Why Each NFL Team Can Win the Super Bowl and Where It Could Go Wrong in 2015
It's the preseason in the NFL, that glorious time when all teams are equal and technically have a shot at the Super Bowl. What will it take to win it for each team? Why will they each fall short?
Let's have a little irreverent stroll through the future and see the arguments for and against each team winning the Super Bowl.
Arizona Cardinals
1 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
They say defense wins championships.
Though that axiom proves problematic, having a good one certainly helps. That's where the Arizona Cardinals will butter their bread in 2015 if they are going to make it very far.
Despite some key personnel losses last season, Arizona boasted the fifth-best scoring defense in the league. It was the biggest reason why the Cardinals made the playoffs, narrowly missing out on a division crown with a stick figure playing quarterback down the stretch.
Why They Won't
Getting past the Seattle Seahawks during the regular season is going to be tough enough. Beating them in the playoffs will be even harder.
Aside from slogging through a difficult division within a stacked conference, the Cardinals won't win the Super Bowl because Carson Palmer isn't Tom Brady or Russell Wilson, and that defense won't be elite enough to cover for him.
Atlanta Falcons
2 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
All they needed was a reboot, right?
Not long ago, the Atlanta Falcons were a couple of quarters away from a Super Bowl. Then it all fell apart for former head coach Mike Smith.
The Falcons have gone 10-22 over the past couple of seasons, dooming Smith even though they were one game shy of capturing the NFC South crown last season. It also paved the way for new head coach Dan Quinn to bring some of that sweet Seahawks success down from the Pacific Northwest.
Quinn is a defensive specialist, and that side of the ball has been a huge problem in Atlanta. Turning the defense around quickly will give Matt Ryan and the offense some breathing room, and the Falcons will run away with the division en route to a surprise Super Bowl berth.
Having the easiest schedule in the league will certainly help.
Why They Won't
The coaching wasn't the only problem, really. There were plenty of holes in that roster, either punched there by injury or through decay in play.
Atlanta has done an admirable job attempting to fill those holes, but there will be one—or five—too many for them to make the playoffs, let alone win the Super Bowl.
Baltimore Ravens
3 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
This is the Baltimore Ravens we are talking about. They are perennial contenders almost regardless of offseason goings on.
Ozzie Newsome and John Harbaugh make a great pair at general manager and head coach, respectively, and there is little reason to think they won't have the Ravens ready to make another postseason run in 2015.
Why They Won't
Can Joe Flacco tap into those superhuman powers he discovered three seasons ago? While he has been better in the playoffs than in the regular season for much of his career, Flacco was on another plane of existence back in 2013.
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Buffalo Bills
4 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Rex Ryan, baby!
As it turns out, the Buffalo Bills lacked a good head coach all these years. Ryan takes over for Doug Marrone, who abruptly departed his post, and he is walking into a much better situation than the one he left.
Buffalo's roster was already primed for greatness before New York even fired Ryan. That defense was one of the best in the league in 2014, and Ryan's arrival signals a leap into the elite for that unit.
The Bills did a nice job bolstering the offense, too, trading for electrifying running back LeSean McCoy and signing tight end Charles Clay, a huge upgrade at the position.
Why They Won't
This is the Bills we're talking about, the team with the longest current postseason drought in the NFL.
Beyond history or superstition, however, not having a quarterback will rear its ugly head at some point this season. EJ Manuel and Matt Cassel aren't taking anyone to the promised land. It won't help either of them that the offensive line didn't get any TLC this offseason.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Ron Rivera was the Coach of the Year just two seasons ago. Heck, he pulled off a miracle by winning the NFC South last season with a losing record.
Perhaps that's not a great achievement, but Rivera did weather the Greg Hardy storm with a hobbled Cam Newton under center and a compromised offensive line. If that was rock bottom, there is plenty to look forward to in Carolina.
Quietly, the Panthers had a good defensive showing down the stretch last season. With Newton healthy and many areas improved around him, the Panthers are primed for another division crown and a deep playoff run.
Why They Won't
That offensive line still isn't fixed—Michael Oher is the answer to a question nobody is asking. Or maybe that question is, "Who is the worst starting offensive tackle in the league?"
Although that defense did improve in the second half of last season, it's still not an elite unit.
