Top 10 Dark Horse NFL Teams Going Into the 2018 Season

Last year, the Chargers were just barely outside of the playoffs. This could be the year they break through. This team has a good core on offense with Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen, and Tyrell Williams. On defense, they have Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram, and Derwin James will definitely fix a hole in the secondary.

Anthony Lynn may not have the coaching ability to lead this team, but there's more than enough talent on this team to be a playoff contender, especially with the AFC being relatively weak.

Will Watson's injury be a step backward for him? Or will it be motivation for him to come back stronger and better? Those questions will remain unanswered until the season begins, but one thing we can't deny is Watson's success before his injury. Before his season ended due to an ACL injury, he led the NFL in passing touchdowns with 19.

Once Watson's season was over, the Texans' season was over. It's tough to argue against how important Watson really is to Houston. Like some of the other teams, the Texans had some moves that needed to be made. Some of the biggest moves they made this offseason include signing Aaron Colvin, Tyrann Mathieu, and Zach Fulton.

With the AFC being so weak, Watson could dominate the air throughout the season and really take this team to the next level. His ability to use his legs and arm to make plays makes him one of the scariest quarterbacks in the NFL. If he can continue the strong performance from 2017 and carry it into this season, this team is going to be scary for sure.

Last year was filled to the brim with dark horse teams. In the NFC, five of the six playoff teams were different from the year before. Only the Falcons managed to make the postseason both in 2016 and 2017. No one could have predicted that teams like the Eagles, Vikings, Saints, and Rams would have risen to the top of the conference at the start of last year's season.

I think with a revamped roster and a rising QB in Jimmy G, the 49ers will be the league's turnaround squad in 2018. The only thing that's predictable about the NFC is its unpredictability. Meanwhile, the AFC is easier to predict than the NBA Playoffs.

What helped the Denver Broncos get to the Super Bowl a few years ago was a good defense. While the departure of Aqib Talib was tough to swallow, they were able to save money to bring in a decent quarterback in Case Keenum. They also got lucky when defensive end Bradley Chubb fell into their lap in the draft.

The Broncos were able to improve their secondary after losing Talib by adding Su'a Cravens. Although his commitment may be questioned, the talent is there. The Broncos also brought in Keenum and gave him a few decent weapons. Both their second and third-round draft picks were focused on the offensive side, drafting wide receiver Courtland Sutton and running back Royce Freeman.

This Broncos team already has two of the best wide receivers in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, but they haven't been as productive playing with mediocre quarterbacks. With a talented quarterback with some playoff experience, Keenum should be able to give this team a shot at making it back to the Super Bowl.

Let's be honest, as long as Tom Brady is on the field for the New England Patriots, they are the king of the AFC East. However, the Buffalo Bills were playoff-bound last season thanks to a hard-nosed defense and a run game that was sixth in the NFL, averaging 126.1 rushing yards per game. They do have an interesting quarterback situation, however. Their two options are really Josh Allen or AJ McCarron.

The Bills kick off the season with three of their first four games on the road at Baltimore, Minnesota, and Green Bay. As a matter of fact, five of the team's first seven games are road contests. Can this young team knock the Patriots off the throne? That will be a very tough task. But they will prove to give New England their biggest test within the division. Could they surprise us and return to the playoffs again?

Honestly, I don't have high expectations for Washington. With Derrius Guice out, Chris Thompson will have to carry most of the workload.

Alex Smith just had his best season, so can he repeat that, or will he revert to his older form? They may surprise me, but it's not likely.

Some say that last season's success wasn't enough to justify the Jacksonville Jaguars possibly making a Super Bowl run. In past seasons, they were a team to make fun of, with Blake Bortles being the main target. But last season, that all changed. Bortles was more careful with the football, and being the No. 1 ranked defense made it difficult for offenses to score on them.

And, oh, you could say drafting Leonard Fournette helped balance out this offense. Let's not forget, if the officials had made the change on the Myles Jack play, the Jaguars had a good chance at defeating the Patriots. If they keep things going on offense, then watch out.

Chicago hasn't really gotten any better in recent seasons, but there are reasons to believe that might change. Mitchell Trubisky could pull a Goff/Wentz and have a strong year with more weapons to work with. Now, the Bears' top four options will all be somewhat new faces. Allen Robinson could be their new No. 1 receiver, while a former top-10 pick, Kevin White, is finally (knock on wood) healthy and could be slotted as their No. 2.

Second-round pick Anthony Miller is set to man the slot, and free-agent signing Trey Burton should be their primary option at tight end. What's scary is we don't know what to expect from these guys, which could help the Bears' offense. If all goes well, Chicago will make some progress.

I didn't have them in the original list, but this team could still very well surprise us. The offense looks better with Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, Hayden Hurst, and Mark Andrews. Lamar Jackson will also be an important part of this offense. They already have a decent defense, so it really depends on how Flacco and/or Jackson does.

They could either be mediocre at 8-8 or 9-7, or they could lead Baltimore back to the playoffs and be what saves John Harbaugh from getting fired, for now.

This might be bold, but the Falcons have stayed intact relatively well since their Super Bowl loss. They're technically still in their window of contention.

Can the core play at the level they did in 2016? That's really the biggest factor in determining what to expect from this team.

Okay, I'm not completely sold on this one, but hear me out. A lot of people are saying this is going to be a down year for KC now, entering the Patrick Mahomes era and with Andy Reid possibly on the hot seat. However, Mahomes is already surrounded with several decent weapons, including Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill, Kareem Hunt, Spencer Ware, and Sammy Watkins.

The only problem is the defense. I don't think Justin Houston and Eric Berry are enough. If the defense doesn't improve, then they're only going to be 9-7 at best.