Being a Jets fan makes it really easy to root for the underdog. We’ve been victim to one of the most dominant dynasties in all of sports for far too long, and therefore, I love to see a team beat the odds to win. The Pats have ruled the AFC for almost 20 years now, and we have to play them twice a year. Being that I’m such a huge fan of underdogs, I’d like to talk about some dark horse picks for a deep playoff run next year.
The Browns:
The team I started this blog off with have made some serious moves this offseason. From despair with Hue Jackson to exciting bombastic football with Gregg Williams, the Browns have made a serious step forward from being the laughing stock of the league. With ex-college teammates Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. they now one have one of the best, if not the best, receiving corps in the league. With both receivers more than capable of running their own offense, it is going to be a true air raid in Cleveland. To add to that air raid is a scary duo in the backfield. With rookie revelation Nick Chubb partnered with proven talent Kareem Hunt, they will be an incredibly hard team to stop with such a multi-faceted offense chock full of talent.
They aren’t just all offense though. Myles Garrett is perhaps one of the best athletes the NFL has ever seen at an edge rusher position, and adding Sheldon Richardson into the mix creates a real nightmare for offensive lines and quarterbacks everywhere. The Browns had a real shot this year, with an overhaul at coaching and new weapons on both sides of the field, they are quickly becoming one of the most talented teams in the league.
The Colts:
Maybe this isn’t so much of a Dark Horse pick as a pretty obvious one, but I think people are still sleeping on the Colts. Andrew Luck came back last year after an almost two year hiatus from organised football, and aside from some little things, looked like he hadn’t missed a step. With Luck, who is a sure bet to throw 30+ touchdowns a year, and new talent on offense they are sure to make a run for the playoffs again this year. Eric Ebron has turned his career around since being a bit of a bust for the Lions, and Quentin Nelson is quickly becoming one of the most feared lineman in the NFL, who is sure to be a perennial pro bowl pick, T.Y. Hilton has still got it and remains one of the best deep threats in the league and Marlon Mack is looking like another rookie revelation coming out of the backfield. Not to mention Darius Leonard, who is sure to put up 100+ tackles every year of his career and is looking like one of the best linebackers in the league. The Colts are perhaps the most slept on team in the NFL, and are sure to surprise everyone this upcoming season.