Chicago Bears
6 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Blot out the Marc Trestman era. This is John Fox's team now.
The Chicago Bears have had an awful defense the past couple of seasons. Injuries were a big part of the problem—but so was Trestman and his staff. With the defensive-minded Fox at the helm and Vic Fangio—architect of that elite 49ers defense in recent years—heading up that side of the ball, we should see a quick turnaround from that unit.
Why They Won't
Jay Cutler is still the quarterback, right?
Sure, he has all the potential in the world. But that's gotten him and his teams a whole lotta nothing over the years.
Then there is the fact the Bears play in the same division as the perennial powerhouse Green Bay Packers, tougher Detroit Lions and nascent Minnesota Vikings.
Cincinnati Bengals
7 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
It's Marvin Lewis' time.
After over a decade of relevance and three consecutive playoff appearances thanks to his guidance, the Cincinnati Bengals are poised to make the leap.
The defense has been consistently good, and the offense is strong and balanced with Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard providing the thunder and lightning out of the backfield and A.J. Green terrorizing secondaries out wide.
Why They Won't
Andy Dalton is still the quarterback, right?
The Red Rifle doesn't exactly have all the potential in the world. But he has led the team to the playoffs in each of his first four years in the league nonetheless.
Unfortunately, Dalton has misfired badly in the postseason, either crumbling under the pressure or simply being exposed by better competition.
The Bengals also play in the tough AFC North. Though they have been able to overcome that fact to make the playoffs in recent years, it's always a struggle just to get there against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens.
Cleveland Browns
8 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Mike Pettine took some time to tour Dubai and surrounding areas this summer. He decided to go on a camel-riding tour one day when he was separated from the pack. Lost in the desert, he had little hope for survival.
He trudged his way through the sand, staggering under the weight of an oppressive sun and the reality he now faced. Pettine tripped and fell headlong into the endless wasteland.
After laying there a while, pondering his fate, Cleveland's head coach decided to look at what had felled him. He saw a piece of dull metal poking out from the ground and reached for it.
Out from the sand emerged an ancient oil lamp with an inscription on it. Pettine rubbed it to get a better look, and out emerged a genie.
Why They Won't
Come on. This is the Browns we're talking about.
This is a snake-bitten team steeped in a tradition of losing. It will rely on a 35-year-old journeyman (Josh McCown) who was terrible last season to quarterback the offense.
The defense improved in 2014, but it would need to play at Seahawks-like levels to buoy that offense.
To add insult to injury, the Browns have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL heading into 2015, based on 2014 results at any rate.
Dallas Cowboys
9 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Jerry Jones stuck to his guns, and he was finally rewarded.
Dallas' bombastic owner rode out the storm with his head coach, and Jason Garrett shook off the pressure and mediocrity to lead his team to the NFC East crown. Had an officiating decision broken his way, the Cowboys might well be sitting here as defending champions.
Their emergence came thanks largely to stellar offensive line play that paved the way for DeMarco Murray to lead the league in rushing. Quarterback Tony Romo was darn good last season, and a competent defense certainly didn't hurt, either.
Why They Won't
The Cowboys were unable to sustain the success from a year ago into the offseason, unfortunately. They closed it out with a strong draft, but there were too many personnel losses to discount.
Murray was the chief of these, rubbing salt into the wound by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles. Having a great offensive line will mask his departure, but losing the rushing champ will sting no matter how you slice things.
That defense also lost some key contributors, most notably defensive tackle Henry Melton, defensive end George Selvie and linebackers Bruce Carter and Justin Durant. Troubled defensive end Greg Hardy and returning linebacker Rolando McClain will also serve suspensions to start the year.
Denver Broncos
10 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
A record-smashing menace, the future Hall of Famer came back for one more year for one reason—to kick down doors and finally claim that second title.
When he is on, Manning is impossible to defend. With an ever-improving defense, the Broncos will finally have enough on both sides of the ball to get over that hump.
Why They Won't
Peyton Manning.
No other quarterback this side of Andy Dalton gets more flak for choking come playoff time, deserved or not. While Manning certainly can't control what his defense gives up, there is no denying he hasn't matched his regular-season play in the postseason, for the most part.
