Five Darkhorse Teams Ready To Take the NFL By Storm

Year after year in the NFL a team no one expected to make noise at the beginning of the season ends up outperforming media expectations. Whether it was the Saints in 2009 or the Titans in 2008, an unexpected team ends up as a legitimate Super Bowl contender come playoff time every year.

Here are five relatively un-talked about teams that are primed to have a big year in 2010.

Carolina Panthers (8-8 in 2009)

I think the Saints are still the team to beat in the NFC South this year, and I really like what the Atlanta Falcons are doing to build upon the franchise's first back-to-back winning seasons ever. The Buccaneers will likely not be much better than they were last year, when they finished 3-13, because they have so little experience on the roster. Carolina is often the forgotten team in a division that has become famous for last-to-first teams over the past decade.

The Panthers went through a lot of overhaul this offseason, releasing the man who led Carolina to the only Super Bowl appearance in franchise history in Jake Delhomme. They also lost Pro Bowl defensive end Julius Peppers to the Chicago Bears in free agency.

However, the Panthers have a good young signal caller in Matt Moore who led the team to a 4-1 finish in 2009, including a 41-9 obliteration of the New York Giants in their final game at Giants Stadium. They have what might be the league's best 1-2 running back tandem in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart and a talented receiving corps led by veteran Steve Smith. If the defense remains solid, the Panthers could be playing for a playoff spot Week 17 at the Falcons.

Miami Dolphins (8-8)

The Dolphins share a division with the most over-hyped team in recent memory in the New York Jets, so it's natural to overlook Miami in the AFC East. However, football genius and Dolphins president Bill Parcells has built a solid coaching staff and roster since the team went 1-15 in 2007, and the Dolphins look ready to have a great year in 2010.

Miami quarterback Chad Henne has had a full offseason to prepare as the starting quarterback of a team with no shortage of offensive weapons. Running back Ronnie Brown returns from injury to an offense that has added explosive wide receiver Brandon Marshall. The Dolphins also addressed what was their main weakness last year by adding linebacker Karlos Dansby in free agency and hiring defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, who improved the Denver Broncos defense, which was ranked 29th in the NFL in 2008, to seventh in 2009. 

New York Giants (8-8)

With lots of drama surrounding the other three teams in the NFC East, the Giants often get lost amidst the shuffle in their division. With a big story in the Eagles' trade of Donovan McNabb to the Redskins and lots of drama surrounding the Super Bowl expectations in Dallas, it's expected that many people haven't given Big Blue a second thought this preseason despite the Giants being only two years removed from a Super Bowl win.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning finally came into his own last year, having his first 4,000-yard passing season. New York's downfall last year came on the defensive side of the ball, where only the lowly Rams and Lions gave up more points than the Giants last year. However, with the hiring of former Bills defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and smart drafting on the defense in April, the G-Men look to return to their elite form. 

San Francisco 49ers (8-8)

People have been picking the 49ers to finally return to their winning ways and take the NFC West crown back to the Bay Area for a couple of years now, but they have had yet to overcome the Arizona Cardinals in one of the NFL's weakest divisions. However, with the departure of future Hall-of-Famer Kurt Warner, the Niners look poised to win the division for the first time since 2002.

The 49ers have a talented group of offensive skill players, from running back Frank Gore to tight end Vernon Davis. Second-year wideout Michael Crabtree has finally had a full offseason to work in this offense with quarterback Alex Smith, who finally showed some of the skills that made him the number one overall pick in 2005 in the second half of 2009. San Francisco also used two first round picks this year to shore up holes on the offensive line. The 49ers defense, led by one of the NFL's best linebackers, Patrick Willis, allowed the fourth-fewest points in the league last year and looks to build upon that his year. Don't be surprised if San Fran emerges as one of the top teams in the NFC this year.

Detroit Lions (2-14)

Unfortunately for the Lions, they play in one of the toughest divisions in the NFL, the NFC North. This division boasts two of the top five teams in the league and the man who was in charge of the Greatest Show on Turf, something the Lions last-ranked defense from 2009 can ill afford to play once, let alone twice. Fortunately for Detroit, there is a certain vibe in Motown no one has felt since the days of Barry Sanders. The Lions have the potential to make the playoffs for the first time since 1997.

The Lions will most definitely put up points this year, with second-year starting quarterback Matthew Stafford having another full offseason to develop and work with star wide receiver Calvin Johnson. The Lions added Nate Burleson in free agency, a legitimate number two wideout for the team. In the first round of the NFL draft, they drafted running back Jahvid Best, who averaged over seven yards per carry while he was at the University of California. They have helped to address defensive weakness in drafting former Heisman trophy candidate Ndamukong Suh with the second pick of the draft, signing former Pro Bowl defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosh, and trading for former Seahawks defensive end Lawrence Jackson. The Curse of Bobby Layne has finally ended for the Lions, so don't be surprised to see Detroit play past the first week of January this year.