NFL: Top 5 losing teams with playoff aspirations

With week 7 of the NFL season in the books, it’s time to look at which teams with a losing record at present still have legitimate aspirations of making it to January’s playoff tournament.

#5 New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints

Don’t look now, but this Saints team is starting to look a little frisky in October. Written off in September after a surprising 0-3 start, Drew Brees has finally got something going on offence, the team registering back to back wins for the first time this season whilst putting up its two highest points tallies of the season so far in the process.

It’s a long road back to relevance for Sean Payton’s squad; they are, after all, three games off the pace in the division. However, while the Falcons appear to be flying at 6-1, their last three games have been far from convincing. Two close wins against the sub-par Titans and Redskins, and a ten point loss on Thursday Night Football to these New Orleans Saints.

The momentum, for whatever that is worth in the NFL, is now in the Saints’ favour. Drew Brees looks like he has put his week two shoulder injury firmly behind him, winning three of his last four contest, while Mark Ingram looks like he’s back to 2014 form.Ben Watson, filling in for the departed Jimmy Graham at Tight End, looks ten years younger than his 32 years and is playing the best ball of his career.

It isn’t all in their hands, however. The Falcons have a very easy schedule down the stretch, and if they can win their next four games and push their record out to 10-1 (Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, San Francisco and Minnesota), it’s going to be very tough for New Orleans to respond.

However, as things stand after 7 weeks, the Saints are showing some fighting spirit and can’t quite be counted out just yet.

#4 Washington Redskins/Philadelphia Eagles/Dallas Cowboys

The Washington Redskins

If somebody tells you that they know who is going to win the NFC East this year, call their Mother and tell her that she raised a liar. Nobody knows how this division is going to turn out. At 4-3, the New York Giants have a marginal advantage but it is nothing more than that; marginal.

The Eagles, Cowboys and Redskins have all impressed and disappointed in equal measure so far in 2015. Chip Kelly’s Eagles have had some good wins against the Giants and Saints, but have two division losses courtesy of the Cowboys and Redskins.

The ‘skins have been a real head scratcher of a franchise this year, pulling off impressive wins against Philly and St Louis but losing each of its 3 road games thus far. I’m honestly not sure whether to credit them for resilience in their latest 31-30 come from behind victory against the Buccaneers, or chastise them for having to come from so far behind against the Buccaneers.

The Cowboys are the best team in this division when at full strength. If they could have had Greg Hardy, Sean Lee, Tony Romo and Des Bryant on the field for all 16 games I’d say this division was a lot simpler to predict.

As it happens, the team is 2-4 and faces the unwelcome prospect of keeping Matt Cassel under centre for the foreseeable future. When Tony Romo and Des Bryant are both back and firing, this team can go undefeated. Unfortunately, the Cowboys might be out of contention in the division by then.

#3 Buffalo Bills

The Buffalo Bills

I have very little doubt that if Buffalo’s starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was not hurt for their week 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bills would be heading into their bye week with a 4-3 record right now.

In relief of the impressive Taylor, backup quarterback EJ Manual had one of the worst six minute meltdowns you will ever see in professional sports, throwing two interceptions and fumbling on another possession to hand the Jaguars 20 unanswered points in the second quarter of last Sunday’s contest at England’s Wembley stadium.

Despite nearly pulling off the comeback, the 34-31 final in favour of the Jags sent the Bills back across the pond with a 3-4 record, propping up the rest of the AFC East and with their tails firmly between their legs.

However, with Taylor likely back healthy after the bye week, as well as a string of other starters on what is one of the most injury-ravaged teams in the entire league at this point, Buffalo will have a nice chance to bounce back into contention.

With three back-to-back divisional games next on their schedule (vs Miami, @ New York Jets, @ New England), the Bills still very much control their own destiny. It will be a tough road ahead, but with two wins in those contests, Rex Ryan’s team will regain both its swagger and its playoff prospects.

#2 The Entire AFC South Division

The AFC South division has its task cut out

While none of them seemingly deserve it, someone in the AFC South has to win the division and make it to the playoffs. At 3-4 and undefeated at 3-0 within the division, the Colts are the logical favourites to take the title for the third straight time. However, given the ability of all four of these squads to completely implode at any given time, nobody can be ruled out in the NFL’s least talented division.

The Colts entered the season as not just the heavy favourite for its division, but a viable Super Bowl contender. However, what we’ve seen instead is a mistake-ridden team that can’t score points and can’t stop anyone. Quarterback Andrew Luck, the supposed strength of this franchise, has been a complete liability, throwing nine interceptions in five games. In fact, in the only game in which he’s played well all season, the 34-27 home loss to the Patriots, the team still found a way to collapse courtesy of one of the dumbest special teams plays the NFL has ever witnessed.

With two tough games against the Panthers and Broncos upcoming, this squad could be 3-6 entering its bye week and in serious trouble.

Because of the Colts’ deficiencies this season, anyone of Jacksonville (2-5), Houston (2-5) and Tennessee (1-5) have the potential to snatch the division. Jacksonville just came off an uplifting win against Buffalo in London and are benefitting from a good, young offensive unit led by quarterback Blake Bortles. However, they have one of the worst defensive units in the NFL at the moment, giving up almost 30 points per game and a -3 turnover differential.

Houston aren’t much better, giving up 28.4 points per game with a -5 turnover differential. Unlike Jacksonville, who have a core offensive nucleus, Houston has struggled with any offensive consistency. Running back Arian Foster is now out for the season having missed the opening three weeks, while their fluid quarterback situation with Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett stands as one of, if not the ugliest quarterback situations in the NFL.

The good news for Houston? They still have the best defensive player in the NFL, J.J. Watt. Also, receiver DeAndre Hopkins has been playing like a superstar; he’s on pace right now for 132 catches, 1,774 yards and 11 touchdowns, all of which would be franchise records. The jury’s out on whether that star power will be enough to get this bad franchise over the hump.

Tennessee are the outsiders at 1-5. They desperately need something that vaguely resembles an efficient running game before time runs out on their season. They still have a shot because this division is so bad, but they just lost four straight games at home. Still only two games behind the Colts, if this team can get rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota heathy and firing again, their season is very much still alive…if perhaps on life support.

#1 Seattle Seahawks

The Seattler Seahawks

Make no mistake, the Seattle Seahawks are not as good as their 2014 version. The offensive line is shakier, the Legion of Boom is missing its swagger, and to this point running back Marshawn Lynch hasn’t looked his usual dominant self. That is all unarguable. What is also unarguable, is that the Seahawks should still make the playoffs in 2015.

Having regained a bit of momentum against a lacklustre San Francisco side last week, the Seahawks are lining up the Matt Cassell-led Dallas Cowboys in week 8. After that and their bye week, its three straight at home for the squad that have lost only twice at home since the start of the 2014 season.

As well as a forgiving mid-season schedule, the Seahawks offence looks to be rounding into form just when it matters mos. Jimmy Graham, Marshawn Lynch and rookie receiver Tyler Lockett all seem to be hitting their stride at the same time, with all three putting up season-best numbers in week 7.

Under the tutelage of Pete Carroll and behind the leadership of never-say-die quarterback Russell Wilson, there should be at least a wild-card place for the 2013 Super Bowl Champion when all is said and done in December.