Beyond that, the Broncos will probably have to get past a motivated New England squad just to get to the Super Bowl, where they would face an equally motivated and probably tougher Seattle superteam.
Detroit Lions
11 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
This is the year it all comes together.
Matthew Stafford will quit throwing side-arm passes and fully capitalize on the fact he has Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate playing receiver. The running game will experience a renaissance with Joique Bell and Ameer Abdullah becoming a dynamic duo.
That defense—the best against the run in 2014—will continue to play great, and the Lions will flip the script on their division rivals to take the NFC North.
Why They Won't
The reality is that Stafford is quietly and quickly being surpassed by many of his peers, and his erratic play is going to come back to haunt the Lions yet again in 2015.
Beyond Stafford, however, the Lions are going to have trouble replicating that defensive success from a year ago. That's because they lost one of the league's most dominant big men when Ndamukong Suh chased the money all the way down to South Florida.
Green Bay Packers
12 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
It's quite simple—Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the league, and he is at the height of his powers.
Rodgers almost got to the Super Bowl on one good calf last year. His MVP season fell a botched offsides kick return short of a trip back to the promised land, where he would have had a chance against a team he'd already beaten.
Back and fully healthy—with great weapons and a quality offensive line, of course—Rodgers is ready to carry his team back to a championship.
Why They Won't
As long as Rodgers is upright, the Packers will contend for the playoffs. It's those pesky teammates that could be problematic.
That defense suffered some serious attrition this offseason, particularly at linebacker and cornerback. The Packers will have to rely on rookies and unknowns to pick up that slack, and it'll be too much to handle come playoff time.
Houston Texans
13 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
J.J. Watt is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end of Houston's championship run.
That defense looks nasty on paper, and the reigning runner-up of the 2014 MVP race is the centerpiece. Watt is the most dominant player in the league, and the Texans added enough pieces around him to make that defense elite if it can stay relatively healthy.
Combined with a strong running game carried by Arian Foster, the Texans will run roughshod through the AFC South and into the playoffs, surprising pundits everywhere.
Why They Won't
That, of course, is a pipe dream. It takes a lot to truly field an elite defense. Even if the Texans manage to hold opponents to 12 points per game, how well will that hold up in the playoffs against the likes of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady or Aaron Rodgers?
More importantly, how is the offense going to consistently move the ball with Ryan Mallett or Brian Hoyer under center? Foster is nice, but that run game won't be what it was when Gary Kubiak was around, even if Foster can stay healthy all year long.
Indianapolis Colts
14 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Did you know Andrew Luck isn't the best quarterback in the league? His detractors will take every opportunity to remind you of that, after all.
Did you know that Luck is only entering his fourth season in the NFL?
The postseason has been no stranger to the Colts thanks to Luck's talents. Indianapolis won the AFC South and made it to the conference title game in spite of failing offensive and defensive lines, and Luck was the biggest reason why.
Both sides of the ball saw improvement this offseason, and Luck is about to enter his prime. Giddy-up.
Why They Won't
Stockpiling your roster with aging veterans is a dangerous game. Frank Gore, Andre Johnson and Trent Cole were all great additions, but they are nearly 100 years old combined.
Even if they do hold up, the Colts were mauled by the New England Patriots last season, seemingly unprepared to take the next step to greatness. As has been the case since entering the league, Luck won't be able to carry his teammates all the way.
Jacksonville Jaguars
15 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Gus Bradley called up Mike Pettine and cashed in on a favor.
In all seriousness, the Jacksonville Jaguars have made some huge strides over the past couple of offseasons. That didn't translate to many victories in 2014, but this year's additions plus second-year development from some starters will turn this team into a playoff contender.
All Blake Bortles has to do is find those tennis shoes from Space Jam, and the Jaguars are a shoo-in for a championship.
Why They Won't
The reality of the situation in Jacksonville is that the Jaguars are a year or two away from serious contention. The roster is improved, but there is too much inexperience and still too many holes on that roster for the team to make it out of the AFC South over the Texans and Colts, let alone make a Super Bowl run.
Kansas City Chiefs
16 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
When you think of great defenses, which teams come to mind? Does Kansas City's unit come to mind? It should.
The Chiefs were quietly one of the best defenses in the league last season, second only to the Seattle Seahawks in scoring defense despite playing the likes of Peyton Manning and Philip Rivers twice.
