Cowboys, Packers trending down, Broncos, Eagles trending up
If you're not getting better, you're getting worse. Such is life for NFL teams every offseason.
In light of major shakeups around the league since February, particularly at the quarterback position, several squads head into the 2022 campaign projected to perform quite differently than they did a year ago.
Joy Taylor identifies 10 teams that stand out most at this juncture – five of which are trending up, and another five that are trending down.
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Joy Taylor decides which NFL teams she believes are trending up and down after the offseason, highlighting the Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers. Is your team trending upward or downward?
Let's get into the lists.
Trending up
2021: 7-10, missed playoffs
Taylor's thoughts: "[They] added Russell Wilson. We’ve talked about how they’ve been a quarterback away forever. They have the easiest schedule to start the season in the NFL for the first nine games."
2021: 9-8 missed playoffs
Taylor's thoughts: "I like Matt Ryan here. I think the Colts are a very, very sneaky team. I would pay very close attention to them."
2021: 9-8, lost in wild-card round
Taylor's thoughts: "Another year with Jalen Hurts, [Nick] Sirianni’s going to be more comfortable. And they added A.J. Brown."
2021: 9-8 missed playoffs
Taylor's thoughts: "I love the additions that they’ve made. I’m cautiously optimistic, but I do think Tua [Tagovailoa]’s going to be better this year."
2021: 9-8, missed playoffs
Taylor's thoughts: "I think they have to make the playoffs this year. I think they’re going to be coached a little bit more conservatively, which I think is smart."
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Mike McCarthy said that Dak Prescott looks leaner and more flexible this year. He also plans on calling more running plays for the Dallas Cowboys' quarterback. Hear whether Skip Bayless believes Dak running more would make him a better quarterback.
Trending down
2021: 12-5, lost in wild-card round
Taylor's thoughts: "They lost a lot of key pieces. They won the NFC East last year, I don’t think they’re going to do as well this season."
2021: 13-4, lost in divisional round
Taylor's thoughts: "They lost Davante Adams, who I don’t think is replaceable. It feels like at this point Aaron Rodgers is just enjoying the twilight years of his career. He’s talking a lot about retiring."
2021: 12-5, lost in divisional round
Taylor's thoughts: "The Titans won 12 games and were the No. 1 seed in the AFC last season. I don’t like relying solely on Derrick Henry or having to lean too much into Ryan Tannehill throwing the ball, especially when he doesn’t have A.J. Brown."
2021: 10-7, lost NFC Championship Game
Taylor's thoughts: "They’re going to have essentially a rookie quarterback this year. They also lost their offensive coordinator, Mike McDaniel. How is that going to affect them? I just don’t think they’re going to have that kind of [playoff] run."
2021: 8-9, missed playoffs
Taylor's thoughts: "I don’t think Deshaun Watson’s going to play a game for them this season, Jacoby Brissett will be the quarterback there. In this division, that’s not going to get it done."