Aug 12, 2013
With the preseason just underway, teams are beginning to get back into regular season shape. 2012 gave us a pretty good foundation for determining which teams will succeed this year, but here’s a list of some squads that could surprise us.
1. Arizona Cardinals (last year 5-11)
The Cardinals bolted out of the gate last season, starting 4-0. They then proceeded to lose 9 straight games and finish 5-11, last place in their division. So what will be different this year? Most noticeably will be Carson Palmer replacing Kolb. Palmer is a huge upgrade here, and he brings a veteran presence to the locker room. Larry Fitzgerald is arguably the best receiver in the NFL, and with Palmer throwing to him the Cards could get hot this year.
2. San Diego Chargers (last year 7-9)
It’s been an up and down last few years for the Chargers. At one point they appeared to be rolling, but eventually they went belly-up and disappointed everyone. Philip Rivers has been playing well, but hasn’t reached his potential recently. He could easily get back on track this year, and he has some great receivers to help him get there.
3. Buffalo Bills (last year 6-10)
The Bills had a rough season last year, but there were some bright spots. C.J. Spiller’s 6 yards/carry brought a lot of hope to Bills fans for this year. If Spiller can put up consistent numbers and Kolb can stay healthy, the Bills could make a playoff push.
4. St. Louis Rams (last year 7-8-1)
This team is better than they seem. Bradford is going into his 4th year as QB, and his stats have been solid thus far. He’s going to have to improve even more this year for the Rams to win games, but this is expected as he’s shown improvement year to year since his rookie season.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (last year 4-12)
They may not win the Super Bowl or even make the playoffs, but they’re such a hard team to gauge. If Vick can somehow have a big year, combined with Jackson and McCoy, the Eagles can go as far as anyone. It’s a weird thought seeing how they went 4-12 last year. This is just such a wild card team; with them, anything can happen.