Kansas City was able to to keep the gang together—most notably Justin Houston, who was second to J.J. Watt last season in Defensive Player of the Year voting—and add some nice pieces to boot. That unit is going to be good enough to kick the door in on the postseason and make some serious noise.
Why They Won't
There is that small matter of Alex Smith at quarterback.
Smith isn't a terrible quarterback. He does a lot of things well, most notably avoiding turnovers. But his inability or unwillingness to throw downfield has been an offense killer over the years.
As soon as the Chiefs fall behind by any significant margin in the playoffs, they'll be toast.
Miami Dolphins
17 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Mediocrity be damned, the Miami Dolphins are poised to pounce on the AFC in 2015.
Ryan Tannehill has steadily improved, ready to make his mark on the league in his fourth season. Ndamukong Suh signed a massive contract to team up with Cameron Wake, the best pass-rusher in the league. Mike Wallace, locker room grouse, has been exiled.
This is the year everything finally comes together in Miami, one where the Dolphins take advantage of the turmoil in New England and the uncertainty in New York and Buffalo to break into the playoffs and get to the promised land.
Right? Sure.
Why They Won't
Joe Philbin.
Miami's fearful head coach once said throwing the ball made him sick last season, as he told reporters, according to Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel:
"So yeah, I was the one who told [offensive coordinator] Bill [Lazor] to run the ball on third-and-nine. Absolutely, I certainly did. I got a little queasy when I saw those guys running free with the quarterback running for his life [on second down], so we punted the ball. That was that decision, but absolutely, that was totally on me.
"
Philbin has done the opposite of maximize his roster's talents in his tenure, and he will be the reason the Dolphins wind up out of the playoffs.
Besides, the Dolphins have a way of being abject disappointments every year.
Minnesota Vikings
18 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Teddy Bridgewater may have nearly fallen out of the first round, but he's already started to have the last laugh.
The second-year quarterback is going to take the league by storm in 2015, thrusting himself into the limelight just like Russell Wilson did a couple of years ago. Like Wilson, he'll have help—an elite running back in Adrian Peterson to go with a good defense that could be great under defensive-minded head coach Mike Zimmer.
Why They Won't
Who are we kidding? It's Bridgewater's second year, and the Vikings aren't nearly as good as the Seahawks were when Wilson won a title.
Peterson is on the wrong side of 30, and new receiver Mike Wallace is just as liable to blow up in the locker room as he is on the field. The defense might be good, but it won't be able to take on the NFL's elite.
New England Patriots
19 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
The Empire may have won it all last season, but it surely feels like striking back after the tumult it saw this offseason.
We have seen this before. The New England Patriots roared out of the gate the year after Spygate broke, annihilating the league en route to a nearly flawless season. Their lone blemish just so happened to come in the Super Bowl, but that's neither here nor there.
The NFL forgot that it wouldn't like Bill Belichick when he's angry.
Why They Won't
The strain will be too much.
Tom Brady will serve his suspension, one way or another. Even if it's reduced or delayed, the drama will follow him and the Patriots like a black cloud all year long.
Then there is the fact the defense took some big blows from a personnel standpoint. Cornerback Darrelle Revis and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork are gone, key cogs in a unit that had improved to above average in 2015.
New Orleans Saints
20 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Drew Brees wasn't in decline last season; he was just having an off year. Of course, that's all relative—he did lead the league in passing while throwing 33 touchdowns.
That touchdown count will go up in 2015, as will the Saints' win count. New Orleans' schedule will be a big help, too.
The Saints have one of the easiest strengths of schedule, they don't have back-to-back road games all year and they only play out west once. They will build up enough momentum throughout the season to be a dominant team.
Why They Won't
That all seems like a stretch. The Saints weren't very good last season, and they didn't get much better on paper during the offseason.
Jimmy Graham is gone. Kenny Stills is gone. Ben Grubbs is gone. Junior Galette might be gone.
New York Giants
21 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. developed a special connection last season, and it'll only get better in 2015.
That offense wasn't in the upper echelon of the league last season, but a strong running game to complement the Odell Beckham Show should vault the Giants near the top of the offensive standings.
