Cowboys--This team is as reliant on a few super-impact players as any in the league, and when Dez, Zeke, and Sean Lee aren't on, they're all the way off.
Eagles--They arrived a little earlier than many thought they would, but Philly is double tough defensively and fearless behind Carson Wentz on offense, and they will miss him dearly in the playoffs.
Giants--The Eli Manning Era should end so as to start fresh, but Eli doesn't seem ready to exit stage left.
Redskins--The soap opera "As Kirk Cousins Turns" seems to be stagnating the entire franchise, so they should decide once and for all and move forward.
Bears--A predictably drab season ended with the predictable John Fox shitcanning, and the occasional sparkle from Mitch Trubisky shouldn't have been surprising given his high draft selection.
Lions--Another above average campaign from Matt Stafford couldn't save a team that consistently has no running to complement him and no real hope of a title.
Packers--All hopes of contention were cracked along with Aaron Rodgers' clavicle, and it feels like he's returning to a squad next year whose window is closing fast.
Vikings--Mike Zimmer did a marvelous job uniting his team after last year's near-mutiny, and they stand poised as maybe the most complete contender in the postseason despite their QB.
Falcons--They're compelling because lost in the attempts to rekindle the flame of last year's record-setting offense was the further molding of the athletic defense in Dan Quinn's image.
Panthers--Revamped the offense on the fly and relied on Cam Newton's unparalleled QB-ur-bruising-RB style to win, though the field-wide pursuits on D by Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis need praising.
Saints--Sean Payton's bend-but-make-game-changing-plays defense and double-headed RB tag team of Ingram and Kamara combined with the timeless Drew Brees make New Orleans as well-rounded as their Super Bowl championship club.
Buccaneers--Dirk Koetter must figure out the mercurial Jameis Winston in order for Tampa Bay to fight for survival in their monstrous division.
Cardinals--The defense kept its level as best it could, but Carson Palmer broke down one final time and Bruce Arians ran out of answers.
Rams--If Sean McVay can bottle whatever potion he used to turn Jared Goff into a decisive playmaker, then they can play with anybody, and if they have a lead, then Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn can pressure any opposition into mistakes.
49ers--Similar to the Rams, they need their genius Kyle Shanahan to keep molding his charge Jimmy Garoppolo into a winning QB and build from there.
Seahawks--Seems like the dynasty is collapsing thanks to injuries and attitude problems, and it may be fascinating to watch and see what measures Pete Carroll takes to stem the tide.
Bills--Never seen a team try to lose and win by accident anyway, which may make Buffalo the spotlight team in a season of pure zaniness.
Dolphins--Between the Cutler-for-Tannehill disaster and the dealing of Jay Ajayi after 1½ years, Miami doesn't seem to be going in the right direction, and Adam Gase will pay unless they turn it around drastically.
Patriots--They won so many games big after two months of their defense being atrocious in all phases that maybe they're just bulletproof and know how to prevail under any circumstances.
Jets--Such a lack of playmakers that everyone assumed they were tanking from the jump, so some credit goes to Todd Bowles and his coaches for getting really good efforts from them most of the year.
Ravens--Just slight enough tilting of their scales the wrong way from losing their shutdown CB Jimmy Smith, and Baltimore's mediocre ways lead them out of the playoffs.
Bengals--Amazing that Cincy proved a clear lack of stewardship from Marvin Lewis and yet ownership will allow it to happen all over again next season.
Browns--They fought their asses off all year, and the lack of talent shone through in each and every painful loss, so Hue Jackson staying after 0-16 is not even a hill to die on.
Steelers--The offense took time to come together and LeVeon Bell is well rested for the playoff run, but they're doomed without Ryan Shazier patrolling the middle.
Texans--What a stark contrast between Bill O'Brien having a confident, dynamic offense with DeShaun Watson at QB and no confidence with anyone else, and the D equally became rudderless after J.J Watt and Whitney Mercilus got hurt.
Colts--They competed behind Jacoby Brissett, but they failed as a team should when their crackpot owner leads them to believe that the franchise QB is right around the corner and he never comes into the room.
Jaguars--Part of the new blood rising in the NFL, they asserted a wicked QB-killing pass rush early and will make a dangerous playoff team even with inconsistent Leonard Fournette and Blake Bortles leading the O.
Titans--Mike Mularkey hasn't led Marcus Mariota to be any better this season and never figured out the right RB split between Derrick Henry and DeMarco Murray, so he may be finished despite the last-minute Wild Card berth.
Broncos--John Elway showed his lack of leadership when his assembled roster couldn't contend under new coach Vance Joseph, choosing to criticize the squad's "toughness" instead of asking himself why he trusted Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler to handle the offense.
Chiefs--A tale of two seasons as Alex Smith and rookie Kareem Hunt lit up the league early before crashing to Earth, leaving Kansas City to scramble to a division title and Andy Reid to dream up new ways to get the most out of his stars.
Raiders--Hard to contend when your secondary is trash, and your top draft pick CB can't get off the trainer's table, but Jack Del Rio's fate was sealed when Amari Cooper and Derek Carr took big steps back in their development.
Chargers--Under a less-than-ideal home stadium situation, credit old man Philip Rivers with connecting with his targets as the season wore on to make a run at a playoff spot and finish as the #1 passing offense in football.
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