There’s a popular saying in the NFL that every year, you get six “old” teams and six “new” teams in the playoffs. It’s not an exact number by any means, but we can’t deny the fact that it applies regularly. Every year we have surprising teams that sneak in the playoffs, when nobody thought they would go that far.
2017 shouldn’t be any different. So with that in mind, here we have three teams that could reach the playoffs in the NFC after missing out last year.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Yes, the Atlanta Falcons are the favorites in the NFC South. However, we can’t sleep on what the Bucs have been doing. They have one of the most promising QB-WR combos in the league with Jameis Winston and Mike Evans. Doug Martin has enough upside to make the running a viable threat on the offense. And they have a young defense with enough athleticism to keep the opposing teams honest. For this to happen, though, the Bucs need to be at their best in the divisional games. For example, stealing both games from Atlanta and/or New Orleans would be huge. But even if that doesn’t happen, they have enough talent to become a threat. After all, there’s a reason why several experts have them as darkhorses to reach the postseason.
New Orleans Saints: Another team from the NFC, so this means Atlanta isn’t not going to make a Super Bowl run for a second straight year. The Saints still have Drew Brees leading the offense, so that’s a plus. Even though the signal-caller is a veteran well past his prime, he’s on a contract year. He’ll try to prove he belongs in the league, and now he has help. The two-headed monster of Adrian Peterson and Mark Ingram should create havoc on opposing defenses, because both can still be starters in any other franchise. And as if that wasn’t enough, they adressed their defensive issues during the offeseason and in the Draft. They will play twice against the Falcons in December, and that could decide which team gets in. Home-field advantage will be key for them, but they have everything in their favor to turn a few heads.
Washington Redskins: Despite ending the season with a 8-7-1 mark, they finished third in the NFC East behind the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants. But they have some intriguing pieces on their roster. First of all, they have Kirk Cousins at quarterback, and Jordan Reed is one of the best tight ends in the league. They plugged several holes between free agency and the Draft, just like the Saints did. And they added some quality pieces that could make them defend the run better, one of their biggest problems last year. They were in the playoff race until Week 17 last year, and shocked everyone when they won the division title in 2015. Who says they can’t surpass expectations once again? The Cowboys and the Giants will be their biggest threats, that’s a given. But there’s no question they can compete with any of them.