Why They Won't
This whole Jason Pierre-Paul business involving a bad accident with fireworks is just bad news for the Giants. A team devoid of pass-rushers around him will probably be without the talented pass-rusher to start the year. And who knows how well he'll be able to play without a finger?
New York Jets
22 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
No team made more improvements this offseason than the New York Jets, particularly on defense.
An fantastic defensive front will now play with an elite back line with Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie, among others, in town. The Jets might just have the best defense in the league, at least once Sheldon Richardson returns from suspension.
Why They Won't
Who is going to play quarterback? Geno Smith? He hasn't shown anything in two years.
Ryan Fitzpatrick? Journeyman with a low ceiling.
The Jets have been down this road before. It wasn't long ago when Mark Sanchez was managing games while the defense handled business. That nearly got them to the Super Bowl once, but they never did get there. A similar fate awaits the Jets in 2015.
Oakland Raiders
23 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
From three wins to champions, just like that.
The Raiders have an interesting mix of young upside and veteran leadership. It'll all come together to great effect under new Jack Del Rio, Oakland's first quality head coach since John Gruden.
Why They Won't
Who are we kidding? Derek Carr can't lead this team.
The Raiders may have felt comfortable enough—or at least they were well behind often enough—to let him sling the ball over 37 times a game, but that didn't mean he looked particularly good while averaging 5.5 yards per attempt.
Sure, he'll have time to develop, but that doesn't translate to a championship in 2015.
It's not all on Carr—that defense needs some serious improvement, as does the running game. Plus, the Raiders play in the treacherous AFC West. There will be improvement but no escape.
Philadelphia Eagles
24 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Chip Kelly is a genius.
Philadelphia's head coach pulled all the right strings this offseason. From moving LeSean McCoy and signing DeMarco Murray to trading for Sam Bradford and drafting Nelson Agholor, everything will work out great and the Eagles will once again be atop the NFC East.
Why They Won't
Chip Kelly is insane.
The Mad Hatter made one or five moves too many this offseason, breaking up a promising roster while taking on massive risk. Like lenders buying subprime mortgages, everything will come crumbling down for Kelly this season.
Murray will have trouble replicating his success after 500 touches behind an inferior line. Bradford won't be able to stay healthy yet again. Byron Maxwell will be a fish out of water outside the Legion of Boom.
Pittsburgh Steelers
25 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Despite all odds, the Pittsburgh Steelers won the AFC North in 2014.
The offense reached new heights last season, particularly in the second half. Running back Le'Veon Bell became one of the best in the league. Wide receivers Antonio Brown and Martavis Bryant opened up the passing game, helping Ben Roethlisberger have the best season of his career.
Injuries ultimately foiled their Super Bowl chances, but the Steelers will be back with a vengeance in 2015.
Why They Won't
That defense has taken a proverbial beating. A once-proud tradition, the Steel Curtain has been rent asunder by attrition.
The Steelers weren't actually that bad on that side of the ball last year, but they lost a few more key players this offseason. For once, the defense will sink Pittsburgh in the postseason.
San Diego Chargers
26 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
The Chargers finally have a balanced offense again.
The post-LaDainian Tomlinson years haven't been terribly kind to that backfield, despite the promise we have seen on occasion. Melvin Gordon changes all that.
The first-round rookie will burst onto the scene right away, giving quarterback Philip Rivers a bona fide running game to go along with his passing attack.
Better yet, the Chargers had a pretty good defense in 2014 that improved on paper this offseason.
Why They Won't
Antonio Gates didn't do the team any favors by getting himself suspended for the first four games of the season. It may not seem like a terrible blow to the entire team, but Bleacher Report's own Mike Freeman seems to think it has doomed the Chargers' season:
"What I know for certain is that whether Gates was trying to cheat or not, he has doomed the Chargers. In terms of winning the division, they're done. It's over. And I'm not so sure they can make the playoffs without Gates.
I think the Chargers will start 2-2 at best and maybe even 1-3. Peyton will probably start off hot. The Broncos could gain the lead and keep it the rest of the season.
"
It's true, the Chargers play in arguably the toughest division in the league, and losing one of their best players for a quarter of the season doesn't help matters.
San Francisco 49ers
27 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Forget Jim Harbaugh. Never mind the exodus. This is the 49ers we're talking about here.
