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5. GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-9)

Awful season for the Pack, and yes, I know Aaron Rodgers missed the better part of it. Of course, it would be unfair to expect them to remain a premiere team with an inexperienced rookie under center. However, can they really be considered a great team if they can not win without Aaron Rodgers? They were 4-1 prior to his injury in Week Six and were 3-6 without him. I think this confirms the notion that Green Bay is not a good team, Rodgers is just a phenomenal quarterback. Luckily for Green Bay, Rodgers will be back and healthy for next season. However, they have to be a little concerned about the state of the rest of the team, considering the fact that they fold like a two dollar lawn when Rodgers is not playing.

4. DENVER BRONCOS (5-11)

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The Broncos have been lead by a dominant defense over the past few seasons. They have not really had much offensive firepower since the Manning days, but a viable offense was always enough to get by. It looked like they would use this recipe once again to compete for a playoff spot this season. However, this plan did not go as expected. There were certainly concerns regarding their offense this year, specifically at QB. They have a talented group of wide receivers and a solid run game with CJ Anderson. Unfortunately none of their three quarter backs could play well enough to allow the defense to win them games. It is safe to say that the Siemian, Osweiler and Lynch experiments all failed.

The dreadful offense was actually so bad that it affected the effectiveness of the defense. Denver’s inability to sustain drives forced the defense to constantly be on the field for 35 minutes or more all season long. No matter how talented, there is no defense that will be able to stay fresh and healthy while being on the field that much. Hey, at least Denver was bad enough to land themselves a solid first round draft pick. They may want to consider drafting a QB that can throw the ball.

3. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-11)

This was supposed to be the year for the Bucs to make a playoff run. It was Winston’s third year in the league and it appeared that he may have had enough experience to lead this team to a great year. Well, unfortunately, he was responsible for the steep regression of the offense. Last year, Jameis threw 28 TD’s and 18 interceptions in 16 games. Not great numbers, but it was reasonable to think he could reduce the turnovers this year. He did manage to do that thanks to an injury that forced him to sit out for three games. This year he only threw 19 TD’s and 11 interceptions while his QBR dropped from 64.7 to 50.3.

Winston was not the only one to blame for Tampa’s struggles though. The defense was horrendous as they ranked 22nd in points allowed per game and dead last in yards allowed per game. What looked like a bright future for Tampa may in fact not be so bright.

2. NEW YORK GIANTS (3-13)

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2016 was a whole lot more fun for the Giants than 2017. Many expected them to struggle last year but they went 11-5, riding one of the leagues best defenses. In 2017, it was the exact opposite, they were expected to be a great team but ended up being the second worst. Maybe they should try to suck next year, in hopes that they can continue the trend? Anyways, in 2016 they ranked 2nd in the league allowing 17.8 points per game. It was quite the turnaround in 2017, as they ranked 27th in the league allowing 24.3 points per game. With Eli Manning’s struggles and the loss of OBJ, those defensive numbers are not going to cut it. I think this team as a whole, especially Eli will benefit greatly with a coaching upgrade from McAdoo.

OAKLAND RAIDERS (6-10)

In my opinion, the Raiders were by far the biggest disappointment of the season. Many assured they would make the playoffs, possibly even make the Superbowl or perhaps even win it. Well, lets just say the answer was D, none of the above. Everything went wrong for this team. Derek Carr was not close to the guy he was last year. Amari Cooper continued to be inconsistent. Marshawn Lynch is evidently no longer Beast Mode anymore, as he averaged less than 60 rushing yards per game. The defense was picked apart all year. The secondary was particularly bad as they ranked 26th in the league in pass yards allowed per game. From 12-4 to 6-10 with a very similar looking roster and coaching staff is puzzling. With the recent firing of head coach Jack Del Rio, we will have to see how this team performs in the future. I supposed the only positive to take away from this season is the fact that they managed six wins in a tough division while playing their absolute worst. For Oakland fans, lets hope this year was a representation of this team’s floor.

*Questions or comments? Follow me on Twitter @MLBfromNH*

*Featured picture credit goes to bostonherald.com*

As I was writing this article I realized that this week’s winners and losers are oddly similar to last week’s. Quite interesting if you ask me, it seems that many teams across the league are trending rapidly up or down. Down the stretch it will be interesting to see which struggling teams can turn it around and which contenders will turn into pretenders. Let’s get to it.

