The Buffalo Bills finished last season at the bottom of the AFC East, but there was a lot to like from the team, including some flashes from quarterback EJ Manuel, and a defense that wound up as one of the surprise units in the league.
The Chicago Bears’ offense got a much needed kick in the pants last season with Marc Trestman coming to town. The perennially underachieving unit finally got it all together and came up with a big season.
The Green Bay Packers endured the nightmare of every team that rosters a franchise quarterback this past season when Aaron Rodgers went down with an injury and missed an extended period of time.
The Tennessee Titans enter the 2014 season a little under the radar – they went 7-9 last season with a backup quarterback and a running back that didn’t seem to care.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2014 season as a sexy pick to become the most improved team in the league – not only did they steal Head Coach Lovie Smith but they also signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown to solidify what had been a quarterback situation that has long been a problem for the team.
The San Diego Chargers exorcised a lot of demons last season – actually winning a few games in December en route to a 9-7 record, a playoff berth and a first round playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Washington Redskins enter the 2014-2015 season full of promise yet again, with a new coach and a few new weapons in town. The question is – are they good enough to reach the playoffs and erase the memory of a miserable 3-13 2013 season.
The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2014 season looking to rebound from what was viewed as a disappointing 8-8 season last year – their second straight .500 season.
After winning a Super Bowl just two years ago, QB Joe Flacco and his Ravens regressed in 2013. An 8-8 season and finishing third in the AFC North division was not palatable to general manager Ozzie Newsome and the Maryland faithful.
Everything went wrong last season for the Atlanta Falcons, who were mired in a 4-12 disaster thanks in large part to injuries and a corresponding lack of depth.
Being such a talented team, boy are the Arizona Cardinals cursed that they play in the NFC West division. Going to war against the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, perennial NFC contender San Francisco 49ers and the rapidly-congealing St. Louis Rams can’t be much fun.
After a disappointing 2012 campaign, the New Orleans Saints bounced back to go 11-5 last year, sneaking into the playoffs as one of the two NFC Wild Card teams.
The Vikings surprised everyone in 2012 by going 10-6 and earning a Wild Card spot, then followed up by barley staggering to a 5-10-1 record in 2013, just enough for last place in the NFC North.
The Patriots won their 11th AFC East title in the last 12 years, finishing up the 2013 regular season with the second best record in the conference at 12-4.
After finishing the 2013 season with an overall record of 8-8, the Miami Dolphins will aim to put together a third straight season in which they will try and increase their win total from the previous year.
Apparently some in Vegas expect the Kansas City Chiefs to experience a minor setback in 2014, as the current over/under for wins is set at eight.
