The New York Jets, New York Giants and Miami Dolphins could end long playoff droughts while the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams and reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers Green Bay Packers are well below .500These arent the anyone envisioned before the season.I gue s I would say its a little crazier than normal, former NFL quarterback and current NBC Football Night in America" analyst Jamal Carter Jersey Chris Simms said.Its not unusual for each NFL postseason to have a few new faces.Seven of the 14 playoff teams each of the last two seasons hadnt reached the postseason the previous year. Every postseason since 1990 has featured at least four new playoff teams. What makes this season stand out is that several playoff contenders are relevant for the first time in several years.The Dolphins (6-3), Jets (6-3) and Giants (6-2) The havent the longest absence of any team. Whoever were playing, whether its before or after the game, we know that we can play with anybody just based off our confidence, off our skill level and really based off the ability to understand the game, Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley said. I feel like were a young group, but were very wise in a Bruce Matthews Jersey lot of areas, and it makes up for a lot of things.The and last reached the postseason in 2016. Before then, Miami hadn't earned a postseason bid since 2008. The Giants' last playoff berth before 2016 was its 2011 Super Bowl championship season.Moreover, the Baltimore Ravens and Seattle Seahawks are leading their respective divisions after The NFC North-leading Minnesota Vikings (7-1) have bounced back from an 8-9 season.If Baltimore or Seattle maintain their leads, this would mark the 18th time in the last 20 seasons that at least one team has won its division after either tying for last or finishing last outright the previous year.Seattle may be the biggest surprise of all. The Seahawks have capitalized on quarterback Geno Smiths emergence after trading Ru sell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.I thought they might be a three-win team going into the season, said NFL Network analyst and former executive and scouting director Marc Ro s. I had Geno in New York, loved the guy, but just didnt think he had this in him anymore after so much time, and just rolling A.J. Brown Jersey the dice with all the young guys they had and losing Ru sell. It just seemed as if this was a complete rebuilding year. They started out as a feel-good story oh, this is cool and now when you look at them, theyre a legitimate team when you look at the talent they have at every position group, really.There also have been plenty of unwelcome surprises, most notably the last two Super Bowl champions.The Rams (3-5) have lost four of their last five. (4-5), which is tied for first in the NFC South only because every team in that division is below .500.The three-time defending NFC North champion Packers (3-6) for the first time since 2008. Nobody likes being in this situation, Rams coach Sean McVay said. But the only way that I know how to get out of it is to continue to fight, continue to go back to work and try to find Theres a common thread with those three teams. Theyre all aging teams with veteran quarterbacks who arent playing up to their usual standards.When old quarterbacks sort of hit the wall, they hit the wall, Ro s said. They dont come back.One year after leading the Rams to a Teair Tart Jersey Super Bowl title, Matthew Stafford has thrown an equal number of interceptions (eight) and touchdown pa ses. Rodgers is coming off a Tom Brady ended his brief retirement to return to Tampa and has 10 touchdown pa ses with one interception, but the Bucs continue to struggle.The reign of Brady and Rodgers being the top quarterbacks in football, its over, Simms said. Its been over. But people didnt want to get off of that. I think thats part of it. Those two, theyre not even in the same stratosphere as somebody like Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes anymore. Theyre in a different world. Joe Burrows in a different world Jordan Roos Jersey than they are. Justin Herberts in a different world than they are. Lamar Jacksons in a different world than they are.Simms doesnt see how Rodgers or Brady could reverse that trend, which is bad news for the long-term prospects of the Packers and Bucs.I think theres a little bit of a changing of the guard, not only with teams to a degree, but certainly at the quarterback position throughout the NFL, Simms said.___AP NFL: hub/nfl and AP_NFL in this topic
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