2018 NFL Preview: Early Playoff Outlook
Last year when the season began it was clear who the best teams were going to be as they had built strong teams to compete.
The problem was that the two best teams were in the AFC and they were set for a collision course in the AFC Championship game.
Whoever took that game would likely be the one to take the Super Bowl championship because they were so far and above everyone.
The Patriots and Steelers were supposed to run through the playoffs last year and into the Super Bowl.
That didn’t happen though as the Steelers were eliminated in the divisional round and the Patriots couldn’t take home another title.
The NFL playoffs last year was an interesting expression of what makes sports such a fun thing to follow.
Teams will always come into a season with low expectations and some with high and not every one of them will meet their expectations.
Some teams crumble under the pressure as they head into a season with everyone looking for them to do something special.
These teams can easily fall under that microscope or could see, like so many teams did a year ago, their biggest stars fall to injury hurting their hopes.
That will inevitably leave the door open for other teams to take over and take a shot at the title through the playoffs.
It was the surprises that took over the playoffs last year though as teams thought to be developing into something special arrived much earlier than expected.
The biggest representation of that was the eventual Super Bowl Champions, the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles had just seen glimpses of a quarterback that might be able to help them develop into a good team.
Still, that teams seemed like they just weren’t ready yet and so most people had written them off at the beginning of the season.
That was a clear mistake on the part of just about everyone as they rocketed to a 13-3 record and beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.
They weren’t the only team to surprise everyone though as the Jacksonville Jaguars were a bit of a surprise addition to the playoffs and their run to the AFC championship was a big shot at the old guard.
Minnesota was just as big a surprise with the best defence in the league-leading them to the NFC Championship.
It was a playoff pool full of surprises due to poor performances and a load of serious injuries to big stars.
It led to a fun playoff race and a great few rounds of the playoffs up until the surprise win of the Eagles.
Entering a new season nobody really knows who will be the surprise team that can come through at the most important time.
There are sure to be some surprises but the biggest questions remain for most of the teams that were successful last year.
For the surprise teams a year ago, 2018 turns into a chance to prove that 2017 wasn’t just some fluke and that they are here to stay.
Teams like the Patriots are looking to show that they are still the teams to beat in the league and that they aren’t going anywhere.
Then there are all the other teams in the league who were supposed to be great but fell short looking at a new season trying to show that they are as good as everyone thought they were.
Either way, some teams will be able to prove that they can make it but only one will come out on top and be crowned Super Bowl champions.
The Sport Addiction 