San Francisco has stockpiled young talent in recent years, and this is going to be the perfect season to unleash it all. Guys like running back Carlos Hyde and defensive end Tank Carradine are ready to take over and shine, and they will invigorate a 49ers roster that had gone stale last season.
Colin Kaepernick will shake off his detractors and have his best season thanks to a new offense and the addition of receiver Torrey Smith.
Why They Won't
All right, we can't just forget Harbaugh, the man who turned the 49ers around overnight and left a flaming pile of wreckage in his wake. Jim Tomsula is going to have a tough time replicating his success.
His was the first of many exits this offseason. All in all, San Francisco lost 10 starters to retirement or free agency, gutting the team and shunting the 49ers to the bottom of the pack in the NFC West.
They may have plenty of ways to fill those holes, but losing linebacker Patrick Willis, running back Frank Gore, offensive guard Mike Iupati, defensive lineman Justin Smith and linebacker Chris Borland, among others, is just going to be too much to overcome.
Seattle Seahawks
28 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
They've won it before. They should have won it last year. Little has changed.
The Seattle Seahawks have been the NFL's best team over the past two seasons, that Super Bowl loss notwithstanding. They have ridden their incredible defense and efficient offense to great heights, and the roster hasn't seen much turnover.
Moreover, the Legion of Boom has been repaired this offseason after playing through injury in the Super Bowl. There will be no Super Bowl hangover in Seattle.
Why They Won't
Few teams make back-to-back Super Bowls. Only one has made it thrice in a row. That would be those poor Buffalo Bills, who actually lost four championships in a row.
The Seahawks won't suffer that same fate by virtue of their win two seasons ago, but they will certainly have their hands full getting there a third time in a row.
All the drama in Seattle can't be helping things. From Russell Wilson's contract kerfuffle to Michael Bennett's holdout, trouble is brewing in that Seahawks locker room.
St. Louis Rams
29 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
Slowly but surely, the Rams defense has been building to something special. This is the year it gets to the top.
St. Louis probably has the best defensive line in the league—apologies to Miami, New York and Kansas City—and the rest of that unit is pretty good in its own right.
Why They Won't
Jeff Fisher hasn't fielded a playoff team in seven years, and his teams haven't been above .500 since then either. How is that going to change in 2015?
That defense might be good, but the offense still has plenty of question marks. There are no guarantees rookie running back Todd Gurley will have any major impact given he is returning from a torn ACL. Nick Foles was a bit of a mirage in Philadelphia, now dealing with the same roster issues his predecessor lived with for years.
Going up against the NFC West isn't going to be easy.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
30 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
No rookie quarterback has ever won a Super Bowl. Heck, no rookie quarterback has even made it to the Super Bowl. Just four have made it to a conference championship game.
Jameis Winston is here to change all that.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will sweep 2014 under the rug, a lost season from which they have already cut the chaff. The team overhauled the roster this offseason, primed for a young gun such as Winston to come in and lead the Bucs to unprecedented heights.
Why They Won't
Come on. A team going from worst in the league to Super Bowl champion in one year? With a rookie quarterback, no less?
Let's be real.
Tennessee Titans
31 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
If Winston doesn't become the first rookie quarterback to make a Super Bowl, Marcus Mariota will. Heck, they could face off in the most unexpected Super Bowl matchup ever.
The Titans were pretty bad last season, and they had a patchwork offensive line and poor quarterback play to thank for it. Well, they also had a bad defense to thank. And poor coaching.
Wait, what am I predicting here again?
Why They Won't
Again, history has spoken. It's just not happening with a rookie at the helm, not to mention one on a team that still needs a ton of work.
Washington
32 of 32
Why They'll Win the Super Bowl
The switch will flip.
Robert Griffin III will revert to his rookie form, only better. All his trepidation and indecision will disappear, and he will learn how to properly slide. He will take the NFL by storm once more.
An overhauled defense will jell early and clamp down on the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
All that or owner Dan Snyder will pay off all the officials.
Why They Won't
Nothing ever gets done in Washington, especially under Snyder's watch.
There is nothing to indicate Griffin will shake off the woes of the past couple of seasons to get back to his rookie form. As much as Washington has added, there just simply not enough to get to the playoffs.
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