NFL 2015: Darkhorse teams to win each division

The National Football League is a crazy place. It is a place where horrible teams become good in the blink of an eye, while teams that have dominated for years suddenly go into a decade-long funk. The NFL loves to talk about parity, but really it is about two things; the coach and quarterback.

In today’s game, you don’t need a great defense to be good. You simply must have a decent offensive line, a defense that can stop someone, and a really quality quarterback and head coach. If you can check those four boxes, you are in great shape. While most teams fall short in one or more of those categories, there are a few sleepers who fit the description.

Heading into 2015, let’s look at a team in each division that can overcome the stigma of an afterthought and become a playoff team.

8. Tennessee Titans

What? Yes, the Titans are the type of team who could sneak up and make a run at the playoffs. It is completely dependent on Marcus Mariota coming out of the gate and playing extremely well, but it is possible. Mariota won the Heisman Trophy last year with the University of Oregon and is the type of dual threat that can drive opposing defenses insane.

Mariota also has a cast of very talented receivers around him. In the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Tennessee took Dorial Green-Beckham. While Green-Beckham has all kinds of red flags off the field, he’s an absolute monster on it with a 6-foot-5 frame at over 235 pounds. Along with former first-round picks Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright, the Titans have one of the more intriguing corps in the NFL.

Additionally, the coach is in place. Ken Whisenhunt went to the playoffs twice with the Arizona Cardinals and even reached the Super Bowl once, falling narrowly to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whisenhunt can coach and knows how to push the ball down the field. Tennessee is not as far away as some think.

Next: Bridgewater and the boys