NFL Offseason 2019: Which Divisional Round loser is set up best for success?
By Dan Salem
Four more teams entered the NFL Offseason 2019, losing in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Between the Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, and Eagles, which team is set up best for success?
In the Divisional Round of the NFL Playoffs, the top two seeds in each conference advanced. Though all favorites didn’t cover, there wasn’t much competitive action between all four contests. Last week, we took a brief look ahead at where the losers stood for next season. It’s worth doing so again, as four more teams entered the NFL offseason earlier than anticipated. Divisional round losers are usually an interesting mix of squads. This year is no exception
In the AFC, our two losers come from different sides of the coin. Indianapolis went on a wild run to make the postseason, but fell short against the behemoth of the conference. Los Angeles, meanwhile, rolled through the regular season, only failing to capture a home game because the best team was in the same division. The Chargers got knocked off in debilitating fashion, which puts a hamper on any positivity from the season.
The NFC also has two losers from opposite sides of the coin. Dallas came out of nowhere to have a very solid season. Any postseason success would have been gravy. Philadelphia, on the other hand, put together a distressing regular season and only barely snuck into the playoffs to defend its league championship. The Eagles couldn’t put together another run despite the sky high preseason expectations.
So who is in the best shape right now for next season?
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the NFL Offseason 2019 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
Regression rolls both directions. It is hard for me to imagine the Colts and Cowboys having great seasons again next year. They each have young talents, but surpassing a tipping point takes a couple rocks back and forth. Stupendous rookies don’t always become elite second-year players.
Injury-prone vets who find a year of health aren’t automatically healthy the subsequent season. In Indy’s case, a young head coach finding a blueprint that works doesn’t mean his opponents won’t find a counter for next season. In Dallas’ case, a bad head coach can’t be overcome repeatedly without suffering the consequences.
It is hard to discount the Chargers obviously, but I find myself going back to the scaffolding pair of the head coach and the quarterback. What do the Chargers have in their head coach? And if LA couldn’t succeed behind arguably Philip Rivers‘ best season ever, where else is there to go? Said another way, if this version of the Chargers couldn’t get over the hump, what else can Rivers hope to accomplish?
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Philadelphia is the key. Carson Wentz will be back in the fold next season, and few coaches breed more current confidence than Doug Pederson, even after elimination. Even better for the Eagles is the hope that injury luck reverses back in their favor in 2019 after having a very banged-up season on both sides of the ball.
The Eagles are currently projected to have the least cap space in the league, but we know how fluid and manipulative of a number that can be. And besides, having cap space isn’t a guarantee of improving the roster in a dramatic way. Philly will be fine simply getting a lot of its current players back in full health. And oh by the way, it can clear a smooth $20 million by declining Nick Foles‘ option. That alone opens up room to bring back the likes of Brandon Graham.
Dan Salem:
I’m on board with utilizing the coach-quarterback combo to determine who is set up best for the NFL offseason and the new season, but we must add a caveat. Nick Foles remaining with the Eagles is crucial to their future success. He has proven two years in a row just how valuable a good backup quarterback is. Without him, I do not trust Philadelphia to succeed.
The Eagles have yet to get a full season out of Wentz, so until it happens, I’m not about to assume they will be so lucky. With Foles as the number two, Philadelphia is in great shape. Their division remains wide open and I too am a Pederson fan. The combo of Wentz/Foles and Pederson has proven itself exceptional.
Unfortunately, I do not believe Foles remains an Eagle. Removing him from the equation places a huge question mark at quarterback in Philadelphia. While the Eagles are in a good spot in an open division, they are not best off.
We agree about Rivers and the Chargers, so I won’t beat the dead horse. He had his best year, which was still not good enough to beat Tom Brady in the playoffs. Not even close. Coaching played a huge factor in their defeat, because Bill Belichick is possibly the best all-time. Los Angeles is in a good spot, but I can’t imagine them getting better next season.
Dallas can get better defensively, but this is a coach and quarterback conversation. Dak Prescott is proving himself every bit the franchise quarterback, as long as the Cowboys keep a weapon like Amari Cooper in his arsenal. I also believe fans and pundits are too hard on Jason Garrett.
The NFC East is wide open, as noted above, so Dallas is in a good spot. Yet they definitely capitalized on weak competition this season, so its hard to imagine them over-achieving two years in a row. Perhaps you’ll say that two out of the last three seasons were dominant for Dallas, but they are still missing something to make me think they will be any better.
Andrew Luck wins this debate. His Colts proved themselves to be real contenders after a slow start. Luck showed he can stay healthy and be just as great as we remembered. His rookie coach did an excellent job, pushing his team to heights beyond everyone’s expectations. Until he coaches a bad team, I’m not going to knock his performance.
The AFC South is solid top to bottom, but Luck is the best quarterback of the bunch. Indianapolis has a solid running game now and can easily win the division next season. A rookie coach coming off a major high and a franchise quarterback returning to glory present the best possible scenario in 2019. The Colts win this debate, as long as they don’t completely screw up their NFL offseason 2019 moves.