It may be the shortest season in American sports in terms of number of games, but anybody that has ever played football will tell you that the NFL season is LONG. It is truly as much a game of luck as it is skill. As injuries mount and the temperature sinks, teams fortunes can turn on their head in a heartbeat. The bad NFL teams emerge, but teams that were left for dead after a rough opening month can resuscitate their campaign and vice versa. Anybody who watches the sport can be guilty of either side of that equation. Here are the teams that have forced their way back into the playoff picture after initially being pigeonholed as lottery teams in September.
HOUSTON TEXANS
STARTED 2-5, SINCE 4-0
Houston has been the hottest team in the NFL in the month of November, setting aside of course the still undefeated Panthers. Since the Dolphins embarrassed them with 41 first half points to end October, this defense has played out of this world. They have of course been led by 2-time Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt. Watt has over half of his sacks for the season (7.5 of 13.5 total) in November as the Texans D has dominated some pretty potent attacks. They handed the Bengals their first loss. The Jets bruising running attack was held in check. They ended the month by pummeling Drew Brees and the Saints relentlessly.
Now the Texans still have their flaws, mainly who will be behind the line each week. Brian Hoyer has shown the most competency running the show. He is also their most frail option there and after cutting the cancerous Ryan Mallett, T.J. Yates and the recently claimed Brandon Weeden don’t give fans much hope if he goes down again. But even those two less than palatable options look presentable when DeAndre Hopkins pulls down everything within a three yard circumference. The running back spot has been just as volatile with the loss of Arian Foster. Alfred Blue seems to have the job for now, but that is by no means set in stone.
The Texans have a tough road ahead of them if they are going to continue this impressive 180 on what could have been a lost season. They host the Patriots in two weeks before going to Indianapolis with the division most likely hanging in the balance. You also can’t discount the last two division games, at Tennessee and home for Jacksonville, in the season’s final two weeks as those teams look to play spoiler. In the meantime, let us revel in the splendor that is J.J. Watt’s terrorization of NFL quarterbacks.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
STARTED 1-5, SINCE 5-0
It would be nearly impossible for anyone in the media to say that they saw this turnaround coming from the Kansas City Chiefs. Jamaal Charles’ latest ACL tear was supposed to doom them to the bottom of the standings, but they kept fighting. After a win on Opening Day, against the Texans no less, the Chiefs lost five straight. However, they were never really blown out in any of those games leaving that glimmer of hope that when they found their stride it was going to be a substantial change in results. Five wins in a row has them in the driver’s seat for the AFC Wild Card.
The Arrowhead Stadium sized hole at running back left by the Charles injury heaped a ton of responsibility on perennial fill-in Knile Davis. Davis too fell victim to the injury bug pressing Charcandrick West into action. Yes, he would also get hurt leaving the position solely in the hands of Spencer Ware. Ware is no stranger to being second banana from his time at LSU, but he’s had all the makings of a top line runner in his short tenure as Kansas City’s #1. Ware is averaging just over 7 yards a carry in his two starts and has scored three times. His willingness to block has also allowed Alex Smith time he’s never had before as a Chief in the passing game.
It isn’t just the fourth string running back reviving the corpse of a Chiefs season. The defense that had been abused during their rough patch decided to finally dole out some abuse of their own. First round pick Marcus Peters has been a ballhawk in the secondary with 4 interceptions, including the first one in Peyton Manning’s disintegration game. Justin Houston and Tamba Hali have resumed their two pronged attack on opposing quarterbacks. Just ask Philip Rivers if his wounds have healed from the beating he took from that pass rush yet.
Though it seems a nutty notion seeing where they were just a month ago, there is no reason that the Chiefs couldn’t win out. Two games with the regressing Raiders with dates with the Chargers, Browns, and Ravens in between is looking pretty enticing right now. Kansas City’s “Eat Your Words” Tour isn’t ending any time soon.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
STARTED 2-4, SINCE 3-2
So yes, I am aware that the Redskins are still under .500 on the season. But even in the NFL’s worst division (you’ve been relieved of that title AFC South), the Redskins transformation this season has still been extraordinary. They came into 2015 not knowing what to do with their $16m now-backup Robert Griffin III. For the season’s opening months they really didn’t seem to know what to do anywhere on the football field. But ever since their remarkable comeback against the Buccaneers, spawning the “You Like That?” series of memes and videos, the Redskins have exuded confidence.
Even in their blowout losses against the two best teams in the NFL, Carolina and New England, Washington didn’t have their usual dejected demeanor on the sidelines. Kirk Cousins has earned the starting role after it being “given” to him during RGIII’s injury spells. Alfred Morris, Washington’s breakout star in 2012, still leads the team in rushing yards but has found himself as part of a trio of rushers with Matt Jones and Chris Thompson that allow the fourth year back to stay fresh in big situations. DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed’s returns from the injured list has stretched the field giving that triple threat that much more room to operate.
While the defense is still leaving a lot to be desired, the fact that the Redskins sit on top of a division over three teams more talented on paper speaks volumes. After dispatching the Giants this past Sunday, they have three more division games left. Two against Dallas and one against Philadelphia this late in the season looked problematic when the 2015 NFL schedule was released. Now with both of those teams in total disarray, Washington can control their own destiny as they push towards the postseason. Now do you LIKE THAT?!