Every year there are teams that always get a lot of hype, but never live up to the hype. And then there are teams who are don’t get any hype, but do better than people expected. So who are those teams this year? Today we’ll look at 4 potential sleeper teams in the AFC.
The Baltimore Ravens:
The Ravens are a team that really shouldn’t be slept on. Last year, they had one of the worst wide receiver corps in the NFL. To make matters worst, their tight ends weren’t very productive. Despite all of that, the Ravens went 9-7, falling just short of the playoffs. With the Ravens adding Michael Crabtree, Josh Brown, Willie Snead, Hayden Hurst, and Mark Andrews in the off-season, there’s no reason to think that they can’t make the wild card. They’ve only improved from last year.
The Tennessee Titans:
The AFC South is shaping up to be an interesting division. While the Jaguars will likely win the division, people seems to forget that the Titans won a playoff game last year against the Chiefs. When you look at their roster from last year to this year, you should see improvement. They added Dion Lewis, who will be a great receiving back. While they did lose Avery Williamson, they did a great job of replacing him by drafting Rahsaan Evans. They also added former Patriots cornerback Malcom Butler, who will improve their secondary. They added former Saints safety Kenny Vaccaro, which is a humongous upgrade for them. Also, drafting Harold Landry will give a much needed boost to their pass rushing. The Titans season really depends on Marcus Mariota. If he can play well, than the Titans can be a good team.
The Denver Broncos:
People seem to forget the Broncos have a stellar defense. They made their defensive line just that much better with drafting Bradley Chubb. Despite them losing Talib, They still have a great secondary with Clark Harris Jr. and Bradley Roby. Quarterback Case Keemun is the best quarterback the Broncos have had since their super bowl season. Broncos have good weapons. They have Demaryius Thomas, Emanuel Sanders, and now Courtland Sutton. That’s a good offense. For the past couple years, they just needed a quarterback to throw it to them, and now they have one. Don’t be surprised if the Broncos fight for a wild card spot.
The New York Jets:
After the Patriots, there really are not any teams in the AFC East that are a threat. The Jets are the next closest team. Sam Darnold has looked really good in camp. Many wrote him off as a developmental player who wouldn’t do anything his rookie year. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case. If Darnold can take the next step early, than the Jets can win more games then people expect. However, even if he does better than expected, the Jets won’t be a playoff team. They still have a ways to go. However, they are a team that’s gonna be really good soon.