Moving into 2019, all 32 teams are in different states of contention. There are a handful of teams who expect to win the Super Bowl while other teams might participate in a tank for Tua Tagovailoa whether they need a quarterback or not.
Here is a look at the six tiers of squads.
Tier 6: Playoffs would be a shocker
Teams (12): Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, Washington Redskins, New York Giants, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals
All 12 of these teams possess at least one fatal flaw which immediately hurts any chance of them making the playoffs. These teams have one poor side of the ball and major question marks. Many of the teams have an unproven quarterback accompanied by underwhelming weapons (Bills, Jets, Dolphins, Redskins, Giants, Buccaneers, Cardinals) while others (Bengals, Raiders, and Lions) have appalling defenses.
Tier 5: Playoffs are unlikely, but it would not be a shocker
Teams (6): Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers
All six of these teams have one problematic spot. For the teams not named the Green Bay Packers, the problematic spot lies at quarterback. The quarterback position for those teams is inconsistent at best and a dumpster fire at worst. For the Packers, the question mark lies in the defense because everyone knows Aaron Rodgers will play at a high level. The Packers brought in pieces through the draft and free agency, but they are far from a playoff lock.
Tier 4: A deep playoff run is unlikely
Teams (3): Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans
A trio of AFC teams whom all have decent playoff chances enter Tier 4. The Steelers will be without their top weapon from the 2018 season, but they have plenty of talented pass catchers to eat up the loss of Antonio Brown. For the Browns, they may not have the defense to get it done in the playoffs, but they are favorites to win the AFC North for a reason: the offense. In Houston, the major flaw is the offensive line. The Texans have looked into trading Jadeveon Clowney, but no suitor has committed to making a deal yet. All three teams could end up in the playoffs, but it is unlikely that any advance to the AFC title game or beyond.
Tier 3: They could win a game or two in the playoffs, but the Super Bowl is a goal for another season
Teams (6): Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers, Minnesota Vikings
The Ravens and Chiefs are elite on one side of the ball, but the other side lacks the pieces necessary to be put into the top two tiers. For the Colts, Chargers, and Vikings, history opposes them. The Colts have been routinely unable to win road playoff games against good teams in the now-defunct Andrew Luck era which severely limits their upside as long as New England has Tom Brady. The Chargers and Vikings are notorious choke artists who have a habit of losing important games in the playoffs. Philip Rivers and Kirk Cousins would need to have their best performances for their teams to make it to February football.
Tier 2: They could make the Super Bowl
Teams (4): Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams
The Rams made it to the Super Bowl last season, so their spot here makes sense. The only reason they are not higher is due to the potential for injury in Todd Gurley. In a similar injury front, the Falcons were stripped to the depths of their bench in 2018. With fewer injuries, the Falcons will be a contender once again. In Chicago, any defensive regression will hopefully be matched with the maturing Mitch Trubisky playing at a high level. In New Orleans, they need 60 minutes without something catastrophic happening to return to the Super Bowl.
Tier 1: Your Super Bowl Champion will be one of these teams
Teams (3): New England Patriots, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles
In the most original segment of this article, the three teams left have combined for six division titles, 13 playoff wins, and three Super Bowls since 2016. While the Patriots do account for the majority of those numbers, the Eagles and Cowboys hold their own concerning winning games. The Cowboys have two division crowns in three years, and they are simply getting better. 2019 will see the return of all-world center Travis Frederick as well as a full season of Amari Cooper. Ezekiel Elliott is the wild card in Dallas, but if he is there, the Cowboys should win a minimum of 11 games. For the Eagles, they come into the 2019 season healthy. Carson Wentz has had almost two full years of ACL recovery, and he should return to his near MVP level of 2017. The Eagles have made savvy acquisitions in their offensive and defensive backfields, and they should be a force to be reckoned with in 2019. The Patriots need no elaborate introduction. They should cruise to an unprecedented 11th consecutive AFC East title while also securing a bye for the 10th consecutive season. The Patriots are also favorites to go to their ninth straight AFC title game and their fourth straight Super Bowl. They might be even better than the 2018 team that won the Super Bowl.
