Top 5 Teams Who Will Shock the NFL in 2015

Every NFL season, there are teams that surprise us all. These teams are oblivious to power rankings, and they laugh in the faces of their critics.

Last season, it was the turn of the Dallas Cowboys; without Sean Lee for the entire season, DeMarcus Lawrence for the opening eight games and Orlando Scandrick for the opening four, they would struggle. That’s what they said.

Come January 11, however, the Cowboys were playing in the divisional round of the playoffs.

One of the unwritten commandments of the NFL is that ahead of each season, every fan has to believe their team can win the Super Bowl. It’s why the draft is structured the way it is and why free agency was introduced.

Here are five teams that missed last year’s playoffs but, after bolstering their rosters in the offseason and shining in the preseason, will shock the system in 2015.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

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The Eagles finished 10-6 last season, so their inclusion on this list is questionable on the basis that there is less margin for improvement. But if you’re Chip Kelly, 10-6 is just as bad as 4-12. This offseason was spent building a team equipped for a deep run in the playoffs.

Last season’s problems stemmed from a defense that ranked 28th in yards allowed per game and 31st in passing yards allowed per game.

It led to an overhaul of personnel, the Eagles signing Byron Maxwell and Walter Thurmond in free agency, using five of their six draft picks on defensive players and even trading away three-time Pro Bowl running back LeSean McCoy to Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso.

The result? A loaded defense with the talent required in a division that demands exceptional defensive play.

The ease at which Sam Bradford has picked up Kelly’s intense offense is impressive. In two preseason games, Bradford completed 13-of-15 passing for 156 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. With DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews providing a dynamic running game and Jordan Matthews’ emergence as a potential star receiver, the Eagles are set to put up startling numbers.

This preseason, they were No. 1 in points per game (33.2) and yards per game (404.2). Those numbers aren’t to be taken too seriously, but they’re impressive nonetheless.

4. Atlanta Falcons

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HBO’s Hard Knocks has an unusual way of making NFL teams look impressive. The shots of sweaty players completing drills and motivational speeches all add up to give the impression of a team that is simply unconquerable.

But Hard Knocks failed to leave that impression last year when it covered the Atlanta Falcons’ preseason, mostly because of the insipid Mike Smith. The “play tough” message he preached throughout training camp clearly didn’t get through as the Falcons laboured to a 6-10 season.

Changes were inevitable. Out went Smith and in came one of the NFL’s hottest properties, Seattle’s defensive coordinator and Legion of Boom overseer Dan Quinn. Quinn wants to bring “attitude” to Atlanta, with players “refusing to back down from any challenge,” reported the MMBQ.

His first task was to rebuild a defense that gave up more yards per game than any other and recorded just 22 sacks in 2014. Brooks Reed and Justin Durant, signed from the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys respectively, offer an upgrade at linebacker. Vic Beasley, the rookie edge-rusher taken with the eighth pick of the 2015 draft, impressed in preseason and was lauded for his speed and explosion by NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

For Atlanta, it’s about finding a groove. The talent is there on both sides of the ball, and Quinn simply needs to harness it.

3. Minnesota Vikings

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The Vikings finished with a 7-9 record last season for two reasons: Teddy Bridgewater didn’t feature in three games and Adrian Peterson played in just one.

Thankfully for head coach Mike Zimmer, Matt Cassel and Christian Ponder, who both played regular-season snaps for the Vikings in 2014, are no longer on the roster. This is Bridgewater’s team now, and the second-year quarterback looks primed to make the leap toward stellar status.

In the last five games of the 2014 regular season, Bridgewater’s average passer rating was 105.5. He looked sharp in preseason too, completing 82.9 percent of his throws.

Bridgewater’s performance in the 2015 season will be aided by the return of Peterson. Play-action fakes will fool more defenders, and it's often forgotten that Peterson is a proficient pass-catcher.

