Cowboys--Any personnel decisions and injuries can be overcome with a punishing and athletic offensive line setting the tone every single game.
Eagles--Carson Wentz and his cool demeanor will be disappointed every year until his front office provides him with weapons.
Giants--Stopping Odell Beckham is the key to beating the G-Men because the HOF quarterback isn't good enough to make the defense adjust.
Redskins--They will have to pay through the nose for Kirk Cousins whether he can take them past the Wild Card round or not.
Bears--There's turmoil in the front office and coaches' rooms, and Jay Cutler's time has passed, so the immediate future seems putrid.
Lions--Matt Stafford making a habit of late comebacks in his first year
sans Megatron was a neat parlor trick to cover up the running and defensive deficiencies.
Packers--When Aaron Rodgers is on, they can still beat anybody.
Vikings--A sparkling start in a new QB era dissolved into mutiny and the start of a possible regime failure.
Falcons--One of the most explosive offenses in recent history can lead to greatness if the young and fast defense can complement it in the postseason.
Panthers--How legit was Cam Newton and the NFC champions if this is the effort they turn in the very next year?
Saints--Drew Brees and Sean Payton's offense keeps setting records, and the defense keeps sabotaging them.
Buccaneers--Sparks of excellence from Jameis Winston and the defense makes Tampa's future full of hope, but Mike Evans can't be the only playmaker on offense.
Cardinals--A run of top notch football appeared to have screeched to a halt even as David Johnson established himself as a game-changer.
Rams--Jeff Fisher made a joke of the franchise as much with his strange behavior and decisions as with his bad coaching.
49ers--Having two coaches two years in a row be assumed to be one-and-done
while the season is in progress is unprecedented and evidence of an organization that needs a complete reboot.
Seahawks--They continue to be a fascinating observation in how to let a team police its own acts, but the offensive line looks to be the Achilles heel.
Bills--Firing Rex Ryan seemed inevitable, but it remains to be seen whether Buffalo will hire someone who will provide stability to make the Bills play less inconsistently.
Dolphins--The season looked to be headed for disappointment until Jay Ajayi literally took the ball and ran with it all the way to the playoffs, overcoming the uninspiring Ryan Tannehill.
Patriots--If the rest of the NFL didn't know they were in trouble before the season, starting 3-0 with Janeane Garofalo and Jack Brisket at QB sure sent a signal.
Jets--Beginning with dawdling before deciding on Ryan Fitzpatrick as QB, the season had ominous undertones increasing every week, and the fallout may begin the descent of coach Todd Bowles.
Ravens--They kept playing for coach John Harbaugh, but lack of skill players on offense/consistency from Joe Flacco spoiled a potential division crown.
Bengals--A late playoff push was ruined by A.J. Green's injury, providing an excuse for anyone wanting to grant one to Cincy and coach Marvin Lewis.
Browns--A stunning knack of finding a loss every week masked real potential in the run game and in playmaker Terrelle Pryor.
Steelers--Felt like the high-powered offense picked and chose its spots in order to conserve instead of always trying to light up the scoreboard, which may give Pittsburgh a playoff boost.
Texans--Godawful QB play from $72M man Brock Osweiler somehow couldn't keep Houston from the AFC North title again, showing how resilient the D was after losing J.J. Watt.
Colts--It's up to GM Ryan Grigson to put talent around Andrew Luck or else risk wasting his talents for the foreseeable future.
Jaguars--In some ways the saddest franchise in football because there's no apparent bright light on the horizon.
Titans--An aggressive and athletic run-blocking O-line set the pace, and Marcus Mariota showed potential as a game-managing QB with home run tendencies.
Broncos--Trevor Siemian flashed, mostly late in comeback mode, but having no run attack as balance doomed the defending champs.
Chiefs--Adding Tyreek Hill to an offense predicated on scheme gives Andy Reid's Chiefs a new dimension that makes them dangerous in the postseason.
Raiders--Gambling coach Jack Del Rio stole some early wins as his team and star QB Derek Carr gained confidence and identity, but Carr's broken leg halted dreams of a lengthy playoff run before they even began.
Chargers--If the ageless Philip Rivers can keep producing, and their defense led by the football robot Joey Bosa can keep improving, their new coach and city might have a playoff contender soon.
