Rebuilding trials, injuries and disgraceful disappointments are reasons for the teams that have already lost their chances of making the playoffs. With teams like the Cleveland Browns, the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears probably most of them expected this. But it is surprising that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the New York Giants and the Denver Broncos had to leave the race early on. SPOX explains how this came about and how the teams are going on.
Disclaimer: As in the past season, SPOX is conducting a fault analysis for the teams that have arithmetically dropped out of the playoff race – including a look into the future. The Washington Redskins, which have also already been eliminated, will be eliminated for lack of space in the second part of next week.
What went wrong? Early in the season we noticed that it would probably not be enough to make another big jump and so it was decided in Week 5 to replace quarterback Mike Glennon with Mitchell Trubisky and to provide him with more valuable playing time than originally thought. Playing time that will be good for his development and playing time that could already indicate the 23-year-old’s future.
Nevertheless, there are doubts as to whether Trubisky can actually make the transition to a franchise quarterback. Or in other words. It’s a long way to go. Things that have greatly increased its value in college times have not really been transferred to the game. This includes passport accuracy. There is no doubt that the Bears lack weapons. The 2016 first-round pick Kevin White has played five games in two years. Zach Miller was badly injured during the season and players like Kendall Wright are among the best targets for the rookie.
In any case, the Bears season didn’t go very badly. They certainly had their moments and won against current playoff aspirants such as the Steelers, who are already division winners and have been able to set an exclamation mark for Ravens and Panthers. Moreover, only three of the nine defeats could be decided by more than one score difference.
What remains this season? For the tenth time in eleven years, the Bears miss the playoffs. The Lions and the Vikings have yet to play their matches, as well as a home game against the Browns, possibly John Fox’s last chance to not be the coach with the least wins in franchise history. For Trubisky, on the other hand, any further game at pro-level is worth its weight in gold. Of course, a final evaluation should not be done after this season.
What’s the next step? With the worst record of all coaches in the history of the franchise, the job for Fox (12-32) in Chicago after three years is unlikely to be saved. There is an enormous demand for the management: the Bears do not have a single receiver with at least 50 receivers in their account. Trubisky needs to be given weapons. Positive to note, also for 2018: The Front Seven and the running-back duo consisting of Tarik Cohen and Jordan Howard.
What went wrong? Many teams use the Bye Week to deal with their next opponent for a longer period of time and to cure injuries. In retrospect, the Broncos probably wished they had failed this season. Because exactly the Bye Week in Week 5 meant a break, which nobody would have expected. Everything started well and even the attack around Trevor Siemian seemed refreshing and powerful after the first two weeks.
However, this quickly flattened out. The shock after the bye was the defeat against the previously victorious Giants. The Broncos have not been able to rehabilitate themselves since then and lost eight games in a row. That’s what happened to them 50 years ago. Surprisingly enough, the Defense continues to play well and doesn’t allow much against both the pass and the run in terms of yards per play. And yet this negative series came about.
The reason for this is the frighteningly weak offense. Siemian and Co. produced too many ball losses and simply couldn’t walk down the field. The opponent was always in a promising position in possession of the ball. Situations in which even an elite defense like the Broncos could not do much more. Even a temporary deployment of the recovered Brock Osweiler did not improve anything. The quality of the line, backfield and receiving corps is quite high. But the quarterback position is the enormous, all outstanding construction site of this team.
What remains this season? A blowout win against the jets ended the negative series and gave coach Vance a little bit more air to Vance Joseph in the fight for his job, especially since a victory over the Colts followed on Thursday evening. Another success is in the game against the Redskins and against the Chiefs it is again about prestige and about preventing the rival from a possible playoff participation. If this works, the season could end with a conciliatory ending.
What’s the next step? One thing is clear to everyone: The Broncos need a new quarterback. If no good draft placement comes out, the Free Agency will be used to consider opportunities with candidates such as Kirk Cousins, Eli Manning and Alex Smith. Other construction sites are the O-Line and Inside Linebacker. In Joseph’s case there are contradictory reports – some report dismissal after only another season, others at least for 2018. The last few games of the season could be another decisive factor here.
Page 1: The Chicago Bears and the Denver Broncos
Page 2: The Houston Texans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Indianapolis Colts
Page 3: The San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants and the Cleveland Browns