Damn, yall – we blinked and it’s October. Since we’re through the first quarter of the season, I figured I’d sort out some of my NFL dark horses, teams that people aren’t talking about enough that could have a say in how the playoff race shapes up. LFG.
NFL Dark Horses Through September
Detroit Lions – Any of y’all realize that the Lions are actually a top 10 offense in the NFL? Shocked? Same. I’ve been in the ‘Matthew Stafford is perennially underrated’ camp for quite awhile now, but especially this season, folks are sleepin’ on just how good he is. He’s currently 2nd in the league with nine touchdown passes. But, it ain’t all him – this is a balanced Lions offense with 141 pass attempts and 123 rush attempts. As long as they’re scoring the way they are, who cares about that back end defense? This is a team that can compete in a loaded NFC.
Jacksonville Jaguars – MinshewMania is running wild, as Gardner Minshew is taking the league by storming. That connection to D.J. Chark is proving to be electric, and you have Leonard Fournette posting 200 yards rushing. The offense has been okay. The defense has been okay. But, if they can figure out how to take the next step, they could become a legitimate contender in the AFC.
New York Giants – I’m sure reality will eventually set in for Daniel Jones. But, for the moment, this is a top six offense in the NFL. The Giants beat a pretty good Bucs team a couple of weeks ago and absolutely throttled a terrible Washington team. I’m still not sure we know what this team is, but if this is really who the Giants are, they could make the NFC East pretty interesting.
Oakland Raiders – This Raiders team has shown some real spark on offense this season. Particularly, rookie running back Josh Jacobs, who already has 307 yards on the season (good for 9th in the NFL). There’s a bit of ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ with this team – are they the team that just beat a solid Colts squad? Or, are they the team that was trounced by the Vikings? If we get more of those Colts game, this could be a wild card contending team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Y’all, these Bucs are E L E C T R I C under Bruce Arians. Averaging 30.8 points per game, only the Chiefs, Ravens, and 49ers are scoring more points. If they can tighten that defense up, they’ve shown they can hang with the elite in the NFC…just ask the Los Angeles Rams.
Tennessee Titans – You have to love the way this team plays defense. It’s a defense you can win a championship with, but the offense has been far too inconsistent in the 2-2 start. If they can sort it out, and be the team that beat the Browns and the Falcons, they can hang with anybody.
Who are your NFL dark horses so far this season? Hit dem comments.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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