In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here are what NFL teams should be thankful for with five games left to go in the season.
The Arizona Cardinals are thankful that their defense is so good. That's really all they have to hang their hat on entering the playoffs as their offense cannot thrive with Drew Stanton under center. They've scored 17 total points in their past two games with Stanton under center combined. It was against two of the better defenses in the NFL (Seattle and Detroit), but it's not like those kind of defenses won't be there in the playoffs.
The Atlanta Falcons are thankful that they play six games against NFC South opponents. They are 4-0 in their division and 0-7 outside of it. They have three outside their division left and two in their division. That would give them a final record of 6-10 if everything keeps going this way. Sadly, that may be enough to win the NFC South.
The Baltimore Ravens are thankful that they signed Justin Forsett. Forsett, a journeyman NFL player on his fourth NFL team in six seasons, was buried on the depth chart behind Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce. After Rice got suspended and Pierce got hurt, however, it was Forsett who had to pick up the slack for the Ravens. He's performed tremendously as he's already topped his single season high in rushing yards and TDs with five games left to play.
The Buffalo Bills are thankful that they made a quarterback change. While some teams stubbornly stick with their young, project QBs (Jets, Redskins), the Bills decided to remove the young EJ Manuel and put in the wily veteran Kyle Orton, after Manuel put up back to back duds against the Chargers and Texans in Weeks 3 and 4. They've gone 4-3 since then with their losses coming to the Pats, against KC, and in Miami on a Thursday. They're still in the playoff hunt at the end of November, which is a welcome change for Bills fans.
The Carolina Panthers are thankful that they don't play anymore prime time games. Their three this year were Sunday Night Football against Pittsburgh in Week 3, Thursday Night Football against New Orleans in Week 9, and Monday Night Football in Philly in Week 10. They allowed the Steelers' offense to do whatever they wanted in Week 3, Cam Newton went 10/28 for 151 yards and an interception in Week 9, and then Cam put up an 8.4 QBR in Week 10 and struggled to even stand. Luckily, the rest of their games are at noon so the Panthers' fans suffering can at least be early in the day.
The Chicago Bears are thankful that they don't listen to the fans. Cutler would be gone, Trestman would be back in Canada, and Mike from the butcher shop would be the new coach because he drew up some pretty cool plays at the bar last night. The reality is Cutler is locked in contractually and still gives them their best chance to win. No free agents are as good as Cutler and the Bears don't lose enough to get a high enough draft pick for a good QB. Also remember that this is only Trestman's second year with players that he didn't draft.
The Cincinnati Bengals are thankful that their schedule has been so easy. The only team that they've beaten with a winning record have been the Ravens, twice. On the other hand, the Patriots embarrassed them, they somehow tied the woeful Panthers in Cincinnati, were shut out by the Colts, and were blown out by Cleveland. They're setting themselves up for the same narrative once again. They'll make the playoffs, then be a quick out as they beat the teams they're supposed to and get thrashed by the great teams.
The Cleveland Browns are thankful that Josh Gordon is back. They were 6-4 without him, but Gordon is the key for their offense to go from mediocre to pretty good. They used their improved offense this past weekend to win in the Georgia Dome against the Falcons. All roads to the Super Bowl seem to have to go through New England or Denver so they'll need an offensive weapon that can keep up with Brady and Manning. Gordon provides that spark.
The Dallas Cowboys are thankful that they didn't draft Johnny Manziel this past spring. He was there. The high flying Texas A&M phenom staying in state to play for the most prominent team and owner in the NFL. They would've won the offseason, but that's not what this team is trying to do. Instead they took offensive lineman Zack Martin, who has been an important part of Dallas' new found running game. It has put Dallas in a position to make a deep run in the playoffs, while Manziel continues to sit in Cleveland.
The Denver Broncos are thankful that John Elway is their owner. He realizes what his team needs, who is available that can help those needs, and acts without hesitation. Getting Peyton Manning a couple years ago was obviously a huge move, but this past offseason might have been even better. TJ Ward, Demarcus Ware, and Aqib Talib have all made the Denver defense much better than last year, and Emmanuel Sanders has predictably slid right in and outperformed Eric Decker, whom they lost to free agency.
The Detroit Lions are thankful that they don't use the college football ranking system in the NFL. If they did, the Lions would fail the eye test and margin of victory test terribly. Watching the Lions, they just don't look like a good team. They got blown out by the Panthers, lost to the Bills, put up six in a loss to Arizona, and looked like the mid-2000s Lions as they got blown out by the Patriots. Even when they win, they still do head scratching Lion like things.