WEEK 11 WINNERS

ATLANTA FALCONS, 34-31 WIN AT SEATTLE

Don’t look now but it looks like Atlanta is turning into Hotlanta. With back-to-back impressive wins, the Falcons have found themselves back in the NFC playoff picture. Their win over Seattle moved them up to the sixth seed in the NFC. The key to Atlanta’s recent resurgence? Their relentless pass rush. Adrian Clayborn and Grady Jarrett were chasing Russell Wilson out of the pocket all night, not allowing him to get comfortable. Also, Matt Ryan was efficient as he completed over 70% of his passes for 195 yards and two TD’s. Well done Atlanta, welcome back to NFC-relevancy. five of Atlanta’s last six games are against division opponents, including four home games. Up next: a very winnable game at home vs Tampa Bay.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, 34-31 OT WIN VS WASHINGTON

Beginning to wonder if anyone can beat this team. They just won their eighth straight game in a dramatic fourth quarter comeback lead by two perfect drives from Brees. It was vintage Drew, which is something we have not seen much this year because Mark Ingram, Alvin Kamara and the defense have been so good. How perfect was Brees on the last two comeback drives? 11-11 for 164 yards, two TD’s and a two-point conversion. Yup, he can still carry the team when necessary. The Saints are the first team in the modern era to start a season 0-2 and then win eight straight. Also, can we start acknowledging that Alvin Kamara is the best rookie running back in the league? He had another 116 scrimmage yards and a TD on just 14 touches.

Side note: I really feel for the Redskins. They might be the most injured team in the league and have had an absolutely brutal schedule. So far the ‘Skins have faced the Eagles twice, the Rams, Saints, Vikings, 49ers, Raiders, Cowboys, Seahawks and Chiefs. Washington is one of the best 4-6 teams I have ever seen, along with this years Chargers.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS, 24-7 WIN VS LA RAMS

Dominant win versus the red-hot Rams. The Vikings are legit and another impressive win has them in my “Winners” column for consecutive weeks. Did anyone think Minnesota would be 8-2 considering their injuries to key players and relatively tough schedule? I sure didn’t. I feel like I owe these guys an apology for picking them to lose almost every week. They have proved me wrong week in and week out and it is time I accept the fact that this team is for real. Holding the NFL’s highest scoring offense to a measly seven points was very impressive. Equally impressive is their 11th ranked offense in terms of point per game, sans Bradford, Bridgewater and Dalvin Cook. Who would have thought that Case Keenum would carry this offense so well. Up next: At Lions then at Falcons, two more tough tests.

WEEK 11 LOSERS

BUFFALO BILLS, 54-24 LOSS AT LA CHARGERS

Oh man, just when it could not have gotten uglier, it did. Another blow out loss for Buffalo makes it three straight losses. They have lost their last two games by a total of 67 points *cringe*. I am going to be conservative here and throw 90% of the blame on Head Coach Sean McDermott. “Mr. McDermott, if you don’t mind me asking, what the hell are you doing?”. My brain short fuses every time I try to understand why he benched Tyrod Taylor for rookie Nathan Peterman. Sure, they had lost two games straight, so what? It happens. The correct way to respond to back to back losses is to practice hard, get back to the basics, study your opponent and show up to play. Not bench your starting QB, who was absolutely not the problem.

Tyrod is no Tom Brady but he has proven to be a viable starting QB. Also, this bonehead move sends a message to the players from the coach saying “Well we have lost two straight games, I think I am going to give up on my 5-4 team and start thinking about next year”. Let’s see how Nathan Peterman fared in his first NFL start, shall we? He completed 11 passes, unfortunately five of them were completed to the wrong team. Peterman’s stat line was: 6-14, 5 interceptions for 66 yards. Tyrod came in for the second half and went 15-25 for 158 yards, four carries for 38 yards and 2 total TD’s. Yeah, I wonder who the better QB is? Smooth move Mr. McDermott.

Luckily for Buffalo, the AFC wildcard race is wide open. The Bills have two very winnable games vs the Dolphins and a home game vs Indy remaining. If they can win those three as well as steal one of their two remaining games against the Pats or win in Kansas City then I like their chances of getting a wildcard spot.

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS, 12-9 LOSS AT NY GIANTS

Uh oh, the team that seemed like it was on top of the NFL after five weeks has now lost four of its last five. That’s right, the Chiefs are now just 6-4 after starting 5-0. Their previous three losses were not so concerning considering they came against quality teams (Pittsburgh, Oakland and Dallas). However, this loss is very concerning considering that the Giants entered the contest with a record of 1-8. Also, the Chiefs’ offense that has been a powerhouse almost all season only managed nine points against a team that is allowing 24.7 points per game. That kind of effort is not going to cut it. Luckily for Kansas City, the entire AFC West is underachieving and they lead both the Raiders and Chargers by two games. Up next: A home game vs the ailing Bills.

DALLAS COWBOYS, 37-9 LOSS VS PHILADELPHIA

Congratulations Dallas, you have earned yourself a spot under in the losers column for the second consecutive week. Back-to-back blowout losses for the ‘Boys. Two weeks ago they lost 27-7 at Atlanta and then they got embarrassed in a prime time game at home against a division rival. Yes, I agree that they were out-matched and I did not expect them to win this one. However, I expected it to be close, but they could not even keep it a three possession game.

The main concern for Dallas is how bad their offense is without Zeke. Dak looks like a different player out there sans his best weapon. Dallas is averaging just eight points without their superstar RB and boy do they need him back. Unfortunately for the Cowboys there are a surplus of playoff-caliber teams in the NFC and at 5-5, it may be time for Dallas to start thinking about next year. Up next: LA Chargers in big D.

*Follow me on Twitter: @MLBfromNH (Kevin Civiello)*