14. Philadelphia Eagles
A strong run down the stretch including a four-game winning streak from Week 14-Week 17 helped the Philadelphia Eagles finish with a 9-8 record and a playoff berth. They would end up losing to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but it was a big improvement for them and sets them up nicely for 2022.
Head coach Nick Sirianni had some unorthodox methods — like the Rock, Paper, Scissors challenges with collegiate prospects — but the team is buying in and playing well.
Jalen Hurts is still going to be the key to whether or not they succeed. He had 3,144 yards passing with a 16-to-9 touchdown-to-interception ratio as well as 784 yards and 10 more touchdowns on the ground. However, he was also very inconsistent which will be the main focus for him in 2022.
13. Las Vegas Raiders
They made the playoffs last season despite a lot of off-field problems. That was a testament to the way interim head coach Rich Bisaccia held the team together and how well guys like Derek Carr and Hunter Renfrow stepped up.
So naturally, they got rid of the coach who players fought hard for and brought in Josh McDaniels who has burnt a lot of bridges. Maybe it’s a genius move because he is a brilliant offensive mind but he also has a lot to prove as a head coach.