NFL 2016: Most Disappointing Team In Each Conference So Far

Which team from each conference has been the biggest disappointment through the first three weeks of the 2016 NFL season?

One of the biggest things of note about the first three weeks of the 2016 NFL season has been the volatility of the league. Despite what we all thought we knew, it feels like anything can happen in any game with any teams. Because of that, it’s led to quite a few surprises from around the league.

There have been quite a few disappointing teams even this early in the year. But two teams really stand out to me above the others. These two teams have failed to live up to expectations in a major way and it’s been brutal for their fan base.

Here are each the most disappointing teams in their conference, starting over in the AFC.

AFC: Jacksonville Jaguars

Every year the team that “wins the offseason” tends to turn out to be a massive disappointment. It appears the Jaguars are no exception. It was hard not to have high hopes for Jacksonville heading into this season despite all the obvious doubts. The stars all appeared to be aligning for them to at least compete for a playoff spot.

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They had a breakout offense last season. Last season, quarterback Blake Bortles exploded with 4,428 yards and 35 touchdowns. Star wide receiver Allen Robinson piled up 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. Opposite him, Allen Hurns also topped the century mark and reached double-digit touchdownss. On top of that, they have other strong supporting players like Julius Thomas and promising young running back T.J. Yeldon.

This offseason, Jacksonville added offensive line help and the AFC’s leading rusher from 2015 in Chris Ivory. Well, things haven’t gone as planned as the passing attack has underwhelmed, the rushing attack has been non-existent and the team ranks 26th in offense both in yards and points through three games.

The defense was their Achilles’ heel and the upgrades on that side of the ball looked to be immense. They added Super Bowl champion Malik Jackson to their defensive line in addition to getting Dante Fowler back after he missed all of his 2015 rookie season. Myles Jack was the big addition to an already solid linebacker corps via the draft. Moreover, they completely revamped the secondary with excellent players like Jalen Ramsey, Tashaun Gipson, and Prince Amukamara. The defense is improved, but they’ve allowed 38, 27, and 19 points this season.

The Jags are 0-3 and look to be on their way to another disastrous season. They do have a chance to turn things around with the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears coming up next on their schedule. Still, it’s hard not to feel a bit duped by this team. The Jaguars continue to be another year away.

Sep 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) calls signals against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cardinals won 40-7. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports /

NFC: Arizona Cardinals

Many believed the Cardinals should be viewed as the Super Bowl favorites heading into this season. I predicted the Seahawks and Patriots would make the big game, but certainly had the Cardinals in the mix to be a top seed in NFC. I never believed Carson Palmer would get it done in the playoffs, but I did think the Cards would run through the regular season, winning a minimum of 12 games. They have not looked capable of that thus far.

The Cards lost Week 1 to a New England Patriots team without Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. After bouncing back Week 2, they fell to the lowly Buffalo Bills Week 3. The Bills could have been on this list, but I’ll give most of our readers the benefit of the doubt that they didn’t actually believe that dumpster fire of a team would be any good.

Arizona is now sitting at 1-2 and coming off an awful loss in which Palmer threw four interceptions, fumbled twice, and didn’t throw a single touchdown. The majority of their offensive production has come in garbage time because that’s pretty much all the past two weeks have been. The passing attack needs to get better, especially their quarterback.

The defense has been an issue to, at least considering they were supposed to be a no-doubt top-five defense in the league—and probably higher. Yes there were a ton of turnovers, but they gave up 33 points to a Sammy Watkins-less Bills squad.

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Granted, I’m not writing off the Cards just yet and they can easily turn this around. With the Los Angeles Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and New York Jets coming up on the schedule they don’t exactly have Murderer’s Row ahead of them. They could win all three games and right the ship. They need to win all three of those games though.

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