I haven't checked in few weeks)

Ah okay, thanks for sharing. I have to remember he’s on a team with a complete unit now that utilizes his skill set and can provide protection instead of just throwing him into the wolves like his previous ones.

 

[PnkPanther]

Ah okay, thanks for sharing. I have to remember he’s on a team with a complete unit now that utilizes his skill set and can provide protection instead of just throwing him into the wolves like his previous ones.

It also probably helps when you blitz it means JJ is manned up

 

[Think McFly Think]

It also probably helps when you blitz it means JJ is manned up

Yeah absolutely

 

[Janus]

I' going to go with Denver and Tampa Bay and Seattle as surprises. Now Seattle is not really a big surprise but I thought at the beginning, San Fran and the Rams would just dominate that division leaving Seattle somewhere around 7 win season BUT reversals in fortune played well for Seattle.
Denver the same thing only I saw Smith better at leading his team, Apparently, Denver had a better defense than I thought, Tampa Bay, wow, Baker Mayfield has done a spectacular job utilizing his weapons. I believed with the easiest schedule in the league, Atlanta would have seen a 10 win season and the Division, guessed wrong.

Biggest disappointments, just talking about them Atlanta , Houston and Cincinnati. Atlanta for what I mentioned already. Houston, a division for the taking and they're making it interesting. I know injuries but Stroud has way underperformed from what we saw last year. Cincinnati, was the release of Mixon a big problem?, IDK but it did hurt them in a way. here's a team on a winning streak late because Burrow is just lighting it up ( my fav QB by the way ) I really thought this team had 10 maybe 11 wins in them but without this current streak, they are clearly disappointing


Last note" I'm surprised with Steelers, hoped for10 wins, got it, hoped a playoff birth ? so far but disappointed in their last 3 games and like any fan will be disappointed if the gift of a playoff birth is wasted

 

[Clayton]

Going back at the beginning of the season I had:

A lazy stab at things I'd probably have:

1) Chiefs
2) Bills
3) Ravens
4) Texans
5) Browns
6) Bengals
7) Jaguars

1) Niners
2) Lions
3) Falcons
4) Cowboys
5) Eagles
6) Packers
7) Rams

Dear god I had the Browns, Cowboys, and Jaguars making the playoffs. Falcons have to be a disappointment. I did think there was a possibility that KOC was more important than Cousins but I didn't think it would be this clear as day.

I know a lot of people were picking the Bills to regress. I think they deserve some credit for getting better despite 'not having the roster' anymore.

 

[Think McFly Think]

Dear god I had the Browns, Cowboys, and Jaguars making the playoffs.

I think the Cowboys is not all that much of a stretch, if Dak plays the whole season, they’re most likely a Wild Card team, but maybe not…as the biggest surprise to me and quite a few others was the Redskins in the East.

I think the game this week between them would’ve mattered a lot if the Cowboys had a fuller arsenal.

 

[Clayton]

View attachment 384491
I think the Cowboys is not all that much of a stretch, if Dak plays the whole season, they’re most likely a Wild Card team, but maybe not…as the biggest surprise to me and quite a few others was the Redskins in the East.

I think the game this week between them would’ve mattered a lot if the Cowboys had a fuller arsenal.

Yeah, the Cowboys probably shouldn't be lumped in with the other two.


Watson might be the most disappointing QB of all time. Trevor Lawrence ranks out somewhere around the 20th best QB this year. Hard to separate him from the mess in Jacksonville but I do think thats more of a Jacksonville issue.

 

[PDay8810]

Yeah, the Cowboys probably shouldn't be lumped in with the other two.

where is the fun with that?

injuries are part of the game, every team has um.

 

[Clayton]

where is the fun with that?

injuries are part of the game, every team has um.

Yeah, Chiefs were probably 1 injury away from losing a lot games (and not even Mahomes)

The margin is slim