2018's Surprise Teams

[Aestis]

Our inaugural season of M17, 2016 proved to be the most competitive our group has ever seen. Upsets across the board. A new member cruising to an NFC bye.

But the first 3 weeks of 2018 have been bananas. Let's look at six teams who look like they have made major improvements from 2016, in no order:


San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
What can you say--this is a team who had to bite & scrape for a handful of wins in 2016 and finished 1-15 in 2017. But they came out storming in 2018, knocking off 2016 NFC Champ & former SB winner Greatness and his Falcons in week 1. With Seattle's equally shocking 0-2 start, ZCar has the 49ers gunning for their first playoff berth.

Oakland Raiders (2-1)
Da Raidahs are for real. After missing the playoffs in 2016, they simmed to the 2017 Super Bowl, knocking off the Lions in the big game on the back of a monstrous Khalil Mack MVP year. But the Raiders didn't stop with the sim season, taking down the NFC powerhouse Seahawks in week 1 and just barely dropping a 4th quarter nailbiter to Troy's AFC powerhouse Steelers in week 3. Their defense is hitting on all cylinders, limiting the Seahawks & Steelers both to 20 points or fewer.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Yes his play calling has fallen under the microscope, but the reality is the play calling is small potatoes. The reason the Eagles are flying high is two-fold: they have busted out multiple giant TD runs in each of their first two games--first a monster game by their backup HB and then one by their starter--and their DBs have been ball hawking INT machines. This might suddenly be the scariest 1-2 backfield punch in the league. The question is, can they keep rattling off these giant runs, and can their D keep generating so many TOs?

New Orleans Saints (2-0)
The Saints actually did squeak into the playoffs in 2016 as the 6 seed, but they struggled mightily during the middle of that season after a hot start, losing 37 games in a row at one point, according to math. Here it's 2018 and once again the Saints are off to a strong start, but this one feels different. After the Jags didn't want to pay Bortles, the Saints swooped in much like they had done 15 years before with Brees, and he is leading a balanced & powerful offense. Can they keep this script from changing this year and take the leap into a true contender?

San Diego Chargers (2-0)
Although the Chargers missed the 2016 playoffs and were never in serious contention, the flashes were there. Rivers could sling the ball all over the field, and Gordon had games where he looked like the 1st round talent he is. But defense plagued them as San Diego often had trouble getting stops. Has this issue been fixed? Two weeks in and the Chargers have pummeled the Seahawks (14-2 in S1) as well as the inconsistent but dangerous Pats. Given the S1 division winner's slow start at 0-2, and IsaiasG has his team poised to make a legitimate playoff run in S3.

Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Is the factory of sadness finally shut down? Might be too early to go that far, but new HC Miryfa has taken over this young & increasingly talented roster stocked with numerous high 1st rounders to a win in his first game with the team. A gritty defense led by a vicious pass rush plus electrifying young talent at QB & WR give this team the pieces to win some games, even if they are unlikely to show up as a strong playoff contender quite yet.