2012 NFL Draft: 5 Teams That Can Change Their Fortunes This Year

With five weeks now in the books in the 2011 NFL season, we are now identifying those who may compete for a Super Bowl and those who are going to be in the "Suck For Luck" sweepstakes.  We've seen great surprises like the 4-1 Buffalo Bills and 4-1 San Francisco 49ers, and we've seen tremendous disappointments like the 1-4 Philadelphia Eagles. 

However, are all of our current NFL bottom feeders destined for failure?  Not necessarily. 

While many won't be competing for a playoff spot, there are five teams that can change their fortunes and get out of the NFL's basement. 

5. Indianapolis Colts

After yesterday's bitter 28-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, there are those that now believe the Colts are going to end up with the worst record in the NFL. At 0-5, you can understand why you're hearing that kind of talk.

However, despite their miserable record and the fact Peyton Manning almost certainly will not play this year, the Colts will manage to win a few games and escape the NFL's basement.

Since Curtis Painter has taken the helm at quarterback, the Colts have looked like a different team on offense. They looked absolutely miserable on offense for two-and-a-half games under Kerry Collins, but Painter has led an offense that's scored over 20 points per game.  The question a lot of Indy fans have has to be why the team ever signed and started Collins.

While the offense has improved, their defense has continuously given up points. It's one of the worst run defenses in the NFL, and yesterday, they gave up four passing touchdowns to a Chiefs team that didn't know how to play offense the first two weeks of the year.

With all of that said, this team has been very competitive the past three weeks. With eight of their 11 remaining games coming up against teams with 3-2 records or worse, this team can probably win half of those games.

If they can win four games, the Colts will likely avoid the drama of having to potentially draft Andrew Luck and put Peyton Manning out on the streets. 

4. Arizona Cardinals

No one will argue that the Cardinals laid an egg in Minnesota yesterday, losing 34-10 to the previously winless Vikings. 

Running back Adrian Peterson ran all over them to the tune of 122 yards and three first half touchdowns. At 1-4, Arizona is not meeting the modest expectations that were set for them in the pre-season.  But is their season truly over?  Not when you're in the NFC West.

Taking the Viking game out of the picture, the Cardinals lost their other three games by a combined nine points and they led in two of them. The problem is, the team hasn't been able to close games.

Kevin Kolb is 12th in the NFL in passing yards, and Beanie Wells has opened some eyes rushing for 381 yards for tenth in the league. The defense isn't truly awful, but the problem is, they come up small in the big situations. If it's not losing fourth quarter leads, it's getting blitzed in the first quarter, which is what you saw at Minnesota.

If the team can come together and play a complete game, the Cardinals can still turn their season around. Yes, the San Francisco 49ers are 4-1 and have a three game lead in the NFC West, but the two teams have not played each other yet. 

If Arizona can sweep their season series, the Cardinals just need to play one game better than the Niners and they can still win the division.

For that to happen, though, the team must play a solid 60 minutes. 

3. Carolina Panthers

Has there ever been a more exciting 1-4 team in NFL history? Perhaps not.

It's a very strange time in Carolina right now. Usually when your team starts 1-4, you're asking what's wrong? Why is my team struggling so much? Is it the coaches' fault or is it the players?

You're not hearing any of that chatter from Panther fans, and you can understand why. It's one thing to see your team limp to a 2-14 record, but it's quite another when you're team averages a pathetic 12 points per game. The Panthers offense was, quite frankly, offensive in 2010.

While Carolina may not be winning, they're looking darn exciting in defeats. Rookie Cam Newton has shocked analysts with his solid play, and despite playing against some of the best teams on the NFL, is on pace to throw for over 5,000 yards.

They have held a lead in every game they've lost and have pushed the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints to their limits. 

Their schedule is one of the more difficult in football, with just four of their last 11 games coming up against teams currently under .500, and even that's deceiving, as two of those games are against the Atlanta Falcons. 

With that said, Carolina have proven they can compete with the NFL's big boys. As they continue to grow and mature, the Panthers are clearly a team that can continue to impress and win six to seven games. 

One thing that is clear is Carolina could be a scary team as soon a next year. 

2. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings got their first win of the year yesterday, dominating the Cardinals 34-10. Adrian Peterson took off for three touchdowns and showed us all yet again how special of a running back he is.

Yesterday's victory was extremely important for the Vikings, and the win is a tremendous weight off their shoulders. It could be a win that catapults this team back to respectability.

The funny thing is, the Vikings are a team that could easily be 4-1. They led in their first three losses, and in the case of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions, they blew leads of 17 or more points. Their fourth loss was perhaps the most disappointing, losing to a Chiefs team that hardly competed their first three games.

Though they're 1-4, they continue to excel at the kind of things winning teams do. They run the ball well, and they win the line of scrimmage on defense. The problem is, quarterback Donovan McNabb has been inconsistent, and at times, just flat out bad.

Their pass defense is also one of the worst in the NFL and has been the main reason why the team has blown so many games this year.

Playing in the NFC North, it's very hard to envision this team competing for a playoff spot. The Packers and Lions look like Super Bowl contenders. However, there's no reason to think they're not on the Bears level.

The Vikings have struggled this season, but they have the talent to be an eight or nine win team.  Whether they get that many is up for debate, but I can almost guarantee this team won't be one of the worst teams in the NFL come January. 

1. Philadelphia Eagles

There's no bigger disappointment in the league than Philly, and I doubt many will argue that.

Dubbed the "dream team" thanks to their backup quarterback Vince Young sounding off at a press conference, the Eagles are 1-4 after their latest loss, being downed by the Buffalo Bills 31-24.

(As a side note, how much money could you have won if two months ago, you said after five games, the Bills would have a three game lead on the Eagles?)

There was a lot of talk about how good the Eagles would be when they brought in guys like Nnamdi Asomugha, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jason Babin and Ronnie Brown. These players were supposed to make the Eagles Super Bowl contenders.

The problem is, people did not care to take a look at the Eagles roster and realize the two areas that needed the most improvement, the offensive line and linebackers, were hardly addressed in the offseason. 

And what a shock, the Eagles can't stop opposing running backs, and Michael Vick is getting beaten up game in and game out because his protection constantly fails him.

Despite their shortcomings, the Eagles could easily be 4-1. What is truly crippling them are mental mistakes that veteran teams should not make. Veteran defensive tackle Juqua Parker jumping offsides on dummy hard count with a minute to go yesterday was just the latest example.

It's the bad throws by Vick, fumbles by his receivers and mental errors all around that have the Eagles at 1-4. If the team can stop making the bad mistakes, the Eagles can still turn their season around.

In a surprisingly mediocre NFC East, the Eagles can get themselves back into contention by  beating the 3-1 Washington Redskins next week.  They'd sit just one-and-a-half games out of first at that point, and it's not like the 3-2 New York Giants and 2-2 Dallas Cowboys are striking fear in the hearts of teams in the league. 

To be sure, Philadelphia is not in a good position right now, as they likely have to go 9-2 in their final 11 games to reach the playoffs. But Philly does have the talent to overcome their shortcomings.

It all comes down to next week, though. Should they lose to the Redskins, they'd be 1-5 and would essentially be left for dead.

Win next week, and I would still consider the Eagles that favorites to win the NFC East.