Here are some of the legitimate predictions for the 2013 season BEFORE it started: The Minnesota Vikings will contend for the NFC North with Christian Ponder finally becoming a good player and with the addition of Greg Jennings. Robert Griffin III will fight through his injury and lead the Washington Redskins to greatness. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are too good. The Houston Texans have all the necessary pieces of the puzzle to win the Super Bowl; they just need to win the big games. The Pittsburgh Steelers will be contenders with Troy Polamalu playing healthy again. With Steven Jackson, anything is possible for the Atlanta Falcons! As we can see now, many of these teams have not lived up to expectations this year. So who was the worst?
Every year a handful of teams crumble under the pressure of high expectations and on top of that you’ve seen this year’s list. For every surprising upstart from a team like the Carolina Panthers, another team must suffer. That’s the way of life in the NFL. As terrible as their seasons have been, I think two teams deserve some slack in terms of their disappointments: the Packers and the Redskins.
Sure, the Redskins have the most politically incorrect name and their cocky antics have set them up well to be mocked for their pathetic 3-9 record, but their season was ruined in the NFC Playoffs last year when Griffin III He suffered a catastrophic knee injury. His return to the field was rushed and caused him to miss an entire offseason of practice. He doesn’t move with the ease and fluidity of last year and he’s not the same player. For anyone to expect him to return with the prowess of his rookie year is pretty ridiculous. I feel like he can be more successful next season.
Also, the Packers have suffered the loss of star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. At 5-2 before his collarbone injury, all was going well for the team. Now it’s all gone wrong, and they’re barely limping along and only left in the playoff race because the Detroit Lions aren’t very good either. They, too, can be spared the blame because losing a star quarterback is about as catastrophic as it gets in the NFL. But for the other teams mentioned (Steelers, Texans, Falcons, Vikings) this season has been a huge disappointment and it’s hard to know where to point the finger.
The Vikings expected big things after their 10-6 record last season and a trip to the playoffs. Adding veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings and linebacker Desmond Bishop were supposed to be key ingredients for a team ready to overcome the hurdle. Instead? They have yet to figure out who their starting quarterback is and have tried 3, all of which have largely failed. The team is 3-8-1 and wondering what happened and where to start to fix it.
And then there are the Pittsburgh Steelers. Traditionally built around a strong offensive line and tough defense, it has been anything but for the Steelers. Their defense is pretty average and their offensive line is pretty miserable, highlighted by running back Le’Veon Bell’s 3.3-yard-per-carry average and Ben Roethlisberger’s 36 sacks (fourth-most in the league). At 5-7, the 2013 Steelers are pretty much finished and seem a far cry from their bygone Super Bowl days.
But these aren’t even the worst. No, there are much bigger disappointments in this league. Let’s take a look at the Atlanta Falcons. This team has been near the top of the NFC for about 5 years and was able to convince Tony Gonzalez to come back for one more shot. They just fell short in the NFC Championship game last year, and with quarterback Matt Ryan, incoming running back Steven Jackson and a generally mature team of playmakers hoping to compete this season. What happened? Star wide receiver Julio Jones was hurt, Jackson is clearly over the hill, and Ryan has been appallingly average. Meanwhile, his once respectable defense is morbid and he just can’t go after the quarterback. They stand at 3-9 as everyone scratches their heads.
And then there’s the most disappointing team of all: the Houston Texans. Having made the playoffs in 2011 and 2012, this team was ready to get over the hump and start competing. Supposed playoff inexperience had doomed them to early exits in those years, but their talent on the roster proved contender-worthy. Arian Foster, Andre Johnson, Owen Daniels and JJ Watt are capable of making standout plays. Matt Schaub was the best game-managing quarterback the NFL knew. But he lost focus. After endless weeks of picking 6, Schaub was cheered when he left a game injured and hasn’t been seen since. Meanwhile, the team just hasn’t made any impact plays. They’ve forced just 9 turnovers on the year (turned 21) and crumble under pressure. Now, with new quarterback Case Keenum starting (and playing very average), the Texans are 2-10 and eagerly waiting for this nightmare to end. Where will they go from here?
The ability to reverse fortunes so quickly in the NFL reveals just how close the competition is in the NFL. Each of these teams has been successful recently and made the playoffs quite often, but 2013 just isn’t their year. While disappointment surely runs rampant, fans can rest easy with the sole thought that next season they will have every opportunity to get back into shape. And at least next year’s NFL Draft will be exciting with a top draft pick!