The running back returns from suspension looking “ripped and in ridiculously good shape,” according to CBS Sports’ John Breech. While the circumstances of Peterson’s suspension were troubling, the Vikings could benefit from Peterson having spent almost a full season not taking hits on the field.

This season, he is targeting 2,500 rushing yards, reported NFL.com, while carrying a chip on his shoulder after the events of the past 12 months. And a motivated Peterson is an unstoppable one.

On defense, the Vikings are heading in the right direction. In 2013, they conceded 480 points—more than any other. Last season, that figure decreased to 343 points. Zimmer’s prowess as a defensive genius was evident, and in Anthony Barr, Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes and Everson Griffen, it’s a defense filled with immense promise.

2. Buffalo Bills

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The Buffalo Bills recorded their first winning season in a decade last year, so it was a surprise when the head coach that conducted that campaign opted out of his contract.

Doug Marrone’s departure cleared the way for a new head coach in Buffalo, and the appointment of Rex Ryan generated a buzz with the Bills’ players, shared by the Buffalo News. Ryan, forever the charismatic underdog, will continue his personal rivalry with AFC East foe Bill Belichick as he attempts to build on last season’s success.

He hasn’t wasted time rectifying the problems Buffalo endured last year, for despite the positive record, the Bills still finished three wins behind the New England Patriots. The Bills scored a mere seven rushing touchdowns in 2014, two of which were scored by quarterbacks EJ Manuel and Kyle Orton. Two-time All-Pro LeSean McCoy will boost that number significantly.

Ryan wants to win the Super Bowl, reported the MMQB, and that is simply not possible with Manuel under centre. Tyrod Taylor, the unknown quarterback who spent four years behind a clipboard in Baltimore, won the three-man battle to be the Bills’ starter, and if his preseason showing is anything to go by, then Buffalo fans can be excited.

He completed 77.4 percent of his passes and ran for 108 yards and a touchdown from 11 attempts. Against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3 of the preseason, Taylor completed 12 of 13 passes, and his starting weapons, Sammy Watkins, Robert Woods, Charles Clay and McCoy, were nowhere in sight.

Buffalo would be foolish to pin their hopes on Taylor, but the defense, already one of the best in the league, is now under the guidance of defensive guru Ryan and their offense is much improved.

If Taylor can carry his preseason form into the regular season, then Ryan has a great chance of toppling the Patriots.

1. Miami Dolphins

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The Miami Dolphins are reliant on two things this forthcoming season: adequate coaching and major injuries being avoided.

If both of those happen, then this team is going to the playoffs.

After another season mired in mediocrity—the Dolphins finished 8-8 for a second straight year—some consider head coach Joe Philbin lucky to still have a job in Miami.

Bad coaching decisions were a regular theme last season and hindered a team that needed better judgment at crucial moments.

But this summer has seen a change in Philbin’s philosophy, reported the Miami Herald. Instead of explaining to players how certain things are being done, the head coach is giving reasons as to why they are being done.

The pressure is on Philbin, for failure to reach the postseason with this team would surely be the end of his Dolphins tenure.

The defense was boosted by the addition of Ndamukong Suh, who became the highest-paid defensive player in history when he signed a six-year, $114 million contract with the Dolphins in March. Suh was a key component of a Detroit Lions defense that was the league’s best against the run, conceding just 69.3 rushing yards per game in 2014.

In contrast, the Dolphins allowed 121.1 rushing yards per game. Alongside Earl Mitchell, Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon, Suh completes arguably the meanest defensive line in football.

The offensive line remains a slight concern, but in Jarvis Landry, DeVante Parker, Greg Jennings, Kenny Stills and Jordan Cameron, the Dolphins’ wide receiver corps of 2015 is a significant upgrade on last year’s.

At the quarterback position, there is an expectancy of the highest demand. The word “elite” is creeping into the discussion about Ryan Tannehill as the fourth-year quarterback continues his development from good to great.

Tannehill is at the forefront of the Dolphins’ road to success, but it all starts with quality coaching.