The Green Bay Packers are thankful that Aaron Rodgers is their quarterback. I mean, not much else to say here. He's good.
The Houston Texans are thankful that defensive end JJ Watt is not a real human being. He's got to be some kind of machine, right? He has 9 1/2 sacks, two defensive TDs, two receiving TDs, and is disruptive to a game plan at all times. DeAndre Hopkins is the only Texans' wide receiver with more receiving TDs than Watt. He's a legitimate NFL MVP candidate and would probably win if Brady, Rodgers, and DeMarco Murray weren't having such good years.
The Indianapolis Colts are thankful that Ahmad Bradshaw was healthy this year. Obviously he just got injured a couple weeks ago, and I'm not sure the Colts sit at 7-4 without him. Trent Richardson, contrary to what I thought when they traded for him, just isn't working out in Indy. Enter Bradshaw who has rushed for eight less yards than Richardson, but also has received 37 less carries. He has the fourth most receptions on the team and the second most receiving TDs. It will be interesting to see how this offense does down the stretch without him.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are thankful that they have pieces in place. It might not seem like it because of their 1-10 record, but the Jags are close to becoming a decent team in this league, particularly offensively. Blake Bortles is a rookie doing rookie things, but should improve given his physical traits. Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson have both shown they can play in this league, though Robinson is done for the year. Denard Robinson has come out of nowhere and has gone from Michigan quarterback to bell cow back for this team. Don't sleep on this team in the near future.
The Kansas City Chiefs are thankful that their receivers are not selfish and/or outspoken. The Chiefs have a meager 13 passing TDs this year. Of those 13, zero have gone to a wide receiver. And they say the NFL has evolved into a passing league. At some point though, they're going to need some explosive plays in the passing game to make a deep run in the playoffs. Sunday Night's game against the Broncos in Arrowhead will be a good test to determine where both teams are.
The Miami Dolphins are thankful that Ryan Tannehill has been unleashed. It sounds funny to say, but Tannehill has actually started to play well now that the training wheels are off. He should shatter his season high for TD passes, he's cut down on his fumbles, and he's already topped his season high for total rushing yards with only 11 games played. The Dolphins sit at 6-5 after a hard fought loss in Denver and have key games against the Ravens in Week 14 and in New England in Week 15.
The Minnesota Vikings are thankful that their team still plays hard? Look, I'm stretching here as the Vikes have very little to be thankful for. They lost their star running back to suspension, Teddy Bridgewater hasn't been as good as advertised, their division is tough, and they have to play their games outside in the freezing cold of Minnesota instead of indoors. They played the Bears and Packers tough their last two games, but came out losers. They seem to at least be trying, but the skill gap is just too great. It will be interesting to see if Adrian Peterson ever wears the purple and gold again.
The New England Patriots are thankful that they just don't care. If Bill Belichick and Jay Cutler ever teamed up, they would be the best non-caring coach/QB combo in NFL history. People, including myself, pretty much wrote off the Patriots after their Week 4 meltdown in Kansas City. People were even calling for Jimmy Garoppolo to start over Tom Brady. Wouldn't you know that since Week 4, the Pats haven't lost a game and have looked like the best team in the NFL. If the demolition continues in Green Bay this weekend, I'm not sure how the Patriots aren't everyone's Super Bowl pick.
The New Orleans Saints are thankful that they have found a running game. Despite their 4-7 record, they're still in first place and can still secure a home playoff game. Without Mark Ingram finally playing like a first round draft pick, they might be in Tampa Bay territory record wise. Ingram has already topped his career rushing yardage and TD totals in only eight games. He was a big reason why the Saints got their first road win in forever this year as they fed him the ball 30 times in Carolina in Week 9. Dropping three straight at home was a head scratcher, but their running game could help them stay afloat in the weak NFC South.
The New York Giants are thankful that they drafted Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham's insane catch will probably be the highlight of the year, surrounded by moments of sadness and dread. Once Victor Cruz went down for the year, the Giants needed someone to make their offense respectable. Beckham filled that role nicely and has shown that he has some of the best hands in the game, even as a rookie. Giants fans might be the most thankful after the season, if Tom Coughlin and/or Eli Manning are run out of town.
The New York Jets are thankful that they have a quarterback controversy. If they didn't, no one would be talking about them this year. Instead, the media enjoys a good back and forth on whether Michael Vick or Geno Smith should be the starting QB. Personally, I think you could have both on the field at the same time, both with live footballs, and they still couldn't move the chains. Vick is past his prime and Geno just isn't good. A top 10 draft pick seems like a certainty for the Jets. Scholars will be forever puzzled how this team beat the Steelers in Week 10.
The Oakland Raiders are thankful that they're not the Jets. People stopped talking about the Raiders months ago and they actually won in their only prime time spot, beating the Chiefs 24-20 for their first and probably only win. People will pretty much forget about them unless they win or do something awesome. That's not the worst situation to be in. Also, they're making a strong push for the number one overall draft pick!
The Philadelphia Eagles are thankful that Chip Kelly's system is so quarterback friendly. Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez are names that shouldn't strike fear into the hearts of anyone, let alone NFL teams. Somehow, with those two signal callers, the Eagles are 8-3 with losses in San Fran, Arizona, and Green Bay. Not bad. Because of the pace at which the offense runs and the threat of LeSean McCoy getting the ball, it puts tremendous pressure on the defense and allows quarterbacks to thrive no matter who is back there. Their next three games (at Dallas, vs Seattle, vs Dallas) will tell us a lot about a Mark Sanchez-led offense moving forward, and should decide the NFC East.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are thankful that no one can cover Antonio Brown. Having him for fantasy football makes you realize how much they feed him the ball. Brown has a ridiculous 123 targets with 70 targets for Le'Veon Bell coming in second. He's in the top 10 in the NFL in receiving yards, TDs, and yards after catch. He's a significant reason why Big Ben has had such a good year and why this Steelers passing game is now feared by defenses.
The Saint Louis Rams are thankful that they know what they have with each of their quarterbacks. Sam Bradford just can't stay healthy and will likely be gone from the team either next year or in 2016 when he becomes a free agent. Austin Davis is a replacement level QB at best. Shaun Hill can get the job done, but won't take a team to the next level. The Rams are a fairly good team overall, but have been looking for answers at quarterback since Kurt Warner and have yet to find one. Maybe the 2015 draft will bring them good fortune.
The San Diego Chargers are thankful that they accumulated wins early in the season. Recently, the Chargers have looked bad. Weeks 7-9 saw three straight losses, capped off by a 37-0 drubbing at the hands of the Miami Dolphins. Their past two games have been won by a combined 10 points against the Raiders and Rams. Their upcoming schedule takes them to Baltimore, at home against New England and Denver, then to San Fran, and finishing up in Arrowhead. At 7-4 in the AFC West, they'll be lucky to make the playoffs.
The San Francisco 49ers are thankful that they have played through distractions. Their two most significant distractions were their decision to play Ray McDonald while a domestic violence investigation was ongoing against him, and the rumors that Jim Harbaugh had lost the locker room and was leaving after this year. No charges ended up being filed against McDonald, although at the time, I thought he should not have played simply because it looked bad for the organization. The Harbaugh rumors have died off pretty quickly as they now sit at 7-4 in a division they can still win. Their home and home with Seattle in the next three weeks could eliminate one of them from playoff contention.
The Seattle Seahawks are thankful that their home field advantage remains one of the best in the NFL. It lost some of its luster when the Broncos drove down the field at the end of regulation to force overtime in Week 3, and when Dallas actually beat the Seahawks in Week 6, but it's still not a pleasant place to play. They just smothered the division leading Arizona Cardinals at home and now get the Niners twice sandwiched around a game in Philly. The Seahawks need a great stretch run to secure at least one home home playoff game to have that thunderous crowd backing them.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are thankful that they play in the NFC South. You could really say that about any team in that division, but the Bucs are probably the ones that benefit the most. The glass half empty folks will say that they are losers and are only one game behind Oakland and Jacksonville for the number one overall pick in the draft. The glass half full folks will say that they're an up and coming team that are only two games out of first place in their division. Both are true. Go figure.
The Tennessee Titans are thankful that they drafted Zach Mettenberger. The Titans with Mettenberger are in the same boat as the Giants with his LSU teammate, Beckham. Both have lost seasons, but are at least giving their rookies valuable reps. At LSU, he had all the physical ability but would occasionally make awful decisions. This has carried over into the NFL, but can be fixed with time. He's certainly better than the other two QBs on the roster (Jake Locker and Charlie Whitehurst) and his sixth round draft selection makes him easy to part ways with if the experiment doesn't work out.
The Washington Redskins are thankful that Robert Griffin III only has one year left on his contract. It just hasn't worked out and the Redskins need to acknowledge that. I'm not sure he'll ever be as dynamic of a runner as he was in his rookie season. I've mentioned on my fantasy football articles that without the threat of his legs, RG3 is no more than an average passer in the NFL. I think his athleticism and skill that he showed his rookie year is what keeps Redskins fans wanting him to turn it around, but I doubt he will for the Redskins, or any other NFL team for that matter.
Matty O
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