The NFL season is halfway done and there have been five teams who have not lived up to their expectations. Everyone knows that football and injuries go together like two peas in a pod. Sometimes injuries can occur to star players which can really swing a teams momentum for the worse. This seems to be a common theme for this season. In other cases, teams simply don’t play well, or at least to the standards most would hold them too. All that being said, here are your five most disappointing teams this season.
5 Most Disappointing Teams In The NFL This Season
Atlanta Falcons
This may be surprising to some since the Falcons currently stand at 4-3. Honestly, I’m not convinced they will make a major run in the playoffs this year if they get there. Three out of their four wins were won by less than seven points. They even blew a 17 point lead to the Dolphins in week 6. The Falcons have too much talent on their roster to let a lead like that slip away.
They also should not be struggling against teams like the Jets who are 4-5. The Jets will have their moments the rest of this season where they will occasionally put up a good fight and beat better opponents. That doesn’t matter though, the Falcons should not be one of those teams challenged by the Jets. They aren’t looking like a team that was just in the Super Bowl. Clearly, they aren’t clicking on all cylinders yet. This isn’t about the Falcons being bad, it’s strictly about them not living up to their expectations.
Oakland Raiders
So the Raiders are 3-5 and the momentum doesn’t seem to be on their side. Hopefully, with Marshawn Lynch returning this weekend, he can bring something to snap this team back into shape. It’s a let down when your team goes from 11-5 last year to where they are now. Last year they were exciting to watch. This year for the Raiders, on the other hand, has a completely different feel. Simply put, this doesn’t seem like it’s their year. The truth is their hopes of making the playoffs are getting slim. It’s probably a safe bet that the Chiefs, who stand at 6-2, will win the AFC West. As of right now, the Raiders are the 14th seed in the AFC. Quite honestly, it’s now or never if they want to make a run for the wildcard round.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys (4-3) have many fans concerned. Dak Prescott has had issues with throwing the deep ball, and Ezekiel Elliott has had spotty moments where it seemed like he couldn’t do much until recently. Essentially, fans expected more from their dynamic duo. The Cowboys aren’t bad, they just aren’t playing at a high level like last season. Many predicted the Cowboys to take over the NFC East. The Eagles put a stop to those talks, but the Cowboys have been disappointing in ways other than their play.
The potential Elliott suspension lingers and Cowboy fans are biting their nails each week waiting to hear whether he can play or not. On Friday morning news broke that Elliott will, in fact, play on Sunday against the Chiefs after a successful emergency appeal. If Elliott ever does serve his suspension this season, the Cowboys will be in some trouble. It’s time for Prescott to start preparing for life without Elliott, just in case.
The other issue is that the Cowboys have the second most rushing yards in the league. Meaning that their run game is very important to their success. Alfred Morris is a solid back up, but potentially losing Elliott really puts a dent in their offense. Here’s an interesting stat, between rushes and receptions Elliott has scored 8 touchdowns this season. That is a third of their total touchdowns. This is disappointing for Cowboy fans who were hoping to see their team truly contend in the NFC East. All of the added legal drama isn’t good for the Cowboys, or the NFL. Their realistic mindset should be to make the NFC wildcard round, especially after the Eagles acquired Jay Ajayi. It’s going to be an interesting month and a half for the Cowboys, if and when Elliott gets suspended.
Houston Texans
The loss of J.J. Watt was extremely hard for the city of Houston to see, especially after everything he has done in terms of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. After Watt suffered a tibial plateau fracture, it felt like the spirit of that team faded. It was extremely disappointing for not only Texan fans, but fans of the NFL. Watt is an incredible talent and will undeniably be back and better than ever. Nonetheless, it hurts so see such an exciting player’s season come to an abrupt end.
Deshaun Watson has quickly shown his potential. He is already being regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. However, disappointment occasionally lurks in the shadows where it cannot be sensed. During practice on Wednesday, Watson suffered a torn ACL. Here’s the flip side of things, the Texans are going to have quite the future with Watson as their quarterback.
This is a tough season for the Texans. To lose Watt, Watson, and Whitney Mercilus is a major gut punch to the team. Their record right now is 3-4. They may be able to make some noise here and there, but it’s going to be a constant fight. Injuries like these, especially to your best players, really knocks the air out of a team. It truly is a disappointing season for the organization and the fans. That said, next season will come quicker than you think.
New York Giants
So, the Giants are the epitome of disappointing this season. They were hyped up to be a fantastic team all pre-season and their big blue ship sunk very fast. They hold a record of 1-6 and this season has Giants fans in disbelief. Let’s begin with the offensive line. It’s hard to understand why Jerry Reese didn’t do anything about it. It was their biggest problem last year, and this year is no different. Honestly, Eli Manning should have a sit down with Reese. Manning is absolutely entitled to do so.
The next disappointment for the Giants this season is without a doubt the biggest. When Odell Beckham Jr. suffered a fractured ankle that was season ending, the Giants’ season ended. Beckham is the offense. He requires constant double coverage and opens up the other receivers. That brings me to Brandon Marshall who also suffered a season-ending ankle injury. Honestly, Marshall didn’t help as much as the Giants hoped. Even when Beckham had double coverage, Marshall just couldn’t execute well. This season was beyond disappointing for the Giants, in fact it was dysfunctional.
The Giants had multiple suspensions on top of the injuries. The situation with Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie leaving the team before practice is a bad look. Janoris Jenkins also being suspended for violating team rules adds fuel to the fire. These suspensions are most likely indications that Ben McAdoo has lost the locker room. The Giants need a legitimate head coach. A coach who can control the team in a manner that the players respect. It’s time for the Giants to get rid of McAdoo for good. They must reinvent themselves for next season. Time will tell if they do.