NFL Predictions 2012: Surprise Teams Ready to Make Playoff Push

The NFL has built its reputation on being the League of Parity. Every team starts a season believing that it has a chance to at least make a run to the postseason, if not the Super Bowl. 

And why wouldn't they? One year ago, no one would have mentioned San Francisco as the No. 2 team in the NFC and a play or two here and there away from making it to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1995. 

As football gets ready to kick off another season, we know there are going to be surprises all over the place. It is just a matter of figuring out who can hang around long enough to make a run at the playoffs. 

Here are the best bets to take the next step in their development cycle to have better-than-expected seasons. 

Seattle Seahawks

I love what Seattle is building on defense. Pete Carroll has assembled a great collection of talent on that side of the ball, with linebacker David Hawthorne, safety Earl Thomas and defensive end Chris Clemons leading the charge. 

The Seahawks don't play in a division that features a lot of high-powered offenses. San Francisco is the class of the NFC West, but the 49ers aren't scaring anyone with their ability, or lackthereof, to throw it all over the place. The less said about Arizona and St. Louis, the better. 

If Russell Wilson can be to this team what Alex Smith was to the 49ers last year—a game manager who doesn't turn the ball over—the Seahawks can hang around .500. A break or two here and there could push them into 10-win territory. 

A rough stretch at the start of the season—six of their first eight games are against Dallas, Green Bay, Carolina, New England, San Francisco and Detroit—will determine what direction their season will take. 

Carolina Panthers

In this current iteration of the NFL, all you have to do is score a lot of points in order to succeed. You need to have a defense that is capable of forcing turnovers, but teams that boast elite-level defenses are few and far between. (Pittsburgh, Baltimore and San Francisco are probably the only three that are at that level.)

The Panthers did some work to fix their inept defense—drafting Luke Kuechly with the No. 9 pick—but this is still a team built around its offense. Cam Newton surprised everyone last year with one of the best rookie seasons in NFL history. 

They feature one of the best running games in the league with Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams. Steve Smith is 33 years old but plays like he is still in his prime. 

They are going to score a lot, especially in an NFC South that features three mediocre defensive teams. By putting points on the board, they take pressure off their defense to make consistent stops. 

The Saints are going to take a step back this season, so it might not take more than 10 victories to win the NFC South. The Panthers have enough talent to reach that mark. 

Oakland Raiders

I have been talking about the Raiders as having a breakout season for the last two years, so why would I stop now?

The great wild card is, obviously, going to be Carson Palmer. The Raiders gave up a lot to get him from Cincinnati last season, so to see him go out and throw 16 interceptions in 10 games is not a good return on an investment. 

As problematic as Palmer was under center, the defense was a mess last year. They finished 27th in pass yards and rush yards allowed. Despite their inability to get off the field, there were some encouraging signs. 

They did finish tied for ninth in the league with 26 takeaways last season. If they can create turnovers, it will give the defense more time to rest and put the offense in better positions to put the ball in the end zone. 

The biggest key to the offense finding success is keeping Darren McFadden on the field. He looked like an MVP candidate after six weeks last season, when he had 610 yards and the team was 4-2. 

He got hurt against Kansas City in Week 7 and didn't play the rest of the season. Michael Bush filled in admirably, but he is in Chicago now and there is no safety net for the Raiders to fall back on. 

I don't trust any of the teams in the AFC West, so you can make a legitimate argument for anyone to win the division. I think the Raiders are going to sneak up on a lot of people